Sociology Chapter 7
The sociological term for the movement of individuals or groups from one level in a stratification system to another is __________. a. life chances b. stratification c. social mobility d. meritocracy
Social mobility
__________ is the sociological term for the hierarchical arrangement of large social groups based on the control of basic resources. a. Bureaucracy b. Ethnocentrism c. Social stratification d. Social layering
Social stratification
According to Forbes magazine, the richest people in the world are Mexican entrepreneur Carlos Slim Helu, Bill Gates (co-founder of Microsoft Corporation), and investor Warren Buffet. In Wright's Marxian model these men would be members of the __________ class. a. managerial b. capitalist c. small-business d. working
Capitalist
Both Karl Marx and Max Weber identified ___________ as an important determinant of social inequality and social change. a. religion b. class c. gender d. race
Class
The open stratification system based on the ownership and control of resources, as well as the type of work people do, is termed __________. a. caste b. slavery c. estate d. class
Class
__________ theorists stress that schools are agencies for perpetuating social inequality because parents with limited income are not able to provide the same educational opportunities for their children as are families with greater financial resources. a. Conflict b. Symbolic interactionist c. Postmodern d. Functionalist
Conflict
When analyzing social class, __________ are most likely to consider the degree of control that workers have over the decision-making process and their ability to plan and implement their own work. a. postmodern theorists b. functionalist theorists c. symbolic interactionist theorists d. conflict theorists
Conflict theorists
When __________ behavior occurs between nonequals, it confirms the inequality of the relationship. a. front-stage b. deference c. stratification d. meritocracy
Deference
Corporations have been disinvesting in the United States, displacing millions of people from their jobs. Economists refer to this displacement as the __________ of America. a. deinstitutionalization b. deindustrialization c. disengagement d. abandonment
Deindustrialization
Computers and other technologies perform a great deal of work today, reducing the need for workers with special expertise. As a result, high-paying positions have been replaced with low-paying positions. This process has been termed __________. a. deinstitutionalization b. deindustrialization c. disengagement d. deskilling
Deskilling
Sociologists often use the term __________ to refer to a classification that reflects a combination of factors such as income, occupation, and education. a. power status b. socioeconomic status c. prestige status d. wealth status
Socioeconomic status
In a class system_____________________________. a. status is based on access to and ownership of resources b. the boundaries are more distinct than in a caste system c. one's status is entirely ascribed d. mobility is as closed as a caste system
Status is based on access to and ownership of resources
According to Marx, the capitalist class maintains its position at the top of the class structure by control of the society's __________, which is composed of the government, schools, churches, and other social institutions. a. substructure b. superstructure c. ecostructure d. infrastructure
Superstructure
Meredith studies how waiters are treated by diners at a country club in order to learn about the daily structure of inequality and how these patterns are enacted and replicated. Meredith is a __________. a. functionalist b. conflict theorist c. symbolic interactionist d. feminist
Symbolic interactionist
Caste systems and slavery are both __________. a. systems where status is determined at birth b. systems where persons are considered property c. open systems of stratification d. based on achieved, not ascribed, status
Systems where status is determined at birth
The United States is currently experiencing the greatest economic setback since_______________. a. the Revolutionary War b. the Great Depression c. World War II d. the 1980s savings and loan scandals
The Great Depression
Marx's theory had important insights into capitalist societies; for example,________________. a. the economic basis of class systems b. despite economic differences, classes share values and beliefs c. different classes work together for the well-being of a society d. values and beliefs are more important than the material wealth one holds
The economic basis of class systems
In the late 1970s, sociologist Diana Pearce coined the term __________to refer to the trend in which women are disproportionately represented among individuals living in poverty. a. the feminization of poverty b. matriarchal poverty c. pink‑collar poverty d. gendered poverty
The feminization pf poverty
One of the most important characteristics of systems of stratification is their degree of flexibility. In a closed system of stratification __________. a. people's positions are set by achieved statuses b. there is little or no social mobility c. the boundaries between levels in the hierarchies of social stratification are relatively fluid d. many opportunities exist for people who are willing to work hard
There is little or no social mobility
The term __________ refers to those who are poor, are seldom employed, and experience long-term deprivation. a. working class b. underclass c. middle class d. working poor
Underclass
