Question 1

Under the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, ________ years was the total amount of time in which families could receive assistance.
A) five
B) ten
C) fifteen
D) twenty

Accepted Answer

The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 limited the total amount of time that families could receive assistance to five years. After that time, they would no longer be eligible for assistance unless they met certain exemptions or were granted an extension. This was part of an effort to encourage individuals to become self-sufficient and reduce dependence on welfare programs.

Question 2

Which of the following is a form of stratification in which all positions are awarded on the basis of accomplishment and skill?
A) democracy
B) meritocracy
C) oligarchy
D) technocracy

Accepted Answer

Meritocracy is a system of stratification in which positions are awarded based on an individual's accomplishments and skills. This means that every person has the opportunity to advance based on their abilities rather than other factors such as family background, wealth or connections. Democracies refer to political systems, oligarchies refer to systems where power is concentrated in the hands of a few individuals or a small group, and technocracies refer to systems where experts in technology and science have significant influence over decision making.

Question 3

What sort of measure of poverty are we using when we compare the salaries of the lowest-paid members of a corporation with the salary of the CEO?
A) relative deprivation
B) cultural poverty
C) absolute deprivation
D) horizontal poverty

Accepted Answer

Relative deprivation is a measure of poverty that compares the income or wealth of individuals or groups relative to others in society. In this case, comparing the salary of the lowest-paid members to that of the CEO is a comparison of relative income within the corporation.

Question 4

Which of the following is a serious flaw in the way the federal government defines poverty?
A) It is too complicated because it takes into account too many factors, especially the cost of housing in each major metropolitan area.
B) It justifies a welfare system that supports a great number of people who simply do not want to work.
C) It does not take into account regional differences in the cost of living.
D) It overestimates the number of people who cannot afford basic necessities.

Accepted Answer

The federal government's current poverty definition is based on a national poverty threshold that does not take into account regional cost-of-living differences. This results in people living in areas with high costs of living being underestimated in their poverty status, and people living in areas with low costs of living being overestimated in their poverty status. This seriously undermines the effectiveness of anti-poverty programs and efforts.

Question 5

Several members of the Indian government have argued that poverty in India should be calculated according to how many calories per day people consume, not in relation to their incomes. What sort of measure of poverty would this be?
A) vertical
B) structural
C) absolute
D) relative

Accepted Answer

Measuring poverty based on calorie consumption is an example of an absolute measure of poverty, as it sets a specific threshold (in this case, calories) that applies universally, regardless of other factors like income or geographic location.

Question 6

Americans are conflicted in their opinions about people living in poverty. About half think that circumstances beyond one's control are to blame if a person is impoverished, while about a third say
A) people living in poverty do not try hard enough.
B) there are no people living in poverty in the United States.
C) poverty was created by social welfare programs.
D) poverty can only be fixed by turning toward oligarchy.

Accepted Answer

A large percentage of Americans believe in the "American Dream" where hard work equates to success. This mentality can lead to the belief that people in poverty simply do not work hard enough. However, studies have shown that a variety of systemic issues such as discrimination, lack of access to education, and limited resources in impoverished communities can contribute to poverty. Thus, while individual effort may play a role, there are often larger societal and systemic factors at play.

Question 7

Poverty can be defined in either relative or absolute terms. How is poverty defined according to absolute deprivation?
A) by considering access to food, shelter, clothing, and medical care
B) by comparing the poor with more affluent members of society
C) by asking which groups within a society have power and prestige
D) by comparing the poor with the poor of other historical periods

Accepted Answer

According to absolute deprivation, poverty is defined by considering access to basic human needs such as food, shelter, clothing, and medical care. This definition does not take into account the living standards of other members of society or historical periods.

Question 8

Poverty can be defined in either relative or absolute terms. How is poverty defined according to relative deprivation?
A) by comparing the standard of living among the poor to the basic necessities of life
B) by comparing the poor with people with low socioeconomic status in other countries
C) by determining if the poor have minimal food and shelter
D) by comparing the poor with more affluent members of society

Accepted Answer

According to relative deprivation, poverty is defined by comparing the poor with more affluent members of society. This means that poverty is relative to the standard of living of the rest of society. For example, someone may be considered poor if they cannot afford certain goods or services that are considered essential in their society, even if they have access to food and shelter.

