Sociology Ch 15

Will world population continue to grow or will it eventually stabilize?

We may not know the answer for many years.

The process by which members of a group individually conclude that nothing is wrong because they observe that no one else seems to be worried is called

pluralistic ignorance.

Which of the following would MOST worry Thomas Malthus?

the U.S. government refusing to fund international agencies that provide family planning services

Why is the population in the United States growing given that fertility rates have dropped below the level needed to maintain the population level?

Immigration rates have risen

What would you be considered, according to Herbert Gans, if you move to New York City because you love theater?

cosmopolite

The study of the size, composition, distribution, and change in a human population is called

demography

According to the lowest United Nations estimates, the globe will have two billion more people living on it by the year 2050. At that point, the population may actually shrink because, though life expectancy may continue to rise, the average number of children each person gives birth to is poised to drop below 2.1. What demographic variable might make the global population drop?

fertility

According to Georg Simmel, how do city dwellers relate to one another?

in objective and instrumental terms

According to law enforcement, you should pick out an individual, even a stranger, point to him or her, and request assistance if you are in trouble or injured rather than yelling for help or appealing to a group. This strategy would help to defeat

the bystander effect

Under what circumstances are bystanders LESS likely to attempt to help a stranger who appears to be in danger?

when there are lots of bystanders