Deck 8: Social Stratification: United States and Global

Question 1

Living in a wealthy country generally means people enjoy income equality.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

In which of the following stratification systems are people bought and sold as commodities?

A) Open stratification system
B) Patriarchal system
C) Slavery system
D) Caste system
E) Class system

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following statements is true of caste system?

A) Social positions are based on individual achievement.
B) People have mobility in their social standing.
C) People are bought and sold as commodities.
D) People have total control over their lives.
E) Social positions are ascribed at birth.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

When social mobility occurs, most moves are long because social classes are very flexible.

Question 5

_____ is a society's ranking of people based on their access to valued resources such as wealth, power, and prestige.

A) Social evolution
B) Social mobility
C) Social stratification
D) Social exchange
E) Social networking

Question 6

In a slavery system, people's positions are based on both birth and achievement.

Question 7

In rich countries, gender inequality doesn't result in discrimination in the economy, politics, and access to medical services.

Question 8

Most lower-middle-class people use credit cards to pay off bills each month but then can barely pay the monthly minimum.

Question 9

Identify the social stratification system in which a person's ability to change social positions is influenced by his or her achievements.

A) Open stratification system
B) Closed stratification system
C) Slavery system
D) Matriarchal system
E) Patriarchal system

Question 10

Wealth is the money a person receives, usually through wages or salaries.

Question 11

According to Melvin Tumin, there is little association between earnings and the jobs that keep a society going.

Question 12

The proletariat are those who own and control capital and the means of production and can amass wealth and power.

Question 13

According to Herbert Gans, poverty exists and persists because its outcomes are beneficial to many people.

Question 14

In a closed stratification system, movement from one social position to another is limited by ascribed statuses.

Question 15

The lower-upper class shape the economic and political climate through a variety of mechanisms.

Question 16

From the time Mira was a child, she was told that she was to interact only with people from the same social standing as herself.And when she was older, she was married off to a family that was similar to hers in race and family background.Which of the following systems of social stratification does this scenario illustrate?

A) Ostracism
B) Petalism
C) Slavery system
D) Caste system
E) Class system

Question 17

Poor children are as healthy as those at higher socioeconomic status levels and are likely to be just as healthy in adulthood.

Question 18

As per world-system theory, the poverty of poor countries is an obstacle to the growth of rich countries.

Question 19

Since ascribed characteristics can change, people in open stratification systems can move from one social class to another.

Question 20

Socioeconomic status (SES) is an overall ranking of a person's position in society based on income, education, and occupation.

Question 21

Which of the following statements is true of upper-upper-class people?

A) They have less autonomy and freedom from supervision.
B) They have worked for their wealth rather than inherited it.
C) They live on earned income rather than accumulated wealth.
D) They are the old rich who have been wealthy for generations.
E) They have severe restrictions in choice of occupation.

Question 22

_____ refers to the extent to which people have positive experiences and can secure the good things in life because they have economic resources.

A) Life chances
B) Social mobility
C) Meritocracy
D) Ethics of belief
E) Cultural lag

Question 23

Connor White is the grandson of one of the country's wealthiest businessmen.The White family has been wealthy for generations and Connor stands to inherit the family wealth, in addition to running the family business.Which of the following terms can be used to describe the status of the White family?

A) Proletariat
B) Underclass
C) Nouveau riche
D) Lower-upper class
E) Upper-upper class

Question 24

Which of the following statements is true of the jobs held by the working class of America?

A) Their jobs have considerable on-the-job autonomy and freedom.
B) They are mostly dependent on income from government programs.
C) They work in minimum wage jobs, or are often unemployed.
D) Their jobs require little training and are closely supervised.
E) Their jobs consist of nonmanual occupations that require some training beyond high school.

Question 25

Which of the following most accurately describes those individuals who are classified as working poor?

A) They are chronically unemployed or drift in and out of jobs.
B) They are people who work at least 27 weeks a year but whose wages fall below the official poverty level.
C) They are people who are persistently poor and seldom employed, residentially segregated, and relatively isolated from the rest of the population with an annual income of USD 12,000 or lesser.
D) They are composed of people in nonmanual occupations that require some training beyond high school.
E) They consist of skilled and semiskilled laborers, including construction workers, assembly-line workers, truck drivers, auto mechanics, and skilled craft workers.

Question 26

Which of the following is a reason why the poverty level amongst older Americans is comparatively lower than other age groups?

A) Older Americans have had better life chances than most.
B) Divorce rates are higher among older Americans.
C) The economy has remained stable in the recent past.
D) Government programs have generally kept up with the rate of inflation.
E) There has been an increase in high-paying jobs for the aged.

