Question 1

According to sociologist Karl Marx, the capitalist class maintains its position at the top of the class structure by control of the society's __________, which is composed of the government, schools, churches, and other social institutions.

Accepted Answer

According to Karl Marx, the superstructure, which is composed of the government, schools, churches, and other social institutions, is controlled by the capitalist class to maintain their position at the top of the class structure. The substructure refers to the economic base of society, including the means of production and labor relations. Ecostructure and infrastructure are not terms typically used in Marxist theory.

Question 2

According to sociologist Karl Marx, the __________ (working class) consists of those who must sell their labor to the owners in order to earn enough money to survive.

Accepted Answer

The term used by Karl Marx to describe the working class is the proletariat. The bourgeoisie refers to the owners or capitalists who control the means of production, while rentiers are those who earn income from owning property or assets. Entrepreneurs generally refer to individuals who start and operate their own businesses.

Question 3

Sociologists often use the term __________ to refer to a combined measure that attempts to classify individuals, families, or households in terms of factors such as income, occupation, and education to determine class location.

Accepted Answer

The term that sociologists use to refer to a combined measure that attempts to classify individuals, families, or households in terms of factors such as income, occupation, and education is socioeconomic status (SES). This measure helps to determine an individual or group's position in society and can be used to study differences in opportunity and access to resources based on class location. Power status (A) refers to an individual's ability to control and influence others, usually through political or economic means. Prestige status (C) refers to the level of respect and admiration that an individual or group holds in society, often based on occupation or social status rather than income or wealth. Wealth status (D) refers specifically to an individual or group's accumulated financial assets and resources. While all of these factors may be related to a person's overall social class, SES is the most common measure used by sociologists to explore class dynamics.

Question 4

Sociologist Max Weber suggested that a person who has a high level of prestige is assumed to receive deferential and respectful treatment from others. Which of the following aspects related to prestige was not identified by Weber?

Accepted Answer

Weber did not specifically identify that individuals with high prestige tend to marry outside their own group of social equals. However, he did identify that individuals with high prestige tend to socialize with one another, spend their leisure time together, and safeguard their status by restricting outsiders' opportunities to join their ranks.

Question 5

According to sociologist Karl Marx, when the workers realized that capitalists were the source of their oppression, they would overthrow the capitalists and their agents of social control, leading to the end of capitalism. The workers would then take over the government and create a(n) __________ society.

Accepted Answer

Marx believed that the overthrow of capitalists would lead to a classless and egalitarian society, where there would be no social stratification or caste system. Therefore, the best choice is C, egalitarian.

Question 6

According to sociologist Max Weber's system of stratification, __________ is the ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite opposition from others.

Accepted Answer

According to Max Weber's system of stratification, power refers to the ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite opposition from others. Wealth, status, and prestige are also important components of Weber's system, but do not specifically refer to the ability to overcome opposition.

Question 7

According to sociologist Karl Marx, the __________ (capitalist class) consists of those who own the means of production-the land and capital necessary for factories and mines.

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx believed that the bourgeoisie, or capitalist class, owned the means of production and exploited the working class, or proletariat, for their labor. Entrepreneurs may or may not belong to the bourgeoisie depending on their ownership of the means of production. Rentiers, or those who live off of investment or ownership of property, may also be part of the bourgeoisie but this is not always the case.

Question 8

Sociologist Max Weber placed categories of people who have a similar level of wealth and income in the same class. He identified a privileged commercial class of __________ -wealthy bankers, ship owners, professionals, and merchants who possess similar financial resources.

Accepted Answer

Max Weber identified a privileged commercial class composed of wealthy entrepreneurs such as bankers, ship owners, professionals, and merchants who possess similar financial resources. Therefore, the best choice is A) entrepreneurs.

Question 9

Sociologist Max Weber placed categories of people who have a similar level of wealth and income in the same class. He identified a class of __________-wealthy individuals who live off their investments and do not have to work.

Accepted Answer

Max Weber identified a class of "rentiers" who are wealthy individuals who live off their investments and do not have to work. Entrepreneurs are individuals who start and run their own businesses, independents do not fit any particular category and consumers are individuals who buy goods and services for personal use.

Question 10

__________ occurs when people experience movement either up or down the class structure.

Accepted Answer

Vertical mobility refers to the movement of individuals or groups up or down the class structure, such as from a lower income bracket to a higher income bracket or vice versa. Structural mobility refers to the changing opportunities available in the job market which can lead to changes in social class over time. Situational mobility refers to temporary changes in social class due to specific circumstances, such as inheriting money, winning the lottery, or experiencing a job loss. Horizontal mobility refers to movement within the same social class, such as changing jobs without significant change in income or prestige.

