Question 1

According to research conducted by sociologists Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin, __________ gangs emerge in communities that do not provide either legitimate or illegitimate opportunities.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to research conducted by sociologists Richard...

Question 2

For young men who grow up in a __________, running drug houses and selling drugs on street corners make it possible for them to support themselves and their families as well as purchase material possessions to impress others.

Accepted Answer

The description given in the sentence matches the characteristics of a criminal gang, where members engage in criminal activities such as drug dealing to financially support themselves and their families while also obtaining material possessions for status. A conflict gang engages in violent conflicts with rival gangs, a rebellist gang seeks to overthrow the existing social order, and a retreatist gang seeks to escape mainstream society and withdraw from mainstream life.

Question 3

Sociologists __________ suggested that, for deviance to occur, people must have access to illegitimate opportunity structures-circumstances that provide an opportunity for people to acquire through illegitimate activities what they cannot achieve through legitimate channels.

Accepted Answer

Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin are the sociologists who proposed the theory of illegitimate opportunity structures, which states that people will turn to deviance when they are deprived of legitimate opportunity structures and have access to illegitimate ones. Talcott Parsons and Robert Bales were structural functionalists who focused on social order and stability. Carl Taylor and Anne Campbell are criminologists who have written about the relationship between poverty and crime. Herbert Spencer and Auguste Comte were early sociologists who had little to say about deviance specifically.

Question 4

Based on their research, sociologists Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin identified three basic gang types which emerge on the basis of the type of illegitimate opportunity structure available in a specific area. Which of the following was not a gang type identified?

Accepted Answer

The three basic gang types identified by Cloward and Ohlin are criminal gangs, retreatist gangs, and conflict gangs. There is no rebellist gang identified by them.

Question 5

__________ who focus on power relations in society suggest that the lifestyles considered deviant by political and economic elites are often defined as illegal. According to this approach, norms and laws are established for the benefit of those in power and do not reflect any absolute standard of right and wrong.

Accepted Answer

Conflict theorists focus on power relations in society and argue that norms and laws are established to maintain the dominance of those in power. They suggest that deviance is a result of the struggle between the powerful and the powerless. This approach challenges the notion that deviance is an absolute standard of right and wrong and instead emphasizes the role of power in defining and enforcing norms and laws. Symbolic interactionists focus on how individuals interpret and respond to deviant behavior, while functionalists view deviance as a necessary part of social order. Postmodern theorists emphasize the fluidity and plurality of meaning in society.

Question 6

Based on sociologist Robert Merton's strain theory, skid-row alcoholics and drug addicts reflect a pattern of __________.

Accepted Answer

According to Merton's strain theory, retreatism is the pattern seen in individuals who reject both the cultural goals and the means to achieve them. Skid-row alcoholics and drug addicts have essentially given up on mainstream society and its expectations, and have chosen to retreat into a subculture of addiction and deviance.

Question 7

A minister who is opposed to war conducts a nonviolent protest at a local military installation, thus committing a trespassing violation. This person has engaged in __________.

Accepted Answer

The minister's nonviolent protest at a military installation is an act of rebellion against the institution of the military and its actions. The act of trespassing can be seen as a form of civil disobedience in the pursuit of a greater cause. Retreatism refers to withdrawing from society altogether, ritualism refers to adhering to societal norms without seeking change, and innovation refers to accepting the goals of society but using alternative means to achieve them.

Question 8

Based on their research, sociologists Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin identified three basic gang types which emerge on the basis of the type of illegitimate opportunity structure available in a specific area. The __________ is devoted to theft, extortion, and other illegal means of securing an income.

Accepted Answer

Cloward and Ohlin identified three types of gangs based on the type of illegitimate opportunities available in a particular area: criminal, conflict, and retreatist. The criminal gang is devoted to theft, extortion, and other illegal means of securing an income. The conflict gang is involved in violent activities, such as fighting rival gangs, while the retreatist gang is typically composed of individuals who are unable or unwilling to succeed in both legitimate and illegitimate pursuits. The rebellist gang is not one of the types identified by Cloward and Ohlin.

Question 9

Street gangs use graffiti to do all of the below except what?

Accepted Answer

Street gangs use graffiti to mark their territory, increase their visibility, and intimidate local residents. While they may use graffiti to communicate with other gang members, it is not necessarily a direct form of recruitment. Gangs typically use personal connections and relationships to recruit new members.

