Sociology Ch. 8: Stratification and Mobility in the United States

A class system employs a social ranking based primarily on

economic position

Which of the following is a factor that helps determine people's life chances?

education

Which of the following plays a larger role than family background in social mobility?

education

Which of the following types of stratification systems required peasants to work land leased to them by nobles in exchange for military protection and other services?

estate

Caste systems are most closely associated with which of the following religions?

hinduism

A minimum level of subsistence that no family should be expected to live below is called

absolute poverty

The commonly used "poverty line" measure of poverty used by the federal government measures which type of poverty?

absolute poverty

Which of the following does the upper class in the United States typically pass on to the next generation?

accumulated wealth

According to Herbert Gans, one of the functions of the poor in society is to ensure that dangerous and undignified jobs are

affordably performed

Most of the underclass live in

impoverished areas

In terms of false consciousness, Karl Marx worried that workers would adopt which of the following viewpoints?

individualistic viewpoint

What category of sociologists would be most interested in the way that social class shapes individual lifestyles?

interactionist

What is the term for the kind of vertical social mobility that involves children and their parents?

intergenerational mobility

______ mobility involves changes in the social position of children relative to their parents.

intergenerational mobility

Less affluent professionals, such as elementary school teachers, are included in which of the following social classes?

lower middle class

Which of the following sociological perspectives focuses on an entire society and global issues?

macrosociological

Interactionists take a(n) ______ perspective when examining how social class affects social interaction.

microsociological

The movement of individuals or groups from one social class position in a society's stratification system to another is called ______ mobility.

social

Which of the following is correct according to Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore's view of stratification?

social inequality and is necessary

What is a measure of social class that is based on income, education, and occupation?

socioeconomic status

A class system differs from a caste system in which of the following ways?

a class system offers people the opportunity to move between different levels of society.

What are the four general systems of stratification? 1. households 2. slavery 3. estates 4. governments 5. castes 6. social classes

slavery, estates, castes, and social classes

Which kind of society bases social placement on achieved status?

an open system

Which of the following do Hispanic children of immigrant parents typically achieve that their parents do not? 1. home ownership 2. a large nuclear family 3. a college degree 4. union membership

college degree and home ownership

An economic system in which the means of production are held largely in private hands and the main incentive for economic activity is the accumulation of profit is called

capitalism

Karl Marx believed that the dominant ideology in a capitalist society always serves the

ruling class

What did peasants have to do under the estate system in exchange for military protection and other services from the nobles?

work for free on leased land

A single mother who works in a factory sewing large sheets of canvas would be considered

working class

According to Karl Marx's views on capitalism, which social class owns the means of production?

bourgeoisie

Which of the following groups are more likely to financially assist their parents after they are married?

black couples

The class system is more rigid for which of the following?

blacks

Which of the following terms refers to hereditary systems of rank that are relatively fixed, immobile, and generally religiously dictated?

castes

Which of the following would describe the proletariat according to Karl Marx? 1. those who are known as a working class 2. those who do not own the means of production 3. those whose only means of subsistence is to sell their labor for a wage 4. those who are known as the capitalist class

those who are known as a working class, those who do not own the means of production, and those whose only means of subsistence is to sell their labor for a wage

Members of the middle class share the goal of wanting

to send their children to college

A social system that allows little or no possibility of individual social mobility is called a(n) ______ system.

closed

The working class is

declining in size

What is the term for a set of cultural beliefs and practices that helps to maintain powerful social, economic, and political interests?

dominant ideology

One shortcoming of Karl Marx's work is that he failed to anticipate the

extent to which political liberties and relative prosperity could contribute to a false consciousness.

True or false: The children of African American men who have good jobs are more likely than the children of white men to attain the same social status.

false

True or false: Women's earnings have not increased faster than their mothers' did at a comparable age, so their incomes are about the same.

false

Which sociological perspective would be most likely to suggest that studies of social class have tended to neglect the occupations and incomes of women as determinants of social rank, thereby elevating the status of males?

feminist perspective

The study of stratification is a study of what?

inequality

Conflict sociologists believe stratification will lead to

instability and social change

Which of the following statements is true about the lower class in the United States?

its members lack political influence

The basis of the estate system was the nobles' ownership of the

land

Compared with slavery and caste systems, social classes are

less rigid

According to Gerhard Lenski's sociocultural evolution approach, the ______ causes economic systems to change as they become more complex.

level of technology

Which of the following statements about wealth distribution in the United States in the early twenty-first century is true?

the wealthiest 1 percent have more wealth combined than the bottom 90 percent

What distinguishes slavery from other systems of stratification?

the workers are property owned by other people

Intergenerational mobility is declining because

there is no longer such a stark difference in the level of education between generations

Karl Marx focused primarily on class conflict, whereas more recent theorists have extended the analysis to include conflicts based on gender, race, age, and other dimensions.

true

Social class standing is heavily dependent on family and ascribed factors such as race and ethnicity.

true

True or false: Differentiation exists in every culture to some degree.

true

Sociologists use the term ______ to describe the long-term poor who lack training and skills

underclass

As a result of ascribed status, people with disabilities are more likely to be 1. middle class. 2. unemployed. 3. paid less. 4. clerical workers.

unemployed and paid less

According to economist John Kenneth Galbraith, which social class is "the most noticed and the least studied"?

upper class

In sociologist Daniel Rossides's model of the class system of the U.S., which social class contains the smallest portion of the population?

upper class

Members of which social class are particularly active in politics?

upper-middle class

Moving to a higher social position or falling to a lower one is called

vertical mobility

Which of these factors affects whether a person becomes poor?

not education or mental health

Which of the following is an ascribed status?

prince

Based solely on the idea of life chances, which group would have the greatest chance of survival during time of widespread hardship?

wealthy and powerful people

Karl Marx used the concept of class consciousness to refer to

a subjective awareness held by members of a class regarding their common vested interests and the need for collective political action to bring about social change.

An 83-year-old woman is placed at a small table in a dark corner of a trendy nightclub and is ignored by the staff. Her shoddy treatment is probably due to her age, which is a(n) ________ status.

ascribed

A social position that is assigned to a person by society independently of that person's unique talents or characteristics is called a(n)

ascribed status

An ascribed status is a social position

assigned to a person without regard to the person's unique characteristics or talents.

an ascribed status is a social position

assigned to a person without regard to the person's unique characteristics or talents.

Reaching upper occupational levels through social mobility is extremely difficult unless a person

begins from a position of privilege

Conflict theorists generally agree that two major sources of power in American society, ______, are closely interrelated.

big business and government

Higher loan balances are typically held by

black and latino students

In capitalist societies the means of production are controlled by members of what Marx called the

bourgeoisie

The bourgeoisie is also called the

capitalist class

Some sociologists have suggested that in the southern U.S. in the pre-civil rights era, an African American individual was born into a status that would always be subordinate to the status of all of the White members of the community. This is an example of a(n)

caste system

Which of the four general systems of stratification tends to be closely tied to religion?

castes

A woman is born into a homeless, single-parent family. She is very talented, and as an adult she becomes a wealthy, world-acclaimed pianist. This scenario most closely represents which type of stratification system?

class

In developing his conflict theory, Marx focused mainly on

class conflict

According to Karl Marx, which of the following was the crucial determinant of economic, political, and social inequality?

class differentiation

Karl Marx argued that social, economic, and political inequalities are dependent on

class differentiation

What is the term for a social ranking based primarily on economic position in which achieved characteristics can influence social mobility?

class system

In Max Weber's view, social stratification is driven by ______.

class, status, and power

Max Weber identified distinct components of stratification. Which of the following are the components? 1. race 2. power 3. class 4. gender 5. status

class, status, and power

Which of the following groups are considered part of the lower-middle class? 1. clerical workers 2. lawyers 3. architects 4. small-business owners 5. nurses

clerical workers, small-business owners, and nurses

Some analysts suggest that inner-city riots have frequently occurred when poor people realize that their chances of climbing out of poverty are unlikely because of the structure of our social system. Their frustration is based on their perception that they are living in a(n)

closed stratification system

According to Karl Marx, the proletariat need ______ _____ _____ to bring about social change.

collective political action

Which sociological perspective argues that competition for scarce resources results in significant political, economic, and social inequality?

conflict perspective

Which sociological perspective suggests that the higher rates of poverty among single mothers are due to the difficulty women have finding affordable child care, to sexual harassment, and to sex discrimination in the labor market?

conflict perspective

Which sociological perspective would be most likely to emphasize that a person's health and educational opportunities are affected by his or her class position in important ways?

conflict perspective

Which sociological perspective argues that competition for scarce resources results in significant economic, political, and social inequality?

conflict theory

What term did Thorstein Veblen use to refer to the behavior of those at the top of the social hierarchy when they engage in such activities as jetting off to a remote destination for dinner?

conspicuous leisure

According to Weber, minimum-wage earners constitute a social class because they share the same

economic position

A system of stratification under which peasants were required to work land leased to them by nobles in exchange for military protection is known as a(n)

estate system

In Karl Marx's view, a worker who identifies with the wealthy and believes that she can achieve great wealth through hard work is likely to have developed a

false consciousness

Which of the following terms did Karl Marx use to refer to an attitude held by members of a class that does not accurately reflect the class's objective position?

false consciousness

Which sociological perspective argues that a differential system of rewards and punishments is necessary for the efficient operation of a society?

functionalism

Which sociological perspective would be most likely to argue that most talented people would not go to school for many years to become biochemists if they could make as much money and gain as much respect working as elevator operators?

functionalist perspective

The type of social mobility people experience when they move from one social position to another of the same rank is called ______ mobility.

horizontal

When we look at economic stratification around the world, we often see big disparities in which two categories? 1. currency 2. interest 3. income 4. wealth

income and wealth

Which of the following are criteria used by sociologists to objectively measure people's social class? 1. type of car 2. income 3. place of residence 4. occupation 5. marital status 6. education

income, place of residence, occupation, and education

Which of the following is a perspective that looks at the individual when examining social class issues?

microsociological

The estate system was associated with feudal societies during what period of history?

middle ages

Most social mobility in the United States is relatively

minor

Gerhard Lenski argues that social inequality may have once served the overall purposes of society, but the degree of social and economic inequality that now exists far exceeds the need to provide for goods and services. This facet of Lenski's analysis is consistent with which perspective?

not functionalist perspective

Women offered jobs far below their skill level are more likely than men to choose to

not work at all

Which method of measuring social class views class largely as a statistical category?

objective

A stratification system that implies that the position of each individual is influenced by the person's achieved status is referred to as a(n)

open stratification system

In Max Weber's view,

people hold three distinct ranks in society

status group refers to

people who share the same prestige or lifestyle, independent of their class position.

Which sociologist first made the distinction between vertical and horizontal mobility?

pitirim sorokin

Women in the United States are more likely than men to be "trapped" in which of the following?

poverty

The fact that an unemployed coal miner in Appalachia has a higher standard of living than a doctor in Congo illustrates the idea that

poverty is relative

What is the federal government's money income figure that is adjusted annually to reflect the consumption requirements of families based on their size and composition?

poverty line

According to Max Weber, ______ is the ability to exercise one's will over others and is the third major component of stratification

power

In Karl Marx's view, social relations during any period of history depend on who controls the

primary mode of economic production

The upper-middle class is composed mostly of which of the following groups?

professionals

Which of the following are social classes that Karl Marx focused on in a capitalist society? 1. nobles 2. intelligentsia 3. proletariat 4. bourgeoisie

proletariat and bourgeoisie

Which of the following refers to a floating standard of deprivation by which people at the bottom of a society are judged to be disadvantaged in comparison to the nation as a whole?

relative poverty

Which of the following is harder for women, making it less likely for women to seek self-employment as entrepreneurs and independent professionals?

securing financing

What is the most oppressive form of social inequality that has existed legally for both individuals and groups?

slavery

A person from a poor background who rises to a position of prestige, power, or financial reward has experienced

social mobility

Which of the following refers to the movement of individuals or groups from one position of society's stratification system to another?

social mobility

Conflict theorists see ______ as a major source of societal tension and conflict.

stratification

Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore believe that positions in society must be distributed and that these positions must be filled by people with the appropriate

talents and abilities

Karl Marx's main focus was on

the effects of social inequality had on all aspects of society

According to Herbert Gans, the poor perform several positive economic, political, and social functions for more affluent members of society. Which of the following are functions that Gans highlights? 1. The identification of the poor as deviants upholds the legitimacy of conventional social norms regarding hard work, thrift, and honesty. 2. The poor utilize the prestigious educational opportunities that the rich do not choose. 3. Within a relatively hierarchical society, the existence of poor people guarantees the higher status of the more affluent. 4. The fact that poor people can be easily influenced means they play a major role in political elections. 5. Because of their lack of political power, the poor often absorb the costs of social change.

the identification of the poor as deviants upholds the legitmacy of conventional social norms regarding hard work, thrift, and honesty, within a relatively hierarchical society, the existence of poor people guarantees the higher status of the more affluent, and because of their lack of political power, the poor often absorb the costs of social change

What was the basis of the estate system?

the noble's ownership of the land

Which of the following statements about women in poverty are true? 1. The feminization of poverty is a problem exclusive to the United States. 2. The percentage of women in poverty has risen since World War II. 3. Most women in poverty are married with no children. 4. The increase in families with women as single heads of the household is a factor in the feminization of poverty.

the percentage of women in poverty has risen since World War II and the increase in families with women as single heads of the household is a factor in the feminization of poverty

Which of the following groups benefited the most in terms of increased wealth between 1980 and 2010?

the upper class

What is a common characteristic of daughters of low-income parents?

they often have to care for children, which limits their social mobility

A woman who was born and raised in a poor family becomes a regional supervisor for the U.S. Postal Service. She has experienced

upward intergenerational mobility

An inner-city youth spends many hours in the neighborhood playground shooting baskets on the basketball court and engaging in every game that he can play. His skills become outstanding, and he receives a college scholarship and then signs a lucrative contract to play in the National Basketball Association. This is an example of

vertical mobility

According to Max Weber, the word "class" refers to a group of people

who have a similar level of wealth and income

When determining social rank, studies of social class have tended to neglect the occupations and incomes of

women

Which of the following is not one of the three factors that conflict theorists believe directly leads to higher levels of poverty among women?

women's inability to perform high-paying jobs

The International Women Count Network seeks to give a monetary value to

women's unpaid work

According to Daniel Rossides, which class makes up the largest percentage of the population?

working class