Question 1

The key issue for Omi and Winant in using class-based explanations of race is that…

Accepted Answer

Omi and Winant argue that while class is important in understanding discrimination and stratification, using a class-based explanation alone does not adequately explain the role of race in shaping these processes. They argue that race operates independently of class and that racial hierarchies cannot be explained solely through economic or class-based factors. Therefore, using class-based explanations of race may minimize the role of race in explaining discrimination and stratification.

Question 2

Which of the following class-based approach explains racial discrimination in the economy as the result of whites' "taste for discrimination"?

Accepted Answer

The irrational prejudice model explains racial discrimination as the result of whites' "taste for discrimination." This approach suggests that whites irrationally discriminate against people of color due to personal biases and prejudices, rather than economic or structural factors.

Question 3

The notion of a "race tax" suggests that…

Accepted Answer

The term "race tax" metaphorically refers to the systemic economic disadvantages that non-white individuals face in accessing essential resources like food, housing, and jobs, due to racial discrimination and inequalities. It does not literally refer to tax policies based on race.

Question 4

All of the following are Omi and Winant's critiques of class-based paradigms on race and its role in social stratification except

Accepted Answer

Omi and Winant do not critique class-based paradigms for focusing too much on racial inequality; in fact, they argue that this is an important aspect to consider. Rather, they critique class-based paradigms for not paying enough attention to racial factors as a primary cause of social stratification, for not considering culture as an extra-economic factor, and for not acknowledging the political agency of people of color. Choice C is the only option that is incorrect and does not reflect one of their critiques.

Question 5

Which of the following scholar's research suggested that deindustrialization, globalization, and urban ghettos were the causes of the racial disadvantage and discrimination faced by blacks in America?

Accepted Answer

William J. Wilson's research in the 1980s suggested that the economic changes of deindustrialization, globalization, and the concentration of poverty in urban ghettos were the main causes of racial disadvantage and discrimination faced by blacks in America. His book "The Truly Disadvantaged" argued that these economic changes had created a new urban underclass, which was disproportionately composed of black Americans. Wilson's work emphasized the need for policymakers to address the structural factors that contributed to racial inequality, rather than simply blaming individuals for their lack of success.

Question 6

Sociologist Edna Bonacich argued that white workers tend support exclusionary practices and policies to keep out non-white workers, particularly in labor markets where there is higher unemployment and greater competition for low-wage jobs. Which of the class-based paradigms noted by Omi and Winant best describes this position?

Accepted Answer

The class conflict paradigm best describes this position because it focuses on the conflicts between different classes, in this case, between white workers and non-white workers, driven by economic competition and labor market dynamics.

Question 7

The monopolistic practices model explains that…

Accepted Answer

The monopolistic practices model suggests that society is structured in a way that primarily benefits whites, often at the expense of non-white groups. This model highlights systemic inequalities and privileges associated with race.

Question 8

When whites use the state to create policies to distort the labor market in favor of whites or to exclude other racial groups, this is called…

Accepted Answer

The answer of When whites use the state to create...

Question 9

Omi and Winant point out that Douglas Massey's work on racial stratification

Accepted Answer

Massey's work suggests that racial inequality is due to cognitive structures that are built-in to human consciousness, which aligns with choice E.

Question 10

Which of the following arguments about race views it as a secondary manifestation of the real problem of "false consciousness"?

Accepted Answer

Class conflict theory argues that race is a secondary manifestation of the real problem of "false consciousness," which is the idea that working-class individuals are not aware of their exploitation and therefore do not engage in actions to change their situation. Race is seen as a way for the ruling class to divide and distract the working class from their true source of oppression, which is the economic system. Thus, according to class conflict theory, race is not the primary social division, and eliminating class inequality would also lead to the elimination of racial inequality.

Quiz 2: Class