question

In what way do elements of the "caste" part of Britain's social structure remain the same today as in the past? a) The queen, a traditional monarch, is the nation's head of state. b) The House of Lords controls the government. c) More than three-fourths of Britain's population makes up the middle class. d) The inherited wealth is widely spread among British families.

answer

a) The queen, a traditional monarch, is the nation's head of state.

question

Although the Soviet Union claimed to be a classless society, what kept it from actually being classless in practice? a)Individuals were stratified into four unequal categories based on their jobsIndividuals were stratified into four unequal categories based on their jobs. b) Too many natural resources were privately owned. c) Manual laborers actually had more power than any other members of Soviet society. d) It had superior military presence and strength.

answer

a) Individuals were stratified into four unequal categories based on their jobs individuals were stratified into four unequal categories based on their jobs.

question

What makes defining classes in U.S. society so difficult? a)U.S. society has a relatively low level of status consistency so the boundaries between class levels are not very clear. b) Although people believe the United States does not have a caste system, it does in fact have a very rigid one. c) The controlling class does not want to be classified for fear of sparking some sort of revolt. d) People believe themselves to be in a higher class than they really are.

answer

a) U.S. society has relatively low level of status consistency so the boundaries between class levels are not very clear

question

Why is health closely related to social standing? a)Because poorer people live in less stressful environments, they live longer. b) Fewer babies are born to wealthy people, so they experience lower infant mortality. c) Richer people live healthier and longer because they eat more nutritious food and receive better medical care. d) Poorer people are more likely to describe their health as excellent.

answer

c) Richer people live healthier and longer because they eat more nutritious food and receive better medical care.

question

The United Kingdom's class system is _____.an apartheid system a) a class system that combines meritocracy with elements of a caste system b) a pure meritocracy c) a pure caste system

answer

a) a class system that combines meritocracy with elements of a caste system

question

From birth, a caste system determines the direction of a person's life. What occupation is an exception to the limitation on type of work a given member of a caste may do? a) teacher b) industrial laborer c) farming d) doctor/nurse

answer

c) farming

question

In high-income societies, when people experience social mobility, they are most likely to experience ______. a) downward mobility b) horizontal mobility as they change jobs at about the same social position c) a great deal of inequality d) upward mobility

answer

b) horizontal mobility as they change jobs at about the same social position.

question

Which of the following occupations is ranked highest in relative social prestige? a) taxi driver b) dentist c) firefighter d) real estate agent

answer

b) dentist

question

According to the text, what percentage of families makes up the entire upper class in the United States? a) one half of 1 percentt b) 5 percent c) 15 percent d) 25 percent

answer

b) 5 percent

question

In the aristocratic society of Europe from the Middle Ages until the more recent past, the three "estates" consisted of ____. a) the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners b) the clergy, primogeniture, and peasants c) priests, lords, and ladies d) the nobility, the government bureaucrats, and the army

answer

b) The clergy, the nobility and the commoners

question

Ramone's parents graduated from high school and worked for a local hotel. Ramone graduated from college and teaches high school biology. Ramone has experienced ______. a) social equality b) downward social mobility c) a caste system d) upward social mobility

answer

d) upward social mobility

question

Kasem is a very bright young man who grew up in a poor household, but he eventually attended college, started his own business, and now serves on the city council and enjoys great social status. If his were a typical story, Kasem's society would be considered to be_______. a)to be an apartheid system b) a meritocracy c) agrarian d)a "closed" system

answer

a meritocracy

question

Why was Spencer's application of Darwin's theory to the operations of society incorrect? a)Society does not operate according to biological principles. b) Spencer's social gospel was diametrically opposed to Darwin's evolutionary ideas c) Darwin's survival of the fittest does not apply to human evolution. d) It made inequality unacceptable and caused the rise of socialism and communism.

answer

a) Society does not operate according to biological principles.

question

Why is Isabelle, who is born into a wealthy family, more likely to have a high-paying job when she gets older than is Anthony, who is born to a single mother on welfare? a) Isabelle has more opportunities to develop her gifts than Anthony. b) Anthony will put less effort into his work than Isabelle will. c) Anthony is less talented than Isabelle. d) Isabelle is smarter than Anthony.

answer

a) Isabelle has more opportunities to develop her gifts than Anthony.

