sociology - chapter 6

What did David Rosenhan describe in "On Being Sane in Insane Places"?

Researchers posing as "pseudo-patients" in a mental hospital but otherwise acting normally were treated as mentally ill by the hospital staff.

What has most of the sociological literature on deviance traditionally focused on?

crime

What is the justification for harsh sentencing guidelines like California's controversial "three strikes" law?

deterrence of future crimes

__________ association theory argues that we learn to be deviant from peers who are deviant.

differential

For Robert Merton, a prediction that came true only because the prediction was made is a

self-fulfilling prophecy.

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?

stereotype threat

Rey's right arm was amputated when she was a child due to complications from cancer. Even though she is more comfortable without it, she will often wear her prosthetic arm when she is in public in order to avoid people staring at her or asking questions about her amputation. This is an example of

passing

The concept of __________, in which a person self-identifies as deviant and initiates their own labeling process, indicates that in some circumstances, the deviant label can be beneficial.

deviance avowal

Which factor makes sociologists question the relationship between youth and crime?

Young people may commit crimes that are more visible and, therefore, are arrested more often.

Frankie has given up on becoming wealthy, famous, powerful, or whatever else society says they should value. Instead, Frankie follows their workday as usual, going through the motions and never stepping out of line, but not caring much about anything. Robert Merton would most likely classify Frankie as

a rebel

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."

Which of the following situations is an example of deviance avowal?

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.

Which of the following statements about crime and gender have been supported by data from the last decade?

As women gain power in the labor market through education and income, crime rates among women rise to match those among men more closely.

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

Deviance clarifies moral boundaries and affirms norms.

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?

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

Why might teenagers shoplift, according to Jack Katz's Seductions of Crime?

They want the thrill of getting away with breaking the rules.

__________ proposed social control theory, which suggests that individuals with stronger bonds are LESS likely to commit crime.

Travis Hirschi

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, but only because she lives in the United States where face tattoos are not the norm.

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?

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

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?

differential association

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

in-group orientation

In an authoritarian regime, a well-known political agitator has been sentenced to house arrest for thirty days because the government fears the possibility of them inciting a riot or other disturbance. What is the logic of this punishment?

incapacitation

According to the Uniform Crime Report, which of the following is the most common type of crime?

larceny

Steph sometimes takes printer paper, ink, and other stationery supplies from the store where they work. However, when they heard that someone had been stealing cash from the safe, they were appalled. Steph may not steal money, but what they do is somewhat similar, and it is called

pilfering.

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

positive deviance

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 adviser, 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

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

violations of social norms

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?

Stigmatized identities change over time.

Almost any __________ can have a stigmatizing effect, including a physical disability, an addiction, or a mental illness.

departure from the norm

When Avi went off to college, his grandfather told him to choose his friends wisely in order to stay out of trouble. Which symbolic interactionist theory of deviance does this explanation most closely resemble?

differential association

Regarding stigma, symbolic interactionists are interested in

how people manage their stigmatized identities on an everyday basis.

A deviant label transitions from primary to secondary deviance when the deviant label is

internalized

What term describes "actions considered deviant within a given context but are later reinterpreted as appropriate or even heroic"?

positive deviance

Van got in a fight with another kid on the first day of school. From that day on, he had the reputation of being a troublemaker. He got into more and more trouble over the school year as he began to think of himself as a troublemaker and acted accordingly. For Van, the first fight he got into is an example of

primary deviance

Right before Carly took a standardized mathematics exam, she was reminded that many people believe women are inherently less capable of mathematical reasoning than men. She began to worry that she would not do well on the exam and thereby confirm these beliefs about women. The stress and anxiety this caused diminished her performance and she scored poorly on the exam. Which concept does this story exemplify?

stereotype threat