Ferris Deviance Test Bank Answers Chapter 6 - The Real World Sociology 7e Test Bank by Kerry Ferris. DOCX document preview.
Chapter 6 Deviance
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following would sociologists consider the best definition of deviance?
a. | actions that are harmful to society |
b. | violations of social norms |
c. | criminal activities |
d. | immoral or unethical behaviors |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.1 Defining Deviance
MSC: Understanding
2. A behavior, trait, or belief is considered deviant if it
a. | inspires feelings of revulsion or disgust. |
b. | departs from a norm and results in a negative reaction. |
c. | causes harm or injury to someone. |
d. | violates a law. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.1 Defining Deviance
MSC: Remembering
3. Why would using the wrong fork to eat a salad at a dinner party NOT usually qualify as deviance?
a. | American society no longer has rules and etiquette governing which utensil to use for salads. |
b. | Most dinners are eaten with friends who do not apply sanctions for deviant behavior. |
c. | There are not norms governing food and eating. |
d. | It is not a serious enough norm violation to provoke sanctions. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.1 Defining Deviance
MSC: Applying
4. What has most of the sociological literature on deviance traditionally focused on?
a. | crime |
b. | mental illness |
c. | the extremely wealthy |
d. | the emotional appeal of deviant acts |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.1 Defining Deviance
MSC: Remembering
5. Imprisonment was a rare type of punishment before the nineteenth century because earlier societies
a. | did not have sufficient resources to operate prisons. |
b. | believed physical punishments such as branding would better deter future crimes. |
c. | were crueler and therefore more accepting of harsh physical punishment. |
d. | believed punishments like shunning and banishment were more humane. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.2 Deviance across Cultures
MSC: Remembering
6. Corporal punishments like branding or amputation, commonly used in colonial America, were designed to
a. | encourage deviance but not crime. |
b. | mark the offender. |
c. | make the offender impossible to marry. |
d. | promote differential association theory. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.2 Deviance across Cultures
MSC: Remembering
7. Which of the following is true regarding prison as a mechanism for punishing crime?
a. | Throughout history, most societies have used prison to punish the most serious crimes. |
b. | Historically, only humane and ethical societies have used prison as a form of punishment. |
c. | Prison was rarely used before the nineteenth century. |
d. | Prison is commonly used as a punishment because it is extremely cost-effective. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.2 Deviance across Cultures
MSC: Understanding
8. The Amish have neither the resources nor the desire to use prison as a sanction against members of their community who violate the rules. What sanction do they use instead?
a. | Offenders are flogged or put in stocks to be publicly humiliated for a short period of time. |
b. | Monetary fines are used for most norm violations. |
c. | They use meidung, or shunning, which is a process whereby community members will not associate with a rule breaker for a set period of time. |
d. | The offender is mandated to provide physical labor for the community. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.2 Deviance across Cultures
MSC: Understanding
9. Why was having a hand cut off a typical punishment for a pickpocket in colonial America?
a. | The hand is a part of the body that can usually be safely amputated without risk of infection. |
b. | It was easy and convenient. |
c. | It was considered symbolically appropriate to punish the part of the body most directly connected with the crime. |
d. | It was considered the most painful punishment that could be administered. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.2 Deviance across Cultures
MSC: Understanding
10. Some subcultures have adopted branding as a form of body art, though it is no longer used as a form of punishment in the United States. This demonstrates that
a. | what is considered deviant changes over time. |
b. | many people find punishment desirable. |
c. | some acts are simply inherently deviant. |
d. | deviant acts of the past eventually become mainstream acts of the future. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.2 Deviance across Cultures
MSC: Understanding
11. Imagine that a powerful and influential person living in San Francisco decides to tattoo most of her face with symbols. Would she be seen as deviant?
a. | No, powerful people are often allowed to do things that others find strange. |
b. | Yes, face tattooing is always a deviant act. |
c. | No, there are several cultures in which face tattoos are common. |
d. | Yes, but only because she lives in the United States where face tattoos are not the norm. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.2 Deviance across Cultures
MSC: Applying
12. Some people worry about maintaining a tan. If they do not have the time to tan naturally, they sometimes go to a tanning salon or use chemicals to simulate a tan. This might seem bizarre in some cultures, which can help us realize that
a. | the line between beauty and deviance is fluid and changes across time and place. |
b. | there are some types of body modification that are never tolerated anywhere. |
c. | the rest of the world keeps backward practices and superstitions. |
d. | people who get fake tans are deviant. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.2 Deviance across Cultures
MSC: Analyzing
13. In the United States, imprisonment as a method of punishment was rare until the ________ century.
a. | seventeenth |
b. | eighteenth |
c. | nineteenth |
d. | twentieth |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.2 Deviance across Cultures | InQuizitive
MSC: Remembering
14. Which of the following describes how deviance can be explained from the functionalist perspective?
a. | Deviance breaks down social cohesion and leads to revolution. |
b. | Deviance makes it easier for the upper class to control the poor. |
c. | Deviance helps the upper class maintain its power and influence in society. |
d. | Deviance clarifies moral boundaries and affirms norms. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Understanding
15. There are usually serious consequences when a politician is caught cheating on his spouse. In some cases, the politician is forced to resign from office when his constituents express their unhappiness with such behavior. According to Émile Durkheim, what function does this reaction serve?
