Question 1

Findings suggest that poverty experienced during adolescence may have a more severe impact than poverty experienced during early childhood or during adulthood.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Findings suggest that poverty experienced during adolescence...

Question 2

A juvenile experiences the death of a parent or grandparent. Which type of strain did the youth experience, according to general strain theory?

Accepted Answer

General strain theory suggests that individuals experience strain when they lose something of value to them. The death of a parent or grandparent is a significant loss, fitting the description of the removal of positively valued stimuli.

Question 3

Cultural deviance theory focuses on which factor?

Accepted Answer

Cultural deviance theory suggests that subculture development results from disorganization and strain, emphasizing how values and norms diverge within marginalized groups.

Question 4

Cloward and Ohlin's theory of differential opportunity states that people in all strata of society share the same success goals but those in the lower class have limited means for achieving them. Because of differential opportunity, kids are likely to:

Accepted Answer

Cloward and Ohlin's theory suggests that due to limited legitimate opportunities, individuals, particularly youths in lower socioeconomic strata, might turn to illegitimate or illegal paths to achieve societal success goals, such as joining gangs.

Question 5

Shaw and McKay identified transitional neighborhoods as being poverty-ridden areas that suffered high rates of population turnover and were incapable of inducing residents to remain and defend the neighborhoods against criminal groups.

Accepted Answer

Shaw and McKay, through their social disorganization theory, identified transitional neighborhoods as areas experiencing high levels of poverty and population turnover, which hindered the community's ability to maintain social control and resist criminal activities.

Question 6

According to Merton, a person who rejects society's goals and norms and becomes a drifter and drug addict falls into which mode of adaptation?

Accepted Answer

Retreatism is the mode of adaptation where an individual rejects both the cultural goals and the institutional means of achieving them, often withdrawing from society's expectations, which can manifest in behaviors like drifting and drug addiction.

Question 7

In William Julius Wilson's book, he finds that most adults in inner-city ghetto neighborhoods are not working during a typical week.

Accepted Answer

In William Julius Wilson's book "When Work Disappears: The World of the New Urban Poor," he discusses how the disappearance of work in inner-city neighborhoods has led to a high percentage of adults not working during a typical week, highlighting the impact of economic shifts and joblessness on these communities.

Question 8

According to focal concern theory, which of the following is not identified as a lower-class focal concern?

Accepted Answer

Focal concern theory, particularly associated with the work of Walter Miller (1958), identifies six focal concerns or value systems that are said to be prevalent in lower-class cultures: trouble, toughness, smartness, excitement, fate, and autonomy. Achievement, as mentioned in option D, is not listed among these focal concerns. Instead, achievement is often emphasized more in middle-class or upper-class value systems, where there is a greater focus on long-term goals and success in conventional terms, such as educational attainment and career advancement.

Question 9

The condition that exists when people of wealth and poverty live in close proximity to one another is known as:

Accepted Answer

Relative deprivation refers to the discontent people feel when they compare their positions to those more fortunate and realize what they are missing. This often occurs in situations where wealthy and poor communities exist side by side, highlighting the disparities between different social and economic groups.

Question 10

Agnew's general strain theory indicates that criminality is the direct result of ___ that come in the wake of destructive social relationships.

Accepted Answer

Agnew's general strain theory posits that criminal behavior is a direct result of negative affective states such as anger, frustration, and disappointment, which arise from destructive social relationships.

Question 11

The rules that govern day-to-day living conditions within a subculture are known as:

Accepted Answer

Conduct norms are the rules that govern day-to-day living conditions within a subculture, guiding how members of the subculture should behave in various situations.

Question 12

The unique value system that dominates life among the lower classes is known as:

Accepted Answer

Focal concerns refer to the unique value system and priorities that are prevalent among lower-class communities, emphasizing values such as toughness, street smarts, and loyalty to peers.

Question 13

The three branches of social structure theory are social disorganization, deterrence, and cultural deviance.

Accepted Answer

The three branches of social structure theory are social disorganization, strain, and cultural deviance. Deterrence theory is a concept in criminology, not a branch of social structure theory.

Question 14

The application of sociological concepts to criminology can be traced to the works of Quetelet and Durkheim.

Accepted Answer

Adolphe Quetelet and Émile Durkheim were pioneers in applying sociological concepts to the study of crime, with Quetelet focusing on the relationship between social factors and crime rates, and Durkheim introducing the idea of anomie and its impact on social deviance and crime.

Question 15

A juvenile joins a gang in which he achieves his status through violence and toughness. Which type of gang is he in, according to Cloward and Ohlin's theory of differential opportunity?

Accepted Answer

According to Cloward and Ohlin's theory of differential opportunity, a gang where status is achieved through violence and toughness is classified as a Conflict gang. This type of gang emerges in communities where access to both legitimate and illegitimate means are blocked, leading members to achieve status through violence.

Question 16

According to Durkheim, crime is abnormal and a part  only OF societies that are based on inequality.

Accepted Answer

Durkheim argued that crime is a normal part of all societies, not just those based on inequality, and it plays a functional role in defining societal norms and values.

Question 17

A youth experiences physical abuse at home. Which type of strain does the youth experience, according to general strain theory?

Accepted Answer

General strain theory suggests that individuals experience strain when they are exposed to negative stimuli, such as physical abuse, which can lead to negative emotions and possibly deviant behavior.

Question 18

Which is not an element of general strain theory?

Accepted Answer

General Strain Theory, developed by Robert Agnew, posits that strain or stress increases the likelihood of negative emotions like anger and frustration, which can lead to criminal behavior. It identifies three major types of strain: the failure to achieve positively valued goals, the removal of positively valued stimuli, and the presentation of negative stimuli. The disjunction of expectations and achievements is more closely related to Merton's Strain Theory, which focuses on the gap between societal goals and the means available to achieve them, rather than being a direct element of Agnew's General Strain Theory.

Question 19

Which focal concern involves being independent of authority figures?

Accepted Answer

Autonomy involves being independent of authority figures, emphasizing the value placed on self-direction and independence.

Question 20

People in the United States live in a stratified society.

Accepted Answer

The United States has a stratified society where people are divided into different social classes based on factors like income, education, occupation, and wealth, leading to varying levels of access to resources and opportunities.

Quiz 6: Social Structure Theories