Deck 15: How Black Lives Matter: Theoretical Developments

Question 1

When comparing blacks and whites in the using and selling of drugs, statistics show that

A) Blacks use and sell more than whites.
B) Whites use and sell more than blacks.
C) There are no racial differences between blacks and whites.
D) There are no reliable statistics assessing this difference.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

What do Sampson and Bean call areas where violent crime is highly concentrated?

A) Killing fields.
B) Danger arenas.
C) Killings arenas.
D) Danger fields.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

This thesis contends that race has no credibility as a cause of crime.

A) Race-specific thesis.
B) Racial absence thesis.
C) Racial tolerance thesis.
D) Racial invariance thesis.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The following types of theories focus on race, except

A) Developmental theory.
B) Structural theory.
C) Cultural theory.
D) Perceived discrimination theory.

Question 5

According to Blau and Blau, this type of status is earned through educational attainment and seen as just.

A) Achieved.
B) Ascribed.
C) Deserved.
D) Secured.

Question 6

According to Wilson, why are there racial differences in crime rates?

A) There is differential drug use between whites and blacks, with blacks using and selling more than whites.
B) There is a street code found in black neighborhoods that is not found in white neighborhoods.
C) Black communities face a concentration of economic disadvantage and are spatially and socially isolated.
D) Black communities face more racial animus than white communities.

Question 7

According to Sampson and Wilson, norms of standards, expectations of conduct, and tolerances of behavior are called

A) Street code.
B) Street ideals.
C) Cognitive templates.
D) Cognitive landscapes.

Question 8

According to Sampson and Wilson's theory of race, crime, and urban inequality, which of the following is true?

A) White neighborhoods and black neighborhoods are equally likely to be disorganized.
B) Poor white neighborhoods are more likely than poor black neighborhoods to be disorganized.
C) Poor black neighborhoods are more likely than poor white neighborhoods to be disorganized.
D) Disorganization is highest in neighborhoods that blend poor and middle-class families, creating value conflict and a sense of relative deprivation.

Question 9

According to Sampson and Wilson's theory of race, crime, and urban inequality, which of the following is true?

A) Blacks approve of violence as a means of settling disputes more than do whites.
B) Disadvantaged, isolated neighborhoods develop a tolerance for deviance, seeing it as unavoidable given the structural circumstances.
C) Whites approve of violence as a means of settling disputes more than do blacks.
D) Disadvantaged, isolated neighborhoods in contemporary America tend to experience rapid population growth.

Question 10

According to Sampson and Wilson's theory of race, crime, and urban inequality, which of the following is most true?

A) Structural disorganization causes crime.
B) Cultural disorganization causes crime.
C) Neither structural nor cultural disorganization causes crime.
D) Both structural and cultural disorganization cause crime.

Question 11

Which of the following terms best describes the acceptance of violence in environments where it seems unavoidable and where alternative opportunities are limited?

A) Cognitive landscapes.
B) Concentrated disadvantage.
C) Social disorganization.
D) Collective efficacy.

Question 12

According to Clear, the main reason why black men have such high rates of incarceration in comparison to other groups is

A) Mandatory prison sentences for drug crimes.
B) High rates of moral poverty.
C) Low self-control.
D) Intermediate sanctions for white-collar crimes.

Question 13

According to Clear, how does incarceration (typically of men) affect family systems?

A) It is beneficial, because it typically removes abusers from the home.
B) It is of no consequence, since the men being incarcerated are typically only minimally involved (if at all) in parenting or other aspects of family life.
C) It is detrimental, because parenting is interrupted, and incarceration is provided as a model for children.
D) It is beneficial, because it sends a message to children that crime does not pay.

Question 14

Clear argues that incarceration impacts each of the following systems within communities except

A) Political systems.
B) Family systems.
C) Economic systems.
D) Religious systems.

Question 15

According Unnever and Gabbidon, nearly all blacks believe

A) Racism is dead.
B) They will encounter discrimination.
C) They have the same opportunities as whites.
D) In restorative justice ideals to solve the disparity issue in the criminal justice system.

Question 16

Unnever and Gabbidon argue that whether a person deals with actual or perceived discrimination with crime is caused by

A) Their adherence to or rejection of the street code.
B) Their economic situation.
C) Their racial socialization by their parents.
D) The extent of concentrated disadvantage in their neighborhood.

Question 17

According to Unnever and Gabbidon, black parents must teach their children all the following except

A) An understanding of African American culture and how to interact with other blacks.
B) How to get along with other racial groups.
C) How to cope with their minority status.
D) How to negotiate the criminal justice system.

Question 18

Which of the following reflects Clear's coerced mobility thesis?

A) High rates of incarceration in poor communities mobilize residents, thus increasing social networks and eventually decreasing crime.
B) High rates of incarceration in poor communities are the result of coercive action on the part of young black men.
C) High rates of incarceration in poor communities lead to lower rates of crime because offenders are forced to leave the community.
D) High rates of incarceration in poor communities destabilize social networks, thus undermining informal social control and creating more crime.

Question 19

According to Clear, which of the following is true about the effects of incarceration on community rates of crime?

A) There are strong deterrent and incapacitation effects, serving to reduce crime.
B) There are small deterrent and incapacitation effects, but they are eventually outweighed by the detrimental effects of incapacitation on important community systems.
C) There is no evidence of deterrent and/or incapacitation effects on community rates of crime.
D) Deterrent and/or incapacitation effects are seen in poor neighborhoods, but not in middle-class communities.

Question 20

Which of the following policies is most consistent with Clear's thesis?

A) Community justice.
B) Situational crime prevention.
C) Mandatory sentencing.
D) Order-maintenance policing.

Question 21

Describe the racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Why do these disparities exist?

Question 22

Explain the role of economic disparity, concentrated disadvantage, and spatial and social isolation in the racial difference in criminal behavior. Draw on the work of Blau and Blau, Wilson, and Sampson, and Wilson when answering.

Question 23

Drawing on the work of Sampson and Wilson, answer the following:
a. What are cognitive landscapes?
b. How can they play a role in crime?
c. How do cognitive landscapes conducive to crime emerge?

Question 24

How does the street code often result in the validation of violence and mistreatment of women?

Question 25

Thoroughly explain Clear's coercive mobility hypothesis. Be specific about the various effects incarceration is posited to have in poor communities.

Question 26

Explain how Clear's coercive mobility thesis is similar to and different from social disorganization theory.

Question 27

What is community justice, and how is it related to Clear's coercive mobility thesis?

Question 28

Explain Unnever and Gabbidon's theory of African American offending. What is the causal factor of crime in their theory?

Question 29

Explain the role of parents in Unnever and Gabbidon's theory. Compare that to the role of parenting in Gottfredson and Hirschi's theory. How are these theories similar? Different?

Question 30

Explain the differences among structural theories, cultural theories, and perceived discrimination theories. Give an example of each and explain why it is categorized as such.

Question 31

Explain why a street code develops according to Anderson.

Question 32

How are Sampson and Wilson's idea of cognitive landscapes and Anderson's street code similar? Different?