Social Theories of Deviance
True or False: Sociologists have a single, neat, and universal definition for what types of behaviors are deviant?
What is false?
True or False: Moral panics are limited to developed countries because the modern mass media infrastructure is required to spark them.
What is false?
This group is often bound together by shared beliefs, values, or practices, and is typically set apart from or rejected from mainstream society.
What is a subculture?
Online aesthetics like cottagecore or dark academia are examples of _____?
What are subcultures?
When teens change their behavior to fit in with friends, they’re responding to this everyday social influence.
What is peer pressure?
In sociological theory, deviance is formally defined as the violation of these societal rules or expectations.
What are norms?
One of the key characteristics of a moral panic is __________, meaning the level of fear outweighs the actual, measurable threat.
(17 letters)
What is disproportionality?
Clothing, slang, and music often serve as these, helping members of a subculture recognize each other.
What are symbols?
An ex-convict struggling to find employment or housing after serving time, is often attributed to______.
(six letters)
What is stigma?
Holding the door open or saying ‘thank you’ are examples of these unwritten rules that guide everyday behavior.
What are social norms?
A physical or social attribute that devalues a person's social identity and disqualifies them from full social acceptance is known as a _____.
What is stigma?
Sociologist Stanley Cohen noted that moral panics rely heavily on the commentary of these types of people.
(two words)
What are moral entrepreneurs? (or opinion leaders)
Subcultures are often labeled with this sociological concept, referring to behaviors that violate social expectations.
What is deviance?
Wearing shorts is socially acceptable in the US, but may be deemed deviant in Saudi Arabia, is is an example of ___ relativity?
(eight letters)
What is cultural?
When a student who also works part‑time struggles to balance school and job expectations, they’re experiencing this sociological concept.
What is role conflict?
According to the documentary, deviance isn't just random; it exists to reinforce social order and show what is _____.
What is socially acceptable?
True or False: Moral panic is only triggered by behaviors or subcultures that are different, but not inherently dangerous?
what is false?
Members of subcultures learn values and practices through this process, which also helps them distinguish between authentic insiders and so‑called"posers".
When a teenager is branded a ‘troublemaker’ and begins acting that way, it illustrates this theory of deviance.
What is the labeling theory?
Sports fans cheering for their own team while mocking rivals are showing this sociological distinction between belonging and outsiders.
What is in‑group and out‑group?
Which sociological theory explains how being labeled “deviant” can lead individuals to internalize that identity and continue the deviant behavior?
What is labeling theory?
While public anxiety during a moral panic is short-lived, its most permanent long-term effect is typically the passage of new _____.
what are laws? (or legislation)
When mainstream culture adopts the fashion or music of a subculture, this process occurs often forcing the subculture to evolve to stay unique.
What is commercialization?
According to moral panic theory, when a group like immigrants are singled out by those in power and blamed for destroying a nation's safety, they are being painted as ___ ___.
What is a folk devil?
Ideas like money having value or traffic lights meaning ‘stop’ and ‘go’ are examples of this concept created by society.
What is a social construct?