Deck 8: Deviance and Social Control

Question 1

According to Emile Durkheim's definition, an act is deviant or criminal because it

A) offends social norms.
B) is essentially wrong by any standard.
C) is inherently immoral.
D) is illegal.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following accurately describes deviance?

A) It is defined as immoral and wrong.
B) It resists change.
C) It depends on a public condemnation.
D) It changes with time and context.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

People sometimes commit acts that contradict most any moral code. From a sociological standpoint, what explains such deviant behavior?

A) individual immorality
B) social immorality
C) a set of social conditions
D) antisocial personality

Answer 3

C

Question 4

From the sociological perspective on deviance, how does a person become an alcoholic?

A) He or she has a very high blood-alcohol level.
B) He or she exhibits behavior indicative of intoxication.
C) He or she commits a public outrage.
D) He or she is labeled as such.

Question 5

In public we behave ourselves according to a set of rules and expectations, even though no written rules exist to hold us accountable. Why do we still behave "normally"?

A) It is natural.
B) Many rules are implicit.
C) Life is easier if we do so.
D) It is the right thing to do.

Question 6

From the functionalist perspective, a society without deviance would be excessively conformist. Such a society would

A) be close to an ideal society.
B) be highly productive and innovative.
C) strive for perfection.
D) limit change and innovation.

Question 7

Those defined as deviant often suffer a ________ attached to their deviance. It is associated with shame, loss of status, discrimination, and social isolation.

A) master status
B) secondary deviance
C) stigma
D) loss of self

Question 8

Deviance is best defined as which of the following?

A) anything outside of the norm
B) behavior that people disapprove of
C) behavior that does not conform to norms and expectations
D) behavior that is inherently abnormal

Question 9

From the sociological perspective, what causes people to engage in deviant behavior?

A) genetic disposition
B) rational choice
C) psychological abnormality
D) loss of morality in society

Question 10

What did Emile Durkheim mean by collective conscience?

A) collective guilt
B) shared values, norms, and beliefs
C) capacity for morality
D) ability to distinguish right from wrong

Question 11

A person comes to be considered a deviant when publicly marked with such a designation, and typically acknowledges this definition as part of his or her identity. This is a definition of what theory?

A) strain theory
B) deviance theory
C) labeling theory
D) rational choice theory

Question 12

The tendency to define a deviant behavior as an illness, for which treatment is best left to medical professionals, is referred to as ________ deviance.

A) illness
B) medical
C) medicalization of
D) pathology of

Question 13

A behavior comes to be defined as deviant because

A) it is contrary to a moral code.
B) most believe that it is deviant.
C) it is publicly labeled as deviant.
D) it is inherently and profoundly wrong.

Question 14

From the functionalist perspective, crime serves a purpose in society. Which function does crime perform?

A) benefits some people economically
B) provides alternative opportunities
C) defines boundaries between right and wrong
D) helps the poor

Question 15

A child who is continuously derided by his parents as "slow" will internalize this label as part of his identity. Instead of trying to succeed in school, he drops out and turns to drugs and alcohol. This is an example of

A) induced deviance.
B) secondary deviance.
C) social conditioning.
D) strain theory.

Question 16

An ex-convict has a difficult time finding employment because his criminal record has become his

A) master status.
B) secondary deviance.
C) internalized self.
D) designation as abnormal.

Question 17

Which factor helps define the boundary between normal and deviant?

A) conformity
B) nonconformity
C) use of force
D) conditioning

Question 18

Divorce was once considered deviant, and in many parts of the world, it still is. Americans today hardly think of divorce as something abnormal. Which reason is responsible for the redefinition of divorce as no longer deviant?

A) change in social context
B) social progress
C) decline in morality
D) decline in religious authority

Question 19

What we define as normal and abnormal behavior depends on

A) evidence of abnormality.
B) empirical research.
C) social context.
D) individual opinion.

Question 20

How does deviance contribute to group solidarity?

A) Deviance unites people against a common enemy.
B) Overcoming deviance fosters bonding.
C) People with common deviant dispositions bond.
D) Reformed deviants crave group acceptance.

