Deck 8: Class and Stratification in the United States

Question 1

One of the most important characteristics of systems of stratification is their degree of flexibility.In a closed system of stratification:

A) people's positions are set by achieved statuses
B) there is little or no social mobility
C) the boundaries between levels in the hierarchies of social stratification are relatively fluid
D) many opportunities exist for people who are willing to work hard

Answer 1

B

Question 2

__________ are anything valued in a society,ranging from money and property to medical care and education.They are considered to be scarce because of unequal distribution among social categories.

A) Assets
B) Resources
C) Prospects
D) Opportunities

Answer 2

B

Question 3

According to the text,India's caste system is based in part on _________,while the caste system of South Africa was based on __________.

A) racial classification; occupation
B) religious affiliation; economic classification
C) occupation; racial classification
D) wealth; racial classification

Answer 3

C

Question 4

When people experience a gain or loss in position and/or income that does not produce a change in their place in the class structure,this is referred to as:

A) horizontal mobility
B) situational mobility
C) vertical mobility
D) structural mobility

Question 5

RaShandra began her career as a high-tech factory worker.Through increased experience and by taking specialized courses in her field,she became an entrepreneur and started her own highly successful "dot-com" business.RaShandra's advancement is an example of ________ mobility.

A) exchange
B) intergenerational
C) structural
D) intragenerational

Question 6

As practiced in the United States,which of the following was NOT a characteristic of slavery?

A) It was for life and was inherited.
B) Slaves were considered to be human beings as well as property.
C) Slaves were denied rights.
D) Coercion was used to keep slaves "in their place."

Question 7

Social movement experienced by family members from one generation to the next is:

A) structural mobility
B) intergenerational mobility
C) intragenerational mobility
D) exchange mobility

Question 8

The __________ system is an extreme form of stratification in which some people are owned by others.It is a closed system in which people are treated as property and have little or no control over their lives.

A) union
B) slavery
C) class
D) caste

Question 9

A __________ is a system of social inequality in which people's status is permanently determined at birth based on their parent's ascribed status.It is a closed system of stratification.

A) class system
B) slavery system
C) profile system
D) caste system

Question 10

Systems of stratification are characterized by different hierarchical structures and varying degrees of mobility.All of the following are systems of stratification EXCEPT:

A) slavery
B) caste
C) class
D) profile

Question 11

A university professor is promoted from the rank of assistant to associate professor.This results in her being granted tenure and she receives a significant increase in salary.This person has experienced __________ mobility.

A) situational
B) vertical
C) horizontal
D) structural

Question 12

One of the most important characteristics of systems of stratification is
Their degree of flexibility.In an open system of stratification:

A) there is no social mobility
B) people's positions are influenced by achieved statuses
C) the boundaries between levels in the hierarchies of social stratification are rigid
D) people's positions are determined by ascribed statuses alone

Question 13

The social movement of individuals within their own lifetime is called:

A) intergenerational mobility
B) structural mobility
C) exchange mobility
D) intragenerational mobility

Question 14

Sociologist Max Weber's term,__________,addresses how much access
Individuals have to important societal resources such as food,
Clothing,shelter,education,and health care.

A) life chances
B) cultural opportunity
C) social opportunity
D) social prospects

Question 15

The __________ system is a type of stratification based on the ownership and control of resources and on the type of work people do.

A) caste
B) slavery
C) profile
D) class

Question 16

The separation of the races refers to:

A) apartheid
B) closed racial system
C) emancipation
D) horizontal declassification

Question 17

__________ is the hierarchical arrangement of large social groups based on the control over basic resources.

A) Social distinction
B) Individual distinctiveness
C) Social stratification
D) Social layering

Question 18

Sarah's father is a carpenter who makes good wages in good
Economic times,but is unemployed when the construction industry
Slows to a standstill.Sarah becomes a neurologist,earning $345,000 a
Year,and moves from the working class to the upper-middle class.
Between her father's generation and her own,Sarah has experienced
__________ social mobility.

A) downward
B) horizontal
C) upward
D) progressive

Question 19

__________ is the movement of individuals or groups from one level in a stratification system to another.This movement can be either upward or
Downward.

A) Social movement
B) Unilateral generational mobility
C) Open system movement
D) Social mobility

Question 20

In a __________,marriage is endogamous,meaning that people are allowed to marry only within their own group.

