Deck 6: Deviance and Social Control: Sickos, Weirdos, and Folks Like Us

Question 1

Which of the following is TRUE of deviance?

A) Acts of deviance are necessarily considered serious offenses.
B) Deviance may be considered understandable in certain instances.
C) Individuals may be labeled deviant, but not statuses or groups.
D) All people have the same likelihood of being labeled deviant.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

As ______ point out, deviance can be useful for society by setting examples of unacceptable behavior, leading to guidelines of behavior necessary to maintain order.

A) rational choice theorists
B) conflict theorists
C) structural-functionalists
D) symbolic interactionists

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Deviance that violates the law is referred to as ______.

A) primary deviance
B) crime
C) recidivism
D) stigma

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following is considered a consensus crime?

A) public intoxication
B) prostitution
C) disorderly conduct
D) pre-meditated murder

Question 5

Emily is in high school. Her best friend recently moved to a different state, so Emily started hanging out with a new group of friends. Some of her new friends experiment with illicit drugs after school. On repeated occasions, the group tries to convince Emily to join them. She finally decides to try what they are trying because she wants to fit in. Emily's deviance is best described by which of the following theories?

A) rational choice theory
B) differential association theory
C) rational choice theory
D) labeling theory

Question 6

According to differential association theory, the possibility of becoming deviant depends on four factors: the duration of time spent with the group, the intensity of the interaction, the frequency of interaction, and ______.

A) the size of the group
B) the calculated risks of associating with the group
C) the social capital offered by the group
D) the priority of the group in one's friendship network

Question 7

When Michael steals a car during his gang's initiation, he gets arrested. When he's released from prison, he tries to turn his life around and get a job, but employers don't want to hire him because of his reputation and criminal record. Low on cash, he decides to go back to the gang and sell drugs to make ends meet. This is an example of ______.

A) primary deviance
B) secondary deviance
C) tertiary deviance
D) formal deviance

Question 8

A belief that becomes a reality in part because of the prediction is referred to as a ______ prophecy.

A) labeling
B) social control
C) self-fulfilling
D) consensus

Question 9

James is eight. His siblings call him a delinquent because he's started getting in trouble at school. His mother often tells him how much he looks like his father, who is serving a ten year sentence. As a result, he views himself as a "bad kid" who will end up in prison like his father. Which of the following best describes this scenario?

A) self-fulfilling prophecy
B) rationalization of social life
C) rational choice theory
D) differential association theory

Question 10

To study why some women decide to kill their abusive husbands, Robin plans to determine how these women weigh the potential costs and benefits of their crimes. Robin's approach aligns with which of the following theories?

A) labeling theory
B) differential association theory
C) rational choice theory
D) feminist theory

Question 11

What is social control?

A) how norms evolve
B) why people deviate from norms
C) how norms are established
D) why people obey norms

Question 12

The roots of social control theory can be traced back to which of the following?

A) Max Weber's work on the sociology of religion
B) Émile Durkheim's work on suicide
C) Karl Marx's work on the problem of alienation
D) C. Wright Mills's work on the power elite

Question 13

Which of the following is an informal external control?

A) the voice within us that tells us what is right and wrong
B) ridicule from family members
C) prison sentences
D) court-mandated therapy

Question 14

What is the term for the state of normlessness that occurs when rules for behavior in society break down under extreme stress from rapid social change or conflict?

A) anomie
B) suicide
C) recidivism
D) consensus

Question 15

Which of the following sociologists first described the concept of anomie?

A) Karl Marx
B) August Comte
C) Émile Durkheim
D) W.E.B. DuBois

Question 16

Chelsea was appalled that her friends would pursue conventional jobs after high school. Instead, she joined a militant anti-fascist group. According to strain theory, Chelsea's behavior results from which of the following?

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

Question 17

Susan dreamed of opening her own restaurant but couldn't afford the startup costs. She decided to steal from her grandmother's estate in order to finance her business. Though she felt some hesitation, Susan decided that the possibility of her success justified her actions. According to strain theory, Susan's behavior results from which of the following?

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

Question 18

Carlos originally hoped to graduate from college so that he could become a journalist. However, because he couldn't earn enough money to afford tuition, he decided that a college degree and a future career in journalism was no longer important. According to strain theory, Carlos's behavior results from which of the following?

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

Question 19

Which of the following perspectives views deviance as the result of social inequality or of the struggle among groups for power?

A) structural-functionalist theory
B) strain theory
C) conflict theory
D) labeling theory

Question 20

Elizabeth is studying the way in which mass incarceration benefits affluent Americans. Her research reflects which of the following perspectives?

A) symbolic interactionist theory
B) structural-functionalist theory
C) strain theory
D) conflict theory

Question 21

According to feminist theorists, which of the following did the #MeToo movement bring to light?

A) The gender wage gap persists to this day.
B) Patriarchal values are reflected in gendered language.
C) Women receive harsher punishments than men for committing the same crimes.
D) Those who commit crimes against women do not face severe-or in some cases any-punishment.

