The paper outlines the "sociology of acceptance" as a theoretical framework for understanding relationships between people with mental retardation and typical people. Sociocultural perspectives on deviance are reviewed and their contribution to the study of mental retardation is considered. The paper next examines the nature of accepting relationships and describes four sentiments expressed by typical people who form relationships with people with mental retardation: family feelings; religious commitment; humanitarian sentiments; and feelings of friendship. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the implications of a sociology of acceptance for the field of mental retardation. (Author/DB)