Deck 6: Social Structure Theories

Question 1

______________ are the unique value system that dominates life among the lower class.

Answer 1

Focal concerns

Question 2

___________are created by the unequal distribution of wealth,power,and prestige.

Answer 2

Social strata

Question 3

___________________ is promoted through the cohesion among neighborhood residents combined with shared expectations for informal social control of public space.

Answer 3

collective efficacy

Question 4

Shaw and McKay's __________ analysis indicated that even though crime rates changed,the areas with the highest rates were always in central city and the transitional area.

Question 5

Poverty during early childhood may have a more severe impact on behavior than poverty during adolescence or adulthood.What percent of American children live in poverty?

A)5%
B)19%
C)24%
D)36%

Question 6

The anger,frustration,and adverse emotions that emerge in the wake of negative and destructive social relationships are known as

Question 7

According to Robert Agnew,______________states that individuals who feel stress and strain are more likely to commit crimes

Question 8

Gunnar Myrdal described a worldwide _______ that was cut off from society,its members lacking the education and skills needed to be effectively in demand in modern society.

Question 9

The ____________________________ holds that living in deteriorated,crime-ridden neighborhoods exerts a powerful influence over behavior,strong enough to neutralize the positive effects of a supportive family and close social ties.

Question 10

According to Durkheim,________ is a state of normlessness during periods of rapid social change or social crisis that undermines society's social control function.

Question 11

Race based economic disparity can take a terrific toll.Among research findings regarding the plight of minorities,which of the following statements is false?

A)If they do commit crime,minority youth are more likely to be officially processed to the juvenile court than Caucasian youths.
B)More than 50% of black males in inner cities dropout of high school.
C)One in 30 black males between the ages of 20-24 is behind bars.
D)One in 100 black women in their mid- to late-30s is incarcerated.

Question 12

The wealth concentration effect in a worldwide phenomenon.In the United States,the top one tenth of one percent of households averages about ____________ annually.

A)$1.6 million
B)$2 million
C)$3.7 million
D)$ 5 million

Question 13

The rules governing day-to-day living conditions within a culture,group,or political structure are termed _______________.

Question 14

The __________________ is concerned with the social ecology crime in urban areas.

Question 15

People in the United States live in what type of society?

A)unified
B)integrated
C)incomporated
D)stratified

Question 16

Cohen labeled standards set by authority figures such as teachers,employers or supervisors as ___________________.

Question 17

What are the three branches of social structure theory?

A)social learning theory,social disorganization theory,and cultural deviance theory
B)cultural deviance theory,deprivation theory,strain theory
C)cultural deviance theory,anomie theory,deprivation theory
D)social disorganization theory,strain theory,cultural deviance theory

Question 18

Apathy,cynicism,helplessness,and mistrust of social institutions,such as schools,government agencies,and the police mark the _____________.

Question 19

______________ occurs when the rules expressed in the criminal law clash with the demands of group conduct norms.

Question 20

___________________ theory focuses on the conditions within the urban environment that affect crime rates.

Question 21

Social disorganization theory focuses on which of the following conditions in the urban environment?

A)age and ethnic differences
B)inadequate social control and deteriorated housing
C)frustration and stress levels
D)unequal distribution of wealth and power

Question 22

_______________ is a characteristic of pre-industrial society,held together by traditions,shared values and unquestioned beliefs.

A)organic solidarity
B)anomic solidarity
C)mechanic solidarity
D)systematic solidarity

Question 23

______________ suggest that social and economic forces operating in deteriorated lower-class areas are the key determinant of criminal behavior patterns.

A)Social process theories
B)Social structure theories
C)Social control theories
D)Social conflict theories

Question 24

As communities undergo cycles of change,neighborhood deterioration precedes increasing crime rates.Neighborhoods most at risk for crime rate increases contain:

A)large numbers of single-parent families and unrelated people living together
B)owner-occupied units
C)workers seeking employment
D)an economic base that contains skilled and semi-skilled jobs

Question 25

When an individual accepts the goals of society,but rejects or is incapable of attaining them through legitimate means,it is called:

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

Question 26

In 1966,Oscar Lewis argued that the crushing lifestyle of lower-class areas produce ______________,which is/are passed from one generation to the next.

A)culture conflict
B)a culture of poverty
C)differential opportunity
D)negative affective states

Question 27

According to Shaw and McKay's statistical analysis,in which concentric zones were the highest rates of crime found?

