SOC Ch. 10

The top 1 percent of the U.S. population owns _____ of U.S. household wealth. a)41.8 percent b)59.9 percent c)35.9 percent d)29.3 percent

a)41.8 percent

What distinguishes slavery from other systems of stratification? a)The workers are considered to be property owned by other people. b)There is no vertical mobility in a society with slavery. c)Slavery only exists in pre-agrarian societies and never exists in industrialized societies. d)In all other systems of stratification, social position is based on talent or merit.

a)The workers are considered to be property owned by other people.

The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act included which of the following? a)a requirement that all able-bodied adults work after receiving two years of benefits b)a lifetime limit of five years of welfare benefits c)a halt to federal block grants to states d)an end to allowing states to experiment with ways to move people off welfare

a)a requirement that all able-bodied adults work after receiving two years of benefits b)a lifetime limit of five years of welfare benefits

Social stratification is a)a system that places entire categories of people into unequal groups. b)the process in which people learn the norms of society. c)the process in which people meet and marry their mates. d)a system that assigns equal status to all members.

a)a system that places entire categories of people into unequal groups.

Which of the following are the social classes that Karl Marx focused on in his analysis of a capitalist society? a)bourgeoisie b)proletariat c)academics d)farmers

a)bourgeoisie b)proletariat

Income inequality is a basic characteristic of the ______ system. a)class b)wealth c)socialist d)egalitarian

a)class

The federal government's total assets are its wealth, while the yearly revenues it receives constitute its a)income. b)leverage. c)tribute. d)debt.

a)income.

To what does Robert Putnam attribute the growing opportunity gap in the U.S.? a)increased social network segregation b)the loss of industrial and manufacturing jobs c)increased neighborhood segregation d)increased educational segregation e)decreased number of welfare programs to serve the poor

a)increased social network segregation c)increased neighborhood segregation d)increased educational segregation

A woman who enters the paid labor force as a teacher's aide and eventually becomes superintendent of the school district experiences upward mobility of which of the following kind? a)intragenerational b)estate-based c)intergenerational d)caste-based

a)intragenerational

Weber argued that Marx's conception of power was too a)narrow. b)cynical. c)idealistic. d)broad.

a)narrow.

The estate system was formed by the a)nobles' ownership of the land. b)inherited wealth of the peasants. c)equality between the peasants and the landowners. d)emergence of the priesthood.

a)nobles' ownership of the land.

Max Weber saw class as being closely related to life chances, or the tendencies of a group of people to obey formal norms and not commit crimes. a)opportunities people have to create good lives for themselves. b)status society places on people at the time of their births. c)biological drive humans have to marry people with similar genetic backgrounds. d)Confidence Level

a)opportunities people have to create good lives for themselves

Which of the following groups are underrepresented in the poverty population when compared to the population as a whole? a)people 65 and older b)women c)children d)immigrants

a)people 65 and older c)children

The bourgeoisie is also called the ______ class. a)ruling b)working c)under d)servant

a)ruling

In an aristocracy, a)there are limited opportunities for social mobility. b)social status is achieved, and social mobility is the norm. c)royalty owns the means of production. d)everyone has equal opportunities.

a)there are limited opportunities for social mobility.

What did peasants have to do under the estate system in exchange for military protection and other services from the nobles? a)work for free on leased land b)serve in the military c)give all their profits to the local church d)allow their children to be placed into slavery

a)work for free on leased land

In his study of economic insecurity from ages 25 to 60, Mark Rand found that approximately _____ of the U.S. population experience at least one year in which they are unemployed, receive welfare benefits, or are official poor or near poverty. a)20 percent b)80 percent c)40 percent d)60 percent

b)80 percent

In what way was the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act historic? a)It recognized that children are historically underrepresented in poverty statistics. b)It ended the long-standing federal guarantee of assistance to every poor family that meets eligibility requirements. c)It focused on assisting those families who were in absolute poverty. d)It did away with "work for welfare" programs.

b)It ended the long-standing federal guarantee of assistance to every poor family that meets eligibility requirements.

A social system that allows little or no possibility of individual social mobility is called a)an open system. b)a closed system. c)a diverse hierarchy. d)an achieved status

b)a closed system

A minimum level of subsistence that no family should be expected to live below is called ______ poverty. a)minimum wage b)absolute c)relative d)working class

b)absolute

Resources that are related to how people view the world, their tastes, and their languages are known as ______ resources. a)material b)cultural c)intellectual d)social

b)cultural

Participation in status groups often a)allows people to interact with a more diverse group of people. b)determines how others view you, including both positive and negative estimations of honor. c)has little to with lifestyle choices, like the clothes we wear or cars we drive. d)is biologically determined by the genes we inherit from our parents.

b)determines how others view you, including both positive and negative estimations of honor.

