Social Deviance Test 1&2

Female genital mutilation mostly takes place in _____.

Africa

Because men own their wives, they cannot actually be found guilty of raping them.

False

Conflict sociologists begin with the idea that modern societies have achieved a high degree of social and cultural unity.

False

Early positivist criminologists were convinced that a person's criminal status changed through time and from culture to culture.

False

Feminist theorists argue that women's experience of deviance is essentially no different from the experience of men.

False

It is impossible for a woman to rape a man; such a case of rape has not been known to take place except in the movies or some men's fantasies.

False

Labeling and phenomenological theories concentrate on understanding the causes of deviance.

False

Most rapists choose strangers as their victims.

False

Powerful people have less need to engage in deviance because they have so much already.

False

Reported figures of the number of Americans who are victims of family violence are inflated.

False

Secondary deviance occurs when a person who is labeled a deviant passively accepts the stigmatizing label and undertakes a deviant career.

False

Which theoretical perspective attributes deviance to the unequal distribution of resources brought about by the exploitative capitalist system?

Marxist theory

Which of the following concepts constitutes the core of Sutherland's differential association theory?

NOT an excess of criminal over normative personality traits

Which of the following traits is part of the traditional masculine social role that leads to rape?

The male should take an active part in achieving social and sexual relations with females.

Which of the following statements about the definition of deviance is true?

There is usually a great deal of disagreement among people as to what they consider deviant.

Culture plays a role in determining the definition of deviant behavior.

True

From the feminist perspective, rape is primarily an expression of men's dominance over women.

True

In the family, physical abuse of children is far more common than sexual abuse.

True

Phenomenological theory focuses on people's subjectivity, consciousness, perception, and opinions about deviance.

True

Research shows that child molesters fail disastrously to meet the cultural standards of masculinity.

True

There is a relationship between family violence and poverty.

True

To phenomenologists, the deviant's subjective experience is the heart of deviant reality.

True

Two reasons why the powerful are likely to commit profitable deviance are a greater deviant opportunity and a strong deviant motivation.

True

When caregivers have problems with money or stress they are more likely to become elder abusers.

True

All of the following are part of the positivist perspective on deviance, EXCEPT that deviance is _____.

a label

According to a definition of spouse abuse that includes both violent and nonviolent acts, _____.

about 1/3 of all married persons in the U.S. assault their spouses

According to Menachim Amir, a common victim behavior that leads to "victim-precipitated rape" involves the woman _____.

agreeing to have a drink or a ride home with a stranger

According to the constructionist perspective, deviant behavior is _____.

an expression of human volition

The essential idea of conflict theory is that conflict as well as its resulting criminality is _____.

an inherent, normal, and integral part of complex modern societies

All of the following are assumptions of the constructionist perspective on deviance EXCEPT that deviance should be seen as _____.

an objective fact

Feminist theorists argue that most theories of deviance _____.

are only about men

Cohen's theory of status frustration closely resembles Merton's goal-means gap because they both _____.

assert that lower-class people are more likely to engage in deviant actions

The deterrence doctrine assumes that human beings, when anticipating deviant behavior, are _____.

basically rational

Child molesters are likely to _____.

be their victim's relatives or neighbors

Sociologists who study the role of power in the definition of deviance have discovered that the rich and powerful _____.

can avoid the label of deviance

To say that deviance is determined behavior implies that humans _____.

cannot choose between good and bad

Positivist sociological theories attempt to explain the _____ of deviance.

causes

Definitions of deviance fall into 2 opposing perspectives, positivist and _____.

constructionist

The _____ perspective is more pertinent for studying less serious kinds of deviance.

constructionist

Which of the following is NOT one of the constructionist theories of deviance?

control theory

Hank is a sociologist investigating the causes of crime. He is interested in how some areas of the city have traditions of crime that persist over generations, and how individuals easily move into groups following those traditions. What theory of deviance is guiding Hank's research?

differential association theory

Burgess and Akers argued that before one becomes criminal, a process of _____ must occur where he or she is rewarded for continuing deviant behavior.

differential reinforcement

Secondary victimization, or the "feeling of being raped again," refers to the victim's _____.

encounter with the police

According to Sutherland's differential association theory, a person becomes deviant or delinquent when there is a(n) _____.

excess of deviant contacts favorable to the violation of the law

Most rape survivors go through two phases of disorganization before regaining their ability to live normally: an acute phase of humiliation and self-blame, and a longer phase marked by _____.

frightening dreams and phobias

According to sociologists, participation in gang rape _____.