Question 21

Once a person is socialized into the subculture of a deviant group, his or her deviant behavior can be controlled by

A) limiting social connections with the deviant group.
B) encouraging resocialization into social norms.
C) rewarding positive behavior.
D) medicalization.

Question 22

The percentage of obese adults in the United States is now

A) in decline.
B) on par with obesity in the 1980s.
C) slightly higher than in the 1970s.
D) higher than ever.

Question 23

Strain theory suggests that deviance has its roots in

A) inequality.
B) social pressure.
C) improper socialization.
D) nonconformist conditioning.

Question 24

The focus on underlying medical issues when it comes to explaining deviance also changes how we view and treat deviants. Because the focus is on the medical cause, we are now more likely to treat deviants

A) with pity rather than scorn.
B) without the stigma attached.
C) as requiring institutionalization.
D) as beyond help.

Question 25

How does the new genetic explanation behind some forms of mental illness impact the siblings and children of the victims?

A) It has no impact.
B) It impacts their life chances.
C) It increases their chances of inheriting the illness.
D) It stigmatizes them by genetic association.

Question 26

Which of the following has contributed to the shift toward the more medically centered perspective of deviance?

A) increase in mental health problems
B) unhealthy diet and lifestyle
C) growing power of the medical profession
D) improvement in medical technology

Question 27

Individuals typically engage in deviant behavior only on a temporary basis. Long-term deviance requires

A) family support.
B) financial support.
C) the support of a deviant subculture.
D) the support of authorities.

Question 28

Which is NOT a factor driving the medicalization of deviance?

A) power of pharmaceutical companies
B) direct consumer advertising
C) improvement in diagnostic ability
D) growing power of the medical profession

Question 29

The prevailing explanation of alcoholism is now that of an illness. In the past, what was the main perspective on the causes of alcoholism?

A) psychological dispositions
B) moral failure
C) genetic disposition
D) lack of self-control

Question 30

Deviance is learned through interaction with members of a deviant group. This defines which theoretical perspective?

A) differential association theory
B) strain theory
C) innovation theory
D) juvenile association theory

Question 31

Deviant subcultures provide their members with

A) an identity and self-worth.
B) stable environments.
C) useful skills.
D) future opportunities.

Question 32

Strain theory proposes that when ________, people resort to deviant means to accomplish socially defined goals.

A) pressured by expectations
B) conventional opportunities are blocked
C) influenced by a deviant subculture
D) opportunities arise

Question 33

Eating disorders are the result of which type of behavior?

A) overconformist
B) deviant
C) obsessive
D) irrational

Question 34

Deviance tends to occur when a major discrepancy exists between culturally defined goals and the means of achieving those goals. Which theoretical perspective of deviance does this statement represent?

A) medicalization theory
B) strain theory
C) differential association theory
D) control theory

Question 35

Consistent with the premises of strain theory, research finds that juvenile delinquency and gang membership is primarily caused by

A) social pressure.
B) blocked opportunities.
C) broken family structures.
D) moral failure.

Question 36

In the final stage of the medicalization of deviance, the medical definition of deviance becomes accepted and usually goes uncontested because

A) it is a more accurate understanding of deviance.
B) it becomes institutionalized.
C) it is scientifically proven.
D) new technology allows for better diagnosis.

Question 37

According to Elijah Anderson's research, the "code of the street" defines life in poor neighborhoods. What does he mean by the term?

A) a dysfunctional community
B) an alternative social structure
C) a crime-ridden environment
D) an unstructured community

Question 38

The negative attitudes held by people in the United States toward obese individuals is

A) now accepted as the new normal.
B) not stigmatizing because excess fat is unhealthy.
C) rooted in norms that define fat bodies as deviant.
D) understandable because weight is something that can be controlled.

Question 39

Some deviant acts are committed without membership in a deviant subculture and without the support of others. This type of deviance is known as

A) sociopathic behavior.
B) antisocial behavior.
C) unsupported deviance.
D) loner deviance.

