Deck 15: Communities, the Environment, and Health

Question 1

Which combination best describes what sociologists mean by a "community"?

A) place, relationships, and identity in common
B) neighborhood, address, and social class in common
C) race, neighborhood, and food in common
D) religion, church, and belief in common

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Sunbelt cities define the later phase of urbanization in the United States. Which of the following best describes these cities?

A) heavily centralized
B) decentralized and spread out
C) efficient public transportation networks
D) high population densities

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Life in New York City today is an example of which form of social organization?

A) mechanical solidarity
B) urban solidarity
C) Gemeinschaft
D) Gesellschaft

Answer 3

D

Question 4

For Ferdinand Tönnies, the term ________ refers to a social organization based on an impersonal and loosely tied community, in which individuals' focus is on the pursuit of self-interest.

A) Wissenschaft
B) mechanical solidarity
C) Gemeinschaft
D) Gesellschaft

Question 5

From the perspective of sociology, health and disease are a matter of

A) personal choice.
B) genetics, for the most part.
C) social patterns.
D) social epidemic.

Question 6

The increase in the built environment in preindustrial societies contributed to a higher living standard, primarily because of

A) centralization of power.
B) specialization of labor.
C) new ideology.
D) improved communication.

Question 7

An individual sense of privacy is important in which type of social organization?

A) Gemeinschaft
B) Gesellschaft
C) mechanical solidarity
D) communal living

Question 8

What factor is responsible for the emergence and growth of economic inequality in agrarian societies?

A) change in family structure
B) change in the structure of power
C) embrace of religious law
D) accumulation of material surplus

Question 9

According to Emile Durkheim, homogeneous rural communities typically exhibit close social ties and limited individuality. This is characteristic of ________ solidarity.

A) rural
B) social
C) organic
D) mechanical

Question 10

Which of the following best describes what conditions were like for the poor in early modern cities?

A) improved living standards
B) brutal and overcrowded
C) ample opportunities for advancement
D) centralized oppression

Question 11

Which is typical of a Gesellschaft type of social organization?

A) social isolation and deviance
B) deep and lasting social ties
C) focus on community wellbeing
D) lack of privacy

Question 12

For Ferdinand Tönnies, the term ________ refers to a social organization in which individuals are oriented to collectively shared values and traditional ties.

A) Verstehen
B) Gesellschaft
C) Gemeinschaft
D) Wissenschaft

Question 13

The primary factor driving urbanization in the developing world is

A) the search for opportunities.
B) declining land values.
C) declining agricultural output.
D) a cultural shift.

Question 14

Collective goals are dominant over individual self-interest in which type of social organization?

A) large nation-states
B) Gemeinschaft
C) organic solidarity
D) Gesellschaft

Question 15

Which type of society produces the least economic inequality?

A) modern society
B) nomadic society
C) agrarian society
D) preindustrial society

Question 16

Life in a small village in Sri Lanka is an example of which type of social organization?

A) rural interdependence
B) Gemeinschaft
C) organic solidarity
D) agrarian solidarity

Question 17

________ is a type of social organization typically found in large cities.

A) Urbanization
B) Gesellschaft
C) Democracy
D) Centralization

Question 18

According to Emile Durkheim, urban societies are based on an interdependent network of specialized social roles. This type of social cohesion is called ________ solidarity.

A) urban
B) organic
C) mechanical
D) complex

Question 19

Early urbanization brought increased prosperity but also new problems, such as

A) the spread of disease.
B) unemployment.
C) centralized oppression.
D) welfare dependency.

Question 20

________ is typically found in small, traditional, rural communities.

A) Gemeinschaft
B) Verstehen
C) Gesellschaft
D) Wissenschaft

Question 21

Formal community studies have their roots in the work of

A) Emile Durkheim.
B) Jane Addams.
C) Ferdinand Tönnies.
D) Max Weber.

Question 22

When powerful business and political interests work together to promote urban development, often at the expense of the poor and those without a political voice, sociologists refer to this urban phenomenon as

A) hyper development.
B) a boondoggle.
C) urban renewal.
D) growth machines.

Question 23

Hull House was known for its pioneering efforts in

A) methods for community building.
B) the systematic study of urban neighborhoods.
C) providing shelters and safe houses.
D) helping the homeless.

Question 24

Gentrification raises property values and the overall attractiveness of the community. This is both positive and negative. Which of the following is a major problem with gentrification?

A) a housing bubble
B) too many vacant units
C) the displacement of low-income residents
D) the unintended increase in burglary cases

Question 25

From the perspective of human ecology, the analysis of distinct urban areas focuses on their

A) formal boundaries.
B) function.
C) district political affiliation.
D) dominant ethnicity.

Question 26

The growth machine benefits developers at the expense of

A) business development.
B) local residents.
C) tax revenue.
D) public projects.

Question 27

Community studies typically employ which research technique?

A) direct observation
B) survey research
C) direct sampling
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 28

The growth machine is driven primarily by

A) the pursuit of profit.
B) rational planning.
C) cultural attitudes.
D) the war on poverty.

Question 29

The fact that urban infrastructure and amenities are typically of a much higher standard in the more prosperous areas of the city reflects the fact that ________ plays a major role in urban development.

