Deck 16: Social Change: With Emphasis on Changing Environment

Question 1

_____ is the ever increasing flow of goods, services, money, people, information, and culture across political borders.

A)Mechanization
B)Globalization
C)Urbanization
D)Global interdependence

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The principles efficiency, quantification/calculation, predictability, and control govern the organizational trend known as

A)McDonaldization.
B)planned obsolescence.
C)tipping points.
D)innovation.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Each upgrade of a personal computer's memory capacity represents a

A)an invention.
B)a basic innovation.
C)an improving innovation.
D)a paradigm shift.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Refrigerators, ovens, washers, and dryers built since 2000 are expected to last 8-12 years, while those built in the 1970s and 1980s lasted 20 years or more. This shift in product life is an example of

A)mechanization.
B)rationalization.
C)planned obsolescence.
D)a tipping point.

Question 5

A society in which the use of fossil fuels shapes virtually every aspect of people's personal and social lives is a ______________ society.

A)global
B)hydrocarbon
C)greenhouse
D)industrial

Question 6

The tipping point is

A)sudden at first and then people adjust.
B)a process by which people ignore change.
C)the point at which previously rare events snowball into commonplace ones.
D)something that cannot be observed.

Question 7

About 50 percent of the world's population lives in _______ environment.

A)an urban
B)a rural
C)a suburban
D)a city

Question 8

Situations in which a previously rare (or seemingly rare)event, response, or opinion snowballs into something dramatically more common are known as

A)melting points.
B)tipping points.
C)critical stages.
D)social change points.

Question 9

Revolutionary, unprecedented, or ground-breaking inventions that are the cornerstones for a wide range of applications are termed

A)basic innovations.
B)improving innovation.
C)science.
D)cultural inventions.

Question 10

A hydrocarbon society is one in which the use of ________ shapes virtually every aspect of human personal and social life.

A)machines
B)metals
C)minerals
D)fossil fuels

Question 11

Highways and automobiles have created _____ and making it difficult to distinguish between city, suburbs, and nonurban environments

A)urban sprawl
B)planned obsolescence
C)globalization
D)an anomaly

Question 12

Gas prices rise pennies at a time, triggering little change to driving habits. However, at some point the price becomes so high that large numbers of people begin to change their behavior. This point is called the

A)price point.
B)maximum point.
C)tipping point.
D)supply and demand imbalance.

Question 13

A company maintains "We deliver within 30 minutes!" That company is applying which of the following McDonalization principles?

A)efficiency
B)quantification/calculation
C)predictability
D)control

Question 14

___________ involves producing goods that are disposable after a single use, have a shorter life cycle than the industry is capable of producing, or go out of style quickly even though the goods can still serve their purpose.

A)Mechanization
B)Rationalization
C)Planned obsolescence
D)A tipping point

Question 15

Pharmacies, banks, and car washes have adopted "drive-thru" services to facilitate their goal of moving customers from one state of being to another quickly. This strategy speaks to which one of the following McDonaldization principles?

A)efficiency
B)quantification/calculation
C)predictability
D)control

Question 16

To stay in "fashion" many people buy a new car even though their old car is still in excellent-to-good condition. Similarly, people tend to buy new clothes before they wear out the clothes they already have. Such actions speak to

A)mechanization.
B)rationalization.
C)planned obsolescence.
D)a tipping point.

Question 17

Sociology first emerged as a discipline attempting to understand an event that triggered dramatic and seemingly endless changes in every area of human life. That event was

A)the Sexual Revolution.
B)the Industrial Revolution.
C)the Civil War.
D)World War II.

Question 18

_________________ is any significant alteration, modification, or transformation in the organization and operation of social life.

A)Globalization
B)Scientific revolution
C)Social change
D)Global interdependence

Question 19

In sociology, the concept of tipping point was first applied to

A)climate change.
B)increased fuel costs.
C)white flight.
D)the industrial revolution.

Question 20

When sociologists study the potential human connection to climate change, they ask whic h one of the following questions?

