Question 1

Pierre Bourdieu worked to understand the relationship between class, culture, and power by studying schools in France with the expectation of finding that social mobility was the result of meritocracy. What did he discover instead?

Accepted Answer

Bourdieu discovered that social mobility was not the result of meritocracy, but rather the educational system helped reproduce existing social relations by passing class positions from generation to generation in a family. This is known as social reproduction, where schools reinforce and perpetuate social inequalities rather than providing equal opportunities for all students. This is achieved through various mechanisms such as cultural capital, educational credentials, and social networks that advantage those from privileged backgrounds, thus making it harder for those from lower classes to move up the social ladder.

Question 2

Why is Karl Marx considered an important theorist in the study of class?

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx is considered an important theorist in the study of class because he focused on capitalism as it pertained to workers and inequality. Marx's analysis of capitalism and class struggle remains relevant in contemporary society and has influenced critical theories of class, such as critical race theory and intersectionality. While Marx did develop the concept of the bourgeoisie, his work was not based on the economy alone, and he did not build on the work of Max Weber.

Question 3

What might Max Weber suggest is the primary difference between a lawyer in the United States and the self-made billionaire of a U.S.-based manufacturing company?

Accepted Answer

According to Max Weber's theory, occupational prestige is determined by the social status attached to a profession, while wealth pertains to economic status. Therefore, the lawyer in the United States has high prestige by virtue of their occupation, while the self-made billionaire of a U.S.-based manufacturing company has economic status and wealth but may not have the same level of occupational prestige.

Question 4

Carmen's parents enroll her in AP Honors French, where the content of the class is more academically demanding than the general French class. They also spend their summer vacation in France and hire a tutor to help Carmen study for the AP Honors French test. What are Carmen's parents attempting to help her acquire?

Accepted Answer

Carmen's parents are attempting to help her acquire cultural capital, which refers to the skills, knowledge, and resources that a person has, and which pave the way for social mobility and success. By enrolling her in AP Honors French and providing resources such as a tutor, they are investing in Carmen's education and helping her acquire the cultural capital that is associated with higher education and social standing. Additionally, their decision to spend their summer vacation in France further exposes Carmen to the French language and culture, contributing to her cultural capital.

Question 5

According to Karl Marx, the bourgeoisie consisted of a capitalist class of individuals who owned what part of society?

Accepted Answer

According to Marx, the bourgeoisie owned the means of production, such as factories, land, and machinery. This allowed them to control the production process and generate profits, while the working class had to sell their labor to the bourgeoisie in order to survive.

Question 6

What common result occurs when patterns of social stratification emerge?

Accepted Answer

When patterns of social stratification emerge, it often results in unequal access to resources. This means that some individuals or groups have more economic or social power, while others have less, leading to inequality and potentially negative consequences for those who are disadvantaged. Egalitarianism, redistributing money, and upward mobility are not necessarily common results of social stratification.

Question 7

Karl Marx examined social inequality by distinguishing between which two distinct classes of people?

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx distinguished between the bourgeoisie, who owned the means of production and controlled the economy, and the proletariat, who sold their labor to the bourgeoisie in exchange for wages. This class struggle between the two groups forms the foundation of Marxist theory.

Question 8

What do we call the movement, both upward and downward, of one's class position in a society?

Accepted Answer

Social mobility refers to the movement of individuals or groups in their class position in a society. This movement can be upward or downward depending on various factors such as education, occupation, income, and social connections, among others. Social mobility is an important aspect of social stratification and has significant implications for social inequality and social change.

Question 9

How did Karl Marx refer to the group of people who lacked land and sold their labor?

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx referred to the group of people who lacked land and sold their labor as the proletariat.

Question 10

According to Marx, why were the proletariat unable to develop a political awareness of their class position while the bourgeoisie were able to do so?

Accepted Answer

Marx believed that the proletariat were constantly preoccupied with the struggle to survive, leaving little time or energy for them to develop a political awareness of their class position. The bourgeoisie, on the other hand, were able to develop a political consciousness due to their privilege, education, and resources. Additionally, Marx believed that the bourgeoisie actively worked to keep the proletariat divided, preventing them from forming a unified political consciousness.

Question 11

A young man decides to take an art history class, a topic in which he has been interested ever since his parents began taking him to museums when he was a child. He believes that art appreciation and knowledge are good qualities to have. What is the term Pierre Bourdieu coined to describe this young man's attitudes about classic art?

Accepted Answer

Pierre Bourdieu coined the term "habitus" to describe the attitudes, beliefs, and values that are internalized through socialization and shape an individual's actions and preferences. In this case, the young man's interest in art history is a reflection of his habitus, which was likely influenced by his upbringing and experiences visiting museums as a child. The other answer choices, such as bourgeoisie (referring to the wealthy class) and social reproduction (referring to how society reproduces inequalities), are not directly relevant to this scenario. Social mobility could be relevant, but it is not as precise a fit for describing the young man's attitudes about art.

Question 12

As a ritual ceremony, the potlatch serves to establish prestige and social status by demonstrating a chief's capacity for which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The potlatch is a ceremony that involves a display of generosity by the chief in terms of the distribution of wealth and goods to members of their community. By demonstrating their capacity for generosity, a chief could establish their prestige and social status within the community.

Question 13

Which of the following consists of wages earned from work, plus dividends and interest on investments along with rents and royalties?

Accepted Answer

Income consists of all sources of money earned by an individual, including wages, salaries, tips, bonuses, dividends, interests, rents, and royalties. Option A refers to the money allocated for buying assets with a hope to derive profits, while option B signifies the accumulation of assets over time that can be used to generate income. Option D refers to the revenue earned by a business entity after deducting expenses.

Question 14

Since the mid-1970s, how has class inequality in the United States changed?

Accepted Answer

Class inequality in the United States has increased since the mid-1970s due to policies that favor the wealthy, such as decreasing tax rates, and stagnating salaries for the middle class. This has resulted in a widening wealth gap between the top 1% and the rest of the population.

Question 15

Aside from access to financial resources, what most influences an individual's life chances?

Accepted Answer

Access to education and social/cultural resources has been shown to have a significant impact on an individual's life chances, such as their income and job opportunities, social mobility, and overall quality of life. While intellectual ability and physical strength do play a role in individual success, they are not as influential as access to resources and opportunities. Ambition to seize the means of production and access to gainful employment are also important factors, but they are closely tied to access to resources such as education and social networks.

Question 16

When the Kwakiutl of the Pacific Northwest perform a potlatch, there may be times when the excess of gifts is actually destroyed rather than given away. Why is this done?

Accepted Answer

Destroying excess gifts can reinforce the prestige of the chief by demonstrating his capacity to accumulate such wealth and his willingness to disregard it, thereby showing his power and authority. This can enhance his standing in the community and increase his influence.

Question 17

Leith Mullings's work using intersectionality emerges out of a long history of anthropological fieldwork. What characterizes this variety of fieldwork?

Accepted Answer

Anthropological fieldwork is characterized by a holistic approach that looks at all aspects of culture and society, including social, economic, political, and spiritual dimensions. This approach is intended to provide a comprehensive understanding of the cultural practices, beliefs, and values of a particular group of people.

Question 18

The work of anthropologist Leith Mullings has examined the connections between class, race, and gender, which resulted in the development of which useful analytical framework?

Accepted Answer

Leith Mullings is known for her work on intersectionality, which is an analytical framework that examines how different forms of oppression intersect and influence one another. This framework is useful for understanding the complex ways in which individuals experience and navigate systems of power based on their intersecting identities.

Question 19

Why might theorist Pierre Bourdieu have decided to examine his theory of social mobility-the interrelationships between culture, class, and power-in the French school system as opposed to, say, the workplace of adults?

Accepted Answer

Bourdieu was interested in studying social mobility across generations, which could be better observed in the school system than in the workplace of adults. Schools offer a more standardized and observable environment to study how cultural capital (such as knowledge and education) and social class intersect and influence educational achievement and future opportunities. Bourdieu believed that success in school depended less on individual talent and motivation and more on the cultural background and social class of the student, making schools an ideal site for his research.

Question 20

Leith Mullings argues that class cannot be studied in isolation but rather must be considered together with race and gender as interlocking systems of what?

Accepted Answer

Leith Mullings argues that class cannot be studied in isolation but rather must be considered together with race and gender as interlocking systems of power.

Quiz 10: Class and Inequality