sociology chapter 17

According to scientists, what is the number-one contributor to rising global temperatures?

CO2 emissions

Compared to organic megafarms, why are small organic farms at a disadvantage?

Maintaining USDA certification is expensive

Often nonscientists — such as politicians — make decisions that affect the course of science. Which of the following is an example of this?

President Bush and stem cell research

What is one of the risks genetic modification may pose to the environment?

an ecological chain reaction

Sociologists who study scientists in the laboratory do so typically because they:

are interested in how scientific facts are socially constructed.

Which of the following is considered one of the main benefits of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?

better ability to resist insects

How does genetic testing relate to race?

definitive genetic markers for race do not exist

Al Gore's film An Inconvenient Truth documented the effect of ________ on climate temperature.

human activity

Which of the following is a potential problem with high-yield crops?

increased water usage

The green revolution, by increasing new technologies requiring more skills, has resulted in:

increasing the value of formal schooling for women in rural areas.

A sociologist, biologist, and psychologist are studying the causes and consequences of obesity. Their results:

may be complementary or conflicting.

Which of the following is something scientists predict will result from a continued rise in global temperatures?

migration from coastal communities

A hypothetical nation decides to make population policy based on the fictional film Gattaca. After watching this film, policy makers would most likely decide to:

perform genetic testing at birth and select the best for survival.

Because of the green revolution, food production has kept pace with:

population growth

One of the main reasons farmers genetically modify their produce is so they:

produce higher yields

Sociologically speaking, the BRCA1 gene mutation is a good example of how:

social practices can change the effect of genes

The green revolution has made it expensive for individual farms to survive on their own, so new collectives and cooperatives have emerged to bring together household farmers. Émile Durkheim might call this a type of:

social solidarity

Sociologists worry that the Human Genome Project could position people positively or negatively based on their genetic codes and thus lead to greater:

stratification and inequality in society

The introduction of high-yield crop varietals in developing countries and improvements in agricultural technologies are two trends that fall under the umbrella of:

the green revolution

In considering the nature of scientific knowledge, philosopher Ian Hacking suggests that:

there is something legitimate in both social constructivism and scientific truth.