Deck 16: Environment Population and Social Change

Question 1

Using data from the 2010 Census, the current population of the United States is estimated to be about _____ million.

A) 171
B) 311
C) 439
D) 695

Answer 1

C

Question 2

When Bobby and Gail study the local population, the number of people per square mile is .

A) medium population
B) birthrate
C) death rate
D) population density

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The 1924 National Origins Quota law encouraged immigration from and discouraged immigration from .

A) France; Italy
B) Greece; Germany
C) England; Poland
D) Turkey; Switzerland

Answer 3

A

Question 4

According to Malthusian theory, population growth tends to be .

A) arithmetic
B) linear
C) exponential
D) curvilinear

Question 5

By mid-century, it is estimated that the U.S. population will be:

A) older than today.
B) more female than today.
C) younger than today.
D) more male than today.

Question 6

The U.S. emits percent of global carbon.

A) 10
B) 20
C) 50
D) 70

Question 7

Which of the following is not a condition under which revolutions are likely to occur?

A) a breakdown of disenfranchised groups
B) cultural diffusion
C) development of structural opportunities
D) a major economic crisis

Question 8

A large portion of the pollutants released into the air in the U.S. come from

A) oil drilling.
B) automobiles.
C) pollution.
D) chlorofluorocarbons.

Question 9

The 2010 Census allowed individuals to self-select their race. Approximately percent of Americans identified themselves as "mixed race" in 2010.

A) 1.2
B) 3
C) 5.8
D) 7.4

Question 10

In the United States, the sex ratio is , which indicates .

A) 54; there are more males than females.
B) 114; there are more females than males.
C) 94; there are more females than males.
D) 104; there are more males than females.

Question 11

Mary's parents are part of a larger elderly population than her grandparents. This is an example of .

A) a higher birthrate
B) a higher death rate
C) the graying of the population
D) a higher infant mortality rate

Question 12

Sociologists who are interested in understanding the conditions behind the overthrow of a state and the resulting large-scale consequences study .

A) revolutions
B) collective behaviors
C) cultural diffusion
D) demographic transitions

Question 13

The placing of dumps near minority communities reflects .

A) an accident of history
B) purposeful attempts to put waste next to powerless communities
C) poor communities desire to live near waste dumps
D) none of the above

Question 14

now exceeds the United States in the release of carbon-based emissions.

A) China
B) India
C) Russia
D) Iran

Question 15

A college class is studying the impact of bottled water on the environment. Which of the following is true about plastic water bottles?

A) Most of them are recycled and not a hazard.
B) Most of them are not reused in industry.
C) Most of them are not recycled and an environmental problem.
D) Most of them are not recycled but not an environmental problem.

Question 16

The U.S. consumes approximately of the world's energy, but is home to only 5% of the world's population.

A) one-fifth
B) one-quarter
C) one-third
D) one-half

Question 17

Malthus reasoned that the only checks on population growth were:

A) famine, disease, and war.
B) politics and government regulation.
C) morality and self-sacrifice.
D) technological advancements.

Question 18

A cohort consists of

A) all persons who have a particular event in common.
B) all persons born within a given period.
C) a group of people who have common values.
D) a group of persons who live in the same geographic area.

Question 19

The is defined as the number of births each year for every 1000 people in the population.

A) fertility rate
B) refined birth rate
C) fecundity rate
D) crude birth rate

Question 20

Which of the following groups are indigenous to what is now the US?

A) Whites and Africans
B) Africans and Chinese
C) Mexicans and American Indians
D) American Indians and Africans

Question 21

When sociology students are interested in theorizing social change by looking at how people define social behavior, which of the following perspectives are they using?

A) Conflict
B) Symbolic Interaction
C) Functionalism
D) Evolutionary

Question 22

According to the text, World War II contributed to social change in the United States in all of the following ways, except:

A) an increased number of women began working outside of the home.
B) mass-production increased.
C) many men in the service received college educations using the GI Bill.
D) technology improved working conditions.

