Deck 7: Class and Stratification in the United States.

Question 1

Sociologist Max Weber's term __________ refers to the extent to which individuals have access 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

Answer 1

A

Question 2

India's caste system is based in part on __________, thus families typically perform the same type of work from generation to generation.

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

Answer 2

C

Question 3

When Carlos's grandfather migrated to the United States, he had completed six years of schooling and worked as a grape-picker in California. Carlos's father completed high school and worked for twenty years as a clerk in a large state agency. Through the efforts of his father and grandfather, Carlos was able to graduate from college and medical school, and he now has a thriving medical practice in southern California. Carlos's family exemplifies __________ mobility.

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

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Camryn started her career as a high-tech factory worker and through increased experience and taking specialized courses in her field became an entrepreneur, starting her own highly successful "dot.com" business. Camryn's advancement is an example of __________ mobility.

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

Question 5

__________ 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 6

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)league
D)class

Question 7

__________ occurs 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.

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

Question 8

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

A)Assets
B)Resources
C)Capital
D)Wealth

Question 9

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 10

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 11

A university instructor is promoted to the position of professor. This results in her being granted tenure and she receives a small increase in salary. This person has experienced __________ mobility.

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

Question 12

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)league system
D)caste system

Question 13

__________ mobility is the social movement experienced by family members from one generation to the next.

A)Intergenerational
B)Structural
C)Intragenerational
D)Exchange

Question 14

Systems of stratification are characterized by different hierarchical structures and varying degrees of mobility. Which of the following systems of stratification is not discussed in the text?

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

Question 15

__________ 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)League
B)Slavery
C)Class
D)Caste

Question 16

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

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

__________ mobility is the social movement of individuals within their own lifetime.

A)Intergenerational
B)Structural
C)Intragenerational
D)Exchange

Question 19

Until the 1990s, the white South Africans controlled the government, the police, and the military by enforcing __________ the term used in South Africa for "the separation of the races."

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

Question 20

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

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

Question 21

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)infrastructure

Question 22

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 23

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 24

Sociologist Max Weber suggested that a person who has a high level of prestige is assumed to receive deferential and respectful treatment from others. Which of the following aspects related to prestige was not identified by Weber?

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 25

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 26

According to sociologist Max Weber's system of stratification, __________ is the ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite opposition from others.

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

Question 27

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 28

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 29

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 30

__________ 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 31

Based on sociologist Max Weber's system of stratification, __________ 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 32

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 33

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 a workers rebellion.

Question 34

According to sociologist 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)accommodation
B)meritocracy
C)assimilation
D)alienation

Question 35

Sociologist Karl Marx believed that the workers are exploited as capitalists maximize their profit by paying the workers less than the resale values of what they produce but do not own. Marx believed that a deep level of antagonism exists between capitalists and workers because of extreme differences in the __________ of the people in these two classes.

A)cultural interests
B)societal interests
C)material interests
D)national interests

Question 36

Becky's mother is an architect and her father is a college professor. Becky left home at age 16 to live with her boyfriend. When their relationship ended, Becky no longer communicated with her parents and did not return to high school. After working briefly at a fast?food restaurant, Becky started panhandling (asking for money from passersby) at a shopping area located adjacent to a large university. Becky's situation is an example of __________ mobility.

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

Question 37

Sociologist __________ developed a multidimensional approach to social stratification that reflects the interplay among wealth, prestige, and power.

A)Karl Marx
B)Emile Durkheim
C)Herbert Spencer
D)Max Weber

Question 38

Both sociologists 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 39

Sociologist Max Weber divided those who work for wages into two classes. The __________ consists of white-collar workers, public officials, managers, and professionals.

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

Question 40

__________ is the value of all of a person's or family's economic assets, including income, personal property, and income-producing property.

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

Question 41

According to the social class model developed by sociologists Dennis Gilbert and Joseph Kahl, members of the __________ (about 20 percent of the U. S. population) live from just above to just below the poverty line. They typically hold unskilled jobs, seasonal migrant jobs in agriculture, lower-paid factory jobs, and service jobs (such as counter help at restaurants).

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

Question 42

According to the social class model developed by sociologists Dennis Gilbert and Joseph Kahl, 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 43

According to sociologist Erik Wright's Marxian model, several criteria were involved for placement in the class structure. Which of the follow factors was not identified in Wright's model?

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 44

According to the social class model developed by sociologists Dennis Gilbert and Joseph Kahl, 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 45

Social critic and journalist Barbara Ehrenreich conducted research to see if it was possible for the __________ to live on the wages that they were being paid. She demonstrated that people who work full time, year-round, for poverty-level wages must develop survival strategies that include such things as help from relatives or constantly moving from one residence to another in order to have a place to live.

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

Question 46

According to the social class model developed by sociologists Dennis Gilbert and Joseph Kahl, single mothers are overrepresented in the __________ because of the lack of jobs, lack of affordable child care, and many other impediments to the mother's future and that of her children. They must rely on public or private assistance programs for their survival.

