Deck 8: Classical Explanations of Inequality

Question 1

As a materialist, Marx believed that it is ________ that defines who we are:

A) nature
B) activity
C) the capitalist class
D) the individual

Answer 1

activity

Question 2

Marx argued that:

A) all societies contain only two classes
B) political and religious factors play no role in history
C) everything is determined by the economic structure
D) the economic structure is the main determining factor in history

Answer 2

the economic structure is the main determining factor in history

Question 3

According to Marx, the profits of capitalists are fundamentally derived from:

A) the exploitation of workers
B) the creativity and drive of entrepreneurs
C) the performance of their company on the stock market
D) fate, fortune, and good luck

Answer 3

the exploitation of workers

Question 4

According to Marx, alienated labor:

A) is done freely
B) is when one's labor belongs to the capitalist
C) is when one works for themselves
D) primarily benefits workers

Question 5

Marx argued that within every mode of production are:

A) tools, machines, and other productive resources
B) the property and power relationships among individuals in the economic system
C) means and social relations of production
D) all of the above

Question 6

Generally, Marx argued that classes are defined by their relationship to:

A) the means of production
B) nature and society
C) the relations of production
D) capitalists

Question 7

According to Marx, the proletariat:

A) have their own means of production
B) sell their labor power
C) are entrepreneurs
D) exploit one another

Question 8

Marx believed that a full-fledged class is characterized by:

A) the goal of solidarity with other classes
B) various relationships to the mode of production
C) organization of the class into a political group fighting for its interest
D) cultural homogeneity

Question 9

According to Marx, in capitalist societies, the state:

A) serves the interests of the ruling class
B) is put in place to mediate the conflict between the proletariat and the capitalists
C) authorizes reforms to assist the proletariat
D) all of the above

Question 10

Marx believed that the dominant ideology:

A) is an expression of class conflict
B) serves to legitimize the position of the capitalist class
C) is in opposition to religious institutions
D) none of the above

Question 11

Marx and his proponents posited that under capitalism:

A) workers are always conscious of their exploited positions
B) it is easy for the proletariat to resist or rebel
C) the exploitative nature of class relations is masked, making capitalism appear natural
D) none of the above

Question 12

Which of the following is the most central criterion for class position in Marx's theory?

A) occupational status
B) amount of income or wealth
C) amount of authority in the workplace
D) ownership or non-ownership of property

Question 13

Which is NOT included among the factors that lead to the development of capitalism, according to
Marx?

A) free labor
B) a stable and compliant labor force
C) the accumulation of capital by some individuals
D) none of the above

Question 14

According to Marx, a strict and detailed division of labor is a defining characteristic of the ____________ stage of capitalism:

A) postmodern
B) machine
C) cooperation
D) manufacture

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a principle stage of capitalism according to Marx?

A) cooperative
B) manufacture
C) modern industry
D) postmodern

Question 16

Marx believed that:

A) the control of capital by the few helps capitalism sustain itself
B) competition among capitalists leads to a decrease in production
C) the bourgeoisie has created the very conditions that will eventually destroy it
D) all of the above

Question 17

According to Marx, initially, struggle against the bourgeoisie:

A) is a revolution
B) is a struggle to end capitalism
C) is against the forces of production such as workers smashing tools
D) is conducted by an organized class

Question 18

According to Weber, modern modes of technology:

A) have dehumanizing effects
B) lead to bureaucracy and alienation but these are only temporary
C) will eventually be eradicated and people will be reunited with nature
D) are permanent and conditions will not improve

Question 19

According to Weber, bureaucracy:

A) encourages the equal treatment of all
B) is incompatible with capitalism
C) has regard for people
D) increases the authority of individuals within an organization

Question 20

Which is NOT a characteristic of bureaucracy according to Weber?

