Chapter 10: Social Stratification
A caste system is
less open than a class system
According to Davis and Moore, what benefits come from social stratification?
linking rewards to the functional importance of positions promotes a society's productivity and efficiency
blue collar occupations
lower prestige jobs that involve mostly manual labor
structural functional theory
points to ways social stratification helps society operate
A system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy is called
social stratification
caste system
social stratification based on ascription or birth
class system
social stratification based on both birth and individual achievement
meritocracy
social stratification based on personal merit
Davis-Moore thesis
social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of society~structural-functional theory
Taking a sociological survey of inequality around the world,
social stratification is found everywhere, but exactly what is unequal and the degree of inequality differ from society to society
Karl Marx believed that a ____ system would replace ____ and provide for the needs of all people rather than just the needs of an elite few
socialist; capitalism
social conflict theory
stratification divides societies in classes, benefiting some categories of people at the expense of others
Among the high income nations notes below, ____ generally stands out as having greater income inequality
the United States
In the aristocratic society of Europe from the Middle Ages, until the more recent past, the three "estates" consisted of
the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners
status consistency
the degree of uniformity in a person's social standing across various dimensions of social inequlaity
In what important way does the "caste" part of Britain's social structure remain evident in that country's life today?
the queen, a traditional monarch, is the head of state
symbolic interaction theory
we size up people by looking for clues to thier social standing
All humans societies have been socially stratified although in variable ways
Social stratification has been and is found everywhere but inequality varies from one society to another
Why was Spencer's application of Darwin's theory to the operation of society incorrect?
Society does not operate according to biological principles
Which of the following is the most important reason that Canada has less income inequality than the nations of Columbia, Chile, and Zambia
Canada is a high-income nation; high-income nations typically have less income inequality than lower-income countries
This statement most accurately reflects the symbolic-interaction approach to social stratification
Social position is a matter of meanings, which in our society often reflects the quantity and quality of the products that we consume
ideology
cultural beliefs that justly particular social arrangements, including patterns of inequality
In basic terms, ideology refers to any statement that
defines inequality as fair
History shows that it is _____ to change systems of social stratification
difficult
From birth, a caste system determines the direction of a person's life, including work. In these agrarian societies, however, one occupation is open to almost anyone. What occupation is open to almost all?
farming
What most likely be characteristic of society with a more open system of social stratification?
greater emphasis on meritocracy
white collar occupations
higher prestige jobs that involve mostly mental activity
In the Unites States, a person moving from one job to a comparable job, they are engaged in what sociologists call
horizontal mobility
At which level of technological development do societies display the least amount of social stratification?
hunting and gathering societies
What type of society typically has the least amount of social stratification?
hunting and gathering society
As presented in the text, the Kuznets curve analysis uses the model of sociocultural evolution developed by____
Gerhard Lenski
What ancient Greek philosopher pointed out that every culture considers some type of inequality as just?
Plato
How would Davis-Moore thesis explain the fact that physicians earn far more money than do bus drivers?
The occupation of physician is more highly valued than that of bus driver and requires much more ability and sacrifice in terms of education and training. Providing physicians with greater rewards draws talent to that position and ensures that some people will be willing to make the sacrifices needed to become physicians
According to Karl Marx, what are the two basic relationships that people have to the means of production?
They either own productive property or labor for others
social mobility
a change in position within the social hierarchy
socioeconomic status (SES)
a composite ranking based on various dimensions of social inequality
structural social mobility
a shift in the social position of large numbers of people due to changes in society itself than to individual effort
Based on an understanding of the Kuznets curve, we can conclude that ______
agrarian societies typically display the greatest intensity of social inequality
conspicuous consumption
buying and using products because of the "statement" they make about social position
Looking historically, what is the most important reason that social hierarchies endure for so long?
by using ideology to define social inequality as "fair: and "just"