Question 27

_____ is defined as not having enough money to maintain an average standard of living.

A) Absolute poverty
B) Relative poverty
C) Mercantilism
D) Neorealism
E) Meritocracy

Question 28

The minimal income level that the federal government considers necessary for basic subsistence is called _____.

A) the income deficit
B) prestige
C) wealth
D) meritocracy
E) the poverty line

Question 29

_____ is an overall ranking of a person's position in society based on income, education, and occupation.

A) Socioeconomic status
B) Power
C) Intragenerational mobility
D) Social mobility
E) Prestige

Question 30

Identify a true statement about individuals in the upper-middle class.

A) They value their privacy and rarely appear on the lists of wealthiest individuals published by Forbes.
B) They live on earned income rather than accumulated or inherited wealth.
C) They have less autonomy and freedom from supervision in their occupations.
D) They are occupied in nonmanual occupations that require some training beyond high school.
E) They engage in lifestyles and rituals that parallel those of the upper-upper class.

Question 31

Identify the social stratification system in which people's positions are based on both birth and achievement.

A) Ostracism
B) Petalism
C) Slavery system
D) Caste system
E) Class system

Question 32

Identify a way in which wealth differs from income.

A) Wealth includes rents, royalties, and business proceeds, whereas income includes property, stocks and bonds, and personal possessions.
B) Wealth is a result of formal education, whereas income is a result of ascribed status.
C) Wealth is influenced by fluctuations of the economy, whereas income remains stable.
D) Wealth increases over time, whereas income is spent on everyday expenses.
E) Wealth is a result of status consistency, whereas income is based on status inconsistency.

Question 33

How does the upper-upper class differ from the lower-upper class?

A) Unlike upper-upper class, those in the lower-upper class have been wealthy for generations.
B) Unlike upper-upper class, those in the lower-upper class have little chance for advancement.
C) Unlike upper-upper class, those in the lower-upper class have worked for their income rather than inherited it.
D) Unlike upper-upper class, those in the lower-upper class shape the economic and political climate through a variety of mechanisms.
E) Unlike upper-upper class, those in the lower-upper class have less autonomy and freedom from supervision.

Question 34

Which of the following terms refers to respect, recognition, or regard attached to social positions?

A) Mobility
B) Wealth
C) Income
D) Prestige
E) Power

Question 35

Which of the following is true of people who experience status consistency?

A) They have severe restrictions in choice of occupation.
B) Their social mobility is influenced by inheritance.
C) Their positions are ascribed at birth.
D) They are equal in terms of wealth, prestige, and power.
E) Their positions are based on both birth and achievement.

Question 36

Tom drifts in and out of most jobs.Owing to his lack of education and skill, it is often very difficult for him to find a stable job with a steady income.Despite having some earning, he depends on various government programs to make ends meet.Which of the following terms can be used to describe Tom's social status?

A) Bourgeoisie
B) Lower-middle class
C) Working poor
D) Underclass
E) Working class

Question 37

How do the members of the upper-middle class differ from those in the lower-middle class?

A) Unlike upper-middle class, those in the lower-middle class have less autonomy and freedom from supervision in their jobs.
B) Unlike upper-middle class, those in the lower-middle live on earned income rather than accumulated or inherited wealth.
C) Unlike upper-middle class, those in the lower-middle class don't require a college education for their jobs.
D) Unlike upper-middle-class, those in the lower-middle class are relatively isolated from the rest of the population.
E) Unlike upper-middle-class, those in the lower-middle class work in minimum wage jobs, or are often unemployed.

Question 38

Which of the following most accurately defines absolute poverty?

A) It is the worldwide inequality patterns that result from differences in wealth, power, and prestige.
B) It is not having enough money to afford the basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, and shelter.
C) It is not having enough money to maintain an average standard of living.
D) It refers to the movement up or down the class hierarchy over one's lifetime.
E) It refers to the situation where people own others as property and have almost total control over their lives.

Question 39

_____ is the abundance of economic assets that a person or family owns.

A) Mobility
B) Wealth
C) Reputation
D) Prestige
E) Power

Question 40

Which of the following is a characteristic of prestigious occupations?

A) They usually require carrying out very specific tasks.
B) They require more formal education and extensive training.
C) They are a result of one's inherited characteristic.
D) They are primarily manual.
E) They require more supervision.

Question 41

Which of the following is true of the Davis-Moore thesis?

A) It asserts that social stratification benefits society.
B) It emphasizes the role of inheritance in social stratification.
C) It states that stratification limits upward mobility.
D) It criticizes the role of meritocracy in social stratification.
E) It states that ethnic income and wealth gaps persist across all social classes.

Question 42

Andrew believes that social stratification is based on people's accomplishments.According to him, if people are rewarded for what they do and how well, rather than their ascribed status, they will be motivated to do better.Which of the following theories supports Andrew's beliefs?

A) Symbolic interaction theory
B) Feminist theory
C) Modernization theory
D) World-system theory
E) Davis-Moore thesis

Question 43

Which of the following scenarios would illustrate corporate welfare?

A) Phillip using Medicare to meet his medical expenses
B) Madeline using her employee discount to buy school supplies from a book store
C) Castell Corp.facing healthy competition from other corporations in the same industry
D) Pastel Inc.paying a reduced tax percentage on its annual earnings
E) Hannah receiving food stamps to pay for her monthly groceries

Question 44

With reference to social stratification, which of the following is a limitation of the conflict theorists' perspective?

A) They believe that the rich are more hardworking.
B) They exaggerate the existence and effects of economic inequality.
C) They believe that social stratification benefits society.
D) They ignore structural factors that cause inequalities.
E) They ignore the critical influence of inheritance.

Question 45

Daniel King's family owns a few banks and factories in their hometown.Their control over capital and the means of production of most goods has resulted in the family acquiring great wealth and power.Which of the following terms can be used to describe the King family?

A) Nouveau riche
B) Symbolic interactionists
C) Underclass
D) Proletariat
E) Bourgeoisie

Question 46

_____ consists of an array of subsidies, tax breaks, and assistance that the government has created for businesses.

A) Kleptocracy
B) Social mobility
C) Meritocracy
D) Corporate welfare
E) Social security

Question 47

Identify an accurate statement about intergenerational mobility.

A) It provides little chance for advancement.
B) It refers to the passing down of wealth from the older generations to the younger generations.
C) It is the difference between the wealth, prestige, and power of the older generations as compared with that of the younger generations.
D) It is movement up or down the class hierarchy relative to the position of one's parents.
E) It is movement up or down the class hierarchy over one's lifetime.

Question 48

Identify a criticism by Melvin Tumin on the Davis-Moore thesis.

A) A system of unequal rewards motivates people to contribute to society.
B) Social stratification is based on meritocracy.
C) There's little association between earnings and the jobs that keep a society going.
D) Some positions are more crucial than others for a society's survival.
E) People won't undergo many years of education or training unless they are rewarded by money.

Question 49

_____ is movement up or down the class hierarchy over one's lifetime.

A) Intergenerational mobility
B) Globalization
C) Global stratification
D) Meritocracy
E) Intragenerational mobility

Question 50

James argues about the disparities in wealth among different countries.He thinks that high-income countries benefit because the poor countries provide cheap labor and are subjected to exploitation from the rich nations as they are not powerful enough to protest.Which of the following theories supports James's opinion?

A) Symbolic interaction theory
B) Feminist theory
C) Modernization theory
D) Dependency theory
E) Functionalist theory

Question 51

According to conservative economists, the increasing income and wealth gaps and low wages have:

A) made the United States less productive.
B) increased the dependency of the United States on poor nations.
C) increased the consumer spending base.
D) encouraged many people to enter and stay in the labor force.
E) boosted national solidarity.

Question 52

Identify a similarity between conflict theorists' and Melvin Tumin's opinion of the Davis-Moore thesis.

A) They both believe that economic struggle can be attributed to technology and globalization.
B) They both maintain that social stratification is dysfunctional because it hurts individuals and societies.
C) They both believe that government policies favor only the rich.
D) They both maintain that the proletariat would overthrow the bourgeoisie.
E) They both believe inequality is necessary to motivate people to work hard and to succeed.

Question 53

Which of the following statements is true of the modernization theory?

A) It states that wealth gaps persist across all social classes.
B) It emphasizes the role of inheritance in social mobility.
C) It ignores a wealth of talent among the poor.
D) It states that low-income countries are poor because of exploitation by high-income countries.
E) It blames poor nations for their poverty and other problems.

Question 54

Which of the following is a belief of feminist theorists?

A) Meritocracy is nonexistent, and women are given greater preference over men to enter higher-paying occupations.
B) In a patriarchal system, women shape the stratification system.
C) Women have greater political power in industrialized countries.
D) Women have to juggle domestic and workplace responsibilities.
E) It is easier for women to access resources in developing nations.

Question 55

Which of the following terms is used to describe those individuals who own and control capital and the means of production?

