Question 1

What is the term for elite members of society who devise its rules and laws?

Accepted Answer

Rule creators are the elite members of society who devise its rules and laws.

Question 2

Mary has struggled with prescription drug abuse for years.Her coworkers consider her behavior to be extremely disruptive to her work performance and want her to get help.Mary's coworkers are examples of which of these?

Accepted Answer

Mary's coworkers are attempting to control her behavior and enforce social norms by urging her to seek help for her drug abuse. This makes them social control agents.

Question 3

How does Laub and Sampson's theory of social control differ from Hirschi's theory?

Accepted Answer

Laub and Sampson's theory of social control differs from Hirschi's theory in that Laub and Sampson focus on informal social control over the life course, while Hirschi's theory focuses on formal social control through the use of punishment and enforcement of laws. Additionally, Laub and Sampson consider social relationships and life events as important factors in the development of informal social control, while Hirschi's theory focuses on individual characteristics and attachments. Laub and Sampson also suggest that social control can be weakened or strengthened over time through the accumulation of experiences, while Hirschi's theory mainly focuses on the stability of individual bonds to society.

Question 4

A researcher who studies organized crime and utilizes the interactionist perspective would focus on which of these?

Accepted Answer

The interactionist perspective focuses on how individuals interpret and create meaning in their interactions with others and in different settings. Therefore, a researcher studying organized crime from this perspective would focus on how individuals involved in organized crime choose to display or hide their association in different settings.

Question 5

Van moves to a rural town after being let out of prison.He has moved there so that no one will know his identity and what he has done in the past.Van has which of these?

Accepted Answer

Van has a discreditable stigma because he is hiding his past and does not want anyone to know about it. This type of stigma refers to a characteristic or trait that is not immediately noticeable to others but may be revealed in certain situations or through disclosure.

Question 6

Labeling theory is one variety of ______ that is useful for thinking about deviance.

Accepted Answer

Labeling theory falls under the symbolic interactionism perspective, which emphasizes the role of symbols, meanings, and interactions in shaping individuals' behavior and identities. Labeling theory specifically focuses on the social process of assigning and applying labels to individuals based on their behavior or characteristics, and how this can lead to further deviance and social exclusion.

Question 7

What is the term for the act of internalizing a deviant label and organizing one's life around it?

Accepted Answer

This is known as secondary deviance, which occurs when a person accepts the deviant label and begins to identify with it, leading to further deviant behaviors and an organized deviant lifestyle. Primary deviance refers to the initial act of deviance, while tertiary deviance involves the process of attempting to normalize the deviant behavior and redefine it as acceptable or even positive. Situational deviance refers to behavior that is considered deviant only in certain situations or contexts.

Question 8

Joseph is at a fraternity party and drinks excessively for the first time in his life.Which of these does his behavior exemplify?

Accepted Answer

Joseph's behavior exemplifies primary deviance because it is his first time drinking excessively and therefore does not yet represent a pattern of behavior.

Question 9

When someone commits murder they go to jail,and when someone walks around nude they receive strange looks.These are both examples of how societies use ______ to enforce conformity.

Accepted Answer

Social control refers to the various mechanisms used by societies to maintain order and enforce conformity to cultural norms and values. In these examples, the use of jail for murder and strange looks for nudity are forms of social control used to enforce conformity. Social agents are individuals or groups that influence our beliefs and behaviors, while group action refers to the collective actions taken by a group of people. Moral panic occurs when a group of people react to a perceived threat with excessive fear and/or outrage. While all of these concepts may be applicable in certain situations, social control is the best choice for the given examples.

Question 10

Harold Garfinkel studied how Agnes,a transgender male-to-female,"passed" as a woman in his classic ______ study.

Accepted Answer

Harold Garfinkel is known for his work in ethnomethodology, which is the study of how people make sense of their social world and the methods they use to maintain social order. Garfinkel's classic study focused on Agnes, a transgender male-to-female, and how she "passed" as a woman in everyday life. This study is considered an example of ethnomethodological research. Social control theory focuses on how social institutions and individuals work together to maintain social order, ethnography is a method of studying cultures and societies, and sociolinguistics is the study of how language affects and is affected by society and culture.