Question 40

The medicalization of deviance can also be reversed. Which of the following is an example of demedicalization?

A) the current definition of antisocial behavior
B) the current definition of mental illness
C) the current definition of homosexuality
D) the current definition of learning problems

Question 41

Michel Foucault suggests that because we have internalized social norms and are ready to self-police, we are subject to social control in the form of

A) structural domination.
B) coercive structure.
C) surveillance.
D) a rigid order.

Question 42

What is the most widely recognized form of electronic surveillance on the Internet?

A) Java script
B) cookies
C) beacons
D) scraping

Question 43

People follow social rules and norms because

A) they are moral.
B) people are naturally obedient.
C) people need guidance.
D) they have internalized them.

Question 44

A cultural shift in which a formerly deviant behavior is reclassified as acceptable is referred to as

A) acceptance.
B) compensation.
C) normalization.
D) restructuring.

Question 45

Power is an important factor to consider in the understanding of deviance because

A) the powerful can afford to be deviant.
B) the more powerful can defend themselves.
C) some groups have the power to define deviance.
D) some people have power to overcome deviance.

Question 46

The efforts of disability rights activists to remove the stigma attached to disabilities demonstrate how the definition of normal versus abnormal depends upon

A) the nature of the affliction.
B) cultural definition.
C) how individuals feel.
D) the degree of abnormality.

Question 47

Social institutions charged with the enforcement of norms and rules and the power to punish violators are referred to as

A) governments.
B) agents of social control.
C) the powerful.
D) the dominant elite.

Question 48

On what does control theory focus on in order to understand why people engage in deviant behavior?

A) why people break rules
B) why people follow rules
C) how institutions control people
D) the importance of attachment

Question 49

An on-looker who rushes into a burning building despite the danger is demonstrating what type of behavior?

A) positive deviance
B) deviance
C) overconformity
D) conformist behavior

Question 50

A crime motivated by a bias against someone's race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability is called a(n)

A) biased crime.
B) immoral act.
C) hate crime.
D) prejudiced behavior.

Question 51

Following cultural expectations excessively defines which type of behavior?

A) deviance
B) overconformity
C) obsession
D) obedience

Question 52

From the functionalist perspective, self-policing is

A) limiting freedom in society.
B) necessary for both the individual and society.
C) oppressive of individuals.
D) not necessary to preserve order.

Question 53

Why is white-collar crime rarely prosecuted, and why do its perpetrators typically go unpunished?

A) It is less immoral than non-white-collar crime.
B) White-collar crime is rare.
C) White-collar crime typically inflicts less harm on others than other types of crime.
D) White-collar perpetrators have high status and power.

Question 54

Our behavior is regulated by the degree to which we are attached to major social institutions. This defines which theoretical perspective?

A) strain theory
B) rational choice theory
C) differential association theory
D) control theory

Question 55

Women in the military are still considered deviant by some. How does power play a role here?

A) Women do not have enough power to be soldiers.
B) Women have limited power to defend their rights.
C) Men have traditionally defined gender appropriate roles.
D) Women need more power to overcome prejudice.

Question 56

Overconformist behavior that is met with a positive response is called

A) overconformity.
B) positive deviance.
C) approved behavior.
D) orderly conduct.

Question 57

Cosmetic surgery has lost the stigma previously associated with it. This cultural shift is an example of

A) compensation.
B) acceptance.
C) a new paradigm.
D) normalization.

Question 58

Some people hope that marijuana will soon be legal. They hope for the ________ of marijuana.

A) marketization
B) decriminalization
C) monetization
D) distribution

Question 59

Tax evasion is considered

A) a minor crime.
B) a white-collar crime.
C) an act of civil disobedience.
D) not necessarily illegal.

Question 60

We mostly abide by the rules and norms imposed on us by our culture because nonconformity is typically punished and conformity rewarded. This social mechanism is referred to as

A) social control.
B) collective conscience.
C) implicit structure.
D) group solidarity.

Question 61

Which statement best describes the effectiveness of capital punishment?

