Deck 1: The Nature and Meaning of Deviance

Question 1

Which of the following is true about norms?

A) They are clear-cut rules about behavior in society
B) They are created by society
C) They tend not to vary based on different circumstances
D) They are evaluations of conduct, but not expectations or predictions of conduct

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Social norms vary among different social classes in the United States.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Attitudes about smoking cigarettes have remained stable throughout U.S. history.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The authors of your textbook assert that the _______ conception of deviance ignores many facets of social life by asserting that there are culture-free standards of behavior that are universally held regardless of time period or social context.

A) normative
B) absolutist
C) reactivist
D) statistical

Question 5

Norms are standards about what human beings should or should not think, say, or do under given circumstances.

Question 6

The absolutist conception of deviance holds that deviance is in the eye of the beholder

Question 7

As norms change, so do the criteria for deviance.

Question 8

Stan notices a sign in a restaurant bathroom that states, "Employees must wash hands before returning to work." This sign is an example of a _______ norm.

A) descriptive
B) postscriptive
C) prescriptive
D) proscriptive

Question 9

Those that adhere to the reactivist conception of deviance claim that the interactions between deviants and social control agents define deviance.

Question 10

Tim and Calli would be considered deviant according to the _______ definition of deviance even though they have never used curse-words, have never drunken alcohol, and have never engaged in pre-marital sex.

A) statistical
B) reactivist
C) normative
D) absolutist

Question 11

The concept of deviance is uniquely sociological.

Question 12

Subcultures act in direct opposition to the dominant culture.

Question 13

Scholars studying deviance are interested in:

A) What makes the act deviant
B) Nature of the deviant act
C) Consequences of committing deviant acts
D) All of the above

Question 14

Which two definitions of deviance can complement one another?

A) normative and statistical
B) absolutist and normative
C) statistical and absolutist
D) reactivist and normative

Question 15

All social problems represent instances of deviance.

Question 16

Society defines an act as deviant through a political process.

Question 17

There is a strong consensus among the general public on what constitutes deviance.

Question 18

The _____ definition of deviance asserts that deviance is in the eye of the beholder.

A) reactivist
B) normative
C) absolutist
D) statistical

Question 19

_______ norms tell people what they ought not do.

A) Prescriptive
B) Proscriptive
C) Descriptive
D) Postscriptive

Question 20

The sociological concept of deviance was:

A) Used to replace social disorganization
B) Unknown before the 1950s
C) Used to replace social pathology
D) Unknown prior to 1940s

Question 21

The fact that sexual intercourse is deviant for catholic priests but not for married people illustrates which property of deviance?

A) deviance is relative
B) deviance is non-existent
C) deviance is prospective
D) deviance is absolutist

Question 22

Cohen argues that subcultures:

A) flourish in simple homogenous societies as a way to maintain order
B) do not really exist
C) compliment the prevailing culture and inhibit social change
D) arise in complex societies when a number of people within the prevailing culture encounter similar problems posed by the dominant culture

Question 23

Most kidnappings of children are committed by:

A) strangers with criminal records
B) pedophiles
C) relatives
D) teenagers

Question 24

Bob is not allowed to wear his Star Trek uniform at work or at church, but when he goes to a Star Trek convention, he is encouraged to wear this uniform. This is an example of:

A) counter-cultural influences
B) dominant ideology
C) subcultural differences
D) cultural archetypes

Question 25

______ promote the acceptance of nudity in public places, not just in nudist camps or private homes.

A) naturists
B) nudists
C) nakedentalists
D) naturalists

Question 26

The author of the text asserted that deviance can be a "charged" word because:

A) many will disagree with actions that are labeled deviant
B) deviance creates sense of insecurity among the general population
C) people do not understand the definition of deviance
D) the term instills boundaries for many people

Question 27

The amount and kind of deviance in a society is related to:

A) degree of social differentiation
B) degree of social problems
C) degree of norms
D) degree of sanctions

Question 28

Which of the following statements is true?

A) highly stratified societies create more criteria on which to make judgments about deviance than less stratified societies
B) less stratified societies create more criteria on which to make judgments about deviance than more highly stratified societies
C) societies produce roughly the same amount of criteria on which to make judgments about deviance regardless of how stratified they are
D) deviance is not at all related to the amount of stratification in society

Question 29

Which of the following is an alternative definition of deviance?

A) statistical definition
B) conditional definition
C) definite definition
D) none of the above

Question 30

At nudist camps:

A) sex in public is encouraged
B) membership is free
C) there are rigid distinctions between nudism and sexuality
D) most of the members are single, divorced, or widowed

Question 31

_____ argued that deviance was normal in society and that no society could rid itself of it.

A) Weber
B) Durkheim
C) Marx
D) Simmel

Question 32

There are various norms that students are expected to follow (attend class, study regularly, etc.). The collection of norms that convey societal expectations for students or any other social position are called:

A) social mores
B) social statuses
C) social prescriptions
D) social roles

Question 33

The acceptability of cigarette smoking:

A) has fallen steadily over time since the 1910s
B) has risen steadily over time since the 1780s
C) has risen and fallen a number of times since the 1800s
D) has remained stable since the 1950s

Question 34

In 2002 the NCAA sanctioned the University of Michigan's basketball team because

A) the coach bought several players expensive cars
B) two basketball players were arrested on drug charges
C) a booster paid $616,000 to several players
D) a majority of the team missed the championship game

Question 35

Social reactions to norm violations are called:

A) norms
B) reactions
C) sanctions
D) rebukings

Question 36

Deviants are:

A) people who adopt roles associated with deviants
B) counterculturalists
C) subculturalists
D) naturalists

Question 37

_______ indicates an ability to successfully promote particular norms to the exclusion of other, competing norms.

A) Norm expansion
B) Norm promotion
C) Value projection
D) Moral influence

Question 38

Deviance is:

A) socially created
B) dictated by law
C) statistically created
D) dependent on law

Question 39

Subcultures:

A) help to solve the problems that people face in modern society
B) provide social support for members
C) enhance self-esteem by suggesting explanations and rationales for the conditions people find themselves in
D) all of the above

Question 40

Outlaw motorcycle gangs, otherwise known as "1 percenters," are a type of:

A) subculture
B) counterculture
C) supra culture
D) postmodern culture

Question 41

Discuss how nudist camps and norms regarding cigarette smoking reflect the relativity of deviance.

Question 42

Discuss the relationship between social power and deviance.

Question 43

Compare and contrast countercultures and subcultures. Based on your comparison, why should outlaw motorcycle gangs be considered countercultures?

Question 44

Are deviant behaviors and conditions analogous to social problems? Why or why not?

Question 45

The sociological concept of deviance was unknown before the:

A) 1970s
B) 1960s
C) 1950s
D) 1940s

Question 46

Describe the normative, statistical, absolutist, and reactivist conceptions or definitions of deviance. Provide examples for each type.