Exam 7: Class and Stratification in the United States

Of the two categories of people who work for wages, Weber called the white-collar workers, public officials, managers, and professionals the __________.

In the United States, people over the age of 65 are the most likely to be poor.

The U.S. State Department estimates that about __________ foreigners are brought to the United States and enslaved annually.

Describe and compare the three types of systems of stratification.

According to the social class model developed by Gilbert and Kahl, and based on the theory of Weber, the upper (capitalist) class of the United States includes about __________ of the population.

Discuss the major aspects of the functional, conflict, and symbolic interactionist perspectives as they relate to social stratification. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Social inequality and poverty have both economic and structural sources. According to your text, in the United States a great deal of poverty is due to __________.

Slavery in the United States ___________.

A difference between the caste system in India and the caste system in South Africa is that in India caste was based in part on __________.

__________ mobility refers to the social movement of individuals within their own lifetime.

__________ is the most likely to have life-threatening consequences, such as when a homeless person freezes to death on a park bench.

Skilled blue-collar workers, which include electricians, plumbers, and carpenters, and unskilled blue-collar workers which include janitors and gardeners, are all members of the __________, according to the Marxian model of class. ​

__________ poverty exists when people may be able to afford basic necessities but are still unable to maintain an average standard of living. ​

Vestiges of a caste system exist today in __________.

According to Marx, the capitalist class maintains its position at the top of the class structure by control of the society's __________, which is composed of the government, schools, churches, and other social institutions.

Sociologist Max Weber placed categories of people who have a similar level of wealth and income in the same class. He referred to the privileged commercial class of wealthy bankers, ship owners, professionals, and merchants who possess similar financial resources as __________.

Which age group (of all races) has the highest percentage living in poverty?​

Which of these racial/ethnic groups has the highest rate of poverty?​

In addition to unemployment, structural problems contribute to __________, where people work at jobs that do not pay a living wage and lack security.

Davis and Moore, two functionalists, believe that stratification results in  __________.