A)Is climate change real?
B)Wh at has changed since 1750, making human activity heavily dependent upon fossil fuels?
C)Is climate change man-made or part of the planet's natural shift in weather patterns?
D)What country is most responsible for climate change?

Question 21

Marx believed that _________ was the first economic system capable of maximizing the immense productive potential of human labor and ingenuity.

A)the capitalist system
B)socialism
C)communism
D)a centrally planned economy

Question 22

Karl Marx argued that ________ "chases the bourgeoisie over the whole surface of the globe."

A)change
B)globalization-from-below
C)globalization-from-above
D)the drive for profit

Question 23

_______________ movements seek to turn back the hands of time to an earlier condition or state of being.

A)Regressive
B)Reformist
C)Revolutionary
D)Counter-revolutionary

Question 24

Each "upgrade" of the 1903 Wright Flyer (the first successful airplane)increased the airplane's capacity to fly farther, higher, faster, and with more passengers. Upgrades are equivalent to

A)an invention.
B)a basic innovation.
C)an improving innovation.
D)a paradigm shift.

Question 25

_______________ is formed when a substantial number of people organize to change, to resist change, or undo change in some area of society.

A)A scientific revolution
B)A social movement
C)A basic innovation
D)Resource mobilization

Question 26

Ralf Dahrendorf wrote "It is immeasurably difficult to trace the path on which a person…encounters other people just like himself, and at a certain point says 'Let us join hands, friends, so that no-one will push us off one by one.'" Dahrendorf was writing about

A)globalization-from-above.
B)social movements.
C)globalization-from-below.
D)the Chernobyl meltdown.

Question 27

Thomas Kuhn defines a paradigm as

A)equivalent to a hypothesis.
B)a trial and highly tentative idea.
C)the dominant and widely accepted theories and concepts in a particular field of study.
D)the most controversial theories and concepts within a discipline.

Question 28

When a new paradigm causes converts to see the world in an entirely new light and wonder how they could possibly have taken the old paradigm seriously, _______ has occurred.

A)a scientific revolution
B)innovation
C)cultural lag
D)adaptive reasoning

Question 29

Anthropologist Leslie White maintained that inventions control people. He supported this conclusion with the argument that

A)necessity is the mother of invention.
B)when the cultural base is capable of supporting an invention that invention will come into being whether we want it or not.
C)human beings have no free will.
D)the best things in science are found because they are useful at the time.

Question 30

The Petition Project seeks to challenge other social movements that demand reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. This desire to maintain an existing social order suggests that the Petition Project is a ____________________ movement.

A)regressive
B)reformist
C)revolutionary
D)counter-revolutionary

Question 31

A _______________ social movement seeks broad, sweeping and radical structural changes to a society's basic social institutions.

A)reformist
B)revolutionary
C)counter revolutionary
D)regressive

Question 32

The explanatory value and hence the status of a paradigm is threatened by the existence of an anomaly. An anomaly is

A)a dominant and widely accepted theory.
B)an observation that the paradigm cannot explain.
C)a modification of a basic invention.
D)a transformation of the social structure.

Question 33

Inventors may be geniuses, but they also must be born in the right place and at the right time; this means that

A)inventors must be born in a capitalist country free of government control.
B)the society into which they are born must have compulsory education.
C)they must live in a society with a cultural base sufficiently developed to support their invention.
D)people must perceive their inventions as useful.

Question 34

Leslie White maintains that if an invention is to come into being, the inventor must

A)be a genius.
B)invent something that people view as a necessity.
C)have the ability to market the product.
D)be born at the right place and time.

Question 35

Leslie White maintains that __________ is tied to the size of the cultural base.

A)the rate of cultural diffusion
B)scientific progress
C)the rate of change
D)a population's openness to new ideas

Question 36

"We invent the automobile to get us between two points faster, and suddenly we find we have to build new roads. And that means we have to invent traffic regulations... and then we have to invent a whole new organization called the highway patrol." This assessment supports the idea that

A)necessity is the mother of invention.
B)if a new invention is to come into being, the cultural base must be large enough to support it.
C)invention is the mother of necessity.
D)if people have the power to create material innovations they also have the power to destroy them.

