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Chapter 6 Study Guide
Sociology in our times; The Essentials
47
Sociology
Graduate
03/19/2014

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Term
Social order
Definition
system of people, relationships, customs operating to accomplish society’s work
Term
Social control is
Definition
achieved through sanctions, law, socialization that encourage conformity to norms and rules and discourage deviance.
Term
Internal social control
Definition
control takes place when people internalize norms and values and follow them in their lives
Term
External social control
Definition
involves negative sanctions that proscribe certain behaviors and punish rule breakers
Term
Deviance is
Definition
is behavior, belief or condition that violates social norms and expectations in the society/group in which it occurs (thereby judged negatively by most of society’s members)
Term
Functions of deviance
Definition
sets boundaries for permitted behavior/ clarifies rules
promotes group solidarity and unifies the group
can stimulate social change
Term
Deviance is relative
Definition
it varies by time, place and social group
Term
Groups with more power are
Definition
likely to have their definition of deviance accepted
Term
Crime is
Definition
any act that violates the law. Laws are specific rules enacted by a political authority with specific punitive sanctions
Term
Crimes are divided into
Definition
felonies and misdemeanors
Term
felonies
Definition
are serious crimes such as homicide or rape for which punishment ranges from more than a year in prison to death.
Term
misdemeanors
Definition
are minor crimes typically punished by less than one year in jail
Term
Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)
Definition
produced by FBI and based on statistics from local jurisdictions
Term
Victimization
Definition
studies are reports by alleged victims of crimes.
Term
Anonymous self reports of crime
Definition
reveal higher rates than those found in official statistics.
Term
Social characteristics of persons arrested for crimes against persons or property
Definition
young -those under than 25 commit 46% of violent crime and 56% of property crime
male -commit 76% of crime; women keep up with men on forgery and fraud
black -39% of arrests for violent crime and 30% of arrests for property crime but only 13% of population
poor- lower social classes are more often arrested for violent & property crimes
urban
Term
Victimization
Definition
50% of violent crimes & 61% of property crimes are not reported to police
Men are more likely to be victims although women more fearful
African Americans more likely to be victims than any other ethnic group
Term
Types of crime
Definition
Public order crimes , Occupational or White collar crime , Organized crime , Index (UCR) or street crimes , Political crimes , Corporate crime
Term
Corporate crime
Definition
illegal act committed by corporate employees on behalf of the corporation and with its support
Term
Public order crimes
Definition
victimless crimes such as gambling, prostitution, drug use in a willing exchange
Term
Occupational or White collar crime
Definition
committed by respectable persons in the performance of job duties
Term
Organized crime
Definition
large groups organized to maximize profit and minimize apprehension
Term
Index (UCR) or street crimes
Definition
against persons and property; often involve violence (force or threat of force); examples are murder, rape, robbery; burglary, motor vehicle theft, larceny, theft, arson
Term
Political crimes
Definition
illegal or unethical actions involving usurpation of power by government officials. Can be illegal or unethical acts against the government by outsides to overthrow the government or make a political statement
Term
Discretionary Powers in Law Enforcement
Definition
Police, Prosecutors, and Judges
Term
Police
Definition
Arrest and detain people, search people, and investigate specific crimes.
Term
Judges
Definition
Set bail or conditions for release, accept pleas, dismiss charges, revoke probation
Term
Prosecutors
Definition
Seek indictments, Drop cases, Reduce charges, impose sentences
Term
Criminal justice system refers to
Definition
local, state and federal agencies that enforce laws, adjudicate crimes and treat and rehabilitate criminals.
Term
Functions of punishment
Definition
Retribution imposes a penalty on the offender and is based on the premise that punishment should fit the crime
Incapacitation or social protection is served by restricting offenders so it is impossible for them to commit further crimes.
Rehabilitation seeks to return offenders to the community as law abiding citizens
Deterrence seeks to reduce criminal activity by instilling fear of the certainty and extent (severity) of punishment
Term
Merton’s strain theory
Definition
deviance behavior results form gap between goals a society sets up and ways of satisfying or meeting the goal. Those denied access to legitimate goals experience frustration that may lead to deviance
Term
Adaptations include
Definition
conformity – accept goals and means
innovation – accept goals and new delinquent means
ritualism – abandon goals and rigidly adhere to means (bureaucratic personality)
retreatism – abandon goals and means to become addict alienated from society
rebellion – reject goals and means and replace them with new goals and means to reach them
Term
Walter Reckless says people
Definition
are drawn to deviance by poverty but not all people turn to deviance because they have outer containments and inner containments
Term
Travis Hirschi explored wh
Definition
all poor people don’t become deviant. Deviance is avoided by youth strongly bonded to society through attachment to family, teachers, law-abiding peers. They are committed to conventional activities and share commonly held values – develop positive self image and self control
Term
Opportunity theory
Definition
Cloward and Ohlin suggested that for deviance to occur people must have access to illegitimate opportunity structures that allow them to acquire through illegitimate channels what they cannot get through legitimate ones.
criminal gang– economic gain is opportunity
conflict gang – no economic gain so turf fights
retreatist gang– deviants retreat into addiction
Term
Differential association or cultural transmission
Definition
Sutherland looked at how deviant behavior is acquired through socialization in deviant subculture – one learns the behavior and rationalizations for it. Success depends on age of association, frequency and duration of association. Subculture reinforces and sanctions the deviance.
Term
Differential Reinforcement
Definition
Criminologist Ronald Akers combined differential association theory with elements of psychological learning theory to create differential reinforcement theory
Term
If a person’s friends and groups define deviant behavior as “right,” they is more likely to
Definition
engage in deviant behavior
Term
Labeling theory(Becker and Lemert
Definition
deviance is socially constructed process in which social control agencies designate certain people as deviants and those people accept label and begin to act accordingly - everyone breaks rules but not everyone is labeled deviant
Term
Primary deviance
Definition
we all break rules
Term
After a person is labeled as deviant
Definition
the group changes their response based on the label.
Term
Secondary deviance
Definition
person alters self concept to fit reactions of others and acts out roles based on new definition
Term
Tertiary deviance
Definition
when person who has been labeled as deviant tries to normalize behavior by re-labeling it as non deviant
Term
Critical conflict theory
Definition
– those who possess political and economic power are able to enforce rules that work to their advantage.
White, upper class males have the advantage.
Term
Powerful people determine
Definition
what deviance is and who the deviant are.
Term
Feminist
Definition
liberal: deviance arises from discrimination
radical: focuses on patriarchy
socialist: focuses on capitalism and patriarchy
Term
Post modern
Definition
Knowledge is power. Power, knowledge and social control (technology) are intertwined. Surveillance of those in subordinate positions confers power
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