Question 1

This term refers to the ideas, attitudes, and beliefs about race that help create and perpetuate feelings and opinions about nonwhites in U.S. culture.

Accepted Answer

Unconscious racism refers to biases and beliefs about race that individuals may not even be aware they hold. These ideas can be reinforced by societal messages and can contribute to ongoing discrimination and inequality.

Question 2

In regards to racial inequality in the criminal justice system, which sociological theoretical perspective primarily argues that beliefs, perspectives, and stereotypes about people of color are pervasive in our culture and help to legitimize forms of racism?

Accepted Answer

The concept of the white racial frame is grounded in critical race theory and argues that racism is embedded in our culture and institutions, including the criminal justice system. The white racial frame refers to a dominant worldview that centers whiteness and often reinforces negative stereotypes and biases about people of color. The other options, functional theory and black racial frame, do not directly address the role of racism and stereotypes in perpetuating racial inequality in the criminal justice system.

Question 3

In explaining racial inequality in the criminal justice system, which theoretical perspective primarily argues that the law is used to maintain dominant group power in society and is a form of social control of subordinate groups?

Accepted Answer

Conflict theory posits that the criminal justice system is a tool used by the dominant group to maintain power and control over subordinate groups. According to this perspective, laws and law enforcement practices are designed in a way that benefits those in power and harms marginalized groups, including racial minorities. Critical race theory and the white racial frame also examine how race plays a role in the criminal justice system, but they focus more on the social construction of race and deeply ingrained cultural beliefs about race, respectively. Functional theory, on the other hand, emphasizes the importance of social institutions like the criminal justice system for maintaining social order and stability, and does not specifically address issues of racial inequality.

Question 4

In regards to racial inequality in the criminal justice system, which sociological theory primarily argues that legal reasoning and constitutional law reflect a white view of the world?

Accepted Answer

Critical race theory argues that the legal system and constitutional law reflect a white view of the world and perpetuate racial inequality in the criminal justice system. Conflict theory and the white racial frame also address racial inequality, but do not specifically focus on the legal system's role in perpetuating it.

Question 5

When a person comes under police attention primarily due to their race this is known as:

Accepted Answer

Racial profiling is the practice of law enforcement targeting individuals for suspicion of criminal activity based on their race, ethnicity, religion or national origin. This practice results in unequal treatment and discrimination against certain groups of people. Unconscious racism, racial panic, and racial hoax all relate to issues of race, but do not describe the specific act of law enforcement singling out individuals based on their race.

Question 6

In many ways, poverty breeds crime. Sociologists describe a social condition that contributes to the perpetuation of deviance as:

Accepted Answer

The term "criminogenic condition" refers to social, economic, and environmental factors that contribute to the development of criminal behavior. Poverty is one such condition, as individuals who are living in poverty may turn to crime as a means of survival or as a way to address the injustices they perceive in their lives. Factors such as lack of access to education, limited job prospects, and exposure to violence and other forms of trauma may also contribute to the criminogenic condition of poverty.

Question 7

Conflict theorists discovered that lower-class African Americans and Hispanics tend to commit more street crimes and middle and upper-middle class white individuals tend to commit more white-collar crime. Which explanation describes this race-crime link best?

Accepted Answer

The explanation for the race-crime link involves multiple factors: racial/ethnic minorities being underrepresented in corporate America limits their involvement in white-collar crime, poverty increases the likelihood of committing street crimes, and law enforcement's focus and training on apprehending street criminals over white-collar criminals. All these factors contribute to the observed patterns of criminal behavior among different racial and socioeconomic groups.

Question 8

An example of racial profiling that has developed since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 is the perception of Arabs and Arab Americans as threats. Sociologists call this:

Accepted Answer

The term "moral panic" refers to a phenomenon in which society becomes highly concerned and fearful about a particular issue or group, often based on exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims. In the case of Arabs and Arab Americans being perceived as threats, this can be seen as a moral panic since there is often little evidence to support these claims, yet they continue to persist in the public consciousness. The other options, "Arab terror profiling" and "racial reactions," do not encompass the broader societal and cultural context in which this phenomenon occurs.

Question 9

When police use minor traffic violations as reasons to stop a minority to search for drugs, it is known as:

Accepted Answer

Pretextual traffic stops involve police officers using minor traffic violations as an excuse to stop individuals and search for drugs or other illegal substances. This practice has been shown to disproportionately affect minorities and can be a form of racial profiling.

Question 10

The 1999 killing of Amidou Diallo by four New York police officers after he reached for his wallet, not a weapon, is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The killing of Amidou Diallo by New York police officers is an example of excessive force, police brutality, and racial profiling, as it involved the unnecessary use of lethal force based on mistaken identity and potentially biased assumptions.

