Deck 10: Stratification: Class, Race, Ethnicity, and Caste

Question 1

Which of the following statements is incorrect?

A)Good luck can be a form of social mobility in class societies.
B)In a class system,social mobility is possible.
C)Social status is dependent on ascription and achievement.
D)In open social systems,the different classes are sharply defined and separated from each other.
E)All of these statements are correct.

Answer 1

In open social systems,the different classes are sharply defined and separated from each other.

Question 2

The organization of production,cultural values,and the access that different individuals and groups have to the means for achieving social goals in society directly affects:

A)stratification.
B)hierarchy.
C)distribution.
D)production.
E)redistribution.

Answer 2

distribution.

Question 3

Which of the following statements about social mobility is correct?

A)There are possibilities for social mobility within class systems,although there are also constraints to mobility.
B)Open class systems allow mobility for all individuals from one class to another depending on their work ethic and the historical time period.
C)Class systems do not support social mobility,although some limited mobility does occur under certain circumstances.
D)Social mobility does not occur within a stratified society.
E)Social mobility does not occur openly within any complex society,although there is suppressed movement in and out of the middle class.

Answer 3

There are possibilities for social mobility within class systems,although there are also constraints to mobility.

Question 4

Max Weber argued that people's behavior could best be explained:

A)in economic terms.
B)in class terms.
C)in terms of prestige.
D)in terms of power.
E)in economic terms and in terms of prestige

Question 5

A category of persons who have similar opportunities to obtain economic resources,power,and prestige and who are ranked high and low in relation to each other is called a:

A)family.
B)class.
C)closed society.
D)hierarchy.
E)caste.

Question 6

What are the three main dimensions of social stratification?

A)skill,authority,wealth
B)wealth,power,authority
C)authority,power,hierarchy
D)prestige,wealth,authority
E)power,prestige,wealth

Question 7

Why do researchers argue that social classes are like subcultures?

A)Members of the same class tend to share life experiences.
B)Members of the same class always trade and exchange with each other.
C)Members of the same class marry within their group only.
D)Each class is separate politically and economically.
E)Each class has its own leader and legal structure.

Question 8

Which is not a core American value correlated with the "American Dream?"

A)individualism.
B)hard work ethic.
C)pragmatism.
D)pessimism.
E)meritocracy.

Question 9

Why are classes typically endogamous in the U.S.?

A)There are laws that prohibit incest in the U.S.
B)Most people never meet individuals of other social classes.
C)Americans do not travel as much as Europeans.
D)In the U.S. ,there are shared cultural patterns and shared associations between classes.
E)Typically,endogamy means that the two individuals share the same culture and language.

Question 10

Why is downward mobility "hidden" in the U.S.media?

A)It does not exist in contemporary U.S.society.
B)It is too sensationalistic.
C)It does not conform to the "American Dream."
D)It is not the experience of the majority of people.
E)It does not affect the middle classes.

Question 11

How does conflict theory explain the presence of so much inequality?

A)It is caused by the struggle for scare goods and services.
B)It is caused by multiculturalism and the presence of diverse races.
C)Inequality is caused by unequal access to education.
D)Inequality is caused by migration into a country and struggle for resources.
E)Technological backwardness is the cause of social and material inequality.

Question 12

What historical event had a great impact on the racial and ethnic configuration of Hawai'i,transforming categories of race?

A)the attack on Pearl Harbor
B)the rape investigation of Thalia Massie
C)the demise of the fishing industry in the country
D)the statehood of the islands of Hawai'i
E)the race riots on Oahu in 1935

Question 13

The functionalist perspective of social stratification argues that:

A)the function of a complex society forces individuals to fulfill duties that are not equally valued.
B)social stratification results from the constant struggle for scarce goods and services in complex societies.
C)rewards available to some individuals in a society motivates people to take on difficult and/or risky tasks for the benefit of the whole society.
D)every class (or status)takes on risky work because the sacrifice is temporary and will shift to another class afterward.
E)the only way to organize a large population of people is to make some classes subordinate to others.

Question 14

Status that is based on one's birth is called ____________ and is found most commonly associated with ______________.

A)ascribed status;closed class systems
B)ascribed status;open class systems
C)achieved status;closed class systems
D)achieved status;open class systems
E)ascribed status;achieved status

Question 15

Income disparity in the U.S.during the last 30 years has been caused by all of the following except:

A)tax cuts.
B)slowing wage increases.
C)inflation.
D)rising life span.
E)reductions in pensions.

Question 16

A relatively permanent,unequal distribution of goods and services in a society is called:

A)social inequity.
B)social services.
C)social mobility.
D)social hierarchy.
E)social stratification.

Question 17

Mahatma Gandhi had a great deal of influence on his and other societies because of:

A)wealth.
B)prestige.
C)power.
D)skill.
E)caste.

Question 18

Social class has a cultural dimension.However,in the U.S.the cultural aspects are blurring today because of all of the following except:

A)easy credit.
B)more workers in the household.
C)rising employment rates.
D)cheaper consumer goods.
E)globalization.

Question 19

In the U.S. ,the most important determinant of social class is:

A)prestige.
B)income.
C)authority.
D)marriage.
E)location.

Question 20

Conflict theory was central to the work of which social scientist?

A)Charles Darwin
B)Karl Marx
C)Franz Boas
D)Bronislaw Malinowski
E)Margaret Mead

Question 21

Which of the following most characterizes a caste system?

A)It is primarily based on achieved status.
B)It is associated with egalitarian societies.
C)It is primarily based on ascribed status.
D)It is primarily based on income inequality.
E)It is more common than class societies.

Question 22

In the U.S. ,an individual's social status remains tied to race,ethnicity,and gender.

