Exam 6: Deviance

There are many competing and often incompatible ideas about how to best deal with criminal behavior. Deterrence, retribution, incapacitation, and rehabilitation are all believed by some to have merit. Discuss the ways in which these different methods for dealing with deviance reflect the different ways society views criminals.

According to Jack Katz, what do muggers gain from their crimes, aside from material objects?

Jewish Americans, African Americans, and Hispanic Americans were not permitted to purchase houses in the suburb of Lakewood, California when it was first built in 1950. However, the developers reversed this policy within a few years and started selling homes to families regardless of religious faith or ethnicity. What does this tell us about stigma?

Why was having a hand cut off a typical punishment for a pickpocket in colonial America?

Structural functionalists like Émile Durkheim believe that every aspect of a social structure does something to help maintain the stability of society. According to Durkheim, what are some of the so-called functions of deviance within a society?

What term describes "actions considered deviant within a given context but are later reinterpreted as appropriate or even heroic"?

Stealing avocados or almost any other agricultural product is a felony in California if the product is worth more than $100. A ________ would say that such laws target homeless people who have little power in society and are simply trying to eat.

Prison has been the most common means of punishment for criminals and deviants throughout history.

Deviance can be considered relative because whether or not a behavior is considered deviant depends upon the historical, cultural, and situational context in which it occurs.

There are several ways in which gays and lesbians in the United States have chosen to manage their stigma. What strategy are gay rights activists using when they chant the slogan "We're here, we're queer, get used to it"?

What is one of the principal reasons people turn to deviant behavior in the United States, according to the structural strain theory of deviance as articulated by Robert Merton?

Maria is the school chess champion and is invited to compete at a regional tournament. An opponent tells Maria that men are naturally better at chess than women. Upon hearing this, Maria becomes upset and worried about her performance and subsequently loses her first match. What has Maria just experienced?

Howard Becker's labeling theory argues that no act is deviant until a society labels it as deviant. Explain why Becker and other sociologists, like David Rosenhan, author of "On Being Sane in Insane Places," believe that labeling can have long-lasting effects on the individual who is labeled a deviant.

An example of ________ is Asian American students being more likely to be placed in Advanced Placement classes, earn higher grades, and be treated well by teachers.

A gay man who joins a dating website tells his friends that he is frustrated when other men on the website describe themselves as "straight-acting, straight-appearing." He believes that these men are treating gay identity as a stigmatized identity by

Martin Luther King Jr. went to jail many times for acts of civil disobedience such as ignoring court orders prohibiting marches and boycotts. Some people, even those who agreed with him, criticized him for disobeying the law. However, most people today view these actions as a form of

What is the Uniform Crime Report (UCR)?

Which of the following describes how deviance can be explained from the functionalist perspective?

What evidence shows that the number of women who commit crimes is related to social structure?

According to labeling theory, none of the pseudo-patients in David Rosenhan's "On Being Sane in Insane Places" were discovered because