Deck 8: Social Stratification

Question 1

Canadian social policies are based on an objective, universally agreed-upon definition of poverty.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

One of the myths of poverty is that people are poor because they do not want to work.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

According to Weber, authority rests on moral consent-"I comply with your demands not because you force me to but because I believe they are legitimate."

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (1719) is a celebration of capitalism.

Question 5

Canada's refusal to limit its policies to an official definition of poverty helps fight against poverty.

Question 6

The petite bourgeoisie does physical, factory labour in capitalist societies.

Question 7

Income and wealth are equally important for social inequality.

Question 8

Intragenerational mobility refers to the comparison of one person's occupation to her or his parents' occupations.

Question 9

Research suggests that individual attributes of the poor have no bearing on poverty.

Question 10

The homeless are an extreme manifestation of an unequal income distribution.

Question 11

The Canadian educational system is increasingly differentiated and therefore increasingly able to help reduce inequality.

Question 12

Canadian income tax is an example of a progressive tax.

Question 13

Human capital theory stresses the increasing centrality of family connections as a factor affecting economic success.

Question 14

Income inequality is greater in Canada than in the U.S., but the difference has grown smaller since the 1970s.

Question 15

In Marxist view, classes are distinguished by their source of income, not the amount of income.

Question 16

Functionalists justify social inequality by the length and cost of training necessary for some occupations.

Question 17

The "culture of poverty" provides an individual-level explanation of poverty.

Question 18

The ability to tastefully use language and images and impress, influence, and persuade others is known as social capital.

Question 19

According to Weber, parties differ from one another in the prestige or social honour they enjoy and in their style of life.

Question 20

Poverty and availability of childcare are separate, independent issues.

Question 21

Some politicians present welfare policies as wasteful, unfair, and not worthy of serious consideration.In Weber's terms, what are they trying to achieve by presenting policies of their opponents in this way?

A)power
B)authority
C)charisma
D)instrumental rationality

Question 22

The GST and HST are examples of progressive taxes.

Question 23

According to the textbook, which of the following influences rates of poverty among immigrants to Canada?

A)age at arrival to Canada
B)length of residence in Canada
C)residence in a rural area
D)country of origin

Question 24

Why does Canada have no statistics on the number of poor people?

A)because, relative to poverty in other nations, Canada has no "real" poor people
B)because there are so few of them that it is not worth counting
C)because it is too difficult to count the homeless
D)because there is no official definition of poverty

Question 25

In terms of extremes regarding income inequality, between which two wealthy countries is Canada placed?

A)Japan and Ireland
B)United States and Denmark
C)Sweden and Norway
D)Australia and Korea

Question 26

The following figures are income shares of the lowest quintiles in four societies.Which indicates the highest level of income inequality?

A)5 percent
B)4.5 percent
C)4 percent
D)3.5 percent

Question 27

In which social system is one class required to protect another, that gives a portion of its agricultural labour and crops in return?

A)socialism
B)capitalism
C)communism
D)feudalism

Question 28

Karim's parents are high-school teachers.He has just finished university, but is only able to find a job in the customer service centre of an insurance company.What is Karim experiencing?

A)horizontal mobility
B)cyclical mobility
C)intergenerational mobility
D)intragenerational mobility

Question 29

Approximately what percentage of families in Canada own almost no assets?

A)10 percent
B)20 percent
C)30 percent
D)40 percent

Question 30

In a survey of 18 nations, which of the following statements did most Canadians polled agree with?

A)"Inequality continues because it benefits the rich and powerful."
B)"Inequality persists because there are too many government handouts."
C)"Large gaps between classes motivate people to work harder."
D)"Government should provide all citizens with a basic income."

Question 31

Rosa's parents have very little money and she often has to go to elementary school without breakfast or lunch.Rosa is very bright, but on the days when this happens, she finds it difficult to concentrate on her schoolwork.What does Rosa lack in this situation?

