Sociology Study Guide 6

Manny felt more and more frustrated at school. No matter how hard he tried, the teachers always seemed negative. When Manny used drugs, he forgot about his frustrations. Using drugs more and more frequently, Manny dropped out of school and began to build his life around drugs. Manny is following this deviant path

retreatism

The job that Hortense (yes, this is a woman's name) had didn't pay enough to buy the things she saw on television - things that many of her friends had, and that she felt he deserved. Out of frustration, she gave up trying to get ahead at work. She showed up each day, but she did only what she had to, making sure she followed the rules so she wouldn't be fired. Hortense is following this deviant path

ritualism

on the means-end schema, a person who "does the right thing" but doesn't seem to "get anywhere" is a _________

ritualist

an expression of approval at behavior relative to a norm is a _______

sanction

Opponents and proponents of the death penalty are passionate about their positions. One argument of those who support capital punishment concerns

serial killers

Although not stated in the text, killers with less education are more likely to receive the death penalty. And on death row, those with less education are lore likely to be executed. These findings are examples of what kind of bias in the death penalty?

social class

Norms provide us with _____.

social order

"Pregnant women who took fewer risks were more likely to survive and pass on characteristics of empathy and self-control." Such a statement is likely to be made by a

sociobiologist

Which approach would you be using if you were examining how neighborhood influences were affecting residents' behaviors?

sociological

"The ideas and norms dominant in this group of girls encourage their member to break laws." Such a statement is likely to be made by a

sociologist

Some explanations of deviance point to factors within people, others to factors outside the individual. Which of these four are most likely to stress factors outside the individual?

sociologist

Every society has boundaries that divide what is considered socially acceptable from what is not acceptable. THose who violate this are deviants

sometimes people deliberately break rules to test the boundaries of acceptable behavior, the group enforces its norms, or bends them to accommodate the deviants

a "blemish" that discredits ones claim to "normal" identity is a ________

stigma

The term cultural goals refers to the goals held out for people. The term institutionalized means refers to the legitimate (or acceptable) ways to reach these goals. When people who try to reach cultural goals find their legitimate means blocked, they feel frustration. In strain theory, what is this frustration called?

strain

The relativity of deviance is best explained by the _____ perspective.

symbolic interactionist

The author says that even though serial killers receive more publicity today than in the past, this is not because serial killing has become more common. Rather, it is because

technological change makes it easier to detect serial killers

Personality Disorders

the view that a personality disturbance of some sort causes an individual to violate social norms

Crime

the violation of norms written into law

Deviance

the violation of social norms (or rules or expectations)

Serial killing by definition involves killing on _____ distinct occasions.

three or more

The reason that the medical profession pushes the medicalization of deviance, says Szasz, is

to expand their territory

Medicalization of Deviance

to make deviance a medical matter, a symptom of some underlying illness that needs to be treated by physicians

one of the dangers of labeling is that it often leads to ________

tracking

Deviance is often perceived as threatening because it

undermines predictability

Techniques of Neutralization

ways of thinking or rationalizing that help people deflect (or neutralize) society's norms

This is a basic principle of symbolic interactionism

we are thinking beings who act according to our definition of the situation

Henrietta worked her way up to vice-president of financial affairs. In this position, she saw how sloppy the record keeping was. As she tried to straighten things out, she saw an opportunity to direct money into her personal account, a way that she was sure could not be detected. She did so. Sociologists use this term to refer to what Henrietta did

white-collar crime

Stigma

"blemishes" that discredit a person's claim to a "normal" identity

2). anomie

(Loss of normalness), A condition in which social control becomes ineffective as a result of the loss of shared values and of a sense of purpose in society.

Reactions to Deviance

***{Street Crime and Prisons} ***{The Decline in Violent Crime} ***{Recidivism} ***{The Death Penalty and Bias} ***{The Trouble with Official Statistics} ***{The Medicalization of Deviance: Mental Illness} **{The Need for a More Humane Approach}

Explain the conflict view of class, crime, and the criminal justice system.

**The wealthy control the criminal justice system (the police, courts, and prisons designed to deal with law breakers). Because the poor pose the threat of rebellion, overthrowing the elite from their positions of privilege, the law comes down hard on the crimes of the poor, while the wealthy get a slap on the wrist.

The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

1). Differential Association Theory, (a). Families Friends, Neighborhoods, and Subcultures (b). Prison or Freedom? 2). Control Theory 3.) Labeling Theory

African Americans, who make up 12.8% of the U.S. population, make up this percentage of prisoners

38%

Try to recall the recidivism rate of former prisoners who had served time for crimes of violence. Within three years of their release from prison, this percentage had been rearrested

62%

1). anomie

A state of normlessness; anomie conditions erode social solidarity by means of excessive individualism, social inequality, and isolation.

The term degradation ceremony was coined by sociologist ________.

A) Harold Garfinkel

In The Scarlet Letter, why was Hester Prynne required to wear a scarlet "A" on her dress?

A) Sociologically, this served as a negative sanction and an example of shaming.

All of the following acts qualify as a white collar crime EXCEPT for which one?

A) a bank teller robbing the First National bank

According to strain theory, the underlying cause of deviance is that people experience a sense of normlessness. This sense of normlessness is referred to as ________.

A) anomie

Explanations for deviance that focus on genetic predispositions to explain why individuals commit deviant acts are most aligned with which discipline?

A) sociobiology

When citizens take the law into their own hands it is known as __________.

A) vigilantism

Explain why we need a more humane approach to deviants.

Actually the need for a humane approach to deviants has run through the chapter. This section just reinforces it. Our court system and prisons are in special need of overhaul.

_____ can be counted as a third strike.

Any crime that can be considered a felony

According to control theory, when are inner controls most effective in deterring deviant behavior?

B) In the presence of strong attachments, commitments, and involvement with other members of society.

Based on Merton's typologies, what do drug addicts, the homeless, nuns living in a convent, and monks living in a monastery have in common?

B) They are all retreatists.

The crime with the highest increase among women between 1992 and 2010 was ________.

B) drunk driving

The relativity of deviance is most aligned with which sociological perspective?

B) symbolic interactionism

In an effort to resist the label of "deviant," most people will develop rationales to justify their deviant acts. Sykes and Matza refer to these rationales as ________.

B) techniques of neutralization

Explain how being homeless can lead to "mental illness."

Being mentally can lead to someone losing a job and home and ending up on the streets. But being on the streets, with all of its problems, can lead to bizarre thinking and withdrawal into a private mental world.

A group's usual and customary social arrangements, on which its members depend and on which they base their lives, is called ________.

C) social order

The two disciplines that would be most concerned with addressing qualities within the individual to explain deviant behavior are ________ and ________.

C) sociobiology; psychology

Erving Goffman used the term ________ to refer to characteristics that discredit people.

C) stigma

Sociologists who believe we help to produce our own orientations to life by joining specific groups is most aligned with which sociological perspective?

C) symbolic interactionist

How a society treats its deviants is one measure of how humane it is. What would an examination of prisons and mental hospitals in the United States suggest regarding this standard?

D) They are both used as warehouse for the unwanted.

Based on differential association theory, what is the most likely background shared by juvenile delinquents?.

D) They are from families that have a history of being involved in crime.

Of the following, the crime with the highest recidivism rate within three years of release from prison is ________.

D) car theft

Inner and outer controls that work against our tendencies to deviate is known as what theory?

D) control theory

All of the following theories follow the principles of symbolic interactionism EXCEPT for which one?

D) strain theory

Explain how deviance can be functional for society.

Deviance clarifies moral boundaries, affirms norms, encourages unity, and promotes social change.

Explain why norms and sanctions are necessary for social life to exist.

For interactions to proceed smoothly, people must know what to expect of one another. Norms lay down those expectations, and sanctions help to keep people in line.

Norms of sexual behavior vary so widely around the world that what is considered normal in one society may be considered deviant in another

In Kenya, a group called the Pokot place high emphasis on sexual pleasure, and they expect that both a husband and wife will reach orgasm. If a husband does not satisfy his wife, he is in trouble.

List four deviant paths highlighted by strain theory.

Innovation, ritualization, retreatism, and rebellion.

Give basic statistics on recidivism.

Measured by rearrest of former prisoners within three years, recidivism is high - from 41% for murder to 79% for car theft.

