ABSTRACT
The chapter discusses reformist and radical approach to the control of deviants in the 1960s. In their analysis of a Finnish SMO – the ‘November Movement’ (ML) –the authors have conducted a case study of a group of radical intellectuals that aimed to change the ways society treats deviant individuals in a developing welfare state. Defining ‘deviant individuals’, such as mental hospital patients, children in reform schools, prisoners, sexual minorities, and the homeless, as their target group, the ML argued that the Finnish politics of control in place at the time was irrational and inhumane. As the majority of these deviant individuals belonged to the most disadvantaged classes, the ML viewed established psychiatric practices and control policies as a means of consolidating the status quo. Through public actions, press campaigns, and statements, the ML significantly influenced the ways in which deviance was discussed and managed in Finnish society. Consequently, social class became an essential factor in explaining a wide range of mental disorders and other conditions in Finland. Furthermore, the ML paved the way for others to campaign for societal changes to come in the future.