A)equality of opportunity
B)equality of condition
C)equality of distribution
D)equality of production

Question 32

Leif believes that poverty is caused by the boom and bust cycles of a capitalist economic system and by people's tolerance of low-wage jobs and union busting.His views are consistent with which of the following explanations of poverty?

A)individual-level explanation
B)structural explanation
C)cultural explanation
D)microlevel explanation

Question 33

William and his family experienced a dramatic increase in their wealth since 1999.Given what is known about which groups experienced increases in family wealth, in which group do William and his family most likely belong?

A)the top 20 percent of families
B)the second highest 20 percent of families
C)the middle 20 percent of families
D)the second lowest 20 percent of families

Question 34

What happens when lower-income Canadians spend more of their income on consumption?

A)Regressive taxes hurt them more.
B)Progressive taxes hurt them more.
C)They are given tax credits to ensure progressive taxation does not hurt them.
D)They are given tax credits to ensure that regressive taxation does not hurt them.

Question 35

Ryan is interested in working at a multinational corporation as a manager.In order to increase his chances of getting hired there, he has enrolled in the Business Administration program at his university.What is he investing in by going to university?

A)cultural capital
B)developmental capital
C)social capital
D)human capital

Question 36

Ryuichi's parents have decided to send him to a private high school.Which of the following assets contributing to high income can they reasonably hope that he will gain there?

A)natural talent
B)social conscience
C)cultural capital
D)enlightenment

Question 37

Approximately what percentage of Canadians who experienced poverty during one year are likely to remain poor for more than two years?

A)40 percent
B)30 percent
C)20 percent
D)10 percent

Question 38

According to the textbook, which of the following is the main feature of power?

A)It is a social relationship.
B)It is "all or nothing."
C)It rests on moral consent.
D)It is based on notions of legitimacy.

Question 39

Which of the following best explains the upward mobility of David Siegel, portrayed in the documentary The Queen of Versailles?

A)his own ability to use power
B)public policies that made "cheap money" available
C)his marriage to a beauty pageant winner
D)his children's education in profitable fields

Question 40

What percentage of Canadians owe more than they own?

A)10 percent
B)20 percent
C)30 percent
D)40 percent

Question 41

How do income redistribution policies of the developed European countries and the developed North American countries differ?

A)Policies of the European countries are more effective.
B)Policies of the North American countries are more effective.
C)Such policies do not exist in Europe.
D)Such policies do not exist in North America.

Question 42

Jared has been told by his father that poor people are generally poor because they are either lazy or unintelligent or unskilled.What level of explanation does Jared's father's ideas represent?

A)macrolevel explanation
B)structural explanation
C)individual-level explanation
D)microlevel explanation

Question 43

Mr.Bigby owns a large boat sail manufacturing plant and employs 89 people, while he spends time mountaineering with friends.Which of the following terms characterizes Mr.Bigby?

A)lumpen-proletariat
B)proletariat
C)petite-bourgeoisie
D)bourgeoisie

Question 44

Tracy is a high-school math teacher who offers free study sessions in the afternoons.Although they are open to all students, she notices that mostly students of lower socioeconomic background attend them.For Tracy's students, to which of the following do these study sessions contribute?

A)equality of distribution
B)equality of production
C)equality of opportunity
D)equality of condition

Question 45

Lifelong Toronto residents Ron and Carol spend almost 60 percent of their income on basic necessities.Poverty advocates consider them poor, because an average Torontonian household spends no more than 40 percent of income on basic necessities.Which definition of poverty are the advocates using?

A)relative poverty
B)absolute poverty
C)flexible poverty
D)substantial poverty

Question 46

Yuri and his co-workers have been feeling increasingly resentful at the long hours they work in dangerous conditions for low pay, while their boss takes more exotic vacations every year.Yuri and others call in a union organizer to talk to all the workers.What Marxist concept do the actions of Yuri and his co-workers illustrate?

A)social consciousness
B)class consciousness
C)false consciousness
D)ideal consciousness

Question 47

What conclusion did Richard Wanner come to in his research on the relative importance of parental socioeconomic status and education for the SES of Canadians?

A)The link between family background and socioeconomic success is stronger than before.
B)The link between family background and socioeconomic success remains as strong as always.
C)The link between family background and socioeconomic success has weakened.
D)There is no longer any link between family background and socioeconomic success.

Question 48

According to the textbook, why might redistributive policies such as progressive income tax not have much effect on the roots of economic inequality?

A)Because they have little effect on the rich.
B)Because they have little effect on the distribution of wealth.
C)Because they have little effect on the distribution of income.
D)Because they have little effect on the poor.

Question 49

How has Jackie Siegel, portrayed in the documentary The Queen of Versailles, achieved upward mobility?

A)natural talent
B)effort
C)human capital
D)social capital

Question 50

Marxists argue that "the reserve army of labour"-the unemployed-enhances the profitability of capital.This argument is consistent with which of the following explanations of poverty?

A)economic-organization explanation
B)social-policy explanation
C)ideology explanation
D)individual-level explanation

Question 51

Kate has just finished law school and is keen to gain a position with a prestigious corporate law firm in Vancouver.Besides her talent and education, which of the following would most help her to get hired?

A)cultural and social capital
B)human and developmental capital
C)human and network capital
D)network and developmental capital

Question 52

How has the degree of income inequality in Canada changed between 1976 and 2010?

A)It has increased faster than in the U.S.
B)It has increased slower than in the U.S.
C)It has increased slower than in Denmark.
D)It has decreased slower than in Denmark.

Question 53

Rajesh works at a local convenience store where she earns the minimum wage of $10.20 per hour.Although she has asked for extra shifts, her boss will guarantee only 20 hours per week.Which of the following myths about people who are poor does this situation contradict?

A)Most poor people are immigrants.
B)Most poor people are trapped in poverty.
C)Most poor people are lazy.
D)Most poor people are welfare cheats and frauds.

Question 54

In Weber's terms, which of the following is a status group?

A)employees of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation
B)workers of the General Motors plant in Oshawa
C)the ten richest Canadians
D)officers of the Order of Canada

Question 55

Which of the following is most likely to earn an amount of income influenced by genetics?

A)an auto mechanic
B)an insurance agent
C)an NHL hockey player
D)a University of Ottawa professor

Question 56

Mr.Ernesto owns a small workshop that makes fine leather shoes for men.He and his eight employees take great pride in their work, and they often put in long hours together to get orders produced on time.Which of the following terms characterizes Mr.Ernesto's eight workers?

A)lumpen-proletariat
B)proletariat
C)petite-bourgeoisie
D)bourgeoisie

Question 57

What distinguishes fluid societies from rigid ones?

A)higher degree of social mobility
B)lower degree of social mobility
C)greater degree of inequality
D)lesser degree of inequality

Question 58

Ashok and Lucy both work full-time at minimum-wage jobs and have just enough money to pay their rent and buy groceries and absolutely necessary clothing.They have not been able to afford to order pizza or go to a film in eight months.What does their situation illustrate?

A)homelessness
B)absolute poverty
C)relative poverty
D)the cycle of poverty

Question 59

According to the textbook, which common effect do advertising and planned obsolescence both produce?

A)increase in poverty
B)stability of capitalism
C)instability of communism
D)decrease in poverty

Question 60

According to Marx, which of the following is the basis of a social class?

A)its relationship to the means of production
B)its relationship to the industrial technology
C)its relationship to the company management
D)its relationship to the state

Question 61

Approximately what percentage of Canadians who experienced poverty during one year are able to bring themselves out of poverty over a two-year period?

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

Question 62

What happens when lower-income Canadians spend more of their income on consumption?

A)income tax
B)Goods and Services Tax
C)Registered Education Savings Plan tax credit
D)Registered Retirement Savings Plan tax credit

Question 63

Besides family size, which of the following factors do the Canadian low-income cutoffs consider?

A)number of employed family members
B)size of the community
C)availability of social services
D)number of children in the family

Question 64

According to Davis and Moore, what motivates people to undergo long years of education and training?

A)a desire to work at a satisfying occupation
B)the promise of a large paycheque
C)the idea that they can change the world
D)the promise of working surrounded by like-minded co-workers

Question 65

Which of the following categories of Canadians has experienced increasing prevalence of low income since the mid-1990s?

A)children in single-parent families
B)children in intact families
C)youths
D)seniors

Question 66

Jackson has been homeless for 15 years.With regard to income distribution in Canada, what position does Jackson occupy?

A)near the top
B)the middle
C)near the bottom
D)the bottom

Question 67

Garrett is interested in working at a large multinational manufacturing company.His uncle knows the family that owns the company, so Garrett asks his uncle to help get him an interview.What is Garrett using in this situation?

A)cultural capital
B)network capital
C)social capital
D)human capital

Question 68

How do income inequality and wealth inequality in Canada, measured by quintile shares, compare to each other?

A)Income inequality is greater than wealth inequality.
B)Wealth inequality is greater than income inequality.
C)Wealth inequality is increasing, while income inequality is decreasing.
D)Income inequality is increasing, while wealth inequality is decreasing.

Question 69

In seventeenth-century Britain, landowners turned cropland into pastures and drove peasants off the land.Which of the following did this change benefit?

A)capitalists
B)peasants
C)British monarchy
D)British colonialism

Question 70

Gina is a talented jazz pianist, but cannot make a living playing music.She works at a tax office full time and only plays for her friends at home.Is piano playing part of Gina's human capital?

A)Yes, because playing makes her happy.
B)No, because she does not use this skill in her paid work.
C)Yes, because she has spent years learning to play.
D)No, because even her friends do not appreciate her skill.

Question 71

Which of the following types of society is a meritocracy consistent with?

A)an ascription-based society
B)an achievement-based society
C)a horizontally based society
D)a cyclically based society

Question 72

According to critiques of Davis and Moore, why do pools of talent lay unrealized?

A)because people do not always know where to look
B)because many talented individuals lose their "edge" due to work in menial positions
C)because many talented individuals cannot afford to take advantage of all opportunities
D)because talented people are ignored unless they exhibit the correct class characteristics

Question 73

Sebastian is five years old and lives in a poor single-parent family.In which of the following categories is popular mythology about poverty likely to put him?

A)the undeserving poor
B)the deserving poor
C)the transitory poor
D)the permanently poor

Question 74

Which of the following sociological explanations of social inequality is Robinson Crusoe most consistent with?

A)Marx's
B)Weber's
C)Davis and Moore's
D)Bourdieu's

Question 75

Which of the following theoretical orientations has the least interest in social stratification?

A)symbolic-interactionist
B)functionalist
C)Weberian
D)Marxist

Question 76

Jocelyn has been brought up to believe that Canadians pay taxes in order to take care of members of society who are not able to care for themselves.What idea do her views represent?

A)rugged collectivism
B)rugged individualism
C)collective responsibility
D)individual responsibility

Question 77

Fifty-eight-year-old Maryann lost her job last year and has been unable to find another because employers think she is too old to hire and train.She has no family to assist her and is worried because her meagre savings are nearly depleted.What is the most probable outcome of this situation?

A)Maryann will fake a disability and defraud the government for benefits.
B)Maryann will receive money from an anonymous benefactor.
C)Maryann will eventually become homeless.
D)Maryann will organize a group of similarly situated older ex-employees to bring media attention to their plight.

Question 78

What name did Weber give to organizations that seek to impose their will on others?

A)classes
B)status groups
C)parties
D)strata

Question 79

Ruth has been to a finishing school where, besides academic subjects, she was taught other skills such as how to speak and walk properly, manners, and public speaking.What has Ruth invested in by learning these skills?

A)cultural capital
B)network capital
C)social capital
D)human capital

Question 80

According to the textbook, what is the main effect of minimum-wage legislation?

A)eradication of poverty
B)creation of a group of working poor
C)creation of a group of unemployed poor
D)motivation for the poor to escape poverty