Sociology Chp. 6

If you got pulled over for speeding, and the punishment was 20 years in prison, it might make you reconsider the speed at which you drive, right? This idea is called:

Deterrence

A man riding on a bus when suddenly, for no reason, he stands up and yells, "FIRE! FIRE!" There is clearly no fire, and people are really irritated at the delay this causes. His behavior was:

Deviance

How does structural strain theory explain the existence of deviance?

Deviance is the result of the tension between socially approved goals and an individual's ability to meet those goals through socially approved means.

How does structural strain theory explain the existence of deviance??

Deviance is the result of the tension between socially approved goals and individual's ability to meet those goals through socially approved means.

Angela's mother says to her, "I don't want you to hang around with Melissa. She's going to be a bad influence on you." The mother may not know it, but she's subscribing to which theory?

Differential Association Theory

According to Merton's structural strain theory, an individual who deals drugs in order to get rich would be called a/an?

Innovator

David Rosenhan argues that misdiagnosis is particular a problem for psychologists, as a diagnosis of a mental illness is as influential on the patient as it is on her relatives and friends. It should not surprise anyone that the diagnosis acts as a(n):

Self-fulfilling prophecy

Johnny got sick and missed a week of school. He failed the test when he came back. His friends called him stupid. He was so upset that he didn't want to go back to school, so he skipped a lot classes. His teacher said that he wasn't a good student, so he decided to drop out of school. What happened?

Self-fulfilling prophecy

Insider trading is an example of:

White-collar crimes.

What did Robert Merton call a prediction that came true only because the prediction was made?

A self-fulfilling prophecy

Which sociological theory would agree with the following statements, "Deviance is defined by the powerful, and the behaviors of the less powerful are more likely to be criminalized than the behaviors of the powerful"?

Conflict Theory

Why was imprisonment such a rare type of punishment before the nineteenth century?

Earlier societies did not have sufficient resources to operate prisons.

Sociological research has consistently shown that, as punishments become more severe, the crime rate declines.

False

According to labeling theory, why were none of the pseudopatients in David Rosenhan's "On Being Sane in Insane Places" discovered?

Once a person has been labeled "mentally ill," it is very hard for anyone to see past the label.

If someone breaks into your house or car, that person has committed:

Property Crimes

Robert Merton developed structural strain theory to explain why deviance happens. What sort of strain does the theory's name refer to?

Strain between socially approved goals and the means that an individual has for realizing them.

Which sociological theory would agree with the following statement: "Deviance helps society clarify moral boundaries and promotes social cohesion"?

Structural Functionalism

According to the structural strain theory of deviance as articulated by Robert Merton, what is one of the principal reasons that people turn to deviant behavior in the United States?

The goal of success is shared by a majority of people, but not everyone has equal means to achieve that goal.

Examine the graphic depiction above of Robert Merton's typology of deviance. Why do you think that those who embrace both new means and new goals are depicted as being just barely connected to the other types that Merton described?

They advocated a radical alternative to the existing social order and are trying to break free from everyone else.

According to the structural-functional theory, the function of deviance is to help clarify moral boundaries and affirm social norms.

True

Sociologists argue that no behavior, not even one designed to kill a great number of people is inherently deviant.

True

Sociologists can say that deviance is relative because whether a behavior is considered deviant depends upon the historical, cultural, and/or situational context in which it occurs.

True

Which of the following would sociologists consider the best definition of deviance?

Violations of social norms

In "On Being Sane in Insane Places," David Rosenhan suggests that:

researchers posing as "pseudopatients" in mental hospital, but otherwise acting normally, where nonetheless treated as insane by the hospital staff.

W.J. Thomas famously argued that "if men define situations as real, then:

they are real in their consequences."