Student's should use information from the texts, essays, lectures, as well as
outside readings in answering these questions. You should also provide
specific examples from other
literature when appropriate to support your answer. Demonstrate to your audience
that you have indeed mastered the course material by integrating various
perspectives into your own coherent answer.
Discuss the demographic transition. Why has it happened?
How do you square the demographic transition with the cultural
materialism concept of "intensification"?
How has the demographic transitions contributed to the wealth
of industrial societies?
In today's world, is there still a relationship between food
and population?
Define/describe market economies--give an example.
Define and describe command economies--give an example..
Define and describe mixed economies--give an example.
What is the relationship (if any) of industrialism and the
growth of government?
How has the industrial mode of production universally affected
stratification systems?
How has the industrial mode of production affected kinship
systems and family life?
Compare and contrast the role of elites in command verses
market economies.
Summarize the underlying materialism in the lecture on industrial
agriculture.
Discuss the structure and function of the distribution/economic
system of industrial societies. How is this related to other parts
of the sociocultural system?
Discuss the function of the division of labor of industrial
societies. How is this related to other parts of the sociocultural
system?
Discuss the structure and function of the governing system
of industrial societies. How is this related to other parts of the
sociocultural system?
What changes have been caused by the changing age structure
of industrial societies?
Referencing Lenski, summarize and discuss the evolution of inequality.
Summarize and discuss the evolution of the education systems
.
Summarize and discuss the evolution of the socialization
process.
Summarize and discuss the evolution of the governing systems.
How has the family adapted to changes in societal types?
What environmental factors may constrain further industrial
intensification?
What are the powers and interests of elites in industrialized
societies?
Discuss the evolution of bureaucratic organizations from
horticultural through hyper-industrialism.
What is "hyper-industrialism"? How does it differ from "post-industrialism"? How is the concept useful
in explaining present day structure and dynamics?
How does the "specialist system" (or the extreme division of labor)
cause social problems?
What are the underlying causes in the disparity between rich
and poor nations? Is the disparity growing?
Summarize and discuss the evolution of inequality within societies.
What are the causes of the growing integration of the world
economic system (also called globalization)?
Define, compare, and contrast economic, political, and sociocultural
globalization
What are the consequences of globalization for the American
economic system?
Briefly summarize the Tragedy of the Commons. Give a modern day example.
What is a Gini coefficient? Compare and contrast U.S. income and wealth
inequality with Third World nations using data found in Sanderson.
What is the relationship between parliamentary democracy and capitalism?
What is credentialization (or credential inflation)?
What factors are responsible for the collapse of communism?
According to Wallerstein, why have the societies of the Third World failed to
achieve the levels of technological and economic development characteristic of
the First World?
Compare and contrast globalization before World War I and the present.
According to Sanderson, how fares human progress over the past 10,000 years?
Summarize and comment on his view.
What are the "Very Large Scale" trends that Sanderson predicts for the future.
How do these predictions accord with your own views?
