Question 1

Despite being an Anglican clergy member, why did Malthus not believe that people should assist those in poverty?

Accepted Answer

Malthus believed that providing assistance to the poor would only encourage them to have more children, which would exacerbate the problem of overpopulation. He argued that population growth would always outstrip food supply, leading to inevitable famine and hardship unless controlled.

Question 2

Which of the following would Malthus have to admit if he were alive today?

Accepted Answer

Malthus believed that population growth would outpace food supply, leading to misery. However, modern agricultural advancements have shown that having adequate food does not necessarily lead to an increased birth rate, as other factors like economic development and access to contraception play significant roles.

Question 3

David, a Malthusian, believes that overpopulation is not a problem because in his nation abortion is legal and widely practised, and he believes that in other parts of the world abortion and infanticide are practised widely. What do we call this type of population control?

Accepted Answer

C

Question 4

Annalise is a fourth-year university student who has enjoyed learning about the distribution and composition of various populations around the world, and she is considering making the study of populations her career choice. Which of the following subfields of sociology should she go into if she follows her plans?

Accepted Answer

Demography is the subfield of sociology that focuses on the study of populations, including their size, composition, and distribution, which aligns with Annalise's interests.

Question 5

Bill, a Malthusian, believes that overpopulation is not a problem because there has been an increase in armed conflict globally. What do we call this type of population control?

Accepted Answer

Positive checks are events that increase mortality rates, such as wars, famines, and diseases, which Thomas Malthus believed would reduce population when it exceeded its sustainable limits.

Question 6

Until a few decades ago, what did sociologists believe was the primary cause of population growth?

Accepted Answer

Sociologists believed that industrialization was the primary cause of population growth due to improvements in healthcare, sanitation, and food production that came with industrial advancements, leading to lower mortality rates and longer lifespans.

Question 7

According to Malthus, food supply increases while population increases. In Malthus's view, what is the problem here?

Accepted Answer

Malthus argued that while food supply can only increase at an arithmetic rate (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), population tends to grow at a geometric rate (1, 2, 4, 8, etc.), leading to a situation where the population growth outpaces the food supply, potentially resulting in famine and societal collapse.

Question 8

Simone, a Malthusian, believes that overpopulation is not a problem because there have been many recent natural disasters like tsunamis and tornadoes that leave people homeless and living in conditions of disease and starvation. What do we call this type of population control?

Accepted Answer

Thomas Malthus theorized that population growth would be controlled by natural disasters and famines, which he termed "positive checks." These checks increase mortality rates, thereby reducing the population size.

Question 9

Benny considers himself a Malthusian and agrees with Malthus that there are two undisputable "facts" about people. Which of the following is one of these facts?

Accepted Answer

Malthus believed that people are biologically driven to reproduce, which is related to the desire for sex, leading to population growth that could outpace resources.

Question 10

Harbinder is employed by the government to analyze the migration routes of people from the British Commonwealth, seeing where people from each country migrated in each year. What is Harbinder employed as?

Accepted Answer

Harbinder's job involves analyzing migration patterns, which falls under the study of demography, making him a demographer. Demography is the statistical study of populations, including the structure, distribution, and trends among populations, such as migration.

Question 11

Benny considers himself a Malthusian and agrees with Malthus that there are two undisputable "facts" about people. Which of the following is one of these facts?

Accepted Answer

Thomas Malthus, in his theory, posited that population growth is potentially exponential while the growth of the food supply or other resources is linear. One of the foundational "facts" in Malthusian theory is that people must eat to survive, which underscores the tension between population growth and food supply.

Question 12

According to the textbook, at approximately what point did the world population begin to "explode"?

Accepted Answer

The world population began to "explode" approximately 250 years ago, coinciding with the Industrial Revolution, which brought about significant improvements in agriculture, medicine, and technology, leading to a rapid increase in life expectancy and a decrease in mortality rates.

Question 13

Maria lives in a nation characterized as one of the worst in the world in terms of the wide disparity between the rich and poor. According to the textbook, which of the following nations does she most likely live in?

