CJE3721 Exam 2 UPDATED ACTUAL
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
Theory of Deterrence - CORRECT ANSWER - -From the perspective of the classical
school, an unwritten "social contract" emerged during the Renaissance.
-As described by philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes and Jean Rousseau, involves a
responsible and rational person applying reason
-Stresses that humans have free will and that humans are essentially hedonistic
Beccaria's book On Crimes and Punishment (1963) - CORRECT ANSWER - -Published
in 1764
-based upon the philosophical doctrine known as utilitarianism
According to the Classical School... - CORRECT ANSWER - in order to prevent crime we
must make the punishment (i.e., pain) greater than the criminal act.
Deterrence - CORRECT ANSWER - comes from the word deter, which the Random
House Dictionary defines as "to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding, as through fear
or doubt."
General deterrence - CORRECT ANSWER - used to "send a message" to would-be law
violators about what will happen if they break a law.
Special or specific deterrence - CORRECT ANSWER - the punishment will prevent a
specific offender from reoffending.
Social disorganization theory - CORRECT ANSWER - -has been one of the most popular
and enduring sociological theories of crime and delinquency.
-The original idea behind the spatial distribution of crime can be traced back to the mid-19th
century to the work of two rather obscure scientists, Adolphe Quetelet (1796-1874).
,Social ecology - CORRECT ANSWER - -Key idea: fact that high rates of crime and other
problems persist within the same neighborhoods over long periods of time regardless of who
lives there.
-borrows concepts from the field of plant biology, specifically studying human life and problems
using notions derived from studies of the interdependence of plant and animal life.
i. One of the most important ideas originating from these Chicago sociologists (specifically
Robert Park and Ernest Burgess) was the... - CORRECT ANSWER - Concentric zone
model of city life compromised of five zones:
a. Central business district, or the "Loop".
b. Zone in transition.
c. Zone of workingmen's homes.
d. Residential zone.
e. Commuter zone.
Thrasher noted that gangs tend to flourish in areas he called... - CORRECT ANSWER --
interstitial
-These area lie within the poverty belt within a city
-a region characterized by the deteriorating neighborhoods, shifting populations, and the mobility
and disorganization of the slum.
Stark (1987) also suggested that criminal behavior persists within specific neighborhoods over
time because of - CORRECT ANSWER - Certain characteristics of the neighborhoods,
rather than the people who inhabit them.
-Five key characteristics of perpetually high-crime neighborhoods:
a. High density,
b. High rates of poverty.
c. (3) mixed-use (poor dense neighborhoods mixed together with light industry and retail shops)
d. A high rate of transience among residents,
e. Dilapidation.
, Strain theory - CORRECT ANSWER - -originated with Robert Merton, who borrowed the
term anomie from the 19th-century French sociologist E´mile Durkheim.
-concept refers to inconsistencies between societal conditions and opportunities for growth,
fulfillment, and productivity within a society.
-The basic thesis is: Crime stems from the lack of articulation or fit between two of the most
basic components of society: culture and social structure.
-According to Merton, this "lack of fit" creates strain within individuals, who respond with
various forms of deviance.
-Another important point made by strain theory is that our culture contributes to crime because
the opportunities to achieve success goals are not equally distributed.
According to Merton, there are several possible alternatives, which he calls "modes of
adaptation: - CORRECT ANSWER - i. conformity—accepting both the legitimate means
and the success goals;
ii. ritualism—accepting the means but rejecting the goals (one just goes to work every day but
has given up the goal of "success");
iii. innovation—where the person accepts the goals of success but rejects the legitimate means to
obtain them;
iv. retreatism—where one rejects both the goals and the means and more or less drops out of
society (e.g., to become part of a drug subculture);
v. rebellion—where one rejects both the goals and the means but, instead of retreating, begins to
substitute new definitions of success and means to obtain them.
Strain Theory and the Institutional Structure of Society: Crime and the American Dream -
CORRECT ANSWER - -One of the keys to understanding the linkage of the American
Dream and crime is knowing the meaning and importance of the term social institution.
-Social institutions can be defined as a persistent set of organized methods of meeting basic
human needs.
a. the economy,
b. the family
c. education
d. politics.
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
Theory of Deterrence - CORRECT ANSWER - -From the perspective of the classical
school, an unwritten "social contract" emerged during the Renaissance.
-As described by philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes and Jean Rousseau, involves a
responsible and rational person applying reason
-Stresses that humans have free will and that humans are essentially hedonistic
Beccaria's book On Crimes and Punishment (1963) - CORRECT ANSWER - -Published
in 1764
-based upon the philosophical doctrine known as utilitarianism
According to the Classical School... - CORRECT ANSWER - in order to prevent crime we
must make the punishment (i.e., pain) greater than the criminal act.
Deterrence - CORRECT ANSWER - comes from the word deter, which the Random
House Dictionary defines as "to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding, as through fear
or doubt."
General deterrence - CORRECT ANSWER - used to "send a message" to would-be law
violators about what will happen if they break a law.
Special or specific deterrence - CORRECT ANSWER - the punishment will prevent a
specific offender from reoffending.
Social disorganization theory - CORRECT ANSWER - -has been one of the most popular
and enduring sociological theories of crime and delinquency.
-The original idea behind the spatial distribution of crime can be traced back to the mid-19th
century to the work of two rather obscure scientists, Adolphe Quetelet (1796-1874).
,Social ecology - CORRECT ANSWER - -Key idea: fact that high rates of crime and other
problems persist within the same neighborhoods over long periods of time regardless of who
lives there.
-borrows concepts from the field of plant biology, specifically studying human life and problems
using notions derived from studies of the interdependence of plant and animal life.
i. One of the most important ideas originating from these Chicago sociologists (specifically
Robert Park and Ernest Burgess) was the... - CORRECT ANSWER - Concentric zone
model of city life compromised of five zones:
a. Central business district, or the "Loop".
b. Zone in transition.
c. Zone of workingmen's homes.
d. Residential zone.
e. Commuter zone.
Thrasher noted that gangs tend to flourish in areas he called... - CORRECT ANSWER --
interstitial
-These area lie within the poverty belt within a city
-a region characterized by the deteriorating neighborhoods, shifting populations, and the mobility
and disorganization of the slum.
Stark (1987) also suggested that criminal behavior persists within specific neighborhoods over
time because of - CORRECT ANSWER - Certain characteristics of the neighborhoods,
rather than the people who inhabit them.
-Five key characteristics of perpetually high-crime neighborhoods:
a. High density,
b. High rates of poverty.
c. (3) mixed-use (poor dense neighborhoods mixed together with light industry and retail shops)
d. A high rate of transience among residents,
e. Dilapidation.
, Strain theory - CORRECT ANSWER - -originated with Robert Merton, who borrowed the
term anomie from the 19th-century French sociologist E´mile Durkheim.
-concept refers to inconsistencies between societal conditions and opportunities for growth,
fulfillment, and productivity within a society.
-The basic thesis is: Crime stems from the lack of articulation or fit between two of the most
basic components of society: culture and social structure.
-According to Merton, this "lack of fit" creates strain within individuals, who respond with
various forms of deviance.
-Another important point made by strain theory is that our culture contributes to crime because
the opportunities to achieve success goals are not equally distributed.
According to Merton, there are several possible alternatives, which he calls "modes of
adaptation: - CORRECT ANSWER - i. conformity—accepting both the legitimate means
and the success goals;
ii. ritualism—accepting the means but rejecting the goals (one just goes to work every day but
has given up the goal of "success");
iii. innovation—where the person accepts the goals of success but rejects the legitimate means to
obtain them;
iv. retreatism—where one rejects both the goals and the means and more or less drops out of
society (e.g., to become part of a drug subculture);
v. rebellion—where one rejects both the goals and the means but, instead of retreating, begins to
substitute new definitions of success and means to obtain them.
Strain Theory and the Institutional Structure of Society: Crime and the American Dream -
CORRECT ANSWER - -One of the keys to understanding the linkage of the American
Dream and crime is knowing the meaning and importance of the term social institution.
-Social institutions can be defined as a persistent set of organized methods of meeting basic
human needs.
a. the economy,
b. the family
c. education
d. politics.
