Deck 11: Social Control, Deviance, and Crime

Question 1

The major weakness of the Canadian Uniform Crime Reports system is that it focuses on only violations of federal laws, and ignores violations of provincial statutes.
Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

According to social bond theory, the probability of deviant behaviour increases when a person becomes tied to a deviant subculture.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Which of the following groups seeks to return the focus of the justice system to repairing the harm that has been done to the victim and to the community?

A)Corrections Canada officials
B)restorative justice advocates
C) deterrence theorists
D) social protectionists

Answer 3

B

Question 4

According to Merton, innovation is one tactic used by people to commit crimes when they are under strain.

Question 5

Deterrence theory is based on the assumption that punishment can be used to prevent crime.

Question 6

Property crimes include break and enter, theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.

Question 7

According to strain theory, people commit deviant acts when they are exposed to cultural goals that they cannot obtain through approved means.

Question 8

Which of the following is the most important source of information on crimes reported in Canada?

A)Law Enforcement Administration System
B)Canadian Criminological Society
C) Canadian Uniform Crime Reporting System
D) Statistics Canada Census Bureau Annual Report

Question 9

Differential association is most likely to result in criminal activity when a person has infrequent, yet acutely intense interactions with others who violate the law.

Question 10

Victimization surveys provide us with information about crimes that have not been officially reported.

Question 11

Deviance involves breaking a norm.

Question 12

In the largest Canadian victimization survey, what percentage of the victimizations reported by respondents had been reported to police?

A)approximately 17 percent
B)approximately 27 percent
C) approximately 47 percent
D) approximately 77 percent

Question 13

Official statistics accurately reflect the amount of crime in Canada.

Question 14

An act becomes deviant when it is socially defined as such.

Question 15

After Arthur broke into his neighbour's house and stole jewellery, cash and small electronics, his community gathered together a number of community leaders and Arthur and his neighbour and attempted to resolve the dispute together. What were they involved in?

A)a community justice circle
B)the Youth Criminal Justice Act
C) deterrence measures
D) social protection

Question 16

Feminist theorists feel that women who violate the law are not "criminal women" but constructed as "criminalized women."

Question 17

A young man grows up in a house where his father grows marijuana, his father and mother smoke pot, and his older brother is a drug dealer. Which theory would predict that he is at risk of following in this criminal lifestyle?

A)differential association theory
B)routine activities theory
C) control theory
D) strain theory

Question 18

Secondary deviance occurs when a person breaks a law, while primary deviance occurs when a person breaks a folkway.

Question 19

All societies have norms that govern acceptable behaviour.

Question 20

Definitions of deviance tend to be quite stable from place to place and from time to time.

Question 21

What does the conflict perspective argue about criminal law?

A)It is applied equally to the different social classes.
B)It attempts to reverse the inequalities present in society.
C) It was created in order to label deviants as "criminals."
D) It protects the interests of the affluent and powerful.

Question 22

Single mother Jeannette works at two minimum-wage jobs. She routinely writes cheques when she has no money in her bank account and she eventually gets arrested for fraud. Which theory would explain Jeannette's deviance in terms of poor wages and her inability to provide economically for her children?

A)functionalist theory
B)feminist theory
C) social control theory
D) postmodern theory

Question 23

Which of the following crimes involves a consensual exchange of illegal goods or services among adults?

A)property
B)corporate
C) occupational
D) victimless

Question 24

The idea that social structure exerts pressure upon certain people to rebel and NOT to conform to social norms is central to which approach?

A)knowledge-power perspective
B)class-conflict theory
C) status-conflict perspective
D) strain theory

Question 25

Which city in Canada had the highest crime rate in 2012?

A)Halifax
B)Regina
C) Hamilton
D) Kelowna

Question 26

Don does his first break and enter at age 16. During his teens he continues to break into cars and homes until he is sent to jail shortly after his 19th birthday. According to Edwin Lemert's labelling theory, what is he demonstrating?

A)career deviance
B)primary deviance
C) secondary deviance
D) undetected deviance

Question 27

Suppose that Becky, who is under the legal age, orders and is served a drink in a bar. She is not discovered, so she is not labelled. What form of deviance has taken place, according to Edwin Lemert's labelling theory?

