Deck 8: Social Conflict and Critical Criminology

Question 1

According to critical theorists, crime is a:

A)legal concept designed to protect the poor from oppression.
B)an idealistic concept resulting from a legal system designed to mete out the severest punishments to those who inflict the most social harm.
C)political concept designed to protect the power and position of the upper classes.
D)philosophical concept whereby laws are designed to maintain a tranquil, fair society.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

What type of research methodology is a critical criminologist most likely to employ?

A)examination of historical trends
B)victimization surveys
C)statistical analysis
D)field observation

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Some government experts use the "ticking Bomb scenario," to justify which type of state crime?

A)human rights violation
B)state violence
C)illegal domestic surveillance
D)torture

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Supranational criminology is a specialization of critical theory that focuses on which type of crimes?

A)white-collar crimes
B)environmental crimes
C)war crimes
D)predatory street crimes

Question 5

__________ reflects a critical perspective that explains both the exploitation of women and women's criminality in terms of gender inequality and patriarchy.

A)Left realism
B)Critical feminism
C)Supranational criminology
D)Restorative justice

Question 6

Profits produced by the laboring classes are accrued by business owners who use these profits for reinvestment or to enrich themselves. This key crime-producing effort of modern corporate capitalism is termed:

A)excess abundance.
B)surplus value.
C)profit distribution.
D)differential wealth.

Question 7

The publication of Taylor, Walton, and Young's __________ in 1973 gave a powerful boost to the conflict view and created a tradition for critical criminologists to question the role criminology plays in supporting the status quo and aiding the oppression of the poor and powerless.

A)The New Criminology
B)Left Realism in the Seventies
C)Feminism and the Law
D)The Social Reality of Crime

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a basic concern of critical criminologists?

A)the increased effect of mass media pertaining to demystifying the law
B)the role the government plays in creating a criminogenic environment
C)the relationship between personal or group power and the shaping of criminal law
D)the prevalence of bias in justice system operations

Question 9

According to this type of critical theory, the poor may or may not commit more crimes than the rich, but the poor are certainly arrested and punished more often.

A)left realism
B)critical feminism
C)instrumental
D)structural

Question 10

The social ferment of the ____ gave birth to critical criminology.

A)1930s
B)1940s
C)1950s
D)1960s

Question 11

Globalization is of particular concern for critical theorists. What concept inherent in globalization do critical theorists find problematic?

A)sexism
B)industrialization
C)mechanization
D)surplus value

Question 12

What is the key difference between instrumental theorists and structural theorists?

A)Structural theorists view the criminal justice system as a capitalist instrument for controlling the lower class.
B)Structural theorists believe the law is unidirectional, always working for the rich against the poor.
C)Structural theorists oppose antitrust legislation.
D)Structural theorists focus on anyone who threatens the capitalist system.

Question 13

According to Messerschmidt's views in Capitalism, Patriarchy, and Crime what factor explains why females in society commit fewer crimes than males?

A)double marginality
B)marginalization
C)surplus value
D)preemptive deterrence

Question 14

Mainstream criminologists level a number of criticisms against critical criminology. Which is not one of those criticisms?

A)Critical theorists unfairly neglect the capitalist system's efforts to regulate itself.
B)The contribution of critical criminology is "hot air, but no real light."
C)Critical theorists focus too heavily on the problems and conflicts that exist in socialist countries.
D)Critical criminologists are too quick to blame capitalism for every human vice.

Question 15

Critical theorists question the altruism of multi-national corporations and, therefore, take a very skeptical view of:

A)mechanization.
B)globalization.
C)immigration.
D)technological communications.

Question 16

When a government or political authority makes use of death squads to kill political opponents, dissenters, or other undesirables, what type of crime has been committed?

A)political corruption
B)torture
C)state violence
D)illegal domestic surveillance

Question 17

According to conflict theorists, societal conflict promotes crime by:

A)creating a social atmosphere in which the law is a mechanism for controlling have-not members of society.
B)encouraging greater use of government resources by the poor.
C)decreasing the value of corporate profits.
D)decreasing the role of religion in shaping individual reality.

Question 18

____ describes the anti-social behaviors that arise from efforts to maintain governmental power or to uphold the race, class, and gender advantages of those who support the government.

A)Power-control crime
B)State (organized) crime
C)Instrumental theory
D)Structural theory

Question 19

While mainstream criminologists criticize critical criminologists, what do critical criminologists accuse mainstream criminologists of doing?

A)failing to recognize structural differences in society
B)selling out their ideals for the chance to receive government funding
C)focusing on expressive crimes rather than instrumental crimes
D)ignoring the impact of environmental factors

Question 20

Instrumental theorists consider it essential to __________ law and justice - that is, to unmask its true purpose.

A)decertify
B)demystify
C)debunk
D)decode

Question 21

Critical criminologists contend that the wealthy stratum of society can be involved in acts that should be described as crimes but are not, such as racism, sexism, and profiteering.

Question 22

Critical criminologists believe that economic growth benefits all elements of the population by spurring job creation and surplus value.

Question 23

Critical criminologist who focus on state (organized) crime contend that a government might go to war to support the capitalist classes who need the wealth and resources of other nations.

Question 24

Girls growing up in ______ are socialized to fear legal sanctions more than males; consequently, boys in these families exhibit more delinquent behavior than their sisters.

