Whether an act is considered deviant or criminal depends not only on the perceived harmfulness of the act, but also on which of the following?
A) whether the deviance was committed by a person of the upper class
B) the degree of public agreement that the act is deviant
C) whether there was police surveillance of the deviant behaviour
D) whether humour was intended in the deviance

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The degree of public agreement that an act is deviant influences whether it is considered criminal or not. For example, homosexuality was once seen as criminal behavior because it was perceived as deviant by the majority of the public, but now it is legal in most countries because attitudes towards it have changed.

Answer: A and C 
 While public agreement is an important factor, the social status of the person committing the deviant act and the level of police surveillance also influence whether an act is considered criminal. For example, a person from a lower socio-economic background may be more likely to be charged for the same act that a person from a wealthy background may be let off the hook for. The level of surveillance can also lead to more arrests for certain types of deviance, such as drug use.

Answer: D 
 Humour being intended in the deviance does not impact whether it is considered deviant or criminal. The perceived harmfulness of the act and its societal norms are the primary factors that determine whether an act is deviant or criminal.

Whether an Act Is Considered Deviant or Criminal Depends Not