Social Deviance Final Study Guide

False

True or False: Labeling & phenomenological theories concentrate on understanding the causes of deviance.

False

True or False: Secondary deviance occurs when a person who is labeled a deviant passively accepts the stigmatizing label & undertakes a deviant career.

True

True or False: To phenomenologists, the deviant's subjective experience is the heart of deviant reality.

D

Cohen's theory of status frustration closely resembles Merton's goal-means gap because they both:
A) argue that deviant actions are the product of individual choice.
B) assume that social class has little to do with deviant behavior.
C) Use similar stages of research.
D) assert that lower-class people are more likely to engage in deviant actions.

C

According to Hirschi, which of the following is not a way for individuals to bond themselves to society?
A) a commitment to conformity
B) a belief in the moral validity of rules.
C) an experience of a gap between goals & means.
D) involvement in conventional activities.

D

According to Albert Cohen, when lower-class boys experience status frustration, they set up their own competitive system in the form of:
A) boys clubs
B) religious groups
C) violent gangs
D) delinquent subcultures

B

Positivist sociological theories attempt to explain the _________ of deviance.
A) negative features
B) causes
C) meanings
D) functions

D

Merton's version of anomie-strain theory is based on the premise that:
A) the breakdown of social norms, or anomie, allows deviance to occur.
B) society can't restrain the individual from using power to prevent deviance.
C) deviant behavior is the expression of the individual's primitive psychological desires.
D) society encourages the individual to engage in deviance.

B

Joe is a sociologist who is undertaking a study of drug use. He is interested in how broken families & poor neighborhoods lead to more problems of drug addiction. Joe is following a __________ theory of deviant behavior.
A) constructionist
B) positivist
C) historical
D) scientific

C

Hank is a sociologist investigating the causes of crime. He is interested in how some areas of the city have traditions of crime that persist over generations, & how individuals easily move into groups following these traditions. What theory of deviance is guiding Hank's research?
A) strain theory
B) labeling theory
C) differential association theory
D) control theory

C

Burgess & Akers argued that behavior before one becomes criminal, a process of ____________ must occur where he/she is rewarded for continuing deviant behavior.
A) differential learning
B) differential association
C) differential reinforcement
D) differential rejection

B

All of Jane's friends have jewelry & new clothes, but Jane has no money to buy any of these things. She therefore resorted to shoplifting to get what she wanted. According to Merton's theory, her behavior is an example of:
A) retreatism
B) innovation
C) ritualism
D) conformity

D

According to Glaser, before a person pursues criminal behavior, he/she must first ____________ real or imaginary persons.
A) strongly reject
B) fall deeply in love with
C) rebel against
D) identify with

A

Peter, disillusioned with the way things are going, decides to live in a hippie commune away from the rest of society. According to Merton's theory, his behavior is an example of:
A) retreatism
B) conformity
C) innovation
D) ritualism

A

The deterrence doctrine assumes that human beings, when anticipating deviant behavior, are ______________.
A) basically rational
B) motivated to fight crime
C) nasty & evil
D) basically irrational

C

What is the central question posited by control theories of deviance?
A) what causes deviance?
B) what causes criminality?
C) what causes conformity?
D) what is the definition of deviance?

D

Which of the following concepts constitutes the core of Sutherland's Differential Association Theory?
A) an excess of criminal over normative personality traits.
B) numerous associations with criminals.
C) a strong criminal personality.
D) an excess of criminal over normative contacts.

B

According to the deterrence doctrine, all of the following would help reduce the rate of crime, except for making punishment more ___________.
A) swift
B) general
C) severe
D) certain

A

Which of the following conditions separates the positivist & constructionist perspectives on deviance?
A) the amount of public consensus about what type of behavior is deviant.
B) the amount of private consensus about what is deviant behavior.
C) the variety & type of religious attitudes towards deviant behavior.
D) the number of persons involved in deviant behavior.

A

The ___________ perspective is more pertinent for studying less serious kinds of deviance.
A) constructionist
B) objective
C) psychological
D) deterministic

D

According to the constructionist perspective, deviant behavior is ___________.
A) determined behavior
B) a passive reaction to societal force
C) robot-like behavior
D) an expression of human volition

C

All of the following are assumptions of the constructionist perspective on deviance except that deviance should be seen as _____________.
A) a voluntary act
B) a subjective experience
C) an objective fact
D) a label

B

Definitions of deviance fall into two opposing perspectives, positivist & ______________.
A) modernist
B) constructionist
C) traditional
D) moral

B

To say that deviance is determined behavior implies that humans ___________.
A) gain benefits from deviant behavior
B) can't choose between good & bad
C) can choose between good or bad
D) have free will

A

Deviant behavior is any behavior that ________________.
A) is considered deviant by public consensus, which may range from maximum to minimum.
B) violates the law.
C) violates social norms.
D) is considered deviant by the police & officials of society.

