Question 1

How are critical class theory, critical race theory, and critical gender theory connected?

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Question 2

Criminologists and sociologists who study criminology seek to explain crime by examining root causes.

Accepted Answer

Criminologists and sociologists seek to explain crime by examining root causes, such as social, economic, and environmental factors.

Question 3

What are "cultural goals" and "institutionalized means," according to Merton's Strain theory?

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Question 4

Norms are shared ideas about what kind of behavior is appropriate and desirable. When someone violates a norm, they are likely to face negative sanctions. However, not all norm violations are punished equally. Define and describe the three types of norms categorized based on how strictly they are enforced with sanctions. Give an example for each norm, and suggest a negative sanction that would be likely to result from violating each norm.

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Question 5

What is the "dark figure of crime"?

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Question 6

What is the Thomas Theorem, and how is it relevant to media portrayals of crime?

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Question 7

What is the difference between Part I crimes and Part II crimes in the Uniform Crime Report?

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Question 8

What are the two main sources of statistical crime rates in the United States, and how do they collect their data?

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Question 9

Classical theorists believe that criminals decide to engage in crime after engaging in hedonistic calculus.

Accepted Answer

Classical theorists believe that criminals engage in rational decision-making and weigh the potential benefits and costs of committing a crime, known as hedonistic calculus.

Question 10

According to Merton, people will experience strain whenever they cannot achieve the culturally approved goals of society while following the institutionalized means.

Accepted Answer

According to Merton's strain theory, individuals may experience strain when they are unable to achieve the socially approved goals of society using legitimate institutionalized means.

Question 11

According to Merton, anomic imbalance exists in the United States because most people expect to achieve the American Dream of financial success, but it is very difficult for most people to achieve that dream using the institutionalized means.

Accepted Answer

Merton's concept of anomie explains that when societal expectations (such as achieving financial success) are high, but the means to achieve those expectations are not equally available to all members of society, an anomic imbalance results. This is because individuals may feel pressure and strain to achieve these goals, but are unable to do so through legitimate means, leading to deviant behavior.

Question 12

Briefly define classical theory, social disorganization theory, and strain theory. Identify what social problem each theory suggests is the cause of crime.

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Question 13

Ritualists are people who adapt to strain by accepting the goals of financial success and the institutionalized means of achieving those goals.

Accepted Answer

Ritualists are people who abandon the goals of financial success but continue to adhere to the institutionalized means of achieving those goals, often through a strict adherence to rules and routines.

Question 14

Name and describe the three types of norms in the order of how harshly an individual would be sanctioned for violating them.

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Question 15

Cesare Beccaria blamed neighborhood disorganization as the underlying cause of crime.

Accepted Answer

Cesare Beccaria is known for his work on criminal justice and punishment, particularly in his book "On Crimes and Punishments." He focused on the idea of deterrence and argued that punishment should be proportionate to the crime committed. However, he did not discuss neighborhood disorganization as the underlying cause of crime. This concept was more commonly associated with the Chicago School of sociology in the early 20th century.

Question 16

Strain theorists believe that crime occurs because criminals make rational decisions to engage in deviant behavior.

Accepted Answer

Strain theorists believe that crime occurs because individuals experience strain or pressure to achieve certain goals, such as financial success, but lack the legitimate means to do so. This strain can lead individuals to engage in deviant behavior as a way to cope or achieve their goals. It is not necessarily viewed as a rational decision, but rather a response to the demands and pressures placed on individuals in society.

Question 17

What must happen for a deviant act to be considered criminal?

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Question 18

Merton claimed that individuals who fall in the "retreatist" typology were often addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Accepted Answer

Merton's retreatist typology refers to individuals who both reject both the goals and the means of society, and may turn to drugs or alcohol as a form of escape or coping mechanism.

Question 19

Conformists accept both society's cultural goals, as well as the institutionalized means of achieving those goals.

Accepted Answer

Conformists accept and strive to achieve the cultural goals established by society through the approved and institutionalized means.

Question 20

Social disorganization theory suggests that crime is primarily caused by macro-level factors such as poverty and population transience.

Accepted Answer

Social disorganization theory proposes that high crime rates in certain neighborhoods are related to the breakdown of social institutions, weak social networks, and lack of collective efficacy to solve local problems. According to this theory, poverty and population transience are key macro-level factors that contribute to social disorganization and crime.

Quiz 9: Contesting Crime