Deck 7: Deviance and Crime

Question 1

When Hans is asked to define deviance to his classmates, which of the following does he assert?

A) Deviance is behaviour that is defined and promoted by the media.
B) Deviance is norm- or rule-breaking behaviour to which sanctions are generally imposed.
C) Deviance is behaviour that involves breaking a law and is punished.
D) Deviance is behaviour for which punishment has been agreed upon.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Glynnis watches Scott dump a day's worth of tree seedlings into a ravine instead of planting them. The company that employs Glynnis and Scott has a strict policy about this action, which is viewed as theft. Glynnis calls Scott a jerk, tells her friends what he has done, and ignores him for the rest of the season. What is Glynnis engaging in?

A) informal punishment
B) norm enhancement
C) formal punishment
D) unprovoked harassment

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following illustrates a crime?

A) Bob has sex with Jane while married to Eric.
B) Bob has a blood alcohol content of 1.9 and drives his car to the beer store.
C) Bob lets the door slam in the face of the person behind him.
D) Bob has a prescription for and uses marijuana for medical purposes.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Negatively assessing a person and labelling the person as undesirable based on his or her ethnic background, gender, or disability is characteristic of which of the following?

A) punishment
B) sanctioning
C) public agreement
D) stigmatizing

Question 5

Heather has several visible body piercings and tattoos, and dyes her hair blue. What kind of deviance are her actions characterized as?

A) conflict crime
B) social deviation
C) consensus crime
D) social diversion

Question 6

Which of the following distinguishes crime from other forms of deviance?

A) victimization
B) serious consequences
C) legal sanction
D) cultural importance

Question 7

Which of the following is the criterion that determines how terrible a community believes a deviant action to be?

A) perceived harmfulness
B) degree of public agreement
C) severity of social response
D) actual harmfulness

Question 8

Which of the following terms describes behaviours such as frowning at someone, calling a person a bad name, or looking away from a person when the person commits an unacceptable action?

A) deviance
B) stigmatization
C) informal punishment
D) criminalization

Question 9

Which of the following refers to minor acts of deviance?

A) social diversions
B) social deviations
C) conflict crimes
D) consensus crimes

Question 10

Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela all were imprisoned for committing crimes at some point in their lives. Why are these criminals considered to be heroes today?

A) because they engaged in good works while in prison
B) because cultural definitions of what is and is not criminal have changed
C) because their so-called criminal acts were inconsequential
D) because their acts were not criminal under Canadian law

Question 11

Enrique is an openly gay man living in Toronto. However, during visits to his parents in a small town in Ontario, Enrique conceals his gay identity. What is Enrique trying to avoid?

A) formal punishment
B) stigmatization
C) deviance
D) crime

Question 12

Which of the following is the definition of a crime?

A) rule-breaking behaviour
B) breaking rules to gain respect from others
C) breaking rules that get a negative response from others
D) breaking rules that are formally enacted as laws

Question 13

Some Mennonite communities stop all social interaction with members who break community norms. What is this practice an example of?

A) informal punishment
B) formal punishment
C) deviance
D) crime

Question 14

If the NHL institutes rules against violence in hockey, how will that action define violence?

A) as social diversion
B) as social deviance
C) as conflict crime
D) as consensus crime

Question 15

Which of the following refers to semi-serious acts of deviance that are subject to institutional control?

A) social deviations
B) social diversions
C) conflict crimes
D) consensus crimes

Question 16

Which of the following is a necessary element of a sociological definition of deviance?

A) legal enforcement of norms
B) universality of norms
C) negative reaction by others
D) immediate reaction by others

Question 17

Glynnis watches Scott dump a day's worth of tree seedlings into a ravine instead of planting them. The company that employs Glynnis and Scott has a strict policy about this action, which is viewed as theft, so Glynnis tells the supervisor what she has witnessed. Scott is fired immediately. Which of the following did Scott receive?

A) an informal punishment
B) a norm enhancement
C) a formal punishment
D) a sanction retribution

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT an important difference between conflict crimes and consensus crimes?

