Stratification, Class, and Inequality

Question 1

social stratification

Answer 1

sociological subfield that examines inequalities among individuals and groups

Question 2

structured inequalities

Answer 2

social inequalities that result from patterns in the social structure

Question 3

social class

Answer 3

social structural position a group holds relative to the economic, social, political, and cultural resources of a society

Question 4

slavery

Answer 4

a form of social stratification

people owned by others as poverty

Question 5

caste system

Answer 5

social status given for life

Question 6

ascribed v. achieved status

Answer 6

ascribed: status one is born with
achieved: status one obtains over life course

Question 7

meritocracy

Answer 7

holding of power by people selected on the basis of their ability

Question 8

social mobility

Answer 8

movement from one social position to another

Question 9

Marx’s explanation of inequality

Answer 9

relationship to the means of production

Question 10

Weber’s perspective on inequality

Answer 10

class: economic resources
status: prestige or recognition
party: ability to exert and use power/influence

Question 11

cultural capital

Answer 11

cultural resources a group holds; knowledge of dominant art, music, literature, manners, personal style

Question 12

How does income inequality in the US compare with other developed countries; how has it changed over time

Answer 12

2x Sweden

1/3x other European countries

Question 13

Why did inequality increase in the US since the 1960s

Answer 13

technology
decline of manufacturing
globalization
government policies

Question 14

college wage premium

Answer 14

having a college degree pays off in terms of obtaining a better paying job

Question 15

poverty

Answer 15

condition involving inability to afford basic needs

Question 16

absolute and relative poverty

Answer 16

absolute: US government attempt to define min amount of income needed for basic needs
doesn’t adjust for changes in living standards
relative: European governments, defined as those families with incomes below 50% of median income
attempts to capture changes in living standards

Question 17

poverty in the US v. other countries

Answer 17

higher

Question 18

self sufficiency standard

Answer 18

based on calculations of average expenditures for basic needs and the cost of living in the region

Question 19

the combination of food stamps and TANF compares to poverty line

Answer 19

not enough to survive