Question 1

The term referring to the old agrarian social setting in which people lived in small communities or villages close to their kin and friends, knew their neighbours well, and generally felt a sense of belonging and interdependence is:
A) Gesellschaft
B) Gemeinschaft
C) organic solidarity
D) pre-modern solidarity
E) none of the above

Accepted Answer

The term "Gemeinschaft" refers to a social setting characterized by close-knit communities, personal relationships, and a strong sense of belonging and interdependence, typical of traditional rural societies.

Question 2

Describe how the conflict and functionalist theories each explain how social change has come about. As a sociologist, what types of questions should you ask when thinking about a change in any society? Can these theories be applied together?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe how the conflict and functionalist theories...

Question 3

What was the Enlightenment, and how did it help usher in the modern era?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What was the Enlightenment, and how did...

Question 4

The ________ approach to social change, which maintains that change often has its origins in social conflict of some kind, is a fruitful perspective for understanding change in Canadian society.
A) war
B) conquest
C) conflict
D) independent
E) absolute

Accepted Answer

The conflict approach to social change suggests that change often arises from social conflicts, making it a useful perspective for understanding societal changes, including those in Canadian society.

Question 5

Marx and Engels stated that "two hostile camps", ________ and ________ would be present in modern capitalist societies:
A) the polarized poor; the polarized rich
B) capitalists; socialist
C) the white collar; the blue collar
D) the bourgeoisie; the proletariat
E) the aristocracy; the proletariat

Accepted Answer

Marx and Engels identified the bourgeoisie (capitalist class) and the proletariat (working class) as the two opposing classes in capitalist societies.

Question 6

Which of the following statements regarding postmaterialism is NOT true?
A) emphasizes self-expression
B) emphasizes participation in decision-making
C) postmaterialists tend to feel economically secure
D) postmaterialists tend to feel physically secure
E) rejects material well-being

Accepted Answer

Postmaterialism does not reject material well-being; rather, it prioritizes values such as self-expression and quality of life over economic and physical security, which are often already satisfied.

Question 7

How does historical materialism attempt to explain social change?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How does historical materialism attempt to explain...

Question 8

How does the state theory of modernization explain social change?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How does the state theory of modernization...

Question 9

The theory which maintains that societies are profoundly influenced by their bio-physical and social environments, and that the characteristics of a society are strongly affected by its subsistence technology, is referred to as:
A) patriotic-evolutionary
B) resurgence-evolutionary
C) ecological-evolutionary
D) contemporary-evolutionary
E) biological-evolutionary

Accepted Answer

Ecological-evolutionary theory suggests that societies are shaped by their environments and the technologies they use to sustain themselves.

Question 10

The condition in which there are formalized procedures that give individual actors a measure of predictability in the outcomes of their actions is known as:
A) rationalization
B) expansion
C) communication
D) dialectics
E) deception

Accepted Answer

Rationalization refers to the process of creating formalized procedures and rules that provide predictability and efficiency in actions and outcomes, often seen in bureaucratic systems.

Question 11

Which of the following statements describing the differences between horticultural and hunting and gathering societies is NOT true?
A) horticultural societies had larger populations
B) hunting and gathering societies had less material possessions
C) horticultural societies had greater social stratification
D) hunting and gathering societies had a greater propensity to engage in warfare
E) horticultural societies were more likely to be matrilineal

Accepted Answer

Hunting and gathering societies typically had less warfare compared to horticultural societies, which often had more resources to protect and compete over, leading to more frequent conflicts.

Question 12

Social change resulting from the adoption of an innovation by a society that did not create it, is known as:
A) evolution
B) mutation
C) diffusion
D) migration
E) social drift

Accepted Answer

Diffusion is the process by which an innovation is spread and adopted by a society that did not originally create it, leading to social change.

Question 13

The approach which Marx and Engels take is ________; that is, for every thesis there is, built into it, its own antithesis or transformation.
A) revolutionary
B) reconstituted
C) dialectical
D) capitalist
E) fluid

Accepted Answer

Dialectical approach involves the idea that every thesis contains within it its own antithesis or transformation.

Question 14

Biological evolution produces an increasing number of highly differentiated life forms while social evolution results in:
A) extinction
B) fewer, more similar societies
C) subsistence societies
D) supplemental regimes
E) matrilineal societies

Accepted Answer

Social evolution tends to lead to fewer, more similar societies as cultural exchange, globalization, and technological advancements create more interconnected and homogenized social structures.

