Question 1

Sociologist Max Weber's term __________ refers to the extent to which individuals have access to important societal resources such as food, clothing, shelter, education, and health care.

Accepted Answer

Max Weber's term "life chances" refers to an individual's ability to access important societal resources, including basic needs such as food, shelter, education, and healthcare. It's a measure of the opportunities that an individual has based on their social class, gender, race, and other social factors.

Question 2

India's caste system is based in part on __________, thus families typically perform the same type of work from generation to generation.

Accepted Answer

The caste system in India is based on occupation, so families typically perform the same type of work from generation to generation. The caste a person is born into determines their occupation, social status, and even who they can marry. Religious affiliation, racial classification, and wealth are not the primary determinants of one's caste status in India.

Question 3

When Carlos's grandfather migrated to the United States, he had completed six years of schooling and worked as a grape-picker in California. Carlos's father completed high school and worked for twenty years as a clerk in a large state agency. Through the efforts of his father and grandfather, Carlos was able to graduate from college and medical school, and he now has a thriving medical practice in southern California. Carlos's family exemplifies __________ mobility.

Accepted Answer

Carlos's family exemplifies intergenerational mobility, which refers to the change in social status or class that occurs between generations within a family. In this case, Carlos's family members improved their occupational and educational statuses over time, and Carlos's success can be attributed to the opportunities provided by the hard work and sacrifice of his father and grandfather.

Question 4

Camryn started her career as a high-tech factory worker and through increased experience and taking specialized courses in her field became an entrepreneur, starting her own highly successful "dot.com" business. Camryn's advancement is an example of __________ mobility.

Accepted Answer

Camryn's advancement is an example of intragenerational mobility because it refers to mobility or movement within an individual's lifetime or career, as opposed to between generations or as a result of changes in the structure of society (structural mobility) or through trade or exchange (exchange mobility).

Question 5

__________ is the movement of individuals or groups from one level in a stratification system to another. This movement can be either upward or downward.

Accepted Answer

Social mobility is defined as the movement of individuals or groups from one level in a stratification system to another. This movement can be upward, as in the case of an individual who moves from a lower socioeconomic status to a higher one, or downward, as in the case of an individual who experiences a status decrease due to economic or social factors. Social mobility can occur within a closed system, such as a rigid caste system, but it is more likely to occur within an open system, such as a merit-based system in which individuals can achieve success based on their abilities and achievements.

Question 6

The __________ system is a type of stratification based on the ownership and control of resources and on the type of work people do.

Accepted Answer

The class system is a type of stratification based on the ownership and control of resources and on the type of work people do. It is characterized by social mobility and individuals have the opportunity to move up or down the social ladder based on their achievements and abilities rather than their ascribed status. Caste system is a type of stratification based on ascribed status, slavery is a system of ownership and exploitation of individuals, and league is not a type of stratification system.

Question 7

__________ occurs when people experience a gain or loss in position and/or income that does not produce a change in their place in the class structure.

Accepted Answer

Horizontal mobility refers to a change in occupation or role that does not result in a change in the individual's social class or status. It involves moving within the same social level, rather than moving up or down the social hierarchy.

Question 8

__________ is/are anything valued in a society, ranging from money and property to medical care and education. It is considered to be scarce because of unequal distribution among social categories.

Accepted Answer

Resources are anything of value in a society, including money, property, medical care, and education. They are considered to be scarce because they are not evenly distributed among different social categories. Assets and wealth are similar concepts but refer more specifically to ownership and financial value, while capital typically refers to financial resources used for investment.

Question 9

One of the most important characteristics of systems of stratification is
Their degree of flexibility. In an open system of stratification, _______________.

Accepted Answer

In an open system of stratification, people's positions are influenced by achieved statuses, which means that social mobility is possible based on one's efforts, skills, and achievements. The boundaries between levels in the hierarchies of social stratification are not rigid, and people's positions are not determined by ascribed statuses alone.

Question 10

As practiced in the United States, which of the following was not a characteristic of slavery?