A)zones I & II
B)zones II & III
C)zones III & IV
D)zones IV & V

Question 28

In neighborhoods with high levels of collective efficacy,children are less likely to become involved with deviant peers and to engage in deviant behavior.Rather,kids use their wits to avoid violent confrontations and to feel safe.Doing this is a concept referred to as:

A)efficacy effect
B)collective effect
C)street efficacy
D)street savvy

Question 29

Social disorganization theory was popularized by the work of two Chicago sociologists:

A)Martin and Gordon
B)Winfree and Mays
C)Sutherland and Durkeim
D)McKay and Shaw

Question 30

When individuals embrace conventional social goals and have the means at their disposal to attain them,this is known as:

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

Question 31

A socially disorganized area is one in which the ________________ have broken down and can no longer carry out their expected or stated functions.

A)institutions of social control
B)institutions of social service
C)institutions of local government
D)institutions of education and religion

Question 32

_____________________ is the result of working and middle-class families leaving the inner-city and taking with them their financial and institutional resources and support,thus isolating the poor in inner-city,deteriorated ghettos

A)culture conflict
B)gentrification
C)concentrated poverty
D)collective efficacy

Question 33

The social disorganization concepts of Shaw and McKay were developed over 75 years ago.Which of their findings are still applicable today?

A)Crime rates are sensitive to the destructive social forces operating in lower-class urban neighborhoods.
B)Crime is a constant feature in poverty areas regardless of racial and/or ethnic makeup.
C)Neighborhood disintegration and the corresponding erosion of social control are the primary causes of criminal behavior.
D)Environmental factors are limited in their explanatory power,as such individual factors,such as personal inferiority,are much more informative.

Question 34

According to Durkheim,______________ occurs in a society in which rules of behavior have broken down or become inoperative during periods of rapid social change or social crisis,such as war or famine.

A)anomie
B)stratification
C)gentrification
D)transition

Question 35

Social ecologists know that people who report living in neighborhoods with high levels of crime and civil disorder become suspicious and mistrusting.Some residents become so suspicious that they develop a(n)___________ in which the outside world is considered the enemy out to destroy their neighborhood.

A)anomie mindset
B)culture conflict
C)focal attitude
D)siege mentality

Question 36

Poverty-ridden neighborhoods which suffer high rates of population turnover and are incapable of inducing residents to remain are known as:

A)concentric neighborhoods
B)gated neighborhoods
C)transitional neighborhoods
D)at-risk neighborhoods

Question 37

Cohesion among neighborhood residents (community cohesion)combined with shared expectations for informal social control of public space promotes:

A)siege mentality
B)gentrification
C)collective efficacy
D)incivility

Question 38

Institutional social control includes _______ while public social control includes ______.

A)schools,police
B)families,schools
C)schools,peers
D)police,churches

Question 39

Those who occupy the lowest levels of the underclass in which they are socially isolated,live in urban inner cities,and are the victims of discrimination are known as:

A)the truly poor
B)the truly disadvantaged
C)the truly at-risk
D)the truly differentiated

Question 40

A renewal stage in which obsolete housing is replaced and upgraded is known as:

A)gentrification
B)turnover
C)transition
D)revitalization

Question 41

According to institutional anomie theory,the economy dominates all other social institutions,such as family and school.What statement is false with regard to how the economy undermines the other social institutions?

A)Performance in noneconomic functions and roles have been devalued.
B)The demands of the workplace take precedent over school and family.
C)Economic language,standards,and norms penetrate into noneconomic realms.
D)The unequal access to the means for obtaining the American Dream leads people to commit crimes..

Question 42

Cloward and Ohlin's theory of differential opportunity states that people in all strata of society share the same success goals but those in the lower class have limited means (opportunity)for achieving them.Because of differential opportunity,kids are likely to:

A)find menial jobs
B)seek role models
C)join gangs
D)feel shame

Question 43

The condition that exists when people of wealth and poverty live in close proximity to one another is known as:

A)general strain
B)anomie
C)siege mentality
D)relative deprivation

Question 44

Agnew's General Strain Theory indicates that criminality is the direct result of _________ that come in the wake of destructive social relationships.

A)inadequate social controls
B)reactions formations
C)negative affective states
D)blocked social means

Question 45

Findings suggest that poverty experienced during adolescence may have a more severe impact than poverty experienced during early childhood or during adulthood.

