[MKT 3411] CH11: Social Class and Lifestyles

Which of the following theorists is best known for arguing that an individual's relationship to the means of production determines his position in society? A) Karl Marx B) Max Weber C) Horatio Alger D) Thorstein Veblen

A) Karl Marx

________ defines a pattern of consumption reflecting a person's choices on how he or she spends their time and money. A) Lifestyle B) Habitus C) Social class D) Cultural capital

A) Lifestyle

According to a classic view of the American class structure, the newer social elites, drawn from current professionals, belong to which of the following social class categories? A) Lower-Upper B) Upper-Upper C) Upper-Middle D) Lower-Middle

A) Lower-Upper

The lower classes use more restrictive codes than do the upper classes. How does this knowledge change the way insurance might be sold to a working-class man compared to an upper-class man? A) The promotion to the working-class man should emphasize his immediate satisfaction in knowing that his family will be cared for, while the upper-class promotion should emphasize the long-term consequences of the choice. B) The promotion to the working-class man should emphasize the long-term benefits of insurance, while the upper-class promotion should emphasize the short-term consequences of the choice. C) The promotion to the working-class man should emphasize pictures while the upper-class promotion should emphasize words. D) Both men would receive the same ad because elaboration codes have been found to be irrelevant to this product category.

A) The promotion to the working-class man should emphasize his immediate satisfaction in knowing that his family will be cared for, while the upper-class promotion should emphasize the long-term consequences of the choice.

A person who is born into a rich, powerful family is said to have ________ status. A) ascribed B) hierarchical C) achieved D) longitudinal

A) ascribed

Fred Johnson has worked hard all of his life to make a decent living for himself and his family. However, in recent years he has become obsessed with a fear of being ruined, either because of losing his job or losing all of his savings. According to clinical psychologists, Fred Johnson's fear of being ruined is equated to which of the following phobias? A) atephobia B) harpaxophia C) peniaphobia D) aurophobia

A) atephobia

Pierre Bourdieu concluded that "taste" is a ________ that causes consumption preferences to cluster together. A) habitus B) code C) hierarchy D) capital

A) habitus

Social class is a strong predictor of purchases that have symbolic aspects, but low to moderate prices. Which of the following is the best example of a product with those characteristics? A) liquor B) cars C) homes D) refrigerators

A) liquor

If a social researcher wanted to investigate social status in a small city, her best choice for a questionnaire would be one that included questions or observations on education, area of residence, total family income per year, and ________. A) occupation prestige level of the household head B) membership groups of the primary income earners C) ability to utilize electronic communication channels D) ability to win friends and influence people

A) occupation prestige level of the household head

If the super rich bought "shredded Levi's jeans" to wear to formal parties, they would be exhibiting a sophisticated form of conspicuous consumption known as ________. A) parody display B) invidious distinction C) downsizing D) elaborated codes

A) parody display

Sharon noticed that many of her high-end, outdoor spa customers drive Volvos, a luxury car known for its safety record and high performance. Which of the following terms best illustrates what Sharon has observed in her customers? A) product complementarity B) motivational compliance C) conscientious association D) parody display

A) product complementarity

Trisha grew up in a drug-ridden inner-city neighborhood. Through sheer determination and intelligence, Trisha is now a medical doctor teaching on the staff of a large university hospital. Trisha is proud of what she has accomplished, but sometimes she feels like she isn't quite sure who she really is. The concept of ________ assesses the impact of such inconsistencies. A) status crystallization B) hierogamy C) habitus D) invidious distinction

A) status crystallization

Most groups exhibit a structure called a ________ in which some members are somehow better off than others. A) status hierarchy B) social array C) social mobility D) symbolic reference

A) status hierarchy

A person in the middle class, but with an income at least 15 percent lower than the median for the middle class, would be known as a(n) ________ consumer. A) underprivileged B) invidious C) restricted D) conspicuous

A) underprivileged

Jason is a marketing researcher working for a client who believes that social class will be an important segmenting device. Jason decides to find social class categories by simply asking respondents to pick their own category. Which of the following best supports Jason's approach? A) Most Americans don't mind talking about social class but usually misclassify themselves. B) American consumers generally have little difficulty accurately placing themselves in the lower-middle class or middle class. C) American consumers are generally better able to identify their neighbors' social class than their own social class. D) Respondents will list the social class they wish to belong to rather than the one they actually occupy.

B) American consumers generally have little difficulty accurately placing themselves in the lower-middle class or middle class.

