Sociology exam 2
The sociological definition of social deviance
stresses social context, not individual behavior.
Sociologists would consider crime to be a form of deviance
formal
If a sociologist considered tattoos a form of deviance, they would categorize it as a type of deviance.
informal
Which of the following is an example of informal deviance?
body piercing
When a student violates customary norms, s/he is engaging in
informal deviance
Which of the following statements about deviance is false?
Most deviant actions are deviant no matter what the circumstances.
According to Durkheim deviance is functional because it
Helps members of society know what is considered normal behavior
According to Durkheim, why do societies actually need deviance?
in order to recognize normal behavior
In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, many Americans publicly demonstrated their patriotism. This is an illustration of Durkheim's belief that
deviance produces social solidarity.
According to the text, the example of attitudes toward smoking in the U.S. demonstrates the concept that
perceptions of deviance are influenced by social change.
Which of the following questions would a sociologist not be likely to ask about deviance?
Why do some types of people act more deviant than other types of people?
How do sociologists define deviance?
As behavior that violates social norms
Psychological explanations of deviance emphasize as the underlying cause of deviant behavior, unlike sociological explanations.
individual factors
Which of the following questions about deviance is more psychological than sociological?
What is it about this person that causes them to be deviant?
Explanations that emphasize the physical or genetic roots of deviant behavior are referred to as by sociologists.
the medicalization of deviance
Which of the following is an example of the medicalization of deviance?
alcoholism
The primary sociological criticism of the medicalization of deviance is that it
ignores the impact of the social structure in the creation of deviant behavior.
Smoking as deviant emerged due to what social reality?
social movements
Which of these statements about deviant behavior would be considered true from a sociological perspective?
Deviance may be an adaptation to the social structures in which people live.
Functionalist theories of deviance
view deviance as necessary in order to clarify what the norms of society are.
Durkheim's research on formed some of the framework for the functionalist understanding of deviance.
suicide
A policy maker wants to address drug use with therapy. Which of the following is he or she advocating?
Medicalization of deviance
Merton's structural strain theory traces the origins of deviance to
the tension between desired cultural goals and the means of achieving them
According to Merton, members of the are most likely to experience the structural strain that produces deviance.
lower class
Smoking as deviant emerged due to what social reality?
social movements
Social control theory suggests that deviance occurs when:
a person's attachment to social bonds is weakened.
Social control theory is based on the assumptions that
there is a common value system and most people feel some impulse toward deviance.
Which of these statements about functionalist theory is false?
It explains how social norms first become established in society
A criticism of the functional perspective of deviance is that it
does not explain why some people are able to impose their ideas judgments on others.
When a wealthy and powerful executive engages in deviance representing his or her organization it is referred to as .
Elite
Conflict theorists argue that
The power to define deviance is an important form of social control.
A strength of conflict theory in terms of understanding deviance is
its insight into the significance of power relationships.
A weakness of conflict theory in terms of understanding deviance is that it
Is less effective explaining forms of deviance other than crime.
W. I. Thomas explained deviance as:
a normal response to social conditions.
What is the original source of symbolic interactionist theories of deviance?
the perspective of the Chicago School
The University of Chicago sociologist who defined deviance as a normal response to the social conditions in which people find themselves is
W. I. Thomas
Differential association theory explains deviance by
emphasizing how deviance is culturally transmitted.
The perspective that uses a micro approach to deviance includes
symbolic interactionism
Which of these statements about deviant identity from a labeling perspective is false?
A deviance identity is nearly impossible to change.
The strength of labeling theory is that it
acknowledges that the judgments people make about deviance have powerful effects.
What is the sociological relationship between deviance and stigma?
People who are stigmatized are frequently labeled as deviant.
A problem with differential association theory is that it
does not explain how people who are not members of deviant cultures become deviants.
The perspective that uses a micro approach to deviance includes .
symbolic interactionism
From a sociological standpoint, the situation of the rugby team stranded for months in the Andes demonstrates that eating human flesh
may be a rational response to a difficult situation.
Anomie, as defined by Durkheim, is frequently referred to as a state of
relative normlessness caused by the breakdown of social influences.
