Question 1

In trying to understand the evacuation during the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, B. E. Aguirre, Dennis Wenger, and Gabriela Vigo argue that the more "the search for meaning in the milling process focuses upon defining the situation as serious, the quicker should be the mobilization of people and the initiation of collective behavior." What type of theory are they using to make this prediction?

Accepted Answer

A)  technological determinism 
B)  emergent norm theory 
C)  contagion theory 
D)  cultural diffusion

Question 2

The relatively short-lived enthusiasm for leg warmers during the 1980s was an example of a

Accepted Answer

A)  social dilemma. 
B)  riot. 
C)  fad. 
D)  virtual community.

Question 3

The examples of Isla Vista, CA, and Baltimore, MD, from your textbook highlight how collective behavior can evolve into

Accepted Answer

A)  social dilemmas. 
B)  mass behavior. 
C)  social movements. 
D)  riots.

Question 4

Compare and contrast the way Marshall McLuhan, associated with "the global village," and Garret Hardin, associated with "the tragedy of the commons," thought about social change.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast the way Marshall McLuhan,...

Question 5

What is the process called by which societies lose their particular uniqueness and start to resemble one another?

Accepted Answer

A)  cultural lag 
B)  research mobilization 
C)  cultural leveling 
D)  cultural imperialism

Question 6

In late 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi, a young Tunisian street vendor, set himself on fire and died in an act of defiance and desperation after local authorities confiscated his stall and publicly humiliated him. At the time, Bouazizi's situation struck a chord with other young Tunisians suffering from autocratic rule, a poor economic situation, and a lack of opportunity. Bouazizi's plight received wider attention in early 2011 when a video of him went viral on Facebook, YouTube, and other social networking sites. Millions of people around the world soon began to notice and get involved. This spawned a social movement for democracy in Tunisia, Egypt, and eventually the Arab world, ending with the overthrowing of several dictatorships. How do Mauss's social movement stages help us understand the development of this social movement?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In late 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi, a young...

Question 7

The English Premier League broadcasts its games to hundreds of millions of households in more than 200 countries and is reportedly watched by more than a billion people each week. This is what Marshall McLuhan would call

Accepted Answer

A)  a social movement. 
B)  a global village. 
C)  television. 
D)  faith in technology.

Question 8

An individual uses more public resources for their own gain because they worry that others will do the same and the resources will soon run out. This is an example of which sociological concept?

Accepted Answer

A)  tragedy of the commons 
B)  public goods dilemma 
C)  mass society theory 
D)  relative deprivation theory

Question 9

The use of in vitro fertilization solved a specific problem, but it seems to have created a wide range of ethical dilemmas and problems that were unanticipated when it was first invented. This is an instance of

Accepted Answer

A)  cultural leveling. 
B)  cultural imperialism. 
C)  dystopia. 
D)  cultural lag.

Question 10

For many years, there have been efforts to organize teaching assistants on college campuses and form a union. These efforts often fail because of practical reasons, such as limited numbers of volunteers, the fact that leaders graduate and leave, and organizers' limited money for supplies. What theory is MOST associated with these reasons?

Accepted Answer

A)  resource mobilization 
B)  relative deprivation 
C)  mass society 
D)  technological diffusion

Question 11

A company that dumps toxic waste in a river to keep costs down will likely never get caught by environmental regulators. According to Garrett Harden, we can best understand the costs of this action in terms of a

Accepted Answer

A)  public goods dilemma. 
B)  relative deprivation. 
C)  tragedy of the commons. 
D)  social dilemma.

Question 12

Gerrymandering involves the redrawing of voting district borders by the officials in power to benefit a political party.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Many young people face an unprecedented problem today, which is what to do when their parents try to friend them on a social media platform such as Instagram. Technology has given us unprecedented ways to document our lives online, but some are not quite sure how to share this new development with older generations. What is this problem called?

Accepted Answer

A)  technological determinism 
B)  cultural imperialism 
C)  regressive social change 
D)  cultural lag

Question 14

The "decline" phase of social movements is interesting because

Accepted Answer

A)  after a movement declines, it always perishes. 
B)  after a movement declines, it is possible that the movement changes and continues. 
C)  the coalescence phase comes right afterward. 
D)  social movements always decline quickly after they begin.

Question 15

Which theory explains why members of oppressed groups join a social movement for greater equality of a society's resources?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which theory explains why members of oppressed...

Question 16

What are you asserting if you theorize that poor people join groups dedicated to keeping toxic waste dumps out of low-income communities because they want to enjoy the same standard of living and quality of life as the rest of society?

Accepted Answer

A)  structural functionalism 
B)  relative deprivation theory 
C)  mass society theory 
D)  resource mobilization theory

Question 17

Large numbers of people form a ________ when they come together.

Accepted Answer

A)  crowd 
B)  collective behavior group 
C)  riot 
D)  fad

Question 18

According to Garrett Hardin, social dilemmas can be solved

Accepted Answer

A)  with the proper application of science and technology. 
B)  by changing the behaviors of the people involved. 
C)  with specific technical solutions implemented by the government. 
D)  by increasing the resources available for exploitation.

Question 19

List the three ways in which social change occurs.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List the three ways in which social...

Question 20

Demographic factors, discoveries and inventions, and _________ are three of the main ways by which social change occurs.

Accepted Answer

A)  political regime changes 
B)  major physical events 
C)  war 
D)  disease

Exam 16: Social Change