Chapter 7

Question 1

Social stratification

Answer 1

the existence of structured inequalities between groups in a society, in terms of their access to material or symbolic rewards. only with the development of state-based systems did wide differences in wealth and power arise. e.x. class division

Question 2

slavery

Answer 2

a form of social stratification in which some people are owned by others as their property

Question 3

caste system

Answer 3

a social system in which one’s social status is given for life

Question 4

endogamy

Answer 4

the forbidding of marriage or sexual relations outside of one’s social group

Question 5

class

Answer 5

one of the most frequently used concepts in sociology, there is no clear agreement of how it should be defined. used to refer to socioeconomic variations between groups of individuals that create variation in their material prosperity and power

Question 6

life chances

Answer 6

introduced by Max Weber to signify a person’s opportunities for achieving economic prosperity

Question 7

means of production

Answer 7

the means whereby the production of material goods is carried on in a society, including not just technology but the social relations between producers

Question 8

capitalists

Answer 8

people who own companies, land or stocks and use theses to generate economic returns

Question 9

surplus value

Answer 9

in Marxism theory, the value of a worker’s labor power left over when an employer has repaid the cost of hiring the worker.

Question 10

status

Answer 10

the social honor or prestige that a particular group is accorded by other members of a society. Status groups normally display distinct styles of life. status privilege may be positive or negative

Question 11

pariah groups

Answer 11

groups who suffer from negative status or discrimination-they are looked down on by most other members of society. e.x. the jews throughout european history

Question 12

income

Answer 12

payment, usually derive from wages, salaries, or investments

Question 13

wealth

Answer 13

money and material possessions held by an individual or group

Question 14

upper class

Answer 14

a social class broadly composed of the more affluent members of society, especially those who have inherited wealth, own businesses or hold large numbers of stocks

Question 15

lower class

Answer 15

a social class composed of those who work part time or not at all and whose household income is typically low

Question 16

under class

Answer 16

a class of individuals situated at the bottom of the class system, often composed of people from ethnic minority backgrounds

Question 17

social mobility

Answer 17

movement or individuals or groups between different social positions

Question 18

intra-generational

Answer 18

movement up or down a social stratification hierarchy within the course of a personal career

Question 19

intergenerational mobility

Answer 19

movement up or down a social stratification hierarchy from one generation to another

Question 20

downward mobility

Answer 20

social mobility in which individual’s wealth, income or status is lower than that they or their partner once had

Question 21

short range downward mobility

Answer 21

social mobility that occurs when an individual moves from one position in the class structure to another of nearly equal status

Question 22

absolute poverty

Answer 22

the minimal requirements necessary to sustain a healthy existence

Question 23

relative poverty

Answer 23

poverty defined according to the living standards of the majority in any given society

Question 24

poverty line

Answer 24

an official government measure to define those living in poverty in the United States

Question 25

working poor

Answer 25

people who work, but whose earnings are not enough to lift them above the poverty line

Question 26

feminization of poverty

Answer 26

an increase in the proportion of the poor who are female

Question 27

social security

Answer 27

a government program that provides economic assistance to persons faced with unemployment, disability or old age

Question 28

medicare

Answer 28

a program under the U.S. social security administration that reimburses hospitals and physicians for medical care provided to qualifying people over 65 years old

Question 29

culture of poverty

Answer 29

thesis popularized by Oscar Lewis that poverty is not the result of individual inadequacies but is instead the outcome of a larger social and cultural atmosphere into which successive generations or children are socialized. the culture of poverty refers to the values, beliefs, lifestyles, habits and traditions that are common among people living under conditions of material deprivation

Question 30

dependency culture

Answer 30

popularized by Charles Murray to describe individuals who rely on state welfare provision rather than entering the labor market. the dependency culture is seen as the outcome of the “paternalistic” welfare state that undermines individual ambition and people’s capacity for self help

Question 31

social exclusion

Answer 31

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

Question 32

homeless

Answer 32

people who have no place to sleep and either stay in free shelters or sleep in public places not meant for habitation