A)secondary deviance
B)primary deviance
C) residual deviance
D) undetected deviance

Question 28

Which theoretical approach claims that deviance is produced by societal reactions to deviance?

A)power-knowledge theory
B)differential association theory
C) status-conflict theory
D) labelling theory

Question 29

Kaila's husband beat and abused her regularly. She considered stealing all his money and running away, but the bank would have had a paper trail of her activity. Instead, Kaila decided to kill her husband, because she believed no one would be able to prove her guilt. According to the text, which of the following influenced her choice of crime?

A)the abuse principle
B)the certainty principle
C) the deterrence principle
D) the specific deterrence principle

Question 30

After his release from prison, Abdul was unable to find work. What theory best explains the behaviour of those prospective employers who refused to hire him because he was a criminal?

A)strain theory
B)labelling theory
C) differential association theory
D) social bond theory

Question 31

Which of the following phrases is a sociologist most likely to use to define deviance?

A)an objective fact
B)a natural construct
C) a social construction
D) arbitrary and random

Question 32

What crime refers to illegal acts committed by an organization's employees on behalf of the organization and with its support?

A)corporate
B)occupational
C) political
D) conventional

Question 33

Your parents are upset about the new group of peers with whom you are spending time because they feel that this new group of friends is encouraging you to behave in inappropriate and deviant ways. Which theorist developed the theory that best fits this scenario?

A)Travis Hirschi
B)Edwin Sutherland
C) Richard Cloward
D) Robert Merton

Question 34

I am considering cheating on my income tax because I think I can get away with it, but I don't want to pay any fines if I get caught. Consequently, I change my mind. What sociological concept could explain why I decided against cheating?

A)the morality theorem
B)the conscience syndrome
C) deterrence theory
D) the punishment principle

Question 35

Sara, Maria, and Stephanie have skipped school since the end of February and now that it is approaching end-of-year exams, their teachers, parents, and friends are concerned that the girls do not care. According to social bond theory, what might be the problem?

A)attachment to other people
B)commitment to conventional lines of behaviour
C) involvement in conventional activities
D) belief that conventional values and norms are legitimate

Question 36

Which of the following theories argues that frequent association with those favouring deviance over conformity makes a person more likely to engage in deviant behaviour?

A)differential association theory
B)labelling theory
C) status-conflict theory
D) strain theory

Question 37

After witnessing Janet, one of their classmates, get expelled for cheating, the rest of the class decides to follow the rules and not cheat. What principle does this illustrate?

A)retribution
B)social protection
C) rehabilitation
D) deterrence

Question 38

A generally law-abiding man laid off during the economic depression is having trouble feeding his family and writes a cheque for groceries when he knows he has no money. What theory explaining crime best fits this example?

A)routine activities theory
B)strain theory
C) differential association theory
D) control theory

Question 39

One assumption behind Canada's penal system is that offenders should be restricted from committing further crimes. What principle does this illustrate?

A)protecting society
B)retribution
C) rehabilitation
D) deterrence

Question 40

The class is expecting a lecture on sociological theory. The professor walks in and begins to yell and swear at the class. According to the text, how is this behaviour classified?

A)as deviant
B)as normal
C) as persuasive
D) as criminal

Question 41

Tanner and Jared grew up in the inner city and have been living on the streets since age 15. To survive, they sell drugs, run errands for a local gang, and engage in prostitution occasionally. What theory would locate their involvement in these activities at the level of economic inequality?

A)conflict theory
B)functionalism theory
C) symbolic interactionism theory
D) social control theory

Question 42

Lisa begins hanging around with a new group of friends, most of whom do not attend school or have jobs. Instead they support themselves by selling Ecstasy and marijuana. Lisa sees that all of her new friends have lots of money to spend and decides to start selling drugs too. Which theory is Lisa reflecting with her actions?

A)opportunity theory
B)social control theory
C) differential association theory
D) strain theory

Question 43

Who decides the guilt or innocence of those accused of committing a crime?

