Deck 7: Stratification: Rich and Famousor Rags and Famine

Question 1

Which theorist(s) is (are) most strongly associated with the structural-functionalist view of social stratification?

A) Karl Marx
B) Gerhard Lenski and Melvin Tumin
C) Max Weber
D) Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The statement "After the minimum survival needs of both individuals and the society are met, power determines who gets the surplus" most closely reflects:

A) Conflict theory
B) Symbolic interaction theory
C) Structural-functional theory
D) Evolutionary theory

Answer 2

D

Question 3

An estimated ____________ people, mostly women and children from poor families in poor countries are slaves.

A) 10 million
B) 50 million
C) 30 million
D) 80 million

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The majority of people who are victims of human trafficking are from:

A) the United States
B) Mexico
C) South America
D) Asia and the Pacific

Question 5

Which type of stratification system allows movement between classes?

A) Ascribed
B) Closed
C) Open
D) Vertical

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of social capital?

A) Professional licensure
B) Country club membership
C) Postdoctoral training
D) All of the above

Question 7

__________ refers to how individuals are layered or ranked in society according to how many valued resources they possess.

A) Social differentiation
B) Social stratification
C) Social capital
D) Social status

Question 8

__________ refers to the extent and direction of individual movement in the social stratification system.

A) Social inequality
B) Social mobility
C) Zone mobility
D) Social stratification

Question 9

Jason is writing a paper on social stratification. The basic argument of his paper is that the job of "college professor" is extremely important to the creation of knowledge and production of culture. Due to this importance, college professors deserve a pay increase to attract the smartest and most capable individuals to fill this important role. Jason is arguing the ________ theory of stratification.

A) feminist
B) structural-functional
C) conflict
D) evolution

Question 10

Which of the following is a meso-level factor that can shape social stratification?

A) Sense of humor
B) Political affiliation
C) Wearing cool clothing
D) Society's level of technology

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the observed relationship between religion and social class?

A) Religious beliefs are more strongly affiliated with geographic location than social class in the United States.
B) Lower-class individuals in the United States are disproportionately represented in fundamentalist religions.
C) Upper-class individuals in the United States are disproportionately represented in fundamentalist religions.
D) Social stratification in the United States is not seen in observable religious differences.

Question 12

First-generation college graduates who become physicians reflect:

A) Intragenerational mobility
B) Intergenerational mobility
C) Horizontal mobility
D) Open mobility

Question 13

According to Karl Marx, which of the following is a characteristic of the proletariat?

A) They could create a classless society if they develop a class consciousness.
B) They control the means of production.
C) They control the norms and values of society.
D) They hold the power in society.

Question 14

The historical event that largely shaped conflict theorists' view of social stratification was the:

A) Rise of communism in Russia and China.
B) Social inequality created in post-World War II United States.
C) Shift from the feudal system to urban industrialism.
D) End of slavery in the United States.

Question 15

Which of the following is a macro-level factor that can shape social stratification?

A) The economic position of a society in the world
B) The amount of education a person has
C) The occupational prestige of an individual
D) The local community's influence on schools

Question 16

All of the following are main assumptions of stratification except:

A) Wealth is the most important resource.
B) People are divided into ranked categories.
C) There is an unequal distribution of desired resources.
D) Each society determines what it considers to be valued resources.

Question 17

Which of the following is a micro-level factor that can shape social stratification?

A) Religious affiliation
B) Access to health care
C) Physical attractiveness
D) Occupational structure

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of cultural capital?

A) Parents' coworkers
B) Relationship with college mentor
C) College degree
D) None of the above

Question 19

Which of the following is a key assumption of a conflict theorist's view of social stratification?

A) Differential rewards must be offered to motivate talented individuals into difficult positions.
B) Stratification is the outcome of struggles for dominance amid scarce resources.
C) Stratification is the outcome of values, speech patterns, consumption habits, appropriate group memberships, and self-concepts learned through socialization.
D) Customs and traditions in a society often prevail over rational criteria in determining the distribution of scarce resources.

Question 20

Lindsey needs a car to get back and forth from her home in the city to her university, which are 4 miles apart. When shopping for a car, Lindsey decides to buy a Hummer H3 because she wants a car that her peers will notice and respect. Through this purchase, Lindsey exhibits:

A) Status inconsistency
B) Social capital
C) Conspicuous consumption
D) Branding

Question 21

The gap between those with access to information technology and those without is known as the:

A) Digitally illiterate
B) Techno-barrier
C) Digital divide
D) None of the above

Question 22

Although she works 30 hours a week, Natalie is unable to earn enough money to bring her and her sons to the poverty line, according to the income requirement set by the federal government. Natalie and her family are experiencing:

A) Relative poverty
B) Being in the underclass
C) Vertical mobility
D) Absolute poverty

Question 23

Which of the following statements about social mobility in the United States is false?

A) There is a high level of occupation inheritance.
B) The higher the father's occupation level, the better the son's chance for occupational achievement.
C) Sons are more likely to move up than down.
D) The mobility of women reflects the occupational achievements of their mothers.

Question 24

Which of the following statements about the middle class in the United States is false?

A) The middle class makes up about 30% of the population.
B) Wages and salaries in the middle classes have increased since the 1980s.
C) Most people identify as middle class.
D) All of the above are true.

Question 25

Which of the following social policies provides early childhood education for low-income individuals?

A) Head Start
B) Women, Infants, and Children Program
C) No Child Left Behind
D) Workfare

Question 26

Which of the following statements about social classes in the United States is true?