Question 37

According to sociologist Ralf Dahrendorf, the structural origins of conflict can be traced to

A)authority structures.
B)decision-making powers of the power elite.
C)invention and innovation.
D)workers' demands for higher wages.

Question 38

"Of all discoveries and opinions, none may have exerted a greater effect on the human spirit than the doctrine of Copernicus. The world had scarcely become known as round and complete in itself when it was asked to waive the tremendous privilege of being the center of the universe. Never, perhaps, was a greater demand made on mankind-for by this admission so many things vanished in mist and smoke!" (Goethe 2004). This description describes

A)a scientific revolution.
B)an anomaly.
C)a reformist movement.
D)a paradigm.

Question 39

White argued that an invention will come into being when the cultural base is capable of supporting an invention. White supported this conclusion by pointing to the existence of

A)simultaneous-independent inventions.
B)collaborative research.
C)the scientific method.
D)patents.

Question 40

During World War II hundreds of thousands of soldiers were injured by machine gun shrapnel. The need to restore lost blood resulting from these injuries motivated doctors to create a system of collecting and preserving blood plasma. This dynamic supports the idea that

A)power resides in the position of physician.
B)conflict can lead to change.
C)paradigm shifts help people to see the world in new ways.
D)the actions of leaders influence who is in charge of a situation.

Question 41

___________ are particularly interested in ways changing climate is affecting interactions among Greenlanders.

A)Functionalists
B)Conflict theorists
C)Symbolic interactionists
D)Structural strain theorists

Question 42

Which one of the following theorists would ask "Who benefits from the climate changes, and at whose expense?"

A)functionalists
B)conflict theorists
C)symbolic interactionists
D)structural strain theorists

Question 43

For many people, the idea that animals, rocks and plants should be treated with respect is a new idea. In this sense it is a

A)improving innovation.
B)social movement.
C)paradigm shift.
D)regression.

Question 44

When audiences hear on the nightly news that Santa Claus has left his North Pole home and is crossing Greenland and heading to the United States to deliver presents, they come to associate Greenland with the North Pole. This kind of learning process is known as

A)informal education.
B)formal education.
C)schooling.
D)hidden curriculum.

Question 45

Urban sprawl has contributed to an increased dependence on fossil fuels for which one of the following reasons?

A)It spreads development beyond cities and makes people dependent on automobiles.
B)It causes more people to live within city boundaries, placing extra strain on power grids.
C)People live in smaller homes, making them more likely to spend more time in their cars.
D)People are more likely to live in sparsely populated rural areas.

Question 46

During the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, European and American whalers killed tens of thousands of whales in Arctic waters for commercial purposes, with little effective resistance from environmental or animal rights groups. Today, whaling is a highly monitored activity subject to quotas. This change in reaction to whaling suggests that

A)behavior considered deviant at one time and place may not be considered deviant at another.
B)people have consistent ideas about what is considered deviant.
C)something is deviant only if it is considered deviant across time and place.
D)Native people who still whale should be punished.

Question 47

When studying a social change, sociologists ask

A)Is social change good for society?
B)How can we stop social change?
C)Is social change necessary?
D)What are the consequences of change for social life?

Question 48

Which of the following fossil fuel-driven activities is a result of the McDonaldization of society?

A)Drive-through services contribute to increased fuel consumption as queued cares idle while drivers wait to pick up products.
B)The energy to manufacture, deliver, operate, and eventually haul away appliances and other products after they become obsolete comes from burning fossil fuels.
C)Humans use fossil fuel-powered trains, cars, buses, boats, planes, phones, and the Internet to deliver people, products, services, and information across national borders.
D)The energy necessary to manufacture the hardware and to run the Internet and the billions of computers, servers, and mobile devices it connects comes from fossil fuels.

Question 49

The government of Greenland joined with four large corporations to create an export promotion strategy and an international branding strategy for the country. Sociologists classify such corporations as _________ organizations.

A)formal
B)voluntary
C)emerging
D)informal

Question 50

Which of the following fossil fuel-driven activities is a result of the Information Explosion?

