Deck 11: Equality and Inequality

Question 1

Societies in which all members have equal access to valued resources, including land, social prestige, wealth, and power are referred to as __________.

A) democracies
B) advanced societies
C) egalitarian societies
D) ranked societies

Answer 1

egalitarian societies

Question 2

Which of the following societies would you most expect to be egalitarian?

A) the Maasai, a pastoralist society in East Africa
B) the Igbo, a horticulturalist society in West Africa
C) the Mbuti, a foraging society in Central Africa
D) industrialized societies in large cities such as Lagos or Nairobi

Answer 2

the Mbuti, a foraging society in Central Africa

Question 3

In Samoan society, the heads of extended families are called "matai" and are __________.

A) men
B) women
C) daughters
D) holymen

Answer 3

men

Question 4

The social resource reflected in others' good opinions, respect, and willingness to be influenced.

A) power
B) achieved status
C) ascribed status
D) prestige

Question 5

__________ is a social position attained by a person's own efforts and skills.

A) Prestige
B) Achieved status
C) Ascribed status
D) Wealth

Question 6

What is the term for a social position that a person is born into?

A) power
B) prestige
C) ascribed status
D) achieved status

Question 7

__________ are societies in which people have differential access to valued resources, including land and property, social prestige, wealth, and political power.

A) Ranked societies
B) Egalitarian societies
C) Socialist societies
D) Stratified societies

Question 8

Egalitarian societies show differences in prestige among individual members based on factors such as __________.

A) wealth
B) age
C) kin group
D) ascribed status

Question 9

The term __________ means the possession of economic resources, whether in land, goods, or money.

A) power
B) ascribed status
C) wealth
D) prestige

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of ascribed status?

A) caste
B) education
C) neighborhood you live in
D) career

Question 11

Which of the following statements is false regarding Samoan society?

A) Samoan society is based on egalitarian ethics.
B) Only women may become the heads of extended families.
C) The Samoans are an example of a ranked society.
D) Samoan society is organized in part around kinship groups.

Question 12

__________ is the ability to exert control over the actions of other people and make decisions that affect them.

A) Achieved status
B) Power
C) Wealth
D) Status

Question 13

__________ is/are a feature of many ranked societies.

A) Capitalism
B) Egalitarian gender relationships
C) Primogeniture
D) Foraging subsistence

Question 14

A/An __________ status is one that is given to a person by others at birth rather than one that is earned or necessarily desired.

A) class
B) ascribed
C) low
D) legal

Question 15

In ranked societies the benefits of high rank tend to be __________.

A) material
B) spiritual
C) social
D) insubstantial

Question 16

The new matai's first obligation is to __________.

A) marry
B) settle a dispute
C) cultivate a field
D) provide a feast for the community

Question 17

The Samoan association called "aualuma" can be joined by __________.

A) matai
B) young boys
C) unmarried women
D) mothers

Question 18

Samoan social and political life is organized around a system of social stratification called __________.

A) achieved status
B) egalitarian
C) equality
D) rank

Question 19

Societies in which people or kinship groups are ordered in a continuum in relation to each other are called __________.

A) ranked societies
B) egalitarian societies
C) hierarchies
D) complex societies

Question 20

Ranked societies __________.

A) tend to have rankings that are highly stable over time
B) tend to be very dynamic with ranks rising and falling over time
C) are very similar to caste systems
D) are represented by such nations as Norway and Japan

Question 21

__________ are the members of a social group in a stratified society who have privileges denied to the majority of the population.

A) Royalty
B) Nobility
C) Elites
D) Leisure classes

Question 22

One problem with functionalist explanations of social stratification is that __________.

A) they assume social stratification will disappear over time, but it does not
B) they rely too much on social conflict
C) they cannot account for situations in which those who reap greatest benefit are not the most competent members of society
D) they ignore the role of women

Question 23

Caste membership may be indicated by all of the following EXCEPT __________.

A) physical separations between castes
B) clothing
C) occupation
D) biology

Question 24

Many thousands of untouchables have converted to __________ as a protest against their treatment under the caste system.

A) Hinduism
B) Islam
C) Christianity
D) Buddhism

Question 25

The Indian caste system is not necessarily economic; for example, __________ may be poor.

A) untouchables
B) Kshatriyas
C) Brahmins
D) Shudras

Question 26

The idea that caste in India was __________ was actively encouraged by British colonials because it created the impression of an India without politics.

A) inherently unfair
B) essentially religious
C) a form of oppression
D) akin to slavery

Question 27

__________ are the most rapidly spreading type of society in the world today.

A) Ranked societies
B) Egalitarian societies
C) Stratified societies based on class
D) Stratified societies based on caste

Question 28

After __________ discrimination based on the caste system was made illegal, however discrimination is still common.

A) the Untouchable revolt of 1973
B) Indian independence in 1947
C) The caste system is still a legal ground for discrimination in India.
D) The caste system never played a significant role in politics or social conditions in India.

