Deck 8: Social Class and Stratification in Canada

Question 1

What kind of impression about social class are popular television game shows that give away large sums of money framed to give viewers?

A)Upward social mobility is possible and available with little effort or time.
B)Downward social mobility is likely,especially without time and effort at maintaining one's lifestyle.
C)Upward and downward social mobility are the result of chance.
D)Winning game shows is a popular strategy to achieve upward social mobility.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What did Karl Marx argue about class relations?

A)The bourgeoisie consists of those who must sell their labour to those who own the means of production.
B)The proletariat consists of those who own the means of production.
C)Class relationships involve inequality and exploitation.
D)Wealth,prestige,and power are all important in determining a person's class position.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which province/territory has the lowest annual family income (according to the 2010 Census)?

A)British Columbia
B)Yukon
C)Nova Scotia
D)Manitoba

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which statement most accurately describes social inequality in Canada?

A)Social inequality is a real,consistent,and enduring feature of life in Canadian society.
B)Social inequality is a real,but remarkably unstable feature of life in Canadian society.
C)The gap between the rich and poor is slowly narrowing in Canada.
D)Persistent gross inequality is a thing of the past.

Question 5

Julie and her husband Bryan started out as a working-class couple.A decade later Julie operates her own business,and Bryan is CEO of a large marketing firm.What does their experience demonstrate?

A)social advancement
B)intragenerational mobility
C)intergenerational mobility
D)social immobility

Question 6

Which province/territory has the highest annual family income (according to the 2010 Census)?

A)New Brunswick
B)Ontario
C)Alberta
D)Northwest Territories

Question 7

In which system of stratification would Dave,a Christian,and Marta,a Muslim,NOT be permitted to marry?

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

Question 8

What is social stratification?

A)patterned structural equality in income distribution and basic resources
B)hierarchical arrangement of large social groups based on their control over basic resources
C)symmetrical arrangement of large social groups based on their control over basic resources
D)income distribution determined by arbitrary control over basic resources

Question 9

Jessie's mother is unable to provide her son with adequate food and proper clothing.In contrast,financial security has never been a problem in Dave's family.Which statement best reflects the two boys' experience?

A)Jessie and Dave have similar life chances.
B)Dave's life chances are better than Jessie's.
C)Jessie's life chances are better than Dave's.
D)Family access to societal resources does not influence Jessie or Dave.

Question 10

Not being able to afford designer clothes,pretending you don't want to play organized sports,and wishing that you could go on holidays are all meanings a child would give to what?

A)being a kid
B)homelessness
C)poverty
D)low self-esteem

Question 11

What percentage of the country's wealth is controlled by the poorest 10 percent of Canadian households?

A)less than 10 percent
B)between 15 and 29 percent
C)between 30 and 49 percent
D)between 50 and 60 percent

Question 12

What is the main criterion of a resource?

A)It is widely available.
B)It is needed.
C)It is evenly distributed.
D)It is valued.

Question 13

How would Karl Marx refer to Parliament,your university,and places of worship in your community?

A)as substructure
B)as superstructure
C)as ecostructure
D)as infrastructure

Question 14

In which system of stratification would a couple have the easiest time moving within social structure?

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

Question 15

In Canada,what is one of the things we are socialized to believe?

A)Most of us cannot go from poverty to wealth.
B)Hard work and playing by the rules do not bring financial wealth.
C)It is up to the individual to break the cycle of poverty.
D)Structural factors affect the degree of success an individual can attain.

Question 16

Jason now owns his home,a vacation property,and a downtown retail space.As a result,what has he increased?

A)his income
B)his wealth
C)his money
D)his equality

Question 17

What percentage of the country's wealth is controlled by the richest 10 percent of Canadian households?

A)less than 10 percent
B)between 15 and 29 percent
C)between 30 and 49 percent
D)between 50 and 60 percent

Question 18

What is one of the most important characteristics of systems of stratification?

A)their link to money
B)their global integration
C)their degree of flexibility
D)their degree of control

Question 19

What is the term for the economic gain that Yan receives from his job,real estate investments,and stocks?

A)income
B)wealth
C)net wealth
D)asset accumulation

Question 20

From a Marxist perspective,what keeps relations between employees and employers antagonistic?

A)differences in moral values
B)differences in work ethic
C)differences in wealth
D)differences in material interests

Question 21

Which statement best reflects the relationship between Marx and Weber on class and stratification?