Durkheim used the term to refer to the condition existing when social regulation in a society breaks down.
anomie
Durkheim referred to suicide associated with excessive regulation of individuals by social forces as
altruistic suicide
According to many, the actions of the hijackers involved in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks are an example of
altruistic suicide
Which of the following is an example of egotistic suicide?
elder suicide
How do sociologists explain the fact that women have lower rates of suicide than men?
Women are more embedded in relations of care and responsibility.
The shooting of students and faculty at Virginia Tech in the spring of 2007 fits the pattern of Durkheim's Suicide.
egoistic
Merton's structural strain theory traces the origins of deviance to
the tension between desired cultural goals and the means of achieving them
The Ku Klux Klan and Neo-Nazis are both examples of which type of structural strain?
rebellion
Merton's structural strain theory traces the origins of deviance to the tensions caused by the gap between cultural goals and the means people have available to achieve those goals. Merton noted that societies are characterized by both culture and social structure.
Robert Merton (1910-2003)
A condition wherein a single role brings conflicting expectations is called role
strain
Students are expected to spend a lot of time on their studies,
role strain
Within a gemeinschaft society, how is social control achieved?
through an internal sense of belonging that member of society share
In their study of groups of different sizes, sociologists have found that
primary groups are a major influence and an important source of social control.
Social control theory suggests that deviance occurs when:
a person's attachment to social bonds is weakened.
According to the social control theory, what is the primary reason that people internalize social norms?
they care what others think of them
Social control theory is based on the assumptions that
there is a common value system and most people feel some impulse toward deviance.
According to social control theory, deviant behavior occurs
when attachment to society breaks down.
The historical persecution of witches is presented in the text as an example of
how dominant groups can exert control by marking some populations as deviant.
Conflict theorists argue that
the power to define deviance is an important form of social control.
Social Control
the process by which groups and individuals within those groups are brought into conformity with dominant social expectations.
Social Control Agents
those who regulate and administer the response to deviance, such as the police or mental health workers.
From the perspective of conflict theorists, social institutions
provide for some members of society more than for others
Ethnic conflict is most likely within societies and between societies.
gesellschaft / gemeinschaft
The fact that women and minorities, as well as members of lower social classes, are not treated equally within bureaucracies is focus of
conflict theory
Which perspective is most likely to focus on the fact that individuals experience stress and alienation as a result of being subordinated within a formal organization?
conflict theory
Conflict and functionalist theories of deviance share
an emphasis on the social structure in creating deviance.
From a conflict perspective, all of the following at true, except,
powerless groups may be labeled deviant for small infractions
A significant difference between functionalist and conflict theory is that
functionalism assumes the system works for the good of the whole, and conflict theory does not.
According to the conflict perspective, when the elite in society violate norms or laws they are not considered deviant because
they have the resources to hide or mask their behavior.
When labeling theory and conflict theory are linked they explain
why members of oppressed groups are more likely to be incarcerated or institutionalized.
A weakness of conflict theory is its failure to recognize
that laws protect most people, not just the affluent.
40. When teens perceive themselves as deviant because of who they are, they are using which sociological perspective?
symbolic interactionist
Social labeling theory focuses on who in society can determine that others are deviant and are able to apply sanctions. This aspect of social labeling theory makes it most associated with .
symbolic interactionism
Sociologists using a symbolic interaction perspective argue that a physical disability can become . In this case society devalues the status.
a stigma
A is an attribute that is socially devalued and discredited.
stigma
According to some sociologists, when some people are stigmatized
it reinforces "normalness" in others.
Sociologists using a symbolic interaction perspective argue that a physical disability can become . In this case society devalues the status.
a stigma
According to Sutherland's differential association theory, people become criminals when they
are more strongly socialized to break the law than to obey it.
Youths raised with parents who are deviant are more likely to be deviant themselves. This is an illustration of
differential association
John want to be a sociology major who studies the social cause of crime. He is majoring in
Criminology
Which of the following problems are both the Uniform Crime Report and National Crime Victimization Survey subject to?
underreporting
Studies of corporate crime find that
the deviant behavior is part of the routine activities of the corporation.
Which of the following types of crime is the least likely to be rigorously enforced?
victimless crimes
Studies of women's participation in crime indicate that
women's crimes tend to be extensions of their gender roles.
crimes are those motivated by various forms of social bias.
Hate
What is the pattern of race in prosecution and sentencing for crimes?
