Deck 8: Deviance and Social Control

Question 1

Stripping an individual of his or her identity as a group member is an example of using a degradation ceremony to brand someone as an outsider.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Stigma, characteristics that discredit people, includes violations of norms of ability and violations of norms of appearance.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Official crime statistics gathered by the police and FBI can be relied upon for their objectivity and accuracy for measuring crime in their respective jurisdictions.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Sociologically, an act cannot be classified as deviance if it does not cause physical or emotional harm to another individual.

Question 5

Crime "in the suites" (white collar crime) actually costs the American taxpayer more in terms of dollars lost than "crime in the streets."

Question 6

By employing techniques of neutralization, even the most dedicated deviants can view themselves as conformists.

Question 7

Resent research indicates that social definitions of masculinity encourage violence among youth gangs.

Question 8

Shaming is most effective as a sanction when it is used by a formal organization such as a court of common pleas or other public tribunal.

Question 9

Functionalists believe deviance has no useful purpose in society and only contributes to social chaos.

Question 10

The chances of receiving the death penalty are greatly affected by geography (where the murder took place), social class, and gender.

Question 11

Control theory relies on attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief to explain the social bonds people develop to their respective groups and society.

Question 12

The text points out a number of high-profile examples of white-collar crime by large corporations for which violators never went to jail.

Question 13

Although African Americans are disproportionately represented in the state prison population, the majority of prisoners are white.

Question 14

Because deviance is inevitable, the more important focus is to find ways to protect people from harmful deviant acts, to find ways to tolerate behavior that is not harmful, and to develop a system of fair treatment for deviants.

Question 15

Functionalists would contend that the growing crime rates among women are the result of changing social location and gender roles giving women greater access to illegitimate opportunities.

Question 16

An person in the upper-class is less likely to be punished by the criminal justice system than someone in the lower-class.

Question 17

The theory of differential association suggests that people who associate with certain groups receive an "excess of definitions" about either deviance or conformity.

Question 18

Human sexuality illustrates how a group's definitions of an act, and not the act itself, determines whether or not it is considered deviant.

Question 19

The upper-class uses the criminal justice system to oppress the lower-class because they pose a threat to their power and the current social order.

Question 20

Violent crime in America is rather consistent from state to state in terms of the number of incidents and ratio of incidents to the state's population.

Question 21

What is a group's formal and informal means of enforcing norms called?

A) social solidarity
B) the social imperative
C) social control
D) social bond

Question 22

Ritualistic procedures intended to humiliate norm violators and mark them as being moral outcasts of the group to which they once belonged are called ________.

A) sanctions
B) profiling
C) degradation ceremonies
D) stereotyping

Question 23

The sociologist responsible for developing one of the first control theories that addressed the inner controls of the individual and outer controls of society was ________.

A) Travis Hirschi
B) Jackson Toby
C) Walter Reckless
D) F. Ivan Nye

Question 24

Suicide bombers in Iraq are accorded high praise by those who oppose an American presence in the Middle East and are considered heroic warriors. Such honor and praise is an example of a ________.

A) positive sanction
B) negative sanction
C) degradation ceremony
D) shaming

Question 25

Sociologists who believe we help to produce our own orientations to life by joining specific groups is most aligned with which sociological perspective?

A) functional
B) conflict
C) symbolic interactionist
D) neo-conflict

Question 26

The two disciplines that would be most concerned with addressing qualities within the individual to explain deviant behavior are ________ and ________.

A) anthropology; sociology
B) sociology, psychology
C) sociobiology; psychology
D) criminology; political science

Question 27

The concept of the relativity of deviance is best illustrated by which of the following statements?

A) It is not the act itself, but the reaction of others to the act that makes it deviant.
B) The nature of one's behavior is the most important aspect in determining deviance.
C) Deviance is most related to functionalism because it creates a dysfunction for society.
D) Deviance is analogous to mental illness.

Question 28

The relativity of deviance is most aligned with which sociological perspective?

A) structural functionalism
B) symbolic interactionism
C) the conflict perspective
D) the neo-conflict perspective

Question 29

In which of the following settings would shaming be LEAST effective?

A) the family
B) a close knit society, such as the Amish
C) a small religious cult
D) a large inner-city neighborhood

Question 30

Why did the "XYY" chromosome theory fall out of favor as an explanation for criminal behavior?

A) It was discovered there are no longer any XYY chromosome configurations among men.
B) Most criminals do not have XYY and everyone with XYY is not a criminal.
C) The work of the theorist who proposed the theory was plagiarized.
D) The theory only explains deviant and criminal behavior among females.

Question 31

Which of the following theories of deviance is LEAST associated with sociobiology?

A) intelligence theory: low intelligence leads to deviant and criminal behavior
B) social learning theory: we learn deviance from our peers
C) XYY" theory: the extra Y chromosome in males causes criminal behavior
D) body type theory: people with muscular bodies are prone to be criminals

Question 32

Inner and outer controls that work against our tendencies to deviate is known as what theory?

