Ch. 8 & 9 inequality

Unlock all answers in this set

Unlock answers
question
Social inequality
answer
Members of a society have different amounts of wealth, power, and prestige
question
Social Stratification
answer
System by which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy -Stratification is a trait of society, not simply a reflection of individual differences. -Stratification persists over generations. -Stratification is universal but variable. -Stratification involves not just inequality but beliefs.
question
Social mobitiy
answer
Change in one's position in the hierarchy
question
Vertical mobility
answer
up or down in the hierarchy
question
Horizontal Mobility
answer
Lateral movement one social position to another of the same rank. manager -; teacher
question
Intergenerational mobility
answer
changes in the social position of children relative to their parents. each generation pushes the next generation up
question
Intragenerational mobility
answer
changes within a persons adult life Marry well, invented something
question
Open systems
answer
permit some social mobility
question
Closed systems
answer
allow for very little change in social position born into slavery, can't move
question
Caste
answer
social stratification based on ascription or birth -Determines occupation -Mandate endogamy -Cultural beliefs underlie system -Limit outgroup social contacts
question
Class
answer
stratification based on both birth and individual achievement Bill gates children will be set fo life
question
Meritocracy
answer
stratification based on personal merit
question
Kar Marx
answer
Stratification gives some people advantages over others. -Classes defined by relationship to the means of production
question
Bourgeoisie
answer
people who own factories and other productive businesses
question
Proletariat
answer
sell their productive labor to the capitalists -Alienation - experience of isolation and misery resulting from powerlessness -isolation and misery
question
Max Weber
answer
3 components of stratification -Class - similar level of wealth and income -Status - people who rank the same in prestige and lifestyle -Power - ability to exercise one's will over others Position in stratification reflects a combination of all 3
question
Poverty
answer
Relative poverty - deprivation of some people relative to those who have more Absolute poverty - deprivation of resources that is life-threatening
question
Who are the poor?
answer
Stereotype - unmotivated individuals who are unwilling to work Over 30% are children Of poor adults - Over 50% are not able to work due to illness, disability, age, or homemaker status 2/3 are women ½ of those women are in transition - economic crisis caused by departure, disability, or death of spouse
question
Herbert Gans
answer
Poverty and the poor satisfy positive functions for many non-poor groups -Society's dirty work performed at low cost -Creates jobs that serve the poor -Upholds conventional social norms -Guarantees higher status of more affluent -Absorb costs of social change
question
High income countries
answer
rich, industrialized nations
question
Middle income countries
answer
some industrialization but primarily agriculture
question
Low income countries
answer
primarily agrarian with little industry
question
Slavery
answer
Chattel - one person owns another Child slavery - abandoned children Debt bondage - people paid less than charged for food and other necessities - human trafficking Servile forms of marriage - women must serve husband
question
Modernization theory
answer
Model of economic and social development that explains global inequality in terms of technological and cultural differences among nations. Technology raises standard of living Tradition greatest barrier to econ development Rich nations play important roles in economic development Helping control population Increasing food production Introducing industrial technology Providing foreign aid
question
Dependency theory
answer
Model of economic and social development that explains global inequality in terms of the historical exploitation of poor societies by rich ones Economic success of rich societies achieved at the expense of poor ones Wallerstein's capitalist world economy
question
Colonialism
answer
the maintenance of political, social, economic, and cultural dominance over a people by a foreign power for an extended period.
question
research concerning the degree of social mobility within the occupational structure of the U.S. indicates that
answer
occupational mobility has been common among males.
question
A class system employs a social ranking based primarily on
answer
economic position
question
A stratification system that implies that the position of each individual is influenced by the person's achieved status is referred to as a(n)
answer
open stratification
question
The objective method of assessing social class assigns individuals to classes on the basis of
answer
criteria such as occupation, education, income, and place of residence.
question
Max Weber referred to people's opportunities to provide themselves with material goods, positive living conditions, and favorable experiences as
answer
life chances
question
Which of the following terms is used by sociologists for a structured ranking of groups of people that perpetuates unequal economic rewards and power in society?
answer
Stratification
question
Some sociologists have suggested that in the southern U.S. in the pre-civil rights era, an African American individual was born into a status that would always be subordinate to the status of all of the White members of the community. This is an example of a(
answer
Caste system
question
In Karl Marx's view, social relations during any period of history depend on who controls the
answer
primary mode of economic production.
question
One shortcoming of Karl Marx's work is that he failed to anticipate the
answer
extent to which political liberties and relative prosperity could contribute to a false consciousness.
question
Which term was used by Karl Marx to refer to the capitalist class that owns the means of production?
answer
bourgeoisie
question
he owner of a major league baseball team can fire employees for not winning a pennant, have the city build him a new ballpark, and prevent companies that compete against his own team from airing advertisements during the team's televised games. In Max Weber's view, this owner would most likely be considered to have
answer
powa
question
Which of the following terms did Karl Marx use to refer to an attitude held by members of a class that does not accurately reflect the class's objective position?
answer
false consciousness
question
Which sociological perspective would be most likely to argue that most talented people would not go to school for many years to become biochemists if they could make as much money and gain as much respect working as elevator operators?
answer
Functionalist perspective
question
Which of the following terms refers to hereditary systems of rank that are relatively fixed, immobile, and generally religiously dictated?
answer
Castes
question
The federal tax policies of the last four decades, especially in the 1980s and in the ten years from 2001 to 2010, have favored
answer
the affluent
question
Which sociological perspective suggests that the higher rates of poverty among single mothers are due to the difficulty women have finding affordable child care, to sexual harassment, and to sex discrimination in the labor market?
answer
Conflict Perspective
question
Which of the following did Max Weber suggest were analytically distinct components of stratification?
answer
class, status and power
Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New