a. | It helps to deter politicians from cheating in the future. |
b. | It helps to clarify moral boundaries and reinforce the idea that marital infidelity is wrong. |
c. | The public outcry helps rehabilitate the offender so he won’t cheat in the future. |
d. | It helps protect the family members of the politician from scrutiny and media coverage. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Evaluating
16. Some Americans are angry about how many immigrants enter the country every year. A supporter of structural functionalism would argue that this anger
a. | hurts the economy by preventing immigration. |
b. | is unequally distributed, since it is mainly aimed at poor and working-class immigrants. |
c. | is a form of cyberbullying, since the anger is generally expressed online. |
d. | promotes social cohesion among nonimmigrants as they come together and label immigrants as outsiders. |
DIF: Difficult REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Understanding
17. Robert Merton’s typology of deviance outlines the strain that people experience as they attempt to access cultural goals through legitimate, institutionalized means. In which of the following categories would gangsters and con artists be found?
a. | conformity |
b. | innovation |
c. | ritualism |
d. | retreatism |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Evaluating
18. ________ proposed social control theory, which suggests that individuals with stronger bonds are LESS likely to commit crime.
a. | Robert Merton |
b. | Travis Hirschi |
c. | Richard Quinney |
d. | Edwin Sutherland |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Remembering
19. Which theory suggests that crimes committed by the upper classes are typically treated more leniently than crimes committed by the lower classes because laws represent the interests of those in power?
a. | differential association theory |
b. | conflict theory |
c. | principled deviance |
d. | functionalist theory |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Understanding
20. John is the CEO of a large bank who is charged with fraud. John pays $13 billion to settle the case, and he does not go to jail. Andy is arrested for stealing money out of a parked car. Andy spends a month in jail while waiting for his trial since he is unable to pay his bail or bond. John and Andy exemplify the perspective of
a. | functionalists like Émile Durkheim. |
b. | symbolic interactionists like Edwin Sutherland. |
c. | label theorists like Howard Becker. |
d. | conflict theorists like Richard Quinney. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Applying
21. Samantha believes that corporations are not punished enough for polluting the planet, manufacturing unsafe products, and manipulating prices while, at the same time, homeless people are punished too much for crimes such as stealing food. She believes we should all have access to basic needs like food regardless of wealth. Samantha has taken a ________ perspective to explain the way deviance is viewed in society.
a. | structural functionalist |
b. | symbolic interactionist |
c. | conflict theory |
d. | retreatist |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Applying
22. ________ argues that punishments for rule violators are unequally distributed, with those near the top of society subject to more lenient rules and sanctions than those at the bottom.
a. | Labeling theory |
b. | Conflict theory |
c. | Functionalist theory |
d. | Symbolic interactionism |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Remembering
23. Stealing avocados or almost any other agricultural product is a felony in California if the product is worth more than $100. A ________ would say that such laws target homeless people who have little power in society and are simply trying to eat.
a. | conflict theorist |
b. | functionalist |
c. | symbolic interactionist |
d. | follower of Robert Merton |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Applying
24. What might a conflict theorist conclude about deviance if an upper-middle-class white college student is sentenced to rehab for the same drug crime that a lower-class black man is sentenced to jail for committing?
a. | Different levels of punishment are functional, as they keep the most productive members of society out of jail. |
b. | Criminals from the lower class should be more harshly punished, as they are more likely to re-offend. |
c. | The two criminals probably had very different motives for committing their crimes, and this explains the difference in punishment. |
d. | The rules are applied unequally, and those with power or influence are punished much less harshly than others. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Evaluating
25. What is one of the principal reasons people turn to deviant behavior in the United States, according to the structural strain theory of deviance as articulated by Robert Merton?
a. | There are a lot of people with inborn antisocial tendencies. |
b. | American society is very lax in enforcing laws. |
c. | The media sensationalizes deviant behavior, which is why it becomes increasingly attractive to young people. |
d. | The goal of success is shared by a majority of people, but not everyone has equal means for achieving that goal. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Understanding
26. A man tries to find unconventional and even illegal ways of making money. Into what category does this fit, according to Robert Merton’s typology?
a. | ritualism |
b. | rebellion |
c. | innovation |
d. | retreatism |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Applying
27. Robert Merton developed structural strain theory to explain why deviance occurs. What is the cause of the strain suggested by the name of the theory?
a. | strain between deviant and nondeviant citizens |
b. | strain between social norms that are codified in laws and those that are not |
c. | strain between different value systems within a society |
d. | strain between socially approved goals and the means of achieving them |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Understanding
28. Robert Merton’s structural strain theory sees deviance as the result of a person’s position in a social structure. What do you think Jack Katz, author of Seductions of Crime, would say about structural strain theory?