A)Drive-through services contribute to increased fuel consumption as queued cares idle while drivers wait to pick up products.
B)The energy to manufacture, deliver, operate, and eventually haul away appliances and other products after they become obsolete comes from burning fossil fuels.
C)Humans use fossil fuel-powered trains, cars, buses, boats, planes, phones, and the Internet to deliver people, products, services, and information across national borders.
D)The energy necessary to manufacture the hardware and to run the Internet and the billions of computers, servers, and mobile devices it connects comes from fossil fuels.

Question 51

The ceaseless increases in production and, by extension, ceaseless consumption needed to sustain the global economy's success that is measured by increased profits is called the

A)McDonaldization of Society.
B)Treadmill of Production.
C)Profit-Driven Economy.
D)Planned Obsolescence of Society.

Question 52

Climate change is fueling the emergence of two opposing groups (an ingroup and an outgroup). Those groups are

A)Arctic peoples/tropical islanders versus people who live in highest greenhouse gas producing societies.
B)capitalists versus ecotourists.
C)cold weather versus warm weather peoples.
D)wind versus solar power users.

Question 53

Sociologists look to identify the scarce resources that pulled Greenlanders into the global division of labor. From the 16th through the late 19th centuries that resource was

A)oil, extracted from the ground.
B)oil, extracted from whales.
C)rubber.
D)ivory.

Question 54

North America has the highest per person carbon dioxide emissions from the consumption of energy generated from burning fossil fuels by region of the world. Africa has the lowest. In examining these figures sociologists would be most likely to ask

A)"What changes have made human activity in North America more dependent on fossil fuels than human activity in Africa?"
B)"How can North Americans be more like Africans?"
C)"Are African countries more environmentally friendly than North American countries?"
D)"What personality traits exist in North America that do not exist in Africa that are causing more fossil fuel consumption?"

Question 55

In studying the effects of climate change on Greenland, ________ focus on the many industries that have moved operations to Greenland to exploit its resources for commercial interests.

A)functionalists
B)conflict theorists
C)symbolic interactionists
D)structural strain theorists

Question 56

With regards to the dependence on fossil fuels, the sociological perspective is oriented towards answering which question?

A)"Is climate change really a result of human activity and dependence on fossil fuels?"
B)"What about human activity has changed since 1750 that has increased dependency on fossil fuels?"
C)"How can humans reduce their dependency on fossil fuels?"
D)"Is the dependence on fossil fuels real?"

Question 57

The unprecedented increase in the amount of stored data and messages transmitted through all forms of media is known as the

A)McDonaldization of Society.
B)Electrification of Society.
C)Information Explosion.
D)Green Movement.

Question 58

The transformative process whereby people move away from sparsely populated rural environments to densely populated urban ones is known as

A)industrialization.
B)urban sprawl.
C)urban renewal.
D)urbanization.

Question 59

_______________ is a fossil fuel-driven phenomenon because the energy to manufacture, deliver, operate, and eventually haul away appliances and other products after they become obsolete comes from burning fossil fuels.

A)Rationalization
B)Mechanization
C)Industrialization
D)Planned obsolescence

Question 60

Given that Greenland is a former colony and now dependency of Denmark we should not be surprised to learn that the __________ (the National Church of Denmark)has considerable influence in Greenland.

A)Lutheran Church
B)Shamanism
C)Catholic Church
D)Episcopal Church

Question 61

What is planned obsolescence? Do an inventory of items around your hose. List 10 items you expect to hang on to for life! List 10 items that will likely be discarded or become unusable within the next year.

Question 62

What factors converged to create a hydrocarbon society? Which factors matter to you on a persona level -- that is, are they a part of your life? (e.g. McDonaldization, mechanization, etc)

Question 63

Imagine you are doing a presentation on Greenland about how changing climate is effecting the people who live there. What five changes to Greenland would you emphasize?

Question 64

Identify a social change that has occurred in your lifetime. What sociological concepts can you draw upon to help you explain that change and its consequences?