Deck 8: Social Stratification: Class, Ethnicity, and Racism

Question 1

The probability that an individual will change class levels in an open class system is __________.

A) very low
B) high
C) low
D) very high

Answer 1

very low

Question 2

People known as mestizos in Latin America represent __________.

A) mixed race
B) low power and prestige
C) an inferior race
D) high socioeconomic status

Answer 2

mixed race

Question 3

Before the caste system in Rwanda was overthrown, which was seen as the undesirable caste?

A) Twa
B) Hutu
C) Tutsi
D) Baganda

Answer 3

Twa

Question 4

In most ranked societies, chiefs may be called the "owners" of the land. This usually means that __________.

A) others still maintain the right to use the land
B) people may use the land only if given the chief's permission
C) only the chief and his family may use the land
D) the land is sacred and can only be used in appropriate ways

Question 5

Based on his observations of egalitarian societies, what did Christopher Boehm conclude about dominance?

A) Dominance comes naturally to humans.
B) Societies last longer when dominant urges are encouraged.
C) Only men have ambitions of dominance and leadership.
D) A desire for dominance is a culturally created trait.

Question 6

Where do we find the highest genetic diversity among human populations?

A) Africa
B) Asia
C) Europe
D) the Americas

Question 7

How is chiefly status obtained among the Ifaluk culture?

A) genealogically
B) purchase
C) war
D) popularity

Question 8

The term ethnicity involves a group of people emphasizing shared __________.

A) language, history, and culture
B) socioeconomic status
C) physical characteristics
D) religion and beliefs

Question 9

In egalitarian societies, people may differ in prestige, but these differences are not related to __________.

A) social group
B) age
C) personal abilities
D) sex

Question 10

In an egalitarian system, any prestige gained by ability __________.

A) cannot be passed on to one's children
B) is used as a method of finding the best spouse
C) is associated with greater wealth
D) cannot be displayed publicly

Question 11

What strategy do egalitarian societies use to keep one individual from dominating others?

A) ridicule
B) threats
C) obedience
D) cooperation

Question 12

Japan, Italy, and Germany have __________ class mobility than the United States, and/but __________ inequality.

A) less; less
B) more; less
C) more; more
D) less; more

Question 13

How do social scientists generally measure the degree of class mobility?

A) by comparing the class of individuals with the class of their parents
B) by ranking the various classes living within a single neighborhood
C) by determining the class of friends of the average middle-class child
D) by measuring the number of classes that most people believe exist in their society

Question 14

__________ diversity is almost always associated with differential access to advantages.

A) Ethnic
B) Economic
C) Racial
D) Educational

Question 15

Most societies with social ranking practice __________.

A) herding or agriculture
B) horticulture or herding
C) foraging or horticulture
D) agriculture or foraging

Question 16

What is happening to the gap between rich and poor nations?

A) It has been rising steadily since the Industrial Revolution.
B) The gap is still growing, but at a slower rate.
C) The wealth difference has stabilized.
D) The gap between rich and poor is shrinking.

Question 17

Who is an Aryan?

A) anyone who speaks one of the Indo-European languages
B) blond-haired, blue-eyed, white-skinned people
C) an imaginary category of socially advantaged people
D) a member of the Nazi party

Question 18

What is racism?

A) the belief that some "races" are inferior to others
B) the recognition of biological differences across human groups
C) taking pride in one's heritage or ancestry
D) the idea that your own culture is more moral or logical than other cultures

Question 19

Which nation had a hereditary caste system known as the burakumin?

A) Japan
B) Brazil
C) Egypt
D) India

Question 20

When people from Dominica, Haiti, or Cuba come to the United States, they often find that their __________ has changed.

A) race
B) family
C) name
D) religion

Question 21

The Mbuti have no social groups with greater or lesser access to economic resources, power, or prestige. What type of society do they represent?

A) egalitarian
B) ranked
C) a class society
D) a caste society

Question 22

Racial classifications are __________ categories.

A) social
B) historical
C) economic
D) biological

Question 23

The origins of ethnic stereotypes and prejudices usually follow from __________.

A) historical and political events
B) religious decree
C) public consensus
D) scientific evidence

Question 24

One theory suggests that people are more willing to put up with a leader's control in exchange for protection once they have __________.

A) made a more permanent investment in land
B) married and had children
C) reached a higher socioeconomic status
D) experienced food insecurity

Question 25

What change does Marshall Sahlins believe results in social stratification?

A) an increase in agricultural productivity
B) a movement toward human rights
C) an improvement in infant survival rates
D) increased contact with other cultures

Question 26

How have racial barriers changed in the United States over the years?

A) Some barriers have been lifted, but the "color line" has not yet disappeared.
B) Racial groups remain segregated by a caste-type system.
C) Racial discrimination has been overtaken by gender discrimination.
D) Racial barriers have been essentially eliminated.

Question 27

Which of the following statements best describes slavery?

A) It has existed in various forms in many times and places.
B) It is extremely rare in the anthropological record.
C) It has been found most often in horticultural societies.
D) It is most common in societies with intensive agriculture.

Question 28

Slavery in the United States constituted a caste because __________.

A) the status of slavery was determined by birth
B) there was no way to obtain freedom from slavery
C) slaves could only marry and have children with other slaves
D) slaves were primarily obtained from conquered enemies

Question 29

Egalitarian societies are least likely to be found among __________.

A) agriculturalists
B) food collectors
C) fishing societies
D) pastoralists

Question 30

In societies that contain many different ethnic groups, __________.

