The World Bank classifies nations as low income,lower middle income,upper middle income,or high income based on their per person gross national income,or GNI-a number that reflects the average income in those nations.Why might sociologists find this form of classification problematic?
A)Making cross-national comparisons of income ignores the role of culture in making some groups used to poverty.
B)A GNI makes high-production countries look better than they actually are; since their numbers are higher, people tend to think they are more ethical.
C)Because the number is an average of incomes in a country, it can mask inequality within a specific nation.
D)Global economic comparisons need to take into account the mode of production in every given nation.
E)Too many people lie about their incomes to make the number useful.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The GNI is an average income in a country, so it can hide inequality within a specific nation. For example, a country with a small wealthy elite and a large poor population could have the same GNI as a country with a more equal distribution of income. This can make cross-national comparisons misleading and oversimplify complex societal issues.

The World Bank Classifies Nations as Low Income,lower Middle Income,upper