STRAIN THEORY (Robert K. Merton)
This theory explains deviance as the result of a gap between cultural goals and legitimate means.
Strain Theory
This theory argues that deviance is not inherent in an act, but comes from how others react to it.
Labeling Theory
This theory explains crime as a result of neighborhood conditions rather than individual behavior.
Social Disorganization Theory
This theory focuses on inequality, power, and competition over resources.
Conflict Theory (Marxist Theory)
This theory focuses on gender inequality and the unequal distribution of power between genders.
Femenist Theory
According to this theory, what cultural goal is most emphasized in U.S. society?
Wealth/Success (The American Dream)
The sociologist most closely associated with Labeling Theory.
Howard Becker
This theory is commonly associated with which group of sociologists?
Shaw and McKay / the Chicago School
The two main social classes identified by Karl Marx.
the bourgeoisie and the proletariat
This concept explains how people learn gender roles through family, school, and media.
gender socialization
This adaptation accepts society’s goals but uses illegitimate means to achieve them.
Innovation
This occurs when being labeled deviant causes a person to act in ways that confirm the label.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Name one neighborhood condition linked to higher crime rates in this theory.
poverty, high residential mobility, or weak social ties
This term describes how workers are paid less than the value they produce.
Exploitation
The family model that assigns men the breadwinner role and women the homemaker role.
the Breadwinner/Homemaker marriage
This adaptation involves rejecting both cultural goals and legitimate means.
Retreatism
According to Labeling Theory, who has the power to define deviance?
people or institutions with social power (e.g., police, courts, schools)
According to this theory, what matters more for crime: individual morality or environment?
The Enviorment
This concept refers to workers feeling disconnected from their labor and its products.
Alienation
Judith Butler’s idea that gender is created through repeated social actions.
gender performativity
This adaptation rejects existing goals and means and replaces them with new ones.
Rebellion
Why are marginalized groups more likely to be labeled deviant under this theory?
Because they are more heavily surveilled and have less power to resist labels.
Why does high residential turnover increase crime according to Social Disorganization Theory?
Because it weakens community bonds and informal social control.
According to Marx, why does crime occur more frequently among the working class?
Because of inequality, exploitation, and limited access to legitimate opportunities.
How does Feminist Theory explain the gender pay gap?
Through systemic discrimination, occupational segregation, and unequal valuation of women’s labor.