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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the state of the institution with regard to the present moment?

2. Which stage of culture does the antepredatory variant correlate to?

3. How does Veblen describe the industrial classes' relationship with sports?

4. Which ethnic type does Veblen say has more predatory traits?

5. What does Veblen say is the purpose of devout observances?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do lower-class delinquents manifest the fighting spirit?

2. Which classes duel? Which classes fight?

3. How does one move from the industrial class to the leisure class?

4. How do institutions change?

5. How do the devout observances of the clergy have their cultural-economic effect?

6. What is martial spirit, and which classes demonstrate it?

7. How does the workman manifest his animistic view about luck?

8. How do men change over time according to Veblen?

9. How are organizations organized around devout observances?

10. What temperament does Veblen say characterizes the leisure class, and how does the leisure class change?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How American is "The Theory of the Leisure Class"? Is it descriptive of industrial economies generally, or is it limited to Veblen's American environment? How does he account for aristocratic or feudal culture or other European social systems?

Essay Topic 2

How do Veblen's definitions hold up in contemporary society? Are his definitions of the classes accurate? Are his definitions of the behaviors accurate? Have the times changed since he wrote "The Theory of the Leisure Class"? How have they changed? How have they remained the same?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the role Darwinian thinking plays in "The Theory of the Leisure Class." Is Veblen simply applying Darwin's ideas to society, or is he using Darwin's ideas as tools to show things Darwin's theories would not have described?

(see the answer keys)

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