Explain what deviance is and why it is relative.

Norms change from one society to another. Because deviance is the violation of norms, what is deviant also changes from one group to another, making deviance relative. **(It is not how how the person acts, but how society reacts to their actions)**

What is a form of social control?

Police punishing wrong doing, **Kid who steals holds a sign saying "IM A THEIF" as punish" instead of jail.

_____ is an important component in labeling theory.

Reputation

Strain Theory

Robert Merton's term for the strain engendered when a society socializes large numbers of people to desire a cultural goal (such as success), but withholds from some the approved means of reaching that goal; one adaptation tot he strain of crime, the choice of an innovative means (one outside the approved system) to attain the cultural goal

Explain the "three-strikes" laws and their dysfunctions.

Some states require a set prison term after conviction of a third felony. Some people who have committed small offenses end up with harsh penalties, even life imprisonment.

Explain what stigma is.

Stigma is a violation of norms so serious that it discredits and individual. As a negative master status, stigma overrides a person's other characteristics.

Explain control theory.

We all have desires to deviate. Working against these desires are inner controls (internalizaed morality - conscience, ideas of right and wrong) and outer controls (people - from friends to the police). The stronger our bond to society, the more effective are our inner controls. Basic self-control develops during childhood.

Explain labeling theory.

We use techniques of neutralization to reject negative labels. Some groups, such as teenagers and outlaw bikers, seek specific negative labels.

Discuss the relativity of crime.

What crime is varies from one society to another (women driving cars in Saudi Arabia) and in the same society from one time period to another (passage of new laws).

Hate Crime

a crime that is punished more severely because it is motivated by hatred (dislike, hostility, animosity) of someone's race-ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin

According to conflict theorists, the idea that the law operates impartially to bring justice is

a cultural myth promoted by the capitalist class

Social Control

a group's formal and informal means of enforcing its norms

Social Order

a group's usual and customary social arrangements, on which its members depend and on which they base their lives

Hazel was harassed by her classmates because she was a Muslim. One of her classmates became so angry when Hazel defended her religion that the classmate hit her. Hazel is a victim of

a hate crime

The term differential association applies to all groups we associate with, including our family. Different families have different effects on their children. One of the most remarkable statistics that demonstrates how differential association applies to the family is this: Of all prion inmates across the united States, about how many have a father, mother, sister, or spouse who have served time in prison?

half

Durkheim's point is that deviance _____.

has usefulness for society as a whole

According to sociologist Martin Jankowski, one of the reasons boys in the urban areas of the United States were motivated to join gangs was to _____.

help the community

The author claims that just as mental illness can cause homelessness so

homelessness can cause mental illness

Which of the following is NOT identified by the text as a factor affecting statistics on crime?

how descriptive statistics are computed

According to conflict theory, the criminal justice system does not focus on the executives of corporations and the harm they do through manufacturing unsafe products, creating pollution, and manipulating prices. Yet the violations of the capitalist class cannot be ignored totally because

if they become too outrageous or oppressive they might encourage the working class to revolt

Angela is a member of a girl's gang. She steals, fights, and sells drugs. Angela thinks of herself as a good citizen, and in her best moments, as a model for other girls. It is likely that Angela

is using techniques of neutralization

At the heart of the sociological perspective on deviance is this idea

it is not the act itself, but the reactions to the act, that makes something deviant

According to conflict theorists, the power elite uses the legal system to control workers and to stabilize the social order, all with the goal of

keeping itself in power

The significance of names or reputations given to people when they engage in certain types of behavior is the focus of _____ theory.

labeling

The girls gossiped about Annette, shaking their heads at the way she dressed. They began to call her a ***** behind her back. Gradually, her reputation spread throughout the school. This statement best matches this theoretical perspective

labeling theory

The rate of violent crimes has dropped drastically since some states passed the three-strikes laws and more offenders have been put in prison. Some sociologists disagree with this common-sense explanation for the decrease in violent crimes. Among the explanations they suggest is

less drug use

Many "anchors" tie people into mainstream norms and behaviors. Most prisoners are missing this "anchor"

marriage

penalties of less than a year of incarceration indicate that a law-norm of the level of a _______ has been broken

misdemeanor

Norm violations are met with _____ sanctions.