A) perceived harmfulness
B) degree of public agreement
C) severity of social response
D) actual harmfulness

Question 19

People who break a cultural norm are considered to be which of the following?

A) deviants
B) criminals
C) conformists
D) inherently immoral

Question 20

"No shirt, no shoes, no service." By instituting this policy, how do some shops and restaurants define being topless and barefoot?

A) as consensus crime
B) as conflict crime
C) as social deviance
D) as social diversion

Question 21

Where do Canadians get most of their information on reported crimes?

A) the Juristat Reporting Survey
B) the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey
C) the General Social Survey
D) the Self-Report Survey

Question 22

Approximately what proportion of Canadians have committed some type of crime?

A) Only about one-tenth of Canadians have ever committed some type of crime.
B) About one-third of Canadians have committed some type of crime.
C) About one-half of Canadians have committed some type of crime.
D) Most Canadians have committed some type of crime.

Question 23

In comparison to official crime statistics, how much "serious crime" is reported using self-report measures?

A) at least twice as much
B) at least ten times as much
C) approximately half as much
D) approximately the same amount

Question 24

Katherine and Jamie report the death of their six-month-old baby from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Investigation reveals that they have smothered the baby with a pillow. What type of deviance have they engaged in?

A) social diversion
B) social deviation
C) conflict crime
D) consensus crime

Question 25

In comparison to official crime statistics, how much "less serious crime" is reported using self-report measures?

A) at least twice as much
B) at least ten times as much
C) approximately half as much
D) approximately the same amount

Question 26

Drug traffickers sometimes state in their defence that they do not force individuals to use illegal drugs. Which of the following types of crime do they thus claim to engage in?

A) victimless crimes
B) offenderless crimes
C) individual crimes
D) collective crimes

Question 27

Consider the case of NHL hockey player Todd Bertuzzi, who was charged with assault but received only a slight sentence. What type of deviance does this illustrate?

A) conflict crime
B) social diversion
C) consensus crime
D) social deviation

Question 28

What proportion of Canadians support decriminalization or legalization of marijuana?

A) 30 percent
B) 50 percent
C) 70 percent
D) 90 percent

Question 29

Liam works as a sex trade worker, soliciting customers at a corner downtown. Which type of deviance are his actions characterized as?

A) social diversion
B) social deviation
C) consensus crime
D) conflict crime

Question 30

Which of the following terms refers to acts of deviance that are widely believed to be harmful to everyone?

A) social deviations
B) social diversions
C) conflict crimes
D) consensus crimes

Question 31

Official crime statistics are not regarded as completely accurate because not all crimes get reported. According to the textbook, what is the other reason why crime statistics may be inaccurate?

A) because enforcement of crimes is subject to political pressure and legal changes
B) because many people report only incomplete information about crimes
C) because much of the information collected by police is later found to be fabricated or untrue
D) because some crimes are not crimes at all, but are merely acts of deviance

Question 32

Knowing that there is a sizeable movement for decriminalization of marijuana in Canada, which of the following types of deviance does smoking marijuana represent?

A) social diversion
B) social deviation
C) conflict crime
D) consensus crime

Question 33

Lisa is caught smoking marijuana at the bus shelter while waiting for the bus. Which type of deviance has she engaged in?

A) conflict crime
B) social diversion
C) consensus crime
D) social deviation

Question 34

Martin is a crime researcher who is interested in creating an accurate picture of sexual assault in Canada, and he is concerned about the inaccuracy of official crime statistics. Which of the following is the best resource for him to use to get a more accurate picture of sexual assault in Canada?

A) the Juristat Reporting Survey
B) the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey
C) a Health Canada research survey
D) the General Social Survey

Question 35

What kind of deviance are illegal gambling, prostitution, and drug use examples of?

A) self-report crimes
B) harmless crimes
C) victimless crimes
D) individual crimes

Question 36

Which of the following is believed to compensate for the shortcomings of official crime statistics?