a. | Merton’s analysis fails because it does not understand that some people will reject both mainstream cultural goals and the institutionalized means to achieve them. |
b. | Merton’s analysis was correct in that background factors are almost always the most effective way to predict who will commit deviant acts. |
c. | A focus on social position fails to consider the emotional appeal that a deviant act has for an individual. |
d. | Merton needs to look at a broader range of background factors, including age and sexuality. |
DIF: Difficult REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Evaluating
29. A woman attributes her teenage son’s deviant behavior to him “falling in with a bad crowd.” Which symbolic interactionist theory of deviance does this explanation MOST closely resemble?
a. | differential association |
b. | labeling theory |
c. | self-fulfilling prophecy |
d. | structural strain theory |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Applying
30. Nowhere to Grow by Les Whitbeck and Dan Hoyt explored the lives of homeless and runaway teens in the Midwest. The authors found that “associating with deviant peers” had a dramatic effect on a wide range of deviant behaviors including increasing “the likelihood of serious substance abuse almost 32 times.” What theory of deviance considers the way in which such interpersonal relationships help to predict deviant behavior?
a. | self-fulfilling prophecy |
b. | retreatism |
c. | differential association |
d. | labeling theory |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Applying
31. ________ suggests that individuals learn to be deviant by interacting with others who are already deviant.
a. | Conflict theory |
b. | Self-fulfilling prophecy |
c. | Differential association theory |
d. | Labeling theory |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Remembering
32. What did David Rosenhan describe in “On Being Sane in Insane Places”?
a. | Although it may be difficult for the rest of us, psychiatrists can easily differentiate between those who are mentally ill and those who are not. |
b. | Researchers posing as “pseudo-patients” in a mental hospital but otherwise acting normally were treated as mentally ill by the hospital staff. |
c. | Patients were unable to determine who among them were really researchers posing as “pseudo-patients.” |
d. | Researchers working in mental hospitals started to develop higher rates of mental illness. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Remembering
33. According to labeling theory, none of the pseudo-patients in David Rosenhan’s “On Being Sane in Insane Places” were discovered because
a. | they all were mentally ill, at least to some extent. |
b. | they were too “clean-cut” to be considered mentally ill. |
c. | they were well-coached in the symptoms real patients would experience. |
d. | it is difficult for anyone to see past the label once a person has been labeled “mentally ill.” |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Remembering
34. What happened to the pseudo-patients in David Rosenhan’s “On Being Sane in Insane Places”?
a. | Several of them finally broke out. |
b. | One of them turned out to be genuinely mentally ill and was never released. |
c. | They were all released once doctors realized that they were not actually mentally ill. |
d. | They were all finally released, but their “illnesses” were considered “in remission.” |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Remembering
35. A deviant label transitions from primary to secondary deviance when the deviant label is
a. | applied by a large number of people. |
b. | applied by someone very powerful. |
c. | internalized. |
d. | applied later in life. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Understanding
36. Why does Elijah Anderson, in his book Streetwise, argue that young African American men are more likely to be arrested?
a. | They commit more flagrant crimes. |
b. | They are more likely to engage in deviant behavior. |
c. | They are more likely to be poor. |
d. | They are perceived as more criminal than others. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Remembering
37. How do self-fulfilling prophecies work?
a. | We respond not only to the objective features of a situation but also to its meaning. Once meaning has been assigned to our behavior, the consequences of that behavior are determined by the meaning. |
b. | We learn to be deviant through our interactions with others who break the rules. |
c. | We tend to respond to the physical and social marks that discredit our identities and leave us vulnerable to negative social judgments. |
d. | Our social locations are a crucial factor in determining how others see us; therefore, social status is the most important determinant of deviance. |
DIF: Difficult REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Understanding
38. A person arrived at a company party dressed in a bunny costume only to discover that the party was not a costume party and he had been tricked by a co-worker. Everyone from then on saw him as crazy and eccentric and eventually he came to think of himself in this way too. The initial mistake at the party is an example of
a. | a stigma. |
b. | primary deviance. |
c. | a self-fulfilling prophecy. |
d. | tertiary deviation. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Applying
39. W. I. Thomas famously argued that “if men define situations as real,
a. | others will label them as deviant.” |
b. | it will lead to tertiary deviance.” |
c. | they will be forced to provide evidence.” |
d. | they are real in their consequences.” |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Remembering
40. For Robert Merton, a prediction that came true only because the prediction was made is a
a. | defining prophecy. |
b. | Thomas prediction. |
c. | self-fulfilling prophecy. |
d. | labeling prophecy. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Remembering
41. An example of ________ is Asian American students being more likely to be placed in Advanced Placement classes, earn higher grades, and be treated well by teachers.