Relative poverty is a floating standard of deprivation by which people at the bottom of society, whatever their lifestyles, are judged to be ______, compared with the nation as a whole. a)maladjusted b)disadvantaged c)esteemed d)privileged

b)disadvantaged

Changes in the social position of children relative to their parents contribute to which of the following kind of mobility? a)horizontal mobility b)intergenerational c)gender mobility d)intragenerational

b)intergenerational

Compared with slavery and caste systems, social classes are a)more clearly defined. b)less rigid. c)more rigid. d)more unequal.

b)less rigid.

Resources that we own or control are known as ______ resources. a)cultural b)material c)social d)intellectual

b)material

The classic American "rags to riches" story is an example of belief in a)aristocracy. b)meritocracy. c)plutocracy. d)oligarchy.

b)meritocracy.

One of the most common ways of analyzing income dispersion is to rank households by income, then break them into blocks of 20%, or a)dectiles. b)quintiles. c)tritiles. d)quartiles.

b)quintiles.

The movement of individuals or groups from one social class position in a society's stratification system to another is called a)trend watching. b)social mobility. c)economic indexing. d)spending power. e)social obedience.

b)social mobility.

A complex measure that studies multiple aspects of a person's personal and professional life and his or her relation to class is known as a)cultural capital. b)socioeconomic status. c)ascribed status. d)earning potential.

b)socioeconomic status.

According to Max Weber, the term party refers to a)the condition of legally owning other people who work for you. b)the capacity to organize in order to accomplish some particular goal. c)a group of people who share the same perceived level of prestige. d)a group of people who share similar economic resources.

b)the capacity to organize in order to accomplish some particular goal.

Intergenerational mobility is declining because a)few jobs require high levels of education. b)there is no longer such a stark difference in the level of education between generations. c)parents with a high school education no longer push their children to get a college degree. d)fewer kids are interested in going to college.

b)there is no longer such a stark difference in the level of education between generations.

Intergenerational mobility is declining because a)fewer kids are interested in going to college. b)there is no longer such a stark difference in the level of education between generations. c)parents with a high school education no longer push their children to get a college degree. d)few jobs require high levels of education.

b)there is no longer such a stark difference in the level of education between generations.

Which of the following describes the type of mobility that involves moving to a higher social position or falling to a lower one? a)circular b)vertical c)rectangular d)horizontal

b)vertical

Based solely on the idea of life chances, which group would have the greatest chance of survival in times of danger? a)religious people b)wealthy and powerful people c)people of ordinary wealth and income d)active and healthy people

b)wealthy and powerful people

Which of the following statements about members of the working class is correct? a)They are uneducated. b)In the United States, they make up about one-half of the workforce. c)Their work typically involves manual labor. d)They earn more money than middle-class workers.

c)Their work typically involves manual labor.

Robert Putnam's "opportunity gap" describes a)changes in the American welfare system that are harming poor children. b)the failure of American children to live up to their parents' goals and ideals. c)a growing divide between the children of the well-to-do as compared to children from working-class and poor families.

c)a growing divide between the children of the well-to-do as compared to children from working-class and poor families.

According to Max Weber, the word class refers to a group of people who have a)the same prestige or lifestyle. b)political connections to each other. c)a similar level of economic resources. d)a similar level of education and work experience.

c)a similar level of economic resources.

Which of the following is the system in which social status is ascribed and elite status is inherited? a)capitalism b)bureaucracy c)aristocracy d)meritocracy

c)aristocracy

For Max Weber, which of the following is the ideal form of a party? (It is organized explicitly to maximize resources and accomplish goals as efficiently as possible.) a)democracy b)meritocracy c)bureaucracy d)dictatorship

c)bureaucracy

Which of the four systems of stratification allows the least opportunity for social mobility among all members of a society? a)slavery b)states c)castes d)social classes

c)castes

According to Karl Marx, to create social change, the working class must develop a)gender neutrality. b)working capital. c)class consciousness. d)competitive skills.

c)class consciousness.

Karl Marx theorized that the proletariat could create social change with a)improved race consciousness. b)female-led societies. c)collective political action. d)less government intervention.

c)collective political action.

