Sociology Chapter 20

Why do we have two words for a big city: metropolis and megalopolis?

A metropolis is just one city while a megalopolis includes many different cities.

Bill wants to increase his herd of cattle on his farm. Right now, he his herd numbers around 100, and he has 100 acres of his farm set aside for their pasture. What would a sociologist suggest so that his farm, which feeds many in his town and county, can continue to function?

Bill should examine the carrying capacity of his lands and consider setting aside more land if he wants to increase his herd.

Melissa has been working to develop drought-resistance seeds that require little water to grow and which produce grain. She wants to send these to arid parts of the world, where conventional grain is not easy (or even impossible) to grow to improve nutrition for the people in those countries. In sociological terms, Melissa most likely ascribes to:

Cornucopian theory

Why has e-waste become an issue, especially in the 21st century?

E-waste not only contains harmful chemicals, but electronics become obsolete every six months or so, which means, every six months people are throwing away perfectly good electronics in order to get the newest one. This has led to an enormous increase in the amount of trash people produce.

True or False: According to the text, every major city is organized the same way

False

Your best friend Sky is hoping to start a new city on an island in the Pacific. Which sociologist would you suggest she read first, before setting out?

Gideon Sjoberg

"Climate change" is a less politicized phrase that has replaced:

Global Warming

According to the text, what have sociologists begun to realize about the nomadic lifestyle?

Nomads have a hard time bridging the gap between their traditional lifestyle and doing what is best for the land.

What do the modern studies and projects of population suggest about the future population of the planet?

People are having more children and the population is growing exponentially.

Three things are important for the formation and sustentation of a city. Which of the below options is NOT one of them?

Skyscraper buildings

Josh sits in his kitchen in the city projects trying to sip his coffee while inhaling the nauseating fumes wafting from the town dump that was relocated to within a mile of his home. He desperately wishes he could move, but he works two jobs just to make ends meet for his family. Josh lives in the poorer part of town; the part that is greatly overlooked by local government officials. What might a sociologist call this phenomenon?

environmental racism

Given the example of London with its postindustrial economy of ideas, how might the Internet affect the modern city as we know it?

The Internet could allow people with knowledge to connect in a virtual "city" without having to be physically close to each other.

Which is an aspect of city life that might catch a human ecologist's attention?

The decision to make sidewalks narrower so that a city road can provide on-street parking.

How might a conflict theorist critique the concentric zone model?

The model fails to show the gentrification of neighborhoods as certain classes start to take over cities.

Pollution, like many other issues in the world, has become a global issue. What was the name of the agreement that several countries signed as a way to pledge the lessening of carbon emissions?

the Kyoto Protocol

According to the text, what is one way the people of the United States, and the world, are reaching and abusing the Earth's carrying capacity?

We take inadequate steps to stop contaminating water with garbage and waste

What is the threshold population for a town, community, etc. before it begins to act like, and take on the characteristics of a city?

When it reaches 100,000 people

Adil has noticed that infertility has been affecting many of his intergenerational friends and family. Based on this observation, Adil is writing his senior thesis on the effects that certain cities, water quality, and hormones might have on his friends. Adil will most likely approach his findings and paper using which theory?

Zero population growth theory

Paris has been studying the demography of the United Kingdom. The U.K. is very similar to the United States or Sweden in that it is industrialized, has relatively long life expectancy, and infant mortality is low. Which stage in the Demographic Transition Theory would the U.K. fall into?

Stage 4

A sociologist is studying how the population of certain countries influences and affects the population and environment of other neighboring countries. This sociologist is most likely a:

Structural functionalist