ch. 7 sociology
Which statements fit the ideas described in social disorganization theory?
When communal relationships break down, crime and deviance tend to increase. Social problems increase when neighborhoods have deteriorating buildings and declining populations.
The theory that attempts to explain why certain people are viewed as deviants and criminals, while others who engage in similar behavior are not is known as
labeling theory
Which theory attempts to explain why some people are considered deviant for behaviors that other people may engage in with lesser consequences?
labeling theory
Which of the following statements about crime in the United States is true?
Both violent crime and property crime have dropped dramatically since the 1990s.
According to ________ theorists, socialization develops our self-control so well that we do not need further pressure to obey social norms.
control
Which school of thought emphasizes that one learns criminal behavior by interacting with others?
cultural transmission
Which of the following is a new type of white-collar crime that emerged around the beginning of the twenty-first century?
cybercrime
Social control can best be described as the techniques and strategies for preventing ______ behavior in any group or society.
deviant
When members of a culture violate the norms of that culture, they are displaying ______ behavior.
deviant
If a criminal justice system treats a certain race or social class differently from another race or social class, it is displaying
differential justice.
True or false: According to sociologists, deviant behavior occurs because of genetic disposition.
false
True or false: Crime statistics related to rape are the most reliable data because most sex crimes against women are nearly always reported.
false
True or false: The United States has a higher rate of car theft than Australia, England, Italy, and New Zealand.
false
According to Edwin Sutherland's theory about cultural transmission and how it affects behavior, a person
learns criminal behavior by interacting with others.
A professional criminal is someone who
makes a business of committing crimes.
According to feminist criminologists, many of the existing approaches to deviance and crime were developed with only
men in mind
Which of the following are index crimes that are tabulated each year by the Federal Bureau of Investigation?
motor vehicle theft larceny-theft assault
What are some of the possible explanations sociologists have given for the decline in crime?
new crime prevention programs the aging of the population the decline of the crack cocaine epidemic of the late 1980s
Informal social control is used by people to casually enforce social
norms
Formal social control is used to discourage violations of social norms and to encourage which behaviors?
obedience conformity
People ______ their superiors and ______ their peers.
obey; conform to
Once people have had a stigma attached to their identities, they
often have trouble presenting a positive image to others. may experience lowered self-esteem.
When an illegal activity, such as prostitution or gambling, is regulated by a group, it could be said that this activity is dominated by
organized crime
Professional criminals resemble ______, in that they have work-based relationships and become part of a subculture related to their field.
people in ordinary occupations
Functionalists note that deviance creates both ______ and ______ consequences for social stability.
positive; negative
Which of the following are crimes reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the Uniform Crime Report?
rape murder arson robbery
If we violate social norms, we may face punishment through informal or formal
sanctions
All of the following are examples of informal social control except
sending someone to jail
The sociologist Howard Becker made the statement that "deviant behavior is behavior that people so label." He is associated with which approach to deviance?
societal-reaction approach
Émile Durkheim suggested that punishments within a culture help define acceptable behavior and thus contribute to social
stability
Erving Goffman coined the term _________ to describe the labels society uses to devalue members of certain social groups.
stigma
The term social control refers to the
techniques and strategies used to prevent deviant human behavior in any society.
The term differential justice can best be defined as
the type of treatment that different races, ethnic groups, or social classes get from the criminal justice system.
In which of the following countries was violent crime the most common during the 1980s and 1990s?
the united states
True or false: Many people dispute the idea that behaviors such as excessive drinking and compulsive gambling are victimless crimes.
true
Crime statistics in the United States show
Crime statistics in the United States show
Obedience can best be defined as
following the commands of a perceived authority.
When a school principal suspends a student, the principal is using or applying
formal social control.
The term law may be defined as
governmental social control.
When an offender is motivated to choose a victim based on race, religion, ethnic group, national origin, or sexual orientation, this is considered by the government to be a
hate crime
Which of the following are examples of white-collar cybercrime?
identity theft online auction site scams
Which examples demonstrate how technology has negatively affected standards of social behavior?
Inappropriate posts to online discussion boards Uncivil online comments Abusive voicemail
Which of the following are common criticisms of social disorganization theory?
It fails to account for troubled neighborhoods that have strong, viable organizations. It seems to blame the victims.
In which ways can organized crime infiltrate a society?
It gains influence over labor unions. It protects merchants in exchange for a so-called "tax." It can take over legitimate business.
Which statement best describes conflict theorists' views on lawmaking?
Lawmaking is an attempt by people in power to force their norms and values on others.
When sociologist William Chambliss observed the Saints and the Roughnecks, what did he conclude?
Social class played an important role in the varying fortunes of the two groups.
The social psychologist ______ made a useful distinction between conformity and obedience.
Stanley Milgram
Which of the following are examples of white-collar crimes?
Stock manipulation Corruption Tax fraud
Which situations are examples of differential association?
An athlete takes performance-enhancing drugs after hearing her teammates talk about using them. A teenager whose friends skip school and commit petty crimes begins to do the same.
Even though physical and behavioral characteristics stigmatize people, oftentimes high technology crimes do not. Which of the following are socially tolerated forms of deviance?
Even though physical and behavioral characteristics stigmatize people, oftentimes high technology crimes do not. Which of the following are socially tolerated forms of deviance?
According to sociologist Travis Hirschi's control theory, what is the main reason people conform to social norms?
Our bonds to family, friends, and peers influence us to go along with social mores.
According to the United Nations, which of the following are transnational crimes?
Terrorism Migrant smuggling Theft of cultural artifacts
Which of the following statements about hate crimes are true?
They are sometimes referred to as bias crimes. An ordinary crime can be a hate crime if the offender chooses a victim based on race, religion, ethnic group, national origin, or sexual orientation. They are defined by both the purpose of the offenders' conduct and their actions.
According to most functionalists, what is deviance?
a common part of human existence that helps define limits of proper behavior
Émile Durkheim used the term ______ to describe the loss of direction felt by individuals in a society when social control of individual behavior has become ineffective.
anomie
Crime refers to
anything that violates criminal law.
Which of the following is considered a white-collar crime?
bribery
Feminist criminologists contend that
certain laws protect the rights of men above the rights of women.
Sociologists see laws as
changing standards of right and wrong which define violation and prescribe sanctions.
Recruits who enter military service typically ______ to the habits and language of other recruits and ______ the orders of superior officers.
conform; obey
According to the sociologist Robert Merton's anomie theory of deviance, the most common adaptation to societal means and goals is
conformity
Which are the five basic modes of adaptation to social norms according to Robert Merton's anomie theory of deviance?
conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion
