Deck 17: Global Social Problems: War and Terrorism

Question 1

Sociologists define war broadly to include not only declared wars between nations and parties, but also undeclared wars, covert operations, and some forms of terrorism.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

In World War II, civilians were killed intentionally.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

One of the most significant characteristics of war is its persistence.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The Cold War was actual warfare between nations that resulted in a change of economic structure from capitalism to communism in some countries.

Question 5

There is an international treaty that allows underground nuclear testing under certain conditions.

Question 6

Weapons that use biological, chemical, or radiological means to destroy vast amounts of property and kill thousands of individuals are defined as the war system.

Question 7

One of the positive aspects of war is that the enemy is dehumanized.

Question 8

Patriotism is indicative of the dysfunctional aspect of war.

Question 9

Peace is a more clearly defined concept than war.

Question 10

The September 11, 2001 al Qaeda attacks on the U.S. are examples of revolutionary terrorism.

Question 11

Which of the following options describes a war system?

A) components of social institutions and cultural beliefs and practices that promote development of warriors, weapons, and war as a normal part of the society and its foreign policy
B) organized, armed conflict between nations or distinct political factions
C) organized violence by people seeking to promote their cause or resist social policies or practices that they consider oppressive
D) the use of calculated, unlawful physical force or threats of violence against a government, organization, or individual to gain some political, religious, economic, or social objective

Question 12

Which of the following options describes collective violence?

A) components of social institutions and cultural beliefs and practices that promote development of warriors, weapons, and war as a normal part of the society and its foreign policy
B) organized, armed conflict between nations or distinct political factions
C) organized violence by people seeking to promote their cause or resist social policies or practices that they consider oppressive
D) the use of calculated, unlawful physical force or threats of violence against a government, organization, or individual to gain some political, religious, economic, or social objective

Question 13

What is one of the reasons why it is impossible to determine how many human lives have been lost in wars throughout history?

A) There were no wars before 1800.
B) The definition of what constitutes war is not precise enough.
C) The U.S. does not know how many troops were sent to the Persian Gulf.
D) Military records are notoriously inaccurate.

Question 14

Which of the following options describes the Cold War?

A) a conflict between nations based on military preparedness and the threat of war
B) a conflict that is likely to continue into the twenty-first century
C) a conflict centered on the international space race
D) a conflict involving joint Chinese-U.S. military research

Question 15

According to Tamotsu Shibutani, what do prolonged conflicts turn into?

A) a reduction of overpopulation
B) a struggle between good and evil
C) the dehumanization of the enemy
D) the vilification of minority groups

Question 16

What is the definition of terrorism?

A) the use of calculated, unlawful physical force or threats of violence against a government, organization, or individual to gain some political, religious, economic, or social objective
B) acts of violence against civilians that are carried out by enemies of a government who want to bring about political change
C) an act conducted by a government against its own citizens for the purpose of protecting an existing political order
D) a government that provides financial resources, weapons, and training for terrorists who conduct their activities in other nations

Question 17

What is the definition of repressive terrorism?

A) the use of weapons of mass destruction against a particular demographic in order to achieve ethnic cleansing
B) acts of violence against civilians that are carried out by enemies of a government who want to bring about political change
C) acts conducted by a government against its own citizens for the purpose of protecting an existing political order
D) a government that provides financial resources, weapons, and training for terrorists who conduct their activities in other nations

Question 18

In 2011, the Pentagon announced that which of the following could be considered an act of war?

A) unauthorized spying
B) foreign-sponsored taxation
C) submarine bombings
D) computer sabotage

Question 19

Which of the following is a type of political terrorism?

A) repressive terrorism
B) unauthorized terrorism
C) bona fide terrorism
D) espionage terrorism

Question 20

According to Sigmund Freud, why does violence occur?

A) Children are separated from their parents at an early age.
B) The id, ego, and superego come into conflict with one another.
C) People are not fully evolved.
D) Men believe that they must compete with their father for their mother's affection.

Question 21

According to the conflict perspective, what can the origins of war be traced to?

A) the functions it serves in society
B) corporate boardrooms
C) the language people use when they communicate with one another
D) inherited predispositions that are more common in males than females

Question 22

What does social analyst Barbara Ehrenreich predict about war?

A) It will be waged against life forms on other planets in the future.
B) It will eventually destroy the planet.
C) It may someday end because of human resistance.
D) It is inevitable because it is deeply embedded in economic systems.

Question 23

Which form of terrorism is considered a form of unconventional warfare?

A) aviation terrorism
B) political terrorism
C) economic terrorism
D) theoretical terrorism

Question 24

What helped the United States bring down Osama Bin Laden in May 2011?

A) new military technology
B) diplomatic envoys
C) decreased surveillance
D) revised economic systems

Question 25

What did the Bush administration claim about the regime of the late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein?

A) It disavowed new military technology.
B) It killed American diplomatic envoys.
C) It was in possession of weapons of mass destruction.
D) It did not have an economic system.

Question 26

According to the text, which of the following statements about the economic cost of war is accurate?

A) It cannot be calculated.
B) It is astronomical.
C) It is insignificant.
D) It is avoidable.

Question 27

What is one of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder?

A) anxiety and worry
B) binging and purging
C) desire to return to war
D) refusal to go home

Question 28

According to Friedman and Friedman, what does the use of strategically significant weapons determine?

A) the cost of war
B) the number of soldiers killed
C) the winners and losers
D) the chemical output

Question 29

What is one of the commonalities between collective violence and war?

A) They are predictable.
B) They are threats to domestic safety.
C) They are signs of patriotism.
D) They are avoidable.

Question 30

What would MOST LIKELY happen if terrorists were able to bypass built-in computer safeguards?

A) It would be impossible to catch the terrorists.
B) The terrorists would destroy weapons of mass destruction.
C) The terrorists would bring down a government's information network.
D) It would force the countries involved to engage in chemical warfare.

Question 31

The 2001 World Trade Center attacks fall under which category of terrorism?

A) foreign-sponsored terrorism on U.S. soil
B) domestic-sponsored terrorism on U.S. soil
C) cyberwarfare and domestic terrorism
D) terrorism abroad that affects U.S. citizens

Question 32

According to the text, what is one of the intentions of those who wage war?

A) to bring pain, injury, and stress to people or to harm property
B) to bring about economic resolution
C) to encourage justified interpersonal violence
D) to cleanse a nation of its historically memory

Question 33

What is one of the reasons that World War II was significant?

A) It was the first war that involved Japan.
B) It began the trend toward more civilian casualties.
C) It encouraged decreased surveillance.
D) It built the Russian military.

Question 34

According to Jennifer Turpin and Lester Kurtz, why are many people ambivalent about war?

A) They know war contributes to the economic well-being of their society.
B) They have seen violent movies and enjoyed them.
C) They believe the only way to fight violence is with more violence.
D) They have not evolved beyond the primal confrontations of their pre-human ancestors.

Question 35

Why has the nature of war changed dramatically over the past century?

A) Weapons technology has changed.
B) Peace is no longer a priority.
C) The United States has decreased military spending.
D) New economic systems have made war obsolete.

Question 36

According to the text, why is technology significant in the context of war?

A) All soldiers must know how to deploy technologically advanced weapons.
B) War and the Space Race are inextricably interlinked.
C) Technology is used to raise money for the military.
D) War is conducted on the basis of technology that is available at the time.

Question 37

What is an example of new technology that has changed the nature of warfare?

A) hyper-intelligent projectiles
B) astronomical missiles
C) U-boat bombs
D) black powder

Question 38

Why will the use of drones most likely increase in the 21^st century?

A) Drones can speak multiple languages.
B) Drones can spy from space.
C) Drones are stealthy.
D) Drones are manufactured in the United States.

Question 39

Select the best use of U-2 spy planes in the 21^st century.

A) assassinating terrorists
B) delivering supplies to American troops
C) bombing the Soviet Union
D) surveillance in Iran

Question 40

Select the scenario that best describes terrorism.

A) A man constantly insults his wife in public.
B) An employee threatens to shoot his boss if he does not give him a raise.
C) A deranged woman walks into a field and deploys a bomb that kills three cows.
D) A police officer shoots a woman who has drawn her weapon and is threatening him.

Question 41

Discuss the concepts of war and peace and describe how they are related.

Question 42

Analyze the relationship between war and technology using terminology from the text. Provide specific examples.

Question 43

Based on what you have read in this chapter, propose a solution to war and terrorism.

Question 44

Explain the conflict and symbolic interactionist perspectives of war. Which of these explanations do you agree with most? Why?

Question 45

Explain the biological perspectives of war. Do you agree with the analyses given in the book? Why or why not? Give specific examples to support your position.