A)Weber added to Marx's insights,offering a multidimensional view of class.
B)Marx added to Weber's insights,offering a multidimensional view of class.
C)Weber's emphasis was narrow as compared to Marx's focus on several class dimensions.
D)Both Marx and Weber saw similar futures for capitalism and the social system,yet Weber was more specific in his analysis.

Question 22

Who argued that the access the people have to important societal resources determines their life chances?

A)Max Weber
B)Karl Marx
C)Dennis Gilbert and Joseph A.Kahl
D)John Porter

Question 23

According to Marx,what is likely to happen to Carrie when she moves from designing,producing,and selling her own women's fashions and takes a job as a seamstress for a large design company?

A)class conflict
B)alienation
C)wealth
D)anomie

Question 24

Using Max Weber's typology,what social class would a university professor belong to?

A)petit-bourgeoisie
B)entrepreneurs
C)bourgeoisie
D)consumers

Question 25

According to sociologist Ralf Dahrendorf,why have workers NOT overthrown capitalism as Karl Marx had predicted?

A)Workers have seen the wisdom of the capitalist system.
B)Capitalism has changed significantly since Marx's time.
C)Individual capitalists now own and control the means of production,and workers have no other place to acquire jobs.
D)Ownership and control of the means of production is combined in contemporary multinational corporations.

Question 26

Andrea is able to get her children to stay in bed even though they protest.Which of the following is Andrea employing?

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

Question 27

Thirty-year-old Ted has only a high school diploma.To what social class is he most likely to belong?

A)lower-middle class
B)middle class
C)working class
D)working poor

Question 28

Joan goes to get a payday loan because she needs to pay her rent and a dental bill for her son.To what social class is she most likely to belong?

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

Question 29

Bill Gates,Sidney Crosby,and Kelly Clarkson fit in which model of social class?

A)middle class
B)elite class
C)old money
D)new rich

Question 30

In which dimension do Mother Teresa and other people whose life work is primarily to help the less fortunate rate highly?

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

Question 31

According to Max Weber,where does social power come from in modern societies?

A)a person's income level
B)a person's family position
C)a person's level of wealth
D)a person's position within bureaucracy

Question 32

Which term refers to the respect or regard with which a person or status position is viewed by others?

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

Question 33

Who believed that a deep level of antagonism exists between capitalists and workers?

A)Max Weber
B)Karl Marx
C)Dennis Gilbert and Joseph A.Kahl
D)John Porter

Question 34

The Yees are a prominent family in Southern Ontario who live in an $8.5 million home that has been in the family for generations.Where do they fit in a Weberian class model?

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

Question 35

How do sociologists refer to Weber's concept of class?

A)as a category of people
B)as an ideal type
C)as a concrete dimension of class structure
D)as an illusion

Question 36

Which of the following accurately represents the ideas of Marx's theory?

A)exploitation → alienation→ class conflict
B)alienation → exploitation → class conflict
C)class conflict → alienation → exploitation
D)class conflict → exploitation → alienation

Question 37

A decade ago the Kramers invested in real estate,and now they live primarily off the income they receive from their multiple properties.Using Max Weber's typology,to what social class do the Kramers belong?

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

Question 38

Who developed a multidimensional approach to social stratification that reflects the interplay among wealth,prestige,and power?

A)Max Weber
B)Karl Marx
C)Dennis Gilbert and Joseph A.Kahl
D)John Porter

Question 39

Mike works as a welder.According to Max Weber's typology,to what class does he belong?

A)working class
B)middle class
C)labouring class
D)lower-middle class

Question 40

Sociologists often employ a combined measure that attempts to classify individuals,families,or households in terms of indicators such as income,occupation,and education to determine class location.What is this measure called?

A)social class
B)social standing
C)prestige ranking
D)socioeconomic status

Question 41

What percentage of Canadians make up the working poor?

A)5 percent
B)10 percent
C)20 percent
D)40 percent

Question 42

How is poverty defined in Canada?

A)anybody who classifies themselves as poor,using certain strict guidelines
B)any individual or family that has not worked for income in the last six months
C)There is no official definition or official method for measuring poverty.
D)any individual or family that is in the lower one-tenth of the wealth distribution

Question 43

On what do Dennis Gilbert and Joseph A.Kahl's base their model of class structure?

A)education,occupation of the family head,and family income
B)status,power,and prestige
C)wealth,power,and income level
D)relations between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat

Question 44

Where would Dennis Gilbert and Joseph A.Kahl classify your dentist?

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

Question 45

Which of the following would be considered a working-class job?