a. | a stereotype promise |
b. | a self-fulfilling prophecy |
c. | tertiary deviance |
d. | a stereotype threat |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Remembering
42. Brooke is a PhD candidate in the field of nanophysics. She is aware that only 4 percent of physics professionals are women. Brooke has heard peers and even instructors say that this is because women struggle to comprehend complex mathematics. What may Brooke be experiencing when she scores below her male counterparts on an exam?
a. | stereotype promise |
b. | self-fulfilling prophecy |
c. | tertiary deviance |
d. | stereotype threat |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Applying
43. David Rosenhan argues that misdiagnosis is particularly a problem for psychologists, as a diagnosis of a mental illness is as influential on the patient as it is on their relatives and friends. It should not surprise anyone that the diagnosis acts as a(n)
a. | act of tertiary deviance. |
b. | sign of structural strain. |
c. | gesture of passing. |
d. | self-fulfilling prophecy. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Applying
44. An educator is disgusted with teaching methods that lead students to simply gain a credential rather than actually learn about the world. She decides to start a charter school that employs innovative teaching methods, doesn’t give students grades, and encourages creative thinking over rote learning. How would Robert Merton’s strain theory of deviance classify this educator?
a. | as an innovator |
b. | as a ritualist |
c. | as a rebel |
d. | as a retreatist |
DIF: Difficult REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance | InQuizitive
MSC: Applying
45. Maria is the school chess champion and is invited to compete at a regional tournament. An opponent tells Maria that men are naturally better at chess than women. Upon hearing this, Maria becomes upset and worried about her performance and subsequently loses her first match. What has Maria just experienced?
a. | stereotype promise |
b. | stereotype threat |
c. | tertiary deviance |
d. | differential association |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance | InQuizitive
MSC: Applying
46. A researcher examines the effects of learning communities on a college campus. In these communities, students live in a small dorm hall together, have one faculty advisor, attend a first-year seminar together, and participate in social activities together. After completing her study, the researcher finds that compared to students living in regular dorms or off-campus, students in these communities are less likely to engage in either academic cheating or underage drinking and have fewer disciplinary actions on their records. Which sociological perspective best explains this finding?
a. | conflict theory |
b. | social control theory |
c. | structural strain theory |
d. | structural functionalism |
DIF: Difficult REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance | InQuizitive
MSC: Applying
47. American criminologist Richard Quinney theorized that capitalism—and the exploitation and oppression of the working class—make deviant and even criminal behavior nearly inescapable for workers. The ruling class can make laws that target the poor. When the poor act out against repression, they become targets for law enforcement, while the rich and powerful remain free to do what they like. Quinney’s theory falls under which sociological perspective?
a. | conflict theory |
b. | social control theory |
c. | structural strain theory |
d. | structural functionalism |
DIF: Difficult REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance | InQuizitive
MSC: Understanding
48. Almost any ________ can have a stigmatizing effect, including a physical disability, an addiction, or a mental illness.
a. | departure from the norm |
b. | social control |
c. | secondary deviance |
d. | conformity |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.4 The Stigma of Deviance
MSC: Remembering
49. Regarding stigma, symbolic interactionists are interested in
a. | how people manage their stigmatized identities on an everyday basis. |
b. | which stigmas are fair and which are unjustly applied. |
c. | how stigma always leads to positive life outcomes. |
d. | how stigma leads to increased self-esteem. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.4 The Stigma of Deviance
MSC: Understanding
50. Hate crimes targeting Arab Americans and those mistakenly identified as Arab increased after Arab identity became stigmatized. What sort of stigma was this?
a. | moral |
b. | symbolic |
c. | religious |
d. | tribal |
DIF: Difficult REF: 6.4 The Stigma of Deviance
MSC: Applying
51. Jewish Americans, African Americans, and Hispanic Americans were not permitted to purchase houses in the suburb of Lakewood, California when it was first built in 1950. However, the developers reversed this policy within a few years and started selling homes to families regardless of religious faith or ethnicity. What does this tell us about stigma?
a. | Stigma leaves permanent marks on those it affects. |
b. | Stigma is only a problem in areas where money is involved. |
c. | Stigmatized identities can be overcome through passing. |
d. | Stigmatized identities change over time. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.4 The Stigma of Deviance
MSC: Analyzing
52. A gay man who joins a dating website tells his friends that he is frustrated when other men on the website describe themselves as “straight-acting, straight-appearing.” He believes that these men are treating gay identity as a stigmatized identity by
a. | passing. |
b. | in-group orientation. |
c. | deviance avowal. |
d. | symbolic interactionism. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.4 The Stigma of Deviance
MSC: Applying
53. There are several ways in which gays and lesbians in the United States have chosen to manage their stigma. What strategy are gay rights activists using when they chant the slogan “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it”?
a. | passing |
b. | assimilation |
c. | bureaucratic mediation |
d. | in-group orientation |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.4 The Stigma of Deviance
MSC: Applying
54. An example of in-group orientation is when a
a. | light-skinned African American woman claims to be white in order to avoid discrimination and violence. |
b. | man renounces society and moves to a cabin in the woods. |
c. | man wears a T-shirt identifying him as a member of a popular fraternity. |
d. | woman writes on her social media, “I am black, trans, and proud!” |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.4 The Stigma of Deviance
MSC: Applying
55. According to Erving Goffman, stigmatized individuals who do not believe they should have to change or conceal their identities to make “normal” people more comfortable have
a. | secondary deviance. |
b. | in-group orientation. |
c. | self-esteem. |
d. | deviance avowal. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.4 The Stigma of Deviance
MSC: Understanding
56. According to Erving Goffman, when one is labeled a deviant and experiences stigma, what does that individual acquire?
a. | outsider status |
b. | deviance avowal |
c. | differential association |
d. | spoiled identity |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.4 The Stigma of Deviance | InQuizitive
MSC: Remembering
57. Although the term often references race, which of the following is also an example of “passing”?
a. | A Jewish man attends church with his Christian wife. |
b. | An overweight person embraces his body type. |
c. | A man with wrist scars from an attempted suicide covers them by wearing long sleeves, even in the summer. |
d. | A man who doesn’t drink goes to a bar for a social event. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.4 The Stigma of Deviance | InQuizitive
MSC: Applying
58. Which of the following situations is an example of deviance avowal?
a. | A man decides to quit smoking but asks his friends and family to identify him as a smoker, not an ex-smoker, because he believes the addiction is lifelong. |
b. | A person whose drinking is getting in the way of their daily activities insists they are not an alcoholic. |
c. | A young drug addict successfully hides her habit at work, and all her colleagues believe she is drug free. |
d. | A person owns a large collection of Harley Davidson motorcycles but doesn’t allow their family and friends to refer to them as a “biker.” |
DIF: Difficult REF: 6.4 The Stigma of Deviance | InQuizitive
MSC: Applying
59. Sociologists studying deviance often focus on the most obvious and extreme forms of deviant behavior. What are the consequences of this approach?
a. | Only those deviant individuals who embrace their deviant labels will be studied. |
b. | Only the deviant behaviors of the rich and powerful will be studied. |
c. | The values and norms of the powerful are left unexamined, while the deviance of the poor is scrutinized. |
d. | Few, if any, of the most serious problems in a given society can be identified. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.5 Studying Deviance
MSC: Understanding
60. In Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn, Karen McCarthy Brown studied practitioners of the Vodou religion living in the United States. However, she went far beyond the usual role of scientific observer and became a member of the religious group she was studying. She also gave her key informant veto power over certain elements of her work. Why would this be helpful?
a. | It helped her learn all the secrets that practitioners of Vodou would not tell outsiders. |
b. | It gave her better insight into how to convert practitioners away from Vodou. |
c. | It helped her set aside preconceived notions about Vodou to understand it on its own terms. |
d. | It would not be helpful; without doubt, it crippled her ability to make objective judgments. |
DIF: Difficult REF: 6.5 Studying Deviance
MSC: Evaluating
61. Most sociological studies of deviance focus on elements of an individual’s background that would make them more likely to act in deviant ways. What is the key problem with such an approach?
a. | It cannot explain why some people with very similar backgrounds act differently. |
b. | It requires a great deal of statistical analysis. |
c. | It focuses too much on the emotional appeal of certain types of crime. |
d. | It requires psychiatric evaluations. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.5 Studying Deviance
MSC: Understanding
62. What does the sociologist Jack Katz think sociologists should study when trying to understand deviance instead of solely examining background factors?
a. | the deviant’s own experience of committing a deviant act |
b. | the correlation between deviance and poverty |
c. | the way deviance tends to be handed down through generations |
d. | the role poverty plays in encouraging deviance |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.5 Studying Deviance
MSC: Remembering
63. According to Jack Katz, what do muggers gain from their crimes, aside from material objects?
a. | He argues that they are often trying to return to prison, where they feel more secure. |
b. | He argues that they seek power and control over their victims. |
c. | He argues that they mug for a sense of satisfaction and excitement. |
d. | He argues that they mug for a steady living that allows them to move up in social status. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.5 Studying Deviance
MSC: Understanding
64. Why might teenagers shoplift, according to Jack Katz’s Seductions of Crime?
a. | They feel strain between their means and the goals society tells them are desirable. |
b. | They want the thrill of getting away with breaking the rules. |
c. | They come from a low socioeconomic class. |
d. | Young people are inherently predisposed to crime. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.5 Studying Deviance
MSC: Understanding
65. Given Jack Katz’s theory of crime, what do you think would be the best subtitle for his book The Seductions of Crime?
a. | The World of the New Urban Poor |
b. | Social Structure and Anomie |
c. | Attractions of “Doing” Deviance |
d. | The Careers of Persistent Thieves |
DIF: Difficult REF: 6.5 Studying Deviance
MSC: Evaluating
66. Construction crews are constantly annoyed at the way people, mostly teenage boys, steal the orange cones and flashing pylons that mark construction zones. Why does this sort of deviance happen, according to Jack Katz?
a. | The thieves find these items aesthetically appealing, but they do not know where to buy them. |
b. | The thieves are afflicted with a psychological disorder like kleptomania, which compels them to steal. |
c. | The thieves are usually planning on reselling the materials on the black market. |
d. | This sort of deviance produces a thrill and excitement. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.5 Studying Deviance
MSC: Applying
67. Which of the following statements helps describe how Jack Katz’s book Seductions of Crime explained deviance in a new way?
a. | Conflict theorists have frequently argued that differences in economic resources give elites the ability to control the coercive apparatus of the state. Pronounced economic differences also provide elites with a need to maintain order. |
b. | Three decades ago, criminologists widely decried the failure of rehabilitative efforts to reduce recidivism. This “nothing works” attitude permeated the field of criminal justice, and a period of punitive justice was ushered in. |
c. | The social science literature contains only scattered evidence of what it means, feels, sounds, tastes, or looks like to commit a particular crime. |
d. | Society should be considered as a cross between the cultural “goals” for which it believes its members should strive and the “means” that are believed, legally or morally, to be legitimate ways in which individuals should attain these goals. |
DIF: Difficult REF: 6.5 Studying Deviance
MSC: Evaluating
68. According to Jack Katz, there are several reasons why adolescents might shoplift. One reason is the material appeal of the objects that are taken, but, more importantly, they
a. | can gain entrance to gangs if they are successful. |
b. | often have a vendetta against a particular store or small business owner. |
c. | regard “getting away with it” as a demonstration of personal competence. |
d. | usually need to make money by selling the objects they steal. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.5 Studying Deviance
MSC: Analyzing
69. Some people utilize social media as an enhanced form of condescending attacks known as
a. | deviance. |
b. | criminology. |
c. | white collar crime. |
d. | cyberbullying. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.5 Studying Deviance
MSC: Remembering
70. What do we call norm violations that are codified into law?
a. | crimes |
b. | taboos |
c. | violent crimes |
d. | mores |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime
MSC: Remembering
71. An individual who works at a bookstore routinely takes home ballpoint pens and Post-it notes, uses the copy machine to make personal copies, and makes long-distance phone calls on the store’s line. However, he would never consider stealing money from the cash register even if he knew he could get away with it. What is this behavior called?
a. | stigmatizing |
b. | pilfering |
c. | self-fulfilling property |
d. | criminology |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime
MSC: Applying
72. The vast majority of crimes come to the attention of the police in response to citizen complaints. Citizens do not usually bother to inform the authorities if they do not think a crime is serious enough or feel that nothing can be done. This means that there might be serious bias in the
a. | symbolic interactionist theory of deviance. |
b. | way conflict theorists understand deviance. |
c. | value of punishment for deterrence. |
d. | Uniform Crime Report. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime
MSC: Applying
73. A man’s computer is hacked and the individual responsible steals his identity, which makes it possible for the hacker to steal money from the man’s bank account. The man is a victim of
a. | property crime. |
b. | violent crime. |
c. | cyberbullying. |
d. | cybercrime. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime
MSC: Remembering
74. Which factor makes sociologists question the relationship between youth and crime?
a. | Official crime statistics show that middle-aged people commit a large percentage of crimes. |
b. | Young people may commit crimes that are more visible and, therefore, are arrested more often. |
c. | Young people commit more property crimes, but older people commit more violent crimes. |
d. | Young people are stronger and more fit, so they can find jobs instead of resorting to criminal activity for income. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime
MSC: Understanding
75. What evidence shows that the number of women who commit crimes is related to social structure?
a. | Female arrest rates have remained remarkably steady over the course of American history. |
b. | Male and female arrest rates tend to change at about the same rate. |
c. | There are approximately as many women in prison as men. |
d. | Female arrest rates have increased as women have gained more presence in the labor market. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime
MSC: Remembering
76. Martha Stewart was convicted of obstruction of justice after lying to the FBI during an investigation of her sale of a stock that dramatically fell in value immediately after she sold it. Her conviction was unusual, as this sort of white collar crime is much more likely to be dealt with in civil, rather than criminal, court. How does the tendency to deal with white collar criminals in civil court bias our understanding of the demographics of crime?