African American and Hispanic defendants receive longer sentences than White defendants, regardless of background.
Labeling theorists argue that once a person is labeled deviant
it will be difficult for them to reestablish a nondeviant identity.
Crimes are those motivated by various forms of social bias.
Hate
The FBI views terrorism as:
a violent action to achieve political ends.
Georg Simmel is known for his work with:
group size effects
The sociologist who introduced the concept of primary groups is
Charles Horton Cooley
Which of the following is an example of a primary group?
family
Cooley's concept of primary groups
has been elaborated to include a variety of intimate relationships in groups.
Which of these statements about primary groups is true?
a. Primary groups have a powerful influence on a person's self identity.
are small and intimate; are larger and short-lived.
Primary groups; secondary groups
Secondary groups are most likely to take on characteristics of primary groups
in times of high stress or crisis such as natural disasters.
Sociologists have found that primary groups
fulfill a person's expressive needs.
If Bobby joins a gang, he is joining a .
primary group
Which of the following statements is true about the differences between primary and secondary groups?
Secondary groups are less intimate than primary groups.
Primary groups provide for an individual's needsÍž secondary groups provide for an individual's
expressive; instrumental
Which of the following situations is most likely to result in a secondary group becoming a primary group?
a neighborhood digging out after a blizzard has hit
If a students uses musicians as a model for behavior then musicians are their .
reference group
Which of the following is true of reference groups?
Reference groups are not "groups" in the sense that they involve interaction.
Research on race and reference groups indicates that
positive representations of ethnic and racial groups raises the self-esteem of children of those groups.
Which of these statements about reference groups is false?
Reference groups always provide good role models
promote a sense of "usÍž" promote a sense of "them."
In-groups; out-groups
Considering oneself as part of "people like us" is an example of being part of .
an in-group
An out-group is all of these except:
is always a secondary group.
According to attribution theory, when an outgroup member's behavior is unclear
it will be interpreted in a negative manner by in-group members.
The sociological term for a set of links between individuals or between other social groups is
social network
Which of the following is false about the formation of social networks?
Networks are most often formed in very conscious and formal ways.
In his classic study of perception and group pressure, Asch found that
even rather gentle pressure was sufficient to cause an astonishing rise in the number of wrong answers.
The results of Solomon Asch's classic study of conformity were that
individuals are likely to conform to group pressure, even if the group is objectively incorrect.
Applied to a situation like the torture of Iraqi prisoners in American prison Abu Ghraib, Milgram's and Asch's findings would indicate that
the cause of the American soldiers' inhumane treatment of prisoners is partly the structure of the situation and group pressure.
Which of the following is a criticism of Travers and Milgram's research?
Only one-third of the documents ever reached the targets.
In the now famous Milgram Obedience Studies, the results demonstrated that
there is a significant difference between what people believe they will do and how they actually behave.
The implications of Milgram's experiments on obedience to authority are that
it may be possible for any ordinary person to commit atrocities under the right conditions.
Applying Milgram's research on conformity to the torture of prisoners by American soldiers that took place at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq demonstrates that
the reasons that prisoners were tortured by soldiers lay within the social structure and the group pressure of the situation.
From a sociological standpoint, the most convincing explanation for the occurrence of risky shifts is
deindividuation
Despite being warned of danger, NASA scientists proceeded with the launch of the space shuttle Challenger that exploded during launch. Sociological analysis of this situation finds it was caused by
a combination of risky shift and organizational ritualism.
Voluntary organizations
have been organized to address a wide variety of issues.
The overall purpose of the bureaucratic organization is
to maximize efficiency.
Organization ritualism refers to
the way that rules in an organization are followed even if they do not serve the purpose they were originally meant to.
The tragic cases of the Challenger and the Colombia are used to illustrate the point that
rigid conformity within an organization can be very dangerous.
Which of the following is false in regard to patterns of discrimination within organizations?
Which of the following is false in regard to patterns of discrimination within organizations?
The theory of organization that sees participation in an organization as a means of self-actualization is a type of
symbolic interaction theory
Sociologists investigating social organization find that
it brings predictability to human behavior
Sociologists use the term to describe the order established in social groups at any level.
social organization
When a student joins an organization it will provide which of the following?
instrumental needs
Formal organizations
are secondary groups that are organized to accomplish complex tasks efficiently.