question

Catherine lives in the United States and comes from a family that has considerable wealth and power. Based on national patterns, which ethnic category is she most likely from? a) people of Native American ancestry b) people of English ancestry c) African American d) Hispanic

answer

a) People of English ancestry

question

Pascal has a higher social position that his father had, which is an example of _____ social mobility. a) lateral b) structural c) intergenerational d) intragenerational

answer

c) intergenerational

question

Jasmine is a single mother, making just above minimum wage at her job, trying to support her two children after having run through her Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) eligibility the year before. The fact that women such as Jasmine are at high risk of being poor reflects the trend called a) the feminization of poverty b) losing culture capital c) the new middle class d) intragenerational social mobility

answer

a) the feminization of poverty

question

Social stratification involves not just inequality, but _____ as well. a) equal opportunities for social mobility b) beliefs about what types of inequality is fair c) complete meritocracy d) equal opportunity

answer

b) beliefs about what types of inequality is fair

question

A caste system is _____ than a class system. a) less open b) found in industrial societies more often c) more open d) found in agrarian societies less often

answer

a) less open

question

What is the major reason that social hierarchies endure for so long? a) societies' ideologies support inequality b) a strong monarchy c) changes in technology support inequality d) abundant economic opportunities for everyone

answer

a) societies' ideologies support inequality

question

According to Davis and Moore, what benefits come from social stratification? a) More experienced people will always be in charge. b) Rewarding functional importance of a position promotes a society's productivity and efficiency. c) People can achieve high levels of income and prestige regardless of their occupation. d) No one benefits from social stratification, in their opinion

answer

b) Rewarding functional importance of a position promotes a society's productivity and efficiency.

question

Following the structural-functional approach, who gains the most rewards in a society? a) those in positions that require the most intelligent people b) those who have the most education c) those who work less d) those who perform jobs with the greatest functional importance

answer

d) those who perform jobs with the greatest functional importance

question

In which of the following ways does the United States differ from most European nations and Japan? a) U.S. citizens only speak one language. b) The United States has never had titled nobility. c) The United States is the only country that holds elections. d) The United States has no class stratification

answer

b) The United States has never had titled nobility.

question

Which of the following would be considered a source of income? a) earnings from work b) stock dividends c) income from a rental property d) All of the responses are correct

answer

d) learnings from work; stock dividends; income from rental property

question

Which of the following traits would make you think that someone was in the middle class in the United States?

answer

he obtains a college degree

question

Based on what you have read in the text, which of the following individuals is more likely to own a home?Tracy, an African American single mother a) Marcos, a Hispanic American college student b) Raleigh, an African American single man c) Crystal, a non-Hispanic white American married woman

answer

c) Crystal, a non-Hispanic white American married woman

question

Why do people with lower social standing tend to be less tolerant? a)They tend to be too tolerant of controversial behaviors. b) Others tend to view them as having greater importance. c) Rich people are younger. d) They are more likely to have grown up in an atmosphere of strict supervision and discipline.

answer

d) They are more likely to have grown up in an atmosphere of strict supervision and discipline.

question

What was Marx's main criticism of capitalist laws that define property ownership? a)Capitalist societies did not do enough to ensure that wealth and power stay in the hands of a few as "a law of the marketplace." b) They did not consider any form of inequality as just. c) They did not do enough to limit the meritocratic aspects of capitalist societies. d) They ensure that money stays within the same families from one generation to the next.

answer

d) They ensure that money stays within the same families from one generation to the next.

question

What happens when intergenerational social mobility occurs? A)Children are upwardly or downwardly socially mobile in relation to their parents. b) An expansion of the U.S. economy pushes up living standards. c) Long-term changes in society occur that affect everyone. d) Individuals change their social position during their own lifetimes

answer

d) Individuals change their social position during their own lifetimes.

question

How do the elements of a caste system that are found in a modern class system actually provide benefits to a more open class system? a)The norms of caste system instill a certain amount of order and social integration within society. b) Caste systems encourage significantly greater productivity. c) Caste systems encourage social mobility among the entire range of stratification. d) Caste elements provide more equitable reward for performance.

answer

a) The norms of caste system instill a certain amount of order and social integration within society.