a. | It causes us to underestimate the number of property crimes committed each year. |
b. | It encourages us to equate cash register honesty with real honesty. |
c. | It leads us to overestimate the relationship between poverty and crime. |
d. | It creates a false relationship between gender and crime. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime
MSC: Analyzing
77. How does the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report measure crime?
a. | A random sample of citizens is asked what crimes they have been the victims of in the past twelve months. |
b. | A random sample of police officers is asked what crime levels they have observed. |
c. | Every crime reported by over 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States is tabulated. |
d. | The convictions of every district attorney in the United States are tabulated. |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime
MSC: Remembering
78. What is the Uniform Crime Report (UCR)?
a. | a report that assigns funding to different areas of federal law enforcement |
b. | an official measure of all the norm violations that occur |
c. | sentencing guidelines as they relate to race and class |
d. | an official measure of crime in the United States |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime
MSC: Remembering
79. Who is MOST likely to commit murder according to the Uniform Crime Report?
a. | dating partner |
b. | friend or relative |
c. | stranger |
d. | gang member |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime
MSC: Remembering
80. What is the justification for harsh sentencing guidelines like California’s controversial “three strikes” law?
a. | deterrence of future crimes |
b. | rehabilitation of criminals |
c. | retribution for crimes |
d. | reform of individual criminals |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime
MSC: Understanding
81. In the United States, the ________ is made up of legislatures, the police, courts, and prisons.
a. | full state system |
b. | uniform crime report (UCR) |
c. | positive deviance |
d. | criminal justice system |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime
MSC: Remembering
82. Many people today argue that convicted sex offenders should be chemically castrated or held in protective custody beyond their original sentences. What is the logic of these punishments?
a. | incapacitation |
b. | deterrence |
c. | retribution |
d. | rehabilitation |
DIF: Difficult REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime
MSC: Analyzing
83. Which of the following statements about crime and gender have been supported by data from the last decade?
a. | Crime differentials between men and women can be attributed mostly to emotional and psychological differences. |
b. | Women are equally likely as men to commit property crimes. |
c. | As women gain power in the labor market through education and income, crime rates among women rise to match those among men more closely. |
d. | Women are equally likely as men to commit violent crimes. |
DIF: Difficult REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime | InQuizitive
MSC: Understanding
84. A citizen group sends letters to the governor of a southern state and asks her to reconsider stopping the execution of a man on death row convicted of murdering a police officer. The governor declines, stating that the purpose of the criminal justice system is to remove this convicted murderer from society so that everyone else can be protected. What type of justification for punishment is used by the governor?
a. | retribution |
b. | rehabilitation |
c. | deterrence |
d. | incapacitation |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime | InQuizitive
MSC: Applying
85. How do sociologists define positive deviance?
a. | deviance that relates to a criminal record |
b. | deviance that actively harms someone physically |
c. | actions initially considered deviant, but later deemed appropriate |
d. | the acts that come with secondary deviance |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.7 Reconsidering Deviance?
MSC: Remembering
86. Martin Luther King Jr. went to jail many times for acts of civil disobedience such as ignoring court orders prohibiting marches and boycotts. Some people, even those who agreed with him, criticized him for disobeying the law. However, most people today view these actions as a form of
a. | positive deviance. |
b. | deterrence. |
c. | deviance avowal. |
d. | in-group orientation. |
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.7 Reconsidering Deviance?
MSC: Applying
87. What term describes “actions considered deviant within a given context but are later reinterpreted as appropriate or even heroic”?
a. | positive deviance |
b. | heroic deviance |
c. | anti-deviance |
d. | appropriate deviance |
DIF: Easy REF: 6.7 Reconsidering Deviance? | InQuizitive
MSC: Remembering
TRUE/FALSE
1. Deviance can be considered relative because whether or not a behavior is considered deviant depends upon the historical, cultural, and situational context in which it occurs.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.1 Defining Deviance
MSC: Remembering
2. Sociologists argue that no behavior, not even one designed to kill a great number of people, is inherently deviant.
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.1 Defining Deviance
MSC: Remembering
3. Sociologists are making both a social and a moral judgment when they use the term “deviant.”
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.1 Defining Deviance
MSC: Understanding
4. Prison has been the most common means of punishment for criminals and deviants throughout history.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.1 Defining Deviance
MSC: Remembering
5. A behavior, trait, or belief can be considered deviant if it violates a social norm and causes a negative reaction.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.1 Defining Deviance
MSC: Remembering
6. Differential association theory is associated with structural functionalism.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Remembering
7. Secondary deviance occurs when an individual acquires a deviant identity.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Remembering
8. Stereotype threat leads to positive performance outcomes, while stereotype promise is a result of the fear of performing poorly.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance
MSC: Remembering
9. Erving Goffman’s concept of passing should only be applied to race.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.4 The Stigma of Deviance
MSC: Remembering
10. Criminology consists of the study of crime, criminals, and criminal justice.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime
MSC: Remembering
SHORT ANSWER
1. According to sociologists, why is deviance related to the societal response to a behavior rather than to the behavior itself ?
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.1 Defining Deviance MSC: Understanding
2. In what ways is deviance a social judgment rather than a moral judgment?
DIF: Easy REF: 6.1 Defining Deviance MSC: Understanding
3. Provide an example that illustrates a behavior that would have been considered deviant for women 200 years ago but is part of normal culture today.
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.1 Defining Deviance MSC: Analyzing
4. What do changing societies and different groups gaining access to power do to our perception of deviance?
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.1 Defining Deviance MSC: Understanding
5. The United States has more inmates than any other country in the world today, even though prisons were not introduced as a method of punishment until the nineteenth century. Who is benefiting financially from the incarceration of so many inmates?
