Deck 9: Social Stratification

Question 1

The process of ranking or elevation occurs in social ________ ,but not in social ________.

A) differentiation/stratification
B) stratification / differentiation
C) structuring / patterning
D) structuring / differentiation

Answer 1

B

Question 2

________ refers to the condition of being culturally rather than physically distinctive.

A) Ethnicity
B) Race
C) Gender
D) Differentiation

Answer 2

A

Question 3

________ is the exclusion of people of color from equal access to society's valued resources.

A) Racial socialization
B) Racial stratification
C) Social differentiation
D) Social segregation

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Sociologist Harold Kerbo contends that, when patterns of social stratification become ________, a system of layered hierarchy has been established throughout society.

A) softened
B) self-fulfilling
C) institutionalized
D) Both A and B

Question 5

________ is a number of persons who occupy the same relative economic rank in the stratification system.

A) matrix
B) social class
C) institution
D) none of the above

Question 6

The unequal distribution of rewards directly affects people's ________.

A) social opportunities
B) social privileges
C) life chances
D) life courses

Question 7

________ refers to the process of categorizing persons based on personal attributes (e.g., age, height, or occupation).

A) Social structuring
B) Social formation
C) Social differentiation
D) Social stratification

Question 8

There are two ways of categorizing people: ________ and ________.

A) social differentiation / social structuring
B) social stratification / social formation
C) social differentiation / social stratification
D) social stratification / social differentiation

Question 9

It is important to understand that in society, ________ are not distributed equally or randomly, but are determined by the three major social hierarchies: class, race, and gender.

A) statuses
B) roles
C) values
D) rewards

Question 10

Identify which of the following is not one of the reasons for inequality being socially structured.

A) Inequalities are caused by the choices and decisions of individuals.
B) Inequalities are not caused by biological difference.
C) Biological traits do not become relevant in patterns of social superiority or inferiority until they are socially recognized and given importance.
D) Biological traits take on social meaning, then become incorporated into the beliefs, values, and attitudes of the people of society.

Question 11

People are _______ located in a class position based on income, occupation, and/or education.

A) permanently
B) individually
C) socially
D) all of the above

Question 12

______ is defined on the basis of presumed common genetics, resulting in distinguishing physical characteristics.

A) Culture
B) Eugenics
C) Ethnicity
D) Race

Question 13

____ refers to systems of inequality in which some fixed group membership or social category, such as race, religion, or national origin, is a major criterion for ranking members' social positions and their differing access to rewards.

A) Racial and ethnic stratification
B) Divisions of labor
C) Structural stratification
D) Social differentiation

Question 14

Class position generates different combinations of ________, which refers to the distribution of goods and services, situations, and experiences that are highly valued and beneficial.

A) social status
B) social organization
C) social differentiation
D) social privilege

Question 15

Class, race, and gender are _______ of inequality within the stratification system, which organize society as a whole.

A) structures
B) matrices
C) statuses
D) levels

Question 16

The patterning of ______ is connected with many aspects of the society, such as politics, education, and religion.

A) social privilege
B) rewards
C) ethnicity
D) stratification

Question 17

All known societies have some system of ranking individuals and groups along a continuum of ________.

A) superiority / inferiority
B) ability
C) racial purity
D) economic value

Question 18

________ refers to ranking people in a vertical hierarchy that differentiates them as superior or inferior.

A) Social structuring
B) Social stratification
C) Social patterning
D) Social differentiation

Question 19

The structures of inequality create varied environments for society members through unequal distribution of ______.

A) natural talent
B) intelligence
C) social opportunities
D) all of the above

Question 20

Social stratification refers to ________ social inequality, a term used to refer to stratification being socially patterned.

A) unstructured
B) structured
C) legitimate
D) differential

Question 21

Although ________ has generally lacked support in the scientific community, it has continued to provide a rational for the thinking of many individuals.

A) social Darwinism
B) cultural deprivation
C) biological determinism
D) differential association

Question 22

________ theorists do not accept stratification as a source of societal integration but rather as a reflection of the unequal distribution of power.

A) Order
B) Interaction
C) Conflict
D) Differential association

Question 23

Marx argued that the oppressed would become aware of their common oppression and develop ________ and become unified in a cause to advance their class interests.

A) class consciousness
B) false consciousness
C) social consciousness
D) none of the above

Question 24

Conflict theorists suggest that discord results from inequalities in the ________ because groups compete for scarce resources and because those without power resent those with power.

A) distribution of wealth
B) group differentiation
C) social organization
D) distribution of power

Question 25

_______ are social constructions, containing self-concepts, psychological traits, and roles assigned to the sexes.

A) Sexes
B) Gender roles
C) Gender preferences
D) Patriarchal relations

Question 26

The ______ consists of two categories into which all humans are placed: sex and gender roles.

A) sex-gender system
B) sex stratification
C) patriarchy
D) gender matrix

Question 27

The inequality matrix proposed by Patricia Hill Collins has to do with the relational nature of _______ and _______.

A) ability / dependency
B) rewards / punishments
C) dominance / subordination
D) race / gender

Question 28

The intersection of class, race, and gender create what Patricia Hill Collins calls a ________ in which every member of society exists.

A) matrix of distribution
B) matrix of meritocracy
C) matrix of domination
D) matrix of sex-gender system

Question 29

________ refer to behavior determined by an individual's biological sex.

A) Sex roles
B) Gender roles
C) Sex patterns
D) Gender matrix

Question 30

________ theories suggest that the poor are in their condition because of biological inferiority or cultural inferiority.

A) Conflict
B) Interaction
C) Order
D) Deficiency

Question 31

People experience race, class, gender, and sexuality differently, depending upon their ________ in the structures of inequality.

A) social location
B) social status
C) social roles
D) social position

Question 32

A ________ is a form of stratification system that assigns women's and men's roles unequally.

A) patriarchy
B) gender matrix
C) sex-gender system
D) sex identification

Question 33

________ was proposed by Herbert Spencer and is used to argue that poverty is nature's way of excreting the unfit members of society to make room for the fit.

A) Differential association
B) Cultural deprivation
C) Biological determinism
D) Social Darwinism

Question 34

Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore contend that a ________ is necessary for the smooth functioning of society.

A) matrix of domination
B) division of labor
C) patterning of inequality
D) racial and ethnic stratification

Question 35

________ is the form of social organization, infused throughout American society, which places men in a dominant position over women.

A) Sex-gender system
B) Oligarchy
C) Patriarchy
D) Gender roles

Question 36

Class, race, and gender are components of both social ________ and social ________.

A) structure / interaction
B) structure/ ideology
C) interaction/ institutions
D) interaction/ideology

Question 37

________ is the social patterning of difference and domination through distinctions between women and men.

A) Sex
B) Sex roles
C) Gender differential
D) Gender

Question 38

________ argue that inequality is a universal phenomenon, therefore, it must serve a useful function in society.

A) Order theorists
B) Conflict theorists
C) Social Darwinists
D) Behavioral theorists

Question 39

From the conflict perspective, media, schools, religion, and other institutions are manipulated to ________ systems of inequality and the status quo.

A) change
B) legitimate
C) improve
D) all of the above

Question 40

Marx used the term _____ to describe the tendency of the working class and the poor to accept their lack of monetary rewards, power, and prestige because they believe the system is truly meritocratic and that they deserve their fate.

A) social consciousness
B) class consciousness
C) false consciousness
D) none of the above

Question 41

_____ is social stratification based on ability and, according to some, develops through an automatic sorting process.

A) Social Darwinsim
B) Meritocracy
C) Differential association
D) Cultural deprivation

Question 42

The constant effort to maximize profits, which is the basic tenet of capitalism, promotes poverty in this/these way(s):

A) Employers are constrained to pay their workers the least possible in wages and benefits.
B) It is beneficial for the ownership class to maintain surplus of laborers because the surplus depresses wages.
C) Employers make investment decisions based on what will maximize profit and without regard for their employees.
D) All of the above

Question 43

According to Harold Kerbo, social stratification means that

A) inequality has become institutionalized.
B) a system of layered hierarchy has become established.
C) a system of social relationships determines who gets what and why.
D) all of the above

Question 44

_______ theories hold that how society is organized creates poverty and makes certain groups vulnerable.

A) Structural
B) Cultural
C) Psychological
D) Biological

Question 45

The unofficial caste system in South Africa includes

A) Untouchables.
B) Brahmins.
C) Coloured.
D) Sudra.

Question 46

The macro structures of inequality are

A) class.
B) race.
C) gender.
D) all of the above

Question 47

________ argued that social stratification by inborn differences occurs naturally as evidenced by the fact that mental ability is inherited.

A) Richard Herrnstein
B) Arthur Jensen
C) Charles Darwin
D) Herbert Spencer

Question 48

________ places the blame for poverty on the failure of some groups culture.

A) Cultural inferiority
B) Biological determinism
C) Differential association
D) Social Darwinism

Question 49

Traditionally, the ________ has been viewed as the principal unit in the class system.

A) school
B) family
C) job
D) age of the person

Question 50

The ________ hypothesis says that the poor have different values and lifestyles from the rest of society, and this explains poverty.

A) biological determinism
B) culture-of-poverty
C) social Darwinism
D) differential association

Question 51

Conflict theorists have NOT answered the important question as to the ________ of social stratification.

A) origins
B) diversity
C) necessity
D) pathology

Question 52

Adherents of cultural explanations for poverty propose that the deviant cultural pattern is transmitted ________.

A) from generation to generation
B) from higher status group to lesser status group
C) by schools and churches
D) by matriarchal families

Question 53

All societies

A) have some form of stratification.
B) develop a caste system.
C) encourage the formation of elites.
D) provide rewards equitably.

Question 54

________ refers to the customary ways of doing things, prevailing attitudes and expectations, and accepted structural arrangements that work to the disadvantage of the poor.

A) Class discrimination
B) Culture of poverty
C) Institutional discrimination
D) Economic inequality

Question 55

The pattern of structured inequities is called

A) gender.
B) social stratification.
C) social differentiation.
D) globalization.

Question 56

The standard male gender role includes expectations of the person to be

A) nurturant.
B) independent.
C) passive.
D) emotional.

Question 57

Life chances are significant because they

A) make life easier and healthier.
B) determine your social position.
C) deal with your chance to experience the good things in life.
D) both a and c

Question 58

University of Michigan's Panel Study of Income Dynamics, that followed 5,000 representative households for ten years, found that ________ of them were persistently poor, while the rest of them were temporarily poor.

A) 2.6 percent
B) 26 percent
C) 36 percent
D) 56 percent

Question 59

Some theorists argue that the poor have a ________ orientation while the nonpoor have a ________ orientation.

A) future-time / present-time
B) present-time / future-time
C) positive / negative
D) negative / positive

Question 60

________ argued that blacks are less intelligent than whites, citing as evidence I.Q. tests and school performance.

A) Charles Darwin
B) Herbert Spenser
C) Arthur Jensen
D) Richard Herrnstein

Question 61

The Jensen-Hernnstein-Murray thesis overlooks the contribution of ________ to achieve on IQ tests.

A) family
B) early childhood experience
C) nutrition
D) social class

Question 62

All known societies have a system of ranking individuals and groups along a continuum of superiority/inferiority.

Question 63

The University of Michigan's study refutes the idea that

A) a permanent underclass exists.
B) education can make a difference.
C) family origins affect the child's life chances.
D) poverty can be abolished.

Question 64

Social stratification refers to the act of categorizing persons based on personal attributes (age, height, occupation).

Question 65

The process or ranking occurs in social differentiation but not in social stratification.

Question 66

According to the culture-of-poverty theory, poor parents tend to be ________ with their children.

A) more verbal
B) more permissive
C) more fatalistic
D) more interested in education

Question 67

The latest revival of social Darwinism appears in________.

A) "The Origin of Species"
B) Murray's "The Bell Curve"
C) "The Wealth of Nations"
D) Veblen's "Theory of the Leisure Class"

Question 68

Richard Hernnstein posits the formation of

A) social revolution.
B) hereditary castes based on intelligence.
C) proletariat-bourgeois classes.
D) Communism as a solution to poverty.

Question 69

Spencer argued that the poor

A) deserve public assistance.
B) are blameless for their condition.
C) can escape poverty if given the economic opportunity.
D) should not be helped by charity.

Question 70

Social differentiation involves ranking people hierarchically.

Question 71

The patterning of inequality refers to the uneven distribution of rewards in society, which are based on societal norms and achieved through the socialization process.

Question 72

The term structured social inequality implies that inequalities are caused by biological differences like sex or race.

Question 73

Social stratification refers to structured social inequality because it is socially patterned.

Question 74

Most people in the United States see poverty as a combination of ________ and ________ factors.

A) biological, cultural
B) chance, biological
C) cultural, exploitive
D) luck, destiny

Question 75

The Ypsilanti, Michigan, study on high-risk children discovered that high quality active learning programs had future effects with these children in such areas of life as

A) risk of arrest.
B) level of income.
C) welfare dependency.
D) all of the above

Question 76

For the most part, intelligence tests measure

A) innate ability.
B) intelligence.
C) educability.
D) inborn talent.

Question 77

Biological determinism is a classic example of

A) Republican liberalism.
B) Democratic conservatism.
C) laissez-faire capitalism.
D) blaming the victim.

Question 78

It is important to understand that in society rewards are distributed equally and fairly in spite of being appearing to be affected by class, race, and gender.

Question 79

Social stratification refers to ranking people in a vertical hierarchy that differentiates them as superior or inferior.

Question 80

Studies have shown that Head Start programs

A) have no effect on a person's level of intelligence.
B) have raised IQ scores among poor children.
C) teach middle-class standards.
D) have programs biased against the poor.