A) stratified system
B) profile system
C) caste system
D) class system

Question 21

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

A) entrepreneurs
B) rentiers
C) independents
D) consumers

Question 22

__________ occurs when people experience movement either up or down the class structure.

A) Structural mobility
B) Vertical mobility
C) Situational mobility
D) Horizontal mobility

Question 23

According to Karl Marx,continual exploitation results in workers' __________-a feeling of powerlessness and estrangement from other people and from oneself.It develops as workers manufacture goods that embody their creative talents,but the goods do not belong to them.

A) class conflict
B) meritocracy
C) classism
D) alienation

Question 24

According to sociologist Karl Marx,the __________ (working class) consists of those who must sell their labor to the owners in order to earn enough money to survive.

A) proletariat
B) rentiers
C) bourgeoisie
D) entrepreneurs

Question 25

_________ argued that class position and the extent of our income and wealth are determined by our work situation,or our relationship to the means of production.

A) Georg Simmel
B) Max Weber
C) Emile Durkheim
D) Karl Marx

Question 26

Sociologist Karl Marx acknowledged that classes may have:

A) many important overlapping socioeconomic interests
B) primarily similar economic interests
C) opposing (rather than complementary) interests
D) complementary (rather than opposing) interests

Question 27

According to Max Weber,the __________ consists of white-collar workers,public officials,managers,and professionals.

A) divisional class
B) working class
C) tertiary class
D) middle class

Question 28

According to sociologist Karl Marx,when the workers realized that capitalists were the source of their oppression,they would overthrow the capitalists and their agents of social control,leading to the end of capitalism.The workers would then take over the government and create a(n) __________ society.

A) class
B) caste
C) egalitarian
D) stratified

Question 29

Sociologist Max Weber suggested that a person who has a high level of prestige is assumed to receive deferential and respectful treatment from others.He noted all the following to be true EXCEPT that:

A) they tend to socialize with one another
B) they tend to marry outside their own group of social equals
C) they tend to spend their leisure time together
D) they tend to safeguard their status by restricting outsiders' opportunities to join their ranks

Question 30

According to sociologist Karl 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.

A) substructure
B) superstructure
C) ecostructure
D) basic structure

Question 31

Sociologist Max Weber placed categories of people who have a similar level of wealth and income in the same class.He identified a class of __________-wealthy individuals who live off their investments and do not have to work.

A) entrepreneurs
B) rentiers
C) independents
D) consumers

Question 32

__________ is the respect or regard with which a person or status position is regarded by others: it includes fame,respect,honor,and esteem.

A) Wealth
B) Power
C) Status
D) Prestige

Question 33

The value of all of a person's or family's economic assets,including income,personal property,and income-producing property is referred to as:

A) power
B) prestige
C) income
D) wealth

Question 34

Both social scientists Karl Marx and Max Weber identified ___________ as an important determinant of social inequality and social change.

A) religion
B) class
C) gender
D) race

Question 35

Sociologist Max Weber divided those who work for wages into two classes.The __________ class consists of skilled,semiskilled,and unskilled workers.

A) working
B) middle
C) divisional
D) tertiary

Question 36

According to Weber,bureaucracies hold social power in modern societies; individual power depends on a person's _________ within the bureaucracy.

A) wealth
B) education
C) position
D) occupational

Question 37

__________ is the ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite opposition from others.

A) Wealth
B) Power
C) Status
D) Prestige

Question 38

According to sociologist Karl Marx,the __________ (capitalist class) consists of those who own the means of production-the land and capital necessary for factories and mines.

A) entrepreneurs
B) proletariat
C) rentiers
D) bourgeoisie

Question 39

According to sociologist Ralf Dahrendorf,which of the following is NOT a reason why workers have not overthrown capitalism as sociologist Karl Marx had predicted?

A) Many workers have experienced a rising standard of living.
B) Workers have gained more legal protection in the form of rights and benefits.
C) Individual capitalists still own and control factories and other means of production.
D) Many people have become so engrossed in the process of consumption that they are less likely to engage in workers' rebellion.

Question 40

Sociologists often use the term __________ to refer to a combined measure that attempts to classify individuals,families,or households in terms of factors such as income,occupation,and education to determine class location.

A) power status
B) socioeconomic status
C) prestige status
D) wealth status

Question 41

Approximately _________ percent of the U.S.population are members of the working class.

A) 30
B) 40
C) 50
D) 60

Question 42

The text points out that for the past several years occupational ratings by prestige have been remarkably consistent.In 2007,which of the following occupations received the lowest score in the United States?

