Deck 18: Social Movements and Social Change

Question 1

During the trial deliberation period of the Oklahoma bombing trial of Terry Nichols, many people gathered outside the courthouse and waited for the verdict. Some of the people gathered outside were selling T-shirts to mark the event. Which type of participant would Turner and Killian consider these people to be?

A) Curious spectators
B) Exploiters
C) Concerned participants
D) Ego-involved participants
E) Insecure participants

Answer 1

B

Question 2

According to Herbert Blumer, at the root of collective behaviour is a[n] .

A) background of tension or unrest
B) revolutionary social movement
C) common object of attention
D) herd mentality
E) irrational crowd

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Because crowds take deliberate steps to reach some goals, sociologists believe that crowds are composed of .

A) people vulnerable to suggestion
B) people who are oppressed
C) organized mobs
D) irrational individuals
E) rational individuals

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Rumours thrive in what kinds of conditions?

A) The information is not important to the person hearing the rumour.
B) The rumour has no discernible source.
C) The rumour cannot affect someone personally.
D) The rumour is not easy to verify.
E) There is an ambiguous situation.

Question 5

Beth is a participant in a crowd that is protesting the reductions in student financial aid. She is presently a first-year university student and is protesting because she feels a personal stake in what happens. Based on Turner and Killian's identification of the types of people who participate in collective behaviour, which type of participant is Beth?

A) A curious spectator
B) A concerned participant
C) An exploiter of the situation
D) An insecure participant
E) An ego-involved participant

Question 6

An urban legend is a story with an ironic twist that sounds realistic, but is false. According to folklorist Jan Brunvand, urban legends can be considered .

A) "modern morality stories"
B) humorous stories created to entertain people
C) short-lived fads
D) grown-up versions of childhood fairytale stories
E) to be based on known facts

Question 7

What was Herbert Blumer's term for an excited group that collectively moves toward a goal?

A) An irrational crowd
B) An acting crowd
C) A collective mind
D) A revolutionary social movement
E) A rational acting group

Question 8

When a large group of people organize to promote or resist social change, they are involved in a .

A) social revolution
B) moral panic
C) minimax strategy
D) social movement
E) riot

Question 9

When we believe that others will approve an act, the likelihood that we will do the behaviour increases; this principle is based on what Richard Berk terms .

A) the collective mind
B) ego-involved behaviour
C) emergent norms
D) a minimax strategy
E) common impulses

Question 10

Sociologists who studied the panic following a fire on January 7, 1995 at a 30-storey apartment building in suburban North York, Ontario, found that not everyone panicked. Many continued to act responsibly. Sociologists use the term to describe these types of actions.

A) norm of reciprocity
B) role exclusion
C) rational crowd
D) role extension
E) norm of crowd behaviour

Question 11

When people become so fearful that they cannot function normally, the result may be .

A) a panic
B) a noisy disturbance
C) a protest
D) a riot
E) a mob

Question 12

What do sociologists call extraordinary activities (such as lynchings, rumours, panics, etc.) carried out by groups of people?

A) The collective mind
B) Collective behaviour
C) Deviant subculture
D) An acting primary group
E) A mob

Question 13

What is an example of an "idea fad"?

A) Getting a tattoo
B) Collecting hockey cards
C) Horoscopes in the newspapers
D) Body piercing
E) Going to coffee houses and drinking espresso

Question 14

occur when large numbers of people become intensely concerned, even fearful, about some behaviour, and the fear is out of proportion to any supposed danger.

A) Riots
B) Moral panics
C) Social movements
D) Mobs
E) Revolts

Question 15

According to Mackay, ordinary people sometimes act in violent ways when they get in a crowd because these individuals have .

A) engaged in riots before
B) a past of being abusive
C) serious mental problems
D) been oppressed and needed to rebel
E) a herd mentality

Question 16

In geographical areas where social ties are supposedly weaker, such as , one would expect to find more social movements than in areas where traditional ties are supposedly stronger, such as in .