negative

Illegitimate Opportunity Structure

opportunities for crimes that are woven into the texture of life

In his challenge to the medicalization of deviance, Szasz says that the problem behaviors usually taken as a sign of mental illness are not caused by an illness in people's minds. Instead, he says they come from

people's experiences

Serial killing is _____.

perceived to be more common now, but this is not necessarily the case

from the functionalist perspective, deviance can be seen as a affirming norm promoting group unity and ______

permitting social change

The police saw Johnny urinating against a building. They ignored the matter because they thought Johnny was dealing drugs and if they kept observing him they would see a drug deal go down. They didn't, so they had to call it a night, but they still watched Johnny from time to time, hoping to catch him with drugs. This is an example of

police discretion

If you get an A in this class, you are receiving a

positive sanction

Smiles, congratulations, awards, and applause are all examples of _____.

positive sanctions

A renegade psychiatrist, Thomas Szasz, challenges the medicalization of deviance. He says that problem behaviors, including crime, are not a sign of mental illness. They are neither mental nor illness, he claims. Instead, they are

problem behaviors

Thomas Szasz believes mental illnesses should more appropriately be classified as _____.

problem behaviors

Functionalists say that deviance is functional for society. Which of these is not one of the functions they identify?

provides a better future

"This boy is getting in trouble with the police because his parents were too strict and demanding when they were toilet training him. He now has unresolved conflicts that he is working out by violating the law." Such a statement is likely to be made by a

psychologist

Those on death row most likely to be executed are African Americans and Latinos who killed whites. This finding is what kind of bias?

race-ethnicity

Clarissa grew increasingly upset about what she saw as the control of society by the wealthy, their corruption, and the lack of opportunities for the poor. Clarissa joined an underground group that wants to overthrow what its members see as the government of the wealthy, by the wealthy, and for the wealthy and replace it with one that offers equal opportunities for all. Clarissa is following this deviant path

rebellion

The variation of definitions of criminal behavior over space and time is an example of the _____ of crime.

relativity

From Chagnon's experience with the Yanomamo, you can see that different groups have different norms, that what is deviant to some is not deviant to others. This is called the

relativity of deviance

Positive Sanction

a reward or positive reaction for following norms, ranging from a smile to a material reward

Which of these descriptions best summarizes the trend in the number of U.S. prisoners?

a sharp increase since 1970, from about 200,000 to almost 2 million

The author interviewed family members and friends of a teenage serial killer who participated in the rape and murder of numerous teenagers. According to the medicalization of deviance, the crimes of this killer are

a sign of mental illness

Freddie was born with a cleft lip. The surgeons did a bad job in trying to fix it, and Freddie had been left disfigured. Everyone who meets Freddie immediately sees the disfigurement. Freddie has

a stigma

Philomena was defiant when she was accused of letting a friend copy her sociology paper. She said, "Who really got hurt? I had to help my friend." Philomena is using

a technique of neutralization

It is easy to see the relativity of deviance when it comes to little things, such as clothing thought inappropriate by some but considered fine by others. When it comes to crime, though, it can be more difficult to perceive this point. Yet crime is so relative that

an act admired in one society can be punished by death in another society

Negative Sanction

an expression of disapproval for breaking a norm, ranging from a mild, informal reaction such as a frown to a formal reaction such as a prison sentence or an execution

Even though Sam dropped out of school, he had no trouble finding "work." A local drug dealer gave him a job selling drugs. Sam's underground opportunity for financial success is part of what sociologists call

an illegitimate opportunity structure

Your friends tell you that when JoAnne, the mother of a mutual friend, went to a convention this past weekend she slept with her boss. Her husband who stayed home taking care of their child does not know about this. You shake your head and you mutter that you never thought she was that kind of person. You have just engaged in what sociologists call

an informal negative sanction

Sociologists do not use the term deviant as a way to judge people's behavior. They use deviance to refer to

any act to which people respond negatively

Institutionalized Means

approved ways of reaching cultural goals

If a goal of prisons is to teach their clients to stay away from crime, U.S. prisons

are colossal failures

The working class and those below it pose a special threat to the power elite because they

are the least rooted in society

A major argument of those who oppose capital punishment concerns

bias in the death penalty

Th fact that it is almost unheard of for a woman to be sentenced to death is an example of _____.

bias in the death penalty

Sociologist Howard S. Becker notes that deviance is defined _____.

by the reaction of others to the behavior

Just as social class opens and closes doors of opportunity - to both legal and illegal activities - so does gender. As ideas of gender changed, opening education, business, and the professions to women, it also brought this new opportunity to women, which they seized

committing crime

A _____ theorist is likely to be interested in studying the ways that the powerful are able to bypass the courts when they commit a crime.

conflict

In the means-end schema, a person who does "do the right thing" and does accomplish socially valued ends is a ________

conformist

Angelina was drawing a blank. She knew that she knew the answer to the question, but she couldn't think of it. The sociology test was important. If her GPA fell any lower, she would lose her scholarship. Angelina pretended to be scratching her head as she peered at the student's answers to the side of her. She quickly scribbled down the same answer. According to sociologists, Angelina is a

deviant

When he tried to hold up the 7-11 convenient store, Heinrich shot the clerk. An ambulance crew took her to the hospital, where she died the next day. According to sociologists, Heinrich is a

deviant

Ricardo's parents were upset by the neighborhood they were living in. They were especially bothered by Ricardo's friends. When Ricardo's dad received a promotion at work and a higher salary, the family moved to a better neighborhood. This statement best matches this theoretical perspective

differential association

When she entered college, Betty had a hard time making friends. Finally, she found a group of girls who accepted her. The girls shoplifted on a fairly regular basis. Betty had never shoplifted before, but she began to do so. This statement best matches this theoretical perspective

differential association

Which of the following theories is an example of the symbolic interactionist perspective?

differential association theory

the symbolic interactionist theory that refers to deviance as a result of who you hang out with is _________

differential association theory

Which of these characteristics would best predict that someone will go to prison?

dropped out of high school

The argument that deviance promotes social change is an example of which sociological perspective?

functionalist

Men who kill are more likely than female killers to receive the death penalty. On death row, men are also more likely than women to be executed. These findings are examples of what kind of bias in the death penalty?

gender

The "three-strikes" laws are modeled after baseball. After being convicted of a third felony, an individual is

given a mandatory prison sentence

Brad has developed an "excess of definitions" that support his rationalization to sell marijuana in his dormitory. He feels marijuana is "a safe drug," considers himself as only providing his fellow students a product they demand, and saves money in the process for his own marijuana needs. Brad's behavior can best be explained by which theory of deviance?

The Theory of Differential Association

Stereotypes, both positive and negative, help to form the perception and reaction of authorities.

EX: the stereo type you associate with a prisoner, or a hobo.

White-Collar Crime

Edwin Sutherland's term for crimes committed by people of respectable and high social status in the course of their occupations; for example, bribery of public officials, embezzlement, false advertising, and price fixing

Differential Association

Edwin Sutherland's term to indicate that people who associate with some groups learn an "excess of definitions" of deviance, increasing the likelihood that they will become deviant

Sociologist _____ used the term stigma to refer to characteristics that discredit people.

Erving Goffman

Summarize geographical, social class, gender, and race-ethnic biases in the death penalty.

Geography: Only some states have the death penalty. Social Class: The uneducated are more likely to be on death row. Gender: Women are less likely to be sentences to death or to be executed. Race-ethnicity: African Americans and Latinos who killed whites are more likely to be executed.

Take and explain a position on hate crimes.

Hate crimes carry extra penalties because they are motivated by hate or dislike. You should have applied your social location to try to understand whatever position you took on hate crimes.

Joe steals some tires. How would control theory likely explain this?

Joe does not have enough inner or outer controls

Discuss the increase in imprisonment and who the prisoners are.

Since 1970, the number of prisoners has increased roughly from 200,000 to 2 million. Most prisoners are under age 35, never married, and with low education. African Americans make up 38% of prisoners but only 13% of the population.

Explain how strain theory illustrates how mainstream values produce deviance.

Socializing everyone into wanting success encourages people whose legitimate means to success are blocked to take deviant paths to success.

To explain why people deviate, sociobiologists and psychologists look for reasons within the individual, such as genetic predispositions or personality disorders.

Sociologists, in contrast, look for explanations outside the individual, in social experiences.