Question 10

A socioeconomically disadvantaged teenager decides that she must resort to crime in order to buy some clothes she wants. This teenager's behavior illustrates __________.

Accepted Answer

The teenager's behavior illustrates innovation as the individual is attempting to achieve socially approved goals (buying clothes) through unconventional means (resorting to crime) due to limited access to legitimate opportunities. This concept is explained by Robert Merton's strain theory which suggests that individuals faced with societal expectations and limited access to opportunities may resort to deviant behavior in order to achieve success.

Question 11

A young woman graduates from high school with honors and attends a prestigious university where she completes her degree; she gets a good job; she marries and starts planning for the future. This woman's behavior illustrates __________.

Accepted Answer

This woman's behavior illustrates conformity, as she is following the traditional path of achieving academic success, securing employment, and starting a family.

Question 12

According to sociologist Robert Merton's strain theory, __________ occurs when people accept society's goals but adopt disapproved means for achieving them.

Accepted Answer

According to Robert Merton's strain theory, innovation occurs when people accept society's goals but adopt disapproved means for achieving them. Conformity is when individuals accept both the goals and means of society, rebellion involves rejecting both the goals and means of society, and ritualism involves rejecting the goals but still following society's prescribed means.

Question 13

A youngster living in the ghetto is unlikely to become wealthy through a Harvard education, but some of his desires may be met through behaviors like theft, drug dealing, and robbery. This example illustrates __________.

Accepted Answer

The example illustrates illegitimate opportunity structures, which refer to opportunities for fulfilling desires through criminal means when legitimate opportunities for upward mobility are not available. The individual in the example does not have access to legitimate opportunities for wealth, so they turn to criminal behaviors as a means of achieving their desires. This aligns with the concept of illegitimate opportunity structures in criminology.

Question 14

According to the text, "taggers," compared to traditional street gangs typically are all of the below except what?

Accepted Answer

The text states that taggers are "more likely to be caught," but does not mention that they are less violent, more artistic, or less threatening compared to traditional street gangs.

Question 15

Those who use graffiti primarily as a form of art are called

Accepted Answer

The answer of Those who use graffiti primarily as a...

Question 16

According to sociologist Robert Merton's strain theory, __________ occurs when people abandon both the approved goals and the approved means of achieving them.

Accepted Answer

According to Merton's strain theory, retreatism occurs when individuals abandon both the approved goals and approved means of achieving them. This can manifest in various ways such as drug addiction, vagrancy, or even complete isolation from society.

Question 17

According to sociologist Robert Merton's strain theory, __________ occurs when people give up on societal goals but still adhere to the socially approved means for achieving them.

Accepted Answer

Ritualism occurs when individuals abandon the societal goals they are supposed to achieve but continue to adhere to the socially approved means of achieving them.

Question 18

According to sociologist Robert Merton's strain theory, __________ occurs when people challenge both the approved goals and the approved means for achieving them and advocate an alternative set of goals or means.

Accepted Answer

According to Merton's strain theory, rebellion occurs when individuals reject both the approved goals and means and instead form alternative goals and means. This can involve challenging the existing societal structure and advocating for radical change. Retreatism involves withdrawing from both the approved goals and means, ritualism involves sticking to the approved means but giving up on the goals, and innovation involves finding new means to achieve the approved goals.

Question 19

Sociologists Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin stated that __________ gangs are unable to gain success through legitimate means and are unwilling to do so through illegal ones. As a result, the consumption of drugs is stressed, and addiction is prevalent.

Accepted Answer

Cloward and Ohlin's theory of gang behavior identifies retreatist gangs as those who are unable to succeed through legitimate means and are also unwilling to engage in illegal activities to achieve success. These gangs often turn to drug use and addiction as a way to cope with their feelings of failure and hopelessness. The other options (conflict, rebellist, criminal) do not specifically address this aspect of gang behavior.

Question 20

Members of __________ seek to acquire a "rep" (reputation) by fighting over "turf" (territory) and adopting a value system of toughness, courage, and similar qualities.

Accepted Answer

Conflict gangs are characterized by their focus on acquiring a reputation through fighting over territory and valuing toughness and courage.

Quiz 6: Deviance and Crime.