Question 1

Discuss the similarities and differences between biological and sociocultural evolution. How does genetic engineering fit in to this question?

Accepted Answer

Biological and sociocultural evolution both involve the process of change over time. In biological evolution, this change occurs in the genetic makeup of a population, leading to the development of new species and adaptations to the environment. Sociocultural evolution, on the other hand, refers to the development of societies and cultures over time, including changes in social structures, beliefs, and practices.

One similarity between biological and sociocultural evolution is that both are driven by the process of natural selection. In biological evolution, organisms with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on those traits to future generations. Similarly, in sociocultural evolution, societies and cultures that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to thrive and influence future generations.

However, there are also significant differences between the two. Biological evolution is primarily driven by genetic mutations and natural selection, while sociocultural evolution is influenced by a wide range of factors, including technology, communication, and social organization. Additionally, biological evolution operates on a much longer timescale, with changes occurring over thousands or millions of years, while sociocultural evolution can occur much more rapidly.

Genetic engineering plays a role in both biological and sociocultural evolution. In terms of biological evolution, genetic engineering allows for the direct manipulation of an organism's genetic makeup, potentially leading to the creation of new species or the enhancement of desirable traits. In the context of sociocultural evolution, genetic engineering can also impact the development of societies and cultures by influencing ethical and moral considerations, as well as shaping attitudes towards technology and the environment.

Overall, while biological and sociocultural evolution share some similarities in terms of the process of change over time, they also have distinct differences in terms of their underlying mechanisms and timescales. Genetic engineering intersects with both forms of evolution, playing a role in shaping the future of both biological and sociocultural development.

Question 2

Social structures are:

Accepted Answer

A)  Built up from identical interlocking units 
B)  Like an organization chart 
C)  Found only in bureaucracies 
D)  Impossible to change 
E)  Composed of rigid materials 
A)  Built up from identical interlocking units 
B)  Like an organization chart 
C)  Found only in bureaucracies 
D)  Impossible to change 
E)  Composed of rigid materials B

Question 3

Sociocultural evolution is similar to biological evolution with regard to:

Accepted Answer

A)  Information is transferred across generations 
B)  Information is stored and transmitted in genes 
C)  The mechanisms by which information is passed from generation to generation 
D)  The speed of change 
E)  The co-evolution of simple and complex forms 
A)  Information is transferred across generations 
B)  Information is stored and transmitted in genes 
C)  The mechanisms by which information is passed from generation to generation 
D)  The speed of change 
E)  The co-evolution of simple and complex forms A

Question 4

The ontology of a culture is composed of beliefs about what is right and what is wrong.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Discuss the differences between continuationism and transformationism.

Accepted Answer

Continuationism and transformationism ar

Question 6

Discuss the relationship between the self and society as presented in Chapter 1. How is the concept of the self used in Chapter 1 different from the way the idea of the self is often used in public discourse?

Accepted Answer

In Chapter 1, the relationship between t

Question 7

A football team is a good example of social structure.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Human brains have less RAM relative to the amount of ROM than the brains of other mammals.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

The process of socialization, as discussed in Chapter 1:

Accepted Answer

A)  Often leads to drug abuse 
B)  Can be fun for those who have the right attitude 
C)  Often leads to pregnancy on the campuses of private colleges 
D)  Is a way that society gets into your head 
E)  Makes those who work pay for the support of lazy people. 
A)  Often leads to drug abuse 
B)  Can be fun for those who have the right attitude 
C)  Often leads to pregnancy on the campuses of private colleges 
D)  Is a way that society gets into your head 
E)  Makes those who work pay for the support of lazy people.

Question 10

The question of progress cannot be evaluated scientifically.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Discuss the reasons why evolutionary explanations of human societies were rejected by many social scientists in the late 19ᵗʰ and early 20ᵗʰ centuries.

Accepted Answer

There were several reasons why evolution

Question 12

What are the main ways in which the self is constructed?

Accepted Answer

The construction of the self is a comple

Question 13

Why does normative regulation based on a moral order not work well by itself in large-scale complex and hierarchical polities?

Accepted Answer

Normative regulation based on a moral or

Question 14

Theories of sociocultural change

Accepted Answer

A)  Posit only quantitative changes 
B)  Sometimes combine quantitative and qualitative changes in the logic of development 
C)  Usually emphasize the importance of gossip 
D)  Portray human history as a large set of unrelated stories 
E)  Assume that human nature is completely malleable 
A)  Posit only quantitative changes 
B)  Sometimes combine quantitative and qualitative changes in the logic of development 
C)  Usually emphasize the importance of gossip 
D)  Portray human history as a large set of unrelated stories 
E)  Assume that human nature is completely malleable

Question 15

The idea of parallel sociocultural evolution means that:

Accepted Answer

A)  Evolution occurs in perfectly straight lines 
B)  Similar changes occur under similar conditions in regions that are not connected with one another 
C)  Polities on the same latitude tend to be similar 
D)  Social structures tend to become more rectangular 
E)  Polities with less population density are always conquered by polities with more population density 
A)  Evolution occurs in perfectly straight lines 
B)  Similar changes occur under similar conditions in regions that are not connected with one another 
C)  Polities on the same latitude tend to be similar 
D)  Social structures tend to become more rectangular 
E)  Polities with less population density are always conquered by polities with more population density

Question 16

The institutional materialist theoretical approach:

Accepted Answer

A)  Contends that greed is a major force in human affairs 
B)  Claims that markets and institutionalized coercion emerged later than normative regulation 
C)  Supports the prison-industrial complex 
D)  Denies the possibility of human freedom 
E)  Sees world history as a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. 
A)  Contends that greed is a major force in human affairs 
B)  Claims that markets and institutionalized coercion emerged later than normative regulation 
C)  Supports the prison-industrial complex 
D)  Denies the possibility of human freedom 
E)  Sees world history as a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Question 17

Describe and discuss the quasi-experimental comparative method for inferring causality.

Accepted Answer

The quasi-experimental comparative metho

Question 18

Polities always get larger and more complex.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Deterministic stage theories of social change are problematic because:

Accepted Answer

A)  The actors often do not show up for the performance 
B)  Unpredictable events can sometimes alter the trajectory of social change 
C)  There are no discernible patterns of sociocultural evolution 
D)  All polities go through the same stages 
E)  Polities that interact with each other always become more similar 
A)  The actors often do not show up for the performance 
B)  Unpredictable events can sometimes alter the trajectory of social change 
C)  There are no discernible patterns of sociocultural evolution 
D)  All polities go through the same stages 
E)  Polities that interact with each other always become more similar

Question 20

The types of institutions that make the behavior of others more predictable are:

Accepted Answer

A)  Markets and prices that organize exchange 
B)  Agreed-upon beliefs about what exists and what is good and bad 
C)  Laws and legitimate processes of legal enforcement 
D)  All of the above 
A)  Markets and prices that organize exchange 
B)  Agreed-upon beliefs about what exists and what is good and bad 
C)  Laws and legitimate processes of legal enforcement 
D)  All of the above

Discuss the similarities and differences between biological and sociocultural evolution. How does genetic engineering fit in to this question?

Social structures are:

Sociocultural evolution is similar to biological evolution with regard to:

The ontology of a culture is composed of beliefs about what is right and what is wrong.

Discuss the differences between continuationism and transformationism.

Discuss the relationship between the self and society as presented in Chapter 1. How is the concept of the self used in Chapter 1 different from the way the idea of the self is often used in public discourse?

A football team is a good example of social structure.

Human brains have less RAM relative to the amount of ROM than the brains of other mammals.

The process of socialization, as discussed in Chapter 1:

The question of progress cannot be evaluated scientifically.

