Soc. 3200: Study Guide- Test 4

Heterosexual Deviance

  1. What aspects of dominant American culture relate to an understanding of prostitution and pornography?
  2. What kind of men use prostitutes? What do prostitutes think about the men they service and their work?
  3. How do women "become" prostitutes? What are the stages and processes involved (focus on the training of the house prostitute)?
  4. What is the relationship between AIDS and prostitution?
  5. What ways are there of defining pornography? What is the difference between hard core and soft core pornography?
  6. What does the research on the effects of pornography suggest? What role does the depiction of violence play in understanding the effects of viewing pornography?
  7. Why are attempts to criminalize pornography problematic? What is the feminist argument against pornography?

Homeosexuality as Deviance

  1. Distinguish homosexuality from homosexual behavior. What is meant by situational homosexuality? What factors are important in defining the homosexual?
  2. What are the recent trends in the organization of the homosexual subculture, in public attitudes, in official response (legislation)?
  3. What is a tearoom and how do tearooms relate to and understanding of homosexual relations and identity?
  4. What is the essentialist model of homosexuality? The social constructionist? Give examples from class discussion and reading that support these conflicting perspectives. What are the arguments concerning the pathological nature of homosexuality? What are the critiques of this perspective?
  5. What are the dimensions of the stigma that is attached to homosexuality, the ambiguities of the stigma? How has public opinion towards homosexuals changed over the years. Why? Relate these changes to gay bashing. What do you think?
  6. What has research shown about the extent of homosexual experience among American males. What are the processes involved in "coming out" or becoming a homosexual?
  7. What are the differences between male and female homosexuality. How can these differences be explained?
  8. What relationship is there, if any, between lesbianism, pornography, and social attitudes?
  9. How has AIDS impacted the homosexual subculture?

Mental Disorder

  1. What is mental disorder? What is meant by the idea that mental disorder is a form of residual deviance?
  2. Compare and contrast the medical model and the labeling approach to understanding mental disorder. Which appears to be correct? Why? Evidence? Does this mean the other is wrong? Why or why not?
  3. What are the implications of the medicalization of deviant behavior? What are the interpretive procedures, definitions and other processes that inform an understanding of the social construction of mental disorder within the intimate environment of the family?
  4. How is mental disorder "distributed" throughout the social structure? Relate to gender, marital status and SES.
  5. What has been the impact of pharmacological developments in the treatment of mental disorder? Do these new drugs "cure the illness"?
  6. Is mental disorder a form of deviance? Why or why not? Although it is not part of the assigned reading, you might try and relate your answer to Turner and Edgley's analysis of "Biochemistry and Mythology".
  7. What are the implications of Rosenhan's study for an understanding of mental disorder from the societal reaction perspective? What are the stages and interactional components of "The Moral Career of the Mental Patient" ?

Cognitive Deviance

  1. What types of beliefs fall into the categorie of cognitive deviance?
  2. What makes a belief in the existence of extra-terrestial life deviant?
  3. What is parapsychology is considered deviant by conventional scientists.
  4. What are urban legends, and what form do they typically take?
  5. What makes a cult or religious sect deviant?
  6. Explain how deviant beliefs differ from deviant physical characteristics and deviant behavior.
  7. Why is empirical falsehood not a defining characteristic of deviant beliefs?
  8. What are some of the more significant religious conflicts mentioned in the text? Which sides are deviant? Which conventional? Why?

Physical Deviance

  1. Do all societies value beauty? Explain your answer.
  2. Explain "tertiary deviance"
  3. What are the similarities and the differences between behavioral deviance and physical deviance? Do these generalizations apply to all societies, at all times?
  4. Critique Fiedlker's psychoanalytic explanation if why we are so distressed, yet fascinated by "freaks." What might be a better, more powerful alternative approach?
  5. Explain the difference between deviant physical characteristics that are involuntarily acquired and those that are voluntarily acquired.

    URL: http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/200/studdev4.html
    Owner: Robert O. Keel (rok@umsl.edu)
    Last Updated: Thursday, July 14, 2005 1:58 PM