What are the two broad categories of crime? Describe the main differences between these categories and give at least two examples to support your answer.
What will be an ideal response?
We group crimes into two broad categories: mala in se and mala prohibita. Mala in se crimes violate our moral conscience, such as murder, theft, or violent assault. They tend to receive the most attention from politicians, civic and religious leaders, and the mainstream media. Despite support for the Stand Your Ground Law, for instance, there is universal consensus that murder is a problem society must control.
Mala prohibita crimes, on the other hand, are acts that may not be commonly viewed as evil, and many people might not agree they are crimes at all. Tax fraud is prohibited to protect the public welfare, but many individuals who are otherwise law-abiding have no problem with cheating on their taxes. Other mala prohibita crimes are gambling and drug use. The way the law treats them depends on many factors including social and political climate, socioeconomic factors, and geographical differences. While most college students probably agree that finding a designated driver is far preferable to driving while drunk, this was not the prevalent attitude before the 1980s, when Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) began to organize and influence lawmakers and social norms.
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Which of the following is an example of an ascribed status?
a. doctor b. Queen of England c. president of General Motors d. student
The ______ in 1965 required that the same standards be used to register all citizens in federal, state, and local elections.
A. Right to Vote Act B. Voting Rights Act C. Landmark Legislation Act D. Nonviolent Direct Action Act
The mass media in the United States today
a. keep most Americans well informed about the character and basic causes of the social problems discussed in the text. b. usually present a broad diversity of political and economic perspectives on social problems. c. are for the most part owned by the same large corporations that shape U.S. society and its social problems. d. a and b above.
Sarah is spending a summer living in another country where people have a way of life that differs from her own. A sociologist might expect that this experience would lead her to ________
a. end up with a greater understanding of both a new way of life and her own way of life. b. accept what people in the United States call "common sense." c. assume that people's lives simply reflect the choices they make. d. gradually understand less and less about her own way of life.