Deviance and Social Disaffiliation among Ivorian Adolescents

DEDOU Zozo Alain

Abstract: This article analyzes the social logics of juvenile deviance in urban C?te d?Ivoire by combining the theories of social disaffiliation (Castel), labeling (Becker), and deviant careers (Lemert, Hughes). It draws on a qualitative study conducted in three Abidjan districts (Adjam?, Yopougon, Abobo), involving 25 adolescents experiencing social marginalization. The research aims to understand how family breakdown, school dropout, institutional stigmatization, and economic hardship contribute to deviant pathways. The methodology includes semi - structured interviews, field observations, and documentary analysis. Findings highlight a strong process of social disaffiliation, where youths progressively detach from traditional institutions (family, school, state) and turn to informal networks seen as sources of recognition, belonging, and survival. In this context, deviance appears less as individual problem than as a social strategy in response to systemic exclusion. The conclusion calls for public policies centered on dignity, inclusion, and youth voice recognition. This study contributes to a contextualized understanding of deviance in postcolonial Africa by examining the combined effects of poverty, institutional fragmentation, and weakened social cohesion.

Keywords: Juvenile deviance, Social disaffiliation, Urban youth, Marginalization, Institutional exclusion