Question 1

What school of social thought insists that all social structures,including systems of stratification,are built out of everyday interactions?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 2

A society where social mobility is highly restricted by formal or informal rules,like those of a caste system,is called:

Accepted Answer

A)  capitalism. 
B)  a system of achieved status. 
C)  a closed system. 
D)  an open system.

Question 3

The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 ended the concept of entitlements by requiring recipients of welfare to find work within two years of receiving assistance.How has this changed the lives of the poor?

Accepted Answer

A)  Moving from welfare to work helped single people much more than it did families or single mothers. 
B)  Moving from welfare to work caused many former welfare recipients to plunge into homelessness. 
C)  Moving from welfare to work did not substantially increase income levels; it simply shifted the poor from welfare to low-paying jobs. 
D)  Moving from welfare to work increases both the self-esteem of the poor and their incomes.

Question 4

What is the principal sociological critique of the culture of poverty?

Accepted Answer

A)  The poor often move into the middle class. 
B)  The values and norms of many Americans in all class groups include attitudes of resignation and fatalism. 
C)  It tends to blame the victims of poverty for their own misfortunes, while ignoring the structural causes of inequality. 
D)  Some people simply have a predisposition to making poor choices regarding finances.

Question 5

Oscar Lewis's concept of a culture of poverty suggests that a fatalistic and resigned attitude exists among the poor,leading them to accept their social status.Discuss some of the major criticisms of this controversial point of view.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Oscar Lewis's concept of a culture of...

Question 6

To what social class do "white collar" workers (workers employed in technical and lower-management positions)belong?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 7

According to Max Weber,what are the three components of class? Explain each of them in your own words.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Max Weber,what are the three...

Question 8

Which is true of social mobility in a caste system?

Accepted Answer

A)  Social mobility is common with hard work. 
B)  A great deal of social mobility occurs. 
C)  A small but significant percentage of each generation will experience upward social mobility. 
D)  There is little or no chance of social mobility.

Question 9

When we compare the salaries of the worst-paid members of a corporation with the salary of the CEO,what sort of measure of poverty are we using?

Accepted Answer

A)  relative deprivation 
B)  cultural poverty 
C)  absolute deprivation 
D)  horizontal poverty

Question 10

What makes the just-world hypothesis psychologically appealing to the average person?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is supported by a wealth of empirical data. 
B)  Most people's everyday experiences teach them that society tends to distribute rewards and punishments fairly. 
C)  Most people have a strong need to believe that the world is orderly, predictable, and fair. 
D)  Many people develop skewed perceptions based on their worst experiences with the poor, which makes it hard for them to see things objectively.

Question 11

According to social psychologists,when people encounter a situation that seems to be unfair and they cannot or will not act to make things right,what do they tend to do?

Accepted Answer

A)  dedicate themselves to bringing about change 
B)  try to find an authority figure who can take over the responsibility 
C)  try to use other resources, especially financial, to rectify the problem 
D)  convince themselves nothing bad has happened

Question 12

Ascribed status is usually involuntary and often assigned at birth.Achieved status is voluntary and often based on merit,ability,or achievement.What sort of status would you expect to find in a closed system?

Accepted Answer

A)  some ascribed status, but mostly achieved status 
B)  mostly ascribed status 
C)  only achieved status 
D)  an even mixture of both achieved and ascribed status

Question 13

What sort of social mobility often results from losing a job?

Accepted Answer

A)  horizontal 
B)  upward 
C)  career 
D)  vertical

Question 14

Culture is a source of shared norms and values,but cultural capital can never generate profits like economic capital can.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

In 2015,the U.S.Census Bureau defined the poverty threshold for a family of four at:

Accepted Answer

A)  $52,700. 
B)  $42,000. 
C)  $30,500. 
D)  $24,250.

Question 16

What is the relationship between the American Dream and the social class system by which the United States is stratified?

Accepted Answer

A)  The American Dream promises that one day social stratification will be overcome. 
B)  People who believe in the American Dream can usually overcome the class system. 
C)  The American Dream is a nice idea, but everyone really knows that it is just an inconsequential daydream. 
D)  The American Dream legitimizes inequality by reinforcing the idea that everyone has the same chance to get ahead.

Question 17

Homogamy is the practice of choosing a romantic partner based on similarities in background and group membership.Why do so many people choose life partners with racial,religious,and class backgrounds similar to their own?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Homogamy is the practice of choosing a...

Question 18

The practice of refusing mortgages for houses in poor and minority neighborhoods is called:

Accepted Answer

A)  disenfranchisement. 
B)  redlining. 
C)  residential racism. 
D)  economic hegemony.

Question 19

Some sociologists suggest that extreme wealth should be thought of as a social problem,just like extreme poverty.

Accepted Answer