Question 1

According to Marx, the bourgeoisie

Accepted Answer

The bourgeoisie, according to Marx, were the class that owned the means of production and were distinct from the proletariat, who sold their labor.

Question 2

Max Weber used the term ______________ to refer to the ability to control the behavior of others, even against their will.

Accepted Answer

Max Weber used the term "power" to describe the ability to control the behavior of others, even against their will.

Question 3

Max Weber suggested that

Accepted Answer

Max Weber proposed a multidimensional approach to social stratification, considering class, status, and party as factors that determine one's position in the stratification system.

Question 4

According to Weber, which of the following determines one's place in the overall system of stratification in modern social life?

Accepted Answer

Weber's theory of social stratification is based on three dimensions: wealth (economic resources), power (ability to influence others), and prestige (social honor or respect). These elements together determine one's position in the social hierarchy.

Question 5

According to Weber, when you have the ability to impose your will on others even when faced with their resistance, you have

Accepted Answer

Weber defines power as the ability to impose one's will on others, even against their resistance.

Question 6

Read the following statements about stratification. Then, pick the summary statement below that most accurately describes the statements.
i. In every type of social stratification system, the people at the top tend to be considered "better"Than the people at the bottom.
ii. Legitimating rationales for social stratification reinforce the belief that inequality is fair and right. iii. In a caste system, one's rank is ascribed (and assigned at birth).
iv. A true open system of stratification is based on achieved, not ascribed rank.
v. According to Weber, if we are truly to understand social stratification, we must look beyond purely economic factors.
Summaries:

Accepted Answer

Each statement accurately reflects a concept related to social stratification, including perceptions of hierarchy, legitimating rationales, characteristics of caste and open systems, and Weber's perspective on stratification.

Question 7

According to Weber

Accepted Answer

Weber defined power as the ability to get one's way even in the face of opposition and authority as power that is perceived as legitimate by those subjected to it.

Question 8

Because it is the most stable source of social honor in modern Western society, most sociologists measure prestige in terms of

Accepted Answer

Occupation is often used as a measure of prestige because it reflects an individual's social status and is a stable indicator of social honor in modern Western society.

Question 9

Debbie grew up in a working class family. After high school, she got a job as a secretary in order to earn money to go to college. Ultimately, Debbie graduated with honors from college, attended graduate school and earned the Ph.D. She is now a professor at a major university. A sociologist would say Debbie has experienced

Accepted Answer

Debbie's journey from a working-class background to becoming a professor represents intergenerational mobility, which is the movement up or down the social hierarchy from one generation to the next.

Question 10

Chattel slavery is a system whereby

Accepted Answer

Chattel slavery is a system where individuals are treated as the personal property (chattel) of an owner and can be bought, sold, or inherited.

Question 11

Aunt Bertha recently died. In her will she specified that you are to receive all of her stuff-her home, Porsche, sailboat, and horse racing stables. You have just inherited Aunt Bertha's

Accepted Answer

Wealth refers to the total value of all assets owned, such as property, vehicles, and other valuable items, which is what Aunt Bertha left in her will.

Question 12

The assumption that people in different social classes have different patterns of values, beliefs, and norms, and that these make a difference in how easily people can succeed is related to __________Explanations of social stratification.

Accepted Answer

Cultural explanations of social stratification suggest that differences in values, beliefs, and norms across social classes affect individuals' ability to succeed.

Question 13

According to sociological research on tracking in schools, developing critical thinking skills and creativity would typically be expected of a ____________ student, but not a ___________ student.

Accepted Answer

High track students are often provided with more opportunities to develop critical thinking skills and creativity, while low track students may not receive the same level of encouragement or resources.

Question 14

Most of the social mobility that took place in the twentieth century was a result of

Accepted Answer

Social mobility in the twentieth century was largely driven by social factors like industrialization and technological advancements, which created new job opportunities and economic growth.

Question 15

In the United States, the wealthiest one percent of the people own what percent of the nation's wealth?

Accepted Answer

The wealthiest one percent of people in the United States own approximately 35% of the nation's wealth.

Question 16

Technically, changes in people's statuses that result from changes in the overall structure of society (owing to economic or technological change) are referred to as

Accepted Answer

Structural mobility refers to changes in people's social status due to shifts in the societal structure, such as economic or technological changes, rather than individual efforts or achievements.

Question 17

Many United States industries have moved "offshore"-to other countries where wages and taxes are lower. As a result, many US workers have lost well-paying factory jobs and have had to make do with lower paying jobs in the retail and service sectors of society. For example, steel workers have taken jobs at Burger King. Sociologists refer to this as

Accepted Answer

Structural mobility refers to changes in the economy that lead to shifts in the job market, causing workers to move from one type of job to another, often with different pay and status, due to factors like industries moving offshore.

Question 18

The "Matthew effect" refers to the tendency of

Accepted Answer

The "Matthew effect" describes the phenomenon where individuals who already possess wealth, prestige, or power tend to accumulate more, often at the expense of those with less. This concept is derived from a biblical passage in the Gospel of Matthew.

Question 19

Economist Lester Thurow once explained that "Once wealth is accumulated, opportunities to make more money multiple, since accumulated wealth tends of lead to income-earning opportunities that are not open to those without wealth." Sociologists refer to this phenomenon as

Accepted Answer

The Matthew effect refers to the phenomenon where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, as wealth leads to more opportunities for income generation, aligning with Thurow's explanation.

Question 20

Many high schools have different tracks (e.g., vocational, college-prep, and so on.). Which of the following statements about tracks is supported by research?

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that tracking is often influenced by social class, race, and ethnicity, and students in different tracks are treated differently, contradicting the statements in A, B, C, and D.

Quiz 8: Stratification and Inequality, Inequality and Achievement: Social Class, and Inequality and Ascription: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender