Chapter 7 - Stratification, Class, and Inequality Flashcards
What is social stratification?
A. the existence of structured inequalities among individuals and groups in a society
B. a system in which success is based on who you know
C. a system based on the simple fact that some people are lucky and others are unlucky
D. a condition that results when people’s social mobility is hindered, such as in caste-or slavery systems
A. the existence of structured inequalities among individuals and groups in a society
If someone is poor when compared with the standard of living for most people in their society, they experience
A. absolute poverty.
B. relative poverty.
C. downward mobility.
D. structural mobility.
B. relative poverty.
The caste system of stratification can be best classified as:
A. an open system in which a person’s intelligence and hard work determine social position
B. an open system in which individuals can move out of the social position in which they are born
C. a closed system in which all individuals stay within the social position they are born into
D. a closed system in which people are able to own other individuals as property
C. a closed system in which all individuals stay within the social position they are born into
According to Karl Marx, because workers produce more than is actually needed to pay them, the relationship between workers and capitalists in an industrial society is:
A. motivational
B. easy to negotiate
C. equal
D. exploitative
D. exploitative
The social honor or prestige that is accorded to individuals by other members of society is referred to as:
A. status
B. reputation
C. social class
D. fame
A. status
What is the basis of Karl Marx’s theory of class?
A. Class is a by-product of the Industrial Revolution
B. Modern societies are divided into those who own the means of production and those who sell their labor.
C. People with power will always use it to protect their material interests.
D. Class is a transitory system of stratification between feudal estates and the classlessness of communist society.
B. Modern societies are divided into those who own the means of production and those who sell their labor.
What term describes the movement of individuals or groups among different social positions?
A. social mobility
B. social exclusion
C. social structure
D. vertical advancement
A. social mobility
What did Max Weber add to Karl Marx’s theory of class? A. Weber argued that income was more important than property in determining class standing in modern society. B. Weber argued that marketable skills were as important as property in determining class standing and that status was as important as class as a dimension of stratification in modern society. C. Weber argued that society was much too complex for anything remotely resembling Marx’s historical materialism (his theory of history). D. Weber understood the enduring significance of the middle class.
B. Weber argued that marketable skills were as important as property in determining class standing and that status was as important as class as a dimension of stratification in modern society.
Which of the following systems of stratification permit the least amount of mobility?
A. caste
B. class
C. slavery
D. clan
A. caste
Since the early 1970s, inequality in the United States has
A. increased.
B. decreased.
C. remained approximately the same.
D. become more difficult to measure.
A. increased.
What is a major trend in global inequality over the last two decades?
A. The rich countries became richer, the poor countries became poorer.
B. All richest countries have been losing ground, looking more and more like the poorer countries.
C. The gap between rich and poor countries has remained the same.
D. The poorer countries have gained ground, looking more and more like the richer countries.
A. The rich countries became richer, the poor countries became poorer.
Social stratification
The existence of structured inequalities among groups in society in terms of their access to material or symbolic rewards.
Slavery
A form of social stratification in which some people are owned by others as their property
Caste system
A social system in which one’s social status is determined at birth and set for life
Endogamy
The forbidding of marriage or sexual relations outside ones social group
Class
No clear agreement on how the term is defined. Most use the term to refer to socioeconomic variations among groups of individuals that create variations in their material prosperity and power.
Life chances
A term introduces by Max Weber to signify a persons opportunities for achieving economic prosperity
Means of production
The means whereby the production of material goods is carried on in a society, including not just technology but the social relations among producers
Bourgeoisie
People who own companies, land, or stocks and use these to generate economic returns, according to Marx.
Proletariat
People who sell their labor for wages, according to Marx
Surplus value
In Marxist theory, the value of a workers labor power left over when an employer has repaid the cost of hiring the worker.
Pariah groups
Groups that suffer from negative status discrimination.
Blue and pink collar jobs
Jobs that pay low wages and often invoke manual or low-skill labor. Blue-collar usually held by men, while pink-collar usually are held by women.
Underclass
A class of individuals situated at the bottom of the class system, often composed of people from ethnic minority backgrounds
Social mobility
Upward or downward movement of individuals among different social positions
Intragenerational mobility
Movement up or down a social stratification hierarchy in ones own lifetime
Social reproduction
The process whereby parents pass down their values, norms, and social practices to their children.
Cultural capital
Noneconomic or cultural resources that parents pass down to their children, such as language or knowledge
Downward mobility
When ones wealth, income, or status is lower then that they once had, or that of their parents
Short-range downward mobility
Social mobility that occurs when an individual moves from one position in the class structure to another of nearly equal status
Absolute poverty
The minimal requirements necessary for a healthy existence
Relative poverty
Poverty defined according to the living standards of the majority in any given society
Poverty line
An official government measure to define those living in poverty in the United States
Working poor
People who work but whose earnings are not enough to life them above the poverty line
Feminization of poverty
An increase in he proportion of the poor who are female
Social security
A government program that provides economic assistance to persons faced with unemployment, disability, or old age
Medicare
A program that reimburses hospitals for medical care provided to qualifying people over sixty-five years old
Culture of poverty
The thesis that poverty is not a result of individual inadequacies but is instead the outcome of a larger social and cultural atmosphere.
Dependency culture
A term used to describe individuals who rely on state welfare provision rather then entering the labor market.
Social exclusion
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.
Agency
The Ability to think, act, and make choices independently
What are the three shared characteristics of socially stratified systems?
- The rankings apply to social categories of people who share a common characteristic such as gender or ethnicity
- People’s life experiences and opportunities depend heavily on how their social category is ranked
- The ranks of different social categories tend to change very slowly over time
How is the concept of class systems different then those of caste?
- Class systems are fluid
- Class positions are in some part achieved
- Class is economically based
- Class systems are large-scale and impersonal
What are the two main classes, according to Karl Marx?
The bourgeoisie (upper class) and the proletariat (lower class)
What are the three main differences between Max Weber and Karl Marx’s theories of social stratification?
- According to Weber, class divisions derive not only from control or lack of control of the means of production, but also from economical differences that have nothing directly to do with property.
- Weber distinguished another aspect of stratification besides class which he called ‘status’.
- Weber recognized that social classes also differ with respect to their power.
Name at least three components of social class
Income, wealth, education, occupation
What is the reason for racial disparity in wealth?
Blacks and latinos have less money to start with, but discrimination plays a very big role. As people of color make less money compared to whites, and blacks are rejected for mortgage loans 60% more often then whites.
What classes exist in America today?
The Upper Class, Middle Class, Lower Class, Working Class, and Underclass.
Contrast intragenerational mobility and intergenerational mobility
Intra = movement for the individual
Inter = movement throughout generations
How does family background affect ones social class in adulthood?
Family background gives you a preset environment and wealth that can be hard to get out of.
How does the U.S. government calculate the poverty line?
Based on cost estimates for families of different sizes. Which for a family of four in 2014 works out to an annual cash income of just over $24,000, or around $2,000 a month.
Why are women and children at a high risk of becoming impoverished in the United States today?
Women make less, so female headed households have trouble making enough. Therefore, it follows that children have high rates of poverty.
What’s the difference between the image of poverty, and the reality?
There’s an image that people are in poverty simply because they don’t try hard enough. But in reality, it’s very difficult to get out of a position of poverty
What are the main reasons people are homeless?
Lack of affordable housing, poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, and mental illness