A) inefficiency
B) impersonality
C) clear division of labor
D) written system of rules

Question 21

In Weber's theory, the "social order" refers to the:

A) institutions that comprise society
B) arrangement of social honor within a society
C) general distribution of economic goods and services
D) distribution of power among groups to influence communal decisions

Question 22

Weber's and Marx's concepts of class are similar in that both:

A) define class as an economic concept
B) see classes as necessarily being communities
C) distinguish between property and acquisition classes
D) require class consciousness as a characteristic of any class

Question 23

According to Weber, class-conscious action is most likely if:

A) individuals in the same class are geographically scattered
B) there is an immediate opponent upon whom the class can focus
C) there are only small numbers of people in the same class position
D) the connection between the causes and consequences of class position are unclear

Question 24

In Weber's view, power can be demonstrated in:

A) the social order, through the groups one belongs to
B) the economic order, through the class one belongs to
C) the political order, through participation at political functions
D) all of the above

Question 25

Which of the following is true statement regarding class specified by Weber?

A) Property classes are primarily determined by the marketability of goods and services.
B) Commercial classes are primarily determined by the ownership of property.
C) Social classes make up all class situations within which mobility is easy and typical.
D) All of the above.

Question 26

"Commercial" class position, according to Weber, is determined by:

A) one's wealth
B) the amount of one's property
C) the marketability of one's goods and services
D) the extent to which one's position allows social mobility

Question 27

According to Weber, class struggle:

A) has had the same content throughout history
B) is of economic character
C) is between the capitalists and the proletariat
D) exists only in some places

Question 28

In addition to being ranked in terms of market situation, Weber argued that individuals can be ranked on the basis of:

A) honor or prestige
B) horizontal mobility
C) political participation
D) all of the above

Question 29

According to Weber, which of the following is one of the bases of status groups?

A) a particular lifestyle
B) informal education
C) inherited wealth
D) income

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of status groups stated by Weber?

A) endogamy or a restricted pattern of social intercourse
B) status conventions or traditions
C) monopolistic acquisition of certain economic opportunities
D) sharing benefits with other groups

Question 31

In Weber's view, castes:

A) usually develop when fundamental differences between groups are religious in nature
B) are simply based on ethnic segregation
C) are arranged hierarchically, allotting one group more honor than others
D) may not develop their own beliefs

Question 32

Weber proposes that:

A) status and class are necessarily connected
B) high class individuals automatically receive high status
C) status can be based on class and vice versa
D) in capitalist societies, status plays a more important role than class

Question 33

Marx and Weber agreed that:

A) capitalist society is a class society
B) status was just as important as class position
C) socialism would eliminate all of humankind's problems
D) bureaucracy would decline in prominence in the near future

Question 34

Durkheim viewed the "forced" division of labor as one brought about:

A) despite society's objection
B) by the absence of effective, binding rules
C) by the simplification of the class system into masters and workers
D) by a lack of correspondence between the distribution of work and the distribution of talent

Question 35

Durkheim was principally concerned with:

A) social inequality
B) order in society
C) social conflict
D) revolution

Question 36

According to Durkheim, which of the following is NOT a feature of a society based on mechanical solidarity?

A) homogeneity
B) a simple division of labor
C) moral cohesion
D) class consciousness

Question 37

According to Durkheim, which of the following is NOT a feature of a society based on organic solidarity?

A) individualism
B) equality
C) specialization
D) interdependence

Question 38

Durkheim differed from Marx in that he viewed:

A) the division of labor as a central basis for integration in modern industrial society
B) moral regulation as problematic for individual liberty and happiness
C) the division of labor as a source of basic problems in capitalist society
D) the problems of the modern society as a result of contradictions within capitalism

Question 39

In terms of inequality, Durkheim believed that:

A) inequality should be based in biological or "external" differences
B) revolution would be destructive to society; gradual reform is the best option
C) a complex division of labor breeds inequality and must be eliminated
D) superiority that results from differences in the resources of individuals is just

Question 40

In Spencer's view, inequality first involved:

A) rank and wealth being mutually exclusive
B) men as being equal to women in the domicile, just as they are in the wider society
C) the class structure being due to militancy
D) the class structure being perpetuated by the individuals' innate abilities

Question 41

Spencer argued that in industrial societies:

A) there is greater inequality
B) classes and the distribution of rewards become based more on differences in aptitude
C) class divisions are based on rank and kinship
D) there is more freedom and reverence for the individual

Question 42

Which of the following is NOT part of Spencer's broad view of evolution?

