Revel Ch. 8
Who of the following is most likely to end up in poverty? William, a retiree living in Boston Brian, a college graduate living in California Rose, a married Asian woman Meredith, a single working mother
Meredith, a single working mother
Which of the following children are most likely to be poor? Kim, a 7-year-old Asian American girl Michelle, a 16-year-old African American girl Sarah, a 12 year-old white girl Jose, a 10-year-old Latino boy
Michelle, a 16-year-old African American girl
Mary Beth made clothing for herself and her family for many years. Now, she has a small shop with several employees who create clothing based on her designs. According to Erik Wright (1985), Mary Beth occupies __________. contradictory class locations a downward status an executive status a tangential relationship with the social class system
contradictory class locations
Because Bryon is a member of the working class, he is __________ to be robbed than a member of higher social classes. somewhat less likely much less likely more likely just as likely
more likely
The two social classes in Karl Marx's model of social class are the __________. underclass and upper class working class and middle class conformists and deviants workers and capitalists
workers and capitalists
Approximately __________ of the U.S. population belongs to the upper middle class. 15% 10% 20% 5%
15%
Which of the following statements accurately reflects changes in the relationship between age and poverty? A shift has occurred, and now the percentage of poverty among the elderly is the same as the percentage of poverty of the general population. A shift has occurred, and now the elderly are more likely than the general population to be poor. A shift has occurred, and now the elderly are less likely than the general population to be poor. Research is inconsistent, and we are not sure how the poverty rate of the elderly compares with that of the general population.
A shift has occurred, and now the elderly are less likely than the general population to be poor.
What do sociologists believe is the reason that people are poor? The poor are inherently lazy and do not try to better their circumstances. The poor lack the intelligence to get well-paying jobs. People maintain the level of wealth of their parents. Features of society keep individuals from education or job training.
Features of society keep individuals from education or job training.
__________ is the concept that refers to gender intersecting with experiences of poverty. Global feminization The feminine structural position Feminization of poverty Feminism
Feminization of poverty
What is one argument against the idea of a culture of poverty? Poor people are lazy and bring poverty on themselves. The percentage of poor people in the United States is decreasing. Most poverty is short-lived, lasting less than a year. Poverty is a long-term situation, but the poor work hard to escape it.
Most poverty is short-lived, lasting less than a year.
In what way has industrialization affected the underclass? Industrialization brought with it severe mental illness, increasing the number of homeless in the United States. Prior to industrialization, members of the upper classes assisted the underclass with food and money. Industrialization increased crime rates. Prior to industrialization, individuals who are now homeless would have been able to find work in factories or on farms.
Prior to industrialization, individuals who are now homeless would have been able to find work in factories or on farms.
Sofi's parents worked multiple jobs in order to send her to college and give her a better life than they had. Sofi, now college educated, has made the jump to the middle class. What is one possible result of her social mobility? Sofi's relationship with her parents becomes stronger because of their combined success. Sofi's parents also move to the middle class. Sofi feels alienated from her parents because they spent too little time with her as a child. Sofi's parents feel betrayed by her success.
Sofi's parents feel betrayed by her success
Which of the following statements accurately describes the trend in intergenerational mobility? Children in lower-class families have almost no chance of moving up the social class ladder. Children are most likely to be worse off than their parents. Children in upper-class families are protected by their parents' position, power, and wealth from slipping down to a lower social class. The percentage of individuals from lower-class families who earn a larger income than their parents is about the same as that of individuals from higher-class families who earn a lower income than their parents.
The percentage of individuals from lower-class families who earn a larger income than their parents is about the same as that of individuals from higher-class families who earn a lower income than their parents.
Which of the following can occur when a person experiences a sudden increase in wealth, such as winning the lottery? prestige inconsistency prestige consistency structural mobility anomie
anomie
The working class includes mostly __________. blue-collar and white-collar workers blue-collar workers unskilled laborers white-collar workers
blue-collar and white-collar workers
Aaron is a member of the __________ class. His parents will have a great amount of influence on his choice of wife, because it will affect the entire family. capitalist upper-middle working lower-middle
capitalist
Theo attended the best private schools as a child, and now, in college, he is earning a degree in business. Theo is most likely a member of which class? prestigious class capitalist class no class because he plans on working with the poor working class
capitalist class
Parents in the Smith family are closely supervised at their workplace. This experience contrasts with parents in the Packard family, who have very low levels of supervision at work. This difference in workplace supervision likely results in differences in __________. divorce rates mental health child rearing wealth
child rearing
To deal with the pain associated with upward social mobility, some upper-middle-class African Americans move to __________. lower-middle-class housing so they will be surrounded by a racial mix of families rural areas communities where they are surrounded by other upper-middle-class African Americans inner cities so they can get cheaper rents, save money, and buy extravagant homes in exclusive suburbs
communities where they are surrounded by other upper-middle-class African Americans
Since 1935, income inequality in the United States has __________. decreased increased, then decreased decreased, then increased increased
decreased, then increased
Instead of traveling with her friends, Shaundrika saved her money for an eventual down payment on a house. This is an example of __________. deferred gratification exchange mobility contradictory class locations status inconsistency
deferred gratification
Markus grew up in an upper-middle-class family, but he dropped out of college, and he now works at a local fast-food restaurant. Markus experienced __________social mobility. downward structural exchange triangular
downward
What is the term used to describe societal changes that allow large numbers of people to move to a new position on the social class ladder? exchange mobility upward social mobility structural mobility intergenerational mobility
structural mobility
In the proposed three-tier society, the middle tier will be __________. police wealthy technologically trained jobless poor
technologically trained
When large numbers of people move up or down the social class ladder but the proportions of the population in each class do not change, it is called __________ mobility. intergenerational structural exchange contrast
exchange
The poor usually have greater stresses than the wealthy, which can lead to __________. improved coping skills greater work ethic earlier retirement greater mental problems
greater mental problems
In the proposed three-tier society, violence will be supressed through __________. increased government subsidies and militarized police increased government subsidies and focus on education decreased government subsidies and militarized police decreased militarized police and corporate prisons
increased government subsidies and militarized police
After earning an advanced degree and securing a prestigious job, Jess reflects on how different her position in the social class hierarchy is than her parents' position. She is experiencing __________. exchange mobility structural mobility intergenerational mobility social change
intergenerational mobility
Because the wealthy have greater control over their lives, they __________ than the poor. live longer engage in more bad habits take more risks are more likely to die of chronic illnesses
live longer
Which two social classes are less distinct from each other than any other social classes? working poor and upper-middle class capitalist class and upper-middle class upper-middle class and lower-middle class lower-middle class and working class
lower-middle class and working class
People with similar levels of property, power, and prestige are considered to be __________. members of the same social class members of the same anomie insiders to current perspectives part of the super-rich
members of the same social class
In addition to their concern about the growth of a three-tier society, sociologists are concerned about the increasing __________. militarization of the police emphasis on religion number of low- and high-skilled jobs destruction of the environment
militarization of the police
A person who is unemployed but owns a large amount of land has __________ wealth and __________ income. much; little little; little much; much little; much
much; little
Income refers to a flow of money, whereas wealth refers to a person's __________. paycheck net worth debts gross income
net worth
The higher a person is on the social class ladder, the more likely he or she is to vote for Republicans. Individuals at the lower end of the social class ladder are __________. also likely to vote for Republicans most likely to vote for a third-party candidate not likely to vote at all likely to split their vote between Democrats and Republicans
not likely to vote at all
Upwardly mobile women are more likely to __________ than women who are not upwardly mobile. marry young postpone marriage and get an education take over a family business come from a lower-income family
postpone marriage and get an education
Historically, __________ was displayed by what people were allowed to wear. prestige income property ownership educational level
prestige
Most capitalist parents and some upper-middle-class parents will __________ in order to give their children the best advantages. require their children to work during the summer between their senior year in high school and their freshman year in college involve their families in charity work send their children to prestigious preschools require their children to take after-school jobs during their junior or senior years in high school
send their children to prestigious preschools
Poverty in the United States is clustered in the __________. West East South North
south
Marcia's family is low-income, they have not gone to college, and they have very little wealth or property. They would be considered __________. status consistent wealth consistent anomic status inconsistent
status consistent
One reason that the poverty line is not an accurate measurement of the poor in the United States is because __________. people spend much more money on food and entertainment than the measure suggests the expense of child care is not taken into account the measure was designed for European countries, and it has only a partial application to the United States it is a recent creation and is not fully researched
the expense of child care is not taken into account
What is the Horatio Alger myth? the idea that upward mobility does not cause any negative consequences the idea that there are limitless possibilities for everyone the idea that crime is most often committed by upper-class individuals the idea that individuals are poor because they want to be
the idea that there are limitless possibilities for everyone
The U.S. government uses __________ to determine whether a person is considered poor. the poverty line social status the number of years of education the amount of wealth
the poverty line
The dominant members of U.S. society who tend to make the big decisions in regard to society are known as __________. the power elite corrupt, feeble, and untrustworthy high class the basic reason anomie has increased in recent years
the power elite
Soma's father died when Soma was just four years old. His mother never remarried. Although his mother has a full-time job, the family still must depend on government assistance programs for food. They belong to which social class? lower middle class underclass working class working poor
working poor