Deck 24: What Is Deviance

Question 1

The contemporary study of possible genetic roots of criminality is but one aspect of the larger debate over

A)biosociology.
B)sociobiology.
C)impression management.
D)Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In Émile Durkheim's view,

A)the punishments established within a culture help to define acceptable behavior and thus contribute to social stability.
B)labeling an individual is the most crucial stage in that person becoming a deviant.
C)people accept or reject the goals of a society and/or the socially approved means to fulfill their aspirations.
D)the punishments established within a culture help define acceptable behavior,and people accept or reject the goals of a society.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which theory was used by Edwin Sutherland to emphasize that criminal behavior is learned through social interactions with others?

A)labeling theory
B)cultural transmission
C)societal-reaction approach
D)techniques of neutralization

Answer 3

B

Question 4

In his anomie theory of deviance,Robert Merton

A)described five types of deviance.
B)created a typology to explain the basic types of adaptations people make to culture.
C)noted that people will always follow one of the five modes of adaptation and maintain that mode for an extended period of time.
D)suggested that conformists tend to ignore societal goals.

Question 5

According to Robert Merton,an innovator is an individual who has

A)abandoned the goal of material success and become compulsively committed to the institutional means.
B)withdrawn from the goals and means of society.
C)accepted the goals of society,but pursues them with means regarded as improper.
D)None of these answers is correct.

Question 6

Arnold gets an "A" on his organic chemistry exam because he copies most of his answers from Stanley,the "class brain" who is sitting next to him.According to Merton's anomie theory of deviance,Arnold would be classified as a(n)

A)ritualist.
B)retreatist.
C)rebel.
D)innovator.

Question 7

The most common adaptation in Robert Merton's anomie theory of deviance is

A)ritualism.
B)conformity.
C)rebellion.
D)innovation.

Question 8

Which sociologist used the term differential association to describe the process by which exposure to attitudes favorable to criminal acts leads to violation of rules?

A)Richard Quinney
B)Erving Goffman
C)Robert Merton
D)Edwin Sutherland

Question 9

Which sociological perspective's approach explains why rule violation continues to exist in societies despite pressures to conform and obey,but fails to indicate how a given person comes to commit a deviant act or why on some occasions crimes do or do not occur?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)feminist perspective

Question 10

In Robert Merton's terms,people who overzealously and cruelly enforce bureaucratic regulations can be classified as

A)ritualists.
B)rebels.
C)innovators.
D)retreatists.

Question 11

Which term is used in the sociological literature to describe a loss of direction felt in a society when social control of individual behavior has become ineffective?

A)anomie
B)neutralization
C)cultural transmission
D)disobedience

Question 12

"Deviance defines the limits of proper behavior." This statement represents the view of which sociological perspective?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)feminist perspective

Question 13

According to Robert Merton,a retreatist is an individual who has

A)abandoned the goal of material success and become compulsively committed to the institutional means.
B)withdrawn from the goals and means of society.
C)accepted the goals of society,but pursues them with means regarded as improper.
D)None of these answers is correct.

Question 14

An employee at a welfare office is so concerned with paperwork that he doesn't have time to administer to the needs of the poor,hungry,and homeless individuals who seek assistance.According to Merton's theory,this welfare worker would be a(n)

A)ritualist.
B)rebel.
C)innovator.
D)retreatist.

Question 15

Deviance is behavior that

A)always violates the laws of a society.
B)is always illegal.
C)violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society.
D)is always anomic.

Question 16

Which of the following would be an example of anomie?

A)A man loses his job,his fortune,and his family during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
B)An individual takes a shortcut to school and gets lost.
C)A woman wins a lottery and gives a considerable amount of her winnings to several charities that are important to her.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 17

Which sociological perspective would most likely be concerned with the stigmatizing nature of formal social controls that require convicted sex offenders to register with police agencies and have their pictures published in newspapers to make their identities publicly known?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)global perspective

Question 18

According to Robert Merton,members of revolutionary political organizations such as the Irish Republican Army would typically be classified as

A)rebels.
B)ritualists.
C)conformists.
D)innovators.

Question 19

Which of the following connections to criminality is commonly rejected by sociologists?

A)environmental influences
B)genetic roots
C)social structure
D)Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft

Question 20

An unemployed young adult wants a stereo,but he doesn't have the money or the means of earning the money needed to buy it.His desire for the stereo overwhelms him,and he steals one from a local store.This incident illustrates which theory of deviance?

A)conflict theory
B)labeling theory
C)anomie theory of deviance
D)cultural transmission theory

Question 21

The social constructionist perspective is most closely affiliated with which other sociological explanation of deviance?