question

Why is the Kennedy family considered to be a part of the upper-upper class in the U.S. class system? a) They remain in the background and do not influence national or international events. b) The U.S. system does not distinguish between upper-upper and lower-upper classes. c) They are money inheritors with a long history of wealth. d) They choose to be in the upper-upper class.

answer

c) They are money inheritors with a long history of wealth.

question

When it comes to the means of production, Marx believed most people either own the means of production or they ________. a)are completely oppressed by those owners b) believe that private ownership of property is wrong c) provide labor for those who do d) will refuse to participate in production

answer

c) provide labor for those who do

question

A meritocracy would be characterized by _________. a)ascribed jobs b) apartheid c) endogamous marriages d) lots of social mobility

answer

d) lots of social mobility

question

A social stratification system in which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy is _________. a) always completely controlled by the oldest people b) often supported by values and beliefs about what is fair c) viewed by all members of the hierarchy as fair d) almost always based on simply the amount of money a person has

answer

b) often supported by values and beliefs about what is fair

question

Which of the following reasons explains why the middle class has a tremendous influence on our culture? a)They are the most cohesive and least ethnically varied of the four categories of the U.S. class system. b) The other classes simply defer to them because of their social confidence and power. c) They represent a larger share of the U.S. population than any other category. d) They control the most wealth in the United States

answer

c) They represent a larger share of the U.S. population than any other category.

question

Some people would argue that teachers actually contribute more value to society than does someone like Kim Kardashian, and yet teachers are paid significantly less than Kardashian. These people might well be critical of _______. a)Meritocracy approach b) the Davis-Moore thesis c) increased opportunities for everyone to develop their abilities d) the social-conflict approach

answer

the Davis-Moore thesis

question

Which of the following factors explains why lower-class families tend to be larger than middle-class families? a) Lower-class couples tend to be more egalitarian in all aspects of life and to express greater intimacy. b) Lower-class couples tend to marry earlier and make less use of birth control. c) Lower-class families have greater cultural capital. d) Lower-class families are less likely to conform to conventional norms

answer

b) Lower-class couples tend to marry earlier and make less use of birth control.

question

What has been happening to people's belief in the "American Dream?" a) TIt has increased slightly. b) It has declined—from 76 percent in 2001 to 57 percent in 2010. c) It has increased dramatically. d) It has stayed remarkably stable, despite hard economic times.

answer

b) It has declined-- from 76 percent in 2001 to 57 percent in 2010.

question

Defining social categories in fluid class systems is much more difficult than the rankings in a rigid caste system. Why is this so? a) A person's standing in one dimension may differ from other dimensions within a class system, making class boundaries unclear. b) Social status within a class system is unchangeable during a person's life, whereas a person's status may vary throughout life in a caste system. c) Caste systems have only two levels, whereas a class system has infinite levels. d) The inequality in income levels is much less pronounced in a caste system than in a class system.

answer

a) A person's standing in one dimension may differ from other dimensions within a class system, making class boundaries unclear.

question

Wealth remains highly concentrated in the U.S., with about ________ of all privately owned property in the hands of just 1 percent of the population. a) 50 percent b) 20 percent c) 35 percent d) 5 percent

answer

c) 35 percent

question

About what share of all income is earned by the richest 1 percent of people in the United States? a) 5 percent b) 20 percent c) 2 percent d) 10 percent

answer

b) 20 percent

question

As the largest racial/ethnic minority in the United States, people of_______ ancestry have long been disadvantaged when it comes to social ranking. a)African b) Slavic c) Hispanic or Latino d) English

answer

c) Hispanic or Latino

question

The Census Bureau reports that, in 2010, $60,395 was the _________. a) median U.S. family income b) poverty level for a family of four c) annual amount a worker on minimum wage could make d) lowest amount of the top 20 percent of income

answer

a) median U.S. family income

question

If Karissa earned $380,000, she would just have made it into the _______ of annual income in the United States. a) top 1 percent b) top 5 percent c) top 20 percent d) top 10 percent

answer

a) top 1 percent

question

Although history continues to show that it is difficult to change social stratification, _________ a)we will soon live in a classless world b) challenges to the status quo always arise c) social hierarchies are becoming more and more rigid d) the levels of social stratification worldwide are slowly merging into just two or three classes

answer

b) challenges to the status quo always arise

question

After studying the ideas of _____ in her political science class, Lakeishaconcluded that private ownership of property and class structures are oppressive. a)Marx b) Spencer c) Plato d) Davis and Moore

answer

a) Marx

question

Which of the following people would rank lowest in relative social prestige based on job? a)Jerilyn is a firefighter. b) Kallie is a nurse. c) Winston is a pilot. d) James is a taxi driver.

