Sociology Chapter 10- Social Class in the United States

The idea that the power elite is the real source of power in the U.S. (extreme wealth brings extreme power)

"Democratic facade"

The wealthiest 10% of adults worldwide own ____% of the Earth's wealth.

85%

What was the best time to be born in the U.S. for social mobility?

1970

The wealthiest 1% of Americans own about _______% of the nation's wealth.

35%

The wealthiest 1% of adults worldwide own _____% of the Earth's wealth.

45%

Joseph Kahl and Dennis Gilbert developed a model to portray social class in America based on ______ distinct classes .

6 (page 272 in book)

The wealthiest 10% of Americans own _______% of the nation's wealth.

75%

Sociologist who argues that the power elite is so powerful that the U.S. government makes no decision without its approval.

Domhoff

True or false. Being status inconsistent can adversely affect your health.

True. Men who are status inconsistent are twice as likely have heart attacks as men who are status consistent.

Sociologist who developed updated version of Marx's theory of stratification. Marx's theory had only 2 classes: bourgeoisie (capitalists) and proletariat (workers). Updated version has 4 classes: capitalists (large business owners), petty bourgeoisie (small business owners), managers, and workers.

Wright

Only _________ people who finish college end up in poverty. a. 5 out of 100 b. 10 out of 100 c. 23 out of 100 d. 38 out of 100

a. 5 out of 100 (5%)

The rags to riches myth that anyone can overcome severe odds to become a startling success story is referred to as the ___________ myth. a. Horatio Alger b. Johnnie Appleseed c. Prince and Pauper d. Abraham Lincoln

a. Horatio Alger

Which statement regarding distribution of wealth in U.S. is LEAST true? a. Wealth and income are relatively equally divided among the top 3 social classes. b. Americans as a whole are worth approximately $51 trillion. c. The top 20% of the population receives almost half of all income. d. The richest Americans have grown richer and the poor have grown poorer.

a. Wealth and income are relatively equally divided among the top 3 social classes. (this statement is false- the people at the top have much more wealth and income!)

Which of the following is NOT a reason for the feminization of poverty? a. Women have lower intellectual capability b. Divorce c. Births to single women d. Lower wages paid to women

a. Women have lower intellectual capability (THIS IS FALSE).

Children who grow up in one social class, but end up in a different social class show: a. intergenerational mobility b. intragenerational mobility c. structural mobility d. downward social mobility

a. intergenerational mobility

One quality that shapes the upper middle class more than other classes is the: a. level of education among its member. b. number of minorities represented by it. c. pride members of this class have for doing "real work". d. middle class value system that it embraces.

a. level education among its members.

In religion, Baptists draw heavily from the ______ classes while Episcopalians are more likely to be from the ________ class. a. lower/ upper b. middle/ upper c. middle/ lower d. lower/ lower

a. lower/ upper

Durkheim's term for a condition of society in which people become detached from the usual norms that guide their behavior.

anomie (also defined as "normlessness")

The higher one's social class, the more likely they will vote ___________ while most members of the working class will vote ___________. a. Democrat/ Libertarian b. Republican/ Democrat c. Democrat/ Socialist Worker d. Republican/ Independent

b. Republican/ Democrat

The lower a person's social class, the ________ that individual is to die before the expected age. a. less likely b. more likely c. lower the chance d. none of the above

b. more likely

Which region of the U.S. has had the highest poverty rate for the last 150 years? a. the north b. the south c. the Midwest d. the west

b. the south

Which of the following is NOT a myth about poverty? a. Most of the poor are African Americans and Latinos. b. Most of the poor are single mothers and their children. c. Most of the poor live in the suburbs and rural areas (not the inner city) d. The poor live on welfare.

c. Most of the poor live in suburbs and rural areas. (THIS IS TRUE). Other statements are false. Most of the poor are WHITE (13% of whites are poor,28% of blacks, 27% of Latinos; however, there are many more whites in U.S., so the actual number is more total whites than blacks) . See figure 10-8. Only 38% of poor are single mothers and their children. Most of the poor DO NOT live on welfare.

From year to year, the number of people in poverty: a. increases because of fewer government subsidies. b. decreases because of more government subsidies c. remains about the same d. cannot be accurately measured.

c. remains about the same

Wright's term for a position in the class structure that generates contradictory interests.

contradictory class locations

The assumption that the values and behaviors of the poor make them fundamentally different from other people, that these factors are largely responsible for their poverty, and that their parents perpetuate poverty across generations by passing these characteristics to their children.

culture of poverty

Which statement best describes the prevalence of divorce? a. Divorce is most common among the upper classes. b. Divorce is equally distributed among all classes. c. There is no relationship to the rate of divorce and social class. d. Divorce is most common among the lower social classes.

d. Divorce is most common among lower social classes.

Sociologists prefer to explain poverty by: a. focusing on social structure. b. focusing on individual characteristics, c. by stressing the features of society that deny some people access to education or learning job skills. d. both a and c.

d. both a and c

The official measure of poverty is based on the amount of income that a family must pay for food is called: a. relative definition of poverty b. culture of poverty c. feminization of poverty d. poverty line

d. poverty line (incomes that are less than 3x a low-cost food budget)

The total number of people living in poverty is highest for: a. African Americans and Latinos b. males c. Native Americans d. whites

d. whites (See part 2 of figure 10-8, p. 285.)

movement down the social class ladder

downward social mobility

A large number of people moving up the social ladder, while a large number move down.

exchange mobility (it is as though they have exchanged places- the social class system will show little change)

A condition of U.S. poverty in which most poor families are headed by women.

feminization of poverty

Which of the following does social class affect? a. physical and mental health b. family life (divorce rate, child rearing style) c. education d. religion e. political views f. crime and criminal justice g. all of the above

g. ALL OF THE ABOVE!!!!

Money received, usually from a job, business, or assets.

income

The change that family members make in social class from one generation to the next.

intergenerational mobility

The average length of time a family remains in poverty is ______________________.

less than 1 year

The ability to carry out your will,even over the resistance of others.

power

C. Wright Mills term for the top people in U.S. corporations, military, and politics who make the nation's major decisions.

power elite

Respect or honor bestowed upon someone as a result of a position they hold in life, such as their occupation, is referred to as _____________.

prestige

Material possessions, includes animals, bank accounts, bonds, buildings, businesses, cars, cash, commodities, copyrights, furniture, jewelry, land, and stocks.

property

According to Weber, a large group of people who rank close to one another in property, power, and prestige. According to Marx, one of two groups: capitalists who own the means of production or workers who sell their labor.

social class

The position that someone occupies in a social group.

status (also called social status)

Ranking high on some dimensions of social class and low on others is called ___________.

status inconsistency

Movement up or down the social class ladder that is due more to changes in the structure of society than to the actions of individuals.

structural mobility (example: Stock market crash in 1929 with the Depression caused many people to move down the social class ladder)

The primary source of prestige for American's is _________.

their jobs (occupation). Occupations that require more education, make more money, require more abstract thought, and allow more autonomy (independence) are seen as more prestigious.

True or false. Since 1970, the richest 20% of the U.S. population has grown richer, while the poorest 20% has grown poorer.

true

A group of people for whom poverty persists year after year and across generations.

underclass

movement up the social ladder

upward social mobility

The total value of everything one owns, minus the debts.

wealth