Question 11

Which of these are more likely to be socially defined as deviant according to labeling theory?

Accepted Answer

Labeling theory suggests that deviance is not inherent in particular behaviors, but is instead created through the social interactions and reactions of others. Poor people are more likely to be labeled as deviant because of the negative stereotype associated with poverty and their limited access to resources that would allow them to conform to societal norms. Middle-class people and those with white-collar jobs are expected to conform to societal norms and are less likely to be labeled as deviant. The labeling process is often done by those in power, such as law enforcement or the media, which further reinforces the stigmatization of individuals from lower socio-economic classes.

Question 12

What is the term for a widespread but disproportionate reaction to a form of deviance?

Accepted Answer

The term for a widespread but disproportionate reaction to a form of deviance is moral panic. Moral panic refers to a situation where a particular group or behavior is viewed as a threat to societal values and norms, and the reaction is exaggerated and often irrational. Examples include the hysteria surrounding the "Satanic Panic" of the 1980s and 90s, where there were accusations of widespread Satanic ritual abuse that were later proven to be largely unfounded.

Question 13

Which theory posits that neighborhoods that are disorderly and in disrepair result in an increase in deviant behavior?

Accepted Answer

The broken windows theory posits that visible signs of disorder and neglect in a neighborhood, such as broken windows or litter, signal to residents that no one cares and increase the likelihood of deviant behavior. The theory suggests that addressing these signs of disorder can lead to a reduction in crime and other forms of deviance.

Question 14

Which of these is a fear of the broken windows approach?

Accepted Answer

The broken windows approach is criticized for giving police wide discretion to enforce minor offenses, which can lead to over-policing and targeting individuals who are not causing harm, potentially leading to civil liberties concerns.

Question 15

The ______ focuses on how deviance is created by the capitalist economic system.

Accepted Answer

The conflict-critical theorist perspective examines how societal conflict and power struggles can influence the creation of deviant behavior. This perspective is particularly concerned with how the capitalist economic system can lead to the marginalization of certain groups and the criminalization of certain behaviors.

Question 16

Which of these do conflict/critical theorists argue about the deviant and criminal behavior of members of the elite?

Accepted Answer

Conflict/critical theorists argue that elites are often able to commit deviant acts and escape penalties due to their social and economic status. They have the power and resources to avoid punishment, while those with less power are more likely to be punished for similar behaviors. Therefore, option A is the best choice.

Question 17

When it was revealed that a prominent member of the community had cheated on his wife with many women,he was called a variety of names associating him with his affairs and his reputation suffered.This is an example of ______.

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates the process of labeling theory, which refers to the social act of attaching a negative label to an individual or a group's behavior. The member of the community is being called names that attach him to his affairs, which is a form of negative labeling.

Question 18

What question did early criminology focus on?

Accepted Answer

Early criminology focused on identifying physical or psychological traits that distinguished criminals from non-criminals, an approach known as the positivist school of criminology.

Question 19

With which of these would conflict/critical theorists agree?

Accepted Answer

Conflict/critical theorists would agree that deviance is defined by those who have power. They argue that the powerful in society set the norms and values, and therefore have the ability to label certain behaviors as deviant. They also argue that the labeling of individuals as deviant serves to maintain the power of the dominant group and marginalize those who do not conform to their norms.

Question 20

Jimmy wants to go out this weekend,but he has no money.He thinks about stealing some money from a coworker,but he doesn't,because he knows it would be morally wrong.Jimmy's behavior is an example of which theory?

Accepted Answer

Jimmy's decision not to steal despite his desire to do so demonstrates that he has internalized the moral values and social norms of his community, which is consistent with social control theory. The other theories do not apply in this situation.

Quiz 7: Deviance and Crime