Criminology Theory Exam 2 Question Bank

Which of the following images of the delinquent is most consistent with Hirschi’s social bonding theory?

A boy who is insensitive to the feelings and opinions of others

In class, we discussed the application of Grasmick’s et al. (1993) scale to measure self-
control by examining how it relates to the fictional character Michael Scott from the
sitcom The Office. Which of the following is true about Grasmick and colleagues’
conceptualization and measurement of low self-control?

All Of The Above

The concept of the “looking-glass self” from labeling theory is illustrated in the chorus of
the song The Unforgiven (1991) by Metallica when the artist states:
“What I’ve felt, What I’ve known, Never shined through in what I’ve shown,
Never be, Never see, Won’t see what might have been,
What I’ve felt, What I’ve known, Never shined through in what I’ve shown,
Never Free, Never Me, So I dub thee Unforgiven”
The term “looking-glass self” refers to the idea that:

People define themselves by seeing themselves reflected in the reactions of others

D’Alessio’s et al. (2015) research on the effect of Hawaii’s Ban the Box (BTB)
law, implemented in 1998 to reduce the social stigma or label associated
with having a criminal record during preliminary employment applications,
found that:

All Of The Above

The primary aim of the Chicago Area Project was to:

Foster neighborhood organization by improving informal networks of social control.

The Broken Windows Theory and its predecessor Social Disorganization Theory share many parallels. However, unlike Social Disorganization
Theory, one key difference of Wilson and Kelling’s 1982 Broken Window Theory is that it focuses on:

The effect of disorderly people, such as the panhandler, the prostitute, or the loiterer, that are responsible for conditions on the macro-level.

Merton’s Theory of Social Structure and Anomie (illustrated below), identified five
“logically possible, alternative modes of adjustment or adaptation by individuals” to
the social condition of anomie in response to acceptance or rejection of
institutionalized means and cultural goals. We discussed these in relation to five
protagonists in Disney films. Which behavioral response is the most common deviant
response to social conditions of anomie?

Innovator

A more contemporary strain theory that looks at the potential connection between climate change and individual, group, corporate and state crime, which we walked through with the example of a zombie apocalypse (The Walking Dead), is based
in large part on General Strain Theory as proposed by Robert Agnew.

True

Radelet’s research on the role of race in decisions to impose the death penalty found that:

judges are more likely to sentence to death those who kill whites than those who kill blacks.

In which of the following research endeavors is a conflict theorist least likely
to engage during examination of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) Conflict?

studying the connection between family conflict and delinquent behavior among various Sioux tribes involved in the DAPL protests

According to Gottfredson and Hirschi, the major cause of low self-control is ineffective child-rearing in the family.

True

Which of the following is not one of the key concepts in Hirschi’s social control theory?

definitions

Hirschi’s theory suggests that people become criminals because they develop close ties with other people who condone or encourage the commission of crime.

False

What theory by Matza (1964) states that: “the techniques of neutralization are ways in which adolescents can obtain “episodic release” from conventional moral restraints.”

drift theory

·       A major weakness in Gottfredson and Hirschi’s general theory of crime is that it may be tautological because they do not clearly define self-control as distinct from the propensity to commit crime.

True

Labeling theory hypothesizes that it is primarily the behavior of the deviants that determines whether or not stigmatizing labels are applied to them.

False

Responses to problems created by societal reaction to one’s deviance are:

Secondary Deviance

Labeling theorists contend that stigmatizing labels are applied differentially to members of less powerful social groups.

True

Labeling theory focuses on each of the following except:

The deterrent benefits of labeling

In Braithwaite’s theory, reintegrative shaming that reconciles the offender with the community is more likely in communitarian societies.

True

Social disorganization is a macro-level theory.

True

Early studies in urban ecology characterized as socially disorganized a high-crime geographical area known as the:

Zone in transition

Social disorganization theory proposes that crime results when formal and informal systems of sanctions break down to the point that the benefits of crime exceed its costs.

False

Concentrated disadvantage refers to:

All Of The Above

Code of the street asserts that social disorganization fosters a social cohesion that acts as a form of control to prevent the use of violence.

False

According to Cohen’s version of anomie theory, participation in the delinquent subculture is a reaction by lower-class boys to the inability to gain social status by living up to middle-class standards.

True

With which of the following descriptions of street crime is Merton’s theory of social structure and anomie most consistent?

It is disproportionately committed by people at the lower end of the socioeconomic scale.

According to Agnew’s general strain theory, crime and delinquency are adaptations to stress, regardless of the source of stress.

True

Cohen’s theory of status deprivation and the delinquent subculture locates the source of the strain that produces delinquency in:

  The inability to obtain status and respect in society

Merton’s theory of social structure and anomie offers only an explanation of macro-level differences in crime and offers no insights into how individuals may respond to anomie.

False

Both labeling and conflict theories emphasize the operation of power and discrimination in the criminal justice system.

True

The view that law reflects the prevailing values and interests of society as a whole is called:

Consensus theory

Research evidence supports the hypothesis in conflict theory that most crimes such as murder, theft, rape, and arson result from the clash of group interests.

False

Pluralistic conflict theory depicts society as being:

in a dynamic state of competition and conflict among many groups

According to conflict theory, the whole process of lawmaking, lawbreaking, and law enforcement is implicated in the conflict among social, economic, and political interest groups.

True