Question 1

Sociologists consider environmental problems to be first and foremost ______ problem(s).
A) historical
B) political
C) economic
D) social

Accepted Answer

Sociologists view environmental issues primarily as social problems because they stem from human behavior and societal structures, impacting how communities interact with their environment.

Question 2

Which term refers to the practice of meeting current development needs, while taking into consideration future generations and not compromising their future?
A) sustainability
B) environmental degradation
C) sustainable development
D) environmental development

Accepted Answer

Sustainable development is the practice of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Question 3

A recent college graduate is interested in working in a profession that focuses on social and environmental interaction. Which field would she likely consider?
A) geology
B) environmental sociology
C) climatology
D) environmental history

Accepted Answer

Environmental sociology focuses on the study of interactions between societies and their environments, including the social dimensions of environmental problems and issues. This makes it a suitable field for someone interested in both social and environmental interactions.

Question 4

Researchers have developed a program that measures how many planet Earths are needed to provide the resources humanity is using. This ecological yardstick is called the ecological ______.
A) planet
B) footprint
C) graph
D) scale

Accepted Answer

The correct term is "ecological footprint." It is a measure of how much area of biologically productive land and water an individual, population, or activity requires to produce all the resources it consumes and to absorb the waste it generates, using prevailing technology and resource management practices.

Question 5

Based on food consumption, energy use, transportation, and so on., in order to sustain our current consumption level the world would need how many planet Earths?
A) 1.5
B) 2
C) 3.5
D) 5

Accepted Answer

According to the Global Footprint Network, humanity currently uses the equivalent of 1.5 Earths to provide the resources we use and to absorb our waste. This means we are using ecological resources 1.5 times faster than Earth can regenerate them.

Question 6

The concept developed by footprint analysis scholars, "overshoot," is best described as ______.
A) an exaggeration of climate change's impact on Earth
B) the United States' use of more resources than any other nation
C) the amount of resources we consume having little impact on the environment
D) using resources at a pace more than the Earth can regenerate

Accepted Answer

"Overshoot" refers to the situation where humanity's demand on natural resources exceeds the Earth's capacity to regenerate those resources within a given time period.

Question 7

A researcher finds population growth exceeds the Earth's resources. How would an environmental sociologist explain the impact of sustainable development on this issue?
A) With sustainable development, it would be possible to find enough resources for the problems today, but that will deplete the resources for tomorrow.
B) Sustainable development would promote the use of sterilization to significantly reduce the population.
C) Methods of sustainable development would work toward reducing the gap between needs and resources for today and tomorrow.
D) Use of sustainable development would get rid of all problems with population and available resources.

Accepted Answer

Sustainable development focuses on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It aims to balance economic, social, and environmental concerns to ensure a harmonious relationship between human activities and the Earth's resources, thereby working toward reducing the gap between needs and resources both today and in the future.

Question 8

How would a conference on world hunger react to our current ecological footprint?
A) It would increase the urgency of members to find alternative solutions.
B) It would ease the stress many members feel as they work to reduce world hunger.
C) It would indicate that the people working to ease world hunger are succeeding.
D) It would set the stage for a large debate about what to do with projected food oversupply.

Accepted Answer

Given the current ecological footprint, a conference on world hunger would likely see an increased urgency among its members to find alternative solutions. This is because the ecological footprint measures how much of the natural environment is used to sustain human activities, and a high footprint can indicate that the planet's resources are being consumed faster than they can be replenished. This situation can exacerbate world hunger by reducing the availability of arable land, clean water, and other resources necessary for food production.

Question 9

A conference focusing on the production of food argues that resources are depleting at a rate that is greater than the rate of resource regeneration. This is called ______.
A) footprint
B) overshoot
C) sustainability
D) wilderness

Accepted Answer

Overshoot refers to the situation where humanity's demand on natural resources exceeds the Earth's capacity to regenerate those resources.

Question 10

Which action demonstrates sustainable development?
A) using necessary resources for comfortable living
B) clearing forestland for farmland
C) cultivating food sources that are easily renewed
D) hunting for new caches of fossil fuel

Accepted Answer

Cultivating food sources that are easily renewed is a practice of sustainable development because it ensures that resources are not depleted and can be used by future generations.

Question 11

Which statement explains why it is important to think and act sociologically in response to environmental problems?
A) No one can solve the problems alone.
B) Changing individual behavior will be enough to address environmental problems.
C) Fluctuations are occurring at the collective level of society, but not at the individual level.
D) Most of our economic activity occurs at the individual level so it should be analyzed before the collective level.

Accepted Answer

Environmental problems are complex and interconnected, requiring collective action and systemic solutions beyond the capacity of individuals acting alone.

Question 12

A person working on an advertisement for a major oil company creates false information about fossil fuels' impact on the climate. Scholars would call this person ______.
A) an inventor of fake news
B) an inconvenient truther
C) a Merchant of Doubt
D) a concerned scientist

Accepted Answer

The term "Merchant of Doubt" refers to individuals or groups who create misinformation or doubt about scientific consensus, particularly in areas where there is a strong consensus, such as climate change. This term is used to describe those who spread false information to obscure the facts, often for political or economic reasons, rather than to advance scientific understanding.