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.1 Defining Deviance MSC: Applying
6. Why do functional theorists suggest that deviance helps to clarify moral boundaries and affirm social norms?
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance MSC: Understanding
7. According to Howard Becker, there are no inherently deviant acts, only societal reactions to acts that make them deviant. Describe an instance in which one person could be seen as a hero and another person could be labeled a criminal even though they are engaging in the same behavior.
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance MSC: Applying
8. How do peer groups serve as so-called bad influences during the process of social learning? Which theory of deviance attempts to explain this phenomenon?
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance MSC: Remembering
9. According to labeling theory, the labels people are given affect their own and others’ perceptions of them. How does this process lead to more deviant behaviors? Provide an example to explain your answer.
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance MSC: Applying
10. In what ways might a man experience stereotype promise in the nursing field?
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance MSC: Applying
11. Some light-skinned African Americans have attempted to pass as white due to stigmatization. Describe the process of passing. What was the historical motivation for African Americans to pass as white?
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.4 The Stigma of Deviance MSC: Understanding
12. What is cyberbullying, and how is it different from traditional bullying?
DIF: Easy REF: 6.4 The Stigma of Deviance MSC: Understanding
13. How did David Matza’s approach of studying the powerless and impoverished differ from the “nuts and sluts” approach?
DIF: Easy REF: 6.5 Studying Deviance MSC: Understanding
14. Why are young people more likely to get arrested?
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime MSC: Understanding
15. What makes a crime a hate crime? Why are hate crime statistics so unreliable?
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime MSC: Understanding
ESSAY
1. Robert Merton advanced the idea that labeling can bring about self-fulfilling prophecies or inaccurate beliefs that, if repeated loudly and frequently enough, can become true. Compare the ideas of Merton and those of sociologist Elijah Anderson, who believed that a self-fulfilling prophecy has contributed to racial conflict in the United States.
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance MSC: Evaluating
2. Howard Becker’s labeling theory argues that no act is deviant until a society labels it as deviant. Explain why Becker and other sociologists, like David Rosenhan, author of “On Being Sane in Insane Places,” believe that labeling can have long-lasting effects on the individual who is labeled a deviant.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance MSC: Understanding
3. In his structural strain theory, Robert Merton argues that people who do not have the financial or cultural means to achieve the goals that society sets out for them, such as financial success, are more likely to engage in deviant behavior. Explain the different ways in which these people deal with their limited resources and express their deviant behavior, according to Merton.
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance MSC: Analyzing
4. Conflict theorists believe that society’s definition of deviance is designed in such a way that people with the most power will be seen as most “normal” and even idealized by the rest of society. Those with the least power will more often be considered deviant and subject to the negative sanctions that come with a deviant identity. Give two examples of how laws can target people with less power and label their behaviors or lifestyles as deviant.
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance MSC: Applying
5. Structural functionalists like Émile Durkheim believe that every aspect of a social structure does something to help maintain the stability of society. According to Durkheim, what are some of the so-called functions of deviance within a society?
DIF: Easy REF: 6.3 Theories of Deviance MSC: Understanding
6. Individuals or groups labeled as deviant are often stigmatized. They acquire what Erving Goffman called a “spoiled identity,” which devalues them and often excludes them from normal social interaction. Illustrate the different ways that stigmatized individuals and groups cope with their stigmatization.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.4 The Stigma of Deviance MSC: Analyzing
7. Explain the concept of cash register honesty. Provide two examples to support your answer.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime MSC: Applying
8. There are many competing and often incompatible ideas about how to best deal with criminal behavior. Deterrence, retribution, incapacitation, and rehabilitation are all believed by some to have merit. Discuss the ways in which these different methods for dealing with deviance reflect the different ways society views criminals.
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime MSC: Understanding
9. Crime statistics can sometimes be misleading. Explain some potential problems with crime statistics that draw conclusions about the criminal behavior of certain class, age, or ethnic groups.
DIF: Easy REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime MSC: Evaluating
10. Chapter 6 describes several ways in which the Uniform Crime Report may present an inaccurate picture of the demographics of crime. Describe the sources of bias that lead to these inaccuracies. Are these biases better explained by conflict theory or functionalism? Justify your answer.
DIF: Difficult REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime MSC: Evaluating
11. A series of thefts is occurring in a suburban neighborhood. It is determined that a group of teenage boys from the community has been stealing items from unlocked cars, and the perpetrators are caught within a few short weeks. Which factors likely made them initial suspects, according to the information in Chapter 6? What factors made it more likely that they would behave in this way?
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.6 The Study of Crime MSC: Evaluating
12. What is positive deviance? How does its existence support the functionalist perspective?
DIF: Moderate REF: 6.7 Reconsidering Deviance? MSC: Understanding