A) corruption
B) misguided policies
C) class inequality
D) rational calculation

Question 30

The sociological perspective that studies urban environments with an emphasis on the role of politics, economics, and power is called

A) environmental sociology.
B) structural perspective.
C) the Chicago School.
D) new urban sociology.

Question 31

The study of the interaction between the physical environment and social life is called

A) environmentalism.
B) the green revolution.
C) human ecology.
D) local studies.

Question 32

In an urban neighborhood, people feel a sense of a community because they do not live in isolation. They are not self-sufficient. They depend heavily on others for food, services, entertainment, education, healthcare, etc. This is an example of ________ solidarity.

A) urban
B) instrumental
C) organic
D) rational

Question 33

Why did (and do) city newcomers typically gravitate toward ethnic enclaves?

A) They faced ethnic bias.
B) They faced housing segregation.
C) They faced economic discrimination.
D) They sought support and cohesion.

Question 34

The patterns of urban growth reflect

A) the structure of class inequality.
B) political district divisions.
C) urban cultural attitudes.
D) rational analysis.

Question 35

The perspective of human ecology holds that the physical environment impacts social life on which level?

A) micro level
B) meso level
C) macro level
D) The impact takes place on all levels.

Question 36

Efforts to rehabilitate and upgrade a declining neighborhood for the purposes of attracting higher-income residents is referred to as

A) urban upgrade.
B) gentrification.
C) urban investment.
D) beautification.

Question 37

The built environment of cities can reflect and reinforce broader cultural values. This is a ________ analysis of the physical environment.

A) macro level
B) functionalist
C) meso level
D) community studies

Question 38

From the perspective of human ecology, the built environment in cities reflects and reinforces cultural values. Which of the following is an example of this perspective?

A) Skyscrapers symbolize the power of business.
B) Hospitals care for the sick.
C) The homeless symbolize lack of compassion.
D) Churches symbolize Christianity.

Question 39

From the perspective of human ecology, the development of cities

A) is random.
B) depends on the physical environment.
C) depends on the founders' preferences.
D) depends upon the availability of funding.

Question 40

People find dilapidated buildings unappealing and choose to live in areas that are well-maintained. This is an example of which level of analysis of the physical environment?

A) macro level
B) micro level
C) meso level
D) psychology

Question 41

Why are property taxes in the suburbs typically high?

A) The cost of infrastructure is high in low-density communities.
B) Better schools demand more tax-based funding.
C) There is high demand for new housing.
D) Residents have higher incomes.

Question 42

The media's role in suburbanization can be seen in their portrayal of the city primarily as a place of

A) declining property values.
B) aging and unattractive housing.
C) racial riots and violence.
D) crowded and unhealthy living environments.

Question 43

The balance between the availability and protection of natural resources and their continued consumption is referred to as

A) the green movement.
B) environmentalism.
C) capitalism.
D) sustainability.

Question 44

Some areas in the Southwest require residents to install water-saving toilets in new homes. This is an example of

A) greenwashing.
B) attempting sustainability.
C) civil rights violation.
D) a boondoggle.

Question 45

Contemporary American rural communities are typically

A) increasing in diversity.
B) homogeneous and exclusionary.
C) opposed to change.
D) resisting new technology.

Question 46

When unscrupulous lenders targeted poor and minority home buyers in the run-up to the recent housing bubble, they engaged in the practice of

A) discrimination.
B) reverse redlining.
C) ethnic targeting.
D) class warfare.

Question 47

Which of the following contributed to the massive migration into the suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s?

A) backlash against the cultural revolution
B) growing racism and decline in social cohesion
C) mass marketing and a shift in housing style
D) relative prosperity and housing policy

Question 48

In the 1970s and 1980s, the primary force behind suburbanization was

A) housing decline in urban areas.
B) increased racial animosity and violence.
C) the wholesale export of jobs overseas.
D) the mortgage crisis.

Question 49

Low population density and the privacy-oriented style of housing in the suburbs contribute to which phenomenon?

A) higher standard of living
B) social isolation
C) satisfaction and happiness
D) interconnectedness

Question 50

Race-based discrimination in real estate practices is called

A) institutional segregation.
B) segregation.
C) color-coding.
D) redlining.

Question 51

Mortgage brokers sometimes deny mortgages and real estate agents may decline to show a house to a prospective buyer on the basis of the person's race. These discriminatory practices are best described as

A) institutional discrimination.
B) functionalism.
C) gentrification.
D) human ecology.

Question 52

What proportion of the U.S. population now lives in the suburbs?

A) one-third
B) one-half
C) two-thirds
D) four-fifths

Question 53

Globalization concentrated business into a few dominant players' hands. How has this aspect of globalization contributed to urban blight in some neighborhoods?

A) increased unemployment
B) reduced the viability of small businesses
C) opened up immigration
D) increased poverty

Question 54

The way human beings interact with the natural environment in which they live is the focus of

A) the sociology of nature.
B) the natural-interaction perspective.
C) environmental sociology.
D) the biosociological perspective.

