sociology ch 5+6

conflict theory

Definitions and rules of deviance are applied unequally based on power (Students with fewer resources are punished harshly and have fewer options afterward; students with more money or connections can either transfer to another school or rely on their parents for help.)

Which of the following describes how deviance can be explained from the functionalist perspective?

Deviance clarifies moral boundaries and affirms norms.

structural functionalism

Deviance clarifies moral boundaries and promotes social cohesion (Punishing those who plagiarize separates those who should be in college from those who aren't responsible enough.)

symbolic interactionism

The definition of deviance is relative and depends on the culture, time period, and situation (Plagiarism may be labeled as deviant in the United States but not in Russia or India.)

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?

Yes, because she stays in the United States where face tattoo is not the norm

A crowd, aggregate, and category are all different ways of referring to a group, according to sociologists.

false

Differential association theory is associated with structural functionalism

false, symbolic interactionism

A behavior, trait, or belief is considered deviant if it

departs from a norm and results in a negative reaction.

Sociologically, what is the difference between a group and a crowd?

Individuals associated with a group feel a shared identity and have ongoing social relations

Which of the following statements about secondary groups is true

They tend to be based on specific roles or activities

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

Theyuse meidung, or shunning, which is a process whereby community members will not associate with a rule breaker for a set period of time

A student at a university explains that he doesn't want to join a fraternity because he believes they create negative in-group and out-group dynamics. What perspective best describes his views?

conflict theory

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.

conflict theory (conflict theory argues that the division of society into privileged class and marginalized class generates conflict because of their nature; there will always be breakdowns if this system remains in society; proposed by Karl Marx)

Members of a/an ________ interact with one another and think of themselves as belonging together.

group

Through a sociological lens, a ________ would be considered a group.

high school chess club

Regarding stigma, symbolic interactionists are interested in

how people manage their stigmatized identities on an everyday basis.

According to labeling theory, none of the pseudo-patients in David Rosenhan's "On Being Sane in Insane Places" were discovered because

it is difficult for anyone to see past the label once a person has been labeled "mentally ill." (researchers posing as "psuedopatients" in a mental hospital, but otherwise acting normally, were nonetheless treated as insane by the hospital staff)

Many sociologists have worried that the modern economy demands both geographic and occupational mobility, which, in turn, means that bureaucratic organizations have become the norm. What sort of groups might become weaker or strained if people have to move frequently throughout their lives for work?

primary groups

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?

social control theory

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?

strain between socially approved goals and the means of achieving them

Members of a fraternity believe that they help create social cohesion by bringing together students with shared values. What perspective best describes their views?

structural functionalism

The mother of a university student is worried about her son joining a fraternity. She worries that peer pressure and groupthink may lead her son to do things he wouldn't normally do, such as binge drinking. What perspective best describes her views?

symbolic interactionism (the symbolic interactionist perspective states that society creates meaning through a series of "symbols". For example, a person might watch the news and create a symbolic image of another country, even if the person hasn't actually visited the place. This theory explains that the shared meanings in a society shape individual behavior. In this passage, the mother is concerned because she believes groupthink will afect her son's perception of what is socially acceptable.)

Sociologists would not consider fans of the rock musician Bruce Springsteen to be a group. Why not?

they don't interact enough

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.

true

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

true

There is a social tie between my best friend's uncle and me even though I've never met him.

true

John gets a job with a large firm that audits small businesses. While working at the firm, he becomes friends with Dave, who invites him to attend a weekly poker game. The game soon becomes a meaningful part of John's social life. This is an example of the

way secondary group ties can lead to membership in primary groups.

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

what is considered deviant changes over time.