GRE General TestVerbal ReasoningMedium
A sociologist, examining historical records, noted that periods of rapid technological advancement often led to significant ______ in social structures, as traditional norms and institutions struggled to adapt to new realities.
- Aequilibrium
- Bdislocation
- Ccohesion
- Dstability
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. dislocation
The sentence states that 'traditional norms and institutions struggled to adapt to new realities' during periods of rapid technological advancement. This implies a disruption or breakdown in social structures. 'Dislocation' means a disturbance from a proper or usual state or place, which fits this context.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. 'Equilibrium' means a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced, which contradicts the idea of struggle and lack of adaptation.
- C. 'Cohesion' means the action or fact of forming a united whole, which contradicts the idea of struggling to adapt.
- D. 'Stability' means the state of being stable; resistance to change, which is the opposite of traditional norms struggling to adapt.
Sociological Disruption
The breakdown or significant alteration of established social norms, institutions, or structures, often caused by external factors like technological change.
- Often linked to phrases like 'struggled to adapt,' 'new realities,' 'rapid advancement.'
- The blank describes the negative impact on social order.
- Requires understanding vocabulary related to social change, order, and disorder.
Memory trick: New tech's wave can crash the old shore, leaving social structures wanting more.