Question 1

What focal concern is exemplified by lower-class behaviours such as fighting, drinking, and sexual misconduct?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What focal concern is exemplified by lower-class...

Question 2

According to Albert Cohen, what do lower-class youth experience when social conditions render them incapable of achieving success legitimately?

Accepted Answer

Albert Cohen's theory posits that lower-class youth experience status frustration when they are unable to achieve success through legitimate means. This frustration arises from their inability to meet middle-class measuring rods of success, leading them to reject those standards and create their own, which often oppose those of the broader society.

Question 3

Which theory proposes that criminal youth are the result of deficient socialization practices?

Accepted Answer

Delinquent subculture theory suggests that criminal behavior in youth arises from subcultures that develop in response to the failures experienced in mainstream society, often due to inadequate socialization practices. These subcultures provide their own values and norms that justify and support delinquent behavior.

Question 4

A teacher corrects the grammar of a young inner-city student and tells his parents that he just doesn't seem to have the "right stuff" for college. According to Albert Cohen, what is the teacher's evaluation an example of?

Accepted Answer

The teacher's evaluation is an example of "middle-class measuring rods," which refers to the standards and expectations set by the middle class that are often applied universally, disregarding the diverse backgrounds and circumstances of individuals. This concept suggests that the teacher is judging the student's potential for college success based on criteria that may not take into account the socio-economic and cultural context of the student's life.

Question 5

A youth growing up in a lower-class area maintains a passive lifestyle, hanging out with his friends and holding a menial job. How would Albert Cohen describe him?

Accepted Answer

Albert Cohen would describe such a youth as a "corner boy," which refers to someone who conforms to the expectations of their lower-class subculture by maintaining a passive lifestyle, hanging out with friends, and holding menial jobs, without engaging in deviant activities.

Question 6

According to Albert Cohen, what do delinquent boys strive for?

Accepted Answer

According to Albert Cohen, delinquent boys strive for autonomy and independence.

Question 7

According to Baron and Kennedy's research, which study group reported an average legal income of $335 a month?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Baron and Kennedy's research, which...

Question 8

According to Cloward and Ohlin, what term refers to the stratification of the ability to achieve success across class lines?

Accepted Answer

Cloward and Ohlin's theory of differential opportunities suggests that individuals have varying levels of access to legitimate and illegitimate means to achieve success, which is stratified across class lines. This concept explains how social structures influence the availability of opportunities for different social classes.

Question 9

According to Maxson and Klein, what has happened to the number of gangs in the last 10 years?

Accepted Answer

According to Maxson and Klein's research, the number of gangs has more than tripled in the last 10 years, indicating a significant rise in gang activity and membership.

Question 10

What type of gang is most likely to flourish in an environment for illegal enterprise?

Accepted Answer

Criminal gangs are most likely to flourish in environments conducive to illegal enterprises because their primary focus is on engaging in criminal activities for profit, which aligns with the opportunities presented in such environments.

Question 11

What type of gang is most likely to flourish in a community that is unable to provide either legitimate or illegitimate opportunities?

Accepted Answer

Conflict gangs are most likely to flourish in communities that lack both legitimate and illegitimate opportunities, as they often arise in disorganized areas where there is little access to either type of opportunity.

Question 12

What type of gang is more a function of individual failure than neighbourhood structure?

Accepted Answer

Retreatist gangs are more a reflection of individual failure than of neighborhood structure. These gangs often form among individuals who have failed to achieve success through conventional means and also feel alienated from or unable to compete in more organized criminal or conflict-oriented gangs.

Question 13

According to differential opportunity theory, what can be provided to youths to prevent delinquency?

Accepted Answer

Differential opportunity theory suggests that delinquency can be prevented by providing youths with legitimate means to achieve success without requiring them to change their fundamental attitudes and beliefs.

Question 14

Which is a major shortcoming of social structure theory?

Accepted Answer

Social structure theory struggles to explain why many individuals living in poverty-stricken areas, despite facing similar socioeconomic challenges, do not engage in criminal behavior. This highlights a significant limitation in the theory's ability to account for individual choices and circumstances.

Question 15

What can crime prevention efforts based on social structure concepts be traced back to?

Accepted Answer

The Chicago Area Project, initiated in the 1930s, is a pioneering example of crime prevention efforts that are based on social structure concepts. It focused on improving community structures and relationships to reduce crime.

Question 16

What was a critical ingredient in social reform projects, particularly those that sought to attack the crime-producing structures of poor areas?

Accepted Answer

Mobilization for Youth was a critical ingredient in social reform projects as it aimed to address the underlying social and economic structures contributing to crime in poor areas.

Question 17

Who first developed the concept that the lower class develops a unique culture in response to strain?

Accepted Answer

Thorsten Sellin is credited with developing the concept that the lower class develops a unique culture in response to strain, particularly in his work on culture conflict and crime.

Question 18

What occurs when the rules expressed in the criminal law clash with the demands of group conduct norms?

Accepted Answer

Culture conflict occurs when the rules expressed in criminal law clash with the demands of group conduct norms, leading to a conflict between culturally accepted behaviors and the legal system.

Question 19

Which of the following is one of the focal concerns identified by Walter Miller?

Accepted Answer

Walter Miller identified toughness as one of the focal concerns of lower-class culture in his work on deviance and delinquency. These focal concerns are values or themes that Miller believed were particularly prominent in lower-class communities and influenced behaviors, including those that might lead to delinquency.

Question 20

What is a valid critique of the concept of differential opportunity?

Accepted Answer

The concept of differential opportunity suggests that people have different opportunities for achieving society's common goals, primarily due to their varying social positions. Critique B is correct because this theory assumes that all individuals share the same goals (e.g., wealth, status), overlooking the diversity of personal and cultural aspirations.

Quiz 7: Social Structure Theories