A) Quebec; Prairies
B) Maritimes; Quebec
C) Canadian Shield; Ontario
D) western Canada; Atlantic Canada
E) western Canada; PEI

Question 17

What term do Turner and Killian use to express the idea that something new has happened?

A) Emergent norms
B) Herd mentality
C) Minimax strategy
D) Collective mind
E) Milling

Question 18

Which term is used to describe violent crowd behaviour aimed against people and property?

A) Moral panic
B) Demonstration
C) Riot
D) Mob
E) Panic

Question 19

According to Gustave LeBon, people develop feelings of invincibility when they are in a crowd, and come to think that they can do almost anything. A[n] develops and people are swept up thinking that they can do anything they want.

A) collective mind
B) antagonistic mind
C) divided opinion
D) deviant subculture
E) oppressive mind

Question 20

The use of words, such as "awesome," "bad," and "cool" are examples of a[n] .

A) fashion
B) personality fad
C) old language
D) activity fad
E) idea fad

Question 21

Laurie is a member of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). Based on Aberle's typology of social movements, Laurie would be considered a member of a[n] movement.

A) reformative
B) goal-oriented
C) redemptive
D) transformative
E) alternative

Question 22

The hypothesis that people join social movements to feel a sense of belonging is proposed by theory.

A) mass society
B) resource mobilization
C) isolation
D) estrangement
E) deprivation

Question 23

The first large-scale rally in Canada against the Multilateral Agreement on Investment is an example of what it takes to build a community-based social movement. What contributed to this rally taking place?

A) No media involvement
B) No previous preparation before the rally
C) Prior involvement of people from other organizations
D) Unrest and agitation
E) Prior negative press coverage

Question 24

Ralph and Alice are the leaders of a social movement. In choosing the tactics to use in calling attention to their goal, they will have to consider not only the intentions and background of the core members, but also:

A) the main goal they wish to achieve.
B) whether it is a new social movement.
C) the proportion of male and female members.
D) the number of committed members.
E) how many young people are in the movement.

Question 25

According to relative deprivation theory, why do people join social movements?

A) Because they are motivated to challenge current living conditions
B) Because they want what they do not have and feel deprived of it
C) Because they want to make wrongs right
D) Because of their poor living conditions
E) Because they want to feel a sense of belonging

Question 26

To better understand the types of social movements that emerge in a society, how has sociologist David Aberle classified social movements?

A) By the source of change and their target of change
B) By the target of change and the types of tactics
C) By the source of change and the amount of change
D) By who is involved and how much they accomplish
E) By their target and the amount of change they seek

Question 27

Originally, the purpose of propaganda was to influence people with persuasive information. Today, it usually refers to the presentation of information that is .

A) a series of "catchy slogans"
B) one-sided and clarifies the issue
C) completely unbiased and presents all pertinent data
D) is used mainly by the Roman Catholic church
E) one-sided and distorts reality

Question 28

If people organize to promote social change, they are engaged in a social movement.

A) proactive
B) millenarian
C) retaliation
D) reactive
E) resistant

Question 29

The mass media play a crucial role in social movements because they act as the social movements.

A) revolutionaries of
B) indifferent public to
C) instigators of
D) gatekeepers to
E) resistant medium to

Question 30

The American and Cuban Revolutions are examples of social movements.

A) goal-oriented
B) alternative
C) redemptive
D) reformative
E) transformative

Question 31

What happens during the institutionalization stage of a social movement?

A) The group may turn to outsiders to provide leadership.
B) The group may decline.
C) The movement's resources are mobilized to achieve the goals of the movement.
D) The leadership may waste their energy on managing day-to-day affairs.
E) The leadership may be more concerned about their own position rather than the goals of the movement.

Question 32

Who is an agent provocateur?

A) A leader
B) A committed member
C) A spy
D) A media agent
E) A social movement specialist

Question 33

According to sociologists, social movements go through stages as they grow and mature. What happens to most social movements in the first stage?

A) They become organized
B) They fail
C) They mobilize resources
D) They make a division of labour
E) They focus on day-to-day affairs

Question 34

During the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, many of the demonstrators who risked their lives in marches and protests were white, middle-class university students from the North. Their motivation for participating in these demonstrations points out that many join movements .

