Family Questions for the Midterm Exam

Below are the family questions and answers which will be part of the midterm exam next Tuesday 10/20. I did do some editing, as you'll see.

GREEN FAMILY: (Sara, Aubrey, Maya, Melanie, Jeremy) 5pts +1 bonus point

1. In your own words, explain the difference between actions that are MALA IN SE and actions classified as MALA PROHIBITA. (2)

ANSWER: MALA IN SE are acts "bad in themselves," or forbidden behaviors for which there is wide-scale consensus on the mores of prohibition. MALA PROHIBITA are acts that are "bad because they have been prohibited," or not viewed as bad in themselves but are violations because the law defines them as such.

2. Identify and describe any ONE of the five modes of adapting to the strain of anomie, according to Merton's Anomie Theory. (2)

ANSWER: any ONE of the following: (a) CONFORMIST: accepts the situation; strives for success through conventional, legitimate channels which these individuals obviously have access to. System works for them. (b) INNOVATOR: this is the primary criminal response. One accepts the goal of success, but being blocked from legitimate means, this person turns to illegitimate means (in a sense, innovates or creates his/her own means). Engaged in mostly by lower class (a point Hagan does not mention). (c) RITUALIST: person gives up on the struggle for success as society defines it, lowers his/her expectations to the point where they can be satisfied through conventional means. He considered this "deviant" or abnormal, although I would contend that it is a rational response to living with scarcity. (d) RETREATIST: this is the escapist response. Person gives up on both the goal of success and the means -- turns to alcohol and/or drugs to, in the words of Timothy Leary, "tune in, turn on, drop out." Of course, taking illegal drugs is a crime, not to mention the fact that to support a drug habit one often has to resport to crime -- theft. (e) REBEL: rejects both the ends and the means; that is, rejects the "system" altogether and seeks to overturn it, which would include violent means which would obviously be criminal.

3. Why are the biological and psychological theories of crime not adequate? (2)

ANSWER: Because the individual is not a separate and distinct biological or psychological being. The individual is also a social and cultural being, so the social and cultural dimension must be taken into account. Indeed, what constitutes crime itself is a matter of social definition.


RED FAMILY: (Skylar, Kevin, Wilson, John, Catherine) 5pts.

1. In Charles Goring's book, "The English Convict," how did he challenge Lombroso's biological theory of crime? (2)

ANSWER: He used a much broader, more representative sample of the normal population and found no significant differences in physical appearance between them and a sample of convicted criminals in prison.

2. Briefly explain the difference between UNDERCRIMINALIZATION and OVERCRIMINALIZATION. (2)

ANSWER: UNDERCRIMINALIZATION is where the criminal law fails to prohibit acts that many feel are "mala in se" or bad in themselves. Whereas OVERCRIMINALIZATION involves the overextension of criminal law to cover acts that are inappropriately or not responsibly enforced by such measures.


BLUE FAMILY: (Marie, Kit, Meredith, Jessica) 5pts + 1 bonus point.

1. In the article, "Phantom Numbers Haunt the War on Drugs," what quote did I cite in class which referred to statistics, politicians, and lampposts? (1)

ANSWER: "Politicians are said to use statistics the way drunks use lampposts, for support rather than illumination."

2. Describe the difference between CRIME and DEVIANCE. (2)

ANSWER: DEVIANCE is any act that is considered outside the "norms of behavior," whereas CRIME is a violation of law and a subset of deviance.

3. What theory does Hagan discuss under the MISTAKEN heading: "Social Process Theory?" (1)

ANSWER: Social Disorganization theory.


BLACK FAMILY: (Thomas, Matt, Natalie, Grant) 5pts.

1. Identify any TWO reasons why international comparisons of crime may be inaccurate. (2)

ANSWER: Any TWO of the following: (1) Varying definitions, legal codes -- define crimes in different ways; (2) Recording practices may differ -- different police departments record things differently; (3) Operating practices -- in some countries only crimes reaching court are recorded.

2. Briefly describe Lombroso's theory of atavism. (2)

ANSWER: Criminals were seen as "throwbacks" to an earlier and more primitive evolutionary period. Such born criminals could be identified by certain physical stigmata -- outward appearances, particularly facial, which tended to distinguish them from noncriminals.
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That's it. Remember, these will be on the exam. Each will be placed in the appropriate chronological order on the exam.