Sociology Chapter 9
The gap between rich and poor countries has
expanded significantly
True or false: All stratification systems are characterized by five key elements.
false
True or false: Education is inherited.
false
True or false: The two major social causes of global inequality are natural resources and culture.
false
Which of the following would be classified among the working poor?
farm workers food service workers garmet workers
Which of the following countries have comparatively low levels of economic inequality?
france sweden
Sociologists refer to the differences in wealth and power among the countries of the world as
global inequality
Many people in poor countries
have shorter life expectancy rates than people in wealthy nations. are illiterate. live in slums
Which of the following are advantages of joining a union?
higher wages improved safety
Which of the following strategies have been used by activists to promote reforms among global institutions?
holding street protests where meetings are held promoting "fair trade" goods
An ideology or system of beliefs that highlights the importance of a single person over any social group is called
individualism
Which of the following contribute to instability and conflict in various parts of the world?
inequality despair poverty
Economic systems of individual countries have become increasingly
interconnected
What financial institution provides financial and technical assistance to individual countries to promote economic growth?
international monetary fund
The real value of the federal minimum wage has fluctuated over the years because
it has never been adjusted for inflation
Which of the following may prevent different groups of people in the underclass from finding and retaining employment?
lack of relevant education substance abuse lack of skills
The lower a person's income, the ______ likely that person is to vote.
less
A sociological theory that attributes global inequality to cultural differences between countries is called
modernization theory
Which sociological theory argues that resistance to industrialization by some countries is partly responsible for the gap between the rich and poor nations of the world?
modernization theory
The United States has ______ economic inequality than is found in other industrialized nations.
more
Government programs that tend to promote equal opportunity instead of equal outcomes are ______ to produce inequality.
more likely
______ is defined as a system of economic domination of poorer nations without formal political control or military occupation.
neocolonialism
In terms of economics, many nations today suffer more from ______ than from ______.
neocolonialism; colonialism
Marx conceptualized class in terms of ______, but Weber looked at it in terms of ______.
organization of work; life chances
Which of the following global changes may have a direct impact on the United States?
other countries using more resources instability in various parts of the world worldwide increase in oil and food prices
Which of the following has the most major influence on determining a child's future social class?
parents' social class
When profitable large corporations do not pay taxes, the government makes up the difference by increasing
payroll taxes
Which of the following may be a consequence of growing inequality?
people having less time to volunteer in communities family members having to work long hours
According to world systems analysis, the world's poorest and least powerful countries are referred to as
periphery nations
The percentage of the population that falls below the poverty line is called
poverty rate
A tax policy in which those with higher incomes pay a higher rate is called
progressive tax
Tax credits or actual payments and benefits provided to citizens by the government are called
public assistance
Which of the following issues have activists from all over the world taken on in recent years?
pushing for debt forgiveness promoting basic labor standards advocating for environmental standards
People who share a common class position often have which of the following in common?
quality of education health conditions occupations
Which of the following help working-class students recreate their status?
rebel in school refuse to conform to academic expectations
A tax policy that disproportionately affects those with lower incomes is called
regressive policy
In 2018, federal law exempted annual income above $128,400 from Social Security payroll tax. Because people with lower incomes must still pay this tax, it is known as
regressive tax
A lack of the basic resources needed to maintain a standard of living considered acceptable in society is called ______ poverty.
relative
Anna, a middle-class student, was steered toward college-prep courses to prepare her to move on to college and middle-class life. This is an example of schools helping to ______ class.
reproduce
An economic arrangement in which the state owns the major means of production on behalf of workers is called
socialism
Which of the following are types of class mobility?
structural individual
The conditions the World Bank sets for loans to poor countries are known as
structural adjustment programs
What was instrumental in enabling U.S. manufacturers to dominate much of the global market up to 1975?
the aftermath of world war II
The primary concern of the middle class is obtaining ______ for their children.
the best education
Sociologists refer to the trend in which women have come to make up an increasingly large share of the poor as
the feminization of poverty
Which of the following groups pursues the benefits of education and contributes specialized knowledge and expertise to the economy?
the middle class
Which of the following groups is associated with conspicuous consumption?
the nouveau riche
Which of the following led to the need for scholars to adjust Karl Marx's theories on class?
the prevalence of public corporations the rising importance of the middle class
There are no jobs in a remote area of Appalachia. The distant schools are poorly funded. There are no churches or medical facilities nearby. The poor, chronically unemployed people of this area who barely survive each winter are an example of
the underclass
Currently, the poverty line is calculated by determining the cost of a minimal food budget and multiplying it by
three
Which of the following are essential resources for the middle class?
training education
True or false: Class has a concrete impact on daily life.
true
True or false: Despite the criticisms of functionalism, some of its ideas are still popular.
true
True or false: Income and wealth inequality in the United States have grown significantly.
true
True or false: Marrying within an exclusive social network can sometimes involve classism.
true
Which U.S. social class does not have a major asset to contribute to the economy?