A

The main purpose of the positivist approach to deviance is ______________.
A) seeking out the causes of deviant behavior.
B) to make moral judgments about deviant behavior.
C) developing empathy with deviant persons.
D) to study biases toward persons seen as deviant.

D

Which of the following statements about the definition of deviance is true?
A) few persons in society are concerned about the definition of deviance.
B) definitions of deviant behavior are determined by a nation's economy.
C) almost all persons in a society will agree on the nature of deviant behavior.
D) there is usually a great deal of disagreement among people as to what they consider deviant.

A

Which of the following kinds of deviance is best understood through the positivist perspective?
A) higher-consensus deviance
B) criminal deviance
C) immoral deviance
D) lower-consensus deviance

A

All of the following are part of the positivist perspective on deviance, except that deviance is ____________.
A) a label
B) intrinsically real
C) an objective fact
D) determined behavior

B

Which of the following is not a definition of deviance proposed by sociologists?
A) deviance is a behavior that illicits anger or disapproval from large numbers of people.
B) deviance always involves immoral behavior.
C) deviance is a behavior that is labeled negative by politicians & the police.
D) deviance is a departure from the normative standards of a common culture.

A

The textbook argues that an integrated definition of deviant behavior must focus on _____________.
A) both deviant behavior & the deviant label.
B) the deviant behavior itself.
C) the methods of sociologists.
D) the deviant label.

B

Determinist, objectivist, & absolutist are other terms for aspects of the _____________ perspective on deviance.
A) modern
B) positivist
C) humanist
D) constructionist

C

Today's positivist sociologists now recognize the importance of ____________ in understanding deviant behavior.
A) psychological traits
B) heredity
C) social factors
D) religion

True

True or False: Culture plays a role in determining the definition of deviant behavior.

True

True or False: An attorney, pleading leniency for his guilty client, asks the judge to take into consideration his client's unfortunate background, including child abuse & abandonment, before passing sentence. It is logical to conclude that the attorney is asking the judge to view deviance from a positivist perspective.

D

According to Lemert, what is the first act in a sequence of interaction leading to secondary deviance?
A) a deviant impulse
B) the confession of deviance
C) tertiary deviance
D) primary deviation

A

According to Richard Quinney, there are different ways for the dominant class to define the social reality of crime. Which of the following is not one of them?
A) it engages in behavior that is defined as criminal.
B) it applies the laws to ensure the protection of its interests.
C) it defines as criminal those behaviors that threaten its interest.
D) it constructs & diffuses an ideology of crime.

A

Labeling theory interprets deviance as a(n) ___________.
A) process of symbolic interactionism.
B) totally subjective experience.
C) expression of human animalistic tendencies.
D) outcome of a conflict between powerful groups.

B

According to the power theory, the types of deviance & the types of persons who commit deviant acts are strongly influenced by __________.
A) world political events.
B) social inequality
C) anomie
D) social equality

C

Chambliss stated that the tendency of the police, prosecutors, & judges to become tools of power & privilege is caused by the ______________, or the need of organizations to compel their members to maximum rewards.
A) social reality
B) phenomenal reality
C) organizational imperative
D) organizational dysfunction

A

According to labeling theory, being labeled deviant produces ___________ for that person.
A) negative consequences
B) legitimate job opportunities
C) positive consequences
D) no consequences whatsoever

B

Which of the following statements reflects the symbolic interactionist's view of human beings?
A) human behavior largely follows well-established patterns.
B) humans face, deal with, & act toward the objects they encounter.
C) humans are simply a medium on which societal forces operate in a neutral way.
D) individuals have little awareness about what is going on around them.

A

Which theoretical perspective attributes deviance to the unequal distribution of resources brought about by the exploitative capitalist system?
A) Marxist theory
B) legal reality theory
C) social reality theory
D) postmodernist theory

B

The incompatible interests, needs, & desires of diverse groups of people in society can lead to ________________.
A) deviant behavior
B) social conflict
C) social strain
D) cultural conformity

D

What do phenomenologists mean by the term deviant reality?
A) the characteristics of deviance as shown by objectively acquired data.
B) the nature of deviant behavior as seen by scientific sociologists.
C) the reality of deviance as defined as such by the powerful.
D) the subjective meaning that deviants impute to their own deviant experiences.

C

The essential idea of conflict theory is that conflict as well as its resulting criminality is ______________.
A) best understood through the labeling perspective.
B) best understood through the exploration of subjective experiences.
C) an inherent, normal, & integral part of complex modern societies.
D) a rare & inconsequential occurrence in modern society.

A

Feminist theories argue that most theories of deviance _____________.
A) are only about men.
B) stereotype women.
C) aren't related to gender.
D) call for the exploitation of women.