Question 15

Which of the following statements regarding Marx and Engels explanation of 'culture' as applied to the social change approach of historical materialism is NOT true?
A) culture is less important than material factors in influencing social change
B) culture was used to justify the wealth and power enjoyed by the dominant classes
C) capitalist culture viewed material wealth as the divine right of kings and the aristocracy
D) capitalist culture is uncritical of how the rich acquire their wealth
E) capitalist culture views the poor as incompetent or lazy

Accepted Answer

Marx and Engels did not describe capitalist culture as viewing material wealth as the divine right of kings and the aristocracy; this is more characteristic of feudal societies. Capitalist culture is more focused on individual achievement and market dynamics.

Question 16

According to Fukuyama, a number of significant social changes have occurred in advanced capitalist societies since the 1960s. One constellation of these changes has been called the:
A) Time Warp
B) Postmodern transition
C) Deconstructionist model
D) Enlightenment transition
E) Great Disruption

Accepted Answer

The term "Great Disruption" is used by Francis Fukuyama to describe the social changes in advanced capitalist societies since the 1960s, including shifts in values, norms, and social structures.

Question 17

The development of each aspect of society is explained in terms of the function it fulfills, in particular how it enhances the society's survival potential. Spencer argued that the form of ________ a particular society favours will be one that maximizes the likelihood that the society will survive.
A) marriage
B) religion
C) language
D) government
E) weaponry

Accepted Answer

The answer of The development of each aspect of society...

Question 18

Describe the differences and similarities between Spencer's evolutionary theory of social change compared to Marx and Engels' historical materialism theory of social change. Include criticisms that have been presented for each of these theories.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the differences and similarities between Spencer's...

Question 19

Innis's ________ thesis argued that the economic, political, and cultural formation of Canada was shaped by its geography and the natural resources and raw material, available for export.
A) manufacturing
B) natural
C) staples
D) resource
E) raw materials

Accepted Answer

Innis's staples thesis posits that Canada's development was heavily influenced by the export of staple products like fur, fish, and timber, which shaped its economic, political, and cultural landscape.

Question 20

The state theory of modernization maintains:
A) that changes in the economies and technologies contributed to growing individualism
B) to gain the favour of urban classes, monarchs became less controlling and confiscatory towards them
C) there are formalized procedures that give individuals a measure of predictability in the outcomes of their actions
D) the reason why some countries became wealthy, industrialized nations and others have not is because the state thwarted development in the latter
E) women's enhanced financial independence has contributed to the increase in pregnancies to unwed parents

Accepted Answer

The answer of The state theory of modernization maintains:
A) that...

Quiz 17: Social Change

The term referring to the old agrarian social setting in which people lived in small communities or villages close to their kin and friends, knew their neighbours well, and generally felt a sense of belonging and interdependence is:

Describe how the conflict and functionalist theories each explain how social change has come about. As a sociologist, what types of questions should you ask when thinking about a change in any society? Can these theories be applied together?

What was the Enlightenment, and how did it help usher in the modern era?

The ________ approach to social change, which maintains that change often has its origins in social conflict of some kind, is a fruitful perspective for understanding change in Canadian society.

Marx and Engels stated that "two hostile camps", and would be present in modern capitalist societies:

Which of the following statements regarding postmaterialism is NOT true?

How does historical materialism attempt to explain social change?

How does the state theory of modernization explain social change?

The theory which maintains that societies are profoundly influenced by their bio-physical and social environments, and that the characteristics of a society are strongly affected by its subsistence technology, is referred to as:

The condition in which there are formalized procedures that give individual actors a measure of predictability in the outcomes of their actions is known as:

Which of the following statements describing the differences between horticultural and hunting and gathering societies is NOT true?

Social change resulting from the adoption of an innovation by a society that did not create it, is known as:

The approach which Marx and Engels take is ________; that is, for every thesis there is, built into it, its own antithesis or transformation.

Biological evolution produces an increasing number of highly differentiated life forms while social evolution results in:

Which of the following statements regarding Marx and Engels explanation of 'culture' as applied to the social change approach of historical materialism is NOT true?

According to Fukuyama, a number of significant social changes have occurred in advanced capitalist societies since the 1960s. One constellation of these changes has been called the:

The development of each aspect of society is explained in terms of the function it fulfills, in particular how it enhances the society's survival potential. Spencer argued that the form of ________ a particular society favours will be one that maximizes the likelihood that the society will survive.

Describe the differences and similarities between Spencer's evolutionary theory of social change compared to Marx and Engels' historical materialism theory of social change. Include criticisms that have been presented for each of these theories.

Innis's ________ thesis argued that the economic, political, and cultural formation of Canada was shaped by its geography and the natural resources and raw material, available for export.

The state theory of modernization maintains: