Question 1

Sita is giving a class presentation on the voting behavior of Americans. She correctly tells her classmates that people with higher incomes are:

Accepted Answer

People with higher incomes are generally more likely to vote than those with lower incomes. This is often attributed to a variety of factors, including greater access to resources, higher levels of education, and a stronger sense of political efficacy.

Question 2

Marquita is working on a projecor her sociology class. She asks every student living in her dorm how much money they expect to make at their first job. She finds that most students expect to make between $40,000 and $80,000 per year upon graduation. Marquita concludes that most of the graduates expect to be part of the:

Accepted Answer

The expected salary range of $40,000 to $80,000 a year is typically considered middle class in many parts of the United States, reflecting a standard of living that includes financial stability without reaching the wealth associated with the upper class or upper middle class.

Question 3

Willie lives in a housing project in New York City. Willie's neighborhood is characterized by high levels of poverty, single-parent households, and male unemployment. Willie is a part of the:

Accepted Answer

Willie's living conditions—high levels of poverty, single-parent households, and male unemployment—are characteristic of the urban underclass. This term specifically refers to residents of inner cities who are trapped in an unending cycle of economic and social hardships.

Question 4

Pauline started out at the company as a mail room clerk. After two years she was promoted to the position of Administrative Assistant. After 5 years, she became the Office Manager and now she is being promoted to the position of Associate Director. Pauline has experienced:

Accepted Answer

Intragenerational mobility refers to the social movement of an individual within their own lifetime, as demonstrated by Pauline's career progression from a mail room clerk to Associate Director.

Question 5

Michael is a member of the working class. He tells his son thaor every working class person who moves up to the middle class, there is a person that moves down to a lower class. Michael is teaching his son about:

Accepted Answer

Michael is describing Exchange Mobility, which is the concept that societal positions are exchanged among individuals without altering the overall distribution of positions within the society. This means that if someone moves up in class, someone else must move down, keeping the overall class structure stable.

Question 6

Dr. Edna Garrett is a physician who owns her own home, runs her own practice, and earns about $100,000 per year. Dr. Garrett is a member of the:

Accepted Answer

Dr. Edna Garrett's ownership of a home, her professional status as a physician, and her annual earnings of about $100,000 place her in the upper middle class. This class typically includes those with higher educational degrees, professional careers, and a comfortable but not extravagant income.

Question 7

The concentration of poverty in a neighborhood is related to:

Accepted Answer

The concentration of poverty in a neighborhood is associated with a variety of social challenges, including increased drug use, high crime rates, and a higher prevalence of single-parent homes. These issues are interconnected and often exacerbate each other, contributing to the complex social dynamics observed in impoverished areas.

Question 8

Laurie is the campaign manager for a mayoral candidate. Laurie tells the staff that they should target the voters who are a part of the largest social class in the United States. Laurie wants to target the:

Accepted Answer

The middle class is the largest social class in the United States, encompassing a broad group of people who fall between the working class and the upper class in terms of income, education, and occupation. Targeting the middle class would allow the campaign to reach the widest segment of voters.

Question 9

Which of the following is true concerning neighborhoods and social class?

Accepted Answer

Research and urban studies have shown that there has been an increase in the concentration of both poor and affluent people in neighborhoods, leading to greater economic segregation. This trend is often attributed to factors such as housing affordability, economic policies, and urban development practices that tend to cluster individuals of similar economic status together.

Question 10

Shawn's father performs manual labor at the paper mill and his mother is a custodian at the junior high school. Shawn comes from (an) ________family.

Accepted Answer

Shawn's parents' occupations suggest they are part of the working class, which typically includes those in manual labor and service jobs.

Question 11

Babacar just moved his family to the U.S. from Kenya. When asked why he moved, Babacar said that this country will offer him an opportunity to change his social class. Babacar appreciates the ______available in the U.S.

Accepted Answer

Social mobility refers to the ability to change one's social class, which is what Babacar is seeking by moving to the U.S.

Question 12

Barbara earns minimum wage and lives paycheck to paycheck. She has 3 dependent children and her income is below the government's poverty line. Barbara is a part of the:

Accepted Answer

Barbara's situation, earning minimum wage and living below the poverty line with dependent children, places her in the Lower Class.

Question 13

Roz is a 34-year-old public defense attorney. She is dating Peter, a garbage collector. Roz is embarrassed about introducing Peter to her colleagues because Peter's job has a low level of respect and esteem. Roz is concerned about Peter's:

Accepted Answer

Roz's concern is about the level of respect and esteem associated with Peter's job, which directly relates to its prestige, not his wealth, income, or power.

Question 14

The fact that Cindy attended an exclusive prep school, belongs to exclusive social clubs, and was born into a wealthy and powerful family qualifies her for membership in the:

Accepted Answer

Cindy's background of attending an exclusive prep school, belonging to exclusive social clubs, and being born into a wealthy and powerful family are typical indicators of someone belonging to the Upper Class. These characteristics are associated with high social status, significant wealth, and power, which are defining traits of the Upper Class.

Question 15

Jan lives in a neighborhood with a high concentration of poor people. If Jan experiences upward mobility, research predicts that she will:

Accepted Answer

Research on social mobility often finds that individuals who experience upward mobility tend to move out of neighborhoods with high concentrations of poverty, seeking areas that reflect their new socioeconomic status. This is due to a variety of factors including seeking safer environments, better schools, and other amenities that are associated with higher-income areas.

Question 16

Wesley's grandfather was a sharecropper, farming someone else's land. Wesley's father was a farmer who farmed his own land. Wesley owns an international dairy company that is responsible for providing milk products to people all around the world. This reflects:

Accepted Answer

Intergenerational mobility is demonstrated here, as it shows the economic and social movement between generations within a family, from Wesley's grandfather, to his father, to Wesley.

Question 17

Angela Bauer has a Masters degree in Business Administration and earns over $100,000 per year as an advertising executive. However, she is not a part of the elite class. Angela is:

Accepted Answer

Angela Bauer's high income as an advertising executive and her advanced degree (Masters in Business Administration) typically place her in the upper middle class, which is characterized by high income, professional careers, and advanced education.

Question 18

Chas just learned that some people are paid by the hour while others earn a salary. Chas says that he wants to earn a salary. This means that wants to be a part of the:

Accepted Answer

Earning a salary is often associated with middle-class jobs, which typically offer more stability and benefits compared to hourly wage jobs, which are more common in the working class and urban underclass.

Question 19

Lola is homeless. She lives on the streets of New York City. Lola is a member of the:

Accepted Answer

Lola is considered a member of the "Urban Underclass," a term used to describe individuals living in significant poverty, often without stable housing, in urban areas.

Question 20

Next Saturday, students from all over the country will take the standardized SAT exam. Brittany was asked by her roommate to explain how students from different neighborhoods are likely to fare. Brittany correctly replied:

Accepted Answer

Students from suburban areas often score higher on standardized tests like the SAT compared to their counterparts from rural and urban areas. This can be attributed to factors such as access to resources, quality of education, and socioeconomic status, which tend to be more favorable in suburban settings.

Quiz 7: Social Class in the United States