Question 9

If researchers find that the Great Recession of 2008 led to large numbers of middle-class people experiencing downward mobility to the lower-middle class, it would be an example of
A) relative deprivation.
B) a closed system.
C) structural mobility.
D) horizontal social mobility.

Accepted Answer

Structural mobility refers to changes in social status due to changes in the economy, such as recessions or a shift in the demand for certain types of jobs. In this scenario, the Great Recession led to a decrease in the number of middle-class jobs and an increase in lower-middle class jobs, resulting in downward mobility for some individuals.

Question 10

What defines so-called official poverty in the United States based on household income?
A) social stratification
B) the federal poverty line
C) relative deprivation
D) absolute deprivation

Accepted Answer

The federal poverty line is the specific threshold set by the U.S. government to indicate the minimum level of income necessary for a household to meet basic needs. This threshold is adjusted annually for inflation and is used to determine eligibility for government assistance programs. Therefore, B is the correct answer.

Question 11

Some immigrants have a hard time assimilating to a new culture. What are the children of immigrants experiencing if they assimilate and have a higher standard of living than their parents?
A) intergenerational mobility
B) intragenerational mobility
C) structural mobility
D) immigrant mobility

Accepted Answer

Intergenerational mobility refers to the movement of individuals, typically children, from one social or economic position to another as compared to their parents. In this case, if children of immigrants assimilate and have a higher standard of living than their parents, they are experiencing intergenerational mobility.

Question 12

People are optimistic that the jobs lost in the U.S. recession of the late 2000s will be replaced with others. However, even if the optimists are right, the shift in the economy may permanently alter the social class status of many people. This is due to the jobs lost being largely in manufacturing and new jobs being mostly in information technology. This suggests that the newly unemployed will have trouble competing for newly created jobs. If this is the case, what is it called?
A) structural mobility
B) intergenerational mobility
C) intragenerational mobility
D) absolute deprivation

Accepted Answer

This is an example of structural mobility, which refers to changes in the overall structure of the economy that affect the availability of jobs and opportunities for social mobility.

Question 13

Samira does not have a computer in her house, so she uses computers in the library to complete school assignments. However, she often has less time than her peers to do research and type her assignments because the computers are sometimes occupied and the library closes early. What term describes Samira's situation?
A) the digital divide
B) the federal poverty line
C) the simplicity movement
D) disenfranchisement

Accepted Answer

Samira's situation is an example of the digital divide, which refers to the gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not. Samira is at a disadvantage compared to her peers who have computers at home, which can affect her academic performance.

Question 14

Oscar Lewis was the first to suggest that the poor develop a way of life with fundamentally different values and goals because they are excluded from mainstream social life. Consequently, they are much less likely to join the middle class. This way of life is usually called
A) the culture of poverty.
B) the invisibility of poverty.
C) the social contract.
D) oppression norms.

Accepted Answer

Oscar Lewis coined the term "culture of poverty," which refers to a set of values and attitudes that develop among people living in poverty as a result of their social and economic exclusion. This culture is characterized by feelings of helplessness, resignation, and a belief that one's fate is determined by external forces beyond one's control. These attitudes and values are seen as barriers to upward social mobility and the assimilation of poor individuals into mainstream society.

Question 15

In the United States, the federal poverty line is calculated using food costs based on the cheapest possible diet that can still provide basic nutrition. What sort of measure of poverty is this?
A) a measure of poverty based on conflict theory
B) a measure of absolute deprivation
C) a measure of relative deprivation
D) a measure of social welfare

Accepted Answer

The use of the cheapest possible diet to calculate the poverty line is a measure of absolute deprivation. It sets a baseline for the minimum amount of resources needed to survive, regardless of social or economic factors. It does not take into account relative poverty, which considers economic inequality within a society. It is also not a measure of social welfare, which would include a broader range of factors beyond just basic nutrition. Conflict theory is not directly applicable to this measure of poverty.

Question 16

In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau identified the poverty threshold for a family of four as
A) $52,700.
B) $42,000.
C) $35,500.
D) $25,570.

Accepted Answer

In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau set the poverty threshold for a family of four at $25,570.

Question 17

The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 ended the concept of entitlements by requiring recipients of welfare to find work within two years of receiving assistance. How has this changed the lives of the poor?
A) Moving from welfare to work helped single people much more than it did families or single mothers.
B) Moving from welfare to work caused many former welfare recipients to plunge into homelessness.
C) Moving from welfare to work did not substantially increase income levels; it simply shifted the poor from welfare to low-paying jobs.
D) Moving from welfare to work increased both the self-esteem of the poor and their incomes.

Accepted Answer

Moving from welfare to work did not substantially increase the income levels of the poor. Instead, it shifted them from welfare to low-paying jobs. This often led to working poverty, where individuals were still struggling to make ends meet and afford basic necessities like housing and healthcare. This was particularly apparent for lone-parent families, who often had more difficulty finding work and securing affordable childcare. While there have been some benefits to moving from welfare to work, such as increased self-esteem and work experience, it has not been a comprehensive solution to poverty.

Question 18

One cost-of-living indicator shows that a salary of $40,000 in Santa Barbara, California is equivalent to $14,000 in Wichita, Kansas. This is primarily because of the cost of housing, which is much less expensive in Wichita. What does this difference say about how the federal government calculates poverty?
A) It shows that poverty is connected to the local cost of living, which reflects the differences in rates of poverty in different parts of the country.
B) It shows that the poverty line is more or less accurate, because it has been recalibrated to take into account housing costs.
C) It points to a flaw in the way the government calculates the poverty line, as the standard is uniformly applied without regard to regional differences.
D) It points to a flaw in the way the government calculates the poverty line, as it proves there are far more poor people in the Midwest.

Accepted Answer

The difference in cost of living between Santa Barbara and Wichita suggests that the federal government's uniform calculation of the poverty line is flawed. The poverty line is based on a national average and does not take into account regional differences in the cost of living. As a result, the poverty line may be inaccurate in some regions, leading to either underestimation or overestimation of poverty rates.

Question 19

A reporter who covers the police beat at a newspaper changes careers. She becomes an editor of nonfiction books and is paid the same salary as she was at the newspaper. What has she experienced?
A) structural mobility
B) intragenerational mobility
C) horizontal social mobility
D) vertical social mobility

Accepted Answer

Horizontal social mobility occurs when an individual moves from one position to another within the same social level or status, which is the case here as the change in jobs did not involve a change in her social hierarchy or salary.

Question 20

Many workers at auto plants in Michigan lost their jobs when plants closed. What has this resulted in for the vast majority of these workers?
A) welfare reform
B) vertical social mobility
C) horizontal social mobility
D) intergenerational mobility

Accepted Answer

The closure of auto plants and the subsequent job losses for many workers in Michigan would likely result in vertical social mobility, specifically downward mobility, as these individuals may experience a decrease in their socio-economic status due to unemployment or the need to take lower-paying jobs.

Quiz 7: Social Class: the Structure of Inequality

Under the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, ________ years was the total amount of time in which families could receive assistance.

Which of the following is a form of stratification in which all positions are awarded on the basis of accomplishment and skill?

What sort of measure of poverty are we using when we compare the salaries of the lowest-paid members of a corporation with the salary of the CEO?

Which of the following is a serious flaw in the way the federal government defines poverty?

Several members of the Indian government have argued that poverty in India should be calculated according to how many calories per day people consume, not in relation to their incomes. What sort of measure of poverty would this be?

Americans are conflicted in their opinions about people living in poverty. About half think that circumstances beyond one's control are to blame if a person is impoverished, while about a third say

Poverty can be defined in either relative or absolute terms. How is poverty defined according to absolute deprivation?

Poverty can be defined in either relative or absolute terms. How is poverty defined according to relative deprivation?

If researchers find that the Great Recession of 2008 led to large numbers of middle-class people experiencing downward mobility to the lower-middle class, it would be an example of

What defines so-called official poverty in the United States based on household income?

Some immigