Deck 14: Justice and Legitimacy: Assessments of the Structure of Inequality

Question 1

How people evaluate the social inequality around them depends upon:

A) what they think is primarily responsible for it
B) the criteria they use in making their judgments
C) the effectiveness of national ideologies in justifying it
D) all of the above

Answer 1

all of the above

Question 2

A 1980s study found that:

A) Whites were more likely than Blacks to consider economic inequality as unjust
B) men were more likely than women to see occupational inequality as being unfair
C) Whites with higher incomes were more likely than others to endorse the existing
Unequal distribution
D) all of the above

Answer 2

Whites with higher incomes were more likely than others to endorse the existing
Unequal distribution

Question 3

Most Americans believe that:

A) we ought to have an equal distribution of wealth
B) luck is more important than hard work in getting ahead
C) equality of outcome is more important than equality of opportunity
D) people should be permitted to accumulate as much wealth as they want, even if others live in poverty

Answer 3

people should be permitted to accumulate as much wealth as they want, even if others live in poverty

Question 4

An analysis of large national samples in nine industrial countries, including the United States, revealed that many Americans:

A) were more concerned with people at the top getting too much rather than with people at the bottom not getting enough
B) did not prefer a high degree of income inequality
C) believed that there should be no limit on the amount of inequality allowed
D) thought that the amount of income inequality is too small

Question 5

Sharon Hays who spent three years talking to welfare recipients concluded that we should:

A) increase taxes for caregivers
B) make workplace family leave for stringent
C) raise the minimum wage to the level of a "living wage" that is sufficient to support children
D) raise the qualifications for entering job-training programs

Question 6

The "principle of differentiation" states that:

A) the stronger you are, the more you will receive
B) people with different abilities should receive different levels of rewards
C) all people are of equal value even though they are different
D) the rewards people receive do not depend upon their contribution to society

Question 7

The "principle of equality" is most consistent with _____________ theory.

A) Marxian
B) functional
C) human capital
D) none of the above

Question 8

Which do Americans tend to underemphasize as a cause of economic attainment?

A) talent
B) one's sex
C) hard work
D) a good education

Question 9

The dominant ideology in the U.S. holds that:

A) the system of inequality is unjust
B) individuals are personally responsible for their own success
C) opportunity for economic mobility is restricted to the rich and powerful
D) individual attainment depends upon the structural constraints within which one lives

Question 10

Among Americans, which is most likely to legitimate economic inequality?

A) the belief that the rich became wealthy because of luck
B) the assumption that a rich person's wealth is due to inheritance
C) the idea that great wealth is typically accumulated in an unethical or illegal manner
D) the assumption that a rich person's wealth reflects their greater personal competence

Question 11

Research demonstrates that:

A) high-status individuals subscribe to structural rather than individualistic explanations of inequality
B) inheritance and being able to go the best schools were the most frequently given explanations for wealth among high-income respondents
C) among Blacks and Hispanics, middle-class are more likely than working-class persons to argue that discrimination is an important cause of racial inequality
D) higher-educated Blacks are more likely than their less-educated counterparts to believe that discrimination is a significant reason for inequality between the races

Question 12

Della Fave argues that:

A) those who are treated favorably by others develop feelings of inadequacy
B) those who are successful develop feelings of a lack of control over their lives
C) the generalized other has little to do with how one assesses the position of others
D) individuals reach conclusions about the reasonableness of their beliefs from "an objective observer"

Question 13

Which statement is refuted by Shepelak's research?

A) Rich people feel that they are morally superior to poor people.
B) Poor people believe they deserve the low incomes they receive.
C) Poor people are generally dissatisfied with their standard of living.
D) All of the above.

Question 14

Schools encourage acceptance of inequality through:

A) its appearance as an objective institution
B) reinforcement of appropriate gender roles for each sex
C) teacher-student relationships in which adjustment is encouraged
D) all of the above

Question 15

As evident in the examples of Hinduism and Calvinism, established religions:

A) typically serve to legitimate prevailing inequalities
B) generally have very little to say about existing systems of inequality
C) commonly work to reduce the degree of inequality prevailing in a society
D) hold that the only determinant of eternal salvation is whether or not one believes in a higher power

Question 16

"Civil religion":

A) uses religion to justify the "American way of life"
B) actively discourages the acceptance of inequality
C) sees otherworldly religion as an opiate of the people
D) promotes importance of "civil" relationships between persons of all social strata

Question 17

Karl Marx believed that religion under capitalism serves to:

A) liberate the masses from their alienation
B) create a revolutionary sentiments in individuals
C) blind people to the real causes of their predicament
D) none of the above

Question 18

Perceptions of inequality in the United States tend to underestimate the actual discrepancies in earnings that exist compared to those found in most other industrial countries.

Question 19

In an analysis of large national samples in nine industrial countries, including the U.S., virtually no one in these countries is in favor of a completely egalitarian distribution of income.

Question 20

U.S. respondents are more likely to stress corruption than hard work as a source of wealth.

Question 21

More people attribute poverty and wealth to individualistic as opposed to structural factors.

Question 22

Most Americans attribute Blacks' lack of success to discrimination.

Question 23

Whites with high incomes are more likely than other groups to feel that income should be based more on skills than on needs.

Question 24

Americans appear to make judgments about the fairness of the amount of income a person makes in part upon the person's sex and marital status.

Question 25

One criticism of the meritocracy argument is that the competencies and motivations of individuals may be due to factors over which they have little control.

Question 26

Attractiveness is considered a disadvantage for females in high positions.

Question 27

Professionalism is defined by parents so it helps to expand research options in schools.

Question 28

Referring to income as "rewards" or "earnings" plants the belief that the money is undeserved.

Question 29

The lower expectations by teachers of lower status individuals influence helps to ensure their lower educational attainment.

Question 30

Traditionally, men have been encouraged to perform instrumental roles while women have been socialized to perform expressive roles.

Question 31

Research suggests that while those with higher incomes tend to develop positive self-evaluations, they are more likely to attribute their success to others.

Question 32

What are the differences between the principle of differentiation and the principle of equality, and to which do most Americans subscribe? Give specific evidence for your answer.

Question 33

Describe the social-psychological process by which individuals conclude that an unequal distribution of resources is fair.

Question 34

Discuss the legitimation of social inequality at the cultural/institutional level. How do social institutions such as the family, education, and religion impact how we view social inequality? Give examples.