A) the Juristat Reporting Survey
B) the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey
C) a Health Canada research survey
D) a self-report survey

Question 37

Brittany is victimized by a crime and reports it to the local police right away. Which of the following crimes is she most likely to have been victimized by?

A) sexual assault
B) racist hate speech
C) car theft
D) domestic violence

Question 38

Which of the following terms refers to acts of deviance that are formally defined as illegal but are subject to a great deal of societal disagreement about their illegality?

A) social deviations
B) social diversions
C) conflict crimes
D) consensus crimes

Question 39

Terry has been diagnosed with a mental disorder. At times, he shouts at people on the street for imagined trespasses, but they rarely react. What kind of deviance is Terry exhibiting?

A) conflict crime
B) social diversion
C) consensus crime
D) social deviation

Question 40

Official crime statistics are often supplemented by all EXCEPT which of the following?

A) indirect measures
B) direct observation
C) self-report surveys
D) victimization surveys

Question 41

What does the research on racialization demonstrate with regard to police searches of vehicles?

A) Police are particularly suspicious of black people who are successful by conventional cultural standards.
B) Police are especially suspicious of poor South Asian youth who drive expensive vehicles.
C) Police are particularly suspicious of well-to-do white people who drive expensive vehicles.
D) Police are particularly suspicious of poor, uneducated white people.

Question 42

Conrad Black, a Canadian media mogul, was sentenced in 2007 to 6.5 years in a Florida prison for fraud totalling $2.9 million in misappropriated funds. Of what type of crime was he found guilty?

A) a victimless crime
B) a white-collar crime
C) an elite crime
D) an office crime

Question 43

Which individual is most likely to be stopped and searched by police while driving in a Canadian city?

A) Ted, a 35-year-old white executive
B) Blanche, a 45-year-old Asian housewife
C) Carl, a 25-year-old black Ph.D. student
D) Dmitri, an 18-year-old Russian store clerk

Question 44

In 2004, Martha Stewart was convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Her crime was dumping 3900 shares of ImClone stock based on a tip that stock prices were about to plummet. Of what type of crime was Martha Stewart found guilty?

A) a street crime
B) a victimless crime
C) a white-collar crime
D) an office crime

Question 45

Which sociologist theorized that becoming deviant is often accomplished through a process of social learning?

A) Travis Hirschi
B) Steven Spitzer
C) Robert Merton
D) Howard Becker

Question 46

Which of the following is an accurate reflection of reported crime rates in Canada between 2002 and 2013?

A) It fell sharply in the early part of this period and then levelled off.
B) It rose sharply in the early part of this period and then levelled off.
C) It has continued to fall gradually.
D) It has continued to rise gradually.

Question 47

Which of the following statements best reflects the impact of Canada's aging population on crime rates?

A) Crime rates are down because young people today are supervised more than young people in the past.
B) Generally, crime is a young person's pursuit and there are fewer young people.
C) The definitions of crime have changed, so that acts that are committed by youth are not thought of as crimes if committed by older people.
D) Older people get away with more crimes than younger people do, because they are suspected less often.

Question 48

Simon is just beginning to use marijuana recreationally. According to the social learning theory, which of the following is most likely to happen if Simon fails to pass a stage of the learning process?

A) He will not become a regular user.
B) He will become a regular user.
C) He will become a user of a different, more serious substance.
D) He will become opposed to the use of marijuana in general.

Question 49

Which of the following terms refers to crimes such as robbery and assault?

A) street crime
B) victimless crime
C) white-collar crime
D) office crime

Question 50

Which of the following age groups is most prone to committing crimes?

A) 12- to 17-year-olds
B) 15- to 24-year-olds
C) 25- to 34-year-olds
D) 45- to 60-year-olds

Question 51

"Zorro," a local dealer, cooks meth and deals it and other drugs from the basement of his mother's home. What type of crime is he guilty of committing?

A) a violent crime
B) a street crime
C) a covert crime
D) an overt crime

Question 52

Which of the following terms refers to crimes such as copyright infringement and embezzlement?

