Question 1

What research team reconstructed life in Middletown in 1890 and documented the way in which industrialization had affected the town's class structure using historical research?
A) Lee Rainwater and W. Lloyd Warner
B) Lee Rainwater and Robert Coleman
C) Max Weber and Karl Marx
D) Robert S. Lynd and Helen Merrell Lynd

Accepted Answer

Robert S. Lynd and Helen Merrell Lynd are the researchers who reconstructed life in Middletown in 1890 and documented the way in which industrialization had affected the town's class structure using historical research.

Question 2

The Lynds suggested that the gap in Middletown between the business class and working class was a consequence of moving from a small market town to a town in which machine production was ascendant. Which of the following is one of the causes to which the Lynds attributed this change?
A) an increased emphasis on money
B) a decline in religious values
C) increased immigration
D) organized labor activity

Accepted Answer

The Lynds believed that the change from a small market town to a town dominated by machine production led to an increased emphasis on money and materialism, which contributed to the growing gap between the business class and working class. They did not cite a decline in religious values, increased immigration, or organized labor activity as major factors in this change.

Question 3

Which of the following would NOT be considered a "pink-collar" occupation?
A) secretary
B) nurse
C) elementary school teacher
D) high school teacher

Accepted Answer

Pink-collar occupations are typically those that are traditionally held by women and pay relatively low wages. High school teaching is not typically considered a pink-collar occupation, as it does not meet the criteria of being traditionally held by women and having relatively low wages.

Question 4

Which of the following has been a characteristic of job earnings since the mid-1970s?
A) On average, men's earnings have stagnated.
B) Women's earnings have declined steadily.
C) Both men's and women's earnings have increased substantially.
D) Both the distribution of men's earnings and the distribution of women's earnings have become more equal.

Accepted Answer

According to the question, "Which of the following has been a characteristic of job earnings since the mid-1970s?" The correct answer is A, as on average, men's earnings have stagnated since the mid-1970s.

Question 5

Of the following options, which has been identified by social scientists as contributing to the growing inequality of wages?
A) economic restructuring
B) globalization
C) technological change
D) all of these

Accepted Answer

Social scientists have identified all three factors - economic restructuring, globalization, and technological change - as contributing to the growing inequality of wages. Economic restructuring has shifted the distribution of jobs away from traditional manufacturing and towards service-sector and knowledge-based jobs, resulting in higher wages for some while others are left behind. Globalization has allowed companies to relocate production to countries with lower labor costs, further exacerbating wage inequality. Technological change has also led to job polarization, as routine jobs are automated while high-skill, high-wage jobs are created alongside low-skill, low-wage jobs.

Question 6

In 1870, approximately ______ of the population was rural.
A) 75%
B) 50%
C) 99%
D) 10%

Accepted Answer

In 1870, the majority of the population in the United States lived in rural areas, with about 75% of people living outside of cities. Urbanization and industrialization would lead to a significant shift in population from rural to urban areas over the next few decades.

Question 7

Ward McAllister's "400" list ______.
A) attempted to define membership in New York's upper-class
B) was published in 1892
C) attempted to define membership in New York's and Chicago's upper-class
D) both attempted to define membership in New York's upper-class and was published in 1892

Accepted Answer

Ward McAllister's "400" list was indeed an attempt to define who belonged to New York City's upper class, and it was published in 1892. The list did not concern Chicago's upper class, making option D the correct answer as it combines both accurate statements.

Question 8

Which team of researchers argued that corporate leaders, in response to declining profits since the mid-1960s, instituted a number of strategies that had adverse effects for the bottom half of the labor market?
A) Harrison and Bluestone
B) Frank and Cook
C) Robert and Helen Lynd
D) Gilbert and Kahl

Accepted Answer

Harrison and Bluestone argued that corporate leaders instituted a number of strategies, such as outsourcing and automation, that had adverse effects for the bottom half of the labor market in response to declining profits since the mid-1960s.

Question 9

Corporate strategies to hold down costs include all of the following EXCEPT ______.
A) wage freezes
B) reduction in employee benefits
C) required certification of all employees
D) outsourcing

Accepted Answer

All other options (A, B, and D) are commonly used strategies to hold down costs in corporations, but requiring certification of all employees may actually increase costs rather than reduce them. Certification programs often involve additional training and testing, which can be expensive for both the corporation and the employees.

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT an example of the poor situation of the American working class at the end of the 19th century?
A) lack of voting rights
B) an average workweek of nearly 60 hr
C) unsafe working conditions
D) low pay

Accepted Answer

The lack of voting rights was an issue faced by many marginalized groups, such as African Americans and women, but it was not specifically a problem unique to the working class at the end of the 19th century. The other choices were all major issues faced by the working class during this time period.

Question 11

In which of the following occupations has there been a decrease in workers from 1870 to 2000?
A) farmers
B) service workers
C) sales workers
D) clerical workers

Accepted Answer

The number of farmers in the workforce has decreased significantly from 1870 to 2000 due to technological advancements and industrialization in agriculture.

Question 12

By 2000, women constituted almost ______ of the labor force.
A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 50%
D) 75%

Accepted Answer

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2000, women constituted almost 50% of the labor force in the United States.

