Deck 4: Families and Social Class

Question 1

For members of a social class, the everyday interactions, shared economic circumstances, distinctive ways of life, and an awareness of those patterns is known as

A) class identity.
B) class consciousness.
C) culture.
D) ethnocentrism.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

In the opening of the chapter, a profile of Donald Trump, Jr. is provided to

A) demonstrate that social class is more of an individual effort than a generational issue.
B) show how social class creates certain perspectives on the world.
C) highlight the unique ways that social classes are marked by rigid categories.
D) illustrate how shared positions within groups reflect patterns of behavior and life chances.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The disparity in economic status and security between upper and lower classes is called

A) capitalism.
B) class identity.
C) inequality.
D) the Gini index.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The process by which labor produces wealth that is not controlled by the laborers but by others is called

A) employment.
B) exploitation.
C) Marxism.
D) economics.

Question 5

The social process of determining who does what work and for what reward is called

A) job placement.
B) division of labor.
C) social inequality.
D) education.

Question 6

The process of families deciding who will do various chores and duties is an example of

A) division of labor.
B) family meeting.
C) gender roles.
D) parenting.

Question 7

The existence of social inequality indicates that it serves some beneficial purpose for society, according to what point of view?

A) conflict theory
B) exchange theory
C) symbolic interactionism
D) functionalism

Question 8

A young adult whose parents can provide funds for college, reliable health care, and emotional support stands a better chance of achieving her material goals in life. This situation is an example of

A) life chances.
B) social class.
C) social mobility.
D) education.

Question 9

Which of the following is problematic about the government's measurement of the poverty line?

A) The price of food is not reflected in the measurement.
B) The calculation includes government benefits such as tax credits.
C) It does not account for differences in the cost of living by region.
D) It is not updated frequently enough.

Question 10

A young adult who can provide letters of recommendation from respected community leaders who are friends with his parents is often more likely to get a desired position or admission. This situation is an example of

A) social capital.
B) wealth.
C) inequality.
D) class distinction.

Question 11

Which of the following is true about the poverty line?

A) It is the level of income below which sociologists define a family or individual as poor.
B) It was created in the 1960s, based on a formula that hinges on housing expenses.
C) Its intention is to identify families who cannot meet their basic needs.
D) It is a reliable measure of poverty.

Question 12

Employees of a retail restaurant chain work to generate profit for the corporation, and that wealth is controlled by executives. Conflict theorists call this

A) unjust.
B) social class.
C) proletariat.
D) exploitation.

Question 13

Which of the following is true about the study of social class?

A) The working class was most severely hit by the recession of the late 2000s.
B) More people identify as "lower class" than the actual rates of poverty would suggest.
C) Almost half of U.S. society identifies as working class.
D) Most sociologists have given up on precisely defining social classes.

Question 14

Which of the following is true about class identity?

A) It is weaker when barriers between classes are strong.
B) It is marked by exogamous marriage patterns.
C) It persists for years, if not generations.
D) It is based on statistical groups of people with similar economic profiles rather than social patterns.

Question 15

Income inequality has increased continuously since the 1960s because of

A) changes in public policy.
B) changes from a service economy to manufacturing jobs.
C) the decrease in personal responsibility and work ethic.
D) increased regulation of the finance industry.

Question 16

Being a member of a family or other exclusive group gives individual members access to all of the resources of that group. Sociologists call these resources

A) social capital.
B) wealth.
C) connections.
D) life chances.

Question 17

Which of the following describes the change in the Gini index scores for the United States since 1950?

A) It has increased steadily since 1950.
B) It has decreased steadily since 1950.
C) It has fluctuated erratically since the mid-1980s.
D) It has steadily increased since 1970.

Question 18

The Gini index is a

A) measure of wealth.
B) measure of inequality.
C) tool for understanding poverty.
D) measure of social mobility.

Question 19

Members of the upper class often marry each other, maintaining the deep pool of social capital available to them. This mate selection practice is called

A) in-group.
B) class identity.
C) endogamy.
D) class distinction.

Question 20

Max Weber originated the concept of life chances, which refers to

A) a person's chance of living to old age.
B) the statistical likelihood of becoming wealthy.
C) the practical opportunity to achieve material success.
D) the randomness of being born into one social class or another.

