Question 1

Which of the following statements does NOT relate to social control?

Accepted Answer

Social control primarily concerns the ways in which society manages deviance and induces conformity, controls the population through social norms and institutions, and labels certain groups to provide or withhold rights and privileges. The power of medical experts to recognize cultural differences in definitions of illness and abnormality, while related to social norms and power dynamics, does not directly relate to the mechanisms of social control but rather to the understanding and interpretation of health and illness across cultures.

Question 2

Which of the following statements best describes 'labelling theory'?

Accepted Answer

Labelling theory is a perspective within the symbolic interactionism framework that examines how the labels applied to individuals or groups can influence their self-identity and the perceptions of others, particularly in the context of deviance. It emphasizes the role of societal reactions and the consequences of being labelled as deviant.

Question 3

What is the sociological term for responses to deviance that are aimed at reducing or stemming deviance and achieving conformity to particular social norms?

Accepted Answer

Social control refers to the various means used by a society to bring its members back into line with accepted norms and values, thereby reducing or preventing deviance. This can include formal mechanisms like laws and sanctions, as well as informal ones like socialization and peer pressure.

Question 4

Which one of the following is NOT one of Hirschi's four bonds to society that inhibit deviance?

Accepted Answer

Hirschi's Social Control Theory posits that four social bonds—attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief—link individuals to society and help deter deviant behavior. Conformity is not listed as one of these bonds; instead, it is an expected outcome of strong bonds to society.

Question 5

Who coined the term 'reintegrative shaming'?

Accepted Answer

John Braithwaite is the criminologist who coined the term 'reintegrative shaming,' which refers to a theory of punishing criminal offenders by making them feel guilty while showing them understanding, forgiveness, or respect.

Question 6

Which one of the following is NOT one of Merton's five possible forms of behaviour across the conformity-deviance spectrum?

Accepted Answer

Shame is not one of Merton's five forms of behavior across the conformity-deviance spectrum. Merton's typology includes conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion.

Question 7

What is the term for a process that makes a criminal offender apologise to the victim/s and engage in some form of restitution to the victim/community?

Accepted Answer

Reintegrative shaming is a process that emphasizes making amends to the victim or community and often involves an apology from the offender. This approach aims to reintegrate the offender into society as a responsible individual.

Question 8

What is the sociological term for a societal condition in which individuals feel aimless and lack guidance in social norms?

Accepted Answer

Anomie is the sociological term that describes a state or condition of society where there is a breakdown or absence of social norms and values, leading to feelings of alienation and purposelessness among individuals.

Question 9

Which sociologist is the term 'moral panic' most closely associated with?

Accepted Answer

Stanley Cohen is most closely associated with the term 'moral panic' through his work on youth subcultures in the 1970s, particularly in his study of Mods and Rockers in his book "Folk Devils and Moral Panics."

Question 10

Who famously said: 'deviance is not a quality of the act the person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an "offender". The deviant is one to whom the label has successfully been applied; deviant behaviour is behaviour that people so label'?

Accepted Answer

Howard Becker is known for this statement, which encapsulates the labeling theory in sociology. This theory suggests that deviance is not inherent in any act but is instead the result of the labels society attaches to certain behaviors.

Quiz 16: Deviance, Crime, and Social Control