Psychologists use the term homogamy to describe "assortative mating." Which of the following phrases is the best illustration of homogamy? A) Opposites attract. B) Birds of a feather flock together. C) Leave no stone unturned. D) To the victor go the spoils.

B) Birds of a feather flock together.

________ income is the money available to a household over and above that required for a comfortable standard of living. A) Capital B) Discretionary C) Net D) Invidious

B) Discretionary

What modern American ceremony would come closest in intent to a Native American potlatch? A) a baptism B) a marriage C) a university graduation D) the celebration ordered by a large company that has gained a new lucrative contract

B) a marriage

Richard worked very hard on his grades and worked after school part time to be able to afford tutors to help him advance his education. When he was named valedictorian of his class, he earned a certain status. The best term to describe the form of status that Richard earned is ________. A) reference group affiliation B) achieved status C) classification status D) ascribed status

B) achieved status

Consumers use a set of products called a(n) ________ to define, communicate, and perform social roles. A) brand prominence group B) consumption constellation C) restricted code D) elaborated code

B) consumption constellation

Evan was an aggressive, rich, and determined businessman originally from a working class family. He become wealthier than he had ever imagined by buying and selling other businesses. Evan seemingly could do anything until he tried a hostile takeover of an established bank owned by several prestigious families. When his bid failed, Evan said, "I always knew there was an elite, but up to now I thought I was a part of it." What type of capital was Evan lacking? A) economic B) cultural C) psychological D) sociological

B) cultural

Which of the following refers to consumers who refuse to sacrifice style but who achieve that style on a budget? A) spendthrifts B) frugalistas C) ostriches D) tightwads

B) frugalistas

We tend to marry people in a similar social class to our own. Sociologists call this ________, or assortative mating. A) marriage complementarity B) homogamy C) monogamy D) status crystallization

B) homogamy

Social analyst Thorstein Veblen believed that we buy things to create ________. This means we use our purchases to inspire envy in others through our display of wealth or power. A) affluenza B) invidious distinction C) status crystallization D) cultural capital

B) invidious distinction

With respect to social organization, some barnyard animals exhibit signs of a dominance-submission hierarchy. Which of the following terms best communicates such a hierarchy? A) dog-eat-dog B) pecking order C) follow-the-leader D) king-of-the-hill

B) pecking order

Which of the following questions would be LEAST likely to appear on a questionnaire designed to determine consumer confidence? A) "Would you say that you and your family are better off or worse off financially than a year ago?" B) "Will you be better off or worse off a year from now?" C) "Are you happy with your employer and job?" D) "Do you plan to buy a car in the next year?"

C) "Are you happy with your employer and job?"

Mr. Patterson is 57 years old. His annual household income is $500,000. He has been married to the same woman most of his adult life. He doesn't spend much on clothing. According to research, how is Mr. Patterson different from the typical American millionaire? A) He is older. B) He has a long-standing marriage. C) His household income is greater. D) He doesn't spend as much on clothing.

C) His household income is greater.

________ refers to the passage of individuals from one social class to another. A) Status crystallization B) Social affinity C) Social mobility D) Social stratification

C) Social mobility

________ are wealthy individuals who are likely to suffer from status anxiety, trying to display symbols of their success to make up for an internal lack of assurance about the "correct" way to behave. A) Old money consumers B) The working wealthy C) The nouveau riche D) Typical millionaires

C) The nouveau riche

The average American's standard of living continues to improve. These income shifts are linked to two key factors: ________. A) a shift from blue-collar to white-collar employment and the increased use of technology B) increasing immigration to the United States and increasing development of technical skills C) a shift in women's roles and increases in educational attainment D) a shift in population from the Snow Belt to the Sun Belt and advances in human rights

C) a shift in women's roles and increases in educational attainment

A person who receives rewards and status because of hard work is said to have ________ status. A) ascribed B) hierarchical C) achieved D) longitudinal

C) achieved

In school, it always seemed as if Kenneth got all the breaks. He had access to all the right resources, such as special privileges, fancy cars, a large allowance, and dates with all the beautiful girls. Even at work, he was put on the fast track and got promoted early to a high-prestige job. It seemed as if Kenneth was artificially ranked higher than others. The process that best describes what happened to Kenneth is called ________. A) reference group affiliation B) bias C) ascribed status D) achieved status

C) ascribed status

Product ________ occurs when the symbolic meanings of different products are related to one another. A) distinction B) crystallization C) complementarity D) hierarchy

C) complementarity

Fred has been a farmer all his life. He inherited the family farm when he was 35, but that was twenty years ago. It looks like he is going to lose the farm and have to take a manual labor job in the city to support his family. What form of mobility best describes Fred's position? A) horizontal mobility B) two-way stretch mobility C) downward mobility D) upward mobility

C) downward mobility

Vance comes from the lower-upper class, while Jeff comes from the lower-middle class. They are both madly in love with Julia, who is beautiful enough to do part-time modeling. According to the principle of ________, Julia is most likely to be attracted to Vance. A) elaborated codes B) ascribed status C) hierogamy D) restricted codes

C) hierogamy

Sandra Jackson decided to become a nurse after several years as an elementary teacher. She still wanted to help people; she just wanted to do it differently. Sandra's case is an example of which of the following? A) downward mobility B) upward mobility C) horizontal mobility D) status crystallization

C) horizontal mobility

The ________ marketing perspective recognizes that people sort themselves into groups on the basis of the things they like to do, how they like to spend their leisure time, and how they choose to spend their disposable income. A) personality B) motivation C) lifestyle D) social

C) lifestyle

5) The field of ________ is concerned with the "human" side of economic decisions (including the biases in decision making). A) clinical psychology B) microeconomics C) macroeconomics D) behavioral economics

C) macroeconomics

Consumers who are ________ love buying everything in sight. A) frugal B) price-sensitive affluents C) spendthrifts D) socially stratified

C) spendthrifts

A Rolls-Royce, a Cartier diamond, and an Andy Warhol painting are all items bought and displayed as markers of social class. These products are ________. A) social inhibitors B) social parameters C) status symbols D) psychological blocks

C) status symbols

When people are differentiated in terms of their aesthetic and intellectual preferences, a ________ concept is being applied. A) cultural code designation B) social cluster C) taste culture D) consumption constellation

C) taste culture

According to the class structure outlined in the text, most business managers and university professors would be in the ________ class. A) upper-upper B) working C) upper-middle D) middle

C) upper-middle

Although teenagers do not have the income of older consumers, they are still an attractive market based on income. Why? A) Because they have less money, they are more careful of how they spend it. B) Parents lead the teenagers into what they buy; hence any understanding of adult buying patterns can be useful for teenagers as well. C) Teenagers have more consumer confidence and are, therefore, more likely to be swayed by promotional material. D) Teenagers don't have the income of adults, but it is almost all discretionary, meaning that they can spend it as they see fit.

D) Teenagers don't have the income of adults, but it is almost all discretionary, meaning that they can spend it as they see fit.

Which of the following is NOT a reason cited by your text that marketers have failed to use social class information as effectively as they could? A) They have ignored status inconsistency. B) They have ignored intergenerational mobility. C) They have ignored consumers' aspirations to change their class standing. D) They have ignored the impact of technology on social class.

D) They have ignored the impact of technology on social class.

Harry was the lead singer in a band that hit it big. For his birthday, Harry had two hundred friends flown by chartered jets to a private island in the South Pacific. They ate the most expensive food, and every morning the bungalows were burned to the ground and rebuilt for the next night. Harry's party is a good example of ________. A) parody display B) social mobility C) ascribed status D) conspicuous consumption

D) conspicuous consumption

Sixteen-year-old Michael wanted a car. One evening while his father was paying bills, Michael looked over his father's shoulder and saw how much money had been placed in the checking account. He whistled and said, "I thought you said that you didn't have enough money to buy me a used car. In just one month, you could buy me the car I want." Michael's father then gave him a lecture on the differences between income and what is left after money is spent on utilities, mortgages, insurance premiums, and food. "Total income," his father said, "is not the same as ________ income, the source from which your unnecessary car would have to come." A) wealth B) managed C) perpetual D) discretionary

D) discretionary

The hundreds of millions of consumers around the world who can now afford higher quality products belong to the ________. A) prestige class B) mobile demanders C) ruling class D) mass class

D) mass class

Amos always felt that it was unfair that society created artificial divisions that discouraged him from having friends from different social structures. Which of the following terms describes the process that Amos is having difficulty with? A) reference group affiliation B) bias C) the "silver spoon" syndrome D) social stratification

D) social stratification

The phenomenon called ________ refers to the creation of artificial divisions in a society. A) reference group affiliation B) ascribed status C) mass class D) social stratification

D) social stratification

The term affluenza refers to ________. A) members of the lower-middle class who are struggling to make ends meet B) tightwads who are reluctant to spend money on anything but basic necessities C) scrimpers who have traded down to less expensive brands to save money D) well-off consumers who are stressed or unhappy despite or even because of their wealth

D) well-off consumers who are stressed or unhappy despite or even because of their wealth