Chapter 6 Deviance, Crime and Social Control

Question 1

Deviance

Answer 1

Behavior that violates social norms and which typically arouses negative social reactions.

Question 2

Social control

Answer 2

Ways in which a society tries to prevent and sanction deviant behavior

Question 3

What is socialization?

Answer 3

The process of learning to conform to cultural standards, enforced through social sanctions.

Question 4

What are social sanctions?

Answer 4

Rewards and punishments used to enforce conformity to cultural expectations.

Question 5

How do informal and formal social controls differ?

Answer 5

Informal social control enforces informal norms, while formal social control enforces formal norms.

Question 6

What is informal social control?

Answer 6

Actions taken to control behaviors that violate informal norms, like ridicule or ostracism.

Question 7

What is formal social control?

Answer 7

Actions taken to control behaviors that violate formal norms, enforced by institutions like police and courts.

Question 8

Why is a society without deviance impossible, according to Émile Durkheim?

Answer 8

The collective conscience cannot prevent all rule-breaking, and deviance serves important functions for society.

Question 9

Relativity of deviance

Answer 9

In a monastery, talking is prohibited, while it’s expected in most other social settings. Killing an enemy in warfare is accepted, but killing a civilian is deemed murder.

Question 10

Place

Answer 10

A behavior may be considered deviant in one society but acceptable in another.

Question 11

Time

Answer 11

An action can be acceptable at one time but prohibited at another (like the historical inclusion of cocaine in Coca-Cola).

Question 12

Functions of Deviance: Durkheim argued that deviance serves key functions in society

Answer 12

Clarifying social norms and increasing conformity through observed sanctions. Strengthening social bonds among those reacting to deviance. Promoting positive social change. Creating jobs related to monitoring and penalizing deviance.

Question 13

Social Ecology Theory

Answer 13

Certain community characteristics increase the likelihood of deviance, known as criminogenic factors, like high poverty rates, population density, residential instability, and poor living conditions.

Question 14

Social Ecology Theory factors

Answer 14

Contribute to social disorganization, weakening social bonds and institutions.

Question 15

Strain Theory

Answer 15

Robert Merton’s theory posits that deviance arises from the gap between societal emphasis on economic success and the inability to achieve it through legitimate means.

Question 16

Innovation

Answer 16

Accepts the goal but uses deviant means to achieve it.

Question 17

Ritualism

Answer 17

Rejects the goal but follows societal norms (like pursuing education).

Question 18

Retreatism

Answer 18

Rejects both the goal and means, withdrawing from society.

Question 19

Rebellion

Answer 19

Rejects existing goals and means, aiming to create a new value system.

Question 20

What are the shortcomings of Merton’s Strain Theory?

Answer 20

It fails to explain why individuals choose specific adaptations, the prevalence of crime among middle and upper classes, and personal crimes that do not provide economic benefits.

Question 21

Conflict Theorists’ View

Answer 21

Those in power manipulate laws and the legal system to maintain their status, resulting in poorer individuals and minorities being more likely to face arrest and imprisonment.

Question 22

Differential Justice Theory

Answer 22

Elite individuals can evade accountability for their crimes due to their resources, while the justice system focuses on enforcing laws against lower-class individuals who lack power.

Question 23

Feminist Theory

Answer 23

This theory attributes crimes against women, like intimate partner violence and sexual assault, to gender inequality and outdated views on gender relations.

Question 24

Feminist theory highlights gender differences in crime

Answer 24

Men are more likely to commit crimes and be penalized, with gender socialization fostering values and behaviors that promote deviance among males.

Question 25

Interactionist View

Answer 25

Deviance is attributed to social interaction and socialization processes.

Question 26

Differential Association Theory

Answer 26

Edward Sutherland proposed that deviance is learned through interactions with deviant individuals, who teach the values and rationalizations needed to justify criminal behavior.

Question 27

Social Control Theory: Travis Hirschi argued that people’s bonds to conventional institutions (like family and schools) deter deviance. Strong attachments to these institutions and participation in their activities reduce the likelihood of deviating from social norms. Questions arise about whether poor relationships lead to deviance or if deviance worsens relationships.

