SOC Ch 7 - Exam 2

Which statement would most likely express how a member of the U.S. working class feels about their life situation? -"We're not rich, but the security of a union job is nice." -"I worry about losing my job to some worker overseas." -"I can't complain. Both our kids got into good colleges." -"It's tough. Most months I struggle just to get the bills paid."

"I worry about losing my job to some worker overseas."

Among the superrich, some people are considered "old money" and others are considered "new wealth." What is the difference? -"Old money" refers to people who made their fortunes in traditional manufacturing industries, whereas "new wealth" refers to people who were information technology innovators. -"Old money" refers to people who are socially conservative and support conservative causes, whereas "new wealth" refers to people who are socially progressive and support liberal causes. -"Old money" refers to people who come from families that have been in the United States for several generations, whereas "new money" refers to people who are first- or second-generation immigrants. -"Old money" refers to people who own wealth passed down to them by earlier family generations, whereas "new wealth" refers to people who made their money as entrepreneurs.

"Old money" refers to people who own wealth passed down to them by earlier family generations, whereas "new wealth" refers to people who made their money as entrepreneurs.

What is the approximate monthly income of a family living at the official U.S. poverty line? -$800 -$1,400 -$2,000 -$2,600

$2,000

What is the national federal minimum hourly wage in the United States? -$5.45 -$7.25 -$10.10 -$15

$7.25

Approximately what percentage of American households are working class? -10 percent -20 percent -30 percent -40 percent

20 percent

Social Security accounts for about ______ of the income of the typical retiree. -13 percent -33 percent -53 percent -73 percent

33 percent

From 1977 to 2018, the richest 20 percent saw their income rise by -67 percent. -15 percent. -100 percent. -75 percent.

67 percent.

Studies in which people are asked to rate jobs in terms of "prestige" show some differences in ratings by age. Which person would a millennial rate higher on occupational prestige than would an older American? -Mary Dolan, a doctor -June Brewer, a sociologist -Colin Kaepernick, a professional athlete -Jerry Valdez, a police officer

Colin Kaepernick, a professional athlete

One of the main differences between Marx's and Weber's understanding of social class is that -Marx emphasized one's life chances in his understanding of social class. -Weber recognized that social classes also differ with respect to their power and status. -Marx put more emphasis on how race and gender intersected with class. -Weber argued that social discrimination can lead to class inequality.

Weber recognized that social classes also differ with respect to their power and status.

How does the government determine the poverty line? -It calculates a strict, no-frills budget based on cost estimates for different family sizes. -It multiplies the cost of an average household's rent by three. -It calculates the average cost of living in each of four regions of the United States and divides that number by the average cost of rent in those places. -Because the cost of living varies across the country, it calculates the cost of living in each region and determines a poverty line for each U.S. region.

It calculates a strict, no-frills budget based on cost estimates for different family sizes.

According to the textbook, what is one of the reasons that slavery does not exist in most societies around the world today? -It is an inefficient economic system. -Enslaving people is too expensive. -The Civil War outlawed it. -Around the world, slavery has always been considered immoral.

It is an inefficient economic system.

It is much easier for a person to experience social mobility in a class system than in a caste system. -True -False

True

Karl Marx believed that in a capitalist industrial society, the wages of the working class would never rise much above subsistence level. -True -False

True

When Pierre Bourdieu wrote about cultural capital, he was referring mainly to the educational advantages associated with coming from a "good home." -True -False

True

Income inequality is currently greater than at any time since World War I. -True -False

False

Most poor people get welfare checks. -True -False

False

Which of the following is an example of downward mobility? -Danisha, who was just hired at Wells Fargo Bank -George, who stopped receiving welfare payments because he had reached his lifetime limit -Harel, who started to care for his ill parents -Jane, who was raised in a middle-class professional household and now works full time as a clerk in a grocery store

Jane, who was raised in a middle-class professional household and now works full time as a clerk in a grocery store

Which of the following is an example of social mobility? -Jasper, who grew up in a lower-class neighborhood and became a wealthy doctor -Antonio, who moved from New York City to a suburb -Smita, who does not identify with her Brahmin caste background -Tia, who was raised as a man but identifies as a woman

