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1 | |
Social stratification is: |
| | A) | a system in which people can change their status with relative ease. |
| | B) | based entirely on self-classification. |
| | C) | the ranking or grading of individuals and groups into hierarchical layers. |
| | D) | none of the above. |
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2 | |
A system in which people have great difficulty changing their status is called a(n): |
| | A) | objectified system. |
| | B) | social differentiation. |
| | C) | open system. |
| | D) | closed system. |
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3 | |
"The division between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat is the key to stratification in capitalist societies." This statement is consistent with the thinking of which theorist? |
| | A) | Marx |
| | B) | Weber |
| | C) | Parsons |
| | D) | Lincoln |
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4 | |
Economic standing includes: |
| | A) | wealth, that which people own (have). |
| | B) | job security. |
| | C) | both a and b. |
| | D) | none of the above. |
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5 | |
Social inequality is a structured aspect of contemporary life. That means that: |
| | A) | inequality occurs in a random fashion. |
| | B) | inequalities are passed from generation to generation. |
| | C) | inequality is regulated by the government. |
| | D) | none of the above is true. |
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6 | |
Which method of identifying social classes views social class as a statistical category formed by sociologists or statisticians on the basis of income, occupation, education, or some combination of these? |
| | A) | the combined approach |
| | B) | the reputational method |
| | C) | the self-placement method |
| | D) | the objective method |
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7 | |
In identifying social classes, the reputational method is best suited for investigating social distinctions in: |
| | A) | large, densely populated areas. |
| | B) | small groups. |
| | C) | highly transient communities. |
| | D) | none of the above. |
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8 | |
Life chances are: |
| | A) | the magnitude and manner of consumption of goods and services. |
| | B) | the likelihood that individuals and groups will enjoy desired goods and services, experiences, and opportunities for living long and healthy lives. |
| | C) | the respect, admiration, and recognition associated with a social status. |
| | D) | the view that the poor possess self-perpetuating lifeways. |
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9 | |
The Census Bureau: |
| | A) | estimates that 4.8 percent of the American population was poor in 1999. |
| | B) | uses a definition of poverty that takes into account the total amount of in-kind income a family receives in the form of public assistance. |
| | C) | defines a threshold of poverty as the minimum amount of money a family needs to purchase an adequate diet, assuming they use one-third of their income for food. |
| | D) | classified a family of four as poor if it had cash income of less than $22,029 in 1999. |
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10 | |
Which of the following is an accurate statement about poverty? |
| | A) | Most of the nation's poor live in rural areas. |
| | B) | Women have a significantly lower risk of poverty than men. |
| | C) | From 1959 to 1999 the poverty rate for the elderly increased. |
| | D) | none of the above |
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11 | |
"Underclass" refers to: |
| | A) | the poor who are concentrated in isolated, rural areas. |
| | B) | individuals who experience occasional poverty, but who move back into the "mainstream" of economic life within 12 months. |
| | C) | the persistently poor who exist mainly because of a sharp climb in joblessness due to a redistribution of jobs in the inner city. |
| | D) | both b and c. |
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12 | |
Critics of the culture of poverty thesis point out that: |
| | A) | the poor simply do not want the same things that other members of society want. |
| | B) | the poor have had their access to achievement blocked by the social order. |
| | C) | the theory is too cultural and fails to take into account psychological implications. |
| | D) | not enough research has been done to come to any meaningful conclusion. |
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13 | |
Key element(s) of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program include which of the following? |
| | A) | Welfare recipients must work after two years of assistance. |
| | B) | Welfare recipients are limited to a total of ten years of assistance, including cycling on and off. |
| | C) | Under TANF, states may not limit assistance to less than five years. |
| | D) | All of the above are key elements of TANF. |
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14 | |
Which of the following is true regarding social mobility? |
| | A) | Social mobility occurs only when shifts occur in the availability of different types of talent in the work force. |
| | B) | Social mobility can occur when societies change, altering the division of labor. |
| | C) | Social mobility is controlled by those in the higher strata through control of opportunities for training and education. |
| | D) | none of the above |
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15 | |
Carolyn supported her family by working as an administrative assistant. She also attended law school at night. After Carolyn graduated from law school and passed the bar, she took a job with a small firm specializing in family law. Carolyn experienced: |
| | A) | horizontal mobility. |
| | B) | transgenerational mobility. |
| | C) | vertical mobility. |
| | D) | geographic mobility. |
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16 | |
What is the term used to describe the stages from one's birth into a family with a specific status through formation of a new family unit? |
| | A) | intergenerational mobility |
| | B) | socioeconomic life cycle |
| | C) | vertical mobility |
| | D) | none of the above |
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17 | |
According to functionalists, society must be concerned with motivation because the duties associated with various statuses: |
| | A) | are not equally pleasant. |
| | B) | are equally important. |
| | C) | offer individuals varying degrees of personal growth. |
| | D) | are usually not defined. |
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18 | |
The conflict theory holds that stratification exists because: |
| | A) | it benefits individuals and groups who have the power to dominate and exploit others. |
| | B) | privilege, prestige, and power are equally distributed in society. |
| | C) | the capitalist drive to distribute wealth equitably is the foundation of modern society. |
| | D) | capitalists and workers are class conscious. |
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19 | |
Martha and Susan work at the local factory ten hours a day, five days a week. They make the minimum wage, with no overtime pay, insurance, or benefits. One day they discuss their situations over lunch, and express frustration over the fact that they never seem to make enough money to "get ahead." By the end of the conversation, they have motivated each other to volunteer to work on Saturdays. They figure that if they work just a little harder, they will make enough money to increase their social status. Marx would say these women are demonstrating: |
| | A) | the dedication necessary to get ahead in life. |
| | B) | class consciousness. |
| | C) | capitalist enthusiasm. |
| | D) | false consciousness. |
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20 | |
Which of the following is true regarding the functionalist and conflict theories of social stratification? |
| | A) | Conflict theory is better at explaining inequality. |
| | B) | Only functionalist theory has merit when discussing social structure. |
| | C) | Some sociologists have tried to synthesize the conflict and functionalist perspectives to argue that stratification systems are institutions that have evolved in order to reduce conflict. |
| | D) | none of the above |
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2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education