Question 28

Labeling Theory

Answer 28

Labeling someone as deviant increases the likelihood of further deviance by shaping their self-image.

Question 29

The “Saints” (middle-class delinquents) were viewed as harmless and not prosecuted, while the “Roughnecks” (lower-class delinquents) faced scrutiny and negative perceptions.

Answer 29

As a result, the Saints went on to successful careers, while the Roughnecks struggled with low-paying jobs and unstable lives.

Question 30

Conventional crime includes violent and property offenses

Answer 30

There were 8 million reported conventional crimes committed in the U.S. in 2020.

Question 31

Violent crime victimization is more prevalent in [_] areas compared to rural regions.

Answer 31

urban and suburban

Question 32

Most violent crimes are [_], meaning the offender and victim typically belong to the same race or ethnicity.

Answer 32

intraracial

Question 33

Sex Demographic

Answer 33

Males commit a disproportionate number of conventional crimes; in 2020, nearly 74% of over 6 million arrests were male, with females primarily arrested for prostitution.

Question 34

In 2020, 70% of arrests were white, 26% African American, and 4% from other races, with Latinx individuals accounting for 20.7% of arrests.

Answer 34

African Americans are arrested at a disproportionately higher rate (26%) compared to their population size (12.4%).

Question 35

Most individuals arrested for conventional crimes have low educational attainment and income levels.

Answer 35

Wealthier individuals are more likely to commit white-collar crimes.

Question 36

Conventional crimes are predominantly committed by those aged 30 and under, with about 40% of arrests involving individuals aged 10-29.

Answer 36

Peer influence is significant during this age.

Question 37

White-collar crime

Answer 37

Offenses committed in the course of one’s professional work.

Question 38

White-collar crime examples

Answer 38

Fraudulent repairs by auto shops. Corruption in high finance. Unsafe products and work environments. Employee theft (cash and property). Healthcare fraud. Tax evasion.

Question 39

Corporate crime

Answer 39

Type of white-collar crime committed by individuals within their legitimate occupations on behalf of their company.

Question 40

Corporate crime examples

Answer 40

Price fixing: An agreement between competing corporations to set product prices, costing consumers billions annually. Workplace-related illnesses and injuries that could have been prevented by adhering to regulatory laws and safety practices. Corporations knowingly producing and selling dangerous products, such as asbestos. Environmental degradation and pollution, exemplified by events like the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Question 41

Data demonstrates that white-collar crime has an out-sized impact

Answer 41

Resulting in significantly more deaths and economic damage compared to other types of crime

Question 42

White-Collar Crime in the U.S. is pervasive due to

Answer 42

Greed from a cultural focus on economic success. Lack of regulatory policies for corporate conduct. Insufficient funding for regulatory agencies. Weak penalties for corporate criminals.

Question 43

Victimless crime

Answer 43

Illegal behavior in which people may willingly engage and in which there are no unwilling victims.

Question 44

Get-tough approach

Answer 44

Dominant since the 1970s, emphasizes harsher law enforcement and increased incarceration rates, leading to mass incarceration.

Question 45

The [_] has the highest incarceration rate globally.

Answer 45

U.S.

Question 46

The approach is linked to political strategies aimed at gaining white votes by associating crime with African Americans, prompting punitive legislative measures:

Answer 46

Nixon’s “war on drugs” in the 1970s increased funding for drug enforcement and implemented mandatory minimum sentences. Reagan expanded the “war on drugs,” increasing incarceration for nonviolent offenses. The “three strikes” law during the Clinton administration mandated life sentences for repeat offenders.

Question 47

Maintaining high incarceration rates is costly.

Answer 47

Scholars argue that this approach accounted for only 10%–25% of crime reduction in the 1990s, suggesting funds would be better spent on prevention.

Question 48

Advocacy for Reform

Answer 48

Groups like the Sentencing Project advocate for reforming harsh sentencing practices and addressing racial disparities in mass incarceration.

Question 49

Preventive Strategies

Answer 49

Economic equality. Recreational projects. Improved living conditions. Educational enhancements. Alternative corrections for non-dangerous offenders. Drug and alcohol prevention programs.