Question 23

According to Georg Simmel, urban dwellers avoid , which is more likely found in rural communities.

A) interaction
B) emotional involvement
C) alienation
D) family ties

Question 24

According to conflict theorists, society changes because

A) conflict is inherent.
B) the division of labor is based on class differences.
C) powerful nations control less powerful nations.
D) technology leads to homogeneous societies.

Question 25

The actual shape of an age-sex pyramid is a reflection of the

A) birth rate of a society.
B) rate of immigration compared with other countries.
C) overall size of the population.
D) death rate of a society.

Question 26

Toynbee's cyclical theory of social change argues that societies .

A) are everlasting
B) become part of other societies
C) are never the same twice
D) are born, mature, decay and sometimes die.

Question 27

Unlike Spencer, Marx emphasized that social change was based on .

A) the capitalist system
B) a future classless society
C) consensus
D) social order due to class conflict

Question 28

John is studying the impact of the sun's light on the earth. Which environmental issue is he not directly concerned with?

A) the greenhouse effect
B) global warming
C) environmental racism
D) carbon dioxide buildup

Question 29

According to Marx and Habermas, the personal feelings of powerlessness that accompany modernization are the result of

A) technology.
B) war.
C) revolution.
D) social inequality.

Question 30

John is moving to Nigeria. According to the text, which of the following best characterizes its population?

A) It will not be a major contributor to world population growth in the future.
B) It has a stable population.
C) It is going to decline in population in the future.
D) It is one of the eight countries expected to expand population in the future .

Question 31

For those opposed to permitting the self-selection of more than one race in the U.S. Census, an important argument is that

A) most people don't really know what race they are.
B) there is no such thing as race, so multiracial makes no sense.
C) identifying as multiracial reduces the strength of numbers of already underrepresented minority groups.
D) younger people are more likely to identify as multiracial than older people.

Question 32

Herbert Spencer argued that social change will occur when _.

A) societies develop a state of mechanical solidarity
B) societies become more heterogeneous
C) societies become more similar
D) none of the above

Question 33

According to functionalists, over time.

A) complex societies become more complex
B) simple societies become more simple
C) simple societies become more complex
D) complex societies become more simple

Question 34

According to functionalists, is the primary cause of social change.

A) global development
B) economic inequality
C) modernization
D) technology

Question 35

Cohorts are useful for analyzing all of the following, except:

A) the number of people in the population of different ages, at different times.
B) how many high schools and universities will be needed at some time in the future.
C) whether or not the social security system will continue to have funds.
D) the gender ration within a population.

Question 36

Collective behavior is

A) logical.
B) short-lived.
C) predictable.
D) spontaneous.

Question 37

John is interested in studying demography. Which of the following will he spend his time researching?

A) Environment and society
B) The past and future composition of populations
C) The social processes of human engineering
D) Perspectives on social change

Question 38

Which of the following is not a factor in determining the total number of people in a society?

A) birth
B) death
C) migration
D) gender

Question 39

In the U.S. today, the current population of the United States is more than million.

A) 610
B) 400
C) 316
D) 350

Question 40

occurs when the usual conventions that guide social behavior are disrupted for some reason and people establish new, usually sudden, norms in response to an emerging situation.

A) demographic change
B) social organization
C) collective behavior
D) social solidarity

Question 41

The upper atmosphere shield that blocks dangerous ultraviolet light, protecting humans from sunburn and skin cancer is called the .

A) ozone layer
B) ionosphere shield
C) stratosphere screen
D) ultraviolet filter

Question 42

When a college student engages in a fad they are participating in .

A) a status symbol
B) a social change
C) modernization
D) rapid communication

Question 43

Which of the following assumes societies evolve due to industrialization?

A) modernization theory
B) world systems theory
C) dependency theory
D) cyclical theory

Question 44

Bob isstudying the scientific study of the interdependencies that exist between humans and our physical environment He is studying _.

A) population studies
B) ecology
C) carrying capacity
D) environmental sociology

Question 45

According to the Census Bureau, as of 2012 the country with the lowest birthrate is _.

A) the U.S.
B) Japan
C) Niger
D) Spain

Question 46

In Census 2000, the undercount for the entire U.S. population of the United States was 2.4 percent. Which of these groups is most like to be undercounted by the Census?

A) suburban dwellers
B) the homeless
C) residents of New York City
D) farmers

Question 47

A system of the interdependent parts that involves human beings in interaction with one another and their physical environment is called _.

A) demographics
B) environmentalism
C) human ecosystem
D) ethnology

Question 48

According to the text, research on environmental racism indicates that:

A) it is probably not done intentionally and many dumps are also located in White neighborhoods.
B) the problem is overstated; it does not occur very often.
C) the location of hazardous wastes near minority neighborhoods is too frequent to be occurring by chance.
D) most of the toxic dumps have now been dismantled and cleaned up.

Question 49

The all-time high birth rate in the United States was 30.1 in 1910 but has declined rather steadily since then, with an exception. When was the exception?

A) during the colonial period
B) during the late nineteenth century
C) just following World War II
D) just following the Vietnam War

Question 50

The pattern of disproportionate dumping of toxic waste and other forms of pollution in neighborhoods where the poor and people of color live is called .

A) environmental inequity
B) industrial racism
C) polluter genocide
D) environmental racism

Question 51

According to Habermas a society that experiences social inequality will also experience .

A) social stability
B) wide spread apathy
C) social conflict
D) None of the answer choices are correct.

Question 52

Which of these statements best describes current increases in the world's population?

A) The world's population increases arithmetically.
B) The world's population increases in a linear fashion.
C) The world's population increases exponentially.
D) The world's population increases at a rate of about 1000 people per minute.

Question 53

Which federal document requires a national census to be conducted every ten years?

A) the U.S. Constitution
B) Executive Order 816
C) Title VII
D) the Declaration of Independence

Question 54

According to the text, some groups of people are likely to be undercounted by the Census for various reasons. Why does this matter?

A) The original purpose of the Census was to determine the gross capital product more accurately.
B) The Census is used to apportion representation in government as fairly as possible.
C) Without an accurate population count, it is not possible to provide welfare programs.
D) The U.S. standing in the world is determined in part on the size of our population.

Question 55

The 2011 nuclear power plant leakage in that occurred following the major earthquake and tsunami (the resulting massive ocean wave) showed how vulnerable social systems can be to natural disasters.

A) Chernobyl (in the Ukraine)
B) Three-Mile Island in Pennsylvania
C) Japan
D) Poland

Question 56

The 2000 U.S. census is estimated to have undercounted approximately two percent of the country's population. The estimated undercount for Hispanics is as high as percent.

A) 5
B) 15
C) 25
D) 35

Question 57

How do social movements differ from other types of social organization?

A) Social movements tend to be more bureaucratic and structured than other social organizations.
B) Unlike other social organizations, social movements thrive on spontaneity.
C) Social movements are more long lasting than most types of social organizations.
D) Social movements are smaller in scope than other types of social organizations.

Question 58

Projections that the United States will have a significantly greater proportion of minorities are based on:

A) birth rates.
B) death rates.
C) migration rates.
D) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 59

Studies of ecosystems have demonstrated that

A) a disturbance in one element in the ecosystem has an impact on the entire system.
B) it is impossible for the social sciences to interconnect with the biological sciences in an ecosystem.
C) there are many social problems that are much more pressing than the environment of the ecosystem.
D) with proper management all resources in the ecosystem can eventually be renewed.

Question 60

An example of a resource that is not renewable, regardless of how well we manage it, is .

A) timber
B) fossil fuels
C) seafood
D) iron

Question 61

Stage two of the demographic transition is characterized by:

A) a high birthrate but a declining death rate.
B) declining birthrates and death rates.
C) high birthrates and death rates.
D) a high death rate and declining birthrate.

Question 62

Malthus referred to famine, disease, and war as checks on population growth.