A) rationalization theory
B) judgment theory
C) self-control theory
D) control theory

Question 33

Based on differential association theory, what is the most likely background shared by juvenile delinquents?

A) They come from regions populated by large numbers of minorities.
B) They are concentrated in urban areas with a population over 25,000.
C) They are common in families living in poverty.
D) They are from families that have a history of being involved in crime.

Question 34

The theory of behavior in which people who associate with some groups learn an "excess of definitions" of deviance, increasing the likelihood that they will become deviant is ________.

A) conflict theory
B) social control theory
C) strain theory
D) differential association theory

Question 35

According to control theory, when are inner controls most effective in deterring deviant behavior?

A) When we fear punishment from authorities such as parents or the court system.
B) In the presence of strong attachments, commitments, and involvement with other members of society.
C) When they are applied to members of the middle or upper classes.
D) In situations where there is a strong police presence.

Question 36

Napoleon Chagnon's visit to the Yanomamö tribe, where he observed tribe members appearing naked in public, using hallucinogenic drugs, and letting mucus hang from their noses, is a good example of ________.

A) nonconforming behavior
B) the need for social sanctions
C) the cultural relativity of deviance
D) the need for absolute standards in defining deviance

Question 37

Differential association theory was developed by sociologist ________.

A) Robert K. Merton
B) Frank Tannenbaum
C) Walter Reckless
D) Edwin Sutherland

Question 38

Violations of norms and rules that are written into law are officially called ________.

A) ethics
B) values
C) folkways
D) crimes

Question 39

A group's usual and customary social arrangements, on which its members depend and on which they base their lives, is called ________.

A) social control
B) sanction
C) social order
D) social guideline

Question 40

Erving Goffman used the term ________ to refer to characteristics that discredit people.

A) master status
B) role
C) stigma
D) sanction

Question 41

The term white collar crime was coined by sociologist ________ to refer to crimes that people of respectable social status commit in the course of their occupation.

A) Robert Merton
B) Frank Tannenbaum
C) Erving Goffman
D) Edwin Sutherland

Question 42

According to strain theory, the underlying cause of deviance is that people experience a sense of normlessness. This sense of normlessness is referred to as ________.

A) anomie
B) latent dysfunction
C) mass hysteria
D) retreatism

Question 43

In an effort to resist the label of "deviant," most people will develop rationales to justify their deviant acts. Sykes and Matza refer to these rationales as ________.

A) ideologies
B) techniques of neutralization
C) strategies of justification
D) labeling

Question 44

All of the following acts qualify as a white collar crime EXCEPT for which one?

A) a bank teller robbing the First National bank
B) a police officer taking $100 to refrain from writing a speeding ticket
C) an executive writing off the corporation's million-dollar fine as investment capital
D) a businessperson classifying parking tickets as job hunting expenses on an income tax return

Question 45

The crime with the highest increase among women between 1992 and 2008 was ________.

A) drug offenses
B) car theft
C) bank robbery
D) murder

Question 46

Based on the 2011 edition of the Statistical Abstract in the United States, the state with the lowest rate of violent crime in America is ________, while the state with the highest rate of violent crime is ________.

A) Wyoming; New York
B) Montana; New Jersey
C) Colorado; California
D) Maine; Nevada

Question 47

The early sociologist who argued that deviance might be functional for society was ________.

A) Max Weber
B) Henri Saint Simon
C) Emile Durkheim
D) Karl Marx

Question 48

Sociologists who view law as an instrument of oppression used to control workers are aligned most with which sociological perspective?

A) the functionalist perspective
B) the conflict perspective
C) the symbolic interactionist perspective
D) the structuralist perspective

Question 49

According to Cloward and Ohlin, what is the underlying cause of deviance and delinquency in unstable slums of a city?

A) illegitimate opportunity structures
B) the racial composition of the city
C) a rival struggle for power
D) unethical police behavior

Question 50

The ________ theory developed by Robert Merton is based on the idea that most people want to attain cultural goals, but not everyone has the legitimate means of achieving them.

A) illegitimate opportunity
B) strain
C) labeling
D) control

Question 51

Matthew and Ryan are devout Christian Fundamentalists and believe that homosexuality is against God's will and that homosexuals deserve to be punished. They spend a couple evenings each week in gay bashing activities that include physical violence and verbal assaults. Based on their rationalization, which technique of neutralization is most applicable for Matthew and Ryan to maintain positive self-images?

A) denial of a victim
B) denial of injury
C) denial of responsibility
D) condemn the condemner

Question 52

Cloward and Ohlin addressed the street hustler as a role model for youth and the methods used to earn easy money through a life of crime. What did they call this career path of delinquency?