A) There should be a highly regulated economy in modern societies.
B) As humanity evolves, it develops traits that promote its survival.
C) Social inequality is to be expected because there exists social competition, or the "survival of the fittest," in which the losers die off.
D) Unnecessary government intervention damages the natural evolutionary process.

Question 43

According to Marx, when labor is freely done, it is an enjoyment.

Question 44

According to Marx, classes existed even in the earliest societies in human history.

Question 45

Marx viewed the means of production as the particular type of economic system that is in operation in a given society.

Question 46

Marx argued that classes such as the petty bourgeoisie and small land-owning peasants would become more permanent as capitalism reached its peak.

Question 47

Occupation and source of income is the criterion used by Marx to define a class.

Question 48

If the economic bases for classes are eliminated, they would still exist because of human nature.

Question 49

According to Marx, placing artificially high prices on land is a mechanism used to keep individuals from working for themselves, thus keeping the labor supply full.

Question 50

Marx believed that as the crisis of capitalism becomes more evident, some of the members of the bourgeoisie join the working class in the struggle against the capitalists.

Question 51

According to Marx, revolution, or the end of class society, can only occur when material conditions are ripe.

Question 52

Marx believed that a complex division of labor would reduce alienation among workers.

Question 53

According to Marx, discontent on the part of workers is sufficient to bring about revolution.

Question 54

Marx was an economic determinist.

Question 55

One of the criticisms of Marx's theory is that he is too pessimistic about human nature does not see the potential good in people.

Question 56

The fact that the working class has not revolted is conclusive proof of the inadequacy of Marx's theory.

Question 57

Marx was accurate in his prediction of the international character of modern capitalism.

Question 58

For Marx, the existence of a given class always assumes the existence of another hostile class.

Question 59

According to Marx, ideology is one of the major mechanisms used to maintain the legitimacy of the class structure.

Question 60

The main theme in Weber's writings was an overall concern for social change and the direction in which he thought the Western world was moving.

Question 61

Weber contended that alienation, impersonality, bureaucracy, and, in general, rationalization would eventually be eradicated.

Question 62

Weber saw the social, economic, and political dimensions of power as being equally salient in capitalist society.

Question 63

Weber viewed modern society as becoming increasingly rationalized.

Question 64

Weber felt that it was inevitable that classes will develop class-consciousness.

Question 65

According to Weber, political parties are always organized on the basis of class interests.

Question 66

Weber had a bleaker vision than Marx concerning the long-term future of modern society.

Question 67

Weber believed that in each set of classes there are "middle classes".

Question 68

According to Weber, status groups can be legalized.

Question 69

Many believe that Weber's theory offers a more complete portrait of social inequality than does Marx's.

Question 70

Weber believed that socialism would eliminate the bureaucratic characteristics of the state.

Question 71

Durkheim believed that internal differences existed between Blacks and Whites, and thus justified social inequalities between races, but that inequality between genders would diminish.

Question 72

Durkheim believed that eventually any inequalities in industrial society would be based upon differences in internal abilities rather than external characteristics.

Question 73

The anomic division of labor in Durkheim's theory is a result of a mismatch between the talents of individuals and the position they occupy in society.

Question 74

According to Spencer, governmental welfare programs should be eliminated for the good of society as a whole.

Question 75

Marx would view free-market arguments as an ideology that helps them maintain their powerful economic
position.

Question 76

Like Durkheim, most conservative Republicans believe that government is a positive institution that is often needed to correct problems in the wider society

Question 77

Discuss Marx's class analysis including class struggle and how the class structure is maintained. How is Marx's theory relevant/irrelevant to contemporary society?

Question 78

Discuss Marx's analysis of the development of capitalism as well as capitalism's different stages.

Question 79

Discuss the various elements of Weber's theory of inequality. In what ways is Weber's theory different from and similar to Marx's theory?

Question 80

Discuss Durkheim's view of inequality. On what points key points does Durkheim disagree with Marx?