Exam 3 Flashcards
Recognize the sociological definition of deviance
Deviance: Behavior that violates standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society.
Define social control
Social Control: The techniques and strategies for preventing deviant human behavior in any society.
Recall the definition of conformity.
Conformity: Going along with peers- individuals of our own status who have no special right to direct our behavior.
Recall the definition of obedience.
Obedience: Compliance with higher authorities in a hierarchical structure.
Differentiate between conformity and obedience. Recall replications of Milgram’s classic experiment.
Stanley Milgram defined conformity ads going along with one’s peers; obedience is defined as compliance with higher authorities in a hierarchical structure.
Define informal social control
Informal social control: Social control that is carried out casually by ordinary people through such means as laughter, smiles, and ridicule.
Identify how social norms relate to deviance.
Deviant behavior violates social norms. Some forms of deviance carry a negative social stigma, while other forms are more or less accepted.
Recall the functionalist’s view of deviance.
From a functionalist point of view, deviance, and its consequences help to define limits of proper behavior.
Define the term anomie.
Anomie: Durkheim’s term for the loss of direction felt in a society when social control of individual behavior has ineffective.
Recall Robert Merton’s anomie theory of deviance. Recognize an innovator in Robert Merton’s deviance theory.
Anomie theory of deviance: Robert Merton’s theory of deviance as an adaptation of socially prescribed goals or the means governing their attainment, or both.
Recognize the concept of differential association introduced by sociologist Edwin Sutherland. Social disorganization theory
This theory explains that people learn to become offenders from their environment. Through interactions with others, individuals learn the values, attitudes, methods and motives of criminal behavior.
Social disorganization theory: specifies that several variables- residential instability, ethnic diversity, family disruption, economic status, population size/ density, and proximity to urban areas influence a community’s capacity to develop and maintain strong systems of social relationships.
Recognize racial profiling.
Racial Profiling: Any arbitrary action initiated by an authority based on race, ethnicity, or national origin rather than on a person’s behavior.
Recognize the concept of differential justice.
Differential Justice: Differences in the way social control is exercised over different groups.
Identify the theoretical approaches to deviance.
The feminist perspective emphasizes that cultural attitudes and differential economic relationships help to explain gender differences in deviance and crimes.
What is professional crime
Professional criminal: A person pursues crime as a day-to-day occupation, developing skilled techniques and enjoying a certain degree of statues among other criminals.
Define organized crime.
Organized crime: The work of a group that regulates relations between enterprises involved in illegal activities, including prostitution, gambling, and the smuggling and sale of illegal drugs.
Define white-collar crime
White-collar crime: Illegal acts committed by affluent, “respectable” individuals in the course of business activities.
Define cybercrime
Cybercrime: Illegal activity primarily conducted through the use of computer hardware or software.
Define the term hate crime
Hate Crime: A criminal offense committed because of the offender’s bias against a race, religion, ethnic group, national origin, or sexual orientation. Also referred to as bias crime.
Define social inequality
Social Inequality: A condition in which members of society have differing amounts of wealth, prestige, or power.
Identify social stratification
Social Stratification: The structured ranking of entire groups of people that perpetuates unequal economic rewards and power in a society. Systems of stratification include slavery, castes, and the estate system, and social classes.
Recognize the definition of ascribed status
Ascribed status: A social position assigned to a person by society without regard for the person’s unique talents or characteristics.
Define slavery
Slavery: A system of enforced servitude in which some people are owned by other people.
Identify what dictates the ranks in a cast system
Caste: Hereditary ranks that are usually religiously dictated and that tend to be fixed and immobile. It is an ascribed status.
Identify the characteristics of the estate system
Estate: Associated with feudal societies during the middle ages. Required peasants to work land leased to them by nobles in exchange for military protection and other services.
Identify characteristics of the class sytem
Class System: A social ranking based primarily on economic position in which achieved characteristics can influence social mobility. It is heavily dependent on family and ascribed factors.
Contrast the upper and lower classes in the United States Contrast the upper-middle class and the lower-middle class
Upper class- 1 to 2 percent of people in the US, accumulate wealth and pass it on.
Lower class- consists of about 25 percent of the population, mostly Blacks, Hispanics, single mothers, and people who cannot find regular work. Too weak politically.
Upper-middle class- 10 to 15 percent, includes professionals like doctors, lowers and architects. Participate in populations and are in leadership.
Lower-middle class- about 30-35 percent of the population and includes less affluent proffessionals, such as teacher, nurses, business owners etc.
Recall Marx’s view on class differentiation
Karl Marx saw that differences in access to the means of production created social, economic, and political inequality, as well as two distinct classes, owners and laborers.