A)CEO
B)server at restaurant
C)computer programmer
D)legal secretary

Question 46

Jamal Donaldson has his sights on making it big in the business world and leading a large team.Currently,he has two employees.According to Erik Olin Wright's model,what is his class position?

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

Question 47

If you are like most Canadians,you would describe yourself as belonging to what class?

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

Question 48

A man in his 40s dies during a winter night while sleeping under a staircase on a downtown street.Which statement best describes his situation?

A)He was living in absolute poverty.
B)He was living in relative poverty.
C)He was officially poor.
D)He was subjectively poor.

Question 49

Kurt is able to rent an apartment and get enough food to eat,yet he is unable to save any money or afford even the kind of extras that many Canadians take for granted,such as a bus ride or movie theatre ticket.Which of the following best reflects his situation?

A)absolute poverty
B)relative poverty
C)official poverty
D)objective poverty

Question 50

What did Barbara Ehrenreich demonstrate in her research?

A)It is possible to live on the income of the working poor.
B)The working poor do not develop keen strategies for survival.
C)Year-round minimum-wage jobs cannot cover the full cost of living even without taking into consideration the needs of children.
D)Society overestimates the challenges of the working poor.

Question 51

According to Erik Olin Wright's model,who holds most of the wealth and power in society?

A)the upper class
B)the capitalist class
C)the managerial class
D)the entrepreneur class

Question 52

Laura works evening and part-time shifts at the local supermarket.Her position could be classified as what kind of occupation?

A)middle class
B)pink collar
C)blue collar
D)working poor

Question 53

What would likely assist people on the lowest rungs of the social class ladder to achieve upward social mobility?

A)adequate social assistance
B)satisfactory employment opportunities
C)equal treatment by other members of society
D)a safe environment in which to raise children

Question 54

What do contemporary Marxian models do to examine class?

A)They attempt to determine how much income individuals make.
B)They attempt to determine the amount of power,prestige,and wealth associated with an individual's job.
C)They attempt to determine the extent to which money controls an individual's decision making.
D)They attempt to determine the degree of control an individual has over the decision-making process and extent he or she can plan his or her work.

Question 55

Based on the low-income cut-off lines,when would an individual or family be considered poor?

A)When they spend more than 90 percent of their income on food,clothing,and shelter.
B)When they spend more than 70 percent of their income on food,clothing,and shelter.
C)When they spend more than 50 percent of their income on food,clothing,and shelter.
D)When they spend more than 40 percent of their income on food,clothing,and shelter.

Question 56

Which statement accurately describes the relationship between income and physical and mental health?

A)People who are wealthy and well educated are more likely to be healthy than are poor people.
B)Research about the effects of income and health is largely inconclusive due to individual differences and uncontrollable lifestyle factors.
C)The poor have the same life expectancy as people who are wealthy,but they have less access to resources later in life.
D)People with high incomes live in conditions of excess that produce more cardiovascular heart problems later in life relative to those in poverty.

Question 57

Caitlin is a member of the lower-upper class and her friend Jane is a member of the upper class.On which of the dimensions below are they likely to differ?

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

Question 58

Wright's model takes which of the following into account?

A)job position and income levels
B)relationship to means of production
C)ownership and control of means of production and labour of others
D)place in class structure compared to others

Question 59

What percentage of Canadians make up the working class?

A)50 percent
B)30 percent
C)20 percent
D)less than 10 percent

Question 60

According to Dennis Gilbert and Joseph A.Kahl,what class has a core of people who hold relatively unskilled blue-collar and pink-collar occupations?

A)the underclass
B)the working poor
C)the working class
D)the upper-middle class

Question 61

Which term best describes the text's definition of poverty?

A)lack of money
B)homelessness
C)deprivation
D)fear

Question 62

Approximately how many of the adults living in poverty in Canada are men?

A)one-third
B)two-thirds
C)half
D)one-quarter

Question 63

What is one criticism of the Davis-Moore thesis?

A)It overemphasizes inequalities based on inherited wealth.
B)It underemphasizes the role played by prestige.
C)It ignores the effect of economic rewards in favour of social rewards.
D)It ignores inequalities based on inherited wealth.

Question 64

Erin has a learning disability and has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.Which of the following is her most likely experience in the workplace?

A)She has been excluded from work because of her disability.
B)She is unlikely to confront environmental barriers in the workplace,given the advent of anti-discrimination policies.
C)She has fewer opportunities today than she would have had in the past.
D)She is doubly disadvantaged and will experience discrimination as a woman and as a person with a disability.

