Chapter 12 - Social Class7Differences
The American rich often indulge in luxury goods while pinching pennies on everyday items.
True
John Jones purchases products to show visible evidence of his ability to afford luxury goods, John is practicing ________. A) brand prominence B) conspicuous consumption C) brand positioning D) homogamy
B
We tend to marry people in a similar social class to ours. Sociologists call this ________, or assortative mating. A) hemophilia B) homogamy C) monogamy D) cultural formatting
B
The ability of a person to pass from one social class to another is called ________. A) status hierarchy B) plutonomy C) hedonic adaption D) social mobility
D
Although there are many differences between social classes, almost all these differences can be summarized by the differences that income makes in a person's life.
False
American spendthrifts outnumber American tightwads.
False
Downward mobility is not possible is the U.S. social class system.
False
The prestige of occupations varies dramatically from one culture to the next.
False
Product complementarity occurs when the symbolic meanings of different products relate to one another.
True
The flamboyant consumption of the nouveau riche is an example of symbolic self-completion.
True
The wealthiest 160,000 U.S. families are considered one percenters.
True
Blue-collar workers with relatively high-prestige jobs consider themselves as ________. A) upper middle class B) working class lower middle C) upper lower class D) lower lower class
B
A tendency for people to marry in a social class similar to their own is called ________. A) homogamy B) affluenza C) social dating D) social stratification
A
All of the following are important components of social class except for ________. A) gender B) income C) educational attainment D) occupational prestige
A
Consumers who refuse to sacrifice style, but achieve it on a budget are called ________. A) frugalistas B) the mass class C) the nouveau rich D) social consumers
A
If a member of the upper class wore shredded Levi's jeans to a formal party, the person would be exhibiting a sophisticated form of conspicuous consumption known as ________. A) parody display B) invidious distinction C) downsizing D) status anxiety
A
Most groups exhibit a structure called a ________ in which some members are somehow better off than others in terms of authority, power, or respect. A) status hierarchy B) social array C) social class D) mass class
A
Trisha grew up in a drug-ridden inner city neighborhood. Through sheer determination and intelligence, Trisha is now a medical doctor teaching on the staff of a large university hospital. Trisha is proud of what she has accomplished, but sometimes she feels stressed and uncertain of who she really is. The concept of ________ assesses the impact of such inconsistencies. A) status crystallization B) homogamy C) habitus D) invidious distinction
A
A ________ is an economy that is driven by a fairly small group of rich people. A) democracy B) plutonomy C) monarchy D) homogany
B
Evan was an aggressive, rich, and determined businessman originally from a working class family. He had become wealthier than he had ever imagined by buying and selling other businesses. Evan seemingly could do anything until he tried a hostile takeover of an established bank owned by several prestigious families. When his bid failed, Evan said "I always knew there was an elite, but up to now I thought I was part of it." What type of capital was Evan lacking? A) Economic B) Cultural C) Psychological D) Sociological
B
Luminaries from Amazon, Google, and Twitter tend to use ________. A) hedonic adaptation B) glamping C) social capital D) cultural capital
B
Of the countries listed below, which is thought to be highly status-conscious? A) Canada B) Japan C) Brazil D) Spain
B
One percenters are an example of ________. A) pay pay ratio B) income inequality C) saving rate D) plutonomy
B
Which of the following is NOT listed as a determiner of how much a person will save (saving rate)? A) The individual's own sense of optimism about his or her personal circumstances B) The relationship between the lending prime rate and growth rates C) World events such as wars D) Cultural differences
B
Which of the following phrases is the best illustration of homogamy? A) Opposites attract B) Birds of a feather flock together C) Leave no stone unturned D) To the victor go the spoils
B
With respect to social organization, some barnyard animals exhibit signs of a dominance-submission hierarchy. Which of the following terms best illustrates such a hierarchy? A) Dog-eat-dog B) Pecking order C) Social class D) King-of-the-hill
B
________ are consumers who refuse to sacrifice style, but they achieve on a budget. A) Fashionistas B) Frugalistas C) Nouveau rich D) Cosmopolitanism
B
________ describes consumers in terms of their aesthetic and intellectual preferences. A) A restricted code B) Taste culture C) An elaborated code D) Social culture
B
________ is a system in which we define people by what they do for a living. A) Status hierarchy B) Occupational prestige C) Social prestige D) Social class
B
A member of ________ has recently gained personal wealth and may experience status anxiety. Such individuals may try to display symbols of their success to make up for an internal lack of assurance about the "correct" way to behave. A) an old money family B) the taste culture C) the nouveau riche D) the mass class
C
A person who receives rewards and status because of his hard work is said to have ________ status. A) nouveau riche B) hierarchical C) achieved D) longitudinal
C
Anna is a millionaire but she is constantly stressed and unhappy despite her wealth, Anna is experiencing ________. A) burnout B) class warfare C) affluenza D) cosmopolitanism
C
Fred has been a farmer all his life. He inherited the family farm when he was 35, but that was twenty years ago. Due to the economy, Fred has lost the farm and has taken a manual labor job in the city to support his family. What form of mobility best describes Fred's position? A) Horizontal mobility B) Two-way stretch mobility C) Downward mobility D) Upward mobility
