Ch.7 Test Bank Docx Stratification, Class, and Inequality - Essentials of Sociology 7e Test Bank with Answers by Richard P. Appelbaum. DOCX document preview.
CHAPTER 7 Stratification, Class, and Inequality
CONCEPT MAP
- What Is Social Stratification?
- Slavery
- Caste Systems
- Class
- Are Class Boundaries Weakening?
- Theories of Stratification in Modern Societies
- Marx: Means of Production and the Analysis of Class
- Weber: Class, Status, and Power
- Davis and Moore: The Functions of Stratification
- How Is Social Class Defined in the United States?
- Income
- Wealth
- Education
- Occupation
- A Picture of the U.S. Class Structure
- The Upper Class
- The Middle Class
- The Working Class
- The Lower Class
- The “Underclass”
- What Are the Causes and Consequences of Social Inequality in the United States?
- Ethnic Minorities versus White Americans
- Social Mobility
- Opportunities for Mobility: Who Gets Ahead?
- Downward Mobility
- How Does Poverty Affect Individuals?
- Measuring Poverty
- Who Are the Poor?
- The Working Poor
- Poverty, Race, and Ethnicity
- The Feminization of Poverty
- Children in Poverty
- The Elderly in Poverty
- Explaining Poverty: The Sociological Debate
- Social Exclusion
- Homeless Persons
- How Does Social Inequality Affect Your Life?
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. In systems of stratification, people are typically ranked by
a. | personality. | c. | intelligence. |
b. | social categories. | d. | social capital. |
2. According to the textbook, what is one of the reasons that slavery does not exist in most societies around the world today?
a. | It is an inefficient economic system. |
b. | Slaves are too expensive to buy. |
c. | The Civil War outlawed it. |
d. | Around the world, slavery has always been considered immoral. |
3. Today people are taken against their will and forced to work as bricklayers in Pakistan or as sex workers in Thailand. According to the textbook, these examples are best described as
a. | modern-day slavery. |
b. | a caste system based on occupation. |
c. | cheap labor in a capitalist system. |
d. | the worst occupations in a class system. |
4. A stratification system in which certain people are owned as property is known as
a. | capitalism. | c. | class. |
b. | caste. | d. | slavery. |
5. Which of the following is an example of a caste system?
a. | forcing rural women in Thailand into sex work |
b. | the racial wealth gap in the United States |
c. | forcing children to accept their parents' status as their own in India |
d. | high rates of child poverty in Slovenia |
6. Caste systems like the one in India require that individuals marry within their social group. This is referred to as
a. | social reproduction. | c. | social exclusion. |
b. | endogamy. | d. | monogamy. |
7. We can conclude that one of the main differences between a society based on caste versus one based on class is that
a. | boundaries between groups are not prevalent in systems based on class. |
b. | caste societies are spreading to countries around the world. |
c. | social mobility is more prevalent in class-based societies. |
d. | globalization will eventually do away with class positions. |
8. Oprah Winfrey was born into poverty and raised by a single mother, yet today she is one of the richest women in America. According to the textbook, the social position we are born into affects our life chances, but our class position is also
a. | based on caste. | c. | in some part achieved. |
b. | based on looks. | d. | determined by affirmative action. |
9. Scholars believe that ______ has encouraged a shift to class-based systems in countries such as India that have been traditionally caste-based systems.
a. | morality | c. | religion |
b. | globalization | d. | a high divorce rate |
10. According to Karl Marx, the working class in industrialized countries would remain poor and live near subsistence level. Marx was right about the persistence of poverty in industrialized countries, but he was wrong in thinking that
a. | there would be very few poor people in most industrialized countries. |
b. | most people would own the means of production collectively in capitalist countries. |
c. | the income of most of the population would remain extremely low. |
d. | industrial capitalism would decrease the wealth and income gap. |
11. Karl Marx called those who own the means of production ______ and those who make their living by selling their own labor power for a wage ______.
