Deck 9: Contemporary Explanations of Inequality

Question 1

The functionalist theory of Davis and Moore views social stratification as:

A) a result of individual biological differences
B) a result of the growth of large institutions in society
C) a device to motivate talented individuals to do important tasks
D) the result of exploitation of the working class by the upper class

Answer 1

a device to motivate talented individuals to do important tasks

Question 2

For Davis and Moore, among the important determinants of rewards is:

A) differences in cultural capital
B) the salary associated with the position
C) the race of the person in the occupation
D) the functional importance of the task performed for the society

Answer 2

the functional importance of the task performed for the society

Question 3

According to Davis and Moore, which of the following is NOT a type of societal reward:

A) those that contribute to sustenance and comfort
B) those related to humor and diversion
C) those that enhance self-respect and ego expansion
D) none of the above

Answer 3

none of the above

Question 4

Critics argue that the functionalist theory of social stratification:

A) negelcts the dysfunctions of stratification
B) is concerned only with economic rewards
C) stresses the importance of discrimination too heavily
D) does not take into account differences in levels of talent

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT consistent with the Davis-Moore thesis in addressing why groups such as doctors have higher incomes than do others, such as garbage collectors?

A) the functional importance of the doctor is greater.
B) a longer period of training is required to become a doctor.
C) fewer people have the talent to become doctors than garbage collectors.
D) doctors have much more organizational power to determine their incomes than do garbage
Collectors.

Question 6

Social reproduction theories:

A) have much in common with culture-of-poverty arguments
B) suggest that stratification is needed to keep society healthy
C) are concerned with how class structure is repeated generation after generation
D) ignore the important role of the educational institution in producing stratification

Question 7

Which of the following is not generally included as playing a role in social reproduction?

A) culture
B) biology
C) the individual
D) institutions

Question 8

Bowles and Gintis propose that:

A) historically, the function of the educational system was to equalize opportunities for success
B) for most people, a higher level of education for has reduced economic inequality
C) education has enabled people to develop their full creativity
D) there is a correspondence between the structure of educational institutions and the workplace

Question 9

According to Bowles and Gintis, the educational process:

A) reduces social inequality
B) provides a setting in which success solely depends individual talents and effort
C) not only teaches the appropriate skills but also the appropriate values and demeanor for each class
D) teaches values that are inconsistent with capitalism

Question 10

How did the government's support of free-market capitalism contribute to the current economic crisis?

A) It increased regulation and monitoring of economic activity.
B) It created tax laws and allowances that favor the consumer.
C) It encouraged privatization so that financial institutions were willing to take risks in order to maximize profit.
D) It allowed failing financial institutions to rescue taxpayers in financial crisis.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a mechanism used by educational systems, according Bowles and Gintis:

A) It tracks individuals from different classes into appropriate courses
B) It produces the belief in equality through the values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
C) It fosters a belief that individuals wind up in different positions solely because of differences in merit
D) It rewards conformists and negatively labels those who do not conform

Question 12

MacLeod found in his study that in contrast to the Hallway Hangers, the Brothers:

A) had a longer history of welfare
B) had been exposed to tenement living for a longer period
C) were less inclined to believe in the possibility of success
D) were more encouraged in their school work by their parents

Question 13

In Bourdieu's theory of social reproduction:

A) it provides little hope for meaningful social change within the social order
B) culture has an impact on class structure, but not on everyday life and behavior
C) schools value the cultural capital of the each class equally
D) those in the lower classes may blame the school for their failure

Question 14

Bourdieu's concept of habitus involves:

A) one's individual talents determine their success
B) how one views the world is a result of their structural conditions and determines their actions
C) one's actions are determined by how others see them
D) none of the above

Question 15

If workers desire to earn higher pay, they must become more productive by enhancing their "human capital," according to:

A) neo-Marxian theory
B) dual-labor market theory
C) social reproduction theory
D) neoclassical labor market theory

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT consistent with the neoclassical labor-market theory?

A) a relatively free and open market exists in which individuals compete for position
B) position in the market depends heavily on the individual efforts and human capital
C) wages depend on the power of a given position
D) there are automatic mechanisms that correct imbalances between input and rewards

Question 17

Which of the following is consistent with the dual labor-market thesis?

A) in the secondary labor market, jobs are characterized by greater stability, high wages, good working conditions, etc.
B) in the primary labor market, there is lack of job stability, high turnover, poor working conditions, etc.
C) systematic relationship exists between race/ethnicity, gender, and position in the labor market
D) mobility, earnings, and other outcomes for workers are contingent upon individual effort

Question 18

Which of the following jobs is most clearly part of the primary labor market?

A) free-lance editor
B) receptionist
C) lawyer
D) assembly line worker

Question 19

In line with the dual labor-market thesis, ___________ would be an example of the monopoly sector (core) while ___________ would be an example of the competitive sector (peripheral).

A) clothing stores/gas stations
B) grocery stores/restaurants
C) airline industries/clothing stores
D) automobile industries/electric industries

Question 20

Firms within the competitive sector tend to:

A) be labor intensive
B) have international markets
C) have large numbers of workers
D) have high productivity per worker

Question 21

According to the radical perspective, which of the following was NOT a mechanism used by capitalists to segment the labor market?

A) Racism was used to strengthen the hold of employers by weakening the bargaining power of the working class.
B) The rigid bureaucratic organization of firms was developed to restructure and stabilize relationships within industries.
C) Education increasingly became a means of justifying division of the workers since it became a regularized credential for obtaining certain jobs.
D) Stereotypes were used to provide better job opportunities for women, Blacks, and the youth.

Question 22

Social constructionist theories often emphasize:

A) the importance of words, social categories, and classifications to demonstrate how different categories of people are created and then ranked
B) how the process of "othering" creates and helps reproduce inequality
C) how individuals are "doing race" or "doing gender" when they engage in conversations or behaviors that create or reinforce differences between groups
D) all of the above

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT included by Tilly as a factor in reproducing "durable inequality?"

A) adaptation
B) exploitation
C) differential talent
D) opportunity hoarding

Question 24

Davis and Moore have developed a highly accurate measure of the functional importance of occupational positions.

Question 25

Davis and Moore imply that one's economic resources may help in attaining a higher occupational position.

Question 26

Davis and Moore's theory is based on framework similar to that of Marx.

Question 27

From a functionalist perspective, inequality is necessary for society to function.

Question 28

The kind of thinking that is represented in Davis and Moore's theory dominated sociology throughout the 1950s and much of the 1960s in the United States.

Question 29

According to Davis-Moore thesis, "a position does brings power and privilege because it draws a high income.

Question 30

Social reproduction theories are built on a functionalist model of society and are often aligned with Durkheim's views on inequality.

Question 31

According to social reproduction theories, the state helps to reduce inequality by developing the laws that regulate the economy.

Question 32

Rubin's (1976) study found that middle-class parents expect teachers to be disciplinarians while working-class parents expect school to be loose and fun.

Question 33

Rubin's (1976) study found that middle-class parents tend to expect schools to be loose and fun, while working-class parents tend to focus on the importance of discipline and obedience.

Question 34

MacLeod's (1987) study found that the Brothers were less inclined to believe in the American Dream than were the Hallway Hangers.

Question 35

Labor-market theories of inequality focus narrowly on explanations for income and earnings differences.

Question 36

In the dual labor-market thesis, there is generally a great deal of intermarket mobility.

Question 37

In the monopoly sector of the economy, wages and prices are primarily determined by market forces.

Question 38

Wolf (1976) found women's jobs are generally stepping stones to more prestigious occupations.

Question 39

In the dual labor-market thesis, an individual's income is greatly affected by the segment of the labor market in which the individual works.

Question 40

Schwalbe (2008) suggests that the placement of groups of people into particular categories initiated and justified the theft, extortion, and exploitation that led to unequal distributions of valuable resources among racial and ethnic groups in the early United States.

Question 41

Gould's social constructionist model argues that hierarchies are produced and reproduced where individuals with higher-status are overvalued while those of lower status are undervalued.

Question 42

Outline the basic assertions of the Davis/Moore functional theory of social stratification. Identify its major strengths and weaknesses.

Question 43

Using social constructionist theory, develop a convincing argument that social inequality is socially constructed.

Question 44

According to social reproduction theories, how is structured inequality reproduced?

Question 45

Identify the key differences between neoclassical and dual-labor-market theories in accounting for differences in earnings. What
does the latter theory take into account, which is ignored by neoclassical theory?