Free Deviance and Social Control MCQs with Answers
98 Deviance and Social Control MCQs from Sociology, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.
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98 questions · page 9 of 10
81. In their study of deviance control theory advocates ask ?
- A. Why are people deviant?
- B. why are people not deviant?
- C. How does labeling contribute to deviance?
- D. How does structural strain contribute to deviance
Explanation: Control theory starts from the puzzle of conformity: it asks why most people do not violate norms even when deviance is possible. It therefore reverses the usual question of why people become deviant.
Correct answer: why are people not deviant?82. It is very important to Sammi to do well in school, so she regularly cheats on tests According to Merton's structural strain theory Sammi is a(n) ?
- A. conformist
- B. innovator
- C. ritualist
- D. retreatist
Explanation: Sammi accepts the culturally approved goal of academic success but uses an illegitimate method, cheating, to reach it. In Merton’s strain theory this combination is innovation, not conformity.
Correct answer: innovator83. What is the most common reason people give for not reporting a crime ?
- A. fear of reprisal
- B. dislike of the police
- C. too trivial for the police
- D. best dealt with privately
Explanation: Victims most often give the crime's triviality or belief that the police cannot do much as the reason for not reporting it. Fear of reprisal is important in some cases, but is not generally the most common response.
Correct answer: too trivial for the police84. Which of the following statements is true according to the sociological study of deviance ?
- A. Deviant behavior is an anomaly in social life
- B. Deviance is a property conferred upon particular behaviors by social definitions
- C. Deviance exists independently of a culture's norms
- D. none of the above
Explanation: Deviance is not an inherent quality of an act; it becomes deviant when social groups define it as violating accepted norms. This is why an act may be deviant in one culture or period but normal in another.
Correct answer: Deviance is a property conferred upon particular behaviors by social definitions85. What is defined as non-conformity to a given set of norms that are accepted by a significant number of people in a community or society ?
- A. criminality
- B. deviance
- C. recidivism
- D. degeneracy
Explanation: Deviance means non-conformity to norms accepted by a significant section of a community or society. Criminality is narrower because it refers specifically to violations of criminal law.
Correct answer: deviance86. Sutherlands study of the professional thief suggested that_______________?
- A. people are socialized into a life of crime by associating with others who define it in positive terms
- B. the majority of crime is committed by middle class people in professional occupations
- C. those who were arrested and charged with theft did not define themselves as thieves
- D. the most dangerous criminals on the street were those who were highly skilled thieves
Explanation: Sutherland’s study supported differential association: criminal behavior is learned through interaction with others who provide favourable definitions of crime. It therefore explains criminal socialization rather than claiming that most criminals are middle-class professionals.
Correct answer: people are socialized into a life of crime by associating with others who define it in positive terms87. The Macpherson Report highlighted the increasing problem of_____________?
- A. hate crimes violence against ethnic minorities simply because of their race
- B. institutional racism systematic forms of disadvantage built into the routines and practices of social institutions
- C. overt racism in the police force that must be tackled by institutional reforms
- D. growing numbers of asylum seekers in need of long-term accommodation
Explanation: The Macpherson Report, following the Stephen Lawrence inquiry, identified institutional racism as disadvantage embedded in the routines and practices of institutions, especially the police. This is broader than individual or overt racist acts.
Correct answer: institutional racism systematic forms of disadvantage built into the routines and practices of social institutions88. Gambling public drunkenness prostitution and smoking marijuana are often considered ?
- A. white-collar crimes
- B. violent crimes against people
- C. "victimless" crimes
- D. organized crime
Explanation: These acts are commonly labelled victimless crimes because the law treats them as offences without a clearly identifiable direct victim, although their social harms remain debated. They are not necessarily violent, organized, or white-collar offences.
Correct answer: "victimless" crimes89. Which of the following offered pioneering insights regarding professional criminals by publishing an annotated account written by a professional thief ?
- A. Robert Merton
- B. Emile Durkhieim
- C. Howard S Becker
- D. Edwin Sutherland
Explanation: Edwin Sutherland published The Professional Thief, an annotated account based on the experiences of a professional criminal. This work helped show how criminal expertise and conduct are learned socially.
Correct answer: Edwin Sutherland90. Which of the following suggested that the punishments established within a culture help to define acceptable behavior and thus contribute to stability ?
- A. William Chambliss
- B. Emile Durkheim
- C. Richard Quinney
- D. Stanley Milgram
Explanation: Durkheim argued that punishment expresses society’s moral boundaries by showing which conduct is unacceptable, thereby reinforcing collective norms and social solidarity. The other thinkers listed are associated with different areas of sociology or psychology.
Correct answer: Emile Durkheim