A)the community
B)police officers
C) criminal courts
D) moral entrepreneurs

Question 44

What is a major weakness in the information contained in the Canadian Uniform Crime Reporting system?

A)Police statistics always overestimate the amount of crime, because of the high number of false alarms.
B)Victims often exaggerate or report crimes that never occurred.
C) Police statistics always underreport the actual amount of crime.
D) The vast majority of offences reported in the CUCR come from criminals, and police are reluctant to trust their information.

Question 45

Lillian worked as an accountant for a business with annual profits of $1 million. However, her boss paid her a low-level salary that did not meet her family's expenses. Lillian soon realized that she could embezzle money easily and began skimming about $100,000 per year. According to the text, through which of the following theories can the reason behind her deviant behaviour best be understood?

A)control theory
B)routine activity theory
C) strain theory
D) monetary theory

Question 46

A person outraged by a spouse's affair contemplates murder but rethinks the action based on the likelihood of getting caught and going to jail. Sociologically, what is this called?

A)general rehabilitation
B)specific rehabilitation
C) general deterrence
D) specific deterrence

Question 47

Your sociology professor uses the phrase "knowledge is power" several times a week. She is, in all likelihood, which of the following?

A)a feminist
B)a conflict theorist
C) a functionalist
D) a postmodernist

Question 48

Which of the following is a typical form of social control?

A)behaviour that echoes a belief in conformity and commitment to social order
B)rewards parents give to encourage good behaviour
C) a fine of $300
D) a jail sentence of two years less a day

Question 49

Unable to find work after his release from prison, Pete contacted another past inmate and planned an armed robbery of a convenience store. According to the text, what theory explains Pete's decision to look up his associate from prison when he could not find a job?

A)social bond theory
B)moral crusade theory
C) differential association theory
D) emancipation theory

Question 50

Which city in Canada had the lowest crime rate in 2012?

A)St. John's
B)Toronto
C) Saskatoon
D) Calgary

Question 51

Which perspective asserts that people are sometimes exposed to cultural goals that they are unable to obtain because they do not have access to culturally approved means of achieving them?

A)the conflict perspective
B)the symbolic interactionist perspective
C) the functionalist perspective
D) the social control perspective

Question 52

The class is expecting a lecture on alternative medicine, when the professor walks in smoking marijuana. According to the text, how is this behaviour classified?

A)as deviant
B)as normal
C) as expected
D) as criminal

Question 53

What is Edwin Sutherland's theory for the cause of crime?

A)anomic theory of crime
B)restorative justice model
C) differential association theory
D) human capital model

Question 54

According to the text, if a woman decides to go topless at a beach and then gets cited for public nudity, while topless men are ignored, what has she experienced?

A)punishment
B)deviant behaviour
C) gendered nature of deviance
D) social sanction

Question 55

According to Gottfredson and Hirschi in the text, which of the following variables is the key to conformity?

A)high self-esteem
B)lack of deviant associations
C) proper early socialization
D) self-control

Question 56

In a fit of jealous rage, a man attacks his wife's lover. After a few months in jail, he vows that no matter what, he will never commit a crime again because of his negative incarceration experience. Sociologically speaking, what is this called?

A)general recidivism
B)specific recidivism
C) specific deterrence
D) general deterrence

Question 57

What theory would view Alex as deviant if his teachers define him as a trouble maker?

A)strain theory
B)social control theory
C) differential association theory
D) labelling theory

Question 58

Sandy was found guilty of robbing a convenience store and sentenced to two years in jail. He hated the confinement and, upon his release, swore he would never turn to crime again. According to the text, what was Sandy's rehabilitation based on?

A)general deterrence
B)specific deterrence
C) confinement deterrence
D) criminal deterrence

Question 59

Which of the following best describes how sociologists would define crime?

A)an act that is accompanied with punishment
B)an act that violates criminal law
C) any belief that violates cultural norms
D) any behaviour that violates cultural norms

Question 60

A young man likes to party; he is a thrill seeker who can't foresee the consequences of his behaviour. One night he goes on a drinking binge and wrecks his car. Which theoretical perspective would have predicted this behaviour?

