Theory, Deviance, and Society
To understand how sociology, sociological theory, and cyber-technology work together there has to be knowledge of what conflict theory is and how it relates to deviance.
Conflict theory emphasizes the social, political, or material inequality of social groups; which critique the broad socio-political system, that otherwise detracts from the structural functionalism and ideological conservatism. In modern conflict theory social structures are created through conflict between people with differing interests and resources. Because of the conflict and deviance within society and the advent of technology, it is essential to have management of the conflict and deviance.
Theory, Deviance, and Society
How do groups or individuals create conflict? Select all that apply.
Select one or more:
a.
Through competition over desired resources
b.
Through shared connections provided by Internet Communication Technologies
c.
Through disagreement over values or beliefs outside of one's social group
d.
Through increase in cross-cultural contact due to the internet
From which social theorist does conflict theory originate?
Select one:
a.
Emile Durkheim
b.
Karl Marx
c.
C. Wright Mills
d.
Talcott Parsons
Since the 1980s, management has doubled the amount of time spent dealing with the issue of employee control and discipline.
Select one:
True
False
Why did Raze.com's founders decide to increase social control over employees after the company expanded?
Select one:
a.
The feared that engineers and programmers are especially likely to become deviant workers
b.
They feared the competition between employees would create deviance and strife
c.
They feared that too little competition between employees would reduce work ethic
d.
They feared that competition between native and immigrant workers would lead to deviance and strife
According to social theorists, it is not the act itself that makes something deviant, but the reaction to an act.
Select one:
True
False
What has been the primary method of controlling deviance in the workplace?
Select one:
a.
Creating more team-style workplaces
b.
Ceasing to hire racial minorities perceived as inherently deviant
c.
Decreasing manager control of employees' time and efforts
d.
Increasing manager control of employees' time and efforts
Which of the following best describes the institutional school dimension of DeSanctis and Poole's (1994) theory on technology?
Select one:
a.
The view that organizational settings are the best places to experiment with technology
b.
A perspective coming from a symbolic interactionist as developed by Irving Goffman
c.
A cultural perspective that views the digital divide as the difference between those deserving internet access and those undeserving
d.
Technology is an opportunity for social change, focusing on social evolution and the social construction of meaning
Which of the following best describes the decision-making dimension of DeSanctis and Poole's (1994) theory on technology?
Select one:
a.
A perspective coming from structural functionalist theory
b.
Technology is an opportunity for social change, focusing on social evolution and the social construction of knowledge
c.
The view of engineers associated with positivist, rational systems rationalization, and deterministic approaches
d.
A perspective that views the internet as implicated in producing conflict and inequality on our society
According to C. Wright Mills, how are social structures created?
Select one:
a.
Social structures are created through conflict between people with different interests
b.
Social structures emerge organically as society becomes more technologically advanced
c.
Social structures are created by political elites who pursue their own interests
d.
Social structures are created through individual and community collaboration
Which of the following is an example of deviance in an organizational setting? Select all that apply.
Select one or more:
a.
A system administrator sharing his password outside the business
b.
A web designer writing more complex code than some of her co-workers
c.
A web master stealing company credit-card information
d.
An administrative assistant switching to a new scheduling program
Deviance often occurs because two groups are interdependent but have conflicting interests.
Select one:
True
False
According to a study done by Andria Hoplight Topia, what is the relationship between deviance and occupational status?
Select one:
a.
Deviance is most likely committed by those in mid-ranking levels in an organization
b.
Deviance is most likely committed by those in higher ranking levels in an organization
c.
Deviance is most likely committed by those in lower ranking levels in an organization
d.
Deviance is committed by employees at all levels within an organization
Which of the following is not a level through which conflict control takes place?
Select one:
a.
Formal controls such as the state
b.
Informal control from friends
c.
Individualized self-control
d.
Internalized self-control
Who is considered the father of modern conflict theory?
Select one:
a.
Karl Marx
b.
C. Wright Mills
c.
Emile Durkheim
d.
Talcott Parsons
According to some sociologists, what is the reason for globalization?
Select one:
a.
The use of new software databases in organizations
b.
The increase of technological workers from India
c.
The use of advancements in technology
d.
The increase of global computing network systems
Which of the following is the best definition of deviance?
Select one:
a.
Any behavior that might be considered white collar crime
b.
Any behavior that might be considered blue collar crime
c.
Any behavior that violates norms or rules of a small number of people
d.
Any behavior that violates norms or rules considered important to a majority of people
Which of the following is the best definition of deviance?
Select one:
a.
Any behavior that might be considered white collar crime
b.
Any behavior that might be considered blue collar crime
c.
Any behavior that violates norms or rules of a small number of people
d.
Any behavior that violates norms or rules considered important to a majority of people
Which of the following is the best description of conflict theory?
Select one:
a.
A sociological perspective that emphasizes how society is like a complex system where parts work together to promote cohesion
b.
A sociological perspective that emphasizes how society is like a biological organism
c.
A sociological perspective that emphasizes how social reality exists according to how people interpret meanings and symbols around them
d.
A sociological perspective that emphasizes social, political, and material inequality among social groups
How has the advent of the Internet changed so-called deviant individuals? Select all that apply.
Select one or more:
a.
Deviant individuals can connect anonymously with one another more easily
b.
No longer limited by space and time, deviant individuals now organize primarily online using virtual communities
c.
The Internet has made it more difficult for deviance to occur because of censorship of Internet activity
d.
Deviant individuals find it more challenging to anonymously connect with each other
What is one major reason managers have increasingly focused on managing deviance?
Select one:
a.
The growing complexity of organizations
b.
The increase of immigrant workers in organizations
c.
The increase of young, newly graduated college students joining organizations
d.
The increase of older workers with little experiences in technological settings
Which of the following represents the relationship between social control and employee deviance?
Select one:
a.
Increases in employer control leads to increases in employee deviance
b.
Increases in employer control leads to decreases in employee deviance
c.
Employer control has little impact on instances of employee deviance
d.
Decreases in employer control leads to decreases in employee deviance
Which of the following deviant act is not specifically related to the advent of the Internet?
Select one:
a.
Cyber bullying
b.
Cyber terrorism
c.
Money laundering
d.
Virus wares
Which of the following describes the relationship between individuals and social structures?
Select one:
a.
Individuals are entirely constrained by social structures
b.
Individuals are both constrained by social structures and influenced by them
c.
Individuals are neither constrained by social structures nor influenced by them
d.
Individuals are influenced by social structures but generally are not constrained by them
Which of the following best describes the integrated dimension of DeSanctis and Poole's (1994) theory on technology?
Select one:
a.
A perspective coming from structural symbolic interaction theory
b.
A conflict theory perspective that views inequality as unchanging until low-income people are integrated into internet use
c.
Technology is an opportunity for social change, focusing on social evolution and the social construction of meaning
d.
A perspective that views the internet as implicated in reducing the quality of human interaction
Conflict generally only occurs between social groups as opposed to within them.
Select one:
True
False
How did Raze.com increase control over employees? Select all that apply.
Select one or more:
a.
By hiring more immigrant workers to increase competition and keep employees dedicated
b.
By changing the programming language used
c.
By placating employees through providing free food
d.
By increasing mandatory meetings
