Question 1

Which of the following is a strategy for someone with a stigmatized identity to blend in with a group that does NOT experience stigmatization?
A) retreat
B) escapism
C) interactionism
D) passing

Accepted Answer

Passing is a strategy in which an individual with a stigmatized identity hides that identity and presents themselves as someone who is part of a group that does not experience stigmatization. This can involve concealing one's cultural, racial, or sexual identity, for example, in order to be accepted by the dominant group. The other choices (retreat, escapism, and interactionism) do not involve blending in with a different group in this way.

Question 2

What did Verta Taylor and Leila Rupp do in order to gain a naturalistic understanding of drag queens for their book Drag Queens at the 801 Cabaret?
A) conducted extensive life-history interviews
B) videotaped a great number of performances
C) performed statistical analysis of the surveys they handed out to audiences at the drag shows they attended
D) took the stage and performed with the drag queens they were studying

Accepted Answer

Verta Taylor and Leila Rupp took the stage and performed with the drag queens they were studying to gain a naturalistic understanding of their experiences and culture.

Question 3

Which kind of departure from the norm would have a stigmatizing effect on an individual's identity?
A) physical disability
B) colorblindness
C) left-handed preference
D) wearing shoes that do not match

Accepted Answer

Physical disability deviates from the norm of physical ability and may be stigmatized due to ableist attitudes and societal expectations of able-bodiedness. Colorblindness and left-handed preference do not deviate significantly from societal norms and are not usually stigmatized. Wearing shoes that do not match may be seen as unconventional but is not likely to have a significant impact on identity or social standing.

Question 4

A person arrived at a company party dressed in a bunny costume,only to discover that the party was not a costume party.Although he had been tricked by a co-worker,from then on everyone saw him as crazy and eccentric,and eventually he came to think of himself in this way too.The initial mistake at the party is an example of:
A) stigma.
B) primary deviance.
C) a self-fulfilling prophecy.
D) tertiary deviation.

Accepted Answer

Primary deviance refers to the initial act of rule-breaking, such as wearing a costume to a non-costume party, which can lead to being labeled as deviant.

Question 5

W.I.Thomas famously argued that "if men define situations as real,then:
A) others will label them as deviant."
B) it will lead to tertiary deviance."
C) they will be forced to provide evidence."
D) they are real in their consequences."

Accepted Answer

W.I.Thomas argument essentially means that if people believe something to be true, they will act accordingly, leading to real consequences. Therefore, an accurate representation of choice would be D.

Question 6

When studying deviance,sociologists often focus on the most obvious and extreme forms of deviant behavior.What are the consequences of this approach?
A) Only those deviant individuals who embrace their deviant labels will be studied.
B) Only the deviant behaviors of the rich and powerful will be studied.
C) The values and norms of the powerful are left unexamined, while the deviance of the poor is scrutinized.
D) few, if any, of the most serious problems in a given society can be identified.

Accepted Answer

Focusing solely on the most obvious and extreme forms of deviant behavior can result in ignoring the deviant behaviors of the rich and powerful while scrutinizing those of the poor. This can result in a neglect of the values and norms of the powerful, which may contribute significantly to deviant behavior.

Question 7

When the suburb of Lakewood,California,was first built in 1950,it refused to sell houses to Jewish families,as well as African Americans and Hispanics.However,within a few years,the developers reversed this policy and started selling homes to families regardless of religious faith or ethnicity.What does this tell us about stigma?
A) Stigma leaves permanent marks on those it affects.
B) Stigma is only a problem in areas where money is involved.
C) Stigmatized identities can be overcome through passing.
D) Stigmatized identities change over time.

Accepted Answer

The fact that the developers of Lakewood initially refused to sell homes to Jewish families, African Americans, and Hispanics, but later reversed this policy and started selling homes to families regardless of religious faith or ethnicity, indicates that stigmatized identities can change over time.

Question 8

Asian American students are more likely to be placed in Advanced Placement classes,score higher on exams,and be expected to excel in education.This is called the:
A) stereotype promise.
B) self-fulfilling prophecy.
C) tertiary deviance.
D) stereotype threat.

Accepted Answer

The term "stereotype promise" refers to the positive stereotypes that certain groups, such as Asian Americans, have about academic success. These stereotypes can lead to higher expectations and opportunities for success.

