Question 1

The violation of social norms is called ______.

Accepted Answer

Deviance refers to any behavior or action that goes against social norms or expectations. This can include breaking laws, but it also encompasses many other actions that are not necessarily illegal, such as walking around in public in your underwear. Stigma refers to the negative attitudes and beliefs that society holds about certain groups, while recidivism refers specifically to the tendency for people who have been in prison to reoffend and go back to prison after release. Crime refers to actions that are specifically illegal according to the law.

Question 2

According to social control theory, which of the following actions would not influence a person to conform?

Accepted Answer

Social control theory suggests that people are motivated to conform to societal norms and rules in order to avoid negative consequences such as punishment or disapproval. Giving people the freedom to do whatever they want would not provide a means of social control or influence for conformity.

Question 3

Anomie and strain are associated with the ______.

Accepted Answer

Anomie and strain are concepts associated with the structural-functionalist perspective, particularly in the work of sociologist Robert K. Merton, who explained how societal structures can pressure individuals to commit deviant acts.

Question 4

Susan would love to be a lawyer but cannot afford to go to law school. Her boyfriend suggested that she steal from her grandmother's estate in order to finance her education, but she refused. Instead, she took a 2-year course and became a librarian. Robert Merton would classify Susan's actions as ______.

Accepted Answer

According to Robert Merton's strain theory, there are five ways that individuals respond to the gap between their aspirations and opportunities. Conformity is the most common response, which means that individuals accept both the cultural goals and the traditional means of achieving them. Innovation refers to individuals who accept the cultural goals but use unconventional or illegal means to achieve them. Retreatism involves individuals who reject both the cultural goals and the traditional means of achieving them, while rebellion involves individuals who reject the cultural goals and traditional means but replace them with alternative ones. Finally, ritualism refers to individuals who abandon the cultural goals but continue to follow the traditional means of achieving them. Therefore, Susan's actions of becoming a librarian instead of stealing from her grandmother's estate to become a lawyer would be classified as ritualism.

Question 5

Smoking marijuana is a ______.

Accepted Answer

Smoking marijuana is often considered a victimless crime because the individuals involved in the act are consenting adults and there is no direct harm or violence inflicted upon others.

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of a consensus crime?

Accepted Answer

Consensus crimes are acts that are universally considered wrong and harmful, such as murder, which is illegal and condemned in all societies.

Question 7

Consider the statement, "People learn to conform or deviate from the individuals they spend time with." With which theory does this statement best fit?

Accepted Answer

The statement best fits the differential association theory, which suggests that people learn to conform or deviate through their interactions with the people around them. This theory posits that individuals are more likely to engage in deviant behavior if they spend time with others who also engage in deviant behavior. Conversely, individuals are more likely to conform if they surround themselves with people who conform to societal norms.

Question 8

Liz works at the dean's office. She works harder than her supervisor (who is paid more and enjoys coffee breaks when Liz and her coworkers share stories about how little they are paid and how they deserve more). One day, Liz steals 15 ink cartridges to use in her home printer. Liz has committed a(n) ______.

Accepted Answer

Liz has committed an occupational crime, which is a type of crime committed by an individual in the course of their employment. The theft of ink cartridges is related to her job as she has access to them in the dean's office.

Question 9

The statement, "Members of society create deviance by defining certain behaviors as deviant," most closely reflects ______.

Accepted Answer

The statement reflects the central idea of labeling theory that deviance is not an inherent characteristic of an act, but rather a result of the social labels attached to it by society. Differential association theory suggests that people learn deviant behavior through their interactions with others. Rational choice theory suggests that individuals weigh the pros and cons of engaging in deviant behavior. Strain theory suggests that societal pressures and inequalities can lead individuals to engage in deviant behavior as a means of coping.

Question 10

To study why women kill their abusive husbands, Robin plans to look at the positive and negative sanctions the women weighed when deciding to kill. Which theory is Robin most likely using?