Question 55

According to Dunlap and Marshall, environmental problems are caused by

A) natural climate cycles.
B) human social behavior.
C) unknown factors.
D) a combination natural factors.

Question 56

W. E. B. Du Bois pioneered a systematic study of

A) Hispanic communities.
B) black urban life.
C) urban poverty and homelessness.
D) urban class structures.

Question 57

Long commutes typical of the American suburbs have contributed to which phenomenon?

A) increase in automobile accidents
B) road fatigue
C) low civic engagement
D) demand for fuel-efficient vehicles

Question 58

Which combination best reflects the main problems caused by today's suburban sprawl?

A) housing and mortgage crisis
B) declining property values and water depletion
C) destruction of agricultural land and traffic congestion
D) declining standard of living and high housing prices

Question 59

Who is affected by environmental degradation?

A) the poor much more than the rich
B) everyone about equally
C) men more than women
D) the young more than the old

Question 60

What percentage of the American population uses public transportation for their daily commute to work?

A) about 5 percent
B) about 10 percent
C) about 15 percent
D) about 20 percent

Question 61

Which strategy is thought to be the most effective in protecting people and the environment from destructive corporate practices?

A) international environmental governance
B) corporate-based solutions
C) government enforcement of regulations
D) environmental activism

Question 62

The pattern of health and disease among the population is not equal, and it is not random. Patterns of health distribution are related to

A) religious affiliation.
B) class and income level.
C) political affiliation.
D) ethnicity.

Question 63

Efforts to prevent illegal practices of exposing people of low status, resources, and political voice to undue environmental hazards are called

A) legal action.
B) environmental justice.
C) environmentalism.
D) the green movement.

Question 64

A consumer goods company's formula for its economy window cleaner is white vinegar, water, and a little cornstarch. In an effort to market this product as environmentally friendly it labels the product "all natural," even though it did not change any components of the product. This type of promotion is best described as

A) greenwashing.
B) corporate environmentalism.
C) fraudulent.
D) guerilla marketing.

Question 65

The capitalist economic system is predicated on a continually increased consumption of resources to produce growth. As such, the very principle of a capitalist economy is

A) irrational.
B) unsustainable.
C) inventive.
D) constructive.

Question 66

By the early twentieth century in the United States, medical doctors generally had gained the power to

A) improve patient care.
B) influence the insurance industry.
C) establish independent practices.
D) make other medical practitioners illegitimate.

Question 67

The individualized approach to environmental threats has ________ environmental problems.

A) alleviated most
B) solved some
C) contributed to more
D) had no impact on

Question 68

Which of the following best describes most people's opinions of medical doctors in nineteenth-century America?

A) pillars of the community
B) educated and well-paid
C) generally unskilled
D) trusted, though not paid well

Question 69

In the United States, people tend to ________ environmental threats. As a result, the wealthy are able to protect themselves, but no comprehensive effort exists to protect everyone, particularly the poor.

A) ignore
B) use an individualized approach to
C) overreact to
D) use an aggressive approach to

Question 70

Recent research suggests that doctors' authority in the medical field is

A) weakening.
B) growing stronger.
C) being redefined.
D) rebuilding.

Question 71

Which of the following has the greatest impact on health outcomes?

A) health behaviors
B) physical environment
C) clinical care
D) social and economic factors

Question 72

From the sociological perspective, health and illness are understood as issues concerning

A) the individual.
B) a broader social structure.
C) the body.
D) the physical environment.

Question 73

In spite of their apparent physical presence, environmental issues have only relatively recently been recognized as genuine problems. Before issues become problems they must first ________ to become publicly recognized as reality.

A) be researched
B) be confirmed by evidence
C) be framed as such
D) undergo public scrutiny

Question 74

From the sociological perspective, social change, which includes environmental change, happens when ________ change.

A) social structures, not individuals
B) policy, not politicians
C) the economic system, not economic policy
D) individuals, not governments

Question 75

Even in the face of overwhelming evidence and a broad consensus by the world scientific community, some influential people still insist on denying climate change and have attracted a considerable following. This example illustrates that

A) the evidence is not conclusive.
B) there is a broad conspiracy.
C) the problem is not significant.
D) all problems are socially constructed.

Question 76

Some sociologists argue that corporations could play an important role in solving environmental problems by adopting "green" technologies to increase profits. This perspective is

A) widely accepted.
B) controversial.
C) scientifically proven.
D) gaining in popularity.

Question 77

Health disparities among the population are primarily linked to

A) ethnicity.
B) genetics.
C) socioeconomic status.
D) bad choices.

Question 78

From 1930 to 1950, health practitioners in the United States emphasized ________ as the best way to improve health outcomes.

A) sanitation and environmental health
B) health care
C) health behavior
D) social and economic factors

Question 79

With less than 5 percent of the world's population, the United States contributes to what proportion of the world's waste?

A) less than 10 percent
B) about15 percent
C) about 30 percent
D) over 35 percent

Question 80

Is the consumer switch to more eco-friendly products an answer to environmental problems?

A) Yes; the consumer drives demand.
B) Yes; safer products benefit the environment.
C) No; corporate interests decide what is on the market.
D) No; corporations oppose green products.