Question 1

Karl Marx claimed that social stratification in high-income nations, such as the Great Britain and the United States, reflects a capitalist economy.

Accepted Answer

Marx argued that social inequality was rooted in class conflict and the exploitation of the working class by the capitalist class. In capitalist societies, he claimed that the bourgeoisie, or the capitalist class, controlled the means of production and used this power to exploit the proletariat, or the working class. This led to the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of the few, creating a stratified class system where social mobility was limited.

Question 2

Max Weber said social stratification involved three distinct dimensions: economic class, social prestige, and political power.

Accepted Answer

Max Weber indeed identified economic class, social prestige, and political power as the three components of social stratification. He believed that these dimensions intersect and interact with each other to produce a complex social hierarchy.

Question 3

Weber described stratification as a complex socioeconomic status ranking.

Accepted Answer

Weber's concept of stratification is indeed a complex ranking system based on socioeconomic status, which includes factors such as wealth, education, and occupation.

Question 4

The former Soviet Union was a classless society without social stratification.

Accepted Answer

The former Soviet Union was officially founded on the ideology of communism, which aimed to create a classless society without social stratification. However, in reality, there was still a hierarchy and certain groups of people had more privileges and power than others, particularly those in the Communist Party and government organizations. Therefore, the statement that the former Soviet Union was a classless society without social stratification is false.

Question 5

In the United States, social inequality is determined only by people's talents and abilities.

Accepted Answer

Social inequality in the United States is influenced by various factors such as race, gender, economic background, and access to education and opportunities. Talent and ability alone do not guarantee equal opportunities or outcomes.

Question 6

The Davis-Moore thesis states that social stratification has consequences that are beneficial to society.

Accepted Answer

The Davis-Moore thesis argues that social stratification is necessary and beneficial for society because it motivates people to work hard and attain higher-paying jobs, which in turn leads to efficient allocation of talent and resources. The thesis also suggests that some degree of social inequality can help maintain social stability by providing incentives for people to conform to societal norms and expectations.

Question 7

Davis and Moore base their claim that stratification is not inevitable on the fact that it does not exist in every society.

Accepted Answer

Davis and Moore argue that stratification is inevitable because it arises from the need to ensure that the most important positions are filled by the most qualified individuals, not on the observation of its existence in every society.

Question 8

China stands out as a country without any social classes.

Accepted Answer

China does have social classes, including the wealthy elite and rural migrant workers with lower social and economic status. The government has also implemented a social credit system which can affect one's access to resources and opportunities based on their behavior and social status.

Question 9

Social stratification is found in most-but not all-societies.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Social stratification is found in most-but not...

Question 10

Caste systems are typical of high-income societies.

Accepted Answer

Caste systems are actually more typical of low-income societies, particularly in traditional or rural societies. This is because caste systems are often based on hereditary occupational groups, and in low-income societies, there may be fewer diverse occupational opportunities available. High-income societies tend to have more fluid social mobility based on education and meritocracy rather than birthright or occupation.

Question 11

Ideology refers to ideas that support social stratification.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Ideology refers to ideas that support social...

Question 12

Great Britain has eliminated all aspects of its historic aristocracy.

Accepted Answer

While some aspects of the historic aristocracy have been diminished or reformed, such as the House of Lords, Great Britain still maintains a system of nobility and hereditary titles.

Question 13

Structural social mobility refers to an individual's upward or downward social movement due to personal effort or, in some cases, good or bad luck.

Accepted Answer

Structural social mobility refers to changes in the social position of large numbers of people due more to changes in the structure of society itself than to individual efforts.

Question 14

The concept of social mobility refers to changes in people's positions in the social hierarchy.

Accepted Answer

Social mobility refers to changes in people's positions in the social hierarchy, such as moving up or down in status or class.

Question 15

Individuals in class systems typically exhibit more status inconsistency than people in caste systems.

Accepted Answer

In class systems, an individual's social status is mainly determined by their achievements and social mobility, resulting in the possibility of having inconsistent levels of status across different domains of life (e.g. high income but low education). In contrast, people in caste systems are typically born into a fixed social position with little to no mobility, resulting in more consistency in their social status across domains of life.

Question 16

Caste systems encourage the commitment to long-term labor required by agriculture.

Accepted Answer

Caste systems were traditionally used in agricultural societies to ensure that there were enough laborers to work the land. By assigning individuals to specific castes based on their birth, this created a system of long-term labor commitment, as individuals were expected to continue working in the same occupation as their parents. This helped ensure that there would always be enough laborers to cultivate and harvest crops, which was especially important in regions where agriculture was the primary means of subsistence.

Question 17

The socialist revolution Karl Marx predicted took place in most industrial-capitalist societies about a century ago.

Accepted Answer

The socialist revolution Karl Marx predicted did not take place in most industrial-capitalist societies about a century ago. While there were some revolutions influenced by Marxist ideology, such as the Russian Revolution in 1917, there were also many countries where capitalism continued to dominate without socialist revolutions. Additionally, many socialist revolutions have since occurred, such as in China and Cuba, but they were not predicted by Marx.

Question 18

Social stratification is a matter of not only inequality, but also beliefs about fairness.

Accepted Answer

Social stratification involves the unequal distribution of resources and opportunities among different groups in society. However, people's perceptions of whether this inequality is fair or not can also play a role in reinforcing or challenging the existing social hierarchy. Therefore, beliefs about fairness are an important aspect of social stratification.

Question 19

Class systems assign social position based on both birth and individual achievement.

Accepted Answer

Class systems take into account both an individual's birth and their achievements in determining their social position.

Question 20

The more a society is a meritocracy, the greater the society's level of social mobility.

Accepted Answer

In a meritocracy, individuals are advanced based on their abilities and achievements rather than their social status or family connections. This creates opportunities for people to rise up the social ladder based on their own merit rather than being limited by the circumstances of their birth. Therefore, social mobility is greater in a meritocracy.

Quiz 8: Social Stratification