Summarize suggested reasons for the drop in violent crime.

The common assumption is longer prison sentences, but other explanations include abortion, higher employment, and less drug use.

Explain differential association theory.

The different groups with which we associate give us massages about conformity and deviance. We receive an excess of definitions that tilts us toward conformance or deviance. In this process are family, friends, neighbors, and subcultures.

Contrast sociobiological, psychological, and sociological explanations of deviance.

The main difference is that sociological explanations look for influences for deviance outside the individual, such as socialization and peer groups. The other two look for causes within the individual, sociobiological in inherited characteristics and psychological in personality defects.

State if serial murder has become more common.

There are no statistics on this, so the answer is unknown. But it is likely.

Explain illegitimate opportunity structures.

This term refers to the opportunity to commit different types of crime, a door that social class opens and closes. Gender also holds a key to this door.

State what the medicalization of deviance is and summarize Szasz's objection on it.

To medicalize deviance is to say that the behavior is a sign of mental illness and needs to be treated by a physician. Thomas Szasz's position is that problem behavior is behavior. It is not mental and it is not illness. People have learned ways of coping with problems in such a way that their coping behavior is a problem to others. It is problematic, but it remains behavior.

Summarize the problem with official crime statistics.

Unlike oranges, crime statistics do not have an objective existence. They depend on the classifications being used, how acts are fit into the classification, and police discretion.

Hank could hardly stand the temptation. The teacher had left her purse on her desk, and he knew she had just cashed her check. Hank needed the money, but he heard his conscience shouting at him, and he didn't go near the purse. This statement best matches the theoretical perspective

control theory

We are kept in line through processes that _____.

control us

Henry worked his way up to vice-president of financial affairs. In this position, he experienced intense pressure to show high profits for the corporation. To produce a better report for the stockholders, Henry devised a plan to hide some of the corporate debt. What Henry did was a crime. Sociologists use this term to refer to what Henry did

corporate crime

A specific form of deviance that involves the violation of rules that have been written into law is called _____.

crime

Corporate Crime

crimes committed by executives in order to benefit their corporation

Street Crime

crimes such as mugging, rape, and burglary

The quote from Emile Durkheim about norm violations in a society of saints was intended to illustrate that

deviance is inevitable

"it is not the act itself, but the reactions to the set, that makes something ________"

deviant

Control theory stresses that you have two control systems that work against your motivation to deviate. These are you

inner and outer controls

The main idea of control theory is that most people have strong desires to be deviant, but two systems work against their motivation to deviate. These two systems are termed _____.

inner and outer controls

Frankie's job didn't pay enough to buy the things he saw on television - things that many of his friends had, and that he felt he deserved. He began to steal from his employer. In strain theory, Frankie is following this deviant path

innovation

in the means-end schema, a person who doesn't "do the right thing" but does accomplish socially valued ends is a __________

innovator

The fact that the same behavior regarding mate selection can be defined as rape in Nebraska and marriage in Iraq illustrates the sociological fact that deviance _____.

is culturally relative

Criminal Justice System

the system of police, courts, and prisons set up to deal with people who are accused of having committed a crime

Capital Punishment

the death penalty

The author uses this example to indicate that we need

the homeless

Serial Murder

the killing of several victims in three or more separate events

Cindy was caught shoplifting. The school counselor told Cindy's parents that their daughter has a problem identifying with her mother and that Cindy is "acting out." The counselor recommends that Cindy see a psychiatrist for treatment. This is an example of

the medialization of deviance

Cultural Goals

the objectives held out as legitimate or desirable for the members of a society to achieve

Police Discretion

the practice of the police, in the normal course of their duties, to either arrest or ticket someone for an offense or to overlook the matter

Which statement is LEAST accurate regarding deviance and conformity?

the primary factor that determines if a behavior is deviant is the act itself

The recidivism rate itself gives us information about _____.

the proportion of offenders who re-offended

Recidivism Rate

the proportion of released convicts who are rearrested

It is a crime in Saudi Arabia for a woman to drive a car. (Technically, this is not a crime, but you can't drive without a driver's license - and women cannot get driver's licenses!) It is legal for women to drive cars in Canada. This is an example of

the relativity of crime