Question 1

The term ________ refers to the lack of resources that leads to hunger and physical deprivation

Accepted Answer

Absolute poverty refers to a condition where individuals lack basic resources that are necessary for survival, including food, clean water, and shelter, leading to hunger and physical deprivation.

Question 2

__________ poverty is usually set at $1.25 a day or less.

Accepted Answer

Extreme poverty is defined as living on less than $1.25 a day, which is a measure used by international organizations to identify the most severe form of poverty.

Question 3

Which term refers to the total assets of an individual or household minus liabilities?

Accepted Answer

Wealth is the correct term that refers to the total assets of an individual or household minus liabilities. It represents the net value of all possessions such as properties, investments, and cash, after subtracting all debts and obligations.

Question 4

Americans living in households with income below 50 percent of the poverty line are considered to be in

Accepted Answer

Americans living in households with income below 50 percent of the poverty line are considered to be in deep poverty. This term reflects a severe level of economic deprivation.

Question 5

A social system in which individuals get ahead and earn rewards based on their individual efforts and abilities is a​

Accepted Answer

A meritocracy is a system where individuals advance and receive rewards based on their abilities and efforts, rather than on their social class, ethnicity, or other external factors.

Question 6

______________ households are defined as households with incomes that are between 100 and 200 percent of the federal poverty line.

Accepted Answer

Households with incomes that are between 100 and 200 percent of the federal poverty line are defined as low-income households. This classification helps in identifying families that earn above the poverty level but still struggle to meet basic living expenses.

Question 7

In industrialized countries, national poverty lines are sometimes based on the median household income of a country's population. According to this _____ poverty measure, members of a household are considered poor if their household income is less than 50 percent of the median household income in that country.

Accepted Answer

This is known as the relative poverty measure, which defines poverty in relation to the economic status of other members of the society. If a household earns less than 50% of the median income, they are considered poor relative to the rest of the population.

Question 8

Which of the following represents a positive function of poverty?

Accepted Answer

The concept of a "positive function of poverty" refers to the idea that poverty can have societal roles or benefits, despite its negative impacts on individuals. Choice A, "The poor will take the unpleasant jobs," is considered a positive function of poverty from a sociological perspective because it suggests that poverty ensures that there are individuals available to perform necessary but undesirable jobs that others may not be willing to do. This is seen as a way in which poverty contributes to the functioning of society by filling labor gaps in less desirable occupations.

Question 9

Poverty levels in the United States are calculated based on

Accepted Answer

The answer of Poverty levels in the United States are...

Question 10

The Multidimensional Poverty Index includes

Accepted Answer

The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) includes deprivation of health as one of its dimensions, alongside education and living standards, to assess and measure poverty more comprehensively beyond income-based assessments.

Question 11

Which measure of poverty refers to a condition of not having access to the necessary resources?

Accepted Answer

Absolute poverty refers to a condition where individuals do not have access to the necessary resources to meet basic needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare.

Question 12

Which of the following is included in the official poverty calculations?

Accepted Answer

The official poverty calculations include pretax income but do not account for the tax burdens of low-income families, the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, or family assets such as savings and property.

Question 13

Dr. Carlson is a sociologist who argues that inequality motivates people to achieve. Dr. Carlson is most likely a

Accepted Answer

Dr. Carlson's argument aligns with structural functionalism, which posits that social structures and institutions, including those that involve inequality, serve a purpose in society, such as motivating individuals to achieve. This perspective views inequality as a necessary aspect of social organization that encourages people to fill different roles and contribute to the functioning of society.

Question 14

Which of the following statements best describes the wealth distribution in the world?

Accepted Answer

The richest one percent of the world's population owning approximately half of the world's wealth is a commonly cited statistic in discussions about global inequality. This highlights the significant concentration of wealth within a very small segment of the population.

Question 15

Which of the following perspectives are most likely to argue that physicians should be paid higher than most occupations because their job is more important than most and requires so much education and training?

Accepted Answer

Structural-functionalism posits that every part of society serves a function, and those roles that are highly specialized or critical for the functioning of society, such as physicians, are rewarded more due to their greater importance and the extensive training required. This perspective views the higher pay for physicians as a means to ensure that the roles essential for the maintenance and well-being of society are filled by competent individuals.

Question 16

Lauri and Ben both work full-time but their annual income is just above the poverty line. They represent those considered

Accepted Answer

The term "near-poor" refers to individuals or families whose income is above the official poverty line but still low enough that they struggle to meet basic needs, which describes Lauri and Ben's situation.

Question 17

Bonnie lives in a small one-room apartment and is able to afford only the necessities. Bonnie lives in

Accepted Answer

Relative poverty refers to a situation where an individual's income or resources are insufficient to meet the average standard of living in a society, which aligns with Bonnie's situation of affording only necessities in a small apartment.

Question 18

Critics of the U.S. poverty line argue that

Accepted Answer

The U.S. poverty line calculation is based on an outdated model where food constituted a third of family expenses, which is not reflective of current spending patterns where low-income families spend less than one-third of their income on food.

Question 19

________ poverty refers to a deficiency of material and economic resources compared with some other population.

Accepted Answer

Relative poverty is defined by comparing the economic status of individuals or groups to the broader population they are part of, highlighting disparities in wealth and material resources.

Question 20

The United States poverty line is calculated as

Accepted Answer

The United States poverty line is calculated as three times the minimum cost of an adequate diet. This method was developed in the 1960s by Mollie Orshansky, an economist at the Social Security Administration, based on the cost of food as the primary expense for families, under the assumption that food represented about one-third of the total expenses for a household.

Quiz 6: Economic Inequality, Wealth, and Poverty