Question 1

Marxists tend to emphasize the economic origins of beliefs, ideology, and ideas.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 2

Max Weber argued that religious ideas could generate, influence, or lay the groundwork for economic or material activity.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 3

Given the fact that professional parapsychologists hold PhDs and conduct rigorous research whose findings are published in refereed journals, how is it that their field is regarded as deviant among conventional, mainstream scientists? What would change that?

Accepted Answer

The field of parapsychology is regarded as deviant among conventional, mainstream scientists primarily due to the nature of its subject matter. Parapsychology deals with phenomena such as extrasensory perception (ESP), telepathy, and psychokinesis, which are often considered to be outside the realm of traditional scientific inquiry. Additionally, the historical association of parapsychology with pseudoscience and the paranormal has further contributed to its marginalization within the scientific community.

Despite the fact that professional parapsychologists hold PhDs and conduct rigorous research, their findings are often met with skepticism and dismissal by mainstream scientists. This is largely due to the lack of reproducibility and the inability to consistently demonstrate these phenomena under controlled conditions. Furthermore, the stigma associated with the field has led to a lack of funding and support for parapsychological research, further hindering its acceptance within the scientific community.

In order to change the perception of parapsychology among mainstream scientists, several steps could be taken. First, there needs to be a concerted effort to increase the rigor and reproducibility of parapsychological research. This could involve collaboration with other scientific disciplines and the adoption of more stringent methodological standards. Additionally, efforts to educate and engage the broader scientific community about the potential implications of parapsychological phenomena could help to shift attitudes and promote greater acceptance.

Ultimately, the acceptance of parapsychology within the scientific community will require a shift in mindset and a willingness to reconsider long-held beliefs about the nature of consciousness and the limits of human perception. By demonstrating the validity and relevance of parapsychological research, it is possible to change the perception of the field and integrate it more fully into mainstream science.

Question 4

Belief in the validity of evolution is:

Accepted Answer

A)  positively related to education 
B)  negatively related to education 
C)  unrelated to education 
D)  related to education in an unknown and unknowable manner 
E)  none of the above 
A)  positively related to education 
B)  negatively related to education 
C)  unrelated to education 
D)  related to education in an unknown and unknowable manner 
E)  none of the above

Question 5

Holding unconventional beliefs is an important form of deviance.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

In the contemporary United States, the reactions that define whether a given religious system is deviant are determined for the most part by:

Accepted Answer

A)  formal agents of social control rather than informal agents of social control. 
B)  informal agents of social control rather than formal agents of social control. 
C)  both formal and informal agents of social control. 
D)  neither formal nor informal agents of social control. 
E)  none of the above 
A)  formal agents of social control rather than informal agents of social control. 
B)  informal agents of social control rather than formal agents of social control. 
C)  both formal and informal agents of social control. 
D)  neither formal nor informal agents of social control. 
E)  none of the above

Question 7

Which of the following is not an example of cognitive deviance-among certain collectivities or social circles?

Accepted Answer

A)  atheism 
B)  belief in creationism 
C)  belief in evolution 
D)  belief that UFOs are real 
E)  none of the above; all are examples of cognitive among certain social collectivities 
A)  atheism 
B)  belief in creationism 
C)  belief in evolution 
D)  belief that UFOs are real 
E)  none of the above; all are examples of cognitive among certain social collectivities

Question 8

Some paranormal beliefs typically involve a client-practitioner relationship. Which of the following represents the most clear-cut example?

Accepted Answer

A)  belief in evolution 
B)  belief in creationism 
C)  ufology 
D)  pseudoscience among cranks 
E)  astrology 
A)  belief in evolution 
B)  belief in creationism 
C)  ufology 
D)  pseudoscience among cranks 
E)  astrology

Question 9

Explain how deviant beliefs differ from deviant behavior. Be specific and detailed.

Accepted Answer

Deviant beliefs and deviant behavior are

Question 10

According to sociologists of religion:

Accepted Answer

A)  a sect is a religious body that breaks off from an established denomination; a cult is a religious body that is radically different from an establishedenomination. 
B)  a sect is a religious body that is radically different from an established denomination; a cult is a religious body that breaks off from an establishedenomination. 
C)  both a cult and a sect are religious bodies that break off from an established denomination. 
D)  both a cult and a sect are religious bodies that are radically different from an established body. 
E)  none of the above 
A)  a sect is a religious body that breaks off from an established denomination; a cult is a religious body that is radically different from an establishedenomination. 
B)  a sect is a religious body that is radically different from an established denomination; a cult is a religious body that breaks off from an establishedenomination. 
C)  both a cult and a sect are religious bodies that break off from an established denomination. 
D)  both a cult and a sect are religious bodies that are radically different from an established body. 
E)  none of the above

Question 11

What do we know from concrete, documentary evidence about what happened near Roswell, NM in 1947? Detail the "folklore" of the belief that UFOs are real. Does the folkloric quality of this belief demonstrate that it is false?

Accepted Answer

Concrete, documentary evidence about wha

Question 12

Which of the following versions of the JFK conspiracy theory is in all likelihood true? That JFK was assassinated by a conspiracy involving:

Accepted Answer

A)  the Mafia 
B)  the Soviet Russians 
C)  the Cubans 
D)  a cabal of right-wing Texans 
E)  evidence suggests that none of the above is true 
A)  the Mafia 
B)  the Soviet Russians 
C)  the Cubans 
D)  a cabal of right-wing Texans 
E)  evidence suggests that none of the above is true

Question 13

Which of the following statements was written by Dan Gordon?

Accepted Answer

A)  "The super-rich of the world control all governments and use them as vehicles to carry out their orders by means of violence when it is necessary." 
B)  "Classes with high social and economic privilege will assign religion the primary function of legitimating their own life pattern and situation in the
 world." 
C)  "The class which has the means of material production at its disposal has control at the same time over the means of mental production" 
D)  "We are not at fault for slaying the Jews." 
E)  none of the above 
A)  "The super-rich of the world control all governments and use them as vehicles to carry out their orders by means of violence when it is necessary." 
B)  "Classes with high social and economic privilege will assign religion the primary function of legitimating their own life pattern and situation in the
 world." 
C)  "The class which has the means of material production at its disposal has control at the same time over the means of mental production" 
D)  "We are not at fault for slaying the Jews." 
E)  none of the above

Question 14

The foundation of sociological writings on beliefs is that human consciousness is determined by social existence.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

In the history of humanity, no one has ever been arrested for holding or verbally expressing a belief, in the absence of an overt act.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Religion can never be a form of deviance because it is a belief system into which one is born; it's unfair to stigmatize someone for believing something they grew up with.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Which of the following religious bodies or organizations is outside the American religious mainstream and therefore at least somewhat deviant?

Accepted Answer

A)  the sect 
B)  the cult 
C)  the denomination 
D)  the church 
E)  none of the above 
A)  the sect 
B)  the cult 
C)  the denomination 
D)  the church 
E)  none of the above

Question 18

Some beliefs are more dominant than others; hence, their advocates have more power and greater numbers in the population to define their detractors as wrong or deviant.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

The "Roswell Incident" involved assertions about:

Accepted Answer

A)  the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November, 1963 
B)  the crash of a supposed alien spacecraft in the New Mexico desert 
C)  the attempt of a take-over of the American government by a Cuban invasion 
D)  cattle mutilations by aliens on ranches in the Southwestern US 
E)  none of the above 
A)  the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November, 1963 
B)  the crash of a supposed alien spacecraft in the New Mexico desert 
C)  the attempt of a take-over of the American government by a Cuban invasion 
D)  cattle mutilations by aliens on ranches in the Southwestern US 
E)  none of the above

Question 20

Which of the following beliefs was deviant to scientists and the relevant powers that be when it was first expressed, and remains scientifically deviant to this day:

Accepted Answer

A)  Alfred Weneger's theory of continental drift 
B)  Galileo's astronomical observations 
C)  Darwin's theory that natural selection drives evolution 
D)  Semmelweis' theory about procedures physicians should follow when delivering babies 
E)  none of the above 
A)  Alfred Weneger's theory of continental drift 
B)  Galileo's astronomical observations 
C)  Darwin's theory that natural selection drives evolution 
D)  Semmelweis' theory about procedures physicians should follow when delivering babies 
E)  none of the above

Marxists tend to emphasize the economic origins of beliefs, ideology, and ideas.

Max Weber argued that religious ideas could generate, influence, or lay the groundwork for economic or material activity.