A) street crime
B) victimless crime
C) white-collar crime
D) office crime

Question 53

Which of the following do most people ignore when trying to explain the high levels of incarceration among certain ethnic groups?

A) inherent racial differences
B) cultural differences in definition of crime
C) social disruptions, such as colonialism
D) differences in IQ between ethnic groups

Question 54

Jamie, looking for money for his next heroin fix, breaks into a car and steals a rich woman's purse. What type of crime is Jamie guilty of committing?

A) a victimless crime
B) a white-collar crime
C) an elite crime
D) a street crime

Question 55

Which of the following does the textbook note as the most controversial explanation of changing crime rates in Canada?

A) the legalization of abortion
B) the aging of the population
C) the decrease in unemployment
D) the increase in law enforcement efforts

Question 56

Based on incarceration data, which of the following individuals is most likely to be sentenced to custody in a prison in Canada?

A) Seth, a 47-year-old Indigenous male
B) Robert, a 26-year-old white male
C) Ravina, a 25-year-old Punjabi female
D) Delores, a 19-year-old white female

Question 57

The TV series White Collar presents the adventures of a former art thief who is now cooperating with authorities. Why is this title inappropriate to this type of crime?

A) This type of crime is rare.
B) This type of crime is not profitable.
C) This type of crime is not perpetrated in the course of the perpetrator's legal work.
D) The perpetrator has abandoned crime and is now helping authorities.

Question 58

Dimitrios is a 24-year-old Canadian man. Which of the following is most likely to reduce his risk of victimization by crime?

A) moving to a western province
B) continuing his education
C) changing his workplace
D) getting married

Question 59

Which of the following groups is the most overrepresented in Canadian prisons?

A) South Asians
B) Indigenous persons
C) the working class
D) the upper class

Question 60

Janis has no money to buy groceries for her children, and shoplifts some bread and cheese from the local grocery store. What type of crime is Janis guilty of committing?

A) a victimless crime
B) a white-collar crime
C) a street crime
D) a crime of necessity

Question 61

Nurul is from a poor home and dreams of becoming a doctor. She has excellent grades and wins a scholarship for university. However, in her undergraduate class, she becomes disillusioned with the medical profession and eventually concludes that medical practice is organized in a way that benefits doctors, rather than patients. She leaves university and founds a group dedicated to empowering patients. In strain theory terms, what is Nurul?

A) a ritualist
B) an innovator
C) a retreatist
D) a rebel

Question 62

Natasha is from a poor home and dreams of becoming a doctor. She has excellent grades, but not the money required for eight years or more of university. She numbs the pain of having to give up her dream by abusing alcohol and eventually crystal meth, losing the ability to hold any kind of job. In strain theory terms, what is Natasha?

A) a ritualist
B) an innovator
C) a retreatist
D) a rebel

Question 63

Which of the following theorists developed the strain theory of deviance?

A) Robert Merton
B) Travis Hirschi
C) Howard Becker
D) Steven Spitzer

Question 64

According to John Hagan's typology, who among the following would be charged with committing a conflict crime?

A) Brian, who savagely beat and raped his wife
B) Benjamin, who left the pharmacy with oxycodone tablets after threatening the pharmacist with a knife
C) Jasmyn, who sold "sexual favours" to get money to support her drug addiction
D) Jolene, who hired a hitman to murder her boyfriend

Question 65

What would a strain theorist say is the main cause of crime?

A) labels attached to young people identifying them as deviant
B) unpleasant and challenging urban living conditions
C) the transmission of morals, beliefs, and goals across generations
D) frustration over not being able to achieve desired goals legitimately

Question 66

In the past, people who committed various crimes were paraded through the village and detained in full view of the public, where villagers could hurl insults and worse at them. From a functionalist perspective, what purpose did the public nature of this practice serve?

A) maintaining moral boundaries
B) providing an outlet for pent-up aggression
C) alerting the public about who the criminals were
D) saving money, as no money was required to build prisons

Question 67

According to research, where is the relationship between class and crime the strongest?