fulfills a social need more than a sexual desire

According to the deterrence doctrine, all of the following would help reduce the rate of crime, except for making punishment more _____.

general

Which of the following kinds of deviance is best understood through the positivist perspective?

higher-consensus deviance

Which of the following statements reflects the symbolic interactionist's view of human beings?

humans face, deal with, and act toward the objects they encounter

According to Glaser, before a person pursues criminal behavior, he or she must first _____ real or imaginary persons whose criminal behavior seems acceptable.

identify with

All of Jane's friends have jewelry and new clothes, but Jane has no money to buy these kinds of things. She therefore resorted to shoplifting to get what she wanted. According to Merton's theory, her behavior is an example of _____.

innovation

If you believe that deviant behavior has characteristics that distinguish it from conforming behavior, you believe deviance is _____.

intrinsically real

Deviant behavior is any behavior that _____.

is considered deviant by public consensus, which may range from maximum to minimum

According to Richard Quinney, there are different ways for the dominant class to define the social reality of crime. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

it engages in behavior that is defined as criminal

All of the following are factors that lead to more rape-prone campuses, EXCEPT _____.

mandatory membership in fraternities

John experienced family violence as he was growing up. According to social learning theory, he is _____.

more likely to engage in family violence

According to labeling theory, being labeled deviant produces _____ for that person.

negative consequences

Chambliss stated that the tendency of the police, prosecutors, and judges to become tools of power and privilege is caused by the _____, or the need of organizations to compel their members to maximum rewards.

organizational imperative

Which of the following is NOT a symptom of battered woman syndrome?

passively submitting to more violence

Which of the following is NOT a primarily positivist theory of deviance?

phenomenological theory

Which of the following theories examines the subjectivity of people, including their attitudes, feelings, and opinions about deviance?

phenomenological theory

Determinist, objectivist, and absolutist are other terms for aspects of the _____ perspective on deviance.

positivist

Joe is a sociologist who is undertaking a study of drug use. He is interested in how broken families and poor neighborhoods lead to more problems of drug addiction. Joe is following a _____ theory of deviant behavior.

positivist

According to Lemert, what is the first act in the sequence of interaction leading to secondary deviation?

primary deviation

Labeling theory interprets deviance as a(n) _____.

process of symbolic interactionism

Which of the following behavioral characteristics would a rapist NOT consider to be a sign of vulnerability?

projecting confidence without appearing aggressive

All of the following are ways that pornography is implicated in the problem of rape EXCEPT that it _____.

provides an erotic sexual outlet

Peter, disillusioned with the way things are going, decides to live in a hippie commune away from the rest of society. According to Merton's theory, his behavior is an example of _____.

retreatism

The main purpose of the positivist approach to deviance is _____.

seeking out the causes of deviant behavior

Problematic interaction between a parent and child is one cause of child abuse. All of the following are problems of interaction, EXCEPT for _____.

social approval of physical punishment

The incompatible interests, needs, and desires of diverse groups of people in society can lead to _____.

social conflict

Today's positivist sociologists now recognize the importance of _____ in understanding deviant behavior.

social factors

According to the power theory, the types of deviance and the types of persons who commit deviant acts are strongly influenced by _____.

social inequality

Merton's version of anomie-strain theory is based on the premise that _____.

society encourages the individual to engage in deviance

All of the following are ways that abusive spouses try to rationalize their violent acts, EXCEPT for _____.

stating that they do not remember carrying out the rape

Which of the following conditions separates the positivist and constructionist perspectives on deviance?

the amount of public consensus about what type of behavior is deviant

One reason why Church leaders failed to dismiss offending priests from their jobs is _____.

the church's culture of secrecy and forgiveness

The strong motivation for rape in prison appears to be _____.

the drive for power

According to the Marxist explanation of deviance, the cause of deviance can be traced to _____.

the exploitative nature of capitalism

All of the following are part of America's culture of rape EXCEPT _____.

the formation of anti-rape organizations like rape crisis centers

What do phenomenologists mean by the term deviant reality?

the subjective meaning that deviants impute to their own deviant experience

Child molestation is considered a form of rape because _____.

the victims are too young to give their consent

Which of the following is a reason why most of the women who continue to live with an abusive husbands do not leave?

they fear their abuser will retailate

With acquaintance rape, the rapist mostly uses _____.

verbal coercion

What is the central question posed by control theories of deviance?

what causes conformity

Older people are more likely to be abused if they live _____.

with relatives

All of the following statements about incest are true EXCEPT that _____.

young victims of incest usually forget about the past and lead normal sexual lives as adults