Question 65

If you were to use a conflict perspective to determine social inequality,which of the following concepts would you study?

A)property ownership and control of workplace
B)race and gender
C)prestige and rewards
D)people's desires and ambitions

Question 66

Which statement best describes the child poverty rate in Canada?

A)Child poverty is higher than the overall poverty rate.
B)Child poverty is a bit lower than the overall poverty rate.
C)Child poverty is the same as the overall poverty rate.
D)Child poverty is much lower than the overall poverty rate.

Question 67

Which of the following assumptions does the Davis-Moore thesis make?

A)We experience conflict between those who own the means of production and those who work for wages.
B)We have an equal distribution of valued goods in our society.
C)We have considerable social mobility in our society.
D)We live in a meritocracy.

Question 68

Mary and her husband divorced after 25 years of marriage.Which of the following is Mary most likely to experience?

A)feminization of poverty
B)multiple jeopardizes
C)event-driven poverty
D)reshuffled poverty

Question 69

Which of the following is an implication of deindustrialization?

A)job deskilling
B)decredentialization
C)occupational compromise
D)displacement

Question 70

Which of the following statements would a feminist theorist agree with?

A)Aboriginal children are much less likely to live in poverty than non-Aboriginal children.
B)As long as they make wise financial decisions,parents with limited resources can provide the same educational opportunities for their children as middle-class families.
C)Inequality is on the decline,as evidenced in rising upward mobility through achievements in schools,especially among working-class children.
D)Given the combined effect of gender and class inequality,women in the labour force experience a double ghetto and second shift.

Question 71

Mike used to work on the assembly line at General Motors in Oshawa,making over 20 dollars an hour.Recently an industrial robot was invented that is able to do the same job and requires a technician making only 10 dollars an hour to check the specifications twice per shift.What has happened to Mike's job?

A)It was reclassified.
B)It was deskilled.
C)It was deindustrialized.
D)It was downsized.

Question 72

Suppose Jack and Annie's parents were teaching them about living in a meritocracy.What key lesson would they need to learn?

A)Their position in the stratification system depends strictly on their ascribed statuses.
B)They must justify their wealth by working hard.
C)All members of society equally share resources.
D)Their own share of the resources of a society is based on their qualifications and effort.

Question 73

Martha is a recent immigrant to Canada and mother of three children.Which of the following will most likely be her situation?

A)She will live in conditions of extreme poverty.
B)She will live in overcrowded housing and worry about being able to feed her children.
C)Her children will be taken away by social services.
D)She will have a higher income than her parents.

Question 74

Jarred has a wife and two boys.He works full-time for minimum wage.Which of the following best reflects his family's financial situation?

A)He earns a yearly income about 20 percent above the poverty line.
B)His income keeps the family just above the poverty line.
C)He cannot keep his family above the official poverty line.
D)His family is much better off now than they would have been 20 years ago.

Question 75

What is the "deindustrialization of North America"?

A)a transformation from steam power to nuclear power
B)the loss of a large number of jobs due to automation and the transfer of jobs to other countries
C)a trend in which workers,having obtained higher education than in the past,are unwilling to take industrial jobs
D)a drastic increase in factory and other hourly-rated jobs

Question 76

What is "event-driven poverty"?

A)a phenomenon that occurs when the poverty rate in Canada increases,as it did during the last economic recession
B)something that happens when a person becomes poor due to some change,such as divorce or widowhood
C)a situation in which a person living in poverty perpetuates his fate by spending his money foolishly
D)poverty that results from a major economic downturn in the economy,which leads to high unemployment

Question 77

According to a functionalist perspective,why does Canada have inequality?

A)Canadians perceive their income and wealth differently from people in other parts of the world.
B)Powerful Canadians use inequality as a force to maintain their position in society.
C)Inequality is avoidable and unnecessary provided that all the parts of Canadian society are working in harmony.
D)Inequality is an inevitable and necessary feature of Canadian society.

Question 78

Which term refers to the trend in which women are disproportionately represented among individuals living in poverty?

A)the feminization of poverty
B)matriarchal poverty
C)pink-ghetto poverty
D)the gendering of poverty

Question 79

What percentage of persons living in poverty are single-parent mothers?

A)70-79 percent
B)50-69 percent
C)40-49 percent
D)30-39 percent

Question 80

As noted in a UNICEF report,where does Canada rank out of 24 nations for having the least child poverty in a rich nation?

A)2nd
B)10th
C)15th
D)20th