Which term describes breakdown of social institutions, result when deviance is practiced by large numbers of people over long periods of time, undermined the belief in the value of basic social institutions or when it produces conflict that cannot be contained?

• A. Aberrant behavior
• B. Inability to conform
• C. Social disorganization
• D. Nonconforming behavior

Answer: (C)

Social disorganization describes what happens when the social fabric that holds a community together—family, schools, religious groups, and other institutions—breaks down. When deviance is practiced by large numbers over a long period, these institutions lose their ability to regulate behavior, shared norms weaken, and trust in fundamental social values erodes. That erosion and the resulting unmanaged conflict fit the idea of a community slipping into disorganization. The other terms point to individual or limited forms of deviation rather than a systemic collapse of social order: aberrant behavior is simply unusual actions without implying structural breakdown; inability to conform focuses on an individual’s difficulty meeting norms; nonconforming behavior denotes deviation from norms without the broader social-disorder context.