All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What is stigma in the context of deviance and labeling?
Answer: A discrediting attribute that leads to social devaluation and exclusion. Stigma marks individuals as socially unacceptable.
Flashcard 2: Identify the type of norm violated: wearing pajamas to a formal wedding reception.
Answer: Folkway. Violates etiquette norms but not moral standards.
Flashcard 3: What is cultural relativism as applied to deviance?
Answer: Deviance depends on cultural context; no universal standard. What's deviant in one culture may be normal in another.
Flashcard 4: What is internalization of norms?
Answer: Adopting norms as personal values that guide behavior. Creates self-regulation without external enforcement.
Flashcard 5: What is a more (mores) in sociology?
Answer: A strong moral norm with serious sanctions when violated. Violations threaten core social values and group cohesion.
Flashcard 6: What is a law as a type of social norm?
Answer: A formally codified norm enforced by official institutions. Laws transform social norms into state-enforced rules.
Flashcard 7: What is deviance in the sociological sense?
Answer: Behavior that violates social norms in a given context. Context determines whether behavior is considered deviant.
Flashcard 8: What is the key idea of cultural relativism for judging deviance?
Answer: Deviance is defined relative to a specific culture and context. What's deviant in one society may be normal in another.
Flashcard 9: What is a social sanction?
Answer: A reward or punishment used to enforce conformity to norms. Sanctions maintain social order through behavioral consequences.
Flashcard 10: What is the difference between positive and negative sanctions?
Answer: Positive: rewards; negative: punishments. Both types shape behavior through different consequences.
Flashcard 11: What is social control?
Answer: Mechanisms that regulate behavior and promote conformity. Includes both internal and external enforcement methods.
Flashcard 12: What is the definition of an in-group as it relates to norms?
Answer: A group with which one identifies and whose norms guide behavior. Members share values and enforce norms collectively.
Flashcard 13: What is the definition of an out-group as it relates to deviance judgments?
Answer: A group seen as different; its members are judged by in-group norms. Often stereotyped as deviant based on in-group standards.
Flashcard 14: Identify the concept: behavior violates a norm but is not necessarily illegal.
Answer: Deviance. All crimes are deviant, but not all deviance is criminal.
Flashcard 15: Identify the concept: a punishment imposed by courts or police for norm violation.
Answer: Formal negative sanction. Legal system enforces societal norms through official channels.
Flashcard 16: Which concept best fits: praise from peers for following a group rule?
Answer: Informal positive sanction. Social approval reinforces desired group behaviors.
Flashcard 17: Which concept best fits: a norm about table manners with mild social disapproval if violated?
Answer: Folkway. Violating folkways rarely results in serious consequences.
Flashcard 18: What is secondary deviance in labeling theory?
Answer: Deviance that follows labeling and becomes part of self-identity. Labeling causes person to adopt deviant identity.
Flashcard 19: Identify the concept: a self-fulfilling prophecy after being labeled deviant.
Answer: Secondary deviance. Label becomes internalized, creating more deviance.
Flashcard 20: Which option best describes informal social control: police arrest or peer ridicule?
Answer: Peer ridicule. Informal control uses social pressure, not legal authority.
Flashcard 21: What is a social norm in sociology?
Answer: A shared rule or expectation that guides behavior in a group. Norms create predictability and order in social interactions.
Flashcard 22: What is the difference between a norm and a law?
Answer: Norms are informal expectations; laws are formal rules enforced by the state. Laws have legal consequences; norms have social consequences.
Flashcard 23: What is deviance in the sociological sense?
Answer: Behavior or beliefs that violate social norms in a given context. Deviance is culturally defined, not inherently wrong.
Flashcard 24: Which term refers to punishments or disapproval used to enforce norms?
Answer: Negative sanctions. Negative sanctions discourage norm violations.
Flashcard 25: Which term refers to rewards or approval used to reinforce norms?
Answer: Positive sanctions. Positive sanctions encourage conformity to norms.
Flashcard 26: What is a more (mores) in sociology?
Answer: A strongly held norm with moral significance and strong sanctions. Mores reflect core values and trigger serious sanctions.
Flashcard 27: Which term refers to explicit, formally stated rules (often written) for behavior?
Answer: Formal norms. Written rules with specified consequences distinguish formal norms.
Flashcard 28: What is secondary deviance in labeling theory?
Answer: Deviance that follows labeling and becomes part of self-concept. Label becomes internalized, creating deviant identity.
Flashcard 29: Which term describes deviance that strengthens group solidarity by clarifying norms?
Answer: Functionalist view of deviance (Durkheim): deviance reinforces norms. Deviance paradoxically unites conformists against rule-breakers.
Flashcard 30: What is a social norm in sociology?
Answer: A shared, informal rule that guides acceptable behavior in a group. Norms emerge from collective expectations, not formal decree.