Accepted Answer

Slaves were not considered to be human beings as well as property. They were seen solely as property and were not treated as equal human beings.

Question 11

A university instructor is promoted to the position of professor. This results in her being granted tenure and she receives a small increase in salary. This person has experienced __________ mobility.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A university instructor is promoted to the...

Question 12

A __________ is a system of social inequality in which people's status is permanently determined at birth based on their parent's ascribed status. It is a closed system of stratification.

Accepted Answer

The caste system is a closed system of stratification in which one's social status is determined at birth based on their parent's ascribed status and is unlikely to change during their lifetime. This system is prevalent in certain cultures such as India, where people are divided into distinct social classes or castes based on heredity. The other options are not consistent with the description of a caste system.

Question 13

__________ mobility is the social movement experienced by family members from one generation to the next.

Accepted Answer

Intergenerational mobility refers to the social movement experienced by family members from one generation to the next, such as when children achieve a higher or lower socioeconomic status than their parents. Structural mobility refers to social mobility that's a result of changes in society's organization, while intragenerational mobility refers to changes in social position that happen within an individual's lifetime. Exchange mobility is a theoretical concept that assumes social classes remain relatively stable, with individuals moving up or down based on their own individual abilities and efforts.

Question 14

Systems of stratification are characterized by different hierarchical structures and varying degrees of mobility. Which of the following systems of stratification is not discussed in the text?

Accepted Answer

The system of stratification called "league" is not discussed in the text. The common systems of stratification discussed in sociology are slavery, caste, and class.

Question 15

__________ is an extreme form of stratification in which some people are owned by others. It is a closed system in which people are treated as property and have little or no control over their lives.

Accepted Answer

Slavery is the extreme form of stratification where people are considered property and have little control over their lives. It is a closed system where individuals are owned by others and treated as objects rather than human beings. Leagues, class, and caste do not necessarily involve ownership of people as property.

Question 16

One of the most important characteristics of systems of stratification is their degree of flexibility. In a closed system of stratification __________.

Accepted Answer

In a closed system of stratification, there is little or no social mobility. This means that people's positions are largely determined by their ascribed status, such as their race or social class at birth, with little opportunity for individuals to move up or down the hierarchy based on their achieved status or hard work. This lack of flexibility in the system perpetuates inequality and limits individual opportunities for success.

Question 17

__________ is the hierarchical arrangement of large social groups based on the control over basic resources.

Accepted Answer

Social stratification refers to the ranking of individuals or groups based on their access to or control over basic resources such as wealth, power, and prestige. It is a hierarchical arrangement of large social groups where some have greater access to resources and opportunities than others, leading to inequalities in society. Social distinction, individual distinctiveness, and social layering do not specifically refer to the hierarchical arrangement of social groups based on resource control.

Question 18

__________ mobility is the social movement of individuals within their own lifetime.

Accepted Answer

Intragenerational mobility refers to the social movement of individuals within their own lifetime, such as going from working-class to middle-class or vice versa. Intergenerational mobility refers to the social movement between generations, such as a child of working-class parents becoming middle-class. Structural mobility refers to changes in the structure of society that affect the opportunities available to individuals. Exchange mobility refers to a hypothetical situation where individuals within a society would trade places in terms of socioeconomic status.

Question 19

Until the 1990s, the white South Africans controlled the government, the police, and the military by enforcing __________ the term used in South Africa for "the separation of the races."

Accepted Answer

Apartheid was the term used in South Africa to describe the system of racial segregation that was enforced by the white South African government until the 1990s. This system gave the white minority control over the government, police, and military, and ensured that people of different races were kept separate in all aspects of life.

Question 20

In a __________, marriage is endogamous, meaning that people are allowed to marry only within their own group.

Accepted Answer

The caste system is a social hierarchy in which people are born into a specific caste or social group and are only allowed to marry within their own caste. This system is prevalent in certain parts of India and has been a source of social inequality and discrimination.

Quiz 7: Class and Stratification in the United States.