Sociology Chapter 8 - Stratification and Social Mobility in the United States

A class system differs from a caste system in which of the following ways? Multiple choice question. A class system requires people to marry within their class. A class system distributes wealth and power equally. A class system offers people the opportunity to move between different levels of society. A class system ranks people primarily on the basis of religious belief.

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

The class system is more rigid for which of the following? Multiple choice question. Latinos Blacks Asians Whites

Blacks

Identify a characteristic of the caste system. Multiple choice question. Caste membership is an ascribed status. It allows members of a caste to choose another caste as per their will. Caste membership is an achieved status. It allows children to assume a position that is different from their parents.

Caste membership is an ascribed status.

The vast majority of poor people do no work outside the home. True false question.TrueFalse

False

Caste systems are most closely associated with which of the following religions? Multiple choice question. Hinduism Islam Buddhism Sikhism

Hinduism

Which of the following is true of minimum wage in the United States? Multiple choice question. Minimum wage is more than sufficient to keep a family out of poverty. The minimum wage in the United States is generous compared to most other nations. In terms of real value, the minimum wage keeps pace with the cost of living but people's standards have risen. In terms of real-value, the minimum wage has failed to keep pace with the cost of living.

In terms of real-value, the minimum wage has failed to keep pace with the cost of living.

______ mobility involves changes in the social position of children relative to their parents. Multiple choice question. Intragenerational Intergenerational Horizontal Gender

Intergenerational

Identify a feature of a class system. Multiple choice question. It provides for an equal distribution of wealth and power. It allows an individual to move from one stratum of society to another. It is based on the ascribed status of an individual. It maintains an unstable stratification hierarchy.

It allows an individual to move from one stratum of society to another.

Which of the following theorists is associated with the conflict perspective? Multiple choice question. Thornstein Veblen Wilbert Moore Ralf Dahrendorf Kingsley Davis

Ralf Dahrendorf

______ refers to a floating standard of deprivation by which people at the bottom of a society, regardless of their lifestyle, are judged to be disadvantaged in comparison with the nation as a whole. Multiple choice question. Relative poverty Abject poverty Substantial poverty Median poverty

Relative poverty

Which of the following is correct according to Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore's view of stratification? Multiple choice question. Social inequality is necessary. Stratification is not universal. Social equality should be the primary goal of any society. Social inequality is unnecessary.

Social inequality is necessary.

______ is a structured ranking of entire categories of people that perpetuates unequal economic rewards and power in a society. Multiple choice question. Achieved status Ascribed status Social stratification Social equality

Social stratification

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? Multiple select question. The identification of the poor as deviants upholds the legitimacy 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. The fact that poor people can be easily influenced means they play a major role in political elections. Because of their lack of political power, the poor often absorb the costs of social change. The poor utilize the prestigious educational opportunities that the rich do not choose.

The identification of the poor as deviants upholds the legitimacy 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. Because of their lack of political power, the poor often absorb the costs of social change.

Which of the following statements about women in poverty are true? Multiple select question. The feminization of poverty is a problem exclusive to the United States. Most women in poverty are married with no children. 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.

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.

Which of the following are true statements about the poor in the United States? Multiple select question. The vast majority of poor are male householders. The largest percentage of poor people are between 18 and 64. A majority of the poor live outside of urban slums. Most poor are native-born Americans

The largest percentage of poor people are between 18 and 64. A majority of the poor live outside of urban slums. Most poor are native-born Americans

What distinguishes slavery from other systems of stratification? Multiple choice question. There is no vertical mobility in a society with slavery. In all other systems of stratification, social position is based on talent or merit. Slavery only exists in pre-agrarian societies and never exists in industrialized societies. The workers are property owned by other people.

The workers are property owned by other people.

Identify an example of intergenerational mobility. Multiple choice question. a teacher who becomes school district superintendent a doctor whose father was a house painter a student whose mother is a prekindergarten teacher a correctional officer who becomes a clerk

a doctor whose father was a house painter

Which of the following individuals are involved in precarious work? Multiple select question. a grocery store clerk a part-time school aide a part-time consultant a freelance writer a part-time Uber driver

a part-time consultant a freelance writer a part-time Uber driver

What does the prestige ranking of occupations indicate? Multiple choice question. a person's class position a person's self-esteem a person's cultural heritage a person's value base

a person's class position

The key to the objective method of measuring social class is that ______. Multiple choice question. a researcher identifies an individual's class position the class position of a person is based on causal logic those being classified identify their class positions the level of education defines an individual's social class

a researcher identifies an individual's class position

A minimum level of subsistence that no family should be expected to live below is called ______. Multiple choice question. minimum wage poverty relative poverty absolute poverty 1 percent poverty

absolute poverty

Government policies concerning minimum wages, housing standards, and school lunch programs for the poor are efforts to address the issue of ______. Multiple choice question. absolute poverty horizontal mobility relative poverty feminization of poverty

absolute poverty

Robert is a middle-aged man who lost his job as a result of the recent economic recession. He finds himself homeless, living on the street, and scrounging in garbage bins for food. Robert is experiencing ______. Multiple choice question. the masculinization of poverty absolute poverty subsistence poverty relative poverty

absolute poverty

In ancient Greece, the main source of enslaved persons was piracy and captives of war. Although succeeding generations could inherit slave status, it was not necessarily permanent. A person's status might change, depending on which city-state happened to triumph in a military conflict. In effect, all citizens had the potential to become enslaved or free, depending on the circumstances of history. Slavery in ancient Greece was a(n) ______. Multiple choice question. achieved status caste system ascribed status proletariat

achieved status

According to Herbert Gans, one of the functions of the poor in society is to ensure that dangerous and undignified jobs are ______. Multiple choice question. gradually eliminated affordably performed widely available collectively unionized

affordably performed

In the United States and Latin America, racial and legal barriers prevented the freeing of enslaved persons, which meant that slavery was 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) ______. Multiple choice question. ascribed status achieved status master status spoiled identity

ascribed status

Reaching upper occupational levels through social mobility is extremely difficult unless a person ______. Multiple choice question. obtains an advanced degree starts at the bottom begins from a position of privilege is bilingual

begins from a position of privilege

Conflict theorists generally agree that two major sources of power in American society, ______, are closely interrelated. Multiple choice question. the Internet and computer technology big business and mass media big business and government mass media and interest groups

big business and government

Which of the following are social classes that Karl Marx focused on in a capitalist society? Multiple select question. intelligentsia bourgeoisie nobles proletariat

bourgeoisie proletariat

What is the term for 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 profits? Multiple choice question. capitalism totalitarianism socialism communism

capitalism

Which of the four general systems of stratification tends to be closely tied to religion? Multiple choice question. estates social classes slavery castes

castes

In developing his conflict theory, Marx focused mainly on ______. Multiple choice question. scarce resources conflict based on race and gender class conflict political conflict

class conflict

Dahrendorf's view of modern capitalist societies merges Marx's emphasis on ______ with Weber's view that ______ is an important element of stratification. Multiple choice question. power; false consciousness class conflict; power conspicuous consumption; social status value orientation; manipulation

class conflict; power

According to Karl Marx, which of the following was the crucial determinant of economic, political, and social inequality? Multiple choice question. ethnic differentiation racial differentiation gender differentiation class differentiation

class differentiation

A(n) _____ is a social ranking based on economic position in which achieved characteristics can influence social mobility. Multiple choice question. feudal system caste system estate system class system

class system

What is the term for a social ranking based primarily on economic position in which achieved characteristics can influence social mobility? Multiple choice question. class system social study class solidarity social justice

class system

In Max Weber's view, social stratification is driven by ______. Multiple choice question. class, status, and power race, ethnicity, and gender economic egalitarianism personal weakness

class, status, and power

A social system that allows little or no possibility of individual social mobility is called a(n) ______ system. Multiple choice question. vertical class closed open

closed

The type of system in which social mobility is nearly nonexistent because the society is rigidly controlled is the ______. Multiple choice question. utopian system open system achieved system closed system

closed system

Which sociological perspective argues that competition for scarce resources results in significant economic, political, and social inequality? Multiple choice question. conflict theory feminism interactionism functionalism

conflict theory

Between 1967 and 2018, the number of American households that are classified as middle class ______. Multiple choice question. remained steady increased declined

declined

What is the term for a set of cultural beliefs and practices that helps to maintain powerful social, economic, and political interests? Multiple choice question. passive anthology passive aggressiveness dominant ideology dominant limb

dominant ideology

According to Weber, minimum-wage earners constitute a social class because they share the same ______. Multiple choice question. political party economic position social status race and/or ethnicity

economic position

Which of the following is a factor that helps determine people's life chances? Multiple choice question. education number of credit cards they possess marital status athletic ability

education

Which of the following plays a larger role than family background in social mobility? Multiple choice question. religious beliefs age gender education

education

True or false: Self-employment is easier for women than men as it is an important road to upward mobility for women. True false question.TrueFalse

false

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. True false question.TrueFalse

false

A trend in which women constitute an increasing proportion of the poor people of both the United States and the world is known as the ________ of poverty.

feminization

Sociologist Daniel Rossides uses a(n) _____ to describe the class system of the United States. Multiple choice question. pluralist model social identity model elite model five-class model

five-class model

Which sociological perspective argues that a differential system of rewards and punishments is necessary for the efficient operation of a society? Multiple choice question. conflict theory functionalism feminist interactionism

functionalism

In which of the following ways can a person rise to what Weber would call a higher status group? Multiple choice question. buy a really big house and an expensive car gain membership in a desirable group work hard and save a large amount of money win the lottery

gain membership in a desirable group

Which of the following usually dictates one's rank in a caste system? Multiple choice question. socioeconomic status age heredity ethnicity

heredity

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

horizontal

In the context of Daniel Rossides's five-class model, a basic difference between the upper-middle class and the lower-middle class is that the lower-middle class ______. Multiple choice question. includes less affluent professionals includes people who are too politically weak to exert power consists of people who lack both wealth and income consists of people who cannot find regular work

includes less affluent professionals

In industrial societies, unequal economic rewards are evident in people's ______. Multiple choice question. race and ethnicity income and wealth status and class education and occupation

income and wealth

An investment banker who earns more than $1 million a year, a food service worker who makes minimum wage, and a teacher with a salary of $50,000 per year represent the presence of social ______ within society. Multiple choice question. inequality equality cooperation castes

inequality

The study of stratification is a study of what? Multiple choice question. inequality inefficiency quality equality

inequality

What category of sociologists would be most interested in the way that social class shapes individual lifestyles? Multiple choice question. interactionists conflict theorists functionalists Marxists

interactionists

Vertical mobility differs from horizontal mobility in that ______. Multiple choice question. it involves changes only in a person's economic status it can also involve moving downward in a society's stratification system it involves role change rather than status or position change it can also involve moving to a different position of the same rank

it can also involve moving downward in a society's stratification system

A major contributor to the high poverty rate in the United States is the ______. Multiple choice question. institution of a flat tax rate large number of minimum wage workers lack of work ethic in younger generation Americans decades-long lackluster economy

large number of minimum wage workers

Compared with slavery and caste systems, social classes are ______. Multiple choice question. more clearly defined more rigid more unequal less rigid

less rigid

According to Gerhard Lenski's sociocultural evolution approach, the ______ causes economic systems to change as they become more complex. Multiple choice question. level of technology level of goods and services level of equality level of income

level of technology

Those who are considered underclass have to deal with which living condition? Multiple choice question. long-term poverty urban wealth continual education physical isolation

long-term poverty

Which of the following sociological perspectives focuses on an entire society and global issues? Multiple choice question. microfactorial macrosociological microsociological interactionist

macrosociological

In 2016, half of all households had incomes higher than $59,039 and half had incomes lower than that figure. A household income of $59,039 is therefore the ______. Multiple choice question. average mode median mean

median

Interactionists take a(n) ______ perspective when examining how social class affects social interaction. Multiple choice question. conflict microsociological macrosociological functional

microsociological

Which of the following is a perspective that looks at the individual when examining social class issues? Multiple choice question. conflict functionalist microsociological macrosociological

microsociological

The estate system was associated with feudal societies during what period of history? Multiple choice question. middle Ages modern Age industrial Revolution renaissance

middle Ages

Most social mobility in the United States is relatively ______. Multiple choice question. drastic temporary rapid minor

minor

Which of the following factors hinders the chances of upward mobility for women? Multiple choice question. competition among women modest salary ranges more self-employment opportunities high growth prospects

modest salary ranges

Which of the following is an ascribed status? Multiple choice question. convicted felon plumber monarch U.S. Senator

monarch

Women offered jobs far below their skill level are more likely than men to choose to ______. Multiple choice question. start their own business work two jobs not work at all go back to school

not work at all

Which method of measuring social class views class largely as a statistical category? Multiple choice question. declarative objective subjective conjunctive

objective

Max Weber holds that a person devotes more energy and resources to the necessities of life when the person ______. Multiple choice question. experiences a cultural shock is subject to formal social control occupies a lower social position occupies a higher social position

occupies a lower social position

Conflict theorists suggest that minimum-wage laws mainly serve to ______. Multiple choice question. ensure that the powerful do not get to keep all the money pacify those who might otherwise rebel make earnings more equal make sure everyone makes enough money to pull themselves up to a higher social class position

pacify those who might otherwise rebel

Which of the following are criteria used by sociologists to objectively measure people's social class? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. place of residence type of car income education occupation marital status

place of residence income education occupation

Women in the United States are more likely than men to be "trapped" in which of the following? Multiple choice question. poverty high-stress occupations prison marriage

poverty

Which of Max Weber's three components of social inequality is directly tied to politics? Multiple choice question. status group education power class

power

Employment that is poorly paid, and from the worker's perspective, insecure and unprotected is referred to as ______ work. Multiple choice question. precarious insecure miscalculated underestimated

precarious

The term ______ refers to the level of respect and admiration that people have for an occupation. Multiple choice question. esteem prestige power class

prestige

People whose low income leaves them disadvantaged in comparison with their nation as a whole are said to live in _______ poverty. Multiple choice question. quantitative minimum absolute relative

relative

Which of the following is harder for women, making it less likely for women to seek self-employment as entrepreneurs and independent professionals? Multiple choice question. the task of raising children finding a business niche having the right kind of education and work experience securing financing

securing financing

What is the most oppressive form of social inequality that has existed legally for both individuals and groups? Multiple choice question. estate system castes slavery social classes

slavery

Which of the following groups are considered part of the lower-middle class? Multiple select question. architects lawyers small-business owners clerical workers nurses

small-business owners clerical workers nurses

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

social

What is the term for a condition in which members of a society have differing amounts of wealth, prestige, or power? Multiple choice question. social inequality social anthropology social equality social cohesiveness

social inequality

A person from a poor background who rises to a position of prestige, power, or financial reward has experienced ______. Multiple choice question. social reproduction downward mobility social stratification social mobility

social mobility

What is a measure of social class that is based on income, education, and occupation? Multiple choice question. religious status political status gender status socioeconomic status

socioeconomic status

Weber referred to people who have the same prestige or lifestyle as being a member of a(n) ______ group. Multiple choice question. elite political power status

status

Max Weber identified distinct components of stratification. Which of the following are the components? Multiple select question. race gender status power class

status power class

According to Lenski, the emergence of which of the following leads to inequality in society? Multiple choice question. surplus resources relative poverty a dominant ideology class consciousness

surplus resources

Under capitalism, the main incentive for economic activity is ______. Multiple choice question. the accumulation of profits the welfare of the labor force the reduction of social inequality the rise of the working class

the accumulation of profits

What was the main focus of Karl Marx with respect to stratification in nineteenth-century Europe? Multiple choice question. the significance of politics the consequences of industrialization the rapid growth of the upper class the effects of economic inequality

the effects of economic inequality

Karl Marx's main focus was on ______. Multiple choice question. ways to take money from the wealthy the effects social inequality had on all aspects of society ways society could make sure that the status quo of the class structure remained intact the personal shortcomings that caused the poor to stay poor

the effects social inequality had on all aspects of society

Feminist sociologists have suggested that in order to appropriately assess women's social class standing, which of the following should be used as the basis for categorizing a woman's class position? Multiple choice question. the husband the household the individual the family

the individual

What was the basis of the estate system? Multiple choice question. the nobles' ownership of the land the emergence of the priesthood the stratification of social classes by religion the peasants' desire to work hard

the nobles' ownership of the land

Which of the following groups benefited the most in terms of increased wealth between 1980 and 2010? Multiple choice question. factory laborers the middle class the lower class the upper class

the upper class

Which are classes of the five-class model developed by sociologist Daniel Rossides? Multiple select question. the working class the communist class the socialist class the upper class the capitalist class the upper-middle class

the working class the upper class the upper-middle class

In the view of Herbert Gans, the poor in a society often absorb the cost of social change because of ______. Multiple choice question. their lack of political power the great depression and financial crisis their lack of proper education the lack of affordable health care

their lack of political power

Intergenerational mobility is declining because ______. Multiple choice question. parents with a high school education no longer push their children to get a college degree fewer kids are interested in going to college there is no longer such a stark difference in the level of education between generations fewer people entering the job markets have degrees, compared to previous generations

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

In Karl Marx's view, social relations during any period of history depend on ______. Multiple choice question. the ascribed and achieved statuses of individuals those who are politically weak to exercise significant power those who control the primary mode of economic production the percentage of people in the lower and working classes

those who control the primary mode of economic production

Members of the middle class share the goal of wanting ______. Multiple choice question. to consume conspicuously to send their children to college to advance to blue-collar occupations to eliminate the class system

to send their children to college

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 false question.TrueFalse

true

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

true

Sociologists use the term ______ to describe the long-term poor who lack training and skills. Multiple choice question. homeless underclass lower class lazy

underclass

As a result of ascribed status, people with disabilities are more likely to be ______. (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. middle class unemployed paid less clerical workers

unemployed paid less

Functionalists believe that a stratified society is ______. Multiple choice question. inherently unfair universal destructive racist

universal

According to economist John Kenneth Galbraith, which social class is "the most noticed and the least studied"? Multiple choice question. lower class working class middle class upper class

upper class

According to Max Weber, the word "class" refers to a group of people ______. Multiple choice question. with political connections to each other who have a similar level of wealth and income who have a similar level of education and work experience who have the same prestige or lifestyle

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 ______. Multiple choice question. women men the poor government workers

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? Multiple choice question. finding affordable child care women's inability to perform high-paying jobs sex discrimination in the labor market sexual harassment

women's inability to perform high-paying jobs

With regard to gender and occupational prestige, feminists and some organizations seeks to give a monetary value to ______. Multiple choice question. women's unpaid work a woman's time in school the number of children a woman has a woman's achieved status

women's unpaid work