a. | the bourgeoisie; the proletariat | c. | merchants; consumers |
b. | producers; consumers | d. | the working class; capitalists |
12. Workers picking strawberries can pick 100 baskets an hour, but the value of 20 baskets is all it costs the employer to pay them their hourly wages. According to Karl Marx, the income the employer collects from the extra baskets is
a. | cultural capital. | c. | endogamy. |
b. | surplus value. | d. | wealth. |
13. One of the main differences between Marx's and Weber's understanding of social class is that
a. | Marx emphasized one's life chances in his understanding of social class. |
b. | Weber recognized that social classes also differ with respect to their power and status. |
c. | Marx put more emphasis on how race and gender intersected with class. |
d. | Weber argued that social discrimination can lead to class inequality. |
14. Andrew is a twenty-something, currently unemployed Jewish male from a wealthy background. Louis is a thirty-year-old Puerto Rican man who currently works in retail. In addition to class, which other difference might Max Weber point to in attempting to understand their respective social positions?
a. | status distinctions | c. | ethnic distinctions |
b. | functionalist distinctions | d. | age distinctions |
15. The social honor or prestige that other members of society accord to individuals is referred to as
a. | status. | c. | class. |
b. | power. | d. | surplus value. |
16. What does Max Weber mean by a “pariah group”?
a. | a group whose presence is a threat to the social order |
b. | a group that is both admired and feared |
c. | a negative-status group that suffers from loss of social opportunity |
d. | a disadvantaged group that is pitted and afforded special opportunities |
17. Dr. Smith is an open-heart surgeon who was trained at a top-tier medical school. Which of the following theorists would be most likely to argue that Dr. Smith’s high pay reflects the needs of society for surgeons and that surgeons are less replaceable than many other lower-paying occupations?
a. | Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore | c. | Karl Marx |
b. | Max Weber | d. | Charles Murray |
18. Davis and Moore's explanation of class stratification differs from that of Marx and Weber because
a. | they tend to focus more on the role of inheritance in attaining social status. |
b. | they argue that blue-collar occupations deserve more prestige in our society. |
c. | they argue that rewards for one's social position are based upon the needs of society. |
d. | they pay more attention to the need for the redistribution of resources to make society more equal and stable. |
19. What functionalist explanation for social stratification do Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore offer?
a. | Stratification has the benefit of matching the best-qualified workers to the most important jobs. |
b. | Stratification is the inevitable result of allowing wealth to be transferred from parents to children. |
c. | Stratification introduces the possibility of a conflict between the capitalists and the working class. |
d. | Stratification is a natural side effect of the ebb and flow of human conflict and cooperation. |
20. From 1977 to 2016, the richest 20 percent saw its income rise ______, while the poorest 20 percent saw its income rise by ______.
a. | 67 percent; 8 percent | c. | 100 percent; 0 percent |
b. | 15 percent; 60 percent | d. | 75 percent; 95 percent |
21. The money a person gets from a wage, salary, or investments is ______; the assets an individual owns are ______.
a. | wealth; property | c. | wealth; income |
b. | income; wealth | d. | income; inherited |
22. Suheir Shedd is a university professor. Which of the following would constitute her wealth?
a. | the cultural capital in her network | c. | the money she makes in a year |
b. | all the assets she owns | d. | the estimated earnings over her life |
23. Wealth and income are both important determinants of social class. Which of the following best characterizes the relationship between wealth and income in the United States?
a. | Income disparities between rich and poor have increased in the past three decades, whereas wealth disparities have decreased during the same time. |
b. | Wealthy people almost always inherit their money; thus, there is no relationship between wealth and income. |
c. | The same factors that limit people's incomes also limit their ability to accumulate wealth. |
d. | While race, education, and age influence income, wealth is independent of these variables. |
24. According to the textbook, what is one conclusion we can draw about how social class is defined in the United States?
a. | Racial disparities in wealth can be explained solely by family advantages. |
b. | Most American sociologists can agree on the boundaries between social classes. |
c. | Famous people have the highest occupational prestige. |
d. | One's educational attainment is one of the strongest predictors of one's occupation, income, and wealth later in life. |
25. According to the textbook, what has been the relationship between higher education and social stratification in recent years?
