Deck 4: The Morality of Deviance

Question 1

Hendershott points out that sociologists from the 19^th century to the 1960s held all of the following views except which one?

A) Moral judgments are integral to the study of deviance.
B) Cultural relativism is the best vantage point from which to study social behavior.
C) We face a situation today of rapid social change much like the era of the Industrial Revolution.
D) A shared moral order assumes a consensus about right and wrong.

Answer 1

Cultural relativism is the best vantage point from which to study social behavior.

Question 2

Moral boundaries

A) mark the outer edges of group life, defining what behavior is acceptable.
B) signify a particular type of religious behavior.
C) help to explain why some persons have a higher status than others.
D) encourage a laissez-faire attitude toward deviant behavior.

Answer 2

mark the outer edges of group life, defining what behavior is acceptable.

Question 3

Durkheim explained that when all types of behavior are permitted and condoned,

A) society thrives and prospers because of its tolerance.
B) deviance becomes a major force for positive social change.
C) a state of normlessness or anomie exists that may foster moral panics and demoralization.
D) a strong sense of group and personal identity is fostered.

Answer 3

a state of normlessness or anomie exists that may foster moral panics and demoralization.

Question 4

Hendershott uses the concept of "Psychological man" to refer to

A) the globalization of society and the pursuit of self-interest.
B) those who reject moral notions of good and evil.
C) persons who study the science of psychology.
D) people who suffer from various forms of mental disorders.

Question 5

Hendershott uses "Christian man" to refer to a distinct character type

A) that rejects the ideas of right and wrong, replacing them with medical notions of health and illness.
B) that represents the triumph of a value-free ideology and cultural relativism in which all behaviors are acceptable.
C) that insists upon a moral compass of right and wrong as a guide for conduct.
D) that attends church on a regular basis and avoids the secular world.

Question 6

Hendershott argues that for the past 30 years social scientists have been more likely to attack Senator (and sociologist) Moynihan instead of

A) attacking the problem of fatherless children in the inner cities.
B) doing empirical research to come up with their own answers.
C) recognizing the role of alienation in causing this problem.
D) blaming Durkheim for his outmoded theory of moral and social order.

Question 7

Hendershott argues that many sociologists today have embraced a culture of relativism, and in doing so, have lost the critical edge of classical sociologists like Durkheim, who rejected the notion that all behavior has positive results for the individual and group (anomie). Do you agree that tolerance for all behavior has limits, and moral boundaries must be defined and maintained? Why or why not? Cite specific examples in your response.

Question 8

Hendershott discusses and contrasts two distinct character types, "Psychological man" and "Christian man," in order to challenge what she sees as the dominant ideology of cultural relativism in our society. Describe and explain these two character types in terms of their relevance for contemporary discussions of problems like terrorism. Do you agree with Hendershott that "Psychological man" is the prototype of our age? Explain.