Question 1

What is consumer confidence and how does it affect spending behaviour?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is consumer confidence and how does...

Question 2

Nick comes from the "other side of the tracks." His father spent all his life in the mine and Nick works as a sanitary engineer. All these factors determine his:

Accepted Answer

Nick's background and occupation are indicators of his social class, which is a component of social stratification.

Question 3

Universally, people develop a ________ whereby they are ranked in terms of their relative standing in society.

Accepted Answer

The term "pecking order" refers to a hierarchy or ranking system where individuals are ranked according to their status or authority within a group or society.

Question 4

Which sector of the population is largely responsible for fuelling Japan's luxury-goods spending?

Accepted Answer

Single working women in Japan are a significant driving force behind the country's luxury goods market. They often have disposable income and a strong interest in fashion and luxury items, contributing substantially to the sector's growth.

Question 5

How does consumer optimism or pessimism affect spending?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How does consumer optimism or pessimism affect...

Question 6

Albert accounts for every penny he spends because he would rather save money than spend it. Doreen, his wife, complains he is a "tightwad." Is she right? Explain.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Albert accounts for every penny he spends...

Question 7

Katrina, a new recruit for Maple Leaf Foods, is promoted very quickly over longer-term employees, and is given a parking space with the company vice presidents. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Katrina, a new recruit for Maple Leaf...

Question 8

Canada has a(n) ________ class structure in terms of income distribution and a(n) ________ structure in terms of the groups that occupy the positions.

Accepted Answer

Canada has a changing class structure in terms of income distribution due to economic shifts and policies, while the groups that occupy these positions tend to remain stable over time.

Question 9

How do consumers' beliefs about the state of the economy affect spending patterns?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How do consumers' beliefs about the state...

Question 10

Jackie is a wage earner in her house. Her husband, Ed, also works but is able to take two days off a week to look after their two young preschool children. In Canada, is this a common or unusual scenario?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Jackie is a wage earner in her...

Question 11

Jack and Jill were married last year. Jack works construction and Jill is a waitress. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Homogamy is the tendency for people to marry others who are similar to themselves in terms of social status, race, religion, and other characteristics. In this case, Jack and Jill are both working-class people, so their marriage is an example of homogamy.

Question 12

Which is the primary growing consumer market in the Middle East at present?

Accepted Answer

The primary growing consumer market in the Middle East at present is western luxury brands, driven by high disposable incomes, a young population, and a strong interest in luxury and fashion among consumers in the region.

Question 13

Johann seemed to have all the luck-some would say that he was "born with a silver spoon in his mouth." This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The phrase "born with a silver spoon in his mouth" implies that Johann was born into favorable circumstances or wealth, which is something he acquired by birth rather than by his own achievements. This is an example of ascribed status, which refers to the social status a person is assigned at birth or assumes involuntarily later in life.

Question 14

According to Karl Marx, the nineteenth-century theorist, a person's position in society was determined by their relationship to what?

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx argued that a person's social position and class were determined by their relationship to the means of production, such as factories and tools, rather than by their relationship to the government, land, or church.

Question 15

The Garrets are a lower-class family and have four children. The Devlins are a middle-class family that has only two children. The fact that the Garrets have more children is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Differential fertility refers to differences in the number of children among different social, economic, or cultural groups. In this case, the lower-class Garrets having more children than the middle-class Devlins exemplifies this concept.

Question 16

The most influential and the earliest attempt to describe Canadian class structure was proposed in 1958 by:

Accepted Answer

Bernard Blishen was a significant figure in Canadian sociology who made one of the earliest and most influential attempts to describe the Canadian class structure in 1958. His work laid the groundwork for understanding social stratification in Canada.

Question 17

Miriam comes from a background of old money. How might this affect her spending habits compared to her friend Harry who has recently done well financially?

Accepted Answer

Individuals from old money backgrounds often prioritize discretion and understatement in their spending habits, unlike those who are newly wealthy and might feel a need to display their success more overtly.

Question 18

Sandra Jackson decided to become a university professor after several years as a doctor. She still wanted to help people; she just wanted to do it differently. Sandra's change in social status is an example of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Sandra's shift from being a doctor to a university professor represents a change in her social status that is neither clearly upward nor downward, but rather a move within a similar level of social hierarchy, which is best described as horizontal mobility.

Question 19

Although members of a particular social group carry the same identity of membership, some members are better off, better liked or respected, and have more authority or power than others. The group exhibits:

Accepted Answer

A status hierarchy is indicated by differences in respect, authority, or power among members of the same group, despite sharing a common identity.

Question 20

The German sociologist Max Weber broke social rankings down into which three types?

Accepted Answer

Weber identified three distinct components of social stratification: class (wealth and property), status (social honour), and power. These components form the basis of his theory on social rankings.

Quiz 12: Income, Social Class, and Family Structure