Question 1

The descendants of European immigrants can be identified as an ethnic minority group in the contemporary United States.

Accepted Answer

In the contemporary United States, descendants of European immigrants are generally considered part of the majority population, not an ethnic minority group.

Question 2

Marxism, as a theory, has been completely disproven and is no longer important as a source of insight into group relations.

Accepted Answer

Marxism continues to be a significant theoretical framework for analyzing social, economic, and political issues, including group relations, and has influenced a wide range of academic disciplines and political movements around the world.

Question 3

Marx believed that the ultimate result of class struggle would be the victory of the working class and a classless society.

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx theorized that the class struggle between the proletariat (working class) and the bourgeoisie (capitalist class) would ultimately lead to the overthrow of the bourgeoisie, resulting in a classless society where the means of production are owned communally.

Question 4

According to the chapter text, Max Weber thought it was important to analyze stratification within the level of development of a society, such as whether it is an agricultural or postindustrial society.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the chapter text, Max Weber...

Question 5

Max Weber distinguished three different sources of stratification in society.

Accepted Answer

Max Weber identified class, status, and power as three distinct sources of social stratification.

Question 6

The major limitation of racial typologies is that they cannot provide clear dividing lines between racial groups.

Accepted Answer

Racial typologies fail to provide clear dividing lines between groups because human genetic variation is continuous and does not conform neatly to discrete categories.

Question 7

Prejudice has at least two dimensions: an affective, or emotional, dimension and a cognitive, or thinking, dimension.

Accepted Answer

Prejudice involves both an affective dimension, which pertains to feelings and emotions towards a group, and a cognitive dimension, which involves beliefs or thoughts about the group.

Question 8

Discrimination and prejudice do not necessarily occur together.

Accepted Answer

Discrimination refers to actions against a group, while prejudice involves negative attitudes or judgments. One can hold prejudiced beliefs without acting on them, and discriminatory actions can occur without conscious prejudice.

Question 9

Ideological racism is the societal equivalent of individual discrimination.

Accepted Answer

Ideological racism refers to a societal system in which institutions and practices reinforce the idea that one race is inherently superior to others. Individual discrimination, on the other hand, involves actions by individuals that are biased against people of another race. While both are forms of racism, they operate on different levels (systemic vs. personal).

Question 10

Institutional discrimination is always obvious, overt, and consciously intended.

Accepted Answer

Institutional discrimination can be subtle, covert, and may occur without conscious intent, as it is often built into the structures, policies, and practices of organizations or social systems.

Question 11

Gender roles and relationships vary across time and from one society to another.

Accepted Answer

Gender roles and relationships are influenced by cultural, social, historical, and economic factors, leading to variations across different societies and periods.

Question 12

The skin color of any group can be traced to adaptations from human migration to different environments.

Accepted Answer

The variation in human skin color is a result of adaptations to different environments. As humans migrated out of Africa and spread across the globe, they encountered diverse climates and levels of UV radiation. These environmental factors influenced the evolution of skin pigmentation to balance the need for vitamin D synthesis and protection against UV radiation damage.

Question 13

There are no internal divisions, such as those based on class, power, race, or ethnicity, among members of the same minority group.

Accepted Answer

Members of the same minority group can experience internal divisions based on class, power, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other social factors, leading to diverse experiences and perspectives within the group.

Question 14

Gender equality is generally highest in the more developed, industrialized nations of North America and Western Europe.

Accepted Answer

These regions have made significant progress in gender equality through laws, social policies, and cultural changes that promote equal rights and opportunities for men and women.

Question 15

Group names are social constructions, created in particular historical situations and reflective of particular power relationships.

Accepted Answer

Group names, including those for ethnic, national, or social groups, are indeed social constructions that emerge from specific historical contexts and are influenced by the power dynamics and relationships within those contexts. These names can reflect the perspectives and interests of dominant groups, and their creation and use are often tied to broader social, political, and historical processes.

Question 16

Group relations in the United States are shaped by economic, social, and political forces beyond our borders.

Accepted Answer

Global economic policies, international migration, and global political events significantly influence group relations within the United States, affecting social dynamics, economic opportunities, and political relations among different groups.

Question 17

Ideological racism is a belief system that asserts that a particular group is inferior.

Accepted Answer

Ideological racism is indeed a belief system that posits the superiority of one race over others, inherently suggesting that certain groups are inferior based on racial characteristics.

Question 18

State laws prevented miscegenation until they were declared unconstitutional in the late 1960s.

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Supreme Court declared state laws banning interracial marriage unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia (1967), effectively ending legal prohibitions against miscegenation in the late 1960s.

Question 19

Stereotypes are central to the affective dimension of prejudice.

Accepted Answer

Stereotypes are cognitive structures or beliefs about a group, while the affective dimension of prejudice involves emotions or feelings towards that group.

Question 20

Recent trends in immigration can be attributed to global processes, such as globalization.

Accepted Answer

Globalization has facilitated easier movement of people across borders for work, education, and better living conditions, influencing recent trends in immigration.

Quiz 1: Diversity in the United States: Questions and Concepts