Society: Ch.8 Social Stratification

If you believe that *people living in central cities are likely to be poor because there are few jobs available in these areas*, who are you in agreement with?

You are in agreement with *William Julius Wilson*.

If you lived in a society with a *traditional caste system*, how would you expect your *marriage* to be?

You would expect your marriage to be *endogamous*.

If you followed the lead of *Max Weber*, in what terms would you think of *social stratification*?

You would think of social stratification in terms of *a multidimensional status hierarchy*.

The concept *"meritocracy"* refers to what kind of *social stratification*?

"Meritocracy" refers to social stratification *based entirely on personal merit*.

Which *area of the United States* has the highest rate of poverty?

*Central cities* have the highest rate of poverty in the United States.

In the United States, which *age category* has the *highest poverty rate*?

*Children and young adults under twenty-four years of age* have the highest poverty rate.

True or False: *Caste* systems are typical of high-income societies.

*False*: *Caste systems* are typical of *low-income* (traditional, agrarian) societies.

True or False: Two-thirds of all poor people in the United States are *African American*.

*False*: *Twenty-three percent* of all poor people are *African American*; and seventy-one percent of all poor people are white.

True or False: Today, on average, African American families have about the same income and wealth as white families

*False*: *White people* have a *higher overall occupational standing* than African Americans and also receive *more schooling*.

True or False: Because education is a right in the United States, there is very little inequality in schooling.

*False*: Although education is a right, and industrial societies have expanded opportunities, *there is still a lot of inequality in schooling*.

True or False: *Great Britain* has eliminated all aspects of its historic aristocracy.

*False*: Although the UK has a class system today, a small number of British families still have *evident aristocratic backgrounds*.

True or False: *Conspicuous consumption* refers to the fact that rich people and poor people generally shop for different products, such as food and clothing.

*False*: Conspicuous consumption refers to buying and using products because of *the "statement" they make about social position*.

True or False: In *class* systems, *social categories* are more clearly and rigidly defined than they are in caste systems.

*False*: In class systems, *social categories* are *less* clearly and rigidly defined.

True or False: The *former Soviet Union* was a classless society without social stratification.

*False*: In reality, the Soviet Union was *not classless at all*. The Soviet people were actually stratified into *four unequal categories*.

True or False: In the United States, there are *more people* in the upper class than in the lower class.

*False*: In the United States, there are *more people* in the *lower class* than in the upper class.

True or False: *Intergenerational mobility* refers to changes in social position within an individual's lifetime.

*False*: Intergenerational mobility refers to *upward or downward* social mobility of *children* in relation to their parents.

True or False: Compared with people in United States, people in *Great Britain* are more likely to experience *social mobility*.

*False*: People in the *U.S.* are *more* likely to experience social mobility; and people in *Great Britain* are *less* likely to experience social mobility.

True or False: *People who marry and stay married* accumulate only half as much *wealth* as people who remain single.

*False*: People who marry and stay married accumulate *about twice* as much wealth as people who remain single.

True or False: *Social stratification* is found in most - but not all - societies.

*False*: Social stratification is found in *all* societies.

True or False: *Structural social mobility* refers to an individual's upward or downward social movement due to personal effort or good or bad luck.

*False*: Structural social mobility refers to *a shift in the social position of large numbers of people* due more to *changes in society itself* than to individual efforts.

True or False: The *Kuznets curve* shows that industrial societies have the greatest *social stratification*.

*False*: The *Kuznets curve* shows that greater *technological sophistication* is generally accompanied by greater *social stratification*.

True or False: The *Davis-Moore thesis* implies that societies without social inequality would be the most productive.

*False*: The Davis-Moore thesis implies that *social stratification* has *beneficial consequences* for the operation of a society.

True or False: The *expansion of the global economy* has helped create more high-paying jobs in manufacturing in the United States.

*False*: The expansion of the global economy has moved industrial production overseas, causing a loss of factory jobs and creating more low-wage service work in the U.S. However, the expansion has helped create more high-paying jobs in law, finance, marketing, and computer technology.

True or False: Recent *welfare reform* has greatly reduced the *poverty rate* in the United States.

*False*: The reform has *greatly reduced the number of people receiving welfare*, but it has *done little to reduce the extent of poverty*. Instead, it has weakened families and encouraged poor people to become dependent on government handouts.

Who *coined* the concept *"survival of the fittest"*?

*Herbert Spencer* coined the concept *"survival of the fittest"*.

Which concept refers to *earnings from work or any investments*?

*Income* refers to earnings from work or any investments.

What does *intragenerational mobility* refer to?

*Intragenerational* mobility refers to changes in social position *within an individual's lifetime*.

Which factor tends to *raise your social standing*?

*Marrying and staying married* tends to raise your social standing.

To which dimension of *social inequality* did Max Weber claim that *agrarian societies give special importance*?

*Max Weber* claimed that *agrarian* societies give special importance to *social prestige or honor*.

What is a *true* statement about *homelessness*?

*One-third* of all homeless people consist of *families*.

