Theories of Deviance

According to Emile Durkheim and other structural-functionalists, what function does deviance have for society?

• It promotes social change.

• It has no function.

• It increases crime rates.

• It reduces social cohesion.

Explain Travis Hirschi's Social Control Theory.

• It suggests that deviance is a result of weakened bonds to society.

• It states that deviance is caused by genetic factors.

• It argues that deviance is a form of social learning.

• It claims that deviance is due to the absence of laws.

Robert Merton's Structural-Strain Theory combines functionalism and conflict theory by demonstrating how an individual's position in the social structure will affect their experience of deviance and conformity.

Which of the following is NOT a category used by Merton to describe deviance?

• Innovators

• Ritualists

• Runaways

• Rebels

Conflict theorists study inequalities of wealth and power. How is this applied to the existence of deviance and crime in American society?

• They believe deviance arises from the inequalities embedded in the capitalist system.

• They think deviance is a result of individual choices.

• They argue that deviance is primarily due to biological factors.

• They claim that deviance is a product of social consensus.

This theory posits that individuals learn deviance in proportion to the number of deviant individuals they have contact with and the number of deviant acts to which they are exposed

• Differential Association

• Structural-Strain theory

• Labeling

• Conflict

What is the main focus of Labeling Theory in the context of deviance?

• The interpersonal relationships that define deviance

• The rules applied unequally depending on social status

• The role of society in defining what is deviant

• The self-fulfilling prophecy related to deviance

Which of the following best describes primary deviance?

• Primary deviance is when someone experiments with deviance but does not acquire a deviant identity.

• Primary deviance is the most serious form of deviance.

• Primary deviance always leads to prison.

Which of the following best describes secondary deviance?

• Secondary deviance hardly ever leads to law-breaking.

• Secondary deviance is less harmful than primary deviance.

• Secondary deviance creates a negative social label that changes a person's self concept and social identity.

According to Robert Merton, what is a self-fulfilling prophecy?

• A prediction that causes itself to become true

• A theory used to explain racial and ethnic issues

• A stereotype that leads to criminal acts

• A form of social control applied unequally

How can the concept of a self-fulfilling prophecy be used to explain racial and ethnic issues in the United States?

• By showing how differential association leads to deviance

• By demonstrating the impact of primary and secondary deviance

• By illustrating how stereotypes can lead to expectations that affect individuals' behavior