A) containment theory
B) social bond theory
C) the theory of differential association
D) illegitimate opportunity structure

Question 53

John desires the best things in life - a fast car, designer clothes, and membership in exclusive clubs. But rather than work his way through the system, he has discovered he can have all these things by selling crack cocaine in the inner city. How would Merton classify John?

A) a ritualist
B) a anarchist
C) a rebel
D) an innovator

Question 54

When Anthony worked as a prison counselor he would often ask property offenders why they committed the crime. The overwhelming response was, "I had to feed my family." How would Sykes and Matza classify this response?

A) denial of responsibility
B) appeal to higher loyalties
C) condemnation of the condemners
D) denial of injury

Question 55

Based on Merton's typologies, what do drug addicts, the homeless, nuns living in a convent, and monks living in a monastery have in common?

A) They are all conformists.
B) They are all retreatists.
C) They are all rebels.
D) They are all ritualists.

Question 56

In The Scarlet Letter, why was Hester Prynne required to wear a scarlet "A" on her dress?

A) Sociologically, this served as a negative sanction and an example of shaming.
B) Psychologically, it provided her the opportunity to face what she had become.
C) It indicated she was at the head of her class in what she had done.
D) It was a "badge of honor" that many other women wished they could achieve.

Question 57

The term degradation ceremony was coined by sociologist ________.

A) Harold Garfinkel
B) Erving Goffman
C) Talcott Parsons
D) Herbert Spencer

Question 58

The significance of names or reputations given to people when they engage in certain types of behavior is the focus of ________ theory.

A) strain
B) control
C) labeling
D) differential association

Question 59

Conflict theorists classify the few who own the means of production as ________.

A) the rich
B) moral entrepreneurs
C) the upper middle class
D) capitalists

Question 60

All of the following theories follow the principles of symbolic interactionism EXCEPT for which one?

A) differential association theory
B) control theory
C) labeling theory
D) strain theory

Question 61

What is the relativity of deviance?

Question 62

What are the two most significant "anchoring devices" that insulate a person from a life of crime and imprisonment?

A) a good lawyer and big expense account
B) neighborhood and income
C) race and ethnicity
D) marriage and education

Question 63

Why is the relativity of deviance most aligned with the symbolic interactionist perspective?

Question 64

Why does illegitimate opportunity structure qualify so well as an explanation of deviance in the urban slums?

Question 65

According to Merton's strain theory, what are the four typologies of adaptation that qualify as being deviant? Also identify the fifth typology added by your author that Merton did not include?

Question 66

What was the single greatest difference that explains why members of their community perceived the "Roughnecks" and "Saints" differently?

Question 67

When Officer Friel discovered Mark smoking marijuana outside the school, he took him home and turned him over to his parents for counseling and treatment as they felt appropriate. He also warned Mark the next time would result in a ride to juvenile hall. Which statement best describes Officer Friel's actions?

A) Officer Friel is violating police ethics.
B) Officer Friel is guilty of breaking the law.
C) Officer Friel is employing police discretion.
D) Officer Friel is using reverse psychology on Mark.

Question 68

How a society treats its deviants is one measure of how humane it is. What would an examination of prisons and mental hospitals in the United States suggest regarding this standard?

A) The United States is the most humane society in the world.
B) Prisons are a last resort in dealing with deviants.
C) U.S. prisons emphasize prisoner rehabilitation and mental hospitals cure the mentally ill.
D) They are both used as warehouse for the unwanted.

Question 69

Of the following, the crime with the highest recidivism rate within three years of release from prison is ________.

A) murder
B) rape
C) drug violations
D) car theft

Question 70

What is the major difference between psychological and sociological theories in explaining deviance?

Question 71

The total prison and jail population in the United States equals approximately ________ people, which is one out of every 135 Americans.

A) 500,000
B) 1,500,000
C) 2,300,000
D) 4,000,000

Question 72

What is the purpose of a degradation ceremony?

Question 73

How did psychiatrist Thomas Szasz describe mental illness?

A) He believed mental illness and homelessness were two sides of the same coin.
B) He said mental illness was neither mental nor an illness.
C) He embraced Freudian psychology as being the best explanation for mental illness.
D) He believed mental illness was the cause of most deviance, delinquency, and crime.

Question 74

What is the relationship between norms and social order?

Question 75

What is the most common martial status found among inmates in U.S. state prisons?

A) married
B) divorced
C) widowed
D) never married

Question 76

Why is conformity considered as being the only nondeviant mode of adaptation?

Question 77

In control theory, what is the difference between inner and outer controls?

Question 78

How would conflict theorists classify migrant workers, seasonal employees, and members of the workforce who are subject to layoffs?

A) bourgeoisie
B) proletariat
C) petty bourgeoisie
D) working poor

Question 79

When citizens take the law into their own hands it is known as __________.

A) vigilantism
B) recidivism
C) common law
D) criminal justice

Question 80

Based on control theory, what are the four qualities that determine one's bond with society?