Question 1

Plato's transcendental Forms are the quintessence of _________.

Accepted Answer

Plato's Forms are the epitome of idealism, as they represent perfect and eternal abstract entities that exist beyond the physical world.

Question 2

According to the text, social scientists are only concerned with ________ forms of materialism and idealism as they relate to pragmatic human activity.

Accepted Answer

The text states that social scientists are only concerned with "weak forms of materialism and idealism" which means they are not interested in extreme, strong forms of these ideologies.

Question 3

Who was a materialist who saw the causes of social development and human action in material things such as economic factors?

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx was a materialist who believed that the causes of social development and human action could be attributed to material factors, especially economic factors. He developed the theory of historical materialism, which holds that the economic base of society determines everything else, including its political and cultural aspects. Marx believed that class conflict, driven by economic competition, was the driving force of history.

Question 4

Who asserted that opposites need one another to arrive at truth, and to arrive at truth we state a thesis, engage an antithesis, and through rational discourse combine them into a coherent synthesis.

Accepted Answer

This concept is known as the dialectical process and is famously associated with the philosopher Georg Hegel. The thesis represents an initial idea or belief, the antithesis challenges or contradicts that belief, and the synthesis is the resolution or reconciliation of the two opposing viewpoints. This process is seen as a means of arriving at a higher truth or understanding.

Question 5

According to the text, what theories leave the impression that flesh-and-blood individuals are irrelevant to explaining crime?

Accepted Answer

The text states that structural theories leave the impression that flesh-and-blood individuals are irrelevant to explaining crime.

Question 6

According to the text, ___________explanations are conveniently useful in ideologically acceptable circumstances but racist when they are not.

Accepted Answer

Cultural explanations are considered conveniently useful in contexts where they align with prevailing ideological beliefs, but they can be labeled as racist in situations where they do not fit these accepted narratives. This reflects the complex ways in which cultural analyses are interpreted based on the broader socio-political context.

Question 7

From an individualist perspective, a _________ is a macro mirror reflecting the combined micro images of all the individuals who live in it.

Accepted Answer

The answer of From an individualist perspective, a _________ is...

Question 8

Who stated "A person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favorable to violations of law over definitions unfavorable to violations of law"?

Accepted Answer

This statement is known as the "differential association theory" and was first proposed by Edwin Sutherland in 1939.

Question 9

For ________ theorists, crime and delinquency are motivated by conformity to lower-class values and beliefs: people commit crimes because they have learned that it is something almost demanded by their class heritage

Accepted Answer

Cultural theorists argue that crime and delinquency are motivated by conformity to lower-class values and beliefs which are learned through socialization within their subculture. This subculture is characterized by a lack of conventional values and an emphasis on toughness, street smarts, and immediate gratification. This cultural framework predisposes individuals to criminal behavior as they view it as a means to achieve success and status within their subculture.

Question 10

Whose theories describe criminal behaviors as the rational response of individuals confronted with a situation structured by the social relations of capitalism?

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx's theories describe criminal behaviors as the rational response of individuals confronted with a situation structured by the social relations of capitalism. According to Marx, capitalism creates inequalities in wealth and power, leading individuals to engage in criminal activities as a means of survival or advancement. Marx believed that true change could only come through an overthrow of the capitalist system.

Question 11

_________ is a patterned strategy for survival in certain ecological, social, or political contexts, a set of adaptations that "worked" better than alternative and was thus retained and passed down across the generations.

Accepted Answer

The definition provided describes culture. Culture is a set of learned behaviors, values, beliefs, and customs that are shared and transmitted by members of a particular society or group. Culture can include patterns of survival strategies that have been successful in a particular environment or context.

Question 12

________________ is an idealist view that culture is socially constructed and passed down the generations as mental representations of reality.

Accepted Answer

Transmitted culture is the idealist view that culture is socially constructed and passed down the generations as mental representations of reality. It emphasizes the role of learning and socialization in shaping cultural practices and beliefs. Evoked culture refers to cultural differences that emerge in response to different environmental conditions, while gene-culture coevolution emphasizes the interaction between genetic and cultural evolution. The structure-culture relationship refers to how social structures and institutions shape culture and are shaped by culture in turn.

Question 13

According to the text, abstract though it is, structure reveals its reality by the impact it has on people because it is the setting in which they play out their lives.

Accepted Answer

The text states that structure reveals its reality through its impact on people who live in it. This suggests that the setting, or structure, plays a significant role in shaping people's lives.

Question 14

Longitudinal studies pitting neighborhood versus individual characteristics against each other invariably find greater explanatory power for individual factors.

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal studies consistently show that individual characteristics have more explanatory power than neighborhood characteristics in predicting outcomes. This may suggest that interventions aimed at improving individual factors, such as education or health outcomes, may be more effective than those focusing solely on neighborhood improvement.

Question 15

According to the text, environmental conditions evoke certain patterns of behavior, which are then elevated to the level of transmitted values and norms guiding the expected behavior of all who belong to the culture.

Accepted Answer

The text states that environmental conditions evoke certain patterns of behavior, which are then transmitted and elevated to the level of values and norms that guide expected behavior within a culture.

Quiz 6: Materialism and Idealism: Structure versus Culture