underclass
A country that has the lowest level of industrial and technological development is classified as
underdeveloped
Financial assets, such as savings, real estate, stocks, and bonds, minus any outstanding debt constitute one's
wealth
In general, the major economic asset of the ______ is skilled labor.
working class
Karl Marx used the term "proletariat" to refer to the
working class
The group that holds jobs that require skill and knowledge and usually earn hourly wages is the
working class
According to research from Annette Lareau, children from ______ families are more likely to develop independence and self-reliance than children from ______ families.
working class; middle class
John works at an electric power company. He always take breaks at 12:30 pm. He asks permission when he wants to use the restroom. John must be a(n) ______ employee.
working-class
Which three major global financial organizations have enormous influence on economic and social policies of poor nations?
world bank international monetary fund world trade organization
In sociologist Immanuel Wallerstein's view, poverty of some countries is connected to the wealth of others. This view is called
world systems analysis
Analysis by the World Bank identifies which of the following areas as some of the poorest places on earth?
Africa Southern Asia
The highest levels of economic inequality are found in which of the following regions of the world?
Central America South America
Which of the following statements pertaining to colonialism are true?
Colonial powers established puppet governments while engaging in military occupation and establishing cultural dominance. Colonial powers sought to extract natural resources from their colonies. Colonial powers exploited the labor available at their colonies.
In which of the following ways did the United States react to increased global competition in the 1970s?
Companies began exporting high-paying manufacturing jobs to poor nations.
Which of the following did Pierre Bourdieu believe?
Everyday consumption marks class-based differences. Young people are socialized differently depending on their family's class.
Which of the following statements about the U.S. poverty line are true?
It assumes the poor spend a third of their budget on food. It currently undercounts the poor by a significant amount.
Which of the following are criticisms of the functionalist approach to social inequality?
It fails to recognize the inequalities embedded in the social structure. It seems to rationalize existing inequalities. It fails to clarify what is meant by "most important functions" in society.
Which of the following does education do?
It helps individuals compete with others for jobs and opportunities.
Which of the following statements about wealth in the United States is true?
It is more unequally distributed than income.
Which of the following statements about public assistance are true?
Most public assistance does not go to the poor but to the working and middle classes. It includes programs that promote work. It includes cash payments.
Which of the following statements about the poor in the United States are true?
People become poor for a variety of reasons. Structural factors beyond individuals' control are a major cause of poverty.
Which of the following sociologists coined the term cultural capital?
Pierre Bourdieu
Which of the following statements is true of the U.S. economic infrastructure after World War II?
Plenty of jobs were available in the steel industry. Strong labor unions fought for better working conditions. The benefits of economic growth were spread across all income levels.
Which of the following are consistent with assumptions of dependency theory?
Poor countries were prevented from developing. Increased exploitation led to global inequality.
Which of the following statements about the accuracy of the U.S. poverty rate is true?
Since outdated information is used to calculate the poverty line, the poverty rate is not accurate.
Which of the following are reasons for the class stratification in higher education?
The cost of top universities is prohibitive. The admissions process at top schools favors those who have had educational advantages.
Which of the following statements about Weber's concept of the middle class are true?
The middle class have different life chances than the working class. The middle class have formal education and training. The middle class are primarily wage earners.
Which of the following statements about global absolute poverty over the past half century is true?
The number of people living in absolute poverty has decreased.
In Karl Marx's analysis, which of the following inevitably lead to conflict between the major classes?
The owners of capital want to maximize profits. The workers want to maximize wages. Workers are paid less than the value of their labor.
Which of the following is a misconception about poverty?
The poor remain in poverty for a long time.
Which of the following statements about the progressive tax system in the United States are true?
The tax rate for middle-income families is higher than it was in 1955. The progressive tax rate for people in the upper income brackets has declined.
Functionalists believe which of the following about class stratification?
They believe class stratification produces rewards for everyone.
Critics of the World Bank's structural adjustment programs claim which of the following?
They lead to increased poverty in the poor nations. Structural adjustment programs benefit foreign investors rather than poor countries.
Which of the following plays a role in how schools reproduce inequality?
They reward students who possess the cultural capital of the higher classes.
In which of the following ways do corporations end up paying less in taxes?
They take advantage of tax loopholes, such as not having to pay federal income tax.
Which of the following statements about unions are true?
Union workers in the United States earn higher wages than comparable nonunion workers. Current labor laws make it difficult for workers to join unions.
Which of the following sociologists argued that "the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line"?
W.E.B. DuBois
Which of the following are examples of multinational corporations?
a Swiss bank with customers worldwide Coca Cola, which has customers all over the world
Max Weber used the term class to refer to people who share
a common market situation
All stratification systems are characterized by which of the following?
an unequal distribution of valuable resources distinct groups that make up each strata an ideology to justify existing inequality
Modern scholars analyzing class are increasingly focusing on the role of ______ rather than ______ in the workplace.
authority; ownership
The process where poorer nations compete for foreign investment by sacrificing wages, worker safety, and environmental standards is called the race to the
bottom
Which term did Karl Marx use to refer to the capitalist class that owned the means of production?
bourgeoisie
Sociologists refer to ______ as the use of military, political, and economic power by one nation to dominate another nation for the purpose of economic benefit.
colonialism
Which of the following is the most obvious type of global struggle over resources in which one nation asserts power over another society?
colonialism
According to Karl Marx, the structure of the capitalist system is characterized by
conflict
Sociologists refer to lavish spending done to compete for status as
conspicuous consumption.