Question 29

How does ideology maintain social stratification in the US?

A) Despite hardships, people believe that our system is just.
B) People believe that there is no way to improve their lot in life.
C) Children are brainwashed to believe that the elites in their society are special.
D) People believe that the elites were chosen by God.

Question 30

In India, __________ are a fifth group, ranked lower and outside the four varna.

A) foreigners
B) indigenous people
C) untouchables
D) Muslims

Question 31

Marxist theories of social stratification rely on __________.

A) maximization of benefits for all members of society
B) internal conflicts between interest groups
C) the role of merit-based advancement in society
D) the role of external forces

Question 32

__________ sometimes work as cooks because any caste may eat food that has been touched by them.

A) Shudras
B) Brahmins
C) Kshatriyas
D) Untouchables

Question 33

If there is too great a difference in caste between two people, contact between them can be __________ for the higher caste person.

A) stressful
B) difficult to maintain
C) embarrassing
D) ritually polluting

Question 34

How has the Indian caste system changed over the years?

A) it has become more rigid
B) laws have been implemented to formally recognize social castes
C) there is increased social mobility among castes
D) there has been no change in the caste system since its origin

Question 35

The division of society into two or more groups, or strata, that are hierarchically ordered is called __________.

A) social stratification
B) a class system
C) a caste system
D) a ranking system

Question 36

Castes are __________ social classes which are endogamous.

A) archaic
B) hereditary
C) religious
D) occupational

Question 37

The caste system in India unites hundreds of distinct groupings into __________ varna, or large groups.

A) four
B) six
C) seven
D) nine

Question 38

One advantage of Marxist theories of social stratification is __________.

A) they treat societies as dynamic
B) they can be quantitatively proven
C) they demonstrate why societies are stable
D) it allows for egalitarian principles

Question 39

Functionalist explanations of social stratification emphasize __________.

A) inherent biological differences in the abilities of people
B) a system of rewards for the more capable who serve in roles that benefit society as a whole
C) the use of force by elites against lower social group
D) the use of rituals

Question 40

The most powerful means of maintaining a social stratification in a society is __________.

A) the use of military force
B) ideology
C) legal systems
D) threats

Question 41

Research in Belgium by Jef van der Broeck revealed what differences in middle-class and working-class speech patterns?

A) Middle-class speakers use the same amount of sentence complexity as working-class speakers, but a larger vocabulary.
B) There was almost no difference in middle-class and working-class speech in Belgium, which is highly unusual.
C) Working-class speakers are more likely to use unusual word choices in order to impress others when they feel uncomfortable because of class differences.
D) Middle-class and working-class sentence complexity is the same for informal speech, but in formal speech situations, middle-class speakers use more complex sentences.

Question 42

__________ is one thing that is revealed about people when they speak.

A) Intelligence
B) Class
C) Race
D) Age

Question 43

Indentured servants __________.

A) are lifelong slaves
B) were set free after they have worked off their debt
C) were born into slavery based on the status of their parents
D) are servants who work voluntarily for a wage

Question 44

Most people in Japan consider the quality of being Japanese to be __________.

A) learned
B) ascribed
C) adopted
D) achieved

Question 45

Which of the following statements is true regarding the concept of White Privilege?

A) All white people have high social status and wealth.
B) While there are poor and marginalized white groups, their status is based on class, not race.
C) While people of color have "race," white people do not have a racial category.
D) There is no such thing as White Privilege.

Question 46

The economic factors of income, __________, and occupation are often used to define class.

A) ancestry
B) education
C) title
D) gender

Question 47

Although classes rank people from birth, they are not necessarily lifelong positions for people, who may change position through __________.

A) achievement
B) advance in age
C) ethnic membership
D) public recognition for service

Question 48

The __________ are an ascribed outcast group in Japan who are believed without evidence by most Japanese people to be racially distinct.

A) Koreans
B) Burakumin
C) Ainu
D) Hibakusha

Question 49

Karl Marx described a __________ set of class relationships in the nineteenth century than is accurate for today.

A) more oppressive
B) more complex
C) more simple
D) less oppressive

Question 50

A behavior that represents a rejection of norms associated with the middle class may have __________.

A) hidden status
B) covert prestige
C) hidden prestige
D) covert status

Question 51

__________ is an ascribed status forced upon people at birth or through involuntary servitude.

A) Race
B) Ethnicity
C) Caste
D) Slavery

Question 52

In the United States, races, like castes in India, tend to be __________.

A) exogamous
B) endogamous
C) non-hierarchical
D) based on separate ancestries

Question 53

As of 2009, what percentage of married couples in the US were interracial?

A) 4%
B) 9%
C) 12%
D) 20%

Question 54

How do class and caste systems differ?

A) class is an achieved status, while caste is ascribed
B) class systems are found only in industrialized nations
C) caste systems are ancient and no longer exist in modern society
D) caste systems are based on wealth and education

Question 55

According to research by De Vos and Wagatsuma, __________ is/are the most maliciously stereotyped minority group in Japan.

