Deck 7: Deviance, Crime, and Social Control

Question 1

Which sociological perspective would most likely be concerned with the association between the use of surveillance techniques as a means of social control and the power of an authoritarian government?

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

Answer 1

B

Question 2

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 anomie.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

According to a study by Stanley Milgram, individuals will

A) conform to the attitudes and behaviors of their peers even if such attitudes and behaviors are racist.
B) obey the commands of people viewed as legitimate authority figures, even if the behavior may harm another individual.
C) in most instances disobey the commands of people viewed as legitimate authority figures if the behavior may harm another individual.
D) not conform to the attitudes and behavior of their peers if racism is expected.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following theories offers a view of conformity and deviance that suggests that our connection to members of society leads us to conform systematically to society's norms?

A) anomie theory of deviance
B) labeling theory
C) control theory
D) theory of differential association

Question 5

Which of the following terms refers to going along with one's peers, with peers defined as individuals of a person's own status who have no special right to direct that person's behavior?

A) labeling
B) conformity
C) deviance
D) obedience

Question 6

Social control carried out by authorized agents-such as police officers, judges, school administrators, and employers-is called

A) neutralization.
B) conformity.
C) informal social control.
D) formal social control.

Question 7

Obedience refers to

A) going along with one's peers, who have no special right to direct one's behavior.
B) compliance with higher authorities in a hierarchical structure.
C) penalties and rewards for conduct concerning a social norm.
D) going along with one's peers, who have no special right to direct that one's behavior, and compliance with higher authorities in a hierarchical structure.

Question 8

Which sociological perspective emphasizes how societies literally could not operate if massive numbers of people defied standards of appropriate conduct?

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

Question 9

Clyde is imprisoned for "tagging," or "visual terrorism." The arrest is an example of a(n)

A) formal sanction.
B) value.
C) informal sanction.
D) norm.

Question 10

Control theory states that we

A) are bonded to members of our subculture, and if they engage in deviant behavior, we use them as role models and act in the same manner.
B) are bonded to our family members, friends, and peers in a way that leads us to follow the mores and folkways of our society.
C) are "convinced" to act in a law-abiding manner because of the "control" that law enforcement agencies have over our lives.
D) act in a conforming manner because of self-control.

Question 11

What was the motivation behind Stanley Milgram's experimental study of obedience?

A) to better understand German involvement in the annihilation of Jews in World War II
B) to better understand the deterrence factor of the death penalty
C) self-esteem issues
D) a federal government grant

Question 12

What type of informal social control is supported by 59 percent of pediatricians in spite of the risk of harmful effects to recipients?

A) capital punishment
B) institutionalization
C) corporal punishment
D) time-outs

Question 13

Sanctions are defined as

A) penalties and rewards for conduct concerning a social norm.
B) justifications for deviant behavior.
C) rules made by a government.
D) a loss of direction when the social control of individual behavior has become ineffective.

Question 14

A college student is caught cheating on an exam and is brought before a college-wide disciplinary committee, which decides to expel the student from the school. The committee's action is an example of

A) formal social control.
B) informal social control.
C) neutralization.
D) enforcement of regulatory law.

Question 15

Historically, legal measures aimed at blocking discrimination based on race, religion, gender, age, or sexual orientation have been difficult to implement because

A) many people tacitly encourage such violations.
B) minorities do not seek legal protection.
C) any type of law is difficult to pass and enforce.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 16

The term social control refers to

A) justifications for deviant behavior.
B) penalties and rewards for conduct concerning a social norm.
C) techniques and strategies for preventing deviant human behavior in any society.
D) behavior that violates the norms of a group.

Question 17

Social control carried out casually by people through such means as laughter, smiles, and ridicule is known as

A) neutralization.
B) conformity.
C) informal social control.
D) formal social control.

Question 18

One of the major themes revealed from Cop in the Hood: My Year Policing Baltimore's Eastern District was that

A) there is a clear line separating illegal activities and deviant behavior.
B) crime is functional in its subculture and helps to provide stability.
C) patrolling confirmed many of the stereotypes held about the neighborhood.
D) gang-related thefts was the neighborhood's major preoccupation.

Question 19

An individual being imprisoned for murder is an example of a(n)

A) formal sanction.
B) value.
C) informal sanction.
D) norm.

Question 20

Jennifer is attending a business luncheon with several corporate executives. At one point during the meal, she reaches in front of another executive for a saltshaker and hits the executive's arm as he is about to put a spoonful of soup in his mouth. The soup spills on his shirt, and he glares at Jennifer. The glare is an example of a(n)

A) norm.
B) folkway.
C) formal sanction.
D) informal sanction.