In addition to unemployment, structural problems contribute to __________, where people work at jobs that do not pay a living wage and lack security. a. underemployment b. subemployment c. minor employment d. marginal employment
Underemployment
A combination of three factors qualifies people for the __________ class: university degrees, authority and independence on the job, and high income. a. upper-upper b. middle-middle c. lower-middle d. upper-middle
Upper-middle
In the model of American social classes based on Weber's theory, the __________ is made up of prominent families that have held great wealth for several generations. a. lower-upper b. new money c. upper-upper d. upper-middle
Upper-upper
Becky's mother is an architect and her father is a college professor. Becky left home at age 16 to live with her boyfriend. When their relationship ended, Becky no longer communicated with her parents and did not return to high school. After working briefly at a fast food restaurant, Becky resorted to asking passersby at a local shopping area for money. Becky's story illustrates the concept of __________. a. vertical mobility b. horizontal mobility c. structural mobility d. collateral mobility
Vertical mobility
__________ occurs when people experience movement either up or down the class structure. a. Lateral mobility b. Vertical mobility c. Situational mobility d. Horizontal mobility
Vertical mobility
Slavery in the United States ___________. a. was not defined by law and custom prior to the Revolutionary War b. was a temporary status for most slaves c. was challenged by some slaves through acts of resistance and sabotage d. is a thing of the past and no longer an issu
Was challenged by some slaves through acts of resistance and sabotage
The term __________ include(s) property such as buildings, land, farms, houses, factories, and cars, as well as other assets such as bank accounts, corporate stocks, bonds, and insurance policies. a. income b. benefits c. wealth d. endowments
Wealth
__________ is the value of all of a person's or family's economic assets, including income, personal property, and income-producing property. a. Power b. Wealth c. Prestige d. Class
Wealth
The term pink-collar refers to_____________________________. a. women workers, regardless of their type of profession or occupation b. women in working-class positions, including machine operators and factory workers c. semiskilled positions that are low paying, are not manual labor, and are primarily held by women d. any type of occupation or position in which emotional labor is the dominant feature
Women workers, regardless of their type of profession or occupation
Marx described workers as alienated for a variety of reasons, including that __________. a. workers are alienated from the goods they produce because they use their creativity and labor to produce them but do not own them b. workers are alienated from their work because they are forced to do it for survival c. workers are alienated from other workers because they live in different areas of the city d. workers are alienated from God because they do not have time to worship
Workers are alienated from the goods they produce because they use their creativity and labor to produce them but do not own them
Skilled blue-collar workers, which include electricians, plumbers, and carpenters, and unskilled blue-collar workers which include janitors and gardeners, are all members of the __________, according to the Marxian model of class. a. working b. managerial c. small-business d. capitalist
Working
An estimated 30 percent of the U.S. population is __________, which includes occupations such as semiskilled machine operators in factories and people in the service sector, such as clerks and salespeople. a. upper-middle class b. working class c. middle class d. working poor
Working class
In Wright's Marxian model, the __________ is made up of a number of subgroups, including blue-collar workers, some of whom are highly skilled and well-paid and others of whom are unskilled and poorly paid. a. small-business class b. capitalist class c. working class d. managerial class
Working class
Weber called the class consisting of skilled, semiskilled, and unskilled workers the __________. a. entrepreneurial class b. working class c. upper class d. middle class
Working class
About 20 percent of the U.S. population lives from just above to just below the poverty line. These people typically hold unskilled jobs, seasonal migrant jobs in agriculture, and lower-paid factory and service jobs and are termed the __________. a. working class b. underclass c. middle class d. working poor
Working poor
Social critic and journalist Barbara Ehrenreich demonstrated that people in the __________ use strategies like help from relatives and continually changing residences in order to survive. a. working class b. underclass c. middle class d. working poor
Working poor
Working single mothers and their children and African Americans are overrepresented among the __________. a. middle class b. working poor c. upper class d. working class
Working poor
The U.S. Social Security Administration has established an official poverty line. The poverty line is computed by _______________________________. a. correlating wealth and the cost-of-living index b. determining the cost of a minimally nutritious diet (short-term) and multiplying this figure by 3 to allow for nonfood costs. c. estimating the annual cost of living and dividing by 12. d. surveys to determine how much people spend on housing, food, and other necessities.
Determining the cost of a minimally nutrytious diet (short-term) and multiplying this figure by 3 to allow for nonfood costs
Contemporary Marxian (or conflict) theorists examine class in terms of __________. a. the ownership or nonownership of the means of production b. wealth inequality c. people's relationships with others in the production process d. a multidimensional approach of wealth, prestige, and power
People's relationships with others in the production process
According to sociologist Max Weber's system of stratification, __________ is the ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite opposition from others. a. wealth b. power c. status d. prestige
Power
Weber defined social class using ___________ as a major contributor. a. religion b. ethnicity c. race d. power
Power
Which age group (of all races) has the highest percentage living in poverty? a. 0-18 years b. 18-34 years c. 35-64 years d. over age 65
0-18 years
According to the social class model developed by Gilbert and Kahl, and based on the theory of Weber, the upper (capitalist) class of the United States includes about __________ of the population. a. 1 percent b. 3 percent c. 8 percent d. 12 percent
1 percent
The upper-middle class is comprised of highly educated professionals, such as physicians, attorneys, stockbrokers, and corporate managers, which make up about __________ of the population. a. 3 percent b. 8 percent c. 14 percent d. 30 percent
14 percent
The U.S. poverty rate in 2012 was __________. a. 2 percent b. 8 percent c. 11 percent d. 15 percent
15 percent
For many of the working poor, medical insurance is out of the question. In 2010, approximately __________ of people in the United States were without health insurance coverage. a. 1 percent b. 7 percent c. 16 percent d. 25 percent
16 percent
The U.S. State Department estimates that about __________ foreigners are brought to the United States and enslaved annually. a. 2,500 b. 9,500 c. 11,500 d. 17,500
17,500
Whereas Marx defined class in purely economic terms, Max Weber developed a multidimensional approach to social stratification that reflects the interplay among wealth, prestige, and __________. a. income b. power c. occupation d. race/ethnicity
Power
The dimension of Weber's system of stratification that helps determine one's class consists of the respect or regard that a person is given by others, and is called __________. a. wealth b. power c. status d. prestige
Prestige
Marx used the term __________ to refer to those who must sell their labor to the owners in order to earn enough money to survive. a. proletariat b. rentiers c. bourgeoisie d. entrepreneurs
Prolrctariat
A difference between the caste system in India and the caste system in South Africa is that in South Africa caste was based largely on __________. a. religious identification b. racial classification c. occupation d. wealth
Racial classification
__________ poverty exists when people may be able to afford basic necessities but are still unable to maintain an average standard of living. a. Absolute b. Relative c. Official d. Objective
Relative
Of the richest 20 people in the world, how many are women? a. 3 b. 4 c. 6 d. 8
3
In 2012, the poorest 20 percent of households in the United States received approximately __________ of the total income pie. a. 3 percent b. 9 percent c. 12 percent d. 17 percent
3 percent
About __________ of the U.S. population is included in the underclass. a. 1 to 2 percent b. 3 to 5 percent c. 8 to 10 percent d. 15 percent
3 to 5 percent
In 2012, the top 5 percent of households in the United States received more than 20 percent of all income—an amount greater than that received by the bottom __________ of all households. a. 25 percent b. 40 percent c. 65 percent d. 75 percent
40 percent
In 2009, the wealthiest 20 percent of households in the United States received approximately __________ percent of the total income pie. a. 25 b. 50 c. 75 d. 90
50
Weber used the term __________ for the category of wealthy individuals who live off their investments and do not have to work. a. entrepreneurs b. rentiers c. independents d. consumers
Rentiers
__________ is an extreme form of stratification in which some people are owned by others. It is a closed system in which people are treated as property and have little or no control over their lives. a. League b. Slavery c. Class d. Caste
Slavery
Poor people in the United States______________________________. a. have longer life expectancies b. have children that are at much greater risk of dying during their first year of life c. receive more preventive medical and dental checkups than do members of the middle class because of welfare benefits d. are at greater risk for heart disease and cancer than more affluent persons
Are at greater risk for heart disease and cancer than more affluent persons
In the Marxian model of Erik Wright, business owners and craftspeople that may hire a small number of employees but largely do their own work would be considered __________ class. a. small-business b. capitalist c. working d. managerial