Question 11

Based on sociologist Max Weber's system of stratification, __________ is the respect or regard with which a person or status position is regarded by others. It includes fame, respect, honor, and esteem.

Accepted Answer

According to Max Weber, prestige is the social honor or respect that a person or status position receives from others. It includes factors such as fame, respect, honor, and esteem. While wealth and power are also important dimensions of social stratification, they do not necessarily involve social honor or respect from others. Status refers to a person's social position or rank within a society.

Question 12

Sociologist Max Weber divided those who work for wages into two classes. The __________ class consists of skilled, semiskilled, and unskilled workers.

Accepted Answer

Max Weber referred to the working class as those who work for wages and are divided into skilled, semiskilled, and unskilled workers. The middle class and divisional class are not directly mentioned in this context, while the tertiary class refers to a service-based economic sector rather than a social class.

Question 13

According to sociologist Ralf Dahrendorf, which of the following is not a reason why workers have not overthrown capitalism as sociologist Karl Marx had predicted?

Accepted Answer

Dahrendorf argued that the reasons workers have not overthrown capitalism include improvements in living standards, legal protections, and consumerism, not the continued individual ownership of production means.

Question 14

According to sociologist Karl Marx, continual exploitation results in workers' __________-a feeling of powerlessness and estrangement from other people and from oneself. It develops as workers manufacture goods that embody their creative talents, but the goods do not belong to them.

Accepted Answer

According to Karl Marx, the constant exploitation of workers leads to alienation, which is the feeling of powerlessness and estrangement from oneself and others. This occurs as workers use their creative talents to manufacture goods that they do not own.

Question 15

Sociologist Karl Marx believed that the workers are exploited as capitalists maximize their profit by paying the workers less than the resale values of what they produce but do not own. Marx believed that a deep level of antagonism exists between capitalists and workers because of extreme differences in the __________ of the people in these two classes.

Accepted Answer

Marx believed that the main source of conflict between capitalists and workers was related to material interests, specifically the appropriation of surplus value generated by workers but owned by capitalists. He argued that this structural exploitation would ultimately lead to class struggle and the overthrow of the bourgeoisie by the proletariat.

Question 16

Becky's mother is an architect and her father is a college professor. Becky left home at age 16 to live with her boyfriend. When their relationship ended, Becky no longer communicated with her parents and did not return to high school. After working briefly at a fast?food restaurant, Becky started panhandling (asking for money from passersby) at a shopping area located adjacent to a large university. Becky's situation is an example of __________ mobility.

Accepted Answer

Becky's situation is an example of vertical mobility because she experienced a downward shift in her social status and economic position, moving from a stable family environment to a more precarious lifestyle.

Question 17

Sociologist __________ developed a multidimensional approach to social stratification that reflects the interplay among wealth, prestige, and power.

Accepted Answer

Max Weber developed the multidimensional approach to social stratification that includes wealth, prestige, and power as key factors. Weber believed that these dimensions interact and influence each other to shape an individual's social standing and opportunities in society.

Question 18

Both sociologists Karl Marx and Max Weber identified ___________ as an important determinant of social inequality and social change.

Accepted Answer

Both Marx and Weber emphasized the role of social class in shaping social inequality and social change. Marx argued that class conflict between the bourgeoisie (owners of the means of production) and the proletariat (workers who sell their labor) drives historical change, while Weber identified class as one of the three dimensions of social stratification, along with status and power. Both theorists believed that economic and material conditions play a crucial role in shaping social life. While religion, gender, and race are also important determinants of social inequality, Marx and Weber focused primarily on class.

Question 19

Sociologist Max Weber divided those who work for wages into two classes. The __________ consists of white-collar workers, public officials, managers, and professionals.

Accepted Answer

Max Weber referred to this group as the "middle class." The other options are not accurate descriptions of this group. The working class typically consists of manual laborers, the divisional class is not a commonly used term, and the tertiary class refers to the service sector of the economy.

Question 20

__________ is the value of all of a person's or family's economic assets, including income, personal property, and income-producing property.

Accepted Answer

Wealth is the value of all economic assets, including income, personal property, and income-producing property. Power refers to the ability to influence others, Prestige is a person's reputation or status, and Class is a social ranking based on income, occupation, and education.

Quiz 7: Class and Stratification in the United States.