A)the theory of differential association
B)labeling theory
C)the anomie theory of deviance
D)social disorganization theory

Question 22

An important tenet of labeling theory is the recognition that some individuals or groups have the power to define labels and apply them to others.This view shares the emphasis on the social significance of power as purported by the

A)functionalist perspective.
B)conflict perspective.
C)interactionist perspective.
D)global perspective.

Question 23

Which sociological perspective would be particularly concerned about studies that show that White criminal offenders receive shorter sentences than comparable Latino and African American offenders?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)feminist perspective

Question 24

According to journalist Naomi Wolf,women in the U.S.who do not conform to the beauty myth are viewed as deviant.

Question 25

A sociologist studies how a teacher's attitudes toward particular students affects students' performance.Students of similar abilities who are "teacher's pets" perform at a high level,and students who are viewed as "troublemakers" perform poorly.This illustrates which explanation of deviance?

A)anomie theory
B)labeling theory
C)cultural transmission
D)differential association

Question 26

Bob works as a cashier in a supermarket.His boss instructs him to include the price of a new broom-which Bob's boss has deceptively placed near the register-on everyone's bill.Bob's boss also encourages him to change the dates on expired food items so the items can continue to be sold.Eventually,Bob begins to develop his own deceptive sales practices.This is an example of

A)labeling.
B)anomie.
C)differential association.
D)dramaturgy.

Question 27

A person convicted of a crime-even when prior arrest record and severity of the crime are taken into account-is more likely to receive a shorter prison sentence if he or she is

A)White and non-Hispanic.
B)Black.
C)Hispanic.
D)Asian or Native American.

Question 28

In his study of the Saints and the Roughnecks,William Chambliss concluded that a key factor in the varying fortunes of the two groups was their differing

A)ages.
B)social class standing.
C)political views.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 29

The high degree of anonymity allowing for uncivil behavior when using the Internet has resulted in calls for the establishment of formal rules for online behavior.

Question 30

Monica,a new student at Valley High School,becomes friends with a group of teenagers who use marijuana and remain seated during the singing of the national anthem.Although Monica had never used marijuana and used to sing the anthem,she begins to engage in the same behavior as her new friends.This is an example of

A)differential association.
B)conformity.
C)labeling.
D)both differential association and conformity.

Question 31

Which sociologist created an interactionist/conflict explanation of deviance that emphasizes that the response to an act-not the behavior-determines deviance?

A)William Chambliss
B)Harry King
C)Howard Becker
D)Edwin Sutherland

Question 32

Which of the following individuals would most likely be the focus of labeling theorists who are researching the power of some individuals or groups to define labels?

A)sexual predators and prostitutes
B)gamblers and money
C)regulators of social control
D)sexual predators and prostitutes,and gamblers and money

Question 33

Which theory attributes increases in crime and deviance to the absence or breakdown of communal relationships and social institutions?

A)cultural transmission theory
B)labeling theory
C)social disorganization theory
D)conflict theory

Question 34

The societal-reaction approach is also known as

A)the human relations approach.
B)the anomie theory of deviance.
C)labeling theory.
D)the dramaturgical approach.

Question 35

A bank president is found guilty of tax evasion.In addition to paying the government all the money he owes with substantial interest,he is sentenced to three years' probation and a $50,000 fine.At the same time,a female teller at the same bank is found guilty of stealing $500.The teller is sentenced to a prison term of no less than four years.This differential treatment would be of particular concern to sociologists using the

A)functionalist perspective.
B)conflict perspective.
C)interactionist perspective.
D)global perspective.

Question 36

Which of the following is a criticism of social disorganization theory?

A)too much focus on larger forces
B)seems to "blame the victim"
C)that there are no viable organizations
D)that troubled areas are hopeless

Question 37

Which conflict sociologist argues that the criminal justice system serves the interests of the powerful and that lawmaking is often an attempt by the powerful to coerce others into their own morality?

A)Elliot Currie
B)Richard Quinney
C)Mark Warr
D)Kai Erikson

Question 38

Recent sociological research supports the position that some forms of crime and deviance have genetic roots.

Question 39

According to the research of Kai Erikson,the Puritans' persecution and execution of women suspected of being witches represented continuing attempts to define and redefine the boundaries of their community.

Question 40

Both men and women in the U.S.may be stigmatized when they fail to conform to standards of attractiveness.

Question 41

Discuss why the definitions of deviance and social stigma are dependent on cultural variations and socially accepted norms.Give examples of how people are stigmatized for behaviors they may no longer engage in.

Question 42

According to Howard Becker,labeling theory was conceived as a sole explanation for deviance.

Question 43

Discuss the relationship between cultural transmission and differential association in explaining deviance or criminal acts.Give an illustration of how a person would likely become criminal using the differential association process.

Question 44

Within the last ten years,the proportion of major crimes committed by women has increased,but violent crimes committed by women have declined.

Question 45

Owning a gun is considered a deviant act in the United States.