Discuss the reasons why evolutionary explanations of human societies were rejected by many social scientists in the late 19ᵗʰ and early 20ᵗʰ centuries.

What are the main ways in which the self is constructed?

Why does normative regulation based on a moral order not work well by itself in large-scale complex and hierarchical polities?

Theories of sociocultural change

The idea of parallel sociocultural evolution means that:

The institutional materialist theoretical approach:

Describe and discuss the quasi-experimental comparative method for inferring causality.

Polities always get larger and more complex.

Deterministic stage theories of social change are problematic because:

The types of institutions that make the behavior of others more predictable are:

The Comparative World-Systems Approach

Biological Bases of Social Evolution

Building a Social Self: The Macro-Micro Link Part II Stateless Systems

World-Systems of Foragers

The Gardeners Web Chapter Indigenous North American World-Systems Before the Rise of Chiefs

The Sacred Chiefs Part III State-Based Systems

The Temple and the Palace

Public Spaces, Self, and Cognitive Evolution in Early States

The Early Empires: Semiperipheral Conquerors and Capitalist City-States

The Central System Part IV-The Long Rise of Capitalism

The Long Rise of the West

The Modern World-System

The Early Modern Systems in the Fifteenth to the Eighteenth Centuries

The Global Nineteenth Century

Public Spaces, Individualism, and Cognition in the Modern Age

The Twentieth-Century Age of Extremes

The World-System Since 1945: Another Wave of Globalization, Hegemony, and Revolutions

Late Globalization: The Early Twenty-First Century

The Next Three Futures: Another Round of Us Hegemony, Global Collapse, or Global Democracy

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Exam 1: History and Social Evolution

Discuss the similarities and differences between biological and sociocultural evolution. How does genetic engineering fit in to this question?

Social structures are:

Sociocultural evolution is similar to biological evolution with regard to:

The ontology of a culture is composed of beliefs about what is right and what is wrong.

Discuss the differences between continuationism and transformationism.

Discuss the relationship between the self and society as presented in Chapter 1. How is the concept of the self used in Chapter 1 different from the way the idea of the self is often used in public discourse?

A football team is a good example of social structure.

Human brains have less RAM relative to the amount of ROM than the brains of other mammals.

The process of socialization, as discussed in Chapter 1:

The question of progress cannot be evaluated scientifically.

Discuss the reasons why evolutionary explanations of human societies were rejected by many social scientists in the late 19ᵗʰ and early 20ᵗʰ centuries.

What are the main ways in which the self is constructed?

Why does normative regulation based on a moral order not work well by itself in large-scale complex and hierarchical polities?

Theories of sociocultural change

The idea of parallel sociocultural evolution means that:

The institutional materialist theoretical approach:

Describe and discuss the quasi-experimental comparative method for inferring causality.

Polities always get larger and more complex.

Deterministic stage theories of social change are problematic because:

The types of institutions that make the behavior of others more predictable are:

The Comparative World-Systems Approach

Biological Bases of Social Evolution

Building a Social Self: The Macro-Micro Link Part II Stateless Systems

World-Systems of Foragers

The Gardeners Web Chapter Indigenous North American World-Systems Before the Rise of Chiefs

The Sacred Chiefs Part III State-Based Systems

The Temple and the Palace

Public Spaces, Self, and Cognitive Evolution in Early States

The Early Empires: Semiperipheral Conquerors and Capitalist City-States

The Central System Part IV-The Long Rise of Capitalism

The Long Rise of the West

The Modern World-System

The Early Modern Systems in the Fifteenth to the Eighteenth Centuries

The Global Nineteenth Century

Public Spaces, Individualism, and Cognition in the Modern Age

The Twentieth-Century Age of Extremes

The World-System Since 1945: Another Wave of Globalization, Hegemony, and Revolutions

Late Globalization: The Early Twenty-First Century

The Next Three Futures: Another Round of Us Hegemony, Global Collapse, or Global Democracy

Filters