A) Nouveau riche
B) Symbolic interactionists
C) Underclass
D) Proletariat
E) Bourgeoisie

Question 56

Identify the way in which immigration affects social mobility.

A) It restricts intragenerational mobility.
B) It fuels upward mobility.
C) It increases the chances of people falling into poverty.
D) It promotes greater equality.
E) It leads to increases in unemployment among groups that are already in a country.

Question 57

Sarah comes from a lower-middle class family.Her parents were teachers and relied on both their incomes to run their household.Sarah got into medical school on a scholarship and is now a doctor at a well-reputed hospital.Sarah's upward movement to the upper-middle class is an example of _____.

A) intergenerational mobility
B) wealth and income inequality
C) global stratification
D) intragenerational mobility
E) life chances

Question 58

According to sociologist Herbert Gans, poverty is functional because:

A) the poor rely on food banks, soup kitchens, and clothing thrift stores to survive.
B) the poor absorb the costs of societal change and community growth.
C) the poor are relatively isolated from the rest of the population.
D) the poor are chronically unemployed or drift in and out of jobs.
E) the poor are less healthy than those at higher SES levels.

Question 59

Stephen is a professor at a university.He tells his students that rich countries continue to stay rich because the rich control the economies of poor countries.He also states that they exploit the poor countries because their workers depend on external markets for jobs, and set prices for agricultural products exported by them, regardless of market values.Which of the following theories is Professor Stephen describing to his students?

A) Symbolic interaction theory
B) Feminist theory
C) Modernization theory
D) World-system theory
E) Functionalist theory

Question 60

Which of the following most accurately describes feminization of poverty?

A) It refers to the phenomenon of more women in the society having the ability to influence or control the behavior of others despite opposition.
B) It refers to the disproportionate number of the poor who are women.
C) It refers to the movement of women up or down the social class hierarchy.
D) It refers to the extent to which women have positive experiences and can secure the good things in life because they have economic resources.
E) It refers to the practice of employers hiring more women to do demeaning work for wages lesser than that of their male counterparts.

Question 61

Critically evaluate the feminist perspective on social stratification.

Question 62

Define socioeconomic status.Briefly describe the characteristics of the upper class and the middle class of America.

Question 63

Discuss the symbolic interactionists' perspective on social stratification.

Question 64

Identify the common characteristics of America's poor and briefly describe each of them.

Question 65

List two characteristics of prestigious occupations.Support your answer with examples.

Question 66

Describe the structural factors that affect social mobility.

Question 67

Explain how demographic factors affect social mobility.

Question 68

Which of the following is a criticism of the feminist theory?

A) It does not explain why so many women succeed despite patriarchal barriers.
B) It exaggerates the existence and effects of economic inequality.
C) It ignores the efforts of government programs.
D) It exaggerates the effects of structural factors on social mobility.
E) It ignores the effects of corporate welfare on working women in rich countries.

Question 69

Based on the conflict theory, explain how capitalism benefits only the rich.

Question 70

Alicia believes that men shape the social stratification system and control a disproportionate share of wealth, prestige, and power.As a result, women are largely invisible.Which of the following theories would support Alicia's opinion?

A) Symbolic interaction theory
B) Feminist theory
C) Modernization theory
D) World-system theory
E) Davis-Moore thesis

Question 71

_____ focus on how people reproduce social classes.

A) Feminists
B) Functionalists
C) Symbolic interactionists
D) Conflict theorists
E) Capitalists

Question 72

Discuss the Davis-Moore thesis.How did Melvin Tumin challenge the Davis-Moore thesis?

Question 73

How does wealth differ from income?

Question 74

Briefly describe the features of the working class of America.

Question 75

Explain why inequality is universal according to the modernization theory and dependency theory.

Question 76

What is social mobility? How does intragenerational mobility differ from intergenerational mobility?

Question 77

Justin went to art school and is now a successful artist.He attributes his career choice to his home environment.Both his parents had long successful careers in similar fields that shaped and influenced his decision.Which of the following theorists would support Justin's belief?

A) Feminists
B) Marxists
C) Symbolic interactionists
D) Conflict theorists
E) Capitalists

Question 78

Which of the following is a limitation of the symbolic interaction theory?

A) Symbolic interactionists ignore the efforts of government programs.
B) Symbolic interactionists believe that the rich are more hardworking.
C) Symbolic interactionists exaggerate the existence and effects of economic inequality.
D) Symbolic interactionists do not explain why so many women succeed despite patriarchal barriers.
E) Symbolic interactionists ignore structural factors that create and reinforce inequality.

Question 79

Briefly explain the world-system theory.

Question 80

What is the poverty line? How does the government determine the poverty line?