A) mail carrier
B) police officer
C) maid
D) secretary

Question 43

For many years,occupational ratings by prestige have been remarkably _________ in the United States.

A) inconsistent
B) stagnant
C) consistent
D) dynamic

Question 44

According to the social class model developed by sociologist Dennis Gilbert,persons in the __________ class (about 14 percent of the U.S.population) are often highly educated professionals who have built careers as physicians,attorneys,stockbrokers,or corporate managers.

A) upper-upper
B) lower-upper
C) upper-middle
D) middle

Question 45

According to the social class model developed by sociologist Dennis Gilbert,the __________ members (about one percent of the U.S.population) own substantial income-producing assets and operate on both the national and international levels.People in this class have an influence on the economy and society far beyond their numbers.

A) upper-middle class
B) upper class
C) middle-middle class
D) middle class

Question 46

According to the social class model developed by sociologist Dennis Gilbert,two-year or four-year college degrees have replaced the high school diploma as an entry-level requirement for employment in many __________ occupations,including medical technicians and nurses.This social class represents an estimated 30 percent of the U.S.population.

A) middle-class
B) upper class
C) upper-upper class
D) upper-middle class

Question 47

According to the sociologist Erik Wright's Marxian model,all of the following are criteria for placement in the class structure EXCEPT:

A) ownership of the means of production
B) purchase of the labor of others
C) inherited wealth
D) sale of one's own labor

Question 48

According to the social class model developed by sociologist Dennis Gilbert,the __________ is the one that is most shaped by formal education.

A) upper class
B) upper-upper class
C) upper-middle class
D) middle class

Question 49

According to your text,all of the following are factors that have eroded the American Dream for the middle class EXCEPT:

A) escalating housing prices
B) blocked mobility on the job
C) the cost?of?living squeeze
D) negative media exposure

Question 50

According to the social class model developed by sociologist Dennis Gilbert,members of the __________ have earned most of their money in their own lifetime as entrepreneurs,presidents of major corporations,sports or entertainment celebrities,or top-level professionals.

A) middle-upper class
B) upper-upper class
C) upper-middle class
D) lower-upper class

Question 51

Individuals that are poor,seldom employed,and caught in long-term deprivation that results from low levels of education and income and high rates of unemployment are part of the:

A) underclass
B) working class
C) middle class
D) lower class

Question 52

The text points out that,for many years,occupational ratings by prestige have been remarkably consistent.In 2007,which of the following occupations received the highest score in the United States?

A) college professor
B) dentist
C) attorney
D) physician

Question 53

__________ attempt to determine what degree of control workers have over the decision-making process and the extent to which they are able to plan and implement their own work.

A) Postmodern theorists
B) Functionalist theorists
C) Symbolic interactionist theorists
D) Conflict theorists

Question 54

According to the social class model developed by sociologist Dennis Gilbert,members of the __________ class come from prominent families who possess great wealth that they have held for several generations.Family names such as Rockefeller and Kennedy are well known and often held in high esteem.

A) lower-upper
B) middle-upper
C) upper-upper
D) upper middle

Question 55

Contemporary Marxian (or conflict) theorists would examine class in
Terms of:

A) the ownership or non-ownership of the means of production
B) people's relationship to others in the production process
C) wealth and status inequality
D) a multidimensional approach of wealth, prestige and power

Question 56

All of the following are elements in the social class model developed by sociologist Dennis Gilbert EXCEPT:

A) education
B) occupation of family head
C) the family's reputation in the community
D) family income

Question 57

All of the following classes were identified by sociologist Erik Wright in his Marxian model EXCEPT the:

A) capitalist class
B) managerial class
C) small-business class
D) middle class

Question 58

Most Americans view themselves as __________ class.

A) working
B) middle
C) upper-middle
D) upper

Question 59

About __________ percent of the U.S.population are members of the upper-middle class.

A) 7
B) 14
C) 32
D) 44

Question 60

Relatively low-paying,non-manual,semiskilled positions primarily held by women,such as day care workers,checkout clerks,cashiers,and waitpersons are referred to as:

A) white-collar jobs
B) blue-collar jobs
C) pink-collar jobs
D) frayed collar jobs

Question 61

In 2009 __________ households had the lowest median income ($32,584),as compared with __________ households,which had the highest median ($65,469).

A) Asian; Non-Hispanic white
B) African American; Asian
C) African American; Non-Hispanic white
D) Hispanic; Non-Hispanic white

Question 62

__________ is computed by subtracting all debt obligations and
Converting the remaining assets into cash.

A) Income
B) Salary
C) Wealth
D) Inequality

Question 63

In 2008,the top one percent of households in the United States received income of more than 1.3 million per year,and the bottom 20 percent earned an average of:

A) $40,000
B) $17,700
C) $25,500
D) $45,000

Question 64

Today,great disparities exist in the distribution of educational resources.Because funding for education comes primarily from __________,school districts in wealthy suburban areas generally pay higher teachers' salaries,have newer buildings,and provide state-of-the-art equipment.

A) federal government taxes
B) local property taxes
C) state taxes
D) a combination of state and federal taxes

Question 65

According to Forbes magazine's 2010 list of the richest people in the world,Bill Gates (co-founder of Microsoft Corporation) was the second wealthiest with a fortune of nearly $53 billion.According to the sociologist Erik Wright's Marxian model,Bill Gates would be in the __________ class.

A) managerial
B) capitalist
C) proletariat
D) working

Question 66

__________ theorists view education as the "elevator" to social mobility.Improvements in the educational achievement levels (measured in number of years of schooling completed) of the poor,people of color,and white women have been cited as evidence that students' abilities are now more important than their class,race,or gender.

A) Postmodern
B) Conflict
C) Functionalist
D) Symbolic interactionist

Question 67

Of all age groups,persons aged __________ are the most likely to be uninsured.

A) under 18
B) 18 to 34
C) 35 to 44
D) 65 and over

Question 68

According to the sociologist Erik Wright's Marxian model,the __________ class consists of business owners and craftspeople that may hire a small number of employees but largely do their own work.

A) capitalist
B) working
C) managerial
D) small-business

Question 69

For the upper class,__________ often comes from interest,dividends,and inheritance.

A) income
B) wages
C) debt
D) wealth

Question 70

According to the sociologist Erik Wright's Marxian model,the __________ is made up of a number of subgroups,one of which is blue-collar workers,some of whom are highly skilled and well paid and others of who are unskilled and poorly paid.

A) small-business class
B) capitalist class
C) working class
D) managerial class

Question 71

Sociologist Dennis Gilbert compares the distribution of income to a
National pie that has been sliced into portions.In 2008,the poorest 20
Percent of households received approximately __________ of the
Total income pie.

A) 3
B) 9
C) 12
D) 17

Question 72

The U.S.Social Security Administration has established an official poverty line.The poverty line is computed by:

A) intercorrelations with the cost-of-living index
B) determining the cost of a minimally nutritious diet (short-term) and multiplying this figure by three to allow for nonfood costs
C) estimating the annual cost of living
D) surveys to determine how much people spend on basic necessities

Question 73

__________ theorists stress that schools are agencies for reproducing the capitalist class system and perpetuating inequality in society.Parents with limited income are not able to provide the same educational opportunities for their children as are families with greater financial resources.

A) Conflict
B) Symbolic interactionist
C) Postmodern
D) Functionalist

Question 74

According to the sociologist Erik Wright's Marxian model,the __________ is composed of individuals who have inherited fortunes,own major corporations,or are top corporate executives with extensive stock holdings or control of company investments.

A) capitalist class
B) managerial class
C) small-business class
D) working class

Question 75

Sociologist Dennis Gilbert compares the distribution of income to a
National pie that has been sliced into portions.In 2008,the wealthiest 20
Percent of households received almost __________ percent of the total
Income pie.

A) 25
B) 50
C) 75
D) 90

Question 76

Based on the sociologist Erik Wright's Marxian model,the __________ class is made up of skilled blue-collar workers,which include electricians,plumbers,and carpenters,and unskilled blue-collar workers,which include janitors and gardeners.

A) working
B) managerial
C) small-business
D) capitalist

Question 77

According to the sociologist Erik Wright's Marxian model,persons in the ___________ have substantial control over the means of production and over workers.However,these upper-level supervisors and professionals typically do not participate in key corporate decisions such as how to invest profit.

A) capitalist class
B) small-business class
C) working class
D) managerial class

Question 78

The term ___________ housing refers to facilities that have inadequate heating,air conditioning,plumbing,electricity,or structural durability.

A) affordable
B) suburban
C) substandard
D) tenet

Question 79

For many of the working poor,medical insurance is out of the question.Approximately __________ million people in the United States were without health insurance coverage in 2009.

A) 10
B) 21
C) 31
D) 50.7

Question 80

The economic gain derived from wages,salaries,income transfers (government aid),and ownership of property is:

A) wealth
B) income
C) power
D) prestige