Small-business
Marx used the term __________ for those who own the means of production—the land and capital necessary for factories and mines. a. entrepreneurs b. proletariat c. rentiers d. bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
Davis and Moore, two functionalists, believe that stratification results in __________. a. a capitalist system b. socialism c. a meritocracy d. worker revolution
A meritocracy
__________ poverty refers to the condition in which people do not have the means to secure the most basic necessities of life. a. Absolute b. Relative c. Official d. Subjective
Absolute
__________ is the most likely to have life-threatening consequences, such as when a homeless person freezes to death on a park bench. a. Subjective poverty b. Relative poverty c. Absolute poverty d. Official poverty
Absolute poverty
Which of these racial/ethnic groups has the highest rate of poverty? a. Whites b. African Americans c. Asian Americans d. Hispanics
African Americans
Marx used the term __________ for the feeling of powerlessness and estrangement from other people and from oneself that he suggested resulted from continually being exploited. a. accommodation b. meritocracy c. assimilation d. alienation
Alienation
Sociologist Karl Marx believed that the workers are exploited as capitalists maximize their profit by paying the workers less than the resale values of what they produce. Marx believed that this resulted in a feeling of powerlessness and estrangement that he called __________. a. anomie b. alienation c. stratification d. verstehen
Alienation
Until the 1990s, white South Africans controlled the government, the police, and the military by enforcing __________, the term used in South Africa for "the separation of the races." a. alienation b. apartheid c. stratification d. classification
Apartheid
Marx predicted that when workers realized that capitalists were the source of their oppression, they would overthrow the capitalists and take over the government, creating a(n) __________ society. a. class b. caste c. egalitarian d. stratified
Egalitarian
In a caste system, people are allowed to marry only within their own group. This is termed __________. a. endogamous b. exogamous c. polygamous d. homogamous
Endogamous
Sociologist Max Weber placed categories of people who have a similar level of wealth and income in the same class. He referred to the privileged commercial class of wealthy bankers, ship owners, professionals, and merchants who possess similar financial resources as __________. a. entrepreneurs b. rentiers c. independents d. consumers
Entrepreneurs
According to the text, one of the most important characteristics of systems of stratification is their degree of __________. a. authenticity b. fairness c. flexibility d. visibility
Flexibility
The Department of Agriculture uses the term __________ for people whose access to adequate food is limited by lack of money and other resources. a. food insecure b. hunger c. malnutrition d. impoverished
Food insecure
From the perspective of __________, social inequality is not only inevitable; it is an essential part of any healthy society. a. functionalism b. conflict theory c. symbolic interactionism d. differential association
Functionalist
__________ theorists view education as the "elevator" to social mobility. They see education as providing all students with opportunities, and they argue that students' abilities are now more important than their class, race, or gender in determining success. a. Postmodern b. Conflict c. Functionalist d. Symbolic interactionist
Functionalist
Social inequality and poverty have both economic and structural sources. According to your text, in the United States a great deal of poverty is due to __________. a. people's unwillingness to work b. governmental programs, such as welfare, that have kept families dependent over several generations c. high unemployment and the low wages paid for many jobs d. people's desire for immediate gratification and overuse of credit cards
High unemployment and the low wages paid for many jobs
A factory worker is promoted to the position of foreman in the factory. She receives a small increase in pay. This person has experienced __________ mobility. a. situational b. vertical c. horizontal d. structural
Horizontal
. __________ occurs when people experience a gain or loss in position and/or income that does not produce a change in their place in the class structure. a. Horizontal mobility b. Situational mobility c. Vertical mobility d. Structural mobility
Horizontal mobility
__________ is the term for economic gain derived from wages, salaries, income transfers (government aid), and ownership of property. a. Wealth b. Prestige c. Power d. Income
Income
Vestiges of a caste system exist today in __________. a. India and South Africa b. Australia c. Southeast Asia and the Philippines d. many countries in South America