a. | College education has become much more difficult, causing students to drop out. |
b. | College education has become more accessible, causing more students to enroll. |
c. | The importance and value of a college education in the job market have increased. |
d. | Colleges have become less selective. |
26. Studies in which people are asked to rate jobs in terms of "prestige" show some differences in ratings by age. Which person would a millennial rate higher on occupational prestige than older Americans?
a. | Mary Dolan, a doctor | c. | Colin Kaepernick, a professional athlete |
b. | June Brewer, a sociologist | d. | Jerry Valdez, a police officer |
27. Dr. Ramirez is a sociology professor, and while he makes much less money than doctors and lawyers, he is viewed as having relatively high prestige because of
a. | his professional clothing. | c. | his education. |
b. | his work hours. | d. | his publications. |
28. Which of the following is a true statement about social class?
a. | In a single social class, lifestyles and personal characteristics are extremely similar. |
b. | Social class is a problematic concept because members of even a single social class do not share distinctly similar, life-defining experiences. |
c. | There are sharply defined boundaries between the classes. |
d. | There is wide agreement among sociologists on exactly where the boundaries between classes should fall. |
29. According to the textbook, one conclusion we can draw about the upper class in the United States is that
a. | it is made up of the wealthiest 20 percent of the population. |
b. | it has a distinctive lifestyle and is politically influential. |
c. | it does not include people who get their wealth from investments. |
d. | it is easily accessible to all Americans with a college education. |
30. The super-rich in the United States were able to accumulate vast amounts of wealth partly because globalization enabled them to
a. | use low-wage labor in other countries. |
b. | sell products to consumers in the United States. |
c. | make investments locally. |
d. | produce their products in one place. |
31. Among the superrich, some people are considered “old money” and others are considered “new wealth.” What is the difference?
a. | “Old money” refers to people who made their fortunes in traditional manufacturing industries, while “new wealth” refers to people who were information technology innovators. |
b. | “Old money” refers to people who are socially conservative and support conservative causes, while “new wealth” refers to people who are socially progressive and support liberal causes. |
c. | “Old money” refers to people who come from families that have been in the United States for several generations, while “new money” refers to people who are first- or second-generation immigrants. |
d. | “Old money” refers to people who own wealth passed down to them by earlier family generations, while “new wealth” refers to people who made their money as entrepreneurs. |
32. According to the textbook, members of the lower middle class today
a. | work at primarily blue-collar jobs. |
b. | make up about 90 percent of American households. |
c. | are rarely politically active beyond exercising their right to vote. |
d. | make over $200,000 annually. |
33. Which of the following individuals is most likely to identify as a member of the lower middle class?
a. | professor | c. | school teacher |
b. | doctor | d. | upper-level manager |
34. Eddie is a factory worker. Eddie's husband, Dustin, works part time as a sales clerk. Their combined income is just enough to pay their mortgage and make ends meet. Eddie and Dustin are considered
a. | upper middle class. | c. | working class. |
b. | lower middle class. | d. | lower class. |
35. People in blue-collar occupations, such as plumbers, and pink-collar occupations, such as hotel workers, make up the
a. | upper middle class. | c. | working class. |
b. | lower middle class. | d. | lower class. |
36. Working-class children are most likely to do which of the following after graduating from high school?
a. | travel around Europe | c. | attend a two-year college |
b. | attend a four-year college | d. | immediately start working |
37. Identify which of the following is one of the main causes of the rising economic inequality in the United States over the past few decades.
a. | economic globalization |
b. | high and rising inflation |
c. | increased international conflict |
d. | reduction in global trading |
38. According to the textbook, members of the lower class today
a. | make up roughly 50 percent of American households. |
b. | have household income typically lower than $20,000. |
c. | own their own homes. |
d. | are less likely to be nonwhite than other social classes. |
39. According to the textbook, how active are members of the lower class in politics?
a. | They often have significant influence on American politics. |
b. | They often are active in local politics. |
c. | They are rarely politically active beyond exercising their right to vote. |
d. | They do not participate in politics, and they seldom vote. |
40. In the U.S. class system, the poorest of the poor, who are structurally disadvantaged and are least likely to move out of their class position, are called the
a. | untouchables. | c. | Dalits. |
b. | lower class. | d. | underclass. |
41. Today, the gap between rich and poor in the United States is the largest it has been since
a. | 1947, when the United States started to measure the gap. |
b. | 1970, when the United States started to outsource jobs. |
c. | 2000, after the economic boom of the 1990s. |
d. | None of these choices are correct; the gap has been getting smaller. |
42. Which of the following best explains why Latino household income has recently worsened?
a. | The intensifying of the culture of poverty among Latinos discourages achievement and saving money. |
b. | Recent immigrants from Mexico and Central America are in low-wage jobs. |
c. | The unemployment rate among Latinos is increasing. |
d. | The divorce rate among Latinos is increasing. |
43. Which of the following is an example of social mobility?
a. | Jasper, who grew up in a lower-class neighborhood and became a wealthy doctor |
b. | Antonio, who moved from New York City to a suburb |
c. | Smita, who does not identify with her Brahmin caste background |
d. | Tia, who was raised as a man but identifies as a woman |
44. Intergenerational mobility is best described as when
a. | a person achieves a different class position than the one he or she thought they would have. |
b. | a person maintains the same class position as his or her parents or grandparents. |
c. | a person has a different class position from that of his or her parents or grandparents. |
d. | a person achieves a different class position from his or her siblings. |
45. When sociologists examine how far an individual moves up or down the socioeconomic scale in his or her lifetime, they are studying
a. | absolute poverty. | c. | life chances. |
b. | social reproduction. | d. | intragenerational mobility. |
46. According to Peter Blau and Otis Dudley Duncan, the key factor behind occupational status is
a. | ambition. |
b. | genetics. |
c. | education. |
d. | luck. |
47. According to William Sewell and Robert Hauser, the key factor behind occupational status is
a. | educational and career aspirations. |
b. | genetics. |
c. | power. |
d. | luck. |
48. Which of the following is an example of what Pierre Bourdieu refers to as cultural capital?
a. | the ability to pay for cultural events and resources such as art museums, opera companies, and symphony orchestras |
b. | parents paying for school tutoring |
c. | parents reading to their children and encouraging them to do well in school |
d. | having an uncle who works for Goldman Sachs |
49. According to Pierre Bourdieu, working-class parents are just as interested in their children's education as middle- and upper-class parents, but they lack the _______ to help their children experience social mobility.
a. | dependency culture | c. | surplus value |
b. | cultural capital | d. | structural continuity |
50. French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu emphasizes the importance of “cultural capital” in determining a child’s later social class. Identify the example of cultural capital.
a. | safe transportation to and from school |
b. | adequate nutrition and rest |
c. | social awareness and emotional support |
d. | having parents who help with homework |
51. Which of the following is an example of downward mobility?
a. | Danisha, who was just hired at Wells Fargo bank |
b. | George, who stopped receiving welfare payments because he had reached his lifetime limit |
c. | Harel, who started to care for his ill parents |
d. | Jane, who was raised in a middle-class professional household and now works as a clerk in a grocery store full time |
52. At the beginning of her sophomore year of high school, Janis's family cannot afford to buy her new clothes and shoes or enough supplies for school. Janis feels poor compared to her classmates who can afford these things. Janis is experiencing
a. | absolute poverty. | c. | downward mobility. |
b. | relative poverty. | d. | upward mobility. |
53. When a person does not have adequate resources to maintain his or her health, such as enough food to eat, the person is said to be in