A) the Ainu
B) Burakumin
C) children of Japanese and non-Asian foreigners
D) Koreans

Question 56

In North American discourse on class, there are strong pressures __________ although classes do exist and structure people's lives.

A) against discussing class interests
B) to put an end to class differences
C) to view people's circumstances as class related
D) to deny classes exist

Question 57

Why might lower-class speakers continue to use styles of language that are stigmatized?

A) Styles of speech serve as a marker for membership into a group.
B) They do not have the appropriate education to adopt upper-class patterns of language.
C) They have never been exposed to standardized language, and so do not know that their speech is non-standard.
D) Styles of speech are inherited, and cannot be changed by individuals.

Question 58

Among which societies did slaves traditionally live lives very similar to those of their masters, living in the same houses and eating the same food?

A) west African societies
B) Native Americans of the Pacific northwest
C) the US south
D) the Caribbean and South America

Question 59

Race is like caste in that it exhibits all of the following EXCEPT __________.

A) it is a permanent status
B) it is social rather than biological
C) members are said to have different ancestral origins
D) it has a biological basis

Question 60

In the economic view of class, each class is __________.

A) a closed discreet position with no overlap between different classes
B) an open position with some overlap between different classes
C) a hereditary position, much like the caste system
D) a fully achieved position, with no influence of family history

Question 61

Brazilians employ about __________ different labels to identify a person's race.

A) 20
B) 50
C) 200
D) 500

Question 62

In addition to an increase in immigration, why has the Hispanic/Latino population grown so quickly in the United States?

A) the population maintains fairly high fertility rates
B) less social stigma for identifying as Hispanic/Latino
C) there are no census categories for Native Americans, so many identify as Hispanic/Latino
D) the Hispanic/Latino community has a high rate of interracial marriage

Question 63

__________ refers to various movements that have attempted to define African ethnic, racial, and transnational identity on a continental level.

A) Afrocentrism
B) Back to Africa
C) Pan-Africanism
D) Out of Africa

Question 64

Which of the following countries was listed as among the most negligent in controlling human trafficking by the U.S. State Department?

A) Singapore
B) North Korea
C) Australia
D) New Zealand

Question 65

Which of the following groups has the highest likelihood of downward mobility in the US?

A) married men with children
B) divorced men
C) married women
D) divorced women with children

Question 66

In Brazil there is __________ recognition of multiracial background compared to the United States.

A) no
B) less
C) greater
D) comparable

Question 67

During the 1970s and 1980s more than __________ of the American population suffered declines in standards of living because of inflation and job loss.

A) 10%
B) 30%
C) 50%
D) 80%

Question 68

Which group of people has the highest poverty rates in the US?

A) African-Americans
B) Whites
C) Native Americans
D) Asians

Question 69

The ideology of __________ is an important element in the "American Dream."

A) progress
B) classlessness
C) multiculturalism
D) class pride

Question 70

Although there are complex causes involved, one of the main reasons for the Yugoslav civil war was __________ as a response to uncertain political and economic circumstances.

A) racism
B) classism
C) ethnic nationalism
D) socialism

Question 71

The use of __________ is largely responsible for the exposure of underworld trafficking in human organs.

A) INTERPOL
B) undercover ethnography
C) human rights surveys
D) medical checks

Question 72

Which of the following countries was listed by the U.S. State Department as having inadequate protections against human trafficking?

A) France
B) Japan
C) Chile
D) Mongolia

Question 73

The widespread nature of __________ is much greater than most Americans realize, given their belief in the ideology of the "American Dream."

A) unemployment
B) dissatisfaction at work
C) downward mobility
D) class warfare

Question 74

__________ is a social category based on a complex mix of ancestry, culture, and self-identification.

A) Race
B) Class
C) Ethnicity
D) Caste

Question 75

In small homogeneous societies, like the ones formerly studied by anthropologists, __________.

A) all people shared a basic cultural heritage
B) the group was composed of a diverse collection of races
C) social groups were organized into complex caste systems
D) social groups were organized on the basis of achieved status

Question 76

When American people suffer downward mobility, they __________.

A) go against current ideologies
B) continue to follow prevailing ideologies
C) blame the system, rather than themselves, for failure
D) blame their economic hardship on immigration and other government policy

Question 77

Which ethnic or racial group has experienced the fastest growth in the US?

A) Black or African-American
B) White
C) Native American
D) Hispanic or Latino

Question 78

In which economic sector has US job loss been most severe?

A) service jobs
B) education
C) manufacturing
D) government

Question 79

In some countries such as __________ stratification of ethnic groups has led to civil war.

A) Chile
B) former Yugoslavia
C) Egypt
D) Haiti

Question 80

As of 2009, approximately what percentage of Americans lived below the poverty levels?

A) 10%
B) 14%
C) 19%
D) 25%