A) ethnicity is part of the system of stratification
B) all ethnic groups have equal access to resources
C) the caste system prevents immigrant groups from achieving social mobility
D) the largest ethnic group is always the most politically dominant one

Question 31

Modern industrial societies are noted for having disparate access to economic resources and prestige. What type of stratification exists in these societies?

A) class
B) caste
C) egalitarian
D) rank

Question 32

What relatively recent change has undermined the economic basis of the Indian caste system?

A) cash payments for services
B) democratic elections
C) public education
D) marriage between castes

Question 33

What is one of the most effective ways to move upward in contemporary societies?

A) attending a university and gaining an education
B) inheriting wealth from a family member
C) joining the military
D) working multiple jobs

Question 34

Anthropologists are reasonably sure that high levels of social stratification __________.

A) emerged relatively recently in human history
B) are dependent upon intensive agriculture
C) have always existed across human societies
D) are always linked to ethnic or racial groupings

Question 35

Slaves are persons who do not own their own labor. As such, they represent a(n) __________.

A) class
B) ethnicity
C) caste
D) society

Question 36

Which of these cultural features is closely associated with class stratification?

A) permanent settlements
B) a gendered division of labor
C) written language
D) a lack of job specialization

Question 37

The Trobriand Islanders have relatively equal access to economic resources and power, but some social groups do have unequal access to prestige. What type of society do they represent?

A) ranked
B) egalitarian
C) a class society
D) a caste society

Question 38

Why do many of our laws seem to favor the upper- and upper-middle classes?

A) Many of our laws are designed to protect property.
B) Most laws are designed to restrict violent crime.
C) Upper-class people are less likely to break the law.
D) The laws are actually different for people of different classes.

Question 39

In a country with one large core ethnic group (such as the United States), it is common for the majority group to __________.

A) not think of itself as an ethnic group
B) consider itself the best ethnic group
C) actively discourage intermarriage with other groups
D) try to minimize differences between the ethnic groups

Question 40

In the United States, which group once held a castelike status based on inherited characteristics?

A) African Americans
B) Irish immigrants
C) Hispanics
D) Asian Americans

Question 41

What support does Gerhard Lenski have for his suggestion that the trend toward increasing inequality is reversing?

A) The spread of democracy has broadened the political power of the lower classes.
B) The birth rate in industrialized societies now matches the birth rate in developing nations.
C) Technology has become less complex and more accessible to the general public.
D) Slavery is now abolished in all modern nations of the world.

Question 42

While it is possible for egalitarian societies to have some wealth differences, the key factor that would transform that group into a rank society is __________.

A) a mechanism for retaining more wealth for some families over time
B) a way of recording the history of each family's wealth
C) to associate wealth with an individual's abilities or skills
D) a shared value of the importance of gaining wealth

Question 43

While two-thirds of burakumin report that they had not encountered discrimination, what evidence suggests that inequality persists?

A) Most burakumin live in segregated communities with high unemployment.
B) Burakumin are only allowed to marry within their group.
C) Education levels are particularly low among the burakumin.
D) Subtle messages in the media depict burakumin as undesirable

Question 44

Which of the following best represents an egalitarian society?

A) There are as many positions of prestige in any given social group as there are persons capable of filling them.
B) All people within a society have exactly the same rights and responsibilities.
C) Societies prevent individuals from gaining prestige or power by frequently rotating leadership positions.
D) People are not praised for their skills or abilities because the society prefers to emphasize the equality of all members.

Question 45

How do castes and class systems interact?

A) Castes may exist in conjunction with more open class systems.
B) Castes have been replaced by more open class systems.
C) Castes take the place of more open class systems.
D) Castes are a subset of an open class system.

Question 46

What developments are required to move an egalitarian society into a ranked society? Is it inevitable that societies would progress in this direction? Why or why not?

Question 47

What is the difference between power and prestige?

A) Power is the ability to make others do what they do not want to do, while prestige is being awarded particular respect or honor.
B) Prestige is the ability to make others do what they do not want to do, while power is being awarded particular respect or honor.
C) Power is having a higher economic status than others in your community, while prestige is having a more elite heritage.
D) Prestige is having a higher economic status than others in your community, while power is having a more elite heritage.

Question 48

What is the difference between race and ethnicity? How are each of these classifications related to social inequality?

Question 49

Does industrialization increase or decrease social inequality? Support your answer.

Question 50

Why is "race" not a scientifically useful category?

A) There is no distinct set of physical features that clearly define races.
B) The term is too sensitive to be used in scientific studies.
C) There would only be three or four races, which is not a useful level of categorization.
D) Scientists are not interested in biological differences.

Question 51

Discuss the differences in caste and open class systems. How are each assigned? How are they maintained? What level of social mobility is involved with each?

Question 52

Slavery is defined as a condition in which people do not own their own labor. In what types of societies is slavery likely to develop? How prevalent is it today?

Question 53

What was unusual about the rank society of the Nimpkish?

A) Their economies were based on food collecting.
B) The chief was usually the oldest person in the community.
C) They recognized differences in power, but not prestige.
D) They lived in small, nomadic bands.

Question 54

How did colonialism impact the Hutu-Tutsi conflict in Rwanda?

A) Support from the colonial authorities accentuated the conflict.
B) It created the conflict in the first place.
C) Belgian soldiers quickly ended the conflict.
D) It allowed the conflict to continue simply through disinterest in tribal affairs.

Question 55

What is unusual about the class system in the United States?

A) Many people deny the existence of classes.
B) There is a very high degree of social mobility.
C) Classes are not directly related to wealth.
D) We have a low degree of inequality between classes.