a. | absolute poverty. | c. | downward mobility. |
b. | relative poverty. | d. | upward mobility. |
54. Absolute poverty means, essentially, not having enough to eat. What does relative poverty mean?
a. | being worse off than one was before |
b. | lacking the means to improve one’s situation |
c. | lacking access to modern amenities |
d. | being worse off than most people in one’s society |
55. How does the government determine the poverty line?
a. | It calculates a strict, no-frills budget based on cost estimates for different family sizes. |
b. | It multiplies the cost of an average household's rent by three. |
c. | It calculates the average cost of living in each of four regions of the United States and divides that number by the average cost of rent in those places. |
d. | Because the cost of living varies across the country, it calculates the cost of living in each region and determines a poverty line for each U.S. region. |
56. What is meant by the phrase feminization of poverty?
a. | the fact that women are more likely not to marry until they find a rich man |
b. | an increase in the proportion of the poor who are female |
c. | the notion that women are not as likely to pursue education or other skill development and end up in lower-paying jobs |
d. | the idea that women do not work as hard as men and are therefore more likely to be poor |
57. What is the single biggest reason why an increasing proportion of those in poverty are women?
a. | Single women are more likely to be raising small children than single men. |
b. | Women are facing increasing discrimination in the job market. |
c. | Fewer women than men have earned their high school diplomas. |
d. | In many cultural groups within the United States, women are discouraged from seeking employment. |
58. Which period saw increasing rates of child poverty?
a. | 1960s |
b. | late 1970s and 1980s |
c. | 1990s |
d. | 2010 to 2016 |
59. Although official estimates show that relatively few elderly people live in poverty, these statistics may be misleading because
a. | they do not consider the large number of elderly people who go hungry. |
b. | they do not consider the large number of elderly people who are homeless. |
c. | they do not consider the vast gender, race, and marital status differences of older adults. |
d. | they do not consider the high cost of rent. |
60. Social Security accounts for about ______ of the income of the typical retiree.
a. | 13 percent | c. | 53 percent |
b. | 33 percent | d. | 73 percent |
61. Those who believe that poverty results from structural factors beyond the control of individuals would see which of the following as a source of poverty?
a. | unequal distribution of educational resources |
b. | universal health care |
c. | decreasing income inequality |
d. | immorality of the poor |
62. Sarah believes her neighbors are poor because they have been socialized into a set of values, beliefs, and norms that result in behavior that leads to poverty. Sarah supports which of the following theories of poverty?
a. | culture of poverty | c. | blame the system |
b. | structural poverty | d. | feminization of poverty |
63. The outcome of multiple deprivations that prevent individuals or groups from participating fully in the economic, social, and political life of the society in which they live is called
a. | social exclusion. | c. | culture of poverty. |
b. | dependency culture. | d. | absolute poverty. |
64. According to a Pew Research poll conducted in 2015, which household income category is MOST likely to answer that they had recovered “hardly at all” from the economic recession that began in 2008?
a. | less than $30,000 |
b. | $30,000–$74,999 |
c. | $75,000–$99,000 |
d. | $100,000 or more |
1. In two or three sentences, compare and contrast caste and class as systems of stratification.
2. According to the textbook, what three main characteristics do social systems of stratification share? Provide an example of each. Your answer should be one paragraph in length.
3. Whose explanation of social stratification do you think best describes the United States today: Karl Marx's, Max Weber's, or Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore's? Justify your answer in a short paragraph.
4. Answer the following questions in a few sentences. What is the difference between income and wealth? How are income and wealth related?
5. Answer the following question in three to five sentences. How has the distribution of income in the United States changed over the past thirty years? Apply one of the stratification theories discussed in the chapter to explain the reason for this change.
6. In three to four sentences, why do you think when Americans are asked to identify their social class the majority claim to be middle class?
7. In a short paragraph, answer the following questions: What are the differences in average income and wealth between whites, African Americans, and Latinos? What are the sociological explanations for why these gaps exist?
8. Do you think you will experience intragenerational mobility in your lifetime? In two to four sentences, consider why or why not. Be sure to mention at least one sociological explanation of mobility in your answer.
9. In one to two sentences, explain how the official definition of poverty is calculated. Based on what you read in the text, what are some of the problems with this way of calculating poverty today?
10. In two to three sentences, describe the working poor. Using the discussion in your textbook, what is one explanation for why those who are working are still in poverty?
11. In three to four sentences, consider why sociologists say we are seeing the feminization of poverty.
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Essentials of Sociology 7e Test Bank with Answers
By Richard P. Appelbaum