8/6/2019 Final Exam April 2011

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Environmental Sociology Soci 3553 Prof. Shaun Bartone, PhD Sociology

Winter Semester, April 2011

Instructions: Answer 10 of the 15 questions with short answers. Please answer 

questions completely but succinctly with a few paragraphs.

1. Define, discuss, compare the following concepts:

Treadmill of Production vs. Treadmill of Consumption

What conditions drive society to continue producing goods in a way that makes more

pollution and waste?

What conditions drive us to keep consuming goods and using technology that we often

don’t even like?

Is there any way off these treadmills?

2. Define the following and give examples of each:

Conspicuous consumption, conspicuous leisure, conspicuous under-consumption

Does meeting our ego needs necessarily conflict with achieving environmental goals?

3. Define, discuss, compare the following concepts:

Economic Growth vs. Social Development

What kinds of phenomena to economists look for as signs of economic growth?

What kinds of phenomena do social scientists look for as signs of social development?

Is it possible to achieve both goals? or are they mutually exclusive?

How does economic growth impact the environment?

How does social development impact the environment?

4. Explain the population theory of Thomas Malthus

What are the factors that support Malthus’ theory?

What are the factors that refute or disprove Malthus’ theory?

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5. What is the IMF/World Bank’s structural adjustment program? How does it affect

developing nations? How do developing nations become trapped in a cycle of 

increasing debt?

6. Describe at least three policies for limiting population growth or encouraging a lower 

birth rate among women? Which is the most effective policy?

7. What factors affect hunger and food security in the developing world?

8. Why are poor people more likely to suffer from disease related to pollution and

environmental toxins?

9. What is the “Tragedy of the Commons”? Give an example.

What factors support or refute the “tragedy of the commons”?

10. Using Dan Kahan’s model of environmental concern, define the following and give

an example of each one:

Hierarchal Individualist

Hierarchal Solidarist

Egalitarian Individualist

Egalitarian Communitarians

11. What is the “ecological modernization” model of environmental policy proposed by

the Dutch researchers, Arthur Mol and Gert Spaargaren?

How could it be successful? How could it fail?

12. Discuss Vandana Shiva’s theory of Enclosures: enclosing “the commons” or 

common resources, excluding people from the commons, turning commons resources

into private property. How does this process create poverty? How does it affect the

environment?

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13. Discuss John Bellamy Foster’s theory of “metabolic rift.” How are energy and

materials wasted in the capitalist industrial system? How are Cities separated from

Rural resources under capitalism?

14. Define and compare these terms and give examples of each kind:

a. Loosely coupled vs. Tightly coupled systems

b. Linear systems vs. Complex systems

15. What is a “Black Swan” event? Give an example.

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