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

Accepted Answer

Turner and Killian would consider people selling T-shirts to mark the event as "Exploiters" because they are taking advantage of the situation for personal gain, rather than being motivated by concern, curiosity, or emotional investment in the event itself.

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

Accepted Answer

According to Herbert Blumer, at the root of collective behaviour is a background of tension or unrest.

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

Accepted Answer

Sociologists argue that crowds are composed of rational individuals because even in a crowd setting, people take deliberate steps to achieve specific goals, indicating rationality in their actions.

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.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Rumours thrive in what kinds of conditions?
A)...

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

Accepted Answer

Beth is an "ego-involved participant" because she has a personal stake in the issue of student financial aid reductions, which directly affects her as a first-year university student. This involvement indicates a high level of personal commitment and identification with the cause.

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

Accepted Answer

Urban legends often serve as modern morality tales, offering cautionary insights into the consequences of certain behaviors or decisions, reflecting societal values and fears.

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

Accepted Answer

Herbert Blumer coined the term "acting crowd" to describe an excited group that collectively moves toward a goal, emphasizing the active and purposeful nature of such gatherings.

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

Accepted Answer

Social movements are organized efforts by a large group of people to promote or resist change in society, making option D the correct answer.

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of When we believe that others will approve...

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

Accepted Answer

Role extension refers to the phenomenon where individuals in a crowd take on additional roles or responsibilities beyond their usual ones, often acting responsibly and helping others during emergencies.

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

Accepted Answer

When people become so fearful that they cannot function normally, they may experience a panic. Panic is a sudden, overwhelming fear that can lead to irrational behavior and an inability to function normally, unlike the other options which refer to collective actions or disturbances.

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

Accepted Answer

Collective behaviour refers to the actions and activities that are carried out by groups of people, often spontaneously, outside of the norms of societal institutions. This includes phenomena like lynchings, rumours, and panics.

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

Accepted Answer

An "idea fad" refers to a trend or craze centered around a concept or belief rather than a physical object or activity. Horoscopes in newspapers represent an idea fad as they involve belief in astrology, which can become popular or fade over time.

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

Accepted Answer

Moral panics occur when a significant number of people become intensely concerned or fearful about a behavior, belief, or condition, which is believed to threaten the fabric of society, and this concern is typically out of proportion to the actual danger posed.

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

Accepted Answer

Mackay suggests that ordinary people can act violently in crowds due to a "herd mentality," where individual decision-making is diminished in favor of group actions.

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

Accepted Answer

In areas where social ties are weaker, such as western Canada, social movements are more likely to emerge as individuals seek to create new forms of community and collective identity. In contrast, areas with stronger traditional ties, like Atlantic Canada, may see fewer social movements due to the existing strong sense of community and identity.

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

Accepted Answer

Emergent norms refer to the concept introduced by Turner and Killian that in a crowd or collective situation, new norms or behaviors can emerge that are different from individuals' usual behaviors. This concept is used to explain how people in a crowd might act in ways they typically would not, due to the influence of the collective group's dynamics.

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

Accepted Answer

Riot is the term used to describe violent crowd behavior that is directed against people and property.

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

Accepted Answer

Gustave LeBon theorized that in crowds, individuals experience a sense of anonymity and unity that leads to the formation of a "collective mind." This collective consciousness makes people feel invincible and capable of actions they might not consider as individuals.

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of The use of words, such as "awesome,"...

Quiz 18: Social Movements and Social Change

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

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

Rumours thrive in what kinds of conditions?

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__________ .

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

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

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 _______.

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.

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

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

What is an example of an "idea fad"?

__________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.

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

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 .

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

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

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.

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