Question 9

The poet Lucy Grealy had a series of operations as a child that eventually resulted in the removal of one-third of her jaw.As a result she experienced:
A) stigma.
B) passing.
C) strain.
D) rebellion.

Accepted Answer

Lucy Grealy's disfigurement as a result of her surgeries resulted in stigmatization from others. She struggled with the negative social constructs and faced prejudice based on her appearance.

Question 10

Some light-skinned African Americans have dealt with stigma by passing as white.But many African Americans could not pass,and others refused to do so;consequently,when they attempted to deal with stigma,they were much more likely to do so via in-group orientation.Which of the following actions would be an example of in-group orientation?
A) using chemical products to straighten curly hair or lighten skin
B) joining a radical group that advocated black separatism and wanted most African Americans to leave the United States
C) focusing attention on athletics or other areas where African Americans were more likely to experience success
D) embracing James Brown's song, "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud"

Accepted Answer

Embracing James Brown's song, "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" is an example of in-group orientation because it involves celebrating and embracing one's black identity and promoting pride in being a member of the African American community. This action reinforces a positive sense of identity and belonging within the in-group, rather than attempting to pass or assimilate into the dominant white culture. Choices A, B, and C all involve adapting or conforming to dominant white cultural norms or separatist movements, which would not be examples of in-group orientation.

Question 11

When David Rosenhan designed the experiment he described in "On Being Sane in Insane Places," he gave very specific instructions to his research assistants to be honest and truthful about everything except in claiming they were hearing voices and giving a fake name.Why was it important that they NOT use their real identities?
A) What they were doing was illegal, and they needed to have cover identities.
B) They could walk away from their assumed identities, and in so doing walk away from their labels as well.
C) They could keep doctors from finding their medical records and exposing them as fakes.
D) They did not want to be recognized by acquaintances.

Accepted Answer

It was important for the research assistants in the experiment to use fake names so that they could walk away from their assumed identities after the experiment was over and in so doing, walk away from the labels of being mentally ill that had been given to them. Using their real identities would have made this much more difficult.

Question 12

Dan Savage,a nationally syndicated sex advice columnist,has repeatedly expressed his frustration with gay men who describe themselves in personal ads as "straight-acting,straight-appearing." He believes that these men need to be open about who they are rather than attempting to manage their stigmatized identities by:
A) passing.
B) in-group orientation.
C) deviance avowal (twisting the truth).
D) symbolic interactionism.

Accepted Answer

Dan Savage is criticizing these men for attempting to pass as straight, rather than being open and honest about their identity. Passing refers to attempting to present oneself as part of a privileged group in order to avoid discrimination or stigma. In this case, the men are attempting to pass as straight in order to avoid the stigma and discrimination that gay men often face. Savage believes that they should be open about their identity and not try to manage their stigmatized identity through passing.

Question 13

What did Robert Merton call a prediction that came true only because the prediction was made?
A) a defining prophecy
B) a Thomas prediction
C) a self-fulfilling prophecy
D) a labeling prophecy

Accepted Answer

Robert Merton coined the term "self-fulfilling prophecy" to describe a prediction that becomes true because people act as if it is already true, even if the prediction may not have been accurate or inevitable without those actions.

Question 14

Shortly after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon,there were a number of attacks on Arab Americans (and people who were mistakenly identified as Arab Americans),because their identity had become stigmatized.What sort of stigma was this?
A) moral
B) symbolic
C) religious
D) tribal

Accepted Answer

The answer of Shortly after the September 11 attacks on...

Question 15

In what aspects of stigma are symbolic interactionists interested?
A) how people manage their stigmatized identities on an everyday basis
B) which stigmas are fair and which are unjustly applied
C) how stigma always leads to positive life outcomes
D) how stigma leads to increased self-esteem

Accepted Answer

Symbolic interactionists are interested in how individuals manage their stigmatized identities on an everyday basis, including how they cope with and respond to the negative reactions of others.

Question 16

David Rosenhan argues that misdiagnosis is particularly a problem for psychologists,as a diagnosis of a mental illness is as influential on the patient as it is on his or her relatives and friends.It should not surprise anyone that the diagnosis acts as a(n):
A) act of tertiary deviance.
B) sign of structural strain.
C) gesture of passing.
D) self-fulfilling prophecy.

Accepted Answer

A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to come true due to feedback between belief and behavior. In the case of a misdiagnosis, the patient may internalize the diagnosis and begin to exhibit symptoms associated with the misdiagnosed illness due to the expectation created by the diagnosis itself. Therefore, a misdiagnosis can act as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 17

Although gays and lesbians in the United States have always been stigmatized,there are several different ways in which individuals have chosen to manage that stigma.When gay rights activists chant the slogan,"We're here,we're queer,get used to it," what strategy are they using?
A) passing
B) assimilation
C) bureaucratic mediation
D) in-group orientation

Accepted Answer

The slogan "We're here, we're queer, get used to it" reflects in-group orientation, where individuals embrace their identity and seek acceptance from the broader society without attempting to hide or change who they are.

Question 18

Sociologists who study deviance tend to focus only on the most extreme and obvious forms of deviance.What is this approach sometimes called?
A) the outsider's approach
B) the Marxist approach
C) the structural functionalist approach
D) the nuts and sluts approach

Accepted Answer

The approach of only focusing on extreme and obvious forms of deviance is sometimes called the nuts and sluts approach. This approach is criticized for ignoring more subtle forms of deviance and reinforcing traditional gender stereotypes.

Question 19

Brooke is a Ph.D.candidate in the field of nanophysics.She is aware that only 4 percent of physics professionals are women.Many assume this is due to women having an inability to comprehend complex mathematics.Knowing this,Brooke actually scores below her male counterparts on exams,thus affirming the idea that women have difficulty with physics.Brooke is experiencing:
A) the stereotype promise.
B) a self-fulfilling prophecy.
C) tertiary deviance.
D) the stereotype threat.

Accepted Answer

Brooke is experiencing stereotype threat, which occurs when an individual is at risk of confirming a negative stereotype about their group. In this case, the stereotype is that women have difficulty with physics, and Brooke's awareness of it may cause her to perform worse than she would otherwise. This can become a self-fulfilling prophecy if Brooke's belief in the stereotype causes her to underperform, as it appears to be happening in this scenario.

Question 20

According to Erving Goffman,stigmatized individuals who do not believe that they should have to change or conceal their identities to make "normal" people more comfortable have:
A) deviance plus.
B) in-group orientation.
C) self-esteem.
D) out-group orientation.

Accepted Answer

In-group orientation refers to the tendency of stigmatized individuals to embrace their identity and reject the notion that they should conform to societal norms to make others comfortable.

Quiz 6: Deviance

Which of the following is a strategy for someone with a stigmatized identity to blend in with a group that does NOT experience stigmatization?

What did Verta Taylor and Leila Rupp do in order to gain a naturalistic understanding of drag queens for their book Drag Queens at the 801 Cabaret?

Which kind of departure from the norm would have a stigmatizing effect on an individual's identity?

W.I.Thomas famously argued that "if men define situations as real,then:

When studying deviance,sociologists often focus on the most obvious and extreme forms of deviant behavior.What are the consequences of this approach?

Asian American students are more likely to be placed in Advanced Placement classes,score higher on exams,and be expected to excel in education.This is called the:

The poet Lucy Grealy had a series of operations as a child that eventually resulted in the removal of one-third of her jaw.As a result she experienced:

What did Robert Merton call a prediction that came true only because the prediction was made?

Shortly after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon,there were a number of attacks on Arab Americans (and people who were mistakenly identified as Arab Americans) ,because their identity had become stigmatized.What sort of stigma was this?

In what aspects of stigma are symbolic interactionists interested?

David Rosenhan argues that misdiagnosis is particularly a problem for psychologists,as a diagnosis of a mental illness is as influential on the patient as it is on his or her relatives and friends.It should not surprise anyone that the diagnosis acts as a(n) :

Although gays and lesbians in the United States have always been stigmatized,there are several different ways in which individuals have chosen to manage that stigma.When gay rights activists chant the slogan,"We're here,we're queer,get used to it," what strategy are they using?

Sociologists who study deviance tend to focus only on the most extreme and obvious forms of deviance.What is this approach sometimes called?

According to Erving Goffman,stigmatized individuals who do not believe that they should have to change or conceal their identities to make "normal" people more comfortable have: