Question 1

Which system of social stratification was in the final stages of breaking down when Karl Marx developed his ideas?

Accepted Answer

A)  feudalism 
B)  capitalism 
C)  slavery 
D)  caste 
E)  communism 
A)  feudalism 
B)  capitalism 
C)  slavery 
D)  caste 
E)  communism

Question 2

Symbolic interactionists stress the way we make "snap judgments" about other people's class statuses. Since we are aware that other people are judging us, we often pay close attention to what cues we display. Given this, why do you think Paul Fussell decided to measure class status with a "living room scale" rather than assessing some other part of the house?

Accepted Answer

A)  The living room is a part of the house the whole family uses. 
B)  The living room is where we receive guests. 
C)  The living room is where the most expensive furniture goes. 
D)  Everyone has a living room. 
E)  The living room is where the television is usually found. 
A)  The living room is a part of the house the whole family uses. 
B)  The living room is where we receive guests. 
C)  The living room is where the most expensive furniture goes. 
D)  Everyone has a living room. 
E)  The living room is where the television is usually found.

Question 3

Which of the following is true of the upper class in the United States today?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are a largely self-sustaining group and rarely add new members. 
B)  They are comprised mainly of skilled workers in technical fields. 
C)  They make up about 30 percent of the population. 
D)  They are not usually very well educated. 
E)  They usually work in executive, managerial, and professional jobs. 
A)  They are a largely self-sustaining group and rarely add new members. 
B)  They are comprised mainly of skilled workers in technical fields. 
C)  They make up about 30 percent of the population. 
D)  They are not usually very well educated. 
E)  They usually work in executive, managerial, and professional jobs.

Question 4

What sort of social mobility is possible in a caste system?

Accepted Answer

A)  Social mobility is common with hard work. 
B)  A great deal of social mobility occurs. 
C)  A small but significant percentage of each generation will experience upward social mobility. 
D)  There is little or no chance of social mobility. 
E)  Social mobility is punishable by death. 
A)  Social mobility is common with hard work. 
B)  A great deal of social mobility occurs. 
C)  A small but significant percentage of each generation will experience upward social mobility. 
D)  There is little or no chance of social mobility. 
E)  Social mobility is punishable by death.

Question 5

Why don't members of the lower class exercise more often?

Accepted Answer

A)  Exercise is a luxury often accessible only to those who don't have to struggle with day-to-day existence. 
B)  The poor are inadequately informed about the benefits of exercise. 
C)  Poor people care less about their health. 
D)  The lower classes don't have access to proper exercise equipment. 
E)  The lower classes don't have health problems that make exercise necessary. 
A)  Exercise is a luxury often accessible only to those who don't have to struggle with day-to-day existence. 
B)  The poor are inadequately informed about the benefits of exercise. 
C)  Poor people care less about their health. 
D)  The lower classes don't have access to proper exercise equipment. 
E)  The lower classes don't have health problems that make exercise necessary.

Question 6

Oscar Lewis's concept of a culture of poverty suggests that a fatalistic and resigned attitude exists among the poor, leading them to accept their social status. Discuss some of the major criticisms of this controversial point of view.

Accepted Answer

According to Chapter 7, one of the major

Question 7

What do most Americans claim about their class status?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are upper class. 
B)  They are lower class. 
C)  They are middle class. 
D)  They don't feel they have a class status, or they are unaware of it. 
E)  They don't believe in class. 
A)  They are upper class. 
B)  They are lower class. 
C)  They are middle class. 
D)  They don't feel they have a class status, or they are unaware of it. 
E)  They don't believe in class.

Question 8

"Wealthy," "poor," and "middle class" do not exist in and of themselves, but instead are constantly negotiated in interactions.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Explain status inconsistency and give some examples of it.

Accepted Answer

Status inconsistency is the contrast bet

Question 10

The idea of the American Dream is most closely related to which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  intergenerational mobility 
B)  structural mobility 
C)  vertical mobility 
D)  all of the above 
E)  none of the above 
A)  intergenerational mobility 
B)  structural mobility 
C)  vertical mobility 
D)  all of the above 
E)  none of the above

Question 11

Being born into a lower social class means that an individual will be:

Accepted Answer

A)  more likely to be underweight, due to food insecurity. 
B)  more likely to feel at risk of being harassed by law enforcement. 
C)  more likely to complete college, due to receiving need-based scholarships. 
D)  more likely to beat criminal charges due to the assistance of a public defender. 
E)  more likely to be healthy, due to access to Medicaid. 
A)  more likely to be underweight, due to food insecurity. 
B)  more likely to feel at risk of being harassed by law enforcement. 
C)  more likely to complete college, due to receiving need-based scholarships. 
D)  more likely to beat criminal charges due to the assistance of a public defender. 
E)  more likely to be healthy, due to access to Medicaid.

Question 12

Given what you have read about socioeconomic status and life chances, what activity is most likely to take the place of a yoga class for a working-class woman?

Accepted Answer

A)  taking care of her children after work 
B)  watching television 
C)  meeting neighbors for drinks at the local bar 
D)  visiting with extended family members 
E)  taking a night class at a community college 
A)  taking care of her children after work 
B)  watching television 
C)  meeting neighbors for drinks at the local bar 
D)  visiting with extended family members 
E)  taking a night class at a community college

Question 13

A young doctor fresh out of medical school who looks for a position where he can work about twenty hours a week and make much less money than other doctors might be:

Accepted Answer

A)  lazy and selfish about helping people in need. 
B)  part of the simplicity movement. 
C)  insane. 
D)  not very skilled. 
E)  lacking in professional connections. 
A)  lazy and selfish about helping people in need. 
B)  part of the simplicity movement. 
C)  insane. 
D)  not very skilled. 
E)  lacking in professional connections.

Question 14

The upper class makes up just 1 percent of the total U.S. population, but its total net worth is greater than that of ____________ of the rest of the population.

Accepted Answer

A)  10 percent 
B)  53 percent 
C)  47 percent 
D)  90 percent 
E)  99 percent 
A)  10 percent 
B)  53 percent 
C)  47 percent 
D)  90 percent 
E)  99 percent

Question 15

What sorts of jobs are usually available to members of the lower-middle class?

Accepted Answer

A)  technical or professional jobs 
B)  executive or managerial positions 
C)  blue collar jobs, or manual labor 
D)  lower-management jobs 
E)  They tend to be underemployed and often receive public assistance. 
A)  technical or professional jobs 
B)  executive or managerial positions 
C)  blue collar jobs, or manual labor 
D)  lower-management jobs 
E)  They tend to be underemployed and often receive public assistance.

Question 16

In Japan men rank higher than women in the social hierarchy, meaning that no woman will ever rank higher than a man in social status.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

How can a person's socioeconomic status affect her chances of succeeding financially and professionally?

Accepted Answer

Education plays a major role in what kin

Question 18

There have been many societies throughout history with no social stratification.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Most poor people in the United States are unemployed.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

What is the movement called that encourages people to work less, consume less, and generally "downshift" their lifestyles?

Accepted Answer

A)  class consciousness 
B)  hypogamy 
C)  the just-world movement 
D)  cultural capital 
E)  the simplicity movement 
A)  class consciousness 
B)  hypogamy 
C)  the just-world movement 
D)  cultural capital 
E)  the simplicity movement

Which system of social stratification was in the final stages of breaking down when Karl Marx developed his ideas?

Which of the following is true of the upper class in the United States today?

What sort of social mobility is possible in a caste system?

Why don't members of the lower class exercise more often?

Oscar Lewis's concept of a culture of poverty suggests that a fatalistic and resigned attitude exists among the poor, leading them to accept their social status. Discuss some of the major criticisms of this controversial point of view.

What do most Americans claim about their class status?

"Wealthy," "poor," and "middle class" do not exist in and of themselves, but instead are constantly negotiated in interactions.

Explain status inconsistency and give some examples of it.

The idea of the American Dream is most closely related to which of the following?

Being born into a lower social class means that an individual will be:

Given what you have read about socioeconomic status and life chances, what activity is most likely to take the place of a yoga class for a working-class woman?

A young doctor fresh out of medical school who looks for a position where he can work about twenty hours a week and make much less money than other doctors might be:

The upper class makes up just 1 percent of the total U.S. population, but its total net worth is greater than that of ____________ of the rest of the population.

What sorts of jobs are usually available to members of the lower-middle class?

In Japan men rank higher than women in the social hierarchy, meaning that no woman will ever rank higher than a man in social status.

How can a person's socioeconomic status affect her chances of succeeding financially and professionally?

There have been many societies throughout history with no social stratification.

Most poor people in the United States are unemployed.

What is the movement called that encourages people to work less, consume less, and generally "downshift" their lifestyles?

Sociology and the Real World

Studying Social Life: Sociological Research Methods

Cultural Crossroads

The Self and Interaction

Separate and Together: Life in Groups

Deviance

Race and Ethnicity As Lived Experience

Constructing Gender and Sexuality

The Macro-Micro Link in Social Institutions: Politics, Education, and Religion

The Economy, Work, and Working

Life at Home

Leisure and Media

Health and Illness

City and Country: the Social World and the Natural World

Social Change: Looking Toward Tomorrow

Filters

Exam 7: Social Class: the Structure of Inequality

Which system of social stratification was in the final stages of breaking down when Karl Marx developed his ideas?

Which of the following is true of the upper class in the United States today?

What sort of social mobility is possible in a caste system?

Why don't members of the lower class exercise more often?

Oscar Lewis's concept of a culture of poverty suggests that a fatalistic and resigned attitude exists among the poor, leading them to accept their social status. Discuss some of the major criticisms of this controversial point of view.

What do most Americans claim about their class status?

"Wealthy," "poor," and "middle class" do not exist in and of themselves, but instead are constantly negotiated in interactions.

Explain status inconsistency and give some examples of it.

The idea of the American Dream is most closely related to which of the following?

Being born into a lower social class means that an individual will be:

Given what you have read about socioeconomic status and life chances, what activity is most likely to take the place of a yoga class for a working-class woman?

A young doctor fresh out of medical school who looks for a position where he can work about twenty hours a week and make much less money than other doctors might be:

The upper class makes up just 1 percent of the total U.S. population, but its total net worth is greater than that of ____________ of the rest of the population.

What sorts of jobs are usually available to members of the lower-middle class?

In Japan men rank higher than women in the social hierarchy, meaning that no woman will ever rank higher than a man in social status.

How can a person's socioeconomic status affect her chances of succeeding financially and professionally?

There have been many societies throughout history with no social stratification.

Most poor people in the United States are unemployed.

What is the movement called that encourages people to work less, consume less, and generally "downshift" their lifestyles?

Sociology and the Real World

Studying Social Life: Sociological Research Methods

Cultural Crossroads

The Self and Interaction

Separate and Together: Life in Groups

Deviance

Race and Ethnicity As Lived Experience

Constructing Gender and Sexuality

The Macro-Micro Link in Social Institutions: Politics, Education, and Religion

The Economy, Work, and Working

Life at Home

Leisure and Media

Health and Illness

City and Country: the Social World and the Natural World

Social Change: Looking Toward Tomorrow

Filters