A) to feel a sense of community
B) as a way to achieve their own selfish goals
C) as a form of rebellion because of relative deprivation
D) because people want to make wrongs right
E) because of an ideological commitment to the movement

Question 35

Which factor accounts for why some social movements never get off the ground, while others enjoy great success?

A) Social alienation
B) Dedicated membership
C) Estrangement
D) Resource mobilization
E) Movement evaluation

Question 36

Which term is given to the group of people just outside the third circle of members?

A) The less committed
B) The sympathetic public
C) The indifferent and unaware public
D) The hostile public
E) The committed

Question 37

A social movement that seeks to change particular aspects of a society is a[n] social movement.

A) goal-oriented
B) alternative
C) redemptive
D) reformative
E) transformative

Question 38

What has been a new twist in social movements?

A) They are only the alternative type
B) A focus on goals rather than means
C) Disregard of economic factors
D) A global orientation
E) The majority of participants are women

Question 39

What is the goal of a redemptive social movement?

A) To change a particular behaviour
B) To be more gender conscious
C) To transform the social order
D) To change specific aspects of society
E) To change the entire person

Question 40

Why do some anti-union people see unions as harmful to society?

A) Because they often use violent tactics
B) Because they tend to have radical political beliefs, such as communism
C) Because union leaders fight for their own members' interests at the expense of everyone else
D) Because the role of trade unions has never been clear in Canadian society
E) Because they are undemocratic

Question 41

Which theory of social change assumes that all societies follow the same path through identical sequences?

A) Dialectical
B) Cyclical
C) Postmodern
D) Multilinear evolutionary
E) Unilinear evolutionary

Question 42

The information superhighway allows instant global communication. What is one of the pressing issues of this new technology?

A) Whether it will be beneficial only to the least industrialized nations
B) Whether it will build or destroy human relationships
C) Whether it will decrease national and global inequalities
D) Whether it will increase national and global inequalities
E) Whether it will lessen national, but not global inequality

Question 43

What type of social control is typical of modern societies?

A) Informal
B) Formal
C) Absolute
D) Relative
E) Partial

Question 44

When missionaries introduced steel axes to the Aborigines of Australia, they changed power relations between men and women. This is an example of .

A) diffusion
B) cultural lag
C) an invention
D) innovation
E) a discovery

Question 45

As the proportion of the elderly has increased in society, their needs have stimulated the development of medical technologies to treat Alzheimer's disease. This example illustrates how:

A) social change inhibits technological development.
B) technology reinvents society.
C) technology can transform existing technologies.
D) technology leads to social change.
E) social change results in the development of new technology.

Question 46

The alteration of culture and societies over time is referred to as social .

A) change
B) revolution
C) modernization
D) restructuring
E) transformation

Question 47

What has been one dramatic effect of the automobile on social life in Canada?

A) An increase of pollution and environmental issues
B) An increase in telework
C) A decrease in face-to-face interaction with others
D) A change in the role of women
E) A shift to the use of mass transportation

Question 48

Which term refers to a combining of existing elements and materials to form new ones?

A) Cultural lag
B) Discovery
C) Diffusion
D) Insight
E) Invention

Question 49

The examples in the text of the changes that occurred with the invention of the automobile and the computer clearly demonstrate that technology:

A) exerts a limited influence on some areas of social life.
B) brings families closer together.
C) is always beneficial with few negative effects on people.
D) exerts a powerful influence on social life.
E) is merely an important tool for people.

Question 50

Which term refers to a new way of seeing reality?

A) Diffusion
B) Discovery
C) Insight
D) Innovation
E) Invention

Question 51

When does a discovery bring extensive change?

A) When people are unsatisfied with the current conditions
B) When the discovery is a dramatic one
C) When it comes at the right time
D) When people adapt to the discovery
E) When it is well publicized in the society

Question 52

Which term is used to describe the sweeping changes ushered in by the Industrial Revolution?