A) for lower-class people who commit crime
B) for middle-class people who commit violent street crimes
C) for lower-class people who commit white-collar crimes
D) for upper- and middle-class people who commit white-collar crimes

Question 68

Which of the following crimes would Merton's theory best be able to explain?

A) election fraud
B) white-collar crime
C) street robbery
D) recreational marijuana use

Question 69

Willie is from a poor home and dreams of becoming a doctor. His grades are not good enough to gain entrance to university, so he gives up his dream and works a series of menial jobs for the rest of his life. In strain theory terms, what is Willie?

A) a ritualist
B) a conformist
C) a retreatist
D) a rebel

Question 70

Between which elements of society does the "strain" occur as discussed by the strain theory of deviance?

A) ideal culture and real structure
B) real culture and ideal structure
C) cultural reality and social ideals
D) cultural ideals and social reality

Question 71

Jason is 14 years old and wishes to join a gang, in which his elder brother Joe is already a member. Which of the following theories would best explain Jason's wish?

A) learning theory
B) labelling theory
C) acculturation theory
D) resocialization theory

Question 72

Which classical theorist believed that deviance was functional for society?

A) Karl Marx
B) Max Weber
C) Émile Durkheim
D) Harriet Martineau

Question 73

Raj is from a poor home and dreams of becoming a doctor. He wins a full scholarship and graduates at the top of his university class. In strain theory terms, what is Raj?

A) a ritualist
B) a conformist
C) a retreatist
D) an innovator

Question 74

Tyrel would really like to have the status among his friends that comes from owning a great car, having cash at hand, and being able to buy things he wants. Tyrel has never done well in school and has no desire to try to finish high school or go to college. Recently, Tyrel has been making good money selling drugs out of his car so that he can achieve the material goals he has set out for himself. According to Merton, which strategy for social adaptation is Tyrel using?

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

Question 75

Rebecca is from a poor home and dreams of becoming a doctor. She has excellent grades, but not the money required for eight years or more of university. She works part-time at a restaurant, but decides to supplement her income by selling drugs to her co-workers as well. In strain theory terms, what is Rebecca?

A) a ritualist
B) an innovator
C) a retreatist
D) a rebel

Question 76

In 2003, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell pleaded guilty to the misdemeanour of drinking and driving in Hawaii. Despite pleading guilty to a criminal offence Campbell did not have to step down as premier, although Canadian laws state that a person convicted of a criminal offence may not hold political office. What does this demonstrate?

A) People who commit crimes are labelled as criminals.
B) People who commit serious crimes are labelled as criminals, but people who commit less serious crimes are not.
C) Campbell is not a criminal.
D) Social status plays a significant role in whether the label of criminal is applied.

Question 77

The medieval practice of pillorying proscribed no other punishment for criminals but to stay exposed to public gaze in a village square for several days. Which of the following would Durkheim name as function of this practice?

A) shaming criminals
B) strengthening social solidarity
C) giving community members an opportunity to gloat
D) preventing recidivism

Question 78

Consider the story of the brutal murder of Pamela George by Alex Ternowetsky and Steven Kummerfield. What does this case demonstrate?

A) Most people who commit a crime are labelled appropriately, according to the crime committed.
B) People who commit serious crimes, like murder, are labelled according to their actions, regardless of their social status.
C) Social status plays a significant role in whether one is labelled a deviant or not.
D) The justice system is almost never skewed in favour of the victim of a serious crime.

Question 79

According to the social learning theory of deviance, how do people learn to define unpleasurable deviant acts as pleasurable?

A) by continuing to try the deviant act over and over
B) by trying the deviant act in new settings
C) by being taught how to redefine their experiences
D) by reacting against others' definitions of their actions as deviant

Question 80

According to the textbook, what is formed by a group of criminals who create their own distinct norms, values, and codes of behaviour?

A) an innovation
B) a subculture
C) a confirmation group
D) a deviant faction