D

Which of the following is not one of the constructionist's theories of deviance?
A) labeling theory
B) phenomenological theory
C) conflict theory
D) control theory

B

According to the Marxist explanation of deviance, the cause of deviance can be traced to ______________.
A) a breakdown of the family & other social controls.
B) the exploitative nature of capitalism.
C) the presence of diverse cultural groups in American society.
D) the gap between the goals of success & the means of achieving them.

A

Which of the following theories examines the subjectivity of people, including their attitudes, feelings, & opinions about deviance?
A) phenomenological theory
B) conflict theory
C) positivist theory
D) labeling theory

A

All of the following are part of America's culture of rape, except:
A) the formation of anti-rape organizations like rape crisis centers.
B) treating women like men's property.
C) using women in men's masculinity contests.
D) the myth that women want to be raped.

C

With acquaintance rape, the rapist mostly uses _____________.
A) actual violence
B) a weapon
C) verbal coercion
D) physical threats

A

According to sociologists, participation in gang rape ____________.
A) fulfills a social need more than a sexual desire.
B) is a psychologically disturbed act.
C) is an expression of latent homosexuality.
D) is an erotic act for the participants.

B

Which of the following behavioral characteristics would a rapist not consider to be a sign of vulnerability?
A) moving arms & legs in short, jerky motions
B) projecting confidence without appearing aggressive
C) appearing passive or submissive
D) walking slowly & tentatively

D

Most rape survivors go through two phases of disorganization before regaining their ability to live normally, an acute phase of humiliation & self-blame & a longer phase, marked by ______________.
A) strong self-denial
B) extensive exercise & physical activity
C) rejection of social & sexual relations with others
D) frightening dreams & phobias

B

The strong motivation for rape in prison appears to be ____________.
A) the need to alleviate boredom & alienation
B) the drive for power
C) homosexual tendencies
D) relief of sexual deprivation

C

All of the following are factors that lead to more rape-prone campuses, except:
A) not seriously dealing with sexual assault
B) rampant homophobia
C) mandatory membership in fraternities
D) a tradition of heavy drinking

B

Secondary victimization, or the "feeling of being raped again," refers to the victim's ____________.
A) recollection of the rape
B) encounter with the police
C) encounter with their assailant
D) feelings if their rapist is released from custody

B

One reason why church leaders failed to dismiss offending priests from their job is _______________.
A) a fear that women & married men would have to become priests.
B) the church's culture of secrecy & forgiveness.
C) a lack of trust in the verifiability of children's testimonies.
D) a belief that the behavior was not sinful.

B

According to Menachim Amir, a common victim behavior that leads to victim-precipitated rape involves the woman _______________.
A) angering her assailant by resisting him
B) agreeing to have a drink or a ride home with a stranger
C) inviting a stranger to have sex with her
D) submitting to a rapist who threatens her with a gun

True

True or False: Research shows that child molesters fail disastrously to meet the cultural standards of masculinity.

False

True or False: Most rapists choose strangers as their victims.

C

Which of the following statements about pedophile priests is not true?
A) the large majority of priests, both straight & gay, keep their vows of celibacy & lead productive lives.
B) only a few priests are child molesters.
C) almost 1/2 of all priests have been involved .
in molesting children.
D) the cause of child molesting among priests is not their celibate, sexless lives.

C

All of the following are ways that pornography is implicated in the problem of rape except that it ____________.
A) treats women as men's sex objects
B) trivializes the problem of rape
C) provides an erotic sexual outlet
D) tends to incite violent, angry men to rape.

True

True or False: From the Feminist perspective, rape is primarily an expression of mens' dominance over women.

C

Which of the following traits is more likely to be associated with child molesters than rapists?
A) old age
B) toughness & aggressiveness
C) gentleness & passivity
D) having a way with adult women

C

Child molestation is considered a form of rape because _____________.
A) it is the same as raping a woman
B) the victims are under the control & supervision of the parents
C) the victims are too young to give their consent
D) most parents who engage in these activities are sick perverts

True

True or False: The objectification of women in our culture plays a role as to why men commit rape.

D

Which of the following is not one of the constructionist theories of deviance?
A) conflict theory
B) phenomenological theory
C) labeling theory
D) control theory

False

True or False: Feminist theorists argue that women's experience of deviance is essentially no different from the experience of men.

D

Which theoretical perspective attributes deviance to the unequal distribution of resources brought about by the exploitative capitalist system?
A) social reality theory
B) legal reality theory
C) postmodernist theory
D) Marxist theory

A

Labeling theory interprets deviance as a(n) ______________.
A) process of symbolic interactionism.
B) expression of human animalistic tendencies
C) outcome of conflict between powerful groups
D) totally subjective experience

B

According to the Marxist explanation of deviance, the cause of deviance can be traced to _______________.
A) the presence of diverse cultural groups in American society
B) the exploitative nature of capitalism
C) the breakdown of the family & other social controls
D) the gap between the goals of success & the means of achieving them

A

According to Power theory, the types of deviance & the types of persons who commit deviant acts are strongly influenced by __________.
A) social inequality
B) anomie
C) world political events
D) social equality

False

True or False: Conflict sociologists begin with the idea that modern societies have achieved a high degree of social & cultural unity.