A) positive
B) negative
C) preventative
D) cyclical

Question 63

The infant mortality rate measures the number of deaths each year of infants under the age of one. This measure is also a good indicator of:

A) the overall quality of life for a group of people.
B) a person's life expectancy.
C) the overall birthrate of a population.
D) population growth.

Question 64

Among industrialized countries, the country with the lowest infant mortality rate is _.

A) Great Britain
B) Germany
C) Japan
D) the United States

Question 65

Malthus considered sexual abstinence to be a on population growth.

A) preventive check
B) positive check
C) positive influence
D) source of decline

Question 66

Gradual transformations that occur on a broad scale and affect many aspects of society are called _.

A) megachanges
B) macrochanges
C) systemic changes
D) sequential

Question 67

According to the text, the trend toward more and more of the population entering the 65 and over age bracket is called _.

A) "the boomer bust"
B) "graying of America"
C) "the echo effect"
D) "maturation effect"

Question 68

Compared with other industrialized nations in terms of infant mortality and life expectancy, the U.S.

A) ranks near the bottom, having relatively high infant mortality and lower life expectancy.
B) ranks near the top, having relatively low infant mortality and higher life expectancy.
C) is in the middle; infant mortality is very low, but so is life expectancy.
D) has very high infant mortality and high life expectancy.

Question 69

According to the text, when Malthus was making his projections on population, he failed to foresee:

A) technological advances in agriculture that have resulted in larger yields.
B) the advances in medicine that prevented diseases from periodically wiping out entire nations.
C) that widespread use of contraceptives in many countries would keep the birthrate low.
D) all of the above

Question 70

In the United States, stage three of the demographic transition began

A) prior to the Second World War
B) At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution
C) in the second half of the 19^th century
D) ten years ago

Question 71

In The Population Bomb, Paul Ehrlich argues that

A) the population projections of Thomas Malthus were totally in error.
B) quality of the environment has little to do with the growth and health of populations.
C) food production is currently so efficient that availability of food has ceased to be an issue, even on a worldwide basis.
D) worldwide population growth has outgrown food production and that massive starvation must inevitably follow.

Question 72

The birthrate for the United States is approximately births per 1000 people now, lower than at any other time in U.S. history.

A) 5
B) 8
C) 14
D) 9

Question 73

Despite the revolutionary developments that have forestalled his predictions, Malthus made an important contribution by

A) creating the field of demography.
B) bringing attention to the limitations on subsistence and natural resources.
C) promoting the development of better contraceptive.
D) creating positive checks on population increase.

Question 74

The various parts of a society do not all change at the same rate; some parts lag behind the others. This is the principle of _.

A) cultural drift
B) culture lag
C) cultural accommodation
D) cultural dissemination

Question 75

Studies find that populations reside disproportionately closer to toxic sources than do Whites.

A) Asian and European
B) Native American, Hispanic, and African American
C) wealthy
D) male

Question 76

The crude death rate, the number of deaths each year per 1000 people, is a good indicator of the in a country.

A) fertility
B) population growth
C) standard of living
D) crude birth rate

Question 77

According to theory, a population grows faster than the subsistence needed to sustain it.

A) Malthusian
B) demographic transition
C) zero population growth
D) population transition

Question 78

"Culture lag" is a term originally coined by .

A) Ferdinand Tönnies
B) William Ogburn
C) Immanuel Wallerstein
D) William McCord

Question 79

The outbreak of bubonic plague in Europe from 1334 to 1354, the small pox epidemic in 1707 that devastated the populations of Mexico and the West Indies, and today's worldwide AIDS epidemic are alike to the extent that all are _.

A) sexually transmitted diseases
B) forms of "positive checks" on population growth
C) types of "preventative checks" of population growth
D) diseases associated primarily with sexual and/or racial minorities

Question 80

What is the major criticism of demographic transition theory?

A) The different stages may not apply in the same way to diverse population groups within society.
B) It has no real-world predictive value.
C) It has no explanatory value.
D) The model fits too many different situations to be useful.