SOCI: Chapter 7

A majority of Americans believe that poverty is a big problem, but addressing it is not a priority for most. Why not? A. Many people believe that poor people simply don't try hard enough. B. Many people think that poverty is good for the nation. C. Many people recognize that by keeping others poor they can benefit in a variety of ways. D. Many people hope that the government will fix the problem. E. all of the above

A. Many people believe that poor people simply don't try hard enough.

What do sociologists call awareness of our own and others' class statuses? A. class consciousness B. ideology C. false consciousness D. cultural capital E. social structure

A. class consciousness

In a six-to-three vote, the Supreme Court upheld an Indiana law that required voters to present photo identification when voting. Advocates of the law believe that it will help to prevent voter fraud. Opponents believe that it is targeting the poor, who are less likely to have photo identification. As justice David Souter put it, "The onus of the Indiana law is illegitimate just because it correlates with no state interest so well as it does with the object of deterring poorer residents from exercising the franchise." What would a sociologist call this? A. political disenfranchisement B. the invisibility of poverty C. NIMBY D. the ideology of the American dream E. a meritocracy

A. political disenfranchisement

Although the United States lost many jobs in the recession of the late 2000s, many people are optimistic that the lost jobs will be replaced with others. However, even if the optimists are right, this shift in the economy may permanently alter the class status of many, as jobs being lost are largely in manufacturing, and new jobs are often in information technology, suggesting that the newly unemployed will have trouble competing for newly created jobs. If this is the case, what is it called? A. structural mobility B. intergenerational mobility C. intragenerational mobility D. absolute deprivation E. a caste system

A. structural mobility

Manohla Dargis called the movie The Pursuit of Happyness "a fairy tale in realist drag . . . the kind of entertainment that goes down smoothly until it gets stuck in your craw. . . . It's the same old bootstraps story, an American dream artfully told, skillfully sold. How you respond to this man's moving story may depend on whether you find Mr. Smith's and his son's performances so overwhelmingly winning that you buy the idea that poverty is a function of bad luck and bad choices, and success the result of heroic toil and dreams." What idea is being expressed here? A. that the American dream is an ideology B. that America can be a largely class-free society C. that poverty is absolute, not relative D. that most Americans will inherit their parents' class status E. Paul Fussell's living room scale

A. that the American dream is an ideology

According to Chapter 7, what general predictions can sociologists make about a person's life prospects if all that is known is the person's social class? A. what quality of education she will receive B. her college major C. if she will be a good mother D. If she'll be a "dog person" or a "cat person" E. her favorite color

A. what quality of education she will receive

In the United States, the federal poverty line is calculated using food costs, based on the cheapest possible diet that can still provide basic nutrition. What sort of measure of poverty is this? A. a measure of poverty based on conflict theory B. a measure of poverty based on structural mobility C. a measure of absolute deprivation D. a measure of relative deprivation E. a measure of social welfare

C. a measure of absolute deprivation

What is the relationship between social class and race, ethnicity, gender, and age in the United States today? A. Race and ethnicity are more important than any other factor in determining social class. A. These variables are irrelevant to social class. B. Strictly speaking, social class is determined by socioeconomic status, but there is often overlap between class and these other variables. C. These other variables matter for members of the upper class but not for members of the middle or lower classes. D. These variables matter for members of the lower class but not for members of the upper or middle class.

B. Strictly speaking, social class is determined by socioeconomic status, but there is often overlap between class and these other variables.

Which of the following demonstrates Karl Marx's conviction that social inequality would continue to grow? A. No one knows who will live in this cage in the future, or whether at the end of this tremendous development entirely new prophets will arise, or there will be a great rebirth of ideas and ideals, or, if neither, mechanized petrification, embellished with a sort of convulsive self-importance. B. The modern laborer . . . instead of rising with the process of industry, sinks deeper and deeper below the conditions of existence of his own class. He becomes a pauper, and pauperism develops more rapidly than population and wealth. C. A religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, i.e., things set apart and forbidden—beliefs and practices which unite in one single moral community called a Church, all those who adhere to them. D. For of the last stage of this cultural development, it might well be truly said: "Specialists without spirit, sensualists without heart; this nullity imagines that it has attained a level of civilization never before achieved." E. For the metropolis presents the peculiar conditions which are revealed to us as the opportunities and the stimuli for the development of both these ways of allocating roles to men.

B. The modern laborer . . . instead of rising with the process of industry, sinks deeper and deeper below the conditions of existence of his own class. He becomes a pauper, and pauperism develops more rapidly than population and wealth.

Which of the following is a form of stratification in which all positions are awarded on the basis of merit? A. democracy B. meritocracy C. capitalism D. oligarchy E. technocracy

B. meritocracy

Which of the following is NOT a component of the American Dream according to sociologists? A. the belief that everyone can participate equally and can always start over B. the belief that some people must fail so that others can succeed C. the belief that it is reasonable to anticipate success D. the belief that success is a result of individual characteristics, and that actions are under one's control E. the belief that success is associated with virtue and merit

B. the belief that some people must fail so that others can succeed

One cost of living indicator available on the Internet shows that a salary of $40,000 in Santa Barbara, California is equivalent to $14,000 in Wichita, Kansas. This is primarily because of housing, which is much less expensive in Wichita. What does this difference say about how the federal government calculates poverty? A. It highlights something that the poverty line shows us, that poverty is connected to the local cost of living, reflected in the differences in rates of poverty in different parts of the country. B. It shows that the poverty line is more or less accurate, because it has been recalibrated to take into account housing costs. B. It doesn't really relate to the way the government calculates the poverty line, because the cost of food is the biggest item in most families' budgets. C. It points to a flaw in the way the government calculates the poverty line, as the standard is uniformly applied without regard to regional differences. D. It points to a flaw in the way the government calculates the poverty line, as it proves there are far more poor people in the Midwest.

C. It points to a flaw in the way the government calculates the poverty line, as the standard is uniformly applied without regard to regional differences.

What sorts of jobs are usually available to members of the lower middle class? A. technical or professional jobs B. executive or managerial positions C. blue-collar jobs, or manual labor D. lower-management jobs E. They tend to be underemployed and often receive public assistance.

C. blue-collar jobs, or manual labor

What social class do "white-collar" workers (workers employed in technical and lower-management positions) belong to? A. the working class B. the lower class C. the middle class D. the upper class E. the upper middle class

C. the middle class

What criteria does a social class system use to stratify its members? A. heredity and employment status B. occupational attainment and gender C. wealth, property, power, and prestige D. income E. race

C. wealth, property, power, and prestige

What sort of social mobility is possible in a caste system? A. Social mobility is possible across generations, but not within a generation. B. A great deal of social mobility occurs. C. A small but significant percentage of each generation will experience upward social mobility. D. There is little or no chance of social mobility. E. There is absolutely no chance of social mobility.

D. There is little or no chance of social mobility.

How is Max Weber's idea of social class different from Karl Marx's? A. Weber did not believe that owning the means of production mattered in any way. B. Weber believed that class status was inherited and was an extension of the old feudal system. C. Weber believed that wealth was the only factor that mattered, regardless of how that wealth was acquired. D. Weber believed that wealth, power, and prestige could all affect a person's social class. E. Weber did not have a theory of social class.

D. Weber believed that wealth, power, and prestige could all affect a person's social class.

Although they make very little money, priests, ministers, rabbis, imams, and clergy are often very prestigious members of their communities. Which social theorist first suggested that this is an important element of class status? A. Karl Marx B. Emile Durkheim C. Pierre Bourdieu D. Erving Goffman E. Max Weber

E. Max Weber

What sort of jobs can support a middle-class lifestyle in America today? A. jobs in manufacturing B. skilled labor C. blue-collar work D. jobs associated with skilled trades like carpentry E.Jobs in the service, information, and technology sectors

E.Jobs in the service, information, and technology sectors