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

Question 47

According to the social class model developed by sociologists Dennis Gilbert and Joseph Kahl, people in the __________ are poor, seldom employed, and caught in long-term deprivation that results from low levels of education and income and high rates of unemployment.

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

Question 48

According to the social class model developed by sociologists Dennis Gilbert and Joseph Kahl, 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 49

According to the social class model developed by sociologists Dennis Gilbert and Joseph Kahl, 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 50

The text points out that some people in the working class are employed in __________ occupations-relatively low-paying, non-manual, semiskilled positions primarily held by women, such as day-care workers, checkout clerks, cashiers, and waitpersons.

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

Question 51

According to the social class model developed by sociologists Dennis Gilbert and Joseph Kahl, the core of the __________ (an estimated 30 percent of the U. S. population) is made up of semiskilled machine operators who work in factories. Members may also include people in the service sector, as well as clerks and salespeople.

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

Question 52

According to the social class model developed by sociologists Dennis Gilbert and Joseph Kahl, about __________ percent of the United States population is included in the underclass. Also, the chances of their children moving out of poverty are about fifty-fifty.

A)3 to 5
B)6 to 8
C)9 to 10
D)11 to 12

Question 53

Sociologists Dennis Gilbert and Joseph Kahl expanded on Weber's analysis of class structure. Which of the following elements was not identified by their social class model?

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

Question 54

Contemporary Marxian (or conflict) theorists would examine class in terms of __________.

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

Question 55

According to the social class model developed by sociologists Dennis Gilbert and Joseph Kahl, a combination of three factors qualifies people for the __________ class: university degrees, authority and independence on the job, and high income.

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

Question 56

Sociologist Erik Wright, in his Marxian model, identified four classes. Which of the following classes was not included in Wright's model?

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

Question 57

According to the social class model developed by sociologists Dennis Gilbert and Joseph Kahl, the __________ members (about 1 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 58

According to your text, several factors have eroded the American Dream for the middle-class. Which of the following factors was not identified in the text?

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

Question 59

__________ attempt to determine what degree of control that 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 60

According to the social class model developed by sociologists Dennis Gilbert and Joseph Kahl, members of the __________ class come from prominent families which 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 61

According to sociologist Erik Wright's Marxian model, the __________ is made up of a number of subgroups, including 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 62

The gulf between the rich and poor continues to widen in the United States. Between 1993 and 2003, the income of the top one-fifth of U. S. families increased by 31 percent; during that same period of time, the income of the bottom one-fifth of U. S. families __________.

A)decreased by 10 percent
B)increased by only 5 percent
C)decreased by 5 percent
D)increased by only 16 percent

Question 63

Sociologist Dennis Gilbert compares the distribution of income to a national pie that has been sliced into portions. In 2004, the poorest 20 percent of households received approximately __________ of the total income pie.

A)4
B)9
C)12
D)17

Question 64

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 2006.

A)10
B)21
C)31
D)47

Question 65

Disparities in wealth are more pronounced when compared across racial and ethnic categories. According to the Census Bureau, the net worth of the average white household in 2000 was more than __________ that of the average African American household.

A)5 times
B)10 times
C)20 times
D)25 times

Question 66

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

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

Question 67

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

A)under 18
B)18 to 24
C)35 to 44
D)65 and over

Question 68

Based on 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 69

According to 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 70

Sociologist Dennis Gilbert compares the distribution of income to a national pie that has been sliced into portions. In 2004, the wealthiest 20 percent of households received approximately __________ percent of the total income pie.

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

Question 71

Wealth inequality has increased in recent decades. A study by the Joint Economic Committee of Congress, divided population into four categories. Which of the following was not a category identified by the Joint Economic Committee of Congress?

A)the underclass
B)the super-rich
C)the rich
D)the very rich

Question 72

In relation to health characteristics of poor people in the United States, which of the following is not accurate?

A)The poor have shorter life expectancies.
B)Children born into poor families are at much greater risk of dying during their first year of life.
C)Through welfare benefits, most of the poor receive preventive medical and dental checkups.
D)The poor are at greater risk for heart disease and cancer than more affluent persons.

Question 73

__________ is the economic gain derived from wages, salaries, income transfers (government aid), and ownership of property.

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

Question 74

According to 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

__________ include(s) property such as buildings, land, farms, houses, factories, and cars, as well as other assets such as bank accounts, corporate stocks, bonds, and insurance policies. It is computed by subtracting all debt obligations and converting the remaining assets into cash.

A)Income
B)Benefits
C)Wealth
D)Endowments

Question 76

__________ 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 77

According to Forbes magazine's 2005 list of the richest people in the world, Bill Gates (co-founder of Microsoft Corporation) was the wealthiest with a fortune of nearly $46.5 billion. According to sociologist Erik Wright's Marxian model, Bill Gates would be in the __________ class.

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

Question 78

__________ 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 79

According to 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 80

According to sociologist Dennis Gilbert, the top 5 percent of households alone received more than 20 percent of all income-an amount greater than that received by the bottom __________ of all households.

A)25 percent
B)50 percent
C)65 percent
D)75 percent