answer

d) James is a taxi driver.

question

More highly rewarded jobs tend to be those that _______. a)can be done by anyone b) offer incentives for egalitarian performance c) demand the scarce talents of people with extensive and expensive training d) are less noticeably stratified

answer

c) demand the scarce talents of people with extensive and expensive training

question

When looking at a map of the United States, in which of the following regions would you find the greatest density of poorer counties? a)the Pacific Coast states b) New England states c) the deep South d) the upper Midwest

answer

c) the deep South

question

College becomes a reality for about _____ of working-class children. a)one-tenth b) one-fifth c) one-third d) nearly three-fourths

answer

c) one-third

question

Which of the following is recognized in the text as a category of the U.S. class system? a) the working class b) the unemployed class c) the meritorious class d) the untouchable class

answer

a) the working class

question

Compared to white-collar jobs, blue-collar jobs typically require______ schooling. a)more b) no c) less d) about the same

answer

c) less

question

Harold works as a medical transcriptionist for a local hospital. What type of worker is Harold? a)stockholder b) blue-collar worker c) white-collar worker d) self-employed professional

answer

c) white-collar worker

question

If the poorest 20 percent of the population has less than negative 1 percent of the country's wealth, what does the negative figure mean? a)The level of wealth declines by 1 percent each year. b) They have 1 percent less of the wealth than their percent of the population. c) They actually live in debt. d) Their wealth is 1 percent less of their income than the average.

answer

c) They actually live in debt

question

Which of the following traits increases the risk of being poor? a)being a single mother b) having a job c) being married d) being white

answer

a) being a single mother

question

As a member of the average-middle class, Aiden has built up a small amount of wealth. What would be the typical form this wealth would take? a) a house and a retirement account b) real estate and precious metals such as gold c) stocks and bonds d) income-producing investments and rental properties

answer

a) a house and a retirement account

question

In the U.S. class system, for most people social position is most influenced by _______. a) genetic intelligence b) religion c) individual talent and effort d) being born into a particular family

answer

d) being born into a particular family

question

In our society, what is the main reason people engage in conspicuous consumption? a)to support the growth of the U.S. economy b)to make a statement about one's social position c)to find an outlet for disposable income d) to buy better products

answer

b) to make a statement about one's social position

question

Working-class friendships are more likely to involve _______ than middle-class friendships a) material assistance b) much more social mobility c) more cultural capital d) shared interests

answer

a) material assistance

question

Frieda was born to a fairly well-off family. She just dropped out of college midway through her freshman year, and now she is living in a rundown apartment, working the third shift at a convenience store. This pattern is an example of ________. a)horizontal mobility. b) upward mobility. c) structural mobility. d)downward mobility.

answer

downward mobility

question

Amanda, who teaches high school chemistry and ears about $60,000 a year, is building up her retirement account and is paying off a mortgage for her home. Into what stratus of the U.S. class system would Amanda most likely fall? a) working class b) average-middle class c) lower-upper class d) upper-middle class

answer

b) average-middle class

question

How does a person's economic class typically affect the level of that individual's political involvement? a)Level of income has no effect on whether a person is involved in political issues. b) People who are better served by the system are more likely than people with low incomes to join political organizations. c)individuals with high incomes are less likely to be highly involved. d) Individuals with low incomes are almost always highly involved in political issues.

answer

b) People who are better served by the system are more likely than people with low incomes to join political organizations.

question

Rita grew up in a working-class family, went to college, graduated from medical school, and married a U.S. senator's son. With each change in her life, her social status improved. In what type of system would this scenario happen relatively often? a)caste system b) agrarian society in which most people are farmers c) aristocratic system d) a class system with a significant degree of meritocracy

answer

d) a class system with a significant degree of meritocracy

Sociology Chapter 5 Pre and Unit Test – Flashcards

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