Which of the following is not characteristic of formal organizations?
They are independent of any other organization.
The study of formal organizations represents an example of
macroanalysis
AARP and the NAACP are examples of organizations.
normative
The primary reason that people join normative organizations is
to pursue goals they believe are worthwhile.
Voluntary organizations
have been organized to address a wide variety of issues.
Which of the following is not an example of a coercive organization?
church
Total institutions were described by Goffman as
coercive organizations.
Large organizations that individuals join for specific purposes are referred to as organizations.
utilitarian
Individuals often join organizations for monetary reasons.
utilitarian
Sociologists have found that
all total institutions are coercive organizations.
The overall purpose of the bureaucratic organization is
to maximize efficiency.
Sociologists have found that the informal structure of an organization
develops largely among those most taken for granted in an organization.
Organization ritualism refers to
the way that rules in an organization are followed even if they do not serve the purpose they were originally meant to.
Despite being warned of danger, NASA scientists proceeded with the launch of the space shuttle Challenger that exploded during launch. Sociological analysis of this situation finds it was caused by
a combination of risky shift and organizational ritualism.
The tragic cases of the Challenger and the Colombia are used to illustrate the point that
rigid conformity within an organization can be very dangerous.
Alienation refers to the
psychological separation of a person from an organization
Alienation is least common in organizations in which
leaders use democratic methods in decision making.
Overall, the primary organizational principle that motivates McDonaldization is
control
Which of the following is false in regard to patterns of discrimination within organizations?
In situations where minority employees have the same amount of education as Whites, promotions are given out equally.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter's classic study of organizational structure indicated that
the stressful effects of tokenism on women and minorities can have very negative consequences.
What are the effects of social class and race on people's roles within an organization?
People of upper and middle class backgrounds are more likely to be promoted than someone with a lower class background, even if they are of the same race.
The central focus of is: positive functions contribute to unity and stability of the organization.
functionalist theory
The theory of organization that sees participation in an organization as a means of self
actualization is a type of - symbolic interaction theory
Which perspective is most likely to focus on the fact that individuals experience stress and alienation as a result of being subordinated within a formal organization?
conflict theory
Weber analyzed the class characteristics of bureaucracy, which he referred to as the bureaucracy.
ideal type
Which of the following is not characteristic of Weber's "ideal type" bureaucracy?
cooperative structures for accomplishing tasks
The informal structure of a bureaucracy
follows the same rules and regulations as the formal structure.
Which of the following statements about bureaucracy is false?
The informal culture of bureaucracy works to make all employees feel more connected and included.
The focus on how the individual loses their sense of self and is overwhelmed by bureaucracy reflects which perspective?
symbolic interaction theory
Sociologists who study the large patterns of social interactions that are vast, complex, and highly differentiated are using
macroanalysis
Which of these would interest a sociologist who prefers macroanalysis of social interaction?
how laws governing family leave have affected families in the U.S.
If a sociologist is studying groups he or she is using
macro level analysis
The study of formal organizations represents an example of
macroanalysis
Sociologists use the term to refer to the organized pattern of social relationships and social institutions that together comprise society.
social structure
According to the text, social structures
are difficult to see for the untrained observer.
Society is a network of:
social structures.
Which of these is an example of something a sociologist would consider from the microlevel analysis of social interaction?
day to day life in a sorority house
Sociologists distinguish six different types of societies based on
the complexity of their social structure and level of technology.
The established position that one occupies within a social structure and that carries with it a degree of prestige is called a(n)
status
When the goals are accepted and the means of attaining the goals are made available to the individual via the social structure, Merton called this
conformity
Sociologists theorize that rampage shootings are best understood as
the combinations of personality and social structural variables
Conflict and functionalist theories of deviance share
an emphasis on the social structure in creating deviance.
In a society where mechanical solidarity exists
individuals share the same values, hold the same things sacred, and frequently play the same roles.
When a person defines her identity as a mechanic, she is creating her
master or achieved status
In a society marked by organic solidarity
individuals play a great variety of different roles and unity is based on role differentiation.
The type of social solidarity that exists in the United States and other industrialized societies is solidarity.
organic
Which of these is true about gesellschaft societies?
organic
Those societies that are gemeinschaft are characterized by