Soc 1 Chap 7

How large is the American "upper class" according to the U.S. Census Bureau?

7 million (5%)

Historically, American society has been characterized by high social mobility.

false

structured

Inequalities based on how such differences locate people in a social system are called _____ inequalities.

What does it mean when a mortgage loan is "subprime"?

The interest rate will be higher than usual (The interest rate is higher because the lender regards the loan as riskier than most.)

stratification/religion

The phrase social ______ refers to inequalities arising not from local factors such as personality and small-group dynamics but from broad differences in race, gender, and ______.

In terms of annual income for a family of four, what is the poverty line in the United States, as defined by the federal government?

about 24,000

high in status for Millennials

actor, athlete, musician

intragenerational social mobility

an individual moving up (or down) the social scale in his or her own lifetime

highest to lowest social prestige score

architect-> veterinarian-> firefighter-> welder-> child-care worker-> bartender

As with earlier recessions, the recovery following the 2008 recession brought with it a drop in the child poverty rate.

false

Among the superrich, some people are considered "old money" and others are considered "new wealth." What is the difference?

"old money": wealth passed down by earlier family generations "new wealth": people who made money as entrepreneurs

definition of class

-occupation -income -education -wealth

wealth

-resale value of a car -stocks and bonds -money in a 401k account

income

-weekly paycheck -retired worker's pension

the true statements about the economic recession and recovery post-2008.

1. During the recession, even college graduates had difficulty finding good jobs. 2. Compared to other households, individuals from low-income households were more likely to think that the recovery had not affected them very much.

explanations for the rise of real income in Western countries over the past century

1. Items that might have been considered "luxury" in previous years are now available to those with lower incomes, in part due to being produced in countries like China or Taiwan. 2. Robots, computers, and other technological advances help increase quantity of items and speed at which items are made.

correct statements about middle class

1. Most US households are middle class 2. The middle class represents a shrinking share of the total U.S. population. 3. diverse

working poor

1. Most of the working poor earn too much to qualify for welfare. 2. one-third of middle class black families are at risk, but two-fifths of middle class Latino families are at risk. 3. A high school dropout is twice as likely to end up among the working poor as someone who finishes high school but does not go on to college.

correct statements about homelessness in the United States

1. The number of homeless families with children has risen in recent years. 2. One cause of homelessness today is the rising cost of housing. 3. A large majority of the homeless have a history of drug or alcohol abuse or mental health issues.

underclass

1. The underclass tends to be concentrated in the inner city and is sometimes referred to as "the new urban poor." 2. The last quarter-century has seen a dramatic increase in the underclass's size. 3. The underclass is in many ways disconnected from the rest of society. 4. It is extremely difficult for a member of the underclass to move out of it.

French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu emphasizes the importance of "cultural capital" in determining a child's later social class. Identify the examples of cultural capital.

1. attendance at elite private schools 2. having parents who help with homework

true about class system

1. main basis is economic 2. have some ability to move between social classes

the elements that Max Weber includes among the bases of class divisions

1. one's control of the means of production 2. one's control of intangible economic resources

Upper middle class

1. owns a comfortable-sized home 2. active in local politics 3. owns a small business

main causes of the rising economic inequality in the United States over the past few decades

1. the declining role of governments 2. economic globalization

lower middle class

1. works for hourly wages 2. not politically active

According to Thomas Piketty, author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century, growth of inequality over time is the norm in capitalist societies and has been the pattern in most developed economies—with the exception of one time period. What is that time period?

1930-1975

What is the single biggest reason why an increasing proportion of those in poverty are women?

Single women are more likely to be raising small children than single men

poor themselves

Sociological explanations of persistent poverty are of two broad types: those that cite structural forces and those that hold the ______ responsible.

What functionalist explanation for social stratification do Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore offer?

Stratification has the benefit of matching the best qualified workers to the most important job

Charles Murray/dependency culture

_______ proposes that some of the poor prefer welfare to gainful employment, a state of mind some call the _______.

Absolute poverty means, essentially, not having enough to eat. What does relative poverty mean?

being worse off than most people in one's society

What word, of French origin, does Karl Marx use as a label for the social class that owns and controls the means of production?

bourgeoise ("those that live in the borough"—that is, city dwellers.)

intergenerational social mobility

children being in a different social class from their parents

What reason is there to believe that standard measures of poverty underestimate the rate of poverty among the elderly?

elderly has far greater medical expenses the younger people do

Oscar Lewis/culture of poverty

example of latter: ______'s description of a self-perpetuating cycle of hopelessness, which he calls the____

What does the phrase "real income" refer to?

income that has been numerically adjusted to remove the effects of inflation

part time janitor

lower class (< $20,000)

registered nurse

lower middle class ($40,000 to $100,000)

exchange mobility

one family moving up the social ladder while another family moves down

How has public opinion about the causes of poverty changed over the past two decades?

people are less likely to blame the poor for their situation

structural social mobility

social change that makes the average person better (or worse) off

traditionally high status

teacher, lawyer, doctor (either require a fair amount of education, or a fair amount of public service)

In which form does most of the average American family's wealth exist?

the equity in a family-owned home

lowest to highest percentage

the gap between college graduates and those with a high school education or less in smartphone ownership-> gap between American adults in household earning $75,000 or more a year using the internet and adults in household earning $30,000 or less a year using the internet in 2000-> gap between young adults (18-29) and older adults (65+) in smartphone ownership-> the percentage of American adults over the age of 65 using the internet in 2015

If American households are divided into five equal-sized groups based on income, which fifth has benefited the most from the increase in economic inequality over the last 40 years?

the highest fifth

What is Max Weber's definition of social status based on?

the lifestyle one is seen as leading (For Weber, certain lifestyles translate into social honor or prestige in the eyes of society.)

university president

upper class (> $200,000)

engineer

upper middle class ($100,000 to $200,000)

restaurant cook

working class ($20,000 to $40,000)