A) Postmodernism
B) Technology
C) Metamorphosis
D) Revolution
E) Modernization

Question 53

Which theory attempts to explain the rise of entire civilizations, not a particular society?

A) Multilinear
B) Feminist
C) Cyclical
D) Unilinear
E) Conflict

Question 54

According to the text, the increasing use of computers in schools:

A) increases the likelihood that students will study.
B) will not affect social inequalities in education.
C) helps to perpetuate social inequalities in education.
D) has improved teacher-student relationships.
E) will lessen the social inequalities in education.

Question 55

What is a reasonable response to the guesstimates of futurists about new technology?

A) Do not believe them
B) Wait and see
C) Ignore them
D) Believe them
E) Get a second opinion

Question 56

Although the computer has resulted in many benefits in the workplace, what has been one of the negative impacts?

A) A decrease in the social efficiency of the workplace
B) An increase in the need for education and continuous upgrading
C) Decreased supervision and lessened routine work
D) Increased surveillance of workers and depersonalization
E) An increase in the cost of equipment and salaries

Question 57

Alice, who has heart disease, lives in a rural area in Canada. Every week she has her blood pressure and heart rate checked by a physician who practices medicine in a large city 300 km away, via a fibre-optic cable. What does this illustrate about new technology?

A) It may cause a social revolution.
B) It may change social relationships in medicine.
C) It decreases the number of nurses needed.
D) It can be detrimental to people's health.
E) It results in fewer doctors practicing medicine.

Question 58

All societies use technology, but what is the chief characteristic of technology in postmodern societies?

A) Workers can be used in the secondary sector of the economy.
B) It employs more people in the primary economic sector.
C) It uses fossil fuels efficiently.
D) It allows us to analyze information, communicate, and travel.
E) It gives us better manufacturing tools.

Question 59

The new birth technologies have raised a number of legal questions in Canada about rights of natural and adoptive parents. These unresolved questions are an example of .

A) culture contact
B) cultural hesitation
C) cultural lag
D) moral questioning
E) a discovery

Question 60

Sociologists are most interested in how new technology .

A) results in further technology
B) is distributed from country to country
C) contributes to economic growth
D) is developed in each country
E) affects people's lives

Question 61

Home decorating, including the design and colours of buildings, is an example of a fad.

Question 62

Acting crowds aren't always serious-even "food fights" are acting crowds!

Question 63

There is no way to predict the likelihood of when collective behaviour will occur because it usually happens when there is no tension or unrest in the society.

Question 64

Psychologist Hadley Cantril, who examined the panic caused by the dramatization of
H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds, attributed the panic to widespread anxiety about world conditions.

Question 65

Sociologists treat collective behaviour the same as other forms of social behaviour.

Question 66

The goal of a reformative social movement is to change a specific behaviour of people.

Question 67

Moral shock and ideological commitment may motivate some people to join a social movement.

Question 68

Rumours, even when unfounded, serve to fill in missing information during periods of ambiguity.

Question 69

Proactive social movements are organized to resist social change.

Question 70

Middle-class people will participate in demonstrations if they feel frustration and anger.

Question 71

According to Turner and Killian, when the usual norms are inadequate in a situation, new norms will emerge to deal with the situation.

Question 72

The crucial factor that enables social movements to make it past the first stage is resource mobilization.

Question 73

Fashions, riots, panics, and rumours are forms of collective behaviour.

Question 74

Gustav LeBon wrote about the collective mind.

Question 75

Acting crowds are always negative and destructive.

Question 76

Sociology can be helpful in resisting propaganda because it sensitizes people to the existence of multiple realities.

Question 77

Relative deprivation theory is based on the idea that people join social movements because they want to feel a sense of belonging.

Question 78

Herbert Blumer's model of the acting crowd is the dominant model used in police manuals on crowd behaviour in North America today.

Question 79

The use of the word "cool" in the early 1990s is an example of a fashion.

Question 80

When a moral panic occurs in a society, the mass media are often used to eliminate the rumours that would sustain it.