Accepted Answer

Robin is examining the decision-making process of women who killed their abusive husbands, which aligns with the rational choice theory that suggests individuals make calculated decisions based on the potential costs and benefits of their actions.

Question 11

How does primary deviance differ from secondary deviance?

Accepted Answer

Primary deviance refers to the initial act of rule-breaking, which may or may not result in the individual being labeled as deviant. Secondary deviance occurs when an individual accepts the label of deviant and continues to commit deviant acts, often as a result of being labeled.

Question 12

A belief that becomes a reality constitutes ______.

Accepted Answer

A self-fulfilling prophecy is a belief or expectation that shapes a person's behavior in a way that ultimately causes the belief or expectation to come true. In other words, the belief becomes a reality because the person acted as if it were true.

Question 13

Smiles, frowns, and hugs are all examples of ______.

Accepted Answer

Smiles, frowns, and hugs are examples of informal external controls as they are social cues and reactions that influence behavior without formal rules or regulations.

Question 14

The statement, "Deviance serves vital social functions," most closely reflects ______.

Accepted Answer

The statement "deviance serves vital social functions" is a central principle of structural-functional theory, which argues that deviance can serve a variety of functions in society, such as reinforcing social norms and values, fostering social cohesion, and providing a basis for social change. Conflict theory emphasizes the role of power and competition in shaping social relations, while symbolic interaction theory focuses on the ways in which individuals construct and interpret their social worlds. Feminist theory, while it can intersect with structural-functional theory, focuses specifically on the ways in which gender inequalities are reproduced and challenged in society.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT correct about deviance?

Accepted Answer

Deviants are not always purposely and knowingly breaking the law. Sometimes they may break norms or laws without intending to do so or may not even be aware that their behavior is considered deviant.

Question 16

Kina is a 17-year-old woman. To discourage her from becoming deviant, her parents encouraged her to attend church, study hard, and believe that "nice girls finish first." Kina's parents are also sociologists. Kina's parents most likely subscribe to which theory of deviance?

Accepted Answer

Kina's parents are encouraging her to conform to societal norms and values, which is a key aspect of the social control theory of deviance. This theory suggests that individuals are more likely to conform to societal expectations when they have strong bonds to social institutions, such as family or religion.

Question 17

The self-fulfilling prophecy is associated with ______.

Accepted Answer

The self-fulfilling prophecy is a concept that is central to labeling theory, which argues that people's behavior and identity are influenced by how others label or define them. When someone is labeled or defined in a certain way, they may internalize that label and actually begin to behave or act in accordance with it, fulfilling the prophecy made about them. This can have negative consequences, particularly when someone is labeled as deviant or criminal, as it can lead to further stigmatization and marginalization.

Question 18

The forms of deviance in which formal penalties are imposed by society are ______.

Accepted Answer

Crimes refer to forms of deviance in which formal penalties are imposed by society. Deviant norms refer to behavior that violates social norms, but penalties for violating these norms are not formalized. Recidivism refers to the tendency for previous offenders to commit further crimes. Stigmas are negative labels applied to individuals or groups, and while they may affect how society views and treats these individuals, they do not necessarily involve formal penalties.

Question 19

Yesterday, for the first time ever, Carson smoked marijuana. According to labeling theory, Carson committed ______.

Accepted Answer

Primary deviance refers to a norm-violating behavior that has little to no influence on an individual's self-concept or interactions with others. Since Carson's marijuana use was a one-time occurrence and does not seem to have any significant impact on his identity or relationships with others, it falls under the category of primary deviance.

Question 20

In the study of the Saints and the Roughnecks, Chambliss found all of the following EXCEPT that:

Accepted Answer

Chambliss did not find that all youth who commit crimes are treated equally. In fact, he found that social status played a significant role in how the Saints and Roughnecks were treated by authority figures and how they experienced the criminal justice system.

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