SOC20020 Exam Questions with Complete Correct Answers | Grade A+

Among sociological theorists there is little consensus on: Ans: The causes of deviant behavior or on the social processes involved in categorising certain activities as deviant. Deviance entered sociological lexicon in: Ans: 1950 Deviance emerged as: Ans: An umbrella concept and encompassing diverse activities and behaviour, including mental illness, crime, juvenile delinquency, drug use, and sexual relations 5 broad theoretical perspectives Ans: 1. Normative theories (ask what motivates individuals or groups to violate generally agreed-on norms) 2 2. The labelling perspective (separates rule-breaking from the process of defining acts or actors as deviant and examines how negative labels affect self-identity and subsequent career) 3. Political economy theories (posit that norms, in particular criminal law, do not reflect social census but perpetuate the interests of dominant groups, thereby operating against those of subordinated groups) 4. Postmodern approaches reject abstract theories or generalised explanations of deviance and focus on lived reality (perspectives or subjectives, multiple identities, and resistance of those categorised as deviant or otherwise marginalised) 5. Feminist theories (criticise all theories of deviance for their inattention to women) Theorists of deviance make assumptions about: Ans: 1. The source, nature and pervasiveness of social norms 2. The extent to which individuals exercise 'choice' in engaging in various activities Normative theories concept