Ch. 10 - Social Stratification, Inequality, Poverty

Question 1

a subfield of sociology that examines inequalities among individuals and groups

Answer 1

social stratification

Question 2

the unequal distribution of valued goods and opportunities in society

Answer 2

inequality

Question 3

a social system that denies some individuals all basic rights, allowing these individuals to be owned, controlled, and compelled to work for others

Answer 3

slavery

Question 4

a social order in which those who own land (landlords) are entitled to receive the products of the laborers (serfs) who are legally obligated to work for landowner

Answer 4

feudalism

Question 5

under feudalism, a person who is legally obligated to work for the landowner

Answer 5

serf

Question 6

a statistical term that refers to the average value of a set of data. Add all values and then divide the total by the number of values used

Answer 6

mean

Question 7

a statistical term that refers to the value that lies at the middle (or waypoint) of all the data, with an equal number of cases with either higher or lower values

Answer 7

median

Question 8

the receipt of money or goods over a particular accounting period (such as hourly, weekly, monthly, or yearly). Income may include wages from a job, benefits from a pension or government program, or income from investments.

Answer 8

income

Question 9

the wealth of an individual or family is the net value of all assets owned by an individual or family, including the value of their home

Answer 9

wealth

Question 10

the total value of savings, investments, and other convertible assets a person has, minus any debts, and excluding one’s primary home (if it is owned)

Answer 10

net financial assets (NFA)

Question 11

the act of purchasing and using goods and services

Answer 11

consumption

Question 12

a group of people who occupy the middle positions in terms of income and status in an economic system

Answer 12

middle class

Question 13

the sociological concept that refers to a group of people who share a similar social and economic position in society

Answer 13

class

Question 14

an individual’s long-term possibilities and potential, including future income and opportunities, given his or her current attributes such as level of education, social networks, and possession of marketable skills or assets. Members of the same class are generally said to have similar life chances.

Answer 14

life chances

Question 15

the study of society focused on class or changes in the system of class inequality. Emphasis is placed on examining how, when, and where people’s actions and beliefs are influenced by their economic position

Answer 15

class analysis

Question 16

the group in a capitalist economy who own businesses and employ people to work for them. This term is used in the Marxist tradition to refer to the most powerful class in a capitalist society

Answer 16

bourgeoisie

Question 17

individuals in capitalist economies who work in exchange for pay. The term is usually reserved for people performing manual jobs and is synonymous with “working class”

Answer 17

proletariat

Question 18

a broad definition of a person’s social class based on components such as education, income, and occupation

Answer 18

socioeconomic status (SES)

Question 19

Given two people earning $10/hour, one person earning $15/hour, and two people earning $20/hour, what is the median pay rate being earned?

Answer 19

$15/hour

Question 20

In Marxism, the distinction between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat was the defining quality of which of the following types of society?

Answer 20

capitalist

Question 21

An individual’s assets make up __________.

Answer 21

his or her wealth

Question 22

Which of the following best describes members of the same social class?

Answer 22

they have similar attitudes and behaviors

Question 23

Many scholars believe that one of the best measures of _________ is to calculate __________.

Answer 23

income; the median

Question 24

a society, organization, or group characterized by having little or very low levels of inequality

Answer 24

egalitarian

Question 25

related to when people with less than a college degree have seen their earnings decline or have increasing trouble finding good jobs

Answer 25

college wage premium

Question 26

a steady decline in industrial or manufacturing jobs

Answer 26

deindustrialization

Question 27

the growing permeability of national borders and the increase in flows of goods, services, and people across national borders

Answer 27

globalization

Question 28

a workplace that may be characterized by unsafe conditions, very low wages, and harsh working conditions

Answer 28

sweatshop

Question 29

common in globalization, outsourcing refers to the contracting of parts of the production process to another party, possibly located abroad

Answer 29

outsourcing

Question 30

changes in the way the economy, firms, and employment relations are organized

Answer 30

economic restructuring

Question 31

a tax system in which tax rates are higher on richer people than poorer people, with the idea being that it is fair to ask those who can afford to pay more to do so

Answer 31

progressive tax system

Question 32

established by law, minimum wage is the lowest hourly wage a worker can be paid

Answer 32

minimum wage

Question 33

Which of the following primary sources have researchers used to determine income since 1917?

Answer 33

tax returns

Question 34

The college wage premium will increase when technology advances __________.

Answer 34

faster than education

Question 35

Sonjia is 14 years old and lives in Mexico. She goes to work every day in a garment factory where she works 10-hour dys and earns approximately 60 cents per hour for her work. She gets one 20-minute, unpaid lunch break halfway through her shift and no work-related benefits. Which of the following best characterizes Sonjia's work life?