True or False: *Class systems* assign social position based on both *birth* and *individual achievement*.

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

True or False: The more a society is a *meritocracy*, the greater the society's level of *social mobility*.

*True*: As *meritocracy* increases, *social mobility* also increases.

True or False: For most people in the United States, *social standing* remains *much the same* over the course of a lifetime.

*True*: For most people in the United States, *social standing* remains *much the same*.

True or False: *Hispanic families*, on average, lag behind non-Hispanic white families in both income and wealth.

*True*: Hispanic families, on average, *lag behind non-Hispanic white families* in both *income and wealth*.

True or False: In general, *white-collar occupations* have more prestige than blue-collar occupations.

*True*: In general, *white-collar occupations* have *more prestige* than blue-collar occupations.

True or False: In the wake of *the recession* that began in 2007, the majority of U.S. adults say *their belief that their family can achieve the American dream* has declined.

*True*: In the wake of the recession that began in 2007, the majority of U.S. adults say *their belief* that their family can achieve the American dream has *declined*.

True or False: *Max Weber* said that *social stratification* involved three distinct dimensions: economic class, status, and power.

*True*: Max Weber said that *social stratification* involved *these three distinct dimensions*.

True or False: *Societal factors that contribute to homelessness* include low wages and a lack of low-income housing.

*True*: Societal factors that contribute to homelessness include *low wages* and *a lack of low-income housing*.

True or False: The *working class* is sometimes called the "lower-middle class."

*True*: The *working class* is sometimes called the "*lower-middle class*."

True or False: The *age category* of the U.S. population *most likely to be poor* is children and young adults under age twenty-four.

*True*: The age category of the U.S. population most likely to be poor is *children and young adults under age twenty-four*.

True or False: The *richest 20 percent of U.S. families* earn 48 percent of all income, while the *bottom 20 percent* earn only about 4 percent.

*True*: The richest 20 percent of U.S. families earn *48 percent of all income*, while the bottom 20 percent earn only about *4 percent*.

True or False: The *wealth of rich people* is not only greater, but more of it is in the form of investments that typically increase in value and generate income.

*True*: The wealth of rich people is not only *greater*, but more of it is in the *form of investments*.

True or False: In recent decades, *William Julius Wilson* claims, many central cities no longer have enough jobs to support the families living there.

*True*: William J. Wilson claims that *many central cities no longer have enough jobs to support the families living there*.

How might *working class people* also be described?

*Working class* people might also be described as *lower-middle class*.

Comparing societies in history and around the world, we see that social stratification may be universal, but....what/how/why.... *varies from one society to another*.

*what is unequal* varies; *how unequal people are* varies; and *why people are unequal* varies from one society to another.

What statements about *social stratification* are *true*?

- Living standards in the United States have risen since Marx's lifetime; - More workers have unions to represent them than in Marx's lifetime; - Today, laws enhance workplace safety and set minimum wages, which was not the case during Marx's lifetime; and - Today, ordinary working people *still* experience the effects of social inequality.

If you were born into a *traditional caste system*, what would you expect based on birth?

Based on birth, you would be.... - raised to do a certain type of job; - required to marry someone of your own social category; and - encouraged to socialize with other people within your own category.

What is being in the *upper-upper class* usually the result of? And, What is being being in the *lower-upper class* more a matter of?

Being in the upper-upper class is usually the result of *birth*; and, Being in the lower-upper class is more a matter of *achievement*.

What do *critics of the 1996 welfare reforms* claim about the new system?

Critics of the 1996 welfare reforms claim that the new system *has done little to reduce poverty in the United States.*

What is a common *micro-level pattern involving social interaction*?

A common micro-level pattern involving social interaction is that *people tend to socialize with others of about the same social position*.

What are the reasons given for *why a socialist revolution never took place in capitalist societies as Marx predicted*?

A socialist revolution never took place in capitalist societies because.... - Stock places ownership of companies in the hands of tens of millions of people; - Living standards for the majority have gone up; and - The law affords workers far more legal protections.

According to Davis and Moore, how does *a system of unequal rewards* increase productivity?

A system of unequal rewards increases productivity by.... - encouraging people to *want an important job*; - motivating people to *work longer, harder, or better*; and - encouraging people to *gain the schooling and skills needed to perform more important jobs*.

What fraction of the richest people in the United States *gained at least some of their fortune from inheritance*?

About *one-third* of the richest people in the United States gained at least some of their fortune from inheritance.

According to Karl Marx, which class *forms the core of the industrial proletariat*?

According to Marx, *the working class* forms the core of the industrial proletariat.

According to the *Davis-Moore thesis*, what is *true*?

According to the Davis-Moore thesis, more *important jobs* must *provide enough rewards* to attract the talent necessary to perform them.

Ravi was born into a *caste system* in a small village in Sri Lanka. What can he expect?

He can expect to *have the same social standing as his parents*.

Where is *ideology*, cultural beliefs, found?

Ideology is found in *both class and caste systems*.

What does *ideology* refer to?

Ideology refers to *ideas* that support *social stratification*.