Accepted Answer

Brazil is known for its significant income inequality, with a vast disparity between the rich and the poor. This has been a longstanding issue in the country, making it a likely answer to the question.

Question 14

Which of the following is a critique of Malthus's predictions?

Accepted Answer

Malthus's predictions have been critiqued because the actual upper limit of population growth has proven to be unclear, largely due to technological advancements in agriculture and other sectors that have allowed for the support of larger populations than Malthus anticipated.

Question 15

According to the textbook, when will the world population reach 8 billion?

Accepted Answer

The world population is projected to reach 8 billion by 2024 according to the textbook.

Question 16

According to sociologists, what is the process of population growth mainly governed by?

Accepted Answer

Population growth is primarily influenced by social forces, including economic, cultural, and political factors, rather than just natural laws, evolution, or genetics. These social forces affect birth rates, death rates, and migration patterns, which in turn determine the overall growth of a population.

Question 17

The widespread availability of which of the following things has proven to be a critique of Malthus's predictions?

Accepted Answer

Contraception has proven to be a critique of Malthus's predictions because it has allowed people to control their fertility and limit the number of children they have. This has helped to slow population growth and prevent the overpopulation that Malthus predicted.

Question 18

After studying urbanization, Winnie believes that cities are places where people are disconnected from one another and unsure about how they should act. What does the textbook suggest about this type of analysis of cities?

Accepted Answer

This type of analysis is considered an oversimplification because cities are complex and diverse, with varying degrees of connectivity and social norms among their inhabitants. The textbook likely suggests that reducing cities to places of disconnection and uncertainty fails to capture the full range of urban experiences and interactions.

Question 19

Which of the following is a fact that casts doubt on Malthus's predictions about population growth?

Accepted Answer

Technological advances have significantly increased food production, which contradicts Malthus's prediction that population growth would outpace food production, leading to widespread famine.

Question 20

Through the twentieth century it has been demonstrated that helping the poor through various types of welfare programs has had which of the following effects?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Through the twentieth century it has been...

Quiz 20: Population and Urbanization

Despite being an Anglican clergy member, why did Malthus not believe that people should assist those in poverty?

Which of the following would Malthus have to admit if he were alive today?

David, a Malthusian, believes that overpopulation is not a problem because in his nation abortion is legal and widely practised, and he believes that in other parts of the world abortion and infanticide are practised widely. What do we call this type of population control?

Bill, a Malthusian, believes that overpopulation is not a problem because there has been an increase in armed conflict globally. What do we call this type of population control?

Until a few decades ago, what did sociologists believe was the primary cause of population growth?

According to Malthus, food supply increases while population increases. In Malthus's view, what is the problem here?

Simone, a Malthusian, believes that overpopulation is not a problem because there have been many recent natural disasters like tsunamis and tornadoes that leave people homeless and living in conditions of disease and starvation. What do we call this type of population control?

Benny considers himself a Malthusian and agrees with Malthus that there are two undisputable "facts" about people. Which of the following is one of these facts?

Harbinder is employed by the government to analyze the migration routes of people from the British Commonwealth, seeing where people from each country migrated in each year. What is Harbinder employed as?

Benny considers himself a Malthusian and agrees with Malthus that there are two undisputable "facts" about people. Which of the following is one of these facts?

According to the textbook, at approximately what point did the world population begin to "explode"?

Maria lives in a nation characterized as one of the worst in the world in terms of the wide disparity between the rich and poor. According to the textbook, which of the following nations does she most likely live in?

Which of the following is a critique of Malthus's predictions?

According to the textbook, when will the world population reach 8 billion?

According to sociologists, what is the process of population growth mainly governed by?

The widespread availability of which of the following things has proven to be a critique of Malthus's predictions?

After studying urbanization, Winnie believes that cities are places where people are disconnected from one another and unsure about how they should act. What does the textbook suggest about this type of analysis of cities?

Which of the following is a fact that casts doubt on Malthus's predictions about population growth?

Through the twentieth century it has been demonstrated that helping the poor through various types of welfare programs has had which of the following effects?