Exam 7: Stratification: Rich and Famousor Rags and Famine

Which of the following is a macro-level factor that can shape social stratification?

Caste systems are typically based on achieved statuses.

Which of the following is an example of cultural capital?

Which of the following is a key assumption of a conflict theorist's view of social stratification?

Which type of stratification system allows movement between classes?

The _________ model of power argues that power is shared among many power centers, each of which has their own self-interests to protect.

In __________ stratification systems, individuals are allowed to earn positions through their abilities and efforts.

According to pluralist theorists, as societies become more complex, the number of groups with political power increases.

According to the text, since 1996 when welfare reform was legislated in the United States, the number of people on welfare has dropped 75%.

Describe at least three of the five basic ideas of evolutionary theory presented in the text.

According to Karl Marx, which of the following is a characteristic of the proletariat?

Terry, a sociology major, decides that his senior project will be to explain to lower-class people how they are being exploited by those who control the means of production. In terms of social stratification, Terry is most likely a(n):

Age and race are most important in open class systems.

Structural-functional theorists believe that stratification is avoidable in modern societies.

According to the statistics from 2012, how did the voting population change? Why, in your opinion, did 60 % of the votes come from those who made more than $50,000?

Describe how one's social class affects political preferences in the United States.

A nation's geographic location has little impact on the opportunities available to individuals in that nation.

An individual can experience both intergenerational and vertical mobility.

Compare and contrast the structural-functional and conflict views of social stratification. In your discussion, detail the key assumptions from each theory. Finally, show how evolutionary theory draws from both structural-functional theory and conflict theory in its understanding of social stratification. Which theory do you find most accurate and why?

The middle class, as defined by sociologists, makes up about 50% of the population in the United States.