A) It is a crime deterrent.
B) It lowers the murder rate.
C) It is an ineffective deterrent.
D) It saves taxpayers money.

Question 62

In which of the following areas of the United States do most executions take place?

A) Washington, D.C.
B) the southern states
C) the Northeast
D) the West

Question 63

Which of the following is an important factor that contributed to the declining trend in crime rates in the 1990s?

A) decline in poverty and unemployment
B) political change
C) cultural change
D) change in gun laws

Question 64

Which statement best describes capital punishment in the United States?

A) All states have capital punishment provisions.
B) Capital punishment is a cost-saving solution.
C) Capital punishment serves as a deterrent.
D) A majority of states have capital punishment provisions.

Question 65

Some have argued that recidivism rates indicate the American criminal justice system ________ in preventing chronic crime.

A) is ineffective
B) is effective
C) has made significant progress
D) has stepped up efforts

Question 66

Which of the following is an important factor that contributed to the declining trend in crime rates in the 1990s?

A) decline in poverty and unemployment
B) political change
C) cultural change
D) change in gun laws

Question 67

The argument that the death penalty is justified because the most horrendous crimes deserve the most severe punishment is an example of which rationale for punishment?

A) deterrence
B) restoration
C) retribution
D) protection

Question 68

The dramatic increase in incarceration rates since the 1980s was caused by

A) an increase in overall crime rates.
B) an increase in violent crime rates.
C) changes to the prison system.
D) policy changes.

Question 69

What best describes the realities of equality before the law in the United States?

A) The chances of arrest and punishment are equal for all.
B) The poor face a greater likelihood of arrest and punishment.
C) The poor are more likely to get arrested but not punished.
D) The rich are equally likely to be punished, but less likely to be arrested.

Question 70

Which of the following is most accurate regarding race and the justice system in the United States?

A) Race is not a factor in the justice system.
B) Whites are more likely to be arrested and punished.
C) Black men are almost six times more likely to be imprisoned than white men.
D) White women are more likely to be imprisoned than Hispanic women.

Question 71

White-collar crime

A) is infrequent.
B) is limited in the harm it causes.
C) has serious costs, including physical injury.
D) is limited to financial costs and consequences.

Question 72

The belief that offenders need to be incarcerated to eliminate threat and prevent harm to the public is an example of which rationale for punishment?

A) elimination
B) protection
C) restoration
D) neutralization

Question 73

Which statement best describes racial disparity in the application of capital punishment?

A) African Americans account for over 40 percent of death row inmates.
B) Little racial disparity exists.
C) Hispanics are most disproportionately represented.
D) Whites are most likely to face capital punishment.

Question 74

Ex-prisoners have a difficult time reintegrating into the community. Which is the most stubborn obstacle that prevents their transition into normal life?

A) broken ties to community
B) stigma attached to their criminal status
C) lack of employment opportunity
D) lack of education

Question 75

Which statement best describes Americans' opinions on capital punishment?

A) More people favor capital punishment now than in the past.
B) People who favor capital punishment are typically racially tolerant.
C) Whites are more likely than people of color to be in favor of capital punishment.
D) Opinion is unrelated to race.

Question 76

What does the crime rate figure represent?

A) sum of crimes committed
B) crime incidence relative to population size
C) sum of arrests
D) number of people in prison

Question 77

The foundation of the racial disparity in the justice system is

A) long-term economic inequality.
B) prejudice.
C) corruption in the system.
D) differential value systems.

Question 78

Which rationale for punishment advocates efforts to resocialize offenders by improving their training and education to increase their chances for reintegration?

A) restoration
B) rehabilitation
C) recidivism
D) retribution

Question 79

Which statement best describes recidivism rates in the United States?

A) Three-quarters are rearrested within five years.
B) Recidivism is low.
C) Many programs exist to prevent recidivism.
D) A majority commit new crimes.

Question 80

What has been the trend in crime rates since the 1990s?

A) steady increase
B) dramatic increase
C) steady decline
D) virtually no change