Question 46

The unique value system that dominates life among the lower classes is known as:

A)focal concerns
B)middle-class measuring rods
C)conduct norms
D)reaction formation

Question 47

Those who gain pleasure from practicing traditional ceremonies regardless of whether they have a real purpose or a goal are known as:

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

Question 48

According to general strain theory,which negative emotion is most important in the study of crime?

A)fear
B)anxiety
C)anger
D)depression

Question 49

The American Dream refers to what theory?

A)focal concern theory
B)institutional anomie
C)culture conflict theory
D)general strain theory

Question 50

The view,according to Robert Agnew,that individuals who feel stress and strain are more likely to commit crimes is called:

A)general strain theory
B)negative affective states
C)relative deprivation
D)culture conflict

Question 51

Standards set by authority figures such as teachers,employers,or supervisors are:

A)reaction formations
B)middle-class measuring rods
C)conduct norms
D)focal concerns

Question 52

Cultural deviance theory focuses on which of the following factors?

A)development of subcultures as a result of disorganization and strain
B)blocked opportunities for achieving status
C)poverty and unemployment
D)socialization processes inherent in the truly disadvantaged

Question 53

Which of the following is not an element of general strain theory?

A)achievement of positively valued goals
B)disjunction of expectations and achievements
C)removal of positively valued stimuli
D)presentation of negative stimuli

Question 54

According to focal concern theory,which of the following is not identified as a lower class focal concern?

A)smartness
B)trouble
C)excitement
D)achievement

Question 55

This occurs when the rules expressed in the criminal law clash with the demands of group conduct norms.

A)culture conflict
B)cultural defiance
C)cultural deviance
D)relative deprivation

Question 56

People in the United States live in a stratified society.

Question 57

The wealth concentration effect is unique to the United States.

Question 58

A subculture is a unique set of values and beliefs that are in conflict with conventional social norms.

Question 59

The rules that govern day-to-day living conditions within a subculture are known as:

A)policies
B)focal concerns
C)middle-class measuring rods
D)conduct norms

Question 60

Who is the theorist who developed general strain theory?

A)Sellin
B)Durkheim
C)Agnew
D)Merton

Question 61

Define concentric zones and the relationship between the zones and the crime rate.Specifically discuss the work of Shaw and McKay focusing upon transitional neighborhoods.

Question 62

Organic solidarity is a postindustrial social system that is highly developed and dependent upon the division of labor,and in which people are connected by their interdependent needs for one another's services and production.

Question 63

Discuss the cycles of community change and how they impact collective efficacy.

Question 64

According to Messner and Rosenfeld,the dominance of economic concerns weakens the informal social control exerted by the family,church,and school.

Question 65

Cultural deviance theory links crime rates to neighborhood ecological characteristics.

Question 66

According to Cohen,the "delinquent boy" adopts a set of norms in direct opposition to middle-class values.

Question 67

What is anomie and what are the conditions that cause anomie?

Question 68

Cohesive communities with high levels of social control develop collective efficacy.

Question 69

Describe the relationship between socioeconomic structure and crime.If one is a member of the lower class does it predispose that person to a life of crime according to social structure theories?

Question 70

Retreatists reject both the goals and the means of society,while rebels substitute an alternative set of goals and means for conventional ones.

Question 71

How does poverty impact children and minority groups?

Question 72

Identify the community-level factors that are associated with fear and describe how these factors contribute to the level of fear in a neighborhood.

Question 73

Discuss Merton's version of strain theory and its social adaptations.

Question 74

Subcultural values are handed down from one generation to the next in a process called cultural transmission.

Question 75

According to Agnew,criminality is the direct result of negative affective states that are produced by a variety of sources of strain.

Question 76

General strain theory is a micro-level theory.Explain the multiple sources of stress contained within this view and how general strain is associated with criminality.

Question 77

While short-term national economic trends may have little effect on crime,long-term local unemployment rates may have a significant impact on conditions at the neighborhood level.

Question 78

What is social disorganization and how does social disorganization develop?

Question 79

A weakness of Shaw and McKay's research was their reliance on official police records to calculate neighborhood crimes rates.

Question 80

According to Sellin,culture conflict occurs when the rules expressed in criminal law clash with the demands of group conduct norms.