Deck 10: Class

Question 1

What monetary value does the federal Victim Compensation Fund place on the life of someone killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks?

A) $788,109
B) $1,536,662
C) $2,682,827
D) all of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The dominant ________ ideology that all men are created equal does not mesh with the reality of American society.

A) democratic
B) fairness
C) emancipation
D) libertarian

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Census takers often miss those who are

A) homeless.
B) unemployed.
C) on welfare.
D) in jail.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Inequality in educational opportunities is an ________ phenomenon which creates a cycle of inequality.

A) intergenerational
B) intragenerational
C) individual
D) none of the above

Question 5

The official number of Americans in poverty is minimized because

A) the standard the poverty level is based on does not keep up with inflation.
B) housing takes a bigger portion of family income than it used to.
C) the Census count misses many poor people.
D) All of the above

Question 6

The concentration of ________ in the United States is greatly skewed.

A) ability
B) wealth
C) ambition
D) none of the above

Question 7

The ________ of occupations is highly correlated with income level.

A) responsibility
B) trustworthiness
C) accountability
D) prestige

Question 8

Seventy percent of government aid to students takes the form of ________.

A) merit scholarships
B) need-based grants
C) loans
D) work-study

Question 9

________ is a better predictor of future economic success than ________.

A) Educational attainment / high IQ scores
B) High IQ scores / personality traits
C) High IQ scores / educational attainment
D) Personality traits / educational attainment

Question 10

Poor two-parent families are ________ to break up compared to two-parent families not in poverty.

A) more likely
B) less likely
C) about as likely
D) not able to afford

Question 11

The ________ gap refers to the fact that the rich get richer and the non-affluent decline in resources.

A) inequality
B) skill
C) educational
D) class

Question 12

________ is a major determinant of occupation, income, and prestige.

A) Individual effort
B) Job tenure
C) Formal education
D) Job skills

Question 13

In America, the distribution of wealth is ________ concentrated compared to income.

A) similarly
B) more
C) less
D) exactly as

Question 14

Conflict theorists argue the ruling class is ________ the richest 1 percent of the population.

A) smaller than
B) bigger than
C) about the same as
D) exactly the same as

Question 15

Identify which of the following are factors in systematically determining the prestige of occupations.

A) the degree of authority and responsibility held
B) the intelligence, knowledge, and skills required
C) the dignity of the job and the financial rewards anticipated
D) All of the above

Question 16

Occupations sort people ________ into arranged categories.

A) equally
B) functionally
C) hierarchically
D) according to skills

Question 17

In 1986, a Pell grant covered 98 percent of tuition at a four-year college; in 2003, it covered ____ percent.

A) 21
B) 42
C) 67
D) 92

Question 18

The fact that wealth is unquestionably ________ in the United States.

A) equitably distributed
B) randomly distributed
C) impartially distributed
D) maldistributed

Question 19

Regardless of the ________ category, women earn less than men do.

A) educational
B) occupational
C) skill
D) class

Question 20

In the United States, __________ Americans desiring a full-time job is unable to get one.

A) one out of two
B) one out of six
C) one out of fifteen
D) one out of twenty

Question 21

To order theorists, how people get their ________ and what they do with it is as important as how much they have.

A) education
B) money
C) skills
D) prestige

Question 22

Conflict theorists focus on ________ as indicator(s) of social class.

A) wealth
B) occupation
C) power
D) Both a and c

Question 23

An individual's life chances are dependent almost exclusively on the ________.

A) individual's intelligence and abilities
B) individual's race
C) economic circumstances of the family into which an individual is born
D) None of the above

Question 24

________ theorists argue that ________ theorists understate the importance of money in determining social class; instead, they argue, money is central in determining where people fall in the class system.

A) Conflict / order
B) Order / conflict
C) Conflict / deficiency
D) Order / bias

Question 25

________ theorists see income, occupation, and education as the fundamental indicators of social class.

A) Order
B) Conflict
C) Interaction
D) None of the above

Question 26

A class, given the diversity within it, is not a/an ________ group.

A) homogeneous
B) distinct
C) autonomous
D) heterogeneous

Question 27

Conflict theorists focus on ________, rather than on ________.

A) lifestyle / power and money
B) prestige / money
C) power and money / lifestyle
D) status / prestige

Question 28

The greater the wealth and income inequality, the greater the economic and social ________.

A) cohesion
B) consciousness
C) fragmentation
D) solidarity

Question 29

From the order perspective, ________ is the central indicator of social class because it determines income, interaction patterns, opportunity, and lifestyle.

A) occupation
B) education
C) geographic location
D) prestige

Question 30

The United States, compared to other advanced industrial societies, has ________ of its population living below the poverty line.

A) the smallest proportion
B) the smallest number
C) the highest proportion
D) an average number

Question 31

A ____ is formed when a number of individuals occupy the same relative economic rank in the stratification system.

A) social rank
B) social status
C) social caste
D) social class

Question 32

From the conflict perspective, which of the following is not true of the working class?

A) They sell their labor power to capitalists and earn their income through wages.
B) Their economic well-being depends on their willingness to work hard.
C) They are closely supervised by other people.
D) They take orders.

Question 33

________ theorists argue that the social class of individuals is determined primarily by their occupying a dominant or subordinate position within the social relations of economic production.

A) Order
B) Conflict
C) Interaction
D) None of the above

Question 34

Some argue that ________ is on the wane in the United States as more and more people opt out of the electoral process; the rich vote, and the poor, near-poor, and working classes tend not to.

A) class consciousness
B) democracy
C) political activism
D) patriotism

Question 35

What percentage of the American population remains poor for five or more years?

A) 2
B) 6
C) 12
D) 26

Question 36

The ________ gap in the United States is the highest in the industrialized world.

A) skill
B) educational
C) class
D) inequality

Question 37

________ theory emphasizes power while ________ theory focuses on prestige.

A) Conflict / order
B) Order / conflict
C) Bias / deficiency
D) Deficiency / bias

Question 38

Identify which of the following is manifested in the divide between the wealthy and the non-affluent.

A) The affluent attempt to segregate themselves into exclusive neighborhoods.
B) The affluent send their children to private schools.
C) The affluent associate only with the affluent.
D) all of the above

Question 39

There tends to be commonalities in ________ among people in similar economic positions.

A) interests and hobbies
B) lifestyles and tastes
C) accomplishments and wealth
D) None of the above

Question 40

Marx argued that the great wealth held by the ruling class is derived from the ________.

A) operation of the market
B) ruling class economic decisions
C) labor of others
D) none of the above

Question 41

Which of the following statements is not true of the social mobility patterns observed in the United States?

A) Few children of white-collar workers become blue-collar workers.
B) Most mobility moves are short in distance.
C) The opportunities for the children of nonprofessionals to become professionals are substantial.
D) The long-term trend in social mobility has been upward, but since the 1970s this trend has reversed.

Question 42

________ refers to either upward or downward movement within the class structure of society.

A) Horizontal mobility
B) Intergenerational mobility
C) Intragenerational mobility
D) Vertical mobility

Question 43

Identify which of the following is/are the reason(s) why youths from the lower strata are more likely to die in battle:

A) Educated men are less likely than uneducated men to be drafted and, when drafted, are more likely to become a conscientious objector.
B) Educated men who end up in the armed services are more likely to serve in non-combat supply and administrative jobs than are non-college-educated men.
C) When draft is not used, the personnel in the lower ranks of the military come disproportionately from the disadvantaged segments of society, for whom army presents a job opportunity otherwise unavailable.
D) All of the above

Question 44

________ refer(s) to the opportunities people have to live and to experience the good things in life.

A) Social class
B) Social status
C) Life chances
D) Life styles

Question 45

The upsurge in the severely poor (those at or below half the poverty line) is the result of the following factor(s):

A) Many of them live in rural areas that have prospered less than other regions.
B) A decline in marriage and a rise in divorce resulted in a substantial increase in single mothers and unattached men.
C) Public assistance benefits have steadily declined since 1980.
D) All of the above

Question 46

The ________ refers to the disproportionate share of the impoverished adult population being female.

A) gender decline
B) gender discrimination
C) feminization of poverty
D) feminine mystique

Question 47

________ persons are more likely to be arrested, to be found guilty, and to serve longer sentences for a given violation than are others.

A) Middle-class
B) Low-income
C) Upper-class
D) Younger

Question 48

If a person, whose parents were blue-collar workers, went to college and became an engineer, she has experienced ________ mobility.

A) horizontal
B) intergenerational
C) intragenerational
D) None of the above

Question 49

Identify which of the following statements is not true with regard to poverty in the United States.

A) Among industrialized nations, the United States has the highest proportion of its population living in poverty.
B) Among the industrialized nations, the United States has the highest rate of child poverty.
C) Compared to Canada and the other nations of Western Europe and Scandinavia, the United States eliminates much less poverty through welfare subsidies.
D) Compared to other industrialized nations, the United States' infant mortality rate is lower than average.

Question 50

Identify which of the following is not an aspect of the social stratification system that translates directly and indirectly into different patterns of health for the affluent.

A) The privileged live in home, neighborhood, and work environments that are more stressful.
B) The privileged have better access to and make better use of the health care system.
C) The privileged have health insurance to pay for a major portion of their health care
D) None of the above

Question 51

The ________ model holds that there is a high degree of social mobility in American society.

A) order
B) conflict
C) bias
D) deficiency

Question 52

When a number of individuals occupy the same relative economic rank, they form

A) a system of stratification.
B) a social class.
C) an estate.
D) a caste.

Question 53

The following fact(s) contradict the prevalent assumption that poor people are poor because they refuse to work:

A) A substantial number (about 30 million) of poor or near poor work, but they hold menial, dead-end jobs that have no benefits and pay minimum wage.
B) Many of the poor who do not work are too young, too old, or have a work disability.
C) Minorities are more likely to be poor than whites in the same working category.
D) All of the above

Question 54

Research reveals the following result(s) from the 1996 welfare reform:

A) While work has improved the sense of self-worth for former welfare recipients, the majority of the women who had been off welfare for two years or less had incomes below the federal poverty line.
B) The longer women stayed off welfare, the less likely they were to have health insurance for themselves and their children.
C) Rising unemployment rates hit welfare recipients hard because, as recently hired employees, they were the most likely to be fired.
D) All of the above

Question 55

________ comprise the highest proportion of the poverty population.

A) African Americans
B) Latino
C) Native Americans
D) Whites

Question 56

________ refers to change from one position to another of equal or near equal prestige.

A) Horizontal mobility
B) Vertical mobility
C) Intergenerational mobility
D) Intragenerational mobility

Question 57

The order perspective identifies ________ as a unit of the social class system.

A) lower-upper class
B) ruling class
C) professional-managerial class
D) working class

Question 58

A ________ system is a closed system of mobility.

A) class
B) occupational
C) caste
D) status

Question 59

If a person, who worked as a nurse for several years, went to a medical school and became a physician, s/he has experienced ________ mobility.

A) horizontal
B) intergenerational
C) intragenerational
D) None of the above

Question 60

________ involves vertical movement comparisons between parents and their children.

A) Horizontal mobility
B) Vertical mobility
C) Intragenerational mobility
D) Intergenerational mobility

Question 61

Occupational inheritance is highest for children of professionals (physicians, lawyers, and professors).

Question 62

The caste system of India

A) determines status by heredity.
B) practices endogamy.
C) restricts interaction among groups.
D) all of the above

Question 63

One particular program where whites benefit much more significantly than African Americans is

A) Medicaid.
B) Social Security.
C) unemployment.
D) WIC program.

Question 64

The upper-upper class

A) is referred to as the new rich.
B) is characterized by strong in-group solidarity.
C) is composed of self-made wealth.
D) is not accepted by the elite as a social equal.

Question 65

The receipt by the nonpoor of financial aid or government services is called

A) welfare dependency.
B) wealthfare.
C) tax expenditures.
D) oligopoly.

Question 66

Personality traits found to have an impact on economic success include

A) self-concept.
B) industriousness.
C) social skills.
D) all of the above

Question 67

Among migrant workers, it is true that

A) about 50% live below the official poverty line.
B) the percentage has remained unchanged since the 1960s.
C) Latinos are over-represented in this group.
D) all of the above

Question 68

Wright's 1982 study found that ________ are more proletarianized than ________ .

A) women / men
B) whites / blacks
C) Latinos / blacks
D) rural Southerners / Northerners

Question 69

Conflict theorists identify which of the following as a social class?

A) ruling class
B) professional-managerial class
C) working class
D) all of the above

Question 70

Women working full-time earn ________ for each dollar a man earns working full-time.

A) a dollar and a quarter
B) two dollars
C) seventy-seven cents
D) one dollar

Question 71

Sociologists Peter Blau and Otis Dudley Duncan concluded that the children of white-collar workers frequently become blue-collar workers.

Question 72

Order theorists see social class as based on _______ , whereas conflict theorists see social class as based on _______.

A) inherited wealth / earned wealth
B) family lineage / education
C) occupation / a position within the social relations of production
D) caste / wealth

Question 73

The lower-lower class is composed of

A) unskilled laborers.
B) chronically unemployed.
C) people with very little (less than high school) formal education.
D) all of the above

Question 74

The most numerous racial/ethnic group among the poverty population is

A) non-Hispanic whites.
B) African Americans.
C) Hispanics.
D) Jamaicans.

Question 75

In 2009, about ________ million people in the United States had no medical insurance.

A) one
B) ten
C) twenty
D) fifty

Question 76

A crucial criterion for inclusion in the working class is that these people

A) fail to vote.
B) take orders in their jobs.
C) are minimum wage workers.
D) do society's dirty work.

Question 77

With respect to poverty in the central city, a major trend that is developing deals with

A) greater and greater concentration of poverty in already poor neighborhoods.
B) a decrease of poor in central cities.
C) gentrification of the suburbs.
D) the emergence of young couples choosing a Bohemian lifestyle.

Question 78

Which Asian group is much less likely to be poor?

A) Japanese
B) Cambodian
C) Laotian
D) Vietnamese

Question 79

The key distinguishing feature of the upper-middle class is

A) old wealth.
B) acceptance by the elites as social equals.
C) high prestige jobs.
D) white collar employment.

Question 80

In comparing urban and rural poor, it is true that the rural poor have a ______ advantage and a ______ disadvantage.

A) more social services / high-cost housing
B) low-cost housing / low-paid work
C) more welfare benefits / high housing costs
D) high paid work / lower prices for consumer goods