Question 23

One of the most important sources of prestige is one's occupation.

Question 24

What did Andrew Carnegie mean by the phrase "the gospel of wealth"?

A)He meant that money was more important than any other variable in developing a country and uplifting the population so that it could compete on a global level.
B)He meant that there should be little government intervention in economics,because he believed that government regulations stifle entrepreneurial initiative.
C)He meant that money should be held in high esteem,because of all of the dimensions of social stratification,it is wealth that will lead most directly to general benefits for the whole population.
D)He meant that entrepreneurs should work to better understand economic relations in order to obtain larger amounts of leisure time.
E)All of these are true.

Question 25

In what decades did the U.S.experience a rapid rise in the middle class?

A)1870s-1900s
B)1910s-1930s
C)1940s-1970s
D)1980s-1990s
E)2000s-2010s

Question 26

Apartheid occurred in which African country?

A)Egypt
B)South Africa
C)Kenya
D)Gambia
E)Mali

Question 27

All of the following are highly associated with a caste except:

A)exogamy.
B)cultural distinction.
C)interdependence between castes.
D)social stratification.
E)traditional occupation.

Question 28

All of the following are unique elements in the Indian caste system except:

A)the cohesiveness of the castes.
B)the way the castes regulate themselves.
C)its relation to Hinduism.
D)the strict separation between the groups.
E)the complexity of the castes.

Question 29

The view that immigrants should abandon their cultural distinctiveness and become mainstream Americans is an ideology known as:

A)multiculturalism.
B)assimilation.
C)juxtaposition.
D)acculturation.
E)melting pot.

Question 30

What is the Hindu religious belief about Indian castes?

A)They believe that caste is preordained by God to allow society to progress.
B)They believe that individuals must suffer in order to obtain enlightenment.
C)They believe that individuals earn their castes based on their actions in a previous life.
D)They believe the best people occupy the lowest castes,because individuals must "work their way" to Nirvana.
E)The Hindus are opposed to the Indian caste system.

Question 31

All of the following are Hindu varnas except:

A)Kshatriyas.
B)Dalits.
C)Brahmins.
D)Shudras.
E)Vaisyas.

Question 32

How has social mobility been affected by globalization in China?

A)It has become less and less evident.Now social change is very difficult.
B)It has become more evident.Now in all social classes,there is enormous upward mobility.
C)It is not equally distributed throughout all economic and social classes in these societies.Businessmen have seen the most social mobility recently.
D)It has become increasingly possible to transcend class in China.
E)There is no longer any type of class distinction in China.

Question 33

All of the following are reasons that Europe has faced more extreme violence in regards to Muslims than the U.S.except:

A)European nations tend to be more culturally homogenous.
B)Muslim populations make up a far greater percentage of European populations.
C)Muslims in Europe do not speak the local languages and are poorly understood.
D)Muslims in Europe are less economically integrated into the nation-state.
E)Muslim populations in Europe tend to be spatially segregated.

Question 34

During what historical period did the U.S.begin to shift from assimilation to multiculturalism?

A)post-WWI
B)post-WWII
C)Civil Rights Era
D)post-Reagan Era
E)with the election of President Barack Obama

Question 35

No society has ever organized a large and diverse population without stratification and inequalities.

Question 36

From a functionalist perspective,in order for society to enjoy the full benefits of inequality,all of society's members must have the same economic and social opportunities.

Question 37

Which of the following statements about race is correct?

A)It is based on perceived physical differences and it grounded in biology.
B)It is not a natural category and is based on cultural and social fact only.
C)It is based on biology and is considered to be culturally determined.
D)It is found only rarely in the world and only in socially stratified societies.
E)It is a purely a biological category that is defined culturally.

Question 38

Social mobility in the U.S.does not depend on where one starts in the class system.

Question 39

In Malaysia,which of the following groups is considered to be "white" because of their economic position within the society?

A)Indians
B)Chinese
C)Africans
D)English
E)Dutch

Question 40

All of the following are associated with the concept of race except:

A)It is based on perceived hereditary differences.
B)It is not a natural category,but a social and cultural fact.
C)It is used to justify differential treatment and discrimination.
D)It affects the lives of both racial majorities and minorities.
E)It is biologically-based as a category.

Question 41

Do you believe that the establishment of categories of race and ethnicity within a society are adaptive to the survival of that society or do you believe that they are potentially destructive? Use examples to defend your argument.

Question 42

Using the examples of the U.S. ,India,and China,describe how globalization has affected each of these systems of social stratification.Which system do you think has the greatest chance of adapting to rapid change?

Question 43

What is the "American Dream?" Has the "American Dream" been true for your family during its history in this country? Why or why not?

Question 44

The untouchable status has been officially,legally outlawed in India.

Question 45

Compare and contrast race and class.How do these concepts serve to separate and also aggregate individuals? Give examples.

Question 46

Using the three main dimensions of social stratification,describe how presidential candidates in the U.S.are benefited or disadvantaged during their campaigns based on having each of these dimensions.

Question 47

Higher castes in India see the caste system as exploitative because they have to provide welfare for the lower castes.

Question 48

Distinguish between assimilation and multiculturalism.

Question 49

Race and class do not intersect in the United States.

Question 50

The accumulation of material resources or access to the means of producing these resources is called ________________.

Question 51

What is a "life chance"?

Question 52

The expansion of the middle class in the U.S.occurred mainly because of government policies and a cultural vision from the 1900 to the 1920s.

Question 53

The concept of race is based on actual physical distinctions between individuals.

Question 54

How has the Indian caste system been affected by globalization?

Question 55

Name the five groups that make up the Indian caste system.