Chapter 11: Social Control, Deviance, and Crime

Question 1

deviance

Answer 1

a person, behaviour or characteristic perceived as unacceptable

Question 2

deviance is what?

Answer 2

socially constructed, subjective

Question 3

social control

Answer 3

actions that are meant to prevent, correct, punish, or cure behaviours or characteristics that are perceived as unacceptable

Question 4

what is the difference between high-consensus deviance and low consensus deviance

Answer 4

high-consensus deviance are acts that are widely considered deviant and cause significant losses and are defined as real, while low-consensus deviance are acts that are seen as deviant by fewer people and cause minor losses and are defined as socially constructed

Question 5

criminologists

Answer 5

researchers who specialize in the study of criminal behaviour

Question 6

crime

Answer 6

any behaviour that violates criminal law

Question 7

legal ingredients of a crime

Answer 7

the act must define the act or behaviour as criminal

must show the accused engaged in the guilty act (actus reus) and had the intent to commit the act (mens rea)

Question 8

official crime statistics

Answer 8

use standardized procedures, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCRS)is forwarded annually to statistics Canada and compiles the data into statistics that give us information about crimes, which can be compared across cities, countries, provinces, over time

Question 9

gap between perceptions of crime and reality about crime

Answer 9

the media portrays crime as out of control with most being violent crimes

In reality most crimes are property crimes and crime have been declining since 1991

Question 10

what are the legally recognized forms of punishment

Answer 10

detterence, protection of society, rehabilitation

Question 11

punishment as retribution

Answer 11

a morally justified “eye for an eye” consequence

Question 12

deterrence theory

Answer 12

punishment can be used to prevent crime
people are rational decision makers
punishment must be prompt, severe, and certain in order to be effective

Question 13

specific deterrence

Answer 13

an offender is detered from committing the act in the future as a result of the punishment

Question 14

general deterrence

Answer 14

others in society are deterred from committing crimes by witnessing the consequences for the offender

Question 15

control theory of deviance

Answer 15

factors restrain us from unacceptable acts (social bonds, fear of disappointment, or loosing you job) absence of these factors result in deviance

Question 16

social bonds

Answer 16

attachment: to significant others
committment: to conventional lines of action
involvemnt: in conventional behaviour
belief: in systems of authority

Question 17

labelling theory

Answer 17

interactionist, we all engage in primary act of deviance: minor offences/ insidnificant events, which leads to a social penalty with a label attached that causes people to keep engaging in worse deviant behaviours, known as secondary deviance, which leads to a formal penalty which leads to community stigmatization and in turn acceptance of the deviant role and strengthening of criminal conduct

Question 18

formal social control

Answer 18

is implemented through an official mechanism that carries institutionalized authority

Question 19

stigmatization

Answer 19

the process by which individuals are excluded because of particular behaviours/ characteristics

Question 20

classical strain theory

Answer 20

An individuals location within the social structure contributes to deviance. Constraints arise from institutionalized goals: goals we are supposed to aspire to in society(wealth, power, prestige) and legitimate means: socially acceptable ways of acheiving those goals. There is a gap between goals and means, creating strain which people responde to through different modes of adaption.

Question 21

conformity

Answer 21

mode of adaption of pursing goals via legitimate means

Question 22

innovation

Answer 22

pursing goals via alternative means, ex. credit card fraud

Question 23

ritualism

Answer 23

giving up goals but continuing to engage in legitimate means, ex. working hard at low paying job

Question 24

retreatism

Answer 24

rejecting institutionalized goals and legitimate means, ex. not working, substance abuse

Question 25

rebellion

Answer 25

rejecting current goals and means and living according to an alternative set of goals and means, ex. hippie communes, extremist groups