Chapter Six

Question 1

stratified society

Answer 1

grouping according to social strata of levels. American society is considered stratified on the basis of economic class and wealth

Question 2

social classes

Answer 2

segments of the population whose members are at a relatively similar economic level and who share attitudes, values, norms, and an identifiable lifestyle

Question 3

white privilege

Answer 3

the assumed societal privileges that benefit Caucasians and provide them with opportunities not available to non-white peoples

Question 4

culture of poverty

Answer 4

a separate lower-class culture characterized by apathy, cynicism, helplessness, and mistrust of social institutions such as schools government agencies and the police that is passes from one generation to the next

Question 5

underclass

Answer 5

the lowest social stratum in any country whose members lack the education and skills needed to function successfully in modern society

Question 6

social structure theory

Answer 6

the view that disadvantaged economic class position is a primary cause of crime

Question 7

social disorganization theory

Answer 7

branch of social structure theory that focuses on the breakdown in inner-city neighborhoods of institutions such as family, school, and employment

Question 8

strain theory

Answer 8

branch of social structure theory that sees crime as a function of the conflict between people’s goals and the means available to obtain them

Question 9

strain

Answer 9

the anger, frustration, and resentment experienced by people who believe they cannot obtain their goals through legitimate means

Question 10

cultural deviance theory

Answer 10

branch of social structure theory that sees strain and social disorganization together resulting in a unique lower-class culture that conflicts with conventional social norms

Question 11

subculture

Answer 11

set of values, beliefs, and traditions unique to a particular social class or group within a larger society

Question 12

transitional neighborhoods

Answer 12

areas undergoing shifts in population and structure, usually from middle-class residential to lower-class mixed use

Question 13

social ecology school

Answer 13

an interdisciplinary approach to the study of interdependent social and environmental problems that cause crime

Question 14

concentration effect

Answer 14

as working-class and middle-class families flee inner-city poverty-ridden areas, the most advantaged population is consolidated in urban ghettos

Question 15

collective efficacy

Answer 15

social control exerted by cohesive communities and based on mutual trust, including intervention in the supervision of children and maintenance of public order

Question 16

street efficacy

Answer 16

a concept in which more cohesive communities with high levels of social control and social integration foster the ability for kids to use their wits to avoid violent confrontations and to feel safe in their own neighborhood. Adolescents with high levels of street efficacy are less likely to resort to violence themselves or to associate with delinquent peers

Question 17

anomie theory

Answer 17

view that anomie results when socially defined goals are universally mandated but access to legitimate means is stratified by class and status

Question 18

institutional anomie theory

Answer 18

view that anomie pervades US culture because the drive for material wealth dominates and undermines social and community values

Question 19

American Dream

Answer 19

the goal of accumulating material goods and wealth through individual competition; the process of being socialized to pursue material success and to believe it is achievable

Question 20

relative deprivation

Answer 20

envy, mistrust, and aggression resulting from perceptions of economic and social inequality

Question 21

general strain theory

Answer 21

view that multiple sources sources of strain interact with an individual’s emotional traits and responses to produce criminality

Question 22

negative affective states

Answer 22

anger, frustration, and adverse emotions produced by a variety of sources of strain

Question 23

focal concerns

Answer 23

values, such as toughness and street smarts, that have evolved specifically to fit conditions in lower-class environments

Question 24

cultural transmission

Answer 24

process whereby values, beliefs, and traditions are handed down from one generation to the next

Question 25

delinquent subculture

Answer 25

a valve system adopted by lower-class youths that is directly opposed to that of the larger society

Question 26

status frustration

Answer 26

a form of culture conflict experienced by lower class youths because social conditions prevent them from achieving success as defined by the larger society

Question 27

middle-class measuring rods

Answer 27

the standards by which authority figures, such as teachers and employers, evaluate lower-class youngsters and often pre-judge them negatively

Question 28

reaction formation

Answer 28

irrational hostility evidenced by young delinquents, who adopt norms directly opposed to middle-class goals and standards that seem impossible to achieve

Question 29

differential opportunity

Answer 29

view that lower-class youths, whose legitimate opportunities are limited, join gangs and pursue criminal careers as alternative means to achieve universal success goals