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Questions and Answers
What characterizes an advantaged target population?
Which group is classified as dependents?
How are contenders primarily viewed in society?
Which of the following examples best represents a burden for a target population?
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What role does social power play in the distribution of benefits?
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What is the main motivation for governments to support advantaged groups?
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Which of the following statements is true about dependents?
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What defines the social construction of a group?
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What is the primary characteristic of the deviant target population in terms of social perception?
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Which group is seen as oversubscribed with burdens according to the social construction framework?
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Which of the following is NOT a reaction described in Robert Merton's Strain Theory?
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What distinguishes the 'Ritualism' reaction within Strain Theory?
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How do deviant individuals generally fare in terms of benefits according to the social construction theory?
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What drives individuals toward deviant behavior according to Strain Theory?
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Which reaction to strain involves adopting unapproved means to achieve accepted goals?
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What is a common perception about ethnic minorities as mentioned in the discussion of perceptions?
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What happens to target populations with strong social power and negative social construction?
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How do governments typically respond to groups they perceive positively?
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Describe the relationship between social power and benefits for dependent target populations.
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What is a key characteristic of the advantaged target population in terms of societal perception?
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Explain how social construction contributes to the burdens faced by deviant groups.
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What distinguishes dependent target populations from advantaged ones?
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Why might governments be reluctant to support groups that are negatively socially constructed?
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What impact does the concept of social construction have on the distribution of resources to target populations?
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What is meant by deviant individuals being described as undersubscribed in benefits?
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In Strain Theory, what does the reaction of innovation entail?
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How do perceptions affect the classification of ethnic minorities according to the material provided?
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What characterizes the 'Ritualism' response in the context of Merton's Strain Theory?
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What does the term 'oversubscribed burdens' mean in reference to the deviant population?
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What is the relationship between social power and burden distribution among deviant populations?
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How does Strain Theory explain the pressure that can lead to deviant behavior?
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What outcome can arise from the pursuit of the American Dream according to Strain Theory?
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Study Notes
Target Populations
- Advantaged: Positively socially constructed and have strong social power. They receive the most benefits. Example: The elderly.
- Contenders: Negatively socially constructed but have strong social power. They receive a mixture of benefits and burdens due to their powerful position. Example: Big businesses.
- Dependents: Positively socially constructed but have weak social power. They receive few benefits and often face burdens due to their lack of power. Example: Students.
- Deviants: Negatively socially constructed and have weak social power. They receive few benefits and face many burdens due to their negative social construction. Example: Drug addicts.
Social Construction
- It refers to an idea created and accepted by society.
- Groups can be constructed positively or negatively.
- Government aims to appear supportive of positively constructed groups and harsh towards negatively constructed groups.
- Social power plays a role in how benefits and burdens are distributed.
Strain Theory
- Created by Robert Merton, it suggests social pressure can drive individuals towards deviant behavior if they lack social status, income, or education.
- It's based on the American Dream: belief that hard work will lead to material wealth.
- Individuals are expected to accept societal goals and use approved means to achieve them.
- Strain Theory predicts five reactions to this pressure:
Reactions to Strain
- Conformity: Accepting both goals and means. Example: Working a traditional 9-5 job.
- Innovation: Accepting goals but rejecting the means. Example: Engaging in criminal activity to gain wealth.
- Ritualism: Giving up on goals but continuing to conform to the means. Example: Staying in a job without ambition for advancement.
- Retreatism: Rejecting both goals and means. Example: Abandoning societal expectations.
- Rebellion: Rejecting both goals and means but seeking to replace them with new ones. Example: Revolutionaries who aim to overthrow the existing system.
Target Populations
- A target population is a group of people that social policy is aimed at.
- Social construction influences the target population.
- Example: The elderly are positively socially constructed, and thus often receive benefits, while drug addicts are negatively socially constructed, and therefore often receive burdens.
- Benefits can include tax breaks, welfare credits, and exemptions.
- Burdens can include tax increases, targeted law restrictions (harsher sentencing for drugs).
Social Construction
- Social construction involves ideas that are created and accepted by society.
- Target populations can be either positively or negatively socially constructed by society.
- Governments strive to be seen as supporting groups with positive social construction and punishing groups that have negative social construction.
- However, social power impacts who receives benefits and burdens more than social construction alone.
Advantaged Target Population
- This group is both positively socially constructed and has strong social power.
- They are oversubscribed benefits because the government wants to be seem as supporting them.
- Example: The elderly.
Contender Target Population
- This group is negatively socially constructed but has high social power.
- Contenders are oversubscribed benefits due to their social power.
- Governments try to be seen as opposing this group despite their strong social power.
- Example: Big businesses.
Dependent Target Population
- This group is positively socially constructed but has weak social power.
- Dependents receive undersubscribed benefits and are likely to be oversubscribed burdens because of their weak social power.
- Governments try to appear as supporting this group.
- Example: Students and children.
Deviant Target Population
- This group is negatively socially constructed and has weak social power.
- Deviants are oversubscribed burdens and undersubscribed benefits.
- Governments want to be seen as tough on these groups.
- Example: Drug addicts.
Perception
- Perception towards groups can be different within society and can impact how individuals are categorized.
- Example: Some see ethnic minorities as dependents, while others categorize them as contenders.
Strain Theory
- Strain theory explains how social factors like a lack of social status or income drive individuals towards deviant behavior.
- It is rooted in the idea of the American Dream where hard work and following societal rules leads to success and material wealth.
- Individuals are expected to accept the American Dream as a cultural goal and utilize socially accepted means to achieve it.
- Merton's strain theory proposes five reactions to this social strain: Conformity, Innovation, Ritualism, Retreatism, and Rebellion.
Conformity
- The most common response, accepting both social goals and means.
- Individuals conform to the cultural goals and follow approved means to achieve those goals.
- They typically do not feel strain.
- Example: Working a 9-5 office job.
Innovation
- Acceptance of social goals but rejection of socially accepted means.
- Individuals resort to unapproved means to achieve societal goals.
- Example: Drug trafficking or organized crime.
Ritualism
- Individuals have given up on achieving the cultural goal but continue to conform to the means.
- Despite feeling they will never achieve their goal, they continue to follow the same processes as those who conform.
- Example: Continue in a job they feel they will never advance in, going through the motions.
Schneider and Ingram Model overview
Target Population | Social Construction | Power | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Advantaged | Positive | Strong | Oversubscribed Benefits |
Contender | Negative | Strong | Mostly Benefits, Occasional Burdens (Perception) |
Dependent | Positive | Weak | Mostly Burdens, Occasional Benefits (Perception) |
Deviant | Negative | Weak | Oversubscribed Burdens |
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Description
This quiz explores the concept of social construction, focusing on different target populations like Advantaged, Contenders, Dependents, and Deviants. Understand how societal perceptions impact the benefits and burdens these groups experience. Test your knowledge on the dynamics of power and social construction.