Question 1

Which term best describes the situation when young people rejected from middle-class decision makers become either a corner boy, a college boy, or the delinquent boy?

Accepted Answer

The term "formation of deviant subcultures" best describes the situation when young people, upon facing rejection from mainstream or middle-class decision makers, adopt alternative roles such as the corner boy, the college boy, or the delinquent boy. These roles represent different ways of adapting to the lack of access to conventional success and are indicative of the creation of subcultures that deviate from mainstream norms and expectations.

Question 2

According to Messner and Rosenfeld, relatively high crime rates can be explained by the interrelationship between culture and institutions.

Accepted Answer

Messner and Rosenfeld's Institutional Anomie Theory suggests that high crime rates are a result of the imbalance between cultural goals (like wealth) and the legitimate institutional means to achieve them, leading to anomie and higher crime rates as individuals seek alternative methods to achieve these goals.

Question 3

According to your text, relative deprivation is felt most acutely by Hispanic youths because they consistently suffer racial discrimination and economic deprivations that place them in a lower status than other urban residents.

Accepted Answer

Relative deprivation is a concept that can apply to any group feeling disadvantaged compared to others, not exclusively to Hispanic youths. It's about the perception of unfair disadvantage, which can be experienced by various groups across different contexts.

Question 4

There is little empirical support for Agnew's general strain theory.

Accepted Answer

Agnew's general strain theory is well-supported empirically, with numerous studies demonstrating how strain or stressors can lead to negative emotions, which in turn may lead to delinquency or criminal behavior as a coping mechanism.

Question 5

Lower-class focal concerns do not appear to be as relevant today as when they were first identified by Walter Miller more than 40 years ago.

Accepted Answer

Walter Miller's concept of lower-class focal concerns, such as toughness, smartness, excitement, fate, and autonomy, remains relevant today as they continue to influence behaviors and values in various communities, reflecting ongoing social and economic disparities.

Question 6

Social structure concepts, especially Cloward and Olin's views, were a critical ingredient of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations' War on Drugs.

Accepted Answer

Cloward and Ohlin's theories on delinquency and opportunity structures were not directly related to the War on Drugs initiated under the Nixon administration, which focused more on law enforcement and criminalization rather than addressing social structure and opportunity.

Question 7

In Canada it is common to refer to the rich, middle, and poor classes when describing stratification of wealth.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In Canada it is common to refer...

Question 8

Sociologists prefer to study social structures instead of individual attributes because this allows them to see patterns of behaviour across a society.

Accepted Answer

Sociologists focus on social structures to understand how they influence individual behaviors and societal patterns, rather than just looking at individual attributes, which provides a broader understanding of societal dynamics.

Question 9

Social structures are separate from ecological structures, and this explains why criminologists do not generally study geographical crime data.

Accepted Answer

Social structures are intertwined with ecological structures, and criminologists often study geographical crime data to understand the spatial distribution of crime and its relationship with social and environmental factors.

Question 10

Immigrants to Canada in the late 1990s have seen much better income and opportunity than those immigrants who arrived 30 years earlier.

Accepted Answer

Immigrants who arrived in Canada in the late 1990s generally experienced lower income growth and faced more challenges in the job market compared to those who arrived in the 1970s, due to various factors including changes in the global economy, shifts in immigration policy, and differences in the labor market integration process.

Question 11

The relationship between poverty and victimization can been seen in the fact that poor people receiving welfare payments have difficulty leaving abusive relationships.

Accepted Answer

Poor individuals, including those receiving welfare payments, often face financial barriers and dependencies that can make it challenging to leave abusive relationships, as they may lack the economic resources necessary for independence.

Question 12

Before their incarceration, many inmates report being unemployed or underemployed.

Accepted Answer

Many inmates report being unemployed or underemployed before their incarceration, reflecting broader issues of socioeconomic disadvantage and lack of access to stable, well-paying jobs among this population.

Question 13

Cultural deviance theory sees crime as a rebellion against conventional society.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cultural deviance theory sees crime as a...

Question 14

Strain theory sees crime as the result of disorganization in poor communities.

Accepted Answer

Strain theory actually posits that crime occurs when there is a discrepancy between societal goals and the means available to achieve those goals, not specifically due to disorganization in poor communities.

Question 15

Truly disadvantaged people are able to directly confront the source of their oppression.

Accepted Answer

Truly disadvantaged people often lack the resources, power, or platform to directly confront the sources of their oppression, making it challenging for them to effect change without external support or systemic change.

Question 16

The fear generated by disorganized neighbourhoods can be contagious.

Accepted Answer

The fear generated by disorganized neighborhoods can indeed be contagious as it can spread among residents, leading to increased anxiety and perceptions of insecurity, even among those who may not have directly experienced crime or disorder themselves. This phenomenon is supported by social theories that suggest fear can be amplified through social interactions and media, affecting the broader community's sense of safety.

Question 17

Émile Durkheim was best known for developing the concentric zone model at the Chicago School

Accepted Answer

Émile Durkheim was a sociologist best known for his contributions to the field of sociology, including the study of social cohesion and the functions of social institutions, not for developing the concentric zone model, which was actually developed by Ernest Burgess.

Question 18

Dawson compared cities to living organisms when discussing crime problems and potential solutions.

Accepted Answer

Dawson's comparison of cities to living organisms when discussing crime problems and potential solutions is an example of using an organic analogy. This perspective views cities as complex, interrelated systems similar to biological organisms, where different parts must function properly for the overall health and well-being of the city.

Question 19

There are three independent yet overlapping branches within the social structure perspective: social disorganization theory, strain theory, and cultural deviance theory. Briefly discuss the main focuses of each of these theories.

Accepted Answer

The answer of There are three independent yet overlapping branches...

Question 20

Sociologist Robert Merton applied the sociological concepts first identified by Émile Durkheim to criminology in his theory of anomie. Discuss this theory, and then evaluate it.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Sociologist Robert Merton applied the sociological concepts...

Quiz 7: Social Structure Theories