Question 11

Jim Sidanius and Felicia Pratto (1990) coined the term social dominance orientation, which is the belief that:

Accepted Answer

Social dominance orientation is the belief that one's group is the dominant group and this dominance is legitimate. It is characterized by a desire for one's group to maintain or strengthen its dominant position over other groups. This orientation is often associated with discriminatory attitudes and behaviors toward subordinate groups. Options A and B do not accurately reflect social dominance orientation. Option D is not a valid answer as at least one of the options must be correct.

Question 12

Research still finds that _____________, rather than the severity of the crime, remains the greatest predictor of who gets the death penalty.

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that factors such as the racial makeup of the jury, the race of the victim, and the race of the defendant significantly influence death penalty decisions, making these factors, collectively, strong predictors of who is sentenced to death.

Question 13

This act has passed the House twice, but has yet to pass the Senate. It would provide defendants with the opportunity to use statistical evidence of racial discrimination for their states use of the death penalty.

Accepted Answer

The Racial Justice Act is the only option that specifically deals with the use of statistical evidence of racial discrimination in the use of the death penalty. The other options address different aspects of criminal justice, such as abolishing the federal death penalty or increasing accountability in California.

Question 14

Disparate treatment of minority youth offenders and white offenders takes place in many areas of the juvenile justice system including

Accepted Answer

All of the listed options are areas where disparate treatment of minority youth offenders and white offenders can be observed in the juvenile justice system. Studies have shown that minority youth are more likely to be incarcerated, receive harsher sentences, and be perceived as more dangerous than their white counterparts. This highlights the issue of systemic racism and bias in the juvenile justice system.

Question 15

Whites experience all of the following with the criminal justice system except:

Accepted Answer

Whites are not less likely to be victimized by crime compared to minorities. In fact, victimization rates are similar across racial and ethnic groups.

Question 16

Which of the following is true about mass incarceration in the U.S.?

Accepted Answer

The statement that "incarceration rates are so high that it is a defining feature of entire communities" is true. Mass incarceration has impacted certain communities disproportionately and has become a major issue in discussions of race and social justice. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect. Research has shown that prisoners often struggle with reentry and face difficulty adapting to society post-release, incarceration does not necessarily decrease crime rates, and while incarceration has been around for a long time, the term "mass incarceration" refers specifically to the recent increase in imprisonment rates.

Question 17

Prisons in the US have racialized origins. In the post-Civil War era, southern states established_____________, which made a long list of behaviors illegal, including begging, loitering, panhandling, and looking for work.

Accepted Answer

In the post-Civil War era, southern states established vagabond laws, which made a long list of behaviors illegal, including begging, loitering, panhandling, and looking for work. These laws were used as a means of controlling and oppressing newly freed slaves and other people of color, who were often targeted and punished disproportionately. The implementation of these laws contributed to the rise of mass incarceration in the US and the racial disparities that persist within the criminal justice system today. Choice A, chain gangs, were a form of punishment in which prisoners were forced to work on public works projects while chained together. Choice C, convict leasing, allowed private companies to lease prisoners from the state and use them for labor. Choice D, prison slave round ups, is not a historically accurate term or practice.

Question 18

In the post-Civil Rights era, the political use of the "law and order" theme implies:

Accepted Answer

The political use of the "law and order" theme during the post-Civil Rights era suggested that civil rights protests and civil disobedience tactics were a threat to law and order. This theme was often used by political officials who opposed civil rights for minorities and viewed protestors as disruptive and dangerous to society.

Question 19

This term is the best to describe the interconnectedness of politicians, government, and private industry and the incentives associated with a commitment to increasing spending on the prison industry, even as crimes decrease.

Accepted Answer

The term "prison industrial complex" encompasses the idea that there is a complex network of political, governmental, and private industry interests that are invested in the expansion of the prison system, even if crime rates are decreasing. This includes lobbying efforts, contracts for privatized prisons, and other incentives that are tied to financial gains for those involved. The other options, while related to the prison system, do not capture the full scope of this interconnectedness and commitment to prison expansion.

Question 20

Which of the following is the greatest factor contributing to the growing prison population in the United States:

Accepted Answer

The "war on drugs" political movement, which advocated for harsher penalties for drug-related offenses, has played a significant role in the growing prison population in the United States. This is evidenced by the fact that a large proportion of prisoners are incarcerated for drug offenses, and the United States has one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world, primarily due to drug-related offenses.

Quiz 10: Crime and Criminal Justice