A)paternalistic families
B)matriarchal families
C)egalitarian families
D)capitalist families

Question 25

John Lea and Jock Young, leaders of the leftist realism movement, contend that:

A)the poor are doubly abused, first by the capitalist system and then by members of their own class.
B)the wealthy and poor are equally victimized and laws should reflect that equality.
C)the economic inequality in capitalist societies serves to encourage lower class members to improve their economic status.
D)critical feminists failed to address the patriarchal dominance in American society.

Question 26

According to the conflict view, crime is a political concept designed to protect the power and position of the upper classes at the expense of the poor.

Question 27

Empirical research is considered incompatible with critical criminology.

Question 28

In response to mainstream critics, critical criminologists accuse critics of selling out their criminological ideals for the chance to receive government funding.

Question 29

Which of the following is true regarding restorative justice programs?

A)Restoration programs are relatively new having been developed only in the last decade.
B)Restoration programs have been part of peacekeeping in Asian, Native American and Native Canadian communities for centuries.
C)While used in Europe and Asia, restoration programs have yet to be implemented in the United States.
D)According to Howard Zehr, the core value of the restorative justice process can be translated as therapy for all.

Question 30

Instrumentalists view criminal law and the criminal justice system solely as an instrument for controlling the poor, have-not members of society.

Question 31

According to power-control theory, which type of family produces daughters whose law-violating behavior mirrors that of their brothers?

A)paternalistic families
B)matriarchal families
C)egalitarian families
D)capitalist families

Question 32

John Hagan's critical feminist model uses gender differences to explain the onset of criminality. According to Hagan's power-control theory, what two factors account for female crime and delinquency?

A)race/ethnicity and social status
B)class position and economic ability
C)education level and family status
D)class position and family functions

Question 33

According to Hagan and his associates, within the paternalistic home, mothers are expected to control the behavior of their sons while granting greater freedom to daughters.

Question 34

Some Native American communities use a peacemaking ceremony called __________ whereby groups of tribal elders, victims and community members meet with offenders in order to determine the best resolution for those accused of breaking the law.

A)a sentencing circle
B)a tribal circle
C)a community circle
D)a resolution circle

Question 35

Empirical research confirms that, as predicted by critical criminology, a suspect's race is an important factor in shaping justice system decision making.

Question 36

Which of the following is recognized as a challenge to restorative justice?

A)Restorative justice increases the costs of criminal justice when it is used as a diversion method.
B)Restorative justice has never been attempted in the U.S. and many doubt it will ever be implemented.
C)Restorative justice may work in the short term while ignoring long-term treatment needs.
D)Restorative justice results in increased recidivism rates in comparison to the recidivism rates of those sent to prison.

Question 37

Lea and Young's left realism view of crime causation borrows from mainstream sociological theory and closely resembles the __________ approach.

A)social structure
B)relative deprivation
C)cultural deviance
D)social learning

Question 38

A number of restorative justice experts, including Gordon Bazemore, have suggested that restorative justice should be organized around the principle of:

A)balance.
B)rehabilitation.
C)therapy.
D)honor.

Question 39

Structural theorists consider it essential to demystify law and justice - that is, to unmask its true purpose.

Question 40

Peacemaking criminologists view the efforts of the state to punish and control crime as:

A)an effective means of controlling the crimes of all social classes.
B)encouraging crime rather than discouraging it.
C)focusing on poverty rather than socioeconomic status.
D)efforts to repair severed relationships in society.

Question 41

Peacemaking criminologists seek nonviolent, humane alternatives to coercive punishment.

Question 42

Left realists support a strict "law and order" philosophy, which has at its centerpiece a policy of punishing juveniles severely in adult court.

Question 43

One group of critical theorists is referred to as instrumentalists. Why do instrumentalists consider it essential to demystify law and justice?

Question 44

What elements of conflict are present in the American legal and justice systems? Respond to this question in terms of how and why critical criminologists view crime as a political concept designed to protect the power and position of the upper classes at the expense of the poor.

Question 45

Explain the development of critical criminology in light of evolving social conflict in society.

Question 46

How do critical criminologists view crime? Include in your response the critical criminology specialization called supranational criminology.

Question 47

Define and describe the concept of restorative justice and why it is considered an aspect of peacemaking criminology.

Question 48

One of the newer aspects of critical criminology is left realism. What are the concerns of left realism criminologists and how does left realism differ from other critical theories?

Question 49

Define the term "state (organized) crime" and discuss the various categories of crime contained under the umbrella of state crime. Include in your response a discussion of the overall impact of state crime on society.

Question 50

Left realists are conflict scholars who view the police and the courts as inherent evil tools of capitalism whose tough tactics alienate the lower classes.

Question 51

According to critical feminist theory, women are considered a commodity worth possessing, like land or money.

Question 52

Most Balanced and Restorative Justice programs are located within the juvenile justice system.

Question 53

What criticisms have been leveled against critical criminology and how do critical criminologists respond to these criticisms?

Question 54

What are the research methodologies used by critical criminologists and how do these methods differ from mainstream criminology research techniques? What do the critical criminology research methods indicate about crime and criminality?

Question 55

Explain the critical feminist view of crime. Include in your response how gender inequality accounts for crimes committed against women and for the crimes that women commit.