Given the fact that professional parapsychologists hold PhDs and conduct rigorous research whose findings are published in refereed journals, how is it that their field is regarded as deviant among conventional, mainstream scientists? What would change that?

Belief in the validity of evolution is:

Holding unconventional beliefs is an important form of deviance.

In the contemporary United States, the reactions that define whether a given religious system is deviant are determined for the most part by:

Which of the following is not an example of cognitive deviance-among certain collectivities or social circles?

Some paranormal beliefs typically involve a client-practitioner relationship. Which of the following represents the most clear-cut example?

Explain how deviant beliefs differ from deviant behavior. Be specific and detailed.

According to sociologists of religion:

What do we know from concrete, documentary evidence about what happened near Roswell, NM in 1947? Detail the "folklore" of the belief that UFOs are real. Does the folkloric quality of this belief demonstrate that it is false?

Which of the following versions of the JFK conspiracy theory is in all likelihood true? That JFK was assassinated by a conspiracy involving:

Which of the following statements was written by Dan Gordon?

The foundation of sociological writings on beliefs is that human consciousness is determined by social existence.

In the history of humanity, no one has ever been arrested for holding or verbally expressing a belief, in the absence of an overt act.

Religion can never be a form of deviance because it is a belief system into which one is born; it's unfair to stigmatize someone for believing something they grew up with.

Which of the following religious bodies or organizations is outside the American religious mainstream and therefore at least somewhat deviant?

Some beliefs are more dominant than others; hence, their advocates have more power and greater numbers in the population to define their detractors as wrong or deviant.

The "Roswell Incident" involved assertions about:

Which of the following beliefs was deviant to scientists and the relevant powers that be when it was first expressed, and remains scientifically deviant to this day:

Introducing Deviance

Explaining Deviant Behavior

Constructing Deviance

Poverty and Disrepute

Crime and Criminalization Criminal Behavior

White Collar Crime

Substance Abuse

Sexual Deviance

Mental Disorder

Deviant Physical Characteristics

Tribal Stigma: Race, Religion, and Ethnicity

Filters

Exam 9: Unconventional Beliefs

Marxists tend to emphasize the economic origins of beliefs, ideology, and ideas.

Max Weber argued that religious ideas could generate, influence, or lay the groundwork for economic or material activity.

Given the fact that professional parapsychologists hold PhDs and conduct rigorous research whose findings are published in refereed journals, how is it that their field is regarded as deviant among conventional, mainstream scientists? What would change that?

Belief in the validity of evolution is:

Holding unconventional beliefs is an important form of deviance.

In the contemporary United States, the reactions that define whether a given religious system is deviant are determined for the most part by:

Which of the following is not an example of cognitive deviance-among certain collectivities or social circles?

Some paranormal beliefs typically involve a client-practitioner relationship. Which of the following represents the most clear-cut example?

Explain how deviant beliefs differ from deviant behavior. Be specific and detailed.

According to sociologists of religion:

What do we know from concrete, documentary evidence about what happened near Roswell, NM in 1947? Detail the "folklore" of the belief that UFOs are real. Does the folkloric quality of this belief demonstrate that it is false?

Which of the following versions of the JFK conspiracy theory is in all likelihood true? That JFK was assassinated by a conspiracy involving:

Which of the following statements was written by Dan Gordon?

The foundation of sociological writings on beliefs is that human consciousness is determined by social existence.

In the history of humanity, no one has ever been arrested for holding or verbally expressing a belief, in the absence of an overt act.

Religion can never be a form of deviance because it is a belief system into which one is born; it's unfair to stigmatize someone for believing something they grew up with.

Which of the following religious bodies or organizations is outside the American religious mainstream and therefore at least somewhat deviant?

Some beliefs are more dominant than others; hence, their advocates have more power and greater numbers in the population to define their detractors as wrong or deviant.

The "Roswell Incident" involved assertions about:

Which of the following beliefs was deviant to scientists and the relevant powers that be when it was first expressed, and remains scientifically deviant to this day:

Introducing Deviance

Explaining Deviant Behavior

Constructing Deviance

Poverty and Disrepute

Crime and Criminalization Criminal Behavior

White Collar Crime

Substance Abuse

Sexual Deviance

Mental Disorder

Deviant Physical Characteristics

Tribal Stigma: Race, Religion, and Ethnicity

Filters