A) Upper-middle class families comprise over 30% of the population.
B) Wages and salaries for the upper classes have risen.
C) The lower middle class is largely unemployable.
D) All of the above are false.

Question 27

Since 1969, the middle class in the United States has:

A) Shrunk
B) Grown
C) Stayed the same
D) Become the elite class

Question 28

In __________ stratification systems, the characteristics individuals are born with determine their positions in society.

A) ascribed
B) achieved
C) open
D) mobile

Question 29

The Hindu religion holds that individuals are born into one of four varna or into a fifth group below the caste system known as the _______________ group.

A) Brahmans
B) Sudras
C) Dalits
D) Rajputs

Question 30

Which of the following social programs provides nutritional help to poor families?

A) Head Start
B) Workfare
C) Medicare
D) Women, Infants, and Children Program

Question 31

Educational organizations are found to treat children differently according to their social status.

Question 32

In __________ stratification systems, individuals are allowed to earn positions through their abilities and efforts.

A) ascribed
B) closed
C) achieved
D) mobile

Question 33

Terry, a sociology major, decides that his senior project will be to explain to lower-class people how they are being exploited by those who control the means of production. In terms of social stratification, Terry is most likely a(n):

A) Feminist
B) Conflict theorist
C) Symbolic interactionist
D) Evolutionary anthropologist

Question 34

The _________ model of power argues that power is shared among many power centers, each of which has their own self-interests to protect.

A) pluralist
B) power elite
C) evolutionary
D) estate

Question 35

A nation's geographic location has little impact on the opportunities available to individuals in that nation.

Question 36

Emily works and makes a modest salary. However, she is unable to provide new clothes or a two-bedroom apartment for her and her children. Emily is experiencing:

A) Vertical mobility
B) Absolute poverty
C) Relative poverty
D) Status inconsistency

Question 37

Symbolic interaction theorists focus on the role of cultural capital in producing social stratification.

Question 38

________________ theorists argue that poor women in capitalistic economic systems are used as reserve labor force that can be called and dismissed as needed.

A) Structural-functionalist
B) Conflict
C) Symbolic interaction
D) Exchange

Question 39

All of the following are predetermined in caste stratification systems except:

A) Occupational position
B) Marriage partners
C) Where one will live
D) How many children an individual will have

Question 40

Which is the highest social caste in India's caste system?

A) Kshatriyas
B) Rajputs
C) Dalits
D) Brahmans

Question 41

Heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death in the developing world.

Question 42

According to the text, less than 10% of the world's population has a college degree.

Question 43

Max Weber is considered the father of conflict theory.

Question 44

The petty bourgeoisie includes those with virtually no property, power, or prestige.

Question 45

In the United States, access to higher education is greater than in many other countries because of the Internet.

Question 46

Annual income correlates with life expectancy.

Question 47

Social class systems assume that power, property, and prestige are the determining factors of one's location in a society.

Question 48

Children from higher social classes learn primarily commands and short, directive sentences, whereas children from the lower social classes learn nuances in language.

Question 49

The concept of status inconsistency is associated with Marx.

Question 50

According to structural-functionalists, the unequal distribution of status and wealth in society provides societies with individuals to fill necessary positions.

Question 51

Marx used the term "proletariat" to describe a shared awareness of poor status in relation to the means of production.

Question 52

In many countries, higher social class correlates with later marriage and lower divorce rates.

Question 53

Karl Marx focused primarily on economic relations in describing social stratification.

Question 54

According to the text, lifestyle is a simple matter of having money.

Question 55

According to the Gilbert-Kahl model of class structure, the working class is higher (and more valued) than the middle class.

Question 56

The poorest countries in the world are in Latin America.

Question 57

Structural-functional theorists believe that stratification is avoidable in modern societies.

Question 58

Evolutionary theory borrows assumptions from both conflict and symbolic interaction theories.

Question 59

According to evolutionary theorists, the amount of inequality differs in societies because of different levels of technological development.

Question 60

In the United States, members of the lower class tend to vote liberal on economic issues.

Question 61

An individual's background accounts for nearly half of the factors affecting occupational attainment.

Question 62

According to pluralist theorists, as societies become more complex, the number of groups with political power increases.

Question 63

Compare and contrast ascribed and achieved stratification systems. Provide examples.

Question 64

What are the three main assumptions of stratification? Provide an example for how each of these examples exists in the United States.

Question 65

Describe how one's social class affects educational opportunities in the United States.

Question 66

Describe how one's social class affects political preferences in the United States.

Question 67

If you begin your career as a teacher's aide and end it as a school superintendent, this would represent intergenerational mobility.

Question 68

Compare and contrast intergenerational and intragenerational mobility. Provide examples.

Question 69

According to the text, since 1996 when welfare reform was legislated in the United States, the number of people on welfare has dropped 75%.

Question 70

Describe at least three of the five basic ideas of evolutionary theory presented in the text.

Question 71

African Americans tend to remain poor or fall from the middle class more often than people in other racial groups.

Question 72

Compare and contrast cultural capital and conspicuous consumption. Provide examples.

Question 73

If you are the first in your family to go to college and you become a computer programmer, this would represent intergenerational mobility.

Question 74

One solution to the digital divide is the creation of a "simputer," or a less expensive, more multilingual computer.

Question 75

Compare and contrast caste and estate systems of stratification. Provide examples.

Question 76

Caste systems are typically based on achieved statuses.

Question 77

Age and race are most important in open class systems.

Question 78

Estate systems are based on achieved statuses such as land ownership.

Question 79

An individual can experience both intergenerational and vertical mobility.

Question 80

The middle class, as defined by sociologists, makes up about 50% of the population in the United States.