Question 22

Which of the following theories is used to understand global crime, arguing that its cause lies in the global economy, the inequalities between countries, and the competition between countries for resources and wealth?

A) world systems theory
B) feminist theory
C) structural-functional theory
D) modernization theory

Question 23

Which of the following is the official record of crime in the United States?

A) the Uniform Crime Reports
B) the National Crime Victimization Survey
C) the Crime Clock
D) the National Incident Based Reporting System

Question 24

Crimes committed by or between individual consenting adults are referred to as ______ crimes.

A) predatory
B) victimless
C) consensus
D) organized

Question 25

Which of the following types of crime refers to criminal offenses against a person or property of protected status that is motivated by the offender's bias?

A) victimless crimes
B) organized crimes
C) predatory crimes
D) hate crimes

Question 26

Racketeering is one of three common forms of ______ crime.

A) public-order
B) hate
C) organized
D) predatory

Question 27

Liz is a marketing coordinator at a university. She puts in longer hours than her supervisor, who makes significantly more money. One day, Liz steals 15 ink cartridges to use in her home printer because she thinks it's only fair that she benefit more from all of her hard work. What type of crime has Liz committed?

A) a predatory crime
B) an occupational crime
C) a hate crime
D) an organized crime

Question 28

Embezzlement is an example of which of the following?

A) crimes against the company
B) crimes against employees
C) crimes against customers
D) crimes against the general public

Question 29

Which of the following is the most common argument for using the death penalty?

A) deterrence
B) constitutionality
C) financial cost
D) retribution

Question 30

In order to help ex-offenders overcome discrimination by employers in the hiring process, a ______ campaign has urged employers to stop requiring job candidates to report whether they have a criminal record.

A) Ban the Box
B) Ban the Application
C) Felons for Hire
D) Future of Employment

Question 31

Members of groups and societies socially construct deviance.

Question 32

Kidnapping for ransom is considered a consensus crime.

Question 33

Symbolic interactionists focus on how our interactions with others influence whether we commit deviant acts.

Question 34

Labeling theorists define two stages in the process of becoming deviant: primary deviance and secondary deviance.

Question 35

According to social control theory, external controls are always formal.

Question 36

Anomie is typical in isolated, rural areas.

Question 37

According to strain theory, ritualism means embracing the society's definition of success and adhering to the established and approved means of achieving success.

Question 38

The Uniform Crime Report includes eight Type I offenses, also known as FBI index crimes.

Question 39

Self-reporting surveys ask people how much crime they have experienced.

Question 40

The rate of violent and nonviolent crime in the United States has dropped since the mid-1990s.

Question 41

Americans tends to be most afraid of public-order crimes.

Question 42

Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme is an example of occupational crime.

Question 43

White-collar crime is costlier than violent crime in money, health, and lives.

Question 44

Since the 2016 presidential election, fewer people in the United States believe their government officials are corrupt.

Question 45

Japan has attained a lower crime rate through its heavy investment in the criminal justice system.

Question 46

Detention facilities for undocumented immigrants are growing at a faster rate than regular prisons.

Question 47

What does it mean when sociologists say that deviance can be functional for society? Provide an example.

Question 48

That which is considered criminal changes over time. Give two examples from U.S. history that illustrate this fact.

Question 49

According to differential association theory, the possibility of becoming deviant depends on four factors. List and briefly discuss these four factors.

Question 50

Compare and contrast primary and secondary deviance. Provide examples.

Question 51

How does William J. Chambliss's study of the Saints and the Roughnecks illustrate labeling theory?

Question 52

Control theory asserts that there are four powerful factors that bond people. List and briefly discuss these four factors.

Question 53

In general, what do conflict theorists believe we need to do to reduce crime? How does this differ from the structural functionalist perspective?

Question 54

How do we know how much crime occurs in the United States?

Question 55

Researchers have yet to come to a consensus as to why crime has declined in the United States since the mid-1990s, but there are several ideas under review. Discuss at least three possible factors for this decline.

Question 56

As minority groups gain notoriety or acceptance in society, they can face more hate crimes. Give an example of each.

Question 57

In the summer of 2010, a deep-water oil rig suffered a major malfunction and began to spew thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The oil spill devastated the gulf's economy, killing wildlife, covering beaches with oil and sludge, and making fishing in the waters hazardous. Investigators discovered that there was possible negligence on behalf of the oil company that owned the rig. How would sociologists categorize this crime? How do rational choice theory and strain theory help explain this crime?

Question 58

What is terrorism? What are the major types of terrorist groups?

Question 59

How can sociologists understand the difference in crime levels between the United States and Japan?

Question 60

In 2016, the U.S. Justice Department announced that it would stop using private prisons. What was the reasoning behind this decision?

Question 61

How effective is the death penalty in the United States? Provide three arguments against its use.