In 1917, *the Russian Revolution* transformed the feudal aristocracy and *placed productive property* under the control of....(?).

In 1917, *the Russian Revolution* placed *productive property* under the control of *the state*.

In 2010, about *what share* of the U.S. population was *officially counted as poor*?

In 2010, about *15.1 percent* of the U.S. population was *officially counted as poor*.

What was the *median income for U.S. families* in 2010?

In 2010, the median income for U.S. families was *$60,395*.

Marx thought of inequality in terms of two main classes. In what terms did *Weber* envision inequality?

In contrast, Weber envisioned inequality in terms of *a socioeconomic ranking*.

Which statement accurately describes *social stratification* in the *People's Republic of China*?

In the People's Republic of China, a *new set of social classes* is *gradually emerging*.

What kind of people are *most likely to vote* in the United States?

In the United States, people of *high social position* are most likely to vote.

Looking around the world today, *income inequality* is *greatest* in which region?

Income inequality is greatest in *Latin America*.

Using the sociological perspective, what do we see that *social stratification* does?

We see that social stratification *gives some people more privileges and opportunities* than others.

What is *work involving mostly mental activity* called?

Work involving mostly mental activity is called *white-collar* work.

Based on what you know about *occupational prestige*, which statement is *correct*?

Occupational rankings are *similar in all high-income nations*.

What is one good indication that *caste still operates in the United Kingdom*?

One good indication is the importance people attach to *accent in speech*.

On which issues are people of *low social position* are more liberal? On which issues are they more conservative?

People of low social position are more *liberal* on *economic* issues and are more *conservative* on *social* issues.

What is *true* about *relative poverty*?

Relative poverty is *found everywhere*.

Within which class does *roughly 40 to 45 percent of the U.S. population* fall?

Roughly 40 to 45 percent of the U.S. population falls within the *middle class*.

According to *Lisa Keister's research*, what is a *correct* statement?

Social mobility is lowest for people at the top and the bottom of the wealth hierarchy

What does *social mobility* refer to?

Social mobility refers to *changes in people's positions in the social hierarchy*.

According to Karl Marx, what does *social stratification in a capitalist society* always involve?

Social stratification in a capitalist society always involves *class conflict*.

What does *social stratification* refer to?

Social stratification refers to *ranking categories of people in a hierarchy*.

Olga works as *a district sales manager for a small corporation*. Which category correctly describes her work?

The *white-collar* category correctly describes the work of a district sales manager for a small corporation.

Where did the anthropologist *Oscar Lewis* suggest *the cause of poverty* lies?

The anthropologist Oscar Lewis suggested the cause of poverty lies in *a lower-class culture of poverty*.

A *college professor* with advanced degrees, moderate salary, and little power to shape national events can be described as having what?

The college professor can be described as having *low status consistency*.

What does the concept *"conspicuous consumption"* refer to?

The concept "conspicuous consumption" refers to *the practice of buying things* to make *a statement about one's social position*.

What does the concept *"feminization of poverty"* refer to?

The concept "feminization of poverty" refers to the fact that, in the United States, *women make up an increasing percentage of the poor*.

What does the concept of *structural social mobility* refer to?

The concept of *structural* social mobility refers to change in *the social position of many people* due to changes in society itself.

Which concept refers to *change in social position during a person's lifetime*?

The concept, *intragenerational social mobility*, refers to change in social position during a person's lifetime.

Where is the *degree of status consistency* higher?

The degree of status consistency is *higher in caste systems* than in class systems.

How would *the family of actor Will Smith and actress Jada Pinkett Smith* be best described?

The family of actor Will Smith and actress Jada Pinkett Smith would be best described as *lower-upper class*.

What is the idea that *social inequality benefits society* associated with?

The idea that *social inequality benefits society* is associated with the *structural-functional* approach.

What is the idea that *social inequality is harmful and divides society* associated with?

The idea that *social inequality is harmful and divides society* is associated with the *social-conflict* approach.

Which concept refers to the historical practice in England of *passing on property to only the first-born male descendant*?

The law of *primogeniture* refers to the historical practice of passing on property to only the first-born male descendant.

What is the *point of the story about passenger deaths* that accompanied the sinking of the Titanic?

The point of the story about passenger deaths is that *social stratification is important and can sometimes be a matter of life and death*.

What is *not* a reason given for *why a socialist revolution never took place in capitalist societies as Marx predicted*?

The statement, *"Wealth is no longer concentrated in the hands of a few"*, is not a reason given for why a socialist revolution never took place in capitalist societies.

What is the *total amount of financial assets, minus any debts,* referred to as?

The total amount of financial assets, minus any debts, is referred to as *wealth*.

What percentage of the nation's privately held wealth is *controlled by the wealthiest 1 percent of U.S. families (the "super-rich")*?

The wealthiest 1 percent of U.S. families (the "super-rich") controls about *35 percent* of the nation's privately held wealth.

The *historical replacement* of caste systems with class systems....(?).

replaces *one kind of inequality* with another.

The definition of a *caste system*:

social stratification based on *ascription*, or *birth*.