A)general strain theory
B)general theory of crime
C) routine activities theory
D) differential association theory

Question 61

Sally was six months pregnant and having a glass of wine at a bar. She was aware that people were disapproving of her drinking, which made her so angry that she thought: "I'll give them something to really condemn me for" and went outside to smoke a cigarette. What kind of a social theorist would be most interested in studying this escalation of deviant behaviour?

A)a stigma theorist
B)a family theorist
C) a gender theorist
D) a labelling theorist

Question 62

According to the text, what term describes the use of illegitimate channels to pursue culturally approved goals when legitimate means are not available?

A)innovation
B)differential motivation
C) over conformity
D) neutralization

Question 63

According to the text, what will result in the future growth of crime?

A)failed restorative justice methods
B)new methods for committing crimes of a violent nature
C) crimes that occur within the corrections system
D) the Internet and other new technologies

Question 64

According to the text, which of the following functions does punishment serve?

A)restitution
B)social conformity
C) reformation
D) deterrence

Question 65

Explain the process of differential association and how it can lead to a criminal or deviant career.

Question 66

What kind of crime is a business operation that supplies illegal goods and services for profit?

A)a corporate crime
B)a political crime
C) an organized crime
D) an occupational crime

Question 67

According to sociologists, how is deviance relative?

A)Certain acts are always considered wrong, regardless of the society.
B)An act becomes deviant when it is socially defined as such.
C) Most deviant acts occur within families or among relatives.
D) Everyone in society is a deviant; it's just that some are more deviant than others.

Question 68

Which of the following is an example of deviance?

A)serving alcohol at a dinner party with friends or coworkers
B)standing up and singing during a chemistry exam
C) travelling 10 km over the speed limit
D) telling your friends your hopes and dreams

Question 69

Describe a circumstance where a person might be forced to innovate and commit a crime.

Question 70

Why are victimization surveys more accurate crime statistics than police records?

A)Police records provide information only from offenders, not victims.
B)Victimization surveys provide us with information about crimes that have not been officially reported.
C) People are more inclined to remember minor types of crime on victimization surveys.
D) Police records can be problematic because police tend not to get many reports from victims.

Question 71

What theory would examine the different standards of what is considered deviant for a man versus for a woman?

A)functionalist theory
B)feminist theory
C) social control theory
D) conflict theory

Question 72

According to supporters of deterrence, which of the following are effective deterrents?

A)incarceration without recreation or rehabilitation
B)alternatives to incarceration such as community service
C) severity, certainty, and promptness
D) execution without stays or delays

Question 73

After spending five years in prison, David is released back into the community with job skills and social supports, and is ready to start his life over as a law-abiding citizen. What principle does this illustrate?

A)retribution
B)rehabilitation
C) restorative justice
D) reintegration

Question 74

How are most deviant behaviours in society controlled?

A)judicially
B)by a fine
C) legally
D) informally

Question 75

Describe the problems associated with using crime statistics as a source of information about crime.

Question 76

Which of the following perspectives would make the claim, as Jeffrey Reiman does, that "the rich get richer and the poor get prison"?

A)functionalist
B)conflict
C) social control
D) symbolic interactionist

Question 77

Martha was the accountant responsible for petty cash expenses at the office. Every day, she created a bogus expense valued at around $10 to $15 and pocketed the money. According to the text, what kind of label would be given to this crime?

A)financial
B)white collar
C) deviant
D) mala prohibita

Question 78

According to Merton's strain theory, what are criminals doing when they commit crimes?

A)They are responding innovatively to institutionalized goals.
B)They are exhibiting unintelligent and irrational behaviour.
C) They are showing underlying psychological pathologies.
D) They are expressing their frustrations with capitalism.

Question 79

A young girl in middle school decides, for the first time, not to attend school today because she has a test. What would sociologist Edwin Lemert call this initial act of rule breaking?

A)primary deviance
B)secondary deviance
C) residual deviance
D) undetected deviance

Question 80

Joseph is convicted in a court of law for assaulting his wife. He is sentenced to one year in prison and two years of probation following his release. What name does the text give to the action of depriving Joseph of his freedom because of the assault he committed?

A)punishment
B)retribution
C) retaliation
D) justice