Question 13

When a sociologist focuses on the role of ideology and knowledge when understanding environmental conditions, the research is using which type of analysis?
A) social construct
B) discovery
C) constructivist
D) cognitive

Accepted Answer

Constructivist analysis in sociology emphasizes how social phenomena or problems are constructed through language, symbols, and interactions. When applied to environmental conditions, it focuses on how environmental issues are understood, communicated, and acted upon within societies, highlighting the role of ideology, knowledge, and social practices in shaping perceptions and responses to the environment.

Question 14

According to environmental historian Bill Cronon, people tend to view nature as pristine, pure, and untouched by humans. Cronon noted this is a product of America's ______.
A) wild environment
B) social construct
C) frontier utopia
D) frontier mentality

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to environmental historian Bill Cronon, people...

Question 15

What is an example of the social construction of nature?
A) natural disasters
B) national parks
C) expulsion of indigenous peoples
D) the Rocky Mountains

Accepted Answer

National parks are an example of the social construction of nature because they are designated and managed by humans to preserve certain natural areas, reflecting cultural values and societal decisions about what nature should be protected.

Question 16

In the 1950s, Chinese ruler Mao Zedong viewed humans and nature as two separate entities and encouraged "man" to conquer nature, leading to large-scale environmental damage. This period was known as the ______.
A) Cultural Revolution
B) Communist Manifesto
C) Great Leap Forward
D) Red Wave

Accepted Answer

The Great Leap Forward, initiated by Mao Zedong in the late 1950s, aimed at rapidly transforming China from an agrarian economy into a socialist society through rapid industrialization and collectivization. This policy led to significant environmental degradation as it encouraged the exploitation of natural resources without regard to the consequences.

Question 17

In order to make sense of environmental concern, sociologists Riley Dunlap, William Catton, and colleagues came up with the paradigm shift theory, in which two sets of worldviews exist. What is one of these worldviews?
A) old environmental paradigm
B) anthro exceptionalist paradigm
C) world exceptionalist paradigm
D) new environmental paradigm

Accepted Answer

The paradigm shift theory by Dunlap and Catton includes the "new environmental paradigm," which emphasizes the interconnectedness of humans and the environment, contrasting with the older anthropocentric views.

Question 18

The idea that nature is to be mastered by humans and humanity should dominate the earth without concern for it is known as the ______.
A) human exceptionalist paradigm
B) hegemonic degradation
C) the new environment paradigm
D) the old environmental paradigm

Accepted Answer

The human exceptionalist paradigm is the belief that humans are separate from and superior to nature, and that the earth and its natural resources are to be used and dominated by humans without concern for environmental consequences.

Question 19

Someone who evaluates the danger of a situation, such as environmental problems, based on their own individual lens is engaging with ______.
A) individual awareness
B) risk perception
C) individual perception
D) collective response

Accepted Answer

Risk perception refers to the subjective judgement that people make about the characteristics and severity of a risk, often influenced by their personal experiences, beliefs, and emotions.

Question 20

Research shows that the disagreement about climate change's existence and threat is largely driven by ______.
A) costs and benefits
B) scientific facts
C) politicization
D) globalization

Accepted Answer

The disagreement about climate change's existence and threat is largely driven by politicization, as political beliefs and affiliations significantly influence individuals' perceptions of climate change.

Quiz 15: Saving the Environment

Sociologists consider environmental problems to be first and foremost ______ problem(s) .

Which term refers to the practice of meeting current development needs, while taking into consideration future generations and not compromising their future?

A recent college graduate is interested in working in a profession that focuses on social and environmental interaction. Which field would she likely consider?

Researchers have developed a program that measures how many planet Earths are needed to provide the resources humanity is using. This ecological yardstick is called the ecological ______.

Based on food consumption, energy use, transportation, and so on., in order to sustain our current consumption level the world would need how many planet Earths?

The concept developed by footprint analysis scholars, "overshoot," is best described as ______.

A researcher finds population growth exceeds the Earth's resources. How would an environmental sociologist explain the impact of sustainable development on this issue?

How would a conference on world hunger react to our current ecological footprint?

A conference focusing on the production of food argues that resources are depleting at a rate that is greater than the rate of resource regeneration. This is called ______.

Which action demonstrates sustainable development?

Which statement explains why it is important to think and act sociologically in response to environmental problems?

A person working on an advertisement for a major oil company creates false information about fossil fuels' impact on the climate. Scholars would call this person ______.

When a sociologist focuses on the role of ideology and knowledge when understanding environmental conditions, the research is using which type of analysis?

According to environmental historian Bill Cronon, people tend to view nature as pristine, pure, and untouched by humans. Cronon noted this is a product of America's ______.

What is an example of the social construction of nature?

In the 1950s, Chinese ruler Mao Zedong viewed humans and nature as two separate entities and encouraged "man" to conquer nature, leading to large-scale environmental damage. This period was known as the ______.

In order to make sense of environmental concern, sociologists Riley Dunlap, William Catton, and colleagues came up with the paradigm shift theory, in which two sets of worldviews exist. What is one of these worldviews?

The idea that nature is to be mastered by humans and humanity should dominate the earth without concern for it is known as the ______.

Someone who evaluates the danger of a situation, such as environmental problems, based on their own individual lens is engaging with ______.

Research shows that the disagreement about climate change's existence and threat is largely driven by ______.