Multinational corporations are typically based in
core nations
The race to the bottom primarily benefits
core nations
According to sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, people reproduce class across generations by passing on ______ and money.
cultural assets
The term ______ refers to various types of knowledge, skills, and other cultural resources.
cultural capital
Which of the following were used to establish or maintain colonialism?
cultural dominance establishment of puppet governments military occupation
Which of the following are among the major social causes of global inequality acknowledged by most sociologists?
culture power
The process by which investment in a nation's manufacturing capacity decreases, often devastating economies of many communities, is known as
deindustrialization
______ theory attributes global inequality to exploitation of weaker poor nations by wealthy, more powerful nations.
dependency
When the fastest-growing occupations are those with low wages, many people may experience
downward mobility
According to Karl Marx, how the ______ is organized affects all other aspects of social life
economy
Prejudice or discrimination based on social class is known as
classism
The growing inequality in the late 1800s and early 1900s is generally associated with
industrial capitalism
In which of the following ways does ideology perpetuate inequality?
It promotes the idea that society is a land of equal opportunity.
Which of the following has been a result of the feminization of poverty?
More poor families were headed by a single woman.
Which of the following statements about income and wealth inequality in the United States in 2016 are true?
The wealthiest people have seen major increases in household income. There was a much larger gap between the wealthiest people and the rest of society than in previous years.
Which of the following statements about wealthier people in the United States are generally true?
They have healthier eating habits than poor people. They live longer than poor people. They are less likely to develop or die from such conditions as diabetes and strokes than poor people.
What are the major features of a socialist system?
abolishing cals divisions based on property ownership state ownership of the means of production
A homeless man in tattered clothing begging in the streets for money and food is an example of someone suffering from ______ poverty.
absolute
A ____ is a group of people who share a roughly similar economic position and lifestyle.
class
Karl Marx and Max Weber pioneered the sociological analysis of
class and inequality
The ability to move from one social class to another is called
class mobility
Which of the following systems would be considered less rigid in terms of fewer chances for mobility?
class systems
Which of the following did Max Weber suggest were distinct dimensions of inequality?
class, social status, and political power
According to sociologist William Julius Wilson, the life chances of blacks in the United States are now influenced more by ______ than by ______.
class; race
Which of the following factors may affect one's health in a negative way?
eating habits work stress
Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu suggested that three types of capital interact to reproduce class.
economic cultural social
In general, the richer people are, the smaller the percentage of their income that comes from
employment
According to sociologist Jay MacLeod, class structure
ensures inequality limits upward mobility
The United States has tended to favor ______ approaches over ______ approaches to reducing economic inequality.
equal opportunity; equal outcomes
Which of the following are more likely to be associated with middle-class jobs as opposed to working-class jobs?
flexible work hours a high degree of autonomy work in offices
Which sociological perspective is more likely to endorse the argument that the most talented people would not spend many years in school training to become a doctor if a career in medicine provided no greater benefits than a career in a fast-food industry?
functionalist perspective
What do sociologists call a system of beliefs that explains and justifies the existence of inequality?
ideology
When schools justify and reinforce the idea that failure results from individual shortcomings, not structural bias, they are reproducing class by way of
ideology
An individual's salary and wages are referred to as
income
When a person's class changes without any change in the larger class structure, ______ occurs.
individual mobility
People's social class can affect which of the following?
membership in clubs formal schooling religious affiliation
A system in which people are rewarded and are able to advance because of their abilities is referred to as
meritocracy
Max Weber's approach to class introduced the idea of a ______ in the analysis of class, an element that was missing with Marx's analysis.
middle class
The most direct way to raise low-income wages is to legislate a ______ wage
minimum
College students who come from families with higher incomes are ______ to attend college than students from lower-income families.
more likely
Which of the following are true about income?
most people derive their income primarily from wages and salaries
In the United States, those with the highest rates of political participation (voting) have the
most power
The wealthiest 20 percent of U.S. households owns how much of the nation's total wealth?
nearly 90 percent
Early societies, who relied on hunting and gathering for food, had little economic inequality because they
produced few surplus goods
James knows powerful, wealthy, and influential people who recently helped him land a job at a prestigious company. James could be said to have
social capital
Annette Lareau's research on middle- and working-class children found that ______ had more influence on their formative years than ______ did.
social class; race
Which of the following are generally overlooked as likely causes when students don't do well in school?
structural biases cultural forces
When a shift in available occupations changes the class system as a whole, ______ occurs.
structural mobility
True or false: Members of the underclass typically live in poverty.
true
True or false: The U.S is the only advanced economy that does not guarantee workers any paid vacation.
true
Sociologists use the term_________ also known as lower class, to refer to unemployed people with no ongoing relationship to the economy
underclass
