Question 1

The reason that a majority of Americans claim to be part of the middle class is due to:

Accepted Answer

A)  the tendency to avoid association with the working class 
B)  statistics that show them to be earning the correct amount for that category 
C)  a deep fear of impoverishment 
D)  a belief that the United States is free of class distinctions 
A)  the tendency to avoid association with the working class 
B)  statistics that show them to be earning the correct amount for that category 
C)  a deep fear of impoverishment 
D)  a belief that the United States is free of class distinctions D

Question 2

Choose one term: intergenerational mobility, intragenerational mobility, structural mobility. Describe a person's life story that fits the term you chose.

Accepted Answer

intergenerational mobility: A person uses education and opportunity to earn more income, accumulate more wealth, and live in a higher social class than his or her parents or grandparents.
intragenerational mobility: A person is born lower class but by adulthood has achieved middle-class status.
structural mobility: A person reaches upward mobility by developing skills and career networks in a high-growth industry, such as artificial intelligence or robotics.

Question 3

Which statement about income distribution in the United States is accurate, based on this figure? Distribution of Income in the United States, 1967-2015
[img]

Accepted Answer

A)  Income inequality has been increasing since 1967. 
B)  The share of income earned by the top 5 percent began increasing after the 2008 recession. 
C)  The lowest 20 percent of the population receives close to 20 percent of total income. 
D)  The middle income group has nearly disappeared, with nearly all income distributed at the top and bottom. 
A)  Income inequality has been increasing since 1967. 
B)  The share of income earned by the top 5 percent began increasing after the 2008 recession. 
C)  The lowest 20 percent of the population receives close to 20 percent of total income. 
D)  The middle income group has nearly disappeared, with nearly all income distributed at the top and bottom. A

Question 4

According to a recent study by the Economic Policy Institute, the hourly earnings of college graduates compared to people without a degree in 2013 were almost double, and this gap is increasing over time. Why is this significant in the matter of social stratification?

Accepted Answer

A)  A college education pays off in both income and wealth, which increases social stratification. 
B)  Those without a degree can reverse the stratification effects for their family within one generation by sending their children to college. 
C)  Those without a degree make more than college graduates since they enter the workforce earlier and work longer. 
D)  Because college graduates are generally unable to translate this income into wealth, education has an effect only on income. 
A)  A college education pays off in both income and wealth, which increases social stratification. 
B)  Those without a degree can reverse the stratification effects for their family within one generation by sending their children to college. 
C)  Those without a degree make more than college graduates since they enter the workforce earlier and work longer. 
D)  Because college graduates are generally unable to translate this income into wealth, education has an effect only on income.

Question 5

According to Pierre Bourdieu, in a consumer society, lifestyle choices and taste:

Accepted Answer

A)  are not related to social class 
B)  express and intensify class differences 
C)  reduce class differences through sharing leisure activities and consumer goods 
D)  lead to the acquisition of cultural capital 
A)  are not related to social class 
B)  express and intensify class differences 
C)  reduce class differences through sharing leisure activities and consumer goods 
D)  lead to the acquisition of cultural capital

Question 6

Caste as a stratification system affects contact between people by:

Accepted Answer

A)  regulating contact between people of different caste levels 
B)  promoting individual contact between individuals of different rank 
C)  regulating social relations between older and younger people with rules that hold true in all castes 
D)  requiring that all individuals maintain contact with members of their caste 
A)  regulating contact between people of different caste levels 
B)  promoting individual contact between individuals of different rank 
C)  regulating social relations between older and younger people with rules that hold true in all castes 
D)  requiring that all individuals maintain contact with members of their caste

Question 7

Is inequality declining or increasing in the United States? Support your answer with three sociological arguments or data points.

Accepted Answer

By all measures, inequality is increasin

Question 8

Which of the following expresses Erik Olin Wright's concept of "contradictory class location"?

Accepted Answer

A)  a surgeon regrets his career choice and wishes he had been a writer 
B)  a bus driver wishes she earned a higher income 
C)  a professor thinks freely and deeply yet sells his labor to the university 
D)  a corporate executive still retains speech and food habits of his working-class upbringing 
A)  a surgeon regrets his career choice and wishes he had been a writer 
B)  a bus driver wishes she earned a higher income 
C)  a professor thinks freely and deeply yet sells his labor to the university 
D)  a corporate executive still retains speech and food habits of his working-class upbringing

Question 9

According to functionalist theorists Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore, stratification is necessary to ensure that:

Accepted Answer

A)  all individuals are able to use their creative talents 
B)  equality of opportunity exists for all people 
C)  important positions are filled by the most qualified people 
D)  profit is maximized in a capitalist society 
A)  all individuals are able to use their creative talents 
B)  equality of opportunity exists for all people 
C)  important positions are filled by the most qualified people 
D)  profit is maximized in a capitalist society

Question 10

MATCHING
-Lower class

Accepted Answer

A) Grew throughout much of the twentieth century but has been shrinking the past four decades 
B) The most varied of the social class strata 
C) Mostly wealthy but not superrich 
D) Located in the highest-poverty neighborhoods of the inner city 
E) Primarily blue-collar workers such as mechanics and pink-collar laborers such as clerical aids
F)Their jobs, when they can find them, are dead-end
G)Includes college professors 
A) Grew throughout much of the twentieth century but has been shrinking the past four decades 
B) The most varied of the social class strata 
C) Mostly wealthy but not superrich 
D) Located in the highest-poverty neighborhoods of the inner city 
E) Primarily blue-collar workers such as mechanics and pink-collar laborers such as clerical aids
F)Their jobs, when they can find them, are dead-end
G)Includes college professors

Question 11

The value of a college education has increased significantly in recent years because:

Accepted Answer

A)  it is much more expensive to obtain 
B)  fewer people are going to college 
C)  the income gap between men and women has closed 
D)  of the increased demand for educated workers in the computer- and information-based economy 
A)  it is much more expensive to obtain 
B)  fewer people are going to college 
C)  the income gap between men and women has closed 
D)  of the increased demand for educated workers in the computer- and information-based economy

Question 12

During the twentieth century, the real income of blue-collar workers in Western societies has:

Accepted Answer

A)  stayed the same but dropped significantly in the past 20 years 
B)  increased significantly but dropped in the past 20 years 
C)  increased significantly but increased only slightly in the past 20 years 
D)  decreased significantly but then increased in the past 20 years 
A)  stayed the same but dropped significantly in the past 20 years 
B)  increased significantly but dropped in the past 20 years 
C)  increased significantly but increased only slightly in the past 20 years 
D)  decreased significantly but then increased in the past 20 years

Question 13

Sociologists call a large group of people who occupy a similar economic position and have similar economic resources that influence the type of lifestyle they are able to lead in society:

Accepted Answer

A)  slaves 
B)  the bourgeoisie 
C)  a class 
D)  a caste 
A)  slaves 
B)  the bourgeoisie 
C)  a class 
D)  a caste

Question 14

Sociologists define stratification as "structured inequalities" because:

Accepted Answer

A)  individuals and groups enjoy unequal access to social rewards, depending on their position within the larger stratification scheme 
B)  multiple group memberships such as race, class, and gender affect our lives in interconnected ways 
C)  because some large-scale societies have inequality built into their social structures, whereas for others inequality seems randomly patterned 
D)  only societies with legalized slavery have structured inequalities; those without slavery have unstructured inequalities 
A)  individuals and groups enjoy unequal access to social rewards, depending on their position within the larger stratification scheme 
B)  multiple group memberships such as race, class, and gender affect our lives in interconnected ways 
C)  because some large-scale societies have inequality built into their social structures, whereas for others inequality seems randomly patterned 
D)  only societies with legalized slavery have structured inequalities; those without slavery have unstructured inequalities

Question 15

Who argued that social stratification is functional, ensuring that the most talented people fill the roles they are best suited for by rewarding them accordingly?

Accepted Answer

A)  Karl Marx 
B)  Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore 
C)  Melvin Tumin 
D)  Max Weber 
A)  Karl Marx 
B)  Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore 
C)  Melvin Tumin 
D)  Max Weber

Question 16

Which of the following accurately characterizes the concept of stratification?

Accepted Answer

A)  Stratification relies primarily on income; that is, the more money you have, the higher your status. 
B)  Stratification cannot exist without extreme laws holding it in place, such as slavery or caste. 
C)  High status cannot be achieved without a high income. 
D)  Income, wealth, education, lifestyle, and occupation often are correlated, but there are notable exceptions. 
A)  Stratification relies primarily on income; that is, the more money you have, the higher your status. 
B)  Stratification cannot exist without extreme laws holding it in place, such as slavery or caste. 
C)  High status cannot be achieved without a high income. 
D)  Income, wealth, education, lifestyle, and occupation often are correlated, but there are notable exceptions.

Question 17

Which nation has the smallest degree of income inequality, as measured by the income share held by the top 10 percent of the population?

Accepted Answer

A)  China, where the income share of the top 10 percent is 31.4 percent. 
B)  South Africa, where the income share of the top 10 percent is 51.3 percent. 
C)  Sweden, where the income share of the top 10 percent is 30.2 percent. 
D)  Mexico, where the income share of the top 10 percent is 38.9 percent. 
A)  China, where the income share of the top 10 percent is 31.4 percent. 
B)  South Africa, where the income share of the top 10 percent is 51.3 percent. 
C)  Sweden, where the income share of the top 10 percent is 30.2 percent. 
D)  Mexico, where the income share of the top 10 percent is 38.9 percent.

Question 18

In the 2008 recession, a lot of male, middle-aged corporate executives experienced downward mobility firsthand. At the same time, there may have been an increase in the participation by women, in part because:

Accepted Answer

A)  job training that preceded that downturn afforded many women the chance to prove themselves as executives 
B)  women are homemakers and were not working at that time 
C)  women are paid less than men and so maintained jobs during the 2008 recession 
D)  women were able to take the jobs that men left 
A)  job training that preceded that downturn afforded many women the chance to prove themselves as executives 
B)  women are homemakers and were not working at that time 
C)  women are paid less than men and so maintained jobs during the 2008 recession 
D)  women were able to take the jobs that men left

Question 19

Mortgage companies that offer high-interest subprime mortgages tend to target minority communities because it is more difficult for racial minorities to obtain mortgages due to:

Accepted Answer

A)  bad credit 
B)  cultural capital 
C)  discrimination 
D)  inherently higher default rates 
A)  bad credit 
B)  cultural capital 
C)  discrimination 
D)  inherently higher default rates

Question 20

What does the new Stanford study on intergenerational income mobility predict for today's young adult-aged college students?

Accepted Answer

The new Stanford study predicts that tod

The reason that a majority of Americans claim to be part of the middle class is due to:

Choose one term: intergenerational mobility, intragenerational mobility, structural mobility. Describe a person's life story that fits the term you chose.

Which statement about income distribution in the United States is accurate, based on this figure? Distribution of Income in the United States, 1967-2015 [img]

According to a recent study by the Economic Policy Institute, the hourly earnings of college graduates compared to people without a degree in 2013 were almost double, and this gap is increasing over time. Why is this significant in the matter of social stratification?

According to Pierre Bourdieu, in a consumer society, lifestyle choices and taste:

Caste as a stratification system affects contact between people by:

Is inequality declining or increasing in the United States? Support your answer with three sociological arguments or data points.

Which of the following expresses Erik Olin Wright's concept of "contradictory class location"?

According to functionalist theorists Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore, stratification is necessary to ensure that:

MATCHING -Lower class

The value of a college education has increased significantly in recent years because:

During the twentieth century, the real income of blue-collar workers in Western societies has:

Sociologists call a large group of people who occupy a similar economic position and have similar economic resources that influence the type of lifestyle they are able to lead in society:

Sociologists define stratification as "structured inequalities" because:

Who argued that social stratification is functional, ensuring that the most talented people fill the roles they are best suited for by rewarding them accordingly?

Which of the following accurately characterizes the concept of stratification?

Which nation has the smallest degree of income inequality, as measured by the income share held by the top 10 percent of the population?

In the 2008 recession, a lot of male, middle-aged corporate executives experienced downward mobility firsthand. At the same time, there may have been an increase in the participation by women, in part because:

Mortgage companies that offer high-interest subprime mortgages tend to target minority communities because it is more difficult for racial minorities to obtain mortgages due to:

What does the new Stanford study on intergenerational income mobility predict for today's young adult-aged college students?

What Is Sociology

Asking and Answering Sociological Questions

Culture and Society

Socialization and the Life Course

Social Interaction and Everyday Life in the Age of the Internet

Groups, Networks, and Organizations

Conformity, Deviance, and Crime

Global Inequality

Gender Inequality

Ethnicity and Race

Aging

Government, Political Power, and Social Movements

Work and Economic Life

Families and Intimate Relationships

Education

Religion in Modern Society

The Sociology of the Body: Health, Illness, and Sexuality

Population, Urbanization, and the Environment

Globalization in a Changing World

Filters

Exam 8: Stratification, Class, and Inequality

The reason that a majority of Americans claim to be part of the middle class is due to:

Choose one term: intergenerational mobility, intragenerational mobility, structural mobility. Describe a person's life story that fits the term you chose.

Which statement about income distribution in the United States is accurate, based on this figure? Distribution of Income in the United States, 1967-2015 [img]

According to a recent study by the Economic Policy Institute, the hourly earnings of college graduates compared to people without a degree in 2013 were almost double, and this gap is increasing over time. Why is this significant in the matter of social stratification?

According to Pierre Bourdieu, in a consumer society, lifestyle choices and taste:

Caste as a stratification system affects contact between people by:

Is inequality declining or increasing in the United States? Support your answer with three sociological arguments or data points.

Which of the following expresses Erik Olin Wright's concept of "contradictory class location"?

According to functionalist theorists Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore, stratification is necessary to ensure that:

MATCHING -Lower class

The value of a college education has increased significantly in recent years because:

During the twentieth century, the real income of blue-collar workers in Western societies has:

Sociologists call a large group of people who occupy a similar economic position and have similar economic resources that influence the type of lifestyle they are able to lead in society:

Sociologists define stratification as "structured inequalities" because:

Who argued that social stratification is functional, ensuring that the most talented people fill the roles they are best suited for by rewarding them accordingly?

Which of the following accurately characterizes the concept of stratification?

Which nation has the smallest degree of income inequality, as measured by the income share held by the top 10 percent of the population?

In the 2008 recession, a lot of male, middle-aged corporate executives experienced downward mobility firsthand. At the same time, there may have been an increase in the participation by women, in part because:

Mortgage companies that offer high-interest subprime mortgages tend to target minority communities because it is more difficult for racial minorities to obtain mortgages due to:

What does the new Stanford study on intergenerational income mobility predict for today's young adult-aged college students?

What Is Sociology

Asking and Answering Sociological Questions

Culture and Society

Socialization and the Life Course

Social Interaction and Everyday Life in the Age of the Internet

Groups, Networks, and Organizations

Conformity, Deviance, and Crime

Global Inequality

Gender Inequality

Ethnicity and Race

Aging

Government, Political Power, and Social Movements

Work and Economic Life

Families and Intimate Relationships

Education

Religion in Modern Society

The Sociology of the Body: Health, Illness, and Sexuality

Population, Urbanization, and the Environment

Globalization in a Changing World

Filters