Minimum-wage earners constitute a social class because they share the same a)ethnic backgrounds. b)leisure pursuits. c)economic position. d)political party.

c)economic position.

Which of the following is the type of social mobility people experience when they move from one social position to another of the same rank? a)vertical b)circular c)horizontal d)rectangular

c)horizontal

In his discussion of false consciousness, Karl Marx worried that the workers would adopt which of the following viewpoints? a)apathetic viewpoint b)fatalistic viewpoint c)individualistic viewpoint d)class viewpoint

c)individualistic viewpoint

Max Weber's definition of life chances involves the opportunity to provide oneself with all of the following except a)material goods. b)positive living conditions. c)intellectual independence. d)favorable life experiences.

c)intellectual independence.

According to Weber, which of the following are core elements of class? a)prestige b)birth status c)material resources d)skill knowledge in the marketplace

c)material resources d)skill knowledge in the marketplace

Karl Marx's theory of dominant ideology means that certain classes control the a)biological drives of the people in a socialist society. b)natural environment and ecology of a specific geographical region. c)means of capitalist production in a society. d)ideas promoted within a society through religion, education, and the media.

c)means of capitalist production in a society. d)ideas promoted within a society through religion, education, and the media.

A system in which a person's social status is achieved through a combination of ability and effort is called a)oligarchy. b)plutocracy. c)meritocracy. d)aristocracy.

c)meritocracy.

An _____ system of stratification allows for social mobility between strata. a)caste b)closed c)open d)estate

c)open

Cultural capital consists of tastes, attitudes, perspectives, and other aspects of culture that a)cannot be studied, unlike biological aspects. b)are biologically predetermined by our DNA. c)people exchange when interacting with others. d)a person cannot transmit to others.

c)people exchange when interacting with others.

In many societies the consequences of social stratification are made evident by which of the following? (2 Answers) a)universal education b)equal distribution of special treatment c)unequal distribution of wealth d)unequal distribution of power

c)unequal distribution of wealth d)unequal distribution of power

After paying off all one's debts, the amount a person has left over is known as a)capital. b)income. c)wealth. d)credit.

c)wealth.

Though rapidly fading, a caste system still exists in which of the following countries? a)Japan b)Brazil c)Russia d)India

d)India

In Max Weber's view, social stratification is driven by a)race, ethnicity, and gender. b)personal weakness. c)economic inequality. d)class, status, and party.

d)class, status, and party.

According to Karl Marx, which of the following will inevitably lead to the destruction of the capitalist system? a)bankruptcy caused by unions and entitlement programs b)bourgeoisie expansion beyond its means c)dependence of the poor upon the welfare state d)exploitation of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie

d)exploitation of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie

Compared to income, wealth in the United States is much a)smaller in quantity. b)less tied to social status. c)more evenly distributed. d)more unevenly distributed.

d)more unevenly distributed.

Max Weber saw class as being closely related to life chances, or the a)tendencies of a group of people to obey formal norms and not commit crimes. b)biological drive humans have to marry people with similar genetic backgrounds. c)status society places on people at the time of their births. d)opportunities people have to create good lives for themselves.

d)opportunities people have to create good lives for themselves.

Which of the following would be a member of the upper-middle class? a)mechanics b)small business owners c)nurses d)orthopedic surgeons

d)orthopedic surgeons

An interesting aspect of cultural capital is that a)schools do not address it since they do not acknowledge class. b)people who lack it are quite socially mobile. c)it enables high classes to interact easily with lower classes. d)parents often pass it down to their children.

d)parents often pass it down to their children.

Capitalism is an economic system in which a)the resources and profits in a country are shared equally by everyone. b)the government controls all the economic activities of a country. c)classes do not exist because individuals do not own resources. d)people pursue economic activity for the accumulation of profit.

d)people pursue economic activity for the accumulation of profit.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is binding on all members of the United Nations, a)ended slavery around the world in 2010. b)did not mention slavery so certain countries would not be offended. c)permitted slavery within certain boundaries. d)prohibits slavery, although it still occurs.

d)prohibits slavery, although it still occurs.

Resources that are related to our relationships with others are known as ______ resources. a)material b)intellectual c)cultural d)social

d)social

A person from a poor background who rises to a position of prestige, power, or financial reward has experienced a)ascribed status. b)social reproduction. c)downward mobility. d)social mobility.

d)social mobility.

Social position is determined primarily by a)occupation. b)education. c)self-identification. d)socioeconomic status.

d)socioeconomic status.