D

Which of the following statements reflects the symbolic interactionist's view of human beings?
A) individuals have little awareness about what is going on around them.
B) human behavior largely follows well-established patterns.
C) humans are simply a medium on which social forces operate in a neutral way
D) humans face, deal with, & act toward the objects they encounter.

A

According to Lemert, what is the first act in the sequence of interaction leading to secondary deviance?
A) primary deviation
B) the confession of deviance
C) a deviant impulse
D) tertiary deviance

True

True or False: Two reasons why the powerful are likely to commit profitable deviance are a greater deviant opportunity & a strong deviant motivation.

True

True or False: To phenomenologists, the deviant's objective experience is the heart of deviant reality.

C

Which of the following theories examines the subjectivity of people, including their attitudes, feelings, & opinions about deviance?
A) Conflict theory
B) Postitivist theory
C) Phenomenological theory
D) Labeling theory

False

True or False: Labeling & Phenomenological theories concentrate on understanding the causes of deviance.

A

According to Labeling theory, being labeled deviant produces __________ for that person.
A) negative consequences
B) positive consequences
C) legitimate job opportunities
D) no consequences whatsoever

B

What do phenomenologists mean by the term deviant reality?
A) the characteristics of deviance as shown by the objectively acquired data.
B) the subjective meaning that deviants impute to their own deviant experience.
C) the nature of the deviant behavior as seen by scientific sociologists.
D) the reality of deviance as defined as such by the powerful.

False

True or False: Secondary deviance occurs when a person who is labeled a deviant previously accepts the stigmatizing label & undertakes a deviant career.

B

The incompatible interests, needs, & desires of diverse groups of people in society can lead to _____________.
A) deviant behavior
B) social conflict
C) social strain
D) cultural conformity

C

The essential idea of conflict theory is that conflict, as well as its resulting criminality, is ___________.
A) best understood through the labeling perspective
B) a rare & inconsequential occurrence in modern society
C) an inherent, normal, & integral part of complex modern societies
D) best understood through the exploration of subjective experiences.

C

John experienced family violence as he was growing up. According to social learning theory, he is ____________.
A) less likely to engage in family violence
B) more likely to experience stressful family relationships
C) more likely to engage in family violence
D) less likely to get married & have children

False

True or False: Reported figures of the number of Americans who are victims of family violence are inflated.

True

True or False: There is a relationship between family violence & poverty.

D

According to a definition of spouse abuse that includes both violent & nonviolent acts, _____________.
A) husbands are much more likely to be the victims of spouse abuse
B) the problem of spouse abuse largely disappears
C) about 10% of all married persons in the U.S. assault their spouses
D) about 1/3 of all married persons in the U.S. assault their spouses.

C

Feminists argue that ___________ is a major cause of wife beatings.
A) mens' greater access to the means of violence (such as guns)
B) poor economic & social conditions
C) the sexist, patriarchal nature of society
D) some mens' lack of self-esteem

C

About _________________ children are severely, physically abused every year.
A) 100,000
B) 500,000
C) 3 million
D) 10 million

D

Which of the following factors is involved in most marital rapes?
A) drugs or alcohol
B) pornography
C) money or lack of it
D) physical violence or threats of it

B

Female genital mutilation mostly takes place in ___________.
A) China
B) Africa
C) Russia
D) Brazil

D

The real extent of family violence may be much higher than reported figures because ________________.
A) people are generally reluctant to reveal their family problems to researchers.
B) the number of people experiencing abuse runs into the millions, despite the small reported percentage.
C) other types of violence, such as financial exploitation & physical violence, widely occur.
D) all of the above.

C

Which of the following is not a symptom of battered woman syndrome?
A) feeling trapped
B) expecting the terror of violence
C) passively submitting to more violence
D) loss of self-esteem

False

True or False: Most husbands feel genuine remorse after they have battered their wives.

D

Problematic interaction between a parent & a child is one cause of child abuse. All of the following are problems of interaction, except:
A) unrealistic expectations for a child.
B) lack of knowledge of normal childhood behavior.
C) a lack of parenting skills.
D) social approval of physical punishment.

C

All of the following statement about incest are true except that:
A) there is no significant difference in incest rates among social classes or racial/ethnic groups.
B) stepfathers are much more likely than biological fathers to commit incest.
C) young victims of incest usually forget about the past & lead normal sexual lives as adults.
D) incestuous fathers are more isolated from others outside the home.

False

True or False: Because men own their wives, they cannot actually be found guilty of raping them.