Question 1

__________ 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 refers to the total value of a person's or family's economic assets, including income, personal property, and income-producing property. Power refers to the ability to influence others and make decisions. Prestige refers to a societal ranking based on respect and admiration. Class refers to a grouping of people based on their economic and social status.

Question 2

Marx used the term __________ for those who own the means of production-the land and capital necessary for factories and mines.

Accepted Answer

Marx used the term bourgeoisie for those who own the means of production - the land and capital necessary for factories and mines.

Question 3

Whereas Marx defined class in purely economic terms, Max Weber developed a multidimensional approach to social stratification that reflects the interplay among wealth, prestige, and __________.

Accepted Answer

Max Weber developed a multidimensional approach to social stratification that reflects the interplay among wealth, prestige, and power. This approach recognizes that individuals or groups can have different levels of power and influence in society, irrespective of their economic status or occupation.

Question 4

Marx described workers as alienated for a variety of reasons, including that __________.

Accepted Answer

According to Marx, workers are alienated from the goods they produce because they use their creativity and labor to produce them but do not own them. This means that they do not have control over the fruits of their labor, and they do not see the direct benefits of their work. They are also alienated from the process of production, which is controlled by the capitalist class. This leads to a sense of powerlessness and disconnection from their work.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

Both Karl Marx and Max Weber emphasized the role of class in determining social inequality and social change. Marx focused on the economic aspects and the conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, while Weber expanded on this by discussing class, status, and party as distinct but interrelated components of social stratification.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

Vertical mobility refers to movements up or down the class structure, whereas lateral mobility refers to movement within the same class, situational mobility refers to temporary changes in status, and horizontal mobility refers to movement between similar occupations.

Question 7

Weber used the term __________ for the category of wealthy individuals who live off their investments and do not have to work.

Accepted Answer

Weber used the term "rentiers" for the category of wealthy individuals who live off their investments and do not have to work. Entrepreneurs are individuals who start or manage their own business ventures, independents refer to individuals who are not aligned to any political party, and consumers are individuals who buy goods and services for their own personal use.

Question 8

Marx used the term __________ to refer to those who must sell their labor to the owners in order to earn enough money to survive.

Accepted Answer

Marx used the term "proletariat" to refer to the working class individuals who were forced to sell their labor to the bourgeoisie in order to earn enough money to survive. The bourgeoisie, on the other hand, were the owner class who owned and controlled the means of production.

Question 9

According to 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 Marx, the superstructure consists of the institutions and culture that support and legitimize the capitalist class's control over the means of production. These institutions include the government, schools, churches, and media, among others.

Question 10

Workers have not overthrown capitalism as Marx had predicted because __________.

Accepted Answer

Many workers have experienced a rising standard of living, which has reduced the impetus for revolutionary change as predicted by Marx.

Question 11

Marx used the term __________ for the feeling of powerlessness and estrangement from other people and from oneself that he suggested resulted from continually being exploited.

Accepted Answer

Marx used the term "alienation" to describe the feeling of powerlessness and estrangement that individuals experience as a result of being exploited by the capitalist system. This includes a sense of disconnection from others and even from oneself, as individuals become mere cogs in the machinery of production, working for the benefit of others without experiencing any sense of fulfillment or satisfaction from their labor.

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Sociologist Max Weber placed categories of people...

Question 13

Whereas Marx defined class in purely economic terms, sociologist __________ developed a multidimensional approach to social stratification that reflects the interplay among wealth, prestige, and power.

Accepted Answer

Max Weber developed a multidimensional approach to social stratification that took into account economic, social, and political factors. He believed that wealth, prestige, and power were all important in determining a person's social class. This approach is in contrast to Marx's purely economic definition of class based on one's relationship to the means of production.

Question 14

A factory worker is promoted to the position of foreman in the factory. She receives a small increase in pay. This person has experienced __________ mobility.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A factory worker is promoted to the...

Question 15

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 resorted to asking passersby at a local shopping area for money. Becky's story illustrates the concept of __________.

Accepted Answer

Becky's story illustrates vertical mobility, which refers to a change in a person's social status, either upward or downward. In this case, Becky experienced downward mobility, moving from a stable family background to a more precarious situation.

Question 16

__________ 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 17

Marx predicted that when workers realized that capitalists were the source of their oppression, they would overthrow the capitalists and take over the government, creating a(n) __________ society.

Accepted Answer

Marx predicted the creation of an egalitarian society in which all individuals had equal rights and opportunities, as opposed to the current stratified class society in which a small group of capitalists holds power over the working class. This would occur after the workers overthrew the capitalists and took control of the government.

Question 18

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. Marx believed that this resulted in a feeling of powerlessness and estrangement that he called __________.

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx believed that exploitation of workers by capitalists resulted in a feeling of powerlessness and estrangement, which he called alienation. Anomie refers to a sense of normlessness or moral confusion in a society. Stratification refers to the unequal distribution of resources and opportunities in a society. Verstehen is a term used in sociology to refer to understanding the subjective experiences of individuals.

Question 19

Marx's theory had important insights into capitalist societies; for example,________________.

Accepted Answer

Marx's theory emphasized the importance of economic factors in shaping and maintaining class systems. He argued that class divisions were ultimately rooted in the ownership of the means of production, and that the interests of different classes were fundamentally opposed to each other.

Question 20

Weber defined social class using ___________ as a major contributor.

Accepted Answer

Weber defined social class primarily in terms of power, with an emphasis on economic power and ownership of property. He believed that social class was determined not only by material factors but also by individual's access to social and political resources. Religion, ethnicity and race may sometimes be contributing factors to social class, but they were not Weber's primary focus.

Quiz 7: Class and Stratification in the United States