India and South Africa
When Carlos's grandfather migrated to the United States, he had completed six years of schooling and was an agricultural worker in California. Carlos's father completed high school and worked for twenty years as a clerk in a large state agency. Through the efforts of his father and grandfather, Carlos was able to graduate from college and medical school, and he now has a thriving medical practice in southern California. Carlos's family exemplifies __________ mobility. a. intragenerational b. exchange c. intergenerational d. structural
Intergenerational
__________ mobility is the social movement experienced by family members from one generation to the next. a. Intergenerational b. Structural c. Intragenerational d. Exchange
Intergenerational
__________ mobility refers to the social movement of individuals within their own lifetime. a. Intergenerational b. Structural c. Intragenerational d. Exchange
Intragenerational
`Camryn started her career as a high-tech factory worker and, through increased experience and taking specialized courses in her field, became an entrepreneur and started her own highly successful business. Camryn's advancement is an example of __________ mobility. a. exchange b. intergenerational c. structural d. intragenerational
Intragenerational
Wealth in the United States________________________. a. is computed by subtracting assets from debt b. is most likely invested in income-producing property c. is more evenly distributed than income d. is nonexistent for nearly 1 in 4 U.S. households
Is nonexistent for nearly 1 in 4 U.S. housholds
The minimum wage_____________________________. a. is determined by the federal government for all states b. is set by the federal government, but individual states may adopt a higher rate c. is suggested by the federal government, but individual states are free to adopt one that is higher or lower d. is set on a state-by-state basis with no involvement of the federal government
Is set by the federal government, but individual states may adopt a higher rate
Sociologist Max Weber's term __________ refers to the extent to which individuals have access to important societal resources such as food, clothing, shelter, education, and health care. a. life chances b. cultural opportunity c. social stratification d. social prospects
Life chances
Today, great disparities exist in the distribution of educational resources. Because funding for education comes primarily from __________, school districts in wealthy suburban areas generally pay higher teachers' salaries, have newer buildings, and provide state-of-the-art equipment. a. federal government taxes b. local property taxes c. state taxes d. a combination of state and federal taxes
Local property taxes
Members of the __________ have earned most of their money during their own lifetime. This class includes entrepreneurs, presidents of major corporations, sports or entertainment celebrities, and top-level professionals. a. middle-upper class b. upper-upper class c. upper-middle class d. lower-upper class
Lower-upper class
In Wright's Marxian model, persons who have substantial control over production and over workers but do not participate in key corporate decisions such as how to invest profit are the __________. a. capitalist class b. small-business class c. working class d. managerial class
Managerial class
Workers have not overthrown capitalism as Marx had predicted because __________. a. many workers have experienced a rising standard of living b. workers have lost legal protections in the form of rights and benefits c. individual capitalists still own and control factories and other means of production d. fewer people are engaged in the economy
Many workers have experienced a raising standard of living
The model of the American class system based on the work of __________ is based on three elements: education, occupation of family head, and family income. a. C. Wright Mills b. Karl Marx c. Max Weber d. George Simmel
Max Weber
Whereas Marx defined class in purely economic terms, sociologist __________ developed a multidimensional approach to social stratification that reflects the interplay among wealth, prestige, and power. a. Karl Marx b. Emile Durkheim c. Herbert Spencer d. Max Weber
Max Weber
Occupations such as medical technicians, teachers, and nurses pertain to the __________, which makes up an estimated 30 percent of the U.S. population. a. middle class b. upper class c. upper-upper class d. upper-middle class
Middle class
Of the two categories of people who work for wages, Weber called the white-collar workers, public officials, managers, and professionals the __________. a. entrepreneurial class b. working class c. upper class d. middle class
Middle class
A difference between the caste system in India and the caste system in South Africa is that in India caste was based in part on __________. a. religious identification b. racial classification c. occupation d. wealth
Occupation