Jasper, who grew up in a lower-class neighborhood and became a wealthy doctor

Dr. Smith is an open-heart surgeon who was trained at a top-tier medical school. Which of the following theorists would be most likely to argue that Dr. Smith's high pay reflects the needs of society for surgeons and that surgeons are less replaceable than many other lower-paying occupations? -Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore -Max Weber -Karl Marx -Charles Murray

Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore

According to the textbook, what is one conclusion we can draw about how social class is defined in the United States? -Racial disparities in wealth can be explained solely by family advantages. -Most American sociologists can agree on the boundaries between social classes. -Famous people have the highest occupational prestige. -One's educational attainment is one of the strongest predictors of one's occupation, income, and wealth later in life.

One's educational attainment is one of the strongest predictors of one's occupation, income, and wealth later in life.

Which of the following best explains why Latino household income has recently worsened? -The intensifying of the culture of poverty among Latinos discourages achievement and saving money. -Recent immigrants from Mexico and Central America are in low-wage jobs. -The unemployment rate among Latinos is increasing. -The divorce rate among Latinos is increasing.

Recent immigrants from Mexico and Central America are in low-wage jobs.

What is the single biggest reason why an increasing proportion of those in poverty are women? -Single women are more likely to be raising small children than single men. -Women are facing increasing discrimination in the job market. -Fewer women than men have earned their high school diplomas. -In many cultural groups within the United States, women are discouraged from seeking employment.

Single women are more likely to be raising small children than single men.

Which of the following is a true statement about social class? -In a single social class, lifestyles and personal characteristics are extremely similar. -Social class is a problematic concept because members of a single social class do not share distinctly similar, life-defining experiences. -There are sharply defined boundaries between the classes. -There is wide agreement among sociologists on exactly where the boundaries between classes should fall.

Social class is a problematic concept because members of a single social class do not share distinctly similar, life-defining experiences.

What functionalist explanation for social stratification do Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore offer? -Stratification has the benefit of matching the best-qualified workers to the most important jobs. -Stratification is the inevitable result of allowing wealth to be transferred from parents to children. -Stratification introduces the possibility of a conflict between the capitalists and the working class. -Stratification is a natural side effect of the ebb and flow of human conflict and cooperation.

Stratification has the benefit of matching the best-qualified workers to the most important jobs.

Why are Black Americans harmed by being more likely than White Americans to be offered "subprime" mortgage loans? -Subprime mortgages are harder to get final approval for. -Defaulting on a subprime mortgage carries extra financial penalties. -The list price is higher for homes purchased with subprime mortgages. -Subprime mortgages charge unusually high interest.

Subprime mortgages charge unusually high interest.

According to the textbook, what has been the relationship between higher education and social stratification in recent years? -College education has become much more difficult, causing students to drop out. -College education has become more accessible, causing more students to enroll. -The importance and value of a college education in the job market have increased. -Colleges have become less selective.

The importance and value of a college education in the job market have increased.

According to the textbook, how active are members of the lower class in politics? -They often have significant influence on American politics. -They often are active in local politics. -They are rarely politically active beyond exercising their right to vote. -They do not participate in politics, and they seldom vote.

They do not participate in politics, and they seldom vote.

The difference between absolute and relative poverty is that relative poverty is based on -a person's self-identified economic class. -changes in a person's living situation over time. -a comparison with the average standard of living. -comparisons between successive generations.

a comparison with the average standard of living.

What does Max Weber mean by a "pariah group"? -a group whose presence is a threat to the social order -a group that is both admired and feared -a negative-status group that suffers from loss of social opportunity -a disadvantaged group that is afforded special opportunities

a negative-status group that suffers from loss of social opportunity

Intergenerational mobility is best described as when -a person achieves a different class position than the one they thought they would have. -a person maintains the same class position as their parents or grandparents. -a person has a different class position from that of their parents or grandparents. -a person achieves a different class position from their siblings.

a person has a different class position from that of their parents or grandparents.

When a person does not have adequate resources to maintain their health, such as enough food to eat, the person is said to be in -absolute poverty. -relative poverty. -downward mobility. -upward mobility.

absolute poverty.

Suheir Shedd is a university professor. Which of the following would constitute her wealth? -the cultural capital in her network -all the assets she owns -the money she makes in a year -the estimated earnings over her life

all the assets she owns

What is meant by the phrase feminization of poverty? -the fact that women are more likely not to marry until they find a rich man -an increase in the proportion of the poor who are female -the notion that women are not as likely to pursue education or other skill development and end up in lower-paying jobs -the idea that women do not work as hard as men and are therefore more likely to be poor

an increase in the proportion of the poor who are female

According to the textbook, members of the lower middle class today -work at primarily blue-collar jobs. -make up about 90 percent of American households. -are rarely politically active beyond exercising their right to vote. -make over $200,000 annually.

are rarely politically active beyond exercising their right to vote.

Davis and Moore's explanation of class stratification differs from that of Marx and Weber because Davis and Moore -tend to focus more on the role of inheritance in attaining social status. -argue that blue-collar occupations deserve more prestige in our society. -argue that rewards for one's social position are based upon the needs of society. -pay more attention to the need for the redistribution of resources to make society more equal and stable.

argue that rewards for one's social position are based upon the needs of society.

Working-class children are most likely to do which of the following after graduating from high school? -travel around Europe -attend a four-year college -attend a two-year college -immediately start working

immediately start working

According to Pierre Bourdieu, working-class parents are just as interested in their children's education as middle- and upper-class parents, but working-class parents lack the ________ to help their children experience social mobility. -dependency culture -cultural capital -surplus value -structural continuity

cultural capital

Sarah believes her neighbors are poor because they have been socialized into a set of values, beliefs, and norms that result in behavior that leads to poverty. Sarah supports which of the following theories of poverty? -culture of poverty -structural poverty -blame the system -feminization of poverty

culture of poverty

According to Peter Blau and Otis Dudley Duncan, the key factor behind occupational status is -ambition. -genetics. -education. -luck.

education.

According to William Sewell and Robert Hauser, the key factor behind occupational status is -educational and career aspirations. -genetics. -power. -luck.

educational and career aspirations.

What is the definition of the working poor? -employed at least 27 weeks per year but earning below the poverty line -working at least 27 hours per week but earning below the poverty line -working full-time but earning less than $7.25 per hour -earning below the poverty line but not eligible for welfare

employed at least 27 weeks per year but earning below the poverty line

Caste systems like the one in India require that individuals marry within their social group. This system is referred to as -social reproduction. -endogamy. -social exclusion. -monogamy.

endogamy.

Which of the following is an example of a caste system? -forcing rural women in Thailand into sex work -the racial wealth gap in the United States -forcing children to accept their parents' status as their own in India -high rates of child poverty in Slovenia

forcing children to accept their parents' status as their own in India

Scholars believe that ________ has encouraged a shift to class-based systems in countries such as India that have been traditionally caste-based systems. -morality -globalization -religion -a high divorce rate

globalization

According to the textbook, members of the lower class today -make up roughly 50 percent of American households. -have household income typically lower than $20,000. -own their own homes. -are less likely to be non-White than other social classes.

have household income typically lower than $20,000. own their own homes.

French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu emphasizes the importance of "cultural capital" in determining a child's later social class. Identify the example of cultural capital. -safe transportation to and from school -adequate nutrition and rest -social awareness and emotional support -having parents who help with homework

having parents who help with homework

Dr. Ramirez is a sociology professor, and while he makes much less money than doctors and lawyers, he is viewed as having relatively high prestige because of -his professional clothing. -his work hours. -his education. -his publications.

his education.

Oprah Winfrey was born into poverty and raised by a single mother, yet today she is one of the richest women in the United States. According to the textbook, the social position we are born into affects our life chances, but our class position is also -based on caste. -based on looks. -in some part achieved. -determined by affirmative action.

in some part achieved.

The money a person gets from a wage, salary, or investments is ________; the assets an individual owns are ________. -wealth; property -income; wealth -wealth; income -income; inherited

income; wealth

When sociologists examine how far an individual moves up or down the socioeconomic scale in their lifetime, they are studying -absolute poverty. -social reproduction. -life chances. -intragenerational mobility.

intragenerational mobility.

According to the textbook, the upper class in the United States -is made up of the wealthiest 5 percent of the population. -has a distinctive lifestyle and is politically influential. -does not include people who get their wealth from investments. -consists mostly of independent business owners.

is made up of the wealthiest 5 percent of the population.

Which period saw increasing rates of child poverty? -1960s -late 1970s and 1980s -1990s -2010 to 2016

late 1970s and 1980s

Today, people are taken against their will and forced to work as bricklayers in Pakistan or as sex workers in Thailand. According to the textbook, these examples are best described as -modern-day slavery. -a caste system based on occupation. -cheap labor in a capitalist system. -the worst occupations in a class system.

modern-day slavery.

At the beginning of her sophomore year of high school, Janis's family cannot afford to buy her new clothes and shoes or enough supplies for school. Janis feels poor compared to her classmates who can afford these things. Janis is experiencing -absolute poverty. -relative poverty. -downward mobility. -upward mobility.

relative poverty.

Which of the following individuals is most likely to identify as a member of the lower middle class? -professor -doctor -school teacher -upper-level manager

school teacher

A stratification system in which certain people are owned as property is known as -capitalism. -caste. -class. -slavery.

slavery.

In systems of stratification, people are typically ranked by -personality. -social categories. -intelligence. -social capital.

social categories.

The outcome of multiple deprivations that prevent individuals or groups from participating fully in the economic, social, and political life of the society in which they live is called -social exclusion. -dependency culture. -culture of poverty. -absolute poverty.

social exclusion.

We can conclude that one of the main differences between a society based on caste versus one based on class is that -boundaries between groups are not prevalent in systems based on class. -caste societies are spreading to countries around the world. -social mobility is more prevalent in class-based societies. -globalization will eventually do away with class positions.

social mobility is more prevalent in class-based societies.

Andrew is a twenty-something, currently unemployed Jewish male from a wealthy background. Louis is a thirty-year-old Puerto Rican man who currently works in retail. In addition to class, which other difference might Max Weber point to in attempting to understand their respective social positions? -status distinctions -functionalist distinctions -ethnic distinctions -age distinctions

status distinctions

The social honor or prestige that other members of society accord to individuals is referred to as -status. -power. -class. -surplus value.

status.

Workers picking strawberries can pick 100 baskets per hour, but the value of 20 baskets is all it costs the employer to pay them their hourly wages. According to Karl Marx, the income the employer collects from the extra baskets is -cultural capital. -surplus value. -endogamy. -wealth.

surplus value.

Karl Marx called those who own the means of production ________ and those who make their living by selling their own labor power for a wage ________. -the bourgeoisie; the proletariat -producers; consumers -merchants; consumers -the working class; capitalists

the bourgeoisie; the proletariat

Toward the end of his life, Erik Olin Wright came to believe that the problem of class is really the problem of -the working class. -the middle class. -the ruling class. -the poor.

the ruling class.

Although official estimates show that relatively few people over age 65 live in poverty, these statistics may be misleading because -they do not consider the large number of people over 65 who go hungry. -they do not consider the large number of people over 65 who are homeless. -they do not consider the vast gender, race, and marital status differences of older adults. -they do not consider the high cost of rent.

they do not consider the vast gender, race, and marital status differences of older adults.

Those who believe that poverty results from structural factors beyond the control of individuals would see which of the following as a source of poverty? -unequal distribution of educational resources -universal health care -decreasing income inequality -immorality of the poor

unequal distribution of educational resources

The superrich in the United States were able to accumulate vast amounts of wealth partly because globalization enabled them to -use low-wage labor in other countries. -sell products to consumers in the United States. -make investments locally. -produce their products in one place.

use low-wage labor in other countries.

People in blue-collar occupations, such as plumbers, and pink-collar occupations, such as hotel workers, make up the -upper middle class. -lower middle class. -working class. -lower class.

working class.