C
Sandra decided to become a nurse after several years as an elementary teacher. She still wanted to help people but in a different manner. Sandra's case is an example of which of the following? A) Downward mobility B) Upward mobility C) Horizontal mobility D) Status crystallization
C
The average American's standard of living continues to improve. These income shifts are linked to two key factors: ________. A) a shift from blue-collar to white-collar employment and an increase in computer usage B) an increase in immigration to the U.S. and the increase of technical skills C) a shift in women's roles and an increase in educational attainment D) a shift in population from the North to South and advances in human rights
C
The best predictor of major expenditures that do not have status or symbolic value is ________. A) social class B) income C) social class and income D) occupation
C
Vance comes from the lower-upper class as does Jeff. They are both madly in love with Julia, who is beautiful enough to do part-time modeling. According to the principle of ________, Julia could be attracted to both men. A) elaborated codes B) ascribed status C) homogamy D) restricted codes
C
When a Rolls-Royce, a Cartier diamond, and an Andy Warhol painting are bought and displayed as markers of social class, they are ________. A) social inhibitors B) social parameters C) status symbols D) psychological blocks
C
When people are differentiated in terms of their aesthetic and intellectual preferences, a ________ is being applied. A) culture code designation B) social cluster C) taste culture D) consumption constellation
C
Although teenagers do not have the income of older consumers, they are still an attractive marked based on income. Why? A) Because they have less money, they are more careful of how they spend it. B) Parents lead the teenagers into what they buy; hence any understanding of adult buying patterns can be useful for teenagers as well. C) Teenagers have more consumer confidence and are, therefore, more likely to be swayed by promotional material. D) Teenagers don't have the income of adults, but it's almost all discretionary, meaning that they can spend it as they see fit.
D
Amos always felt that it was unfair that society created artificial divisions that discouraged him from having friends from different social structures. Which of the following terms describes the process that Amos is having difficulty with? A) Reference group affiliation B) Bias C) Social anxiety D) Social stratification
D
China's economic boom has created 130 million people in what social class? A) Upper-upper class B) Lower-upper class C) Upper-lower class D) Lower-middle class
D
Harry was the lead singer in a band that hit it big. For his birthday, Harry had two hundred friends flown by chartered jets to a private island in the South Pacific. They ate the most expensive food, and every morning the bungalows were burned to the ground and rebuilt for the next night. Harry's party is a good example of ________. A) parody display B) social mobility C) ascribed status D) conspicuous consumption
D
Hundreds of millions of consumers around the world have the purchasing power to afford higher quality products. This consumer group, known as the ________, tend to buy affordable cars rather than luxury cars. A) plutonomy B) taste culture C) leisure class D) mass class
D
Jim is considered a part of the upper middle class, while Marcos is considered part of the lower upper class. Jim and Marcos have been identified in terms of ________. A) cultural capital B) occupational prestige C) social rank D) social class
D
SRBI Consulting Business Intelligence divides consumers into which of the following groups? A) Luxury is functional B) Luxury is a reward C) Luxury is indulgence D) All of the above
D
________ measures how optimistic or pessimistic people are about the future health of the economy and how they will fair in the future. A) Income inequality B) Credit score C) Saving rate D) Consumer confidence
D
A co-branding strategy was being utilized when the Taco Bell Chihuahua showed up in a commercial for Geico insurance.
True
A consumer's belief about what the future holds is an indicator of consumer confidence.
True
A sophisticated form of conspicuous consumption is called parody display.
True
An economy that is driven by a fairly small number of rich people is called a plutonomy.
True
An example of social mobility is when a consumer moves from one social class to another.
True
Discretionary income is the money available to a household over and above that required for a comfortable standard of living.
True
Education is one determining factor in future income.
True
Consumers who buy everything in sight are called ________. A) tightwads B) spendthrifts C) justifiers D) balancers
B
Many twenty-somethings have rebelled against their more affluent parents by mocking wealth, wearing clothing such as shredded jeans and driving boxy cars. These are examples of what is called a modern potlatch.
False
Of the three groups of attitudes toward luxury, the largest group is "luxury is indulgence"; this view is held mainly by wealthy seniors citizens.
False
Plutonomy refers to the passage of individuals from one social class to another.
False
Samuel would like to use occupational prestige to measure social class, but his study is international, and prestige of occupation changes from one culture to the next.
False
Social capital refers to an individual's knowledge of the "right" behavior used in the realm of the upper class.
False
Restricted codes focus on the content of objects, not on relationships among objects.
True
Social stratification refers to the creation of artificial divisions in a society.
True
Tian Zhao's parents were peasants from central China. Tian earned a degree in electronics from a university and now works for a medium-sized firm building computer components. Tian has purchased a Canon camera and a Dell computer, and he wears Nike running shoes. He is a member of the mass class.
True