Question 1

Persons ranked high in socioeconomic status are more likely than less affluent persons to

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that individuals with higher socioeconomic status are more likely to attend church regularly. This is often attributed to the social and networking opportunities that church attendance provides, as well as the alignment of church teachings with the values and lifestyles of the more affluent.

Question 2

Which of the following was NOT a part of Weber's idea of the Protestant ethic?

Accepted Answer

Max Weber's concept of the Protestant ethic does not include the doctrine of omniscience, which refers to the belief that God is all-knowing. Weber's idea focused on how Protestant beliefs, such as delayed gratification, the doctrine of predestination, the doctrine of vocation, and the idea of the priesthood of all believers, influenced the development of capitalism.

Question 3

Self-denial of pleasures now in the hopes of a greater reward in the future is called

Accepted Answer

Delayed gratification refers to the ability to resist the temptation for an immediate reward and wait for a later reward. It is often associated with greater rewards in the future.

Question 4

Weber believed that John Calvin's emphasis on predestination was important because it stressed

Accepted Answer

Weber believed that Calvin's emphasis on predestination led to radical individualism, as individuals felt they were solely responsible for their salvation, fostering a sense of personal accountability and self-reliance.

Question 5

The assertion that "religion is the opiate of the people" is attributed to

Accepted Answer

This assertion is attributed to Karl Marx, who argued that religion serves to dull the oppressions of capitalism and maintain the status quo by providing people with false hope and consolation, thus acting as an "opiate."

Question 6

According to the "Protestant ethic" thesis, the doctrine of vocation defines hard work as

Accepted Answer

The "Protestant ethic" thesis, particularly as articulated by Max Weber, posits that the doctrine of vocation in Protestantism views hard work as a moral and religious duty. This perspective contributed to the development of capitalism by encouraging a disciplined work ethic.

Question 7

Instead of the causal idea of religious beliefs contributing to change in the economic system, Weber later suggested that a person's current outlook and economic self-interests may attract people to a religious worldview that supports their secular needs.This idea is called

Accepted Answer

Elective affinity, a concept Weber later developed, suggests that individuals are drawn to religious beliefs that align with their existing outlooks and economic interests, rather than religious beliefs causing a change in the economic system. This idea contrasts with his earlier Protestant Ethic thesis, which argued that Protestant ethics and values played a significant role in the development of capitalism.

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT true of styles of religiosity in different social classes?

Accepted Answer

Persons with lower socioeconomic status are generally less likely to have extensive theological knowledge or detailed information about the Bible compared to those with higher socioeconomic status.

Question 9

Jay Demerath and your text authors conclude that

Accepted Answer

Jay Demerath and the authors of the text conclude that religiosity varies in style or mode of expression between social classes, but not in the degree of commitment. This means that while the way in which religious beliefs are practiced and expressed may differ across social classes, the level of commitment to those beliefs does not necessarily vary by class.

Question 10

A study of persons attending a church in a ghetto neighborhood in Los Angles reveals that persons who have been members for five years are financially better off than when they joined, whereas a random sample of persons in the neighborhood who belong to no church tended to be about the same or worse off than five years earlier.In this case, religion would appear to

Accepted Answer

The study suggests that being a member of the church correlates with financial improvement over time, implying that religion (or participation in religious communities) might cause or influence other behaviors, such as those leading to financial betterment.

Question 11

The idea that religion as an institution is a tool by which the affluent keep the poor in their place and justify the current social system as uniquely fair and just is favored by which theoretical perspective in sociology?

Accepted Answer

Conflict theory sees society as a competition for resources and power between different groups. According to this perspective, religion may be used by those in power to maintain their dominance and justify the status quo, including the unequal distribution of resources.

Question 12

There are several criticisms of the Protestant ethic thesis discussed in your textbook.Which of the following is NOT one of these?

Accepted Answer

Weber's thesis on the Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism does not draw from Karl Marx's anti-capitalistic ideology. Instead, Weber's work is an independent sociological study that examines how Protestant ethics and values might have contributed to the development of capitalism, distinct from Marx's critique of capitalism.

Question 13

The Protestant ethic thesis regarding religious beliefs, economic behavior, and the rise of capitalism was developed by

Accepted Answer

Max Weber is credited with the development of the Protestant ethic thesis, which links Protestantism, particularly its Calvinist branch, with the development of capitalism.

Question 14

In contrast to most of Karl Marx's writings, Weber insisted that

Accepted Answer

Weber argued that religious ideas can significantly influence economic behavior and the development of economic systems, as exemplified in his work "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism," where he explores how Protestant ethics influenced the development of capitalism.

Question 15

People feel more comfortable with persons who are like themselves and, thus, tend to join churches whose members are of their same social background.In this case, religion would appear to be

Accepted Answer

Religion in this context is influenced by the social backgrounds of individuals, indicating that it is affected by other variables such as social similarity and comfort levels among people of the same social background.

Question 16

The enduring legacy of the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is that:

Accepted Answer

It has taught us to look to ideas and values as important underlying factors that can contribute to change as well as sustaining the status quo.

Question 17

The case of the Amish (who have a very strong Protestant ethic)

Accepted Answer

The Amish case illustrates that while a strong work ethic and certain values can contribute to economic stability and success, these alone are not enough to guarantee affluence and upward mobility. Other factors, such as technological adoption, social networks, and access to markets, also play crucial roles.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a part of the doctrine of vocation taught by Martin Luther?

Accepted Answer

Martin Luther's doctrine of vocation emphasized that all professions are equally valuable in the eyes of God, contradicting the idea that the priesthood is the most sacred vocation.

Question 19

For Karl Marx, virtually everything about the social order flows logically and necessarily from

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx's theory posits that the foundation of society's structure is its economic system, which influences all aspects of social life. Marx believed that the mode of production (economic factors) determines the social, political, and intellectual life processes in society.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a reason given in the text why denominational affiliation tends to be correlated to social class?

Accepted Answer

The other options (A, B, C, E) suggest reasons why denominational affiliation might correlate with social class, such as belief systems contributing to success, ideological compatibility, seeking similar educational levels, and historical financial establishment of certain ethnic groups within denominations. Option D, however, mentions high birth rates causing downward social mobility, which does not directly explain a correlation between denominational affiliation and social class but rather suggests a demographic trend affecting social mobility.

Quiz 9: Religion, Economics, and Social Class