Answer 35

sweatshop conditions

Question 36

It is well documented that many of the _________ can shield much, if not all, of their earnings from _________

Answer 36

"1 percent"; taxation

Question 37

Currently, federal minimum wage is how much per hour?

Answer 37

$7.25

Question 38

the ways in which inequality shapes the opportunities for children and young adults to maximize their potential

Answer 38

inequality of opportunity

Question 39

the movement of individuals from one social position into another

Answer 39

social mobility

Question 40

a society in which a person's social position is determined by the family he or she is born into

Answer 40

caste society

Question 41

the existence of a relationship between two variables, where a change in one variable is related to a change in another variable

Answer 41

association

Question 42

a situation in which individuals are unable to move from one economic or social class into another

Answer 42

immobility

Question 43

the process through which employers identify and hire individuals to work under specified terms of employment

Answer 43

labor market

Question 44

In what way does a focus on exceptional individuals inaccurately portray the reality of social mobility?

Answer 44

It ignores the general patterns of mobility in the society

Question 45

The relationship between two variables that change together is called an

Answer 45

association

Question 46

Which of the following would be rewarded in a meritocracy?

Answer 46

a thorough education

Question 47

A caste society has an extreme amount of __________.

Answer 47

social immobility

Question 48

Andy and Isaac were born into the same middle-class family. Andy graduated from high school with average grades and decided two years after graduation to attend a technical school Along the way he worked in various food service jobs, but had a difficult time, even with his technical certification, finding a permanent full-time job as a young adult. Isaac graduated from the same high school in the top tier of his class. After graduation he attended a large university, later earned a master's degree, and was very easily able to find permanent full-time work in his field as a young adult. From this scenario we can confidently conclude that these siblings _________.

Answer 48

have had very different labor market experiences

Question 49

established by the government, it is the minimum income necessary to afford basic necessities. Anyone below this threshold is considered to be in poverty

Answer 49

poverty line

Question 50

a measure of the minimum requirements needed for people to have basic standards of food, clothing, health, and shelter

Answer 50

absolute poverty

Question 51

used to define people as poor not by assessing whether their resources are sufficient to obtain basic social necessities but rather by comparing their incomes relative to other people in society

Answer 51

relative poverty

Question 52

people who do not make enough income to be free from poverty, even if they work full time

Answer 52

working poor

Question 53

an extreme form of poverty defined by lack of permanent shelter to live in

Answer 53

homelessness

Question 54

In what way is the official measurement of poverty in the United States problematic?

Answer 54

It does not account for differences across states

Question 55

The feminization of poverty draws attention to the difficulty in _________.

Answer 55

both caregiving and breadwinning for a family

Question 56

As determined ________ by the government, the minimum income necessary to afford basic necessities is the ________.

Answer 56

annually; poverty line

Question 57

How can poverty affect the neurobiology of children?

Answer 57

Stressors associated with living in poverty can hinder development

Question 58

Which of the following would be most likely to find themselves homeless at some point in their life in the United States?

Answer 58

Ronnie - a single-man with bipolar disorder and no college education

Question 59

Income, education, and occupation are the dimensions of _________.

Answer 59

socioeconomic status

Question 60

Which of the following is an asset of wealth?

Answer 60

real estate

Question 61

How was inequality most present in primitive hunting and gathering societies?

Answer 61

Only a small number of people had decision making power.

Question 62

How do families with modest incomes typically acquire wealth?

Answer 62

through home ownership

Question 63

Which job is most likely to be complemented by technological progress?

Answer 63

an executive-level job

Question 64

Who pays the highest tax rate in a properly functioning progressive tax system?

Answer 64

the upper class

Question 65

Between the 1960s and 2012, the top 1 percent of families in the United States earned _________,

Answer 65

more income

Question 66

Daniel is the CEO of a large financial company based New York City. He owns an apartment on Park Avenue. Daniel is most likely __________.

Answer 66

a member of the 1 percent

Question 67

Which of the following best characterizes the relationship between inequality and mobility?

Answer 67

More inequality indicates less mobility

Question 68

Sociologists stress that social mobility is an attribute of _________.

Answer 68

both individuals and society

Question 69

What association is attributed to a situation in which perfect social immobility exists?

Answer 69

1

Question 70

Adam was born into a poor family in Chicago. When he grows up he wants to be a doctor. How does the educational system affect the social mobility of a person from a poor family, like Adam, who wishes to become a doctor?

Answer 70

The educational system preserves privileged access to some positions, making success more difficult for those without economic privilege.

Question 71

It is possible that someone who is working poor also __________.

Answer 71

lives in relative poverty

Question 72

People __________ are most likely to live in poverty in the United States.

Answer 72

under the age of 18

Question 73

Which of the following groups conducts the annual survey of the homeless population in the United States?

Answer 73

The Department of Housing and Urban Development