Question 21

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 22

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 23

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 24

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 25

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 26

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 27

"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 28

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 29

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.

Question 30

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 31

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 32

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

Question 33

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 34

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 35

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

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

Question 36

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.

Question 37

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 38

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 39

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 40

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 41

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 42

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 43

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 44

The term ethnic succession, as used by Daniel Bell, refers to

A) the migration of immigrant groups into communities previously occupied by other immigrant groups.
B) the process during which the leadership of organized crime is passed from one ethnic group to another.
C) the process during which the membership of law enforcement agencies is passed from one ethnic group to another.
D) the migration of immigrant groups to suburbia.

Question 45

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 46

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 47

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 48

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 49

A professional criminal is

A) an affluent individual who commits crimes in the course of daily business activities.
B) always a member of a highly structured criminal organization that is involved in smuggling, drug trafficking, prostitution, and gambling.
C) a person who pursues crime as a daily occupation, developing skilled techniques and enjoying a degree of status among other criminals.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 50

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 51

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 52

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 53

Dave, the president of a small corporation, has a wild weekend. He spends a night with a prostitute, gambles illegally, drinks excessively, and uses drugs. Some would argue he has committed various

A) organized crimes.
B) victimless crimes.
C) white-collar crimes.
D) corporate crimes.

Question 54

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 55

An important aspect of a professional criminal's work is

A) studying crime statistics.
B) boundary maintenance.
C) developing skilled techniques.
D) goal multiplication.

Question 56

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 57

Crime is a violation of

A) criminal law for which formal penalties are applied by some governmental authority.
B) societal standards and is punished with informal sanctions.
C) informal norms that are sanctioned with stigmas.
D) normative behaviors that are considered by society to be proper conduct.

Question 58

The work of a group that regulates relations between various criminal enterprises involved in the smuggling and sale of drugs, prostitution, gambling, and other illegal activities is called

A) routine activities crime.
B) victimless crime.
C) organized crime.
D) white-collar crime.

Question 59

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 60

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 61

Of incidents reported in 2012, the most frequently reported hate crimes were

A) physical abuse and intimidation.
B) vandalism and intimidation.
C) rape and murder.
D) murder and vandalism.

Question 62

Independent analysis has revealed which of the following regarding white-collar crime in the United States?

A) The Martha Stewart case increased the number of prosecutions.
B) The Enron case decreased the number of prosecutions.
C) The number of cases prosecuted increased only modestly between 2000 to 2009.
D) The mortgage crisis increased the number of prosecutions.

Question 63

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

Question 64

Which type of crime is unlikely to be reported in victimization surveys?

A) fraud
B) burglary
C) motor vehicle theft
D) aggravated assault

Question 65

Control theory reminds us that while the media may focus on crime and disorder, most members of most societies conform to and obey basic norms.

Question 66

In a city on the East Coast, organized crime was dominated by an Italian "family," but they were eventually displaced by African Americans. This would be an example of

A) assimilation.
B) ethnic succession.
C) labeling.
D) differential association.

Question 67

A corporate vice president is convicted of attempting to bribe a presidential aide. This type of crime is called

A) professional crime.
B) white-collar crime.
C) organized crime.
D) an index crime.

Question 68

Which perspective would look to the disproportionate economic and lobbying power wielded by groups such as the National Rifle Association in the debate over gun violence in U.S. society?

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

Question 69

According to crime statistics, hate crime focus most frequently on which of the following?

A) sexual orientation
B) disability
C) religion
D) race

Question 70

Crime that occurs across multiple national borders is known as

A) transnational crime.
B) white-collar crime.
C) organized crime.
D) global crime.

Question 71

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

Question 72

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

Question 73

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 74

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

Question 75

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

Question 76

Which of the following is true of white-collar crime?

A) The offender is more likely to receive a prison sentence than a fine.
B) Conviction generally does not harm the person's reputation or career aspirations as much as conviction for a street crime would.
C) Most cases are heard in municipal courts.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 77

What term is used to refer to crimes committed by individuals in the course of their daily business activities?

A) professional crime
B) organized crime
C) index crimes
D) white-collar crimes

Question 78

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

Question 79

What type of crime is motivated by characteristics such as race, religion, sexual orientation or disability?

A) white-collar crime
B) professional crime
C) hate crime
D) victimless crime

Question 80

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