Question 13

Which of the following was NOT a reason women entered the workforce in greater numbers beginning in the 1970s?
A) They were drawn by the possibility of earning higher wages than men.
B) There was an increased recognition that living standards required two incomes.
C) The once sharply defined traditional marital family roles were collapsing.
D) Later marriage and delayed and declining birth rates opened up new opportunities.

Accepted Answer

Women were not drawn to the workforce by the possibility of earning higher wages than men. In fact, wage discrimination against women was a significant issue during this time period.

Question 14

Because the majority of women ______, their yearly earnings are advancing but still likely to lag behind men's.
A) do not work full time, year-round
B) do not earn the same educational credentials
C) do not have equal voting rights
D) always provide benefits for children in the family

Accepted Answer

According to various studies, women are more likely than men to take career breaks, work part-time or in temporary positions, and engage in other forms of flexible work arrangements. As a result, they are more likely to have interrupted work histories and lower hourly earnings, leading to a persistent gender pay gap.

Question 15

In 2016, 20% of men were earning poverty-level wages. For women, it was ______.
A) 10%
B) 23%
C) 29%
D) 36%

Accepted Answer

According to the information given, only the percentage for men earning poverty-level wages is given as 20%. The answer for women cannot be calculated from this information alone. Therefore, none of the other choices are possible except for B as it is the only listed option.

Question 16

Hispanic workers are most likely to be represented in the ______ occupation.
A) technicians
B) crafts
C) services
D) operatives

Accepted Answer

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Hispanic workers are most likely to be represented in service occupations such as food preparation, cleaning and maintenance, and personal care services.

Question 17

Which category of women workers has been outearning men?
A) single, childless women under 30
B) married women with children
C) single women with children over 30
D) married, childless women over 30

Accepted Answer

According to the article, single, childless women under 30 have been outearning men.

Question 18

Who conducted the classic 1944 report on Black America in which he declared, "The economic situation of the Negroes in America is pathological. Except for a small minority enjoying upper or middle class status, the masses of American Negroes . . . are destitute?"
A) Lee Rainwater
B) Gunner Myrdal
C) W. Lloyd Warner
D) C. Wright Mills

Accepted Answer

Gunnar Myrdal conducted the classic 1944 report on Black America titled "An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy" in which he declared, "The economic situation of the Negroes in America is pathological. Except for a small minority enjoying upper or middle class status, the masses of American Negroes . . . are destitute." Lee Rainwater, W. Lloyd Warner, and C. Wright Mills were all sociologists, but they did not conduct the specific report mentioned in the question.

Question 19

What sector of the economy now employs the majority of Americans?
A) agriculture
B) technology
C) service-producing
D) manufacturing

Accepted Answer

As of 2021, the majority of Americans (81%) worked in the service-producing sector, which includes industries such as healthcare, retail, hospitality, education, and professional services. The manufacturing sector has been declining in employment in recent years, while the technology sector employs a smaller percentage of Americans overall. Agriculture employs a relatively small percentage of Americans compared to other sectors.

Question 20

Who distinguished the old middle class from a new middle class in the book, White Collar?
A) Lee Rainwater
B) Gunnar Myrdal
C) W. Lloyd Warner
D) C. Wright Mills

Accepted Answer

C. Wright Mills distinguished the old middle class from a new middle class in his book, "White Collar."

Quiz 3: Social Class, Occupation, and Social Change

What research team reconstructed life in Middletown in 1890 and documented the way in which industrialization had affected the town's class structure using historical research?

The Lynds suggested that the gap in Middletown between the business class and working class was a consequence of moving from a small market town to a town in which machine production was ascendant. Which of the following is one of the causes to which the Lynds attributed this change?

Which of the following would NOT be considered a "pink-collar" occupation?

Which of the following has been a characteristic of job earnings since the mid-1970s?

Of the following options, which has been identified by social scientists as contributing to the growing inequality of wages?

In 1870, approximately ______ of the population was rural.

Ward McAllister's "400" list ______.

Which team of researchers argued that corporate leaders, in response to declining profits since the mid-1960s, instituted a number of strategies that had adverse effects for the bottom half of the labor market?

Corporate strategies to hold down costs include all of the following EXCEPT ______.

Which of the following is NOT an example of the poor situation of the American working class at the end of the 19th century?

In which of the following occupations has there been a decrease in workers from 1870 to 2000?

By 2000, women constituted almost ______ of the labor force.

Which of the following was NOT a reason women entered the workforce in greater numbers beginning in the 1970s?

Because the majority of women ______, their yearly earnings are advancing but still likely to lag behind men's.

In 2016, 20% of men were earning poverty-level wages. For women, it was ______.

Hispanic workers are most likely to be represented in the ______ occupation.

Which category of women workers has been outearning men?

Who conducted the classic 1944 report on Black America in which he declared, "The economic situation of the Negroes in America is pathological. Except for a small minority enjoying upper or middle class status, the masses of American Negroes . . . are destitute?"

What sector of the economy now employs the majority of Americans?

Who distinguished the old middle class from a new middle class in the book, White Collar?