Question 21

The parenting practice of many poor and working-class families, which allows for informal play and a focus on protection and care is called

A) concerted cultivation.
B) helicopter parenting.
C) authoritarian parenting.
D) accomplishment of natural growth.

Question 22

Most people think of class as a ladder, but sociologists conceptualize social class as

A) steps.
B) categories.
C) a circle.
D) a pyramid.

Question 23

Which of the following is true about the government's role in our social class system?

A) The amount of government intervention with the poor is higher in the United States than in other developed countries.
B) The government does not practice progressive taxation in the United States.
C) The government sets the poverty line.
D) Government benefits, like food stamps and welfare, give an unfair advantage to lower-income people.

Question 24

Which of the following is a trend in poverty in the United States?

A) Homelessness has increased.
B) In all instances, married-couple families are not as poor as single-parent families.
C) The rate of poverty is higher among single-parent families, but race and ethnicity do not play a factor.
D) It is common for families to move in and out of poverty over time.

Question 25

Which of the following contributed to the increase in income inequality since the end of 1960?

A) The Gini index was developed to measure income inequality.
B) The legal minimum wage has been allowed to fall as inflation reduces its value.
C) The official poverty line has not been adjusted for inflation.
D) Federal, state, and local governments operate programs to assist people in need.

Question 26

Parents who work in jobs that require creativity and divergent thinking are more likely to raise their children to value

A) obedience and promptness.
B) art and music.
C) creativity and divergent thinking.
D) education.

Question 27

In the text's discussion of poverty in single-parent households, which of the following is the most important factor separating children of single mothers from those whose parents are married and living together?

A) money
B) time
C) social capital
D) education

Question 28

Which of the following is true about social class and parenting?

A) Parents usually guide their children into values that will improve their chances of social mobility.
B) Parents usually guide their children to value the traits that will prepare them to stay at the same social class level.
C) Children of working-class and poor parents tend to be more assertive.
D) Social class does not affect parenting practices very much.

Question 29

Poverty increased dramatically during the 2000s because of which of the following?

A) severe economic inequality
B) social mobility
C) low unemployment
D) poor work ethic

Question 30

Annette Lareau followed a handful of families in their daily lives in order to understand their

A) attitudes about social class.
B) discipline practices.
C) stress.
D) parenting practices.

Question 31

The practice of setting tax rates so that wealth is redistributed toward the poor is called

A) income tax.
B) earned tax credit.
C) progressive taxation.
D) communism.

Question 32

The social class gap between those with Internet access and those without is known as

A) digital inequality.
B) Internet inequality.
C) the digital gap.
D) the digital divide.

Question 33

Many children of single parents have a smaller extended family network on which to rely. This causes a reduction in

A) social capital.
B) emotional intelligence.
C) language skill.
D) wealth.

Question 34

The text describes the social class system in the United States as a "common description" because

A) the system is widely understood by the public.
B) the system is the most popular.
C) defining the classes specifically is impossible.
D) the system is tested by research and accepted.

Question 35

In the General Social Survey, only 2.7 percent of Americans identify as

A) upper class.
B) middle class.
C) working class.
D) lower class.

Question 36

The difference between one's class origin and class destination is known as

A) life chances.
B) social mobility.
C) "rags to riches."
D) social capital.

Question 37

In the General Social Survey, 7.9 percent of Americans identify as

A) upper class.
B) middle class.
C) working class.
D) lower class.

Question 38

The tendency of people to be in the same social class throughout their lives is called

A) social mobility.
B) consistency.
C) class persistence.
D) class consciousness.

Question 39

Which of the following is true about social mobility?

A) The United States has about the same amount of social mobility as other wealthy countries.
B) Until recent decades, social class persistence was mitigated somewhat by estate taxes.
C) Most people do rise above the social class into which they were born.
D) Members of the middle class tend to have more social mobility than those at the ends of the spectrum.

Question 40

The aggressive approach to parenting that stresses assertiveness and interactions with adults, and involves filling children's schedules is called

A) concerted cultivation.
B) helicopter parenting.
C) authoritarian parenting.
D) accomplishment of natural growth.

Question 41

Outline, in detail, the common description of American social class structure as developed by sociologists.

Question 42

In the section on "Educational Inequality," which of the following is true regarding high-income families?

A) Both mothers and fathers from high-income families spend more time in hands-on caretaking of their children from infancy.
B) Parents in higher-income families don't have as much time to give their children as parents in lower-class families do.
C) Because of increased work demands, higher-income parents rely on other caregivers to nurture their children.
D) Higher-income parents are typically unable to work with the school system and teachers in order to get their child's needs met.

Question 43

Discuss the poverty line and its origins, purpose, strengths, and weaknesses.

Question 44

Using functionalist theory, explain the existence of the American social class system, giving several examples associated with family life.

Question 45

Which of the following is true about the digital divide and parenting?

A) Higher-educated parents are more likely to permit their children unstructured free time.
B) Lower-income parents are more likely to promote formal enrichment activities for their children (such as organized sports and lessons).
C) Lower-income parents face demands that makes media time a practical necessity.
D) The digital divide between parents and their children means that many parents don't know how to explain media to their children.

Question 46

What have studies of class mobility in the U.S. shown?

A) The U.S. has more social mobility than other wealthy nations.
B) Regardless of social class position at birth, children are able to move above their parents' social class.
C) If one has a good work ethic, it is possible to escape deep poverty.
D) Today the U.S. has less upward mobility than it did in previous generations.

Question 47

Discuss the reproduction of social class, using several examples to identify the structural and institutional processes that support it.

Question 48

Even though the poor may pay a larger share of their budget on local sales taxes and gasoline taxes, those taxes are not considered because everyone pays the same rate.

A) federal taxes
B) progressive taxes
C) income taxes
D) budget taxes

Question 49

Identify and discuss several means through which government influences the social class experiences of American families.

Question 50

On the Gini index, which measures income inequality, a score of 1 indicates .

A) complete inequality
B) complete equality
C) average levels of inequality
D) moderately high levels of inequality

Question 51

Define class identity and explain its significance in family life, giving several examples.

Question 52

Which of the following statements regarding the 1 percent is true?

A) Although economic inequality has been rising globally, the concentration of income and wealth in the U.S. has been more evenly divided.
B) The concentration of wealth in the hands of the 1 percent can be damaging to the economy if their money isn't used in ways that benefit regular workers and their families.
C) The vast majority of individuals with high incomes in the top 1 percent are Asian men.
D) The bottom 50 percent of all earners pull in over 33 percent of all income.

Question 53

Using conflict perspective, discuss the causes of poverty and recommend two policy responses.

Question 54

In his book Evicted (2016), Matthew Desmond explored the soaring housing prices in American cities. He found that most poor families in the rental market spend of their income on housing expenses.

A) over one-fourth
B) almost one-third
C) over half
D) three-fourths

Question 55

Outline the research findings and theoretical conclusions of Annette Lareau regarding social class and parenting.

Question 56

Which of the following explains why older Americans are less likely to be poor now compared to the 1960s?

A) People started working until age 60, which boosted their incomes.
B) The Social Security program has distributed money to retired persons.
C) People are retiring earlier to cash in on employment benefits they have paid into their entire careers.
D) Older people are no longer responsible for taking care of extended family in their old age.

Question 57

Discuss the impact of social class on the life chances of children, including a discussion and examples of social capital and parenting practices.

Question 58

What does economist Joseph Stiglitz mean when he argues that the rise of the 1 percent is self-fulfilling?

A) Elite individuals earn their positions through handwork and merit alone, without the help of their network, thereby fulfilling their potential.
B) Income inequality is decreasing as elite individuals find fulfillment through charity work.
C) The concentration of wealth among elite individuals benefits the economy overall.
D) Elite individuals increasingly gain control over positions and institutions that shape the rules and make accumulating more wealth possible.

Question 59

Analyze the causes and consequences of increased social inequality in the United States.

Question 60

Research regarding college completion and social class found that

A) test scores are the best predictor of college success regardless of social class.
B) class background is more important than high school test scores for finishing college.
C) rich high school students were less likely to complete college when their test scores were lower than those of students from families that were poor.
D) students' personal motivations for completing school were far more important than social class background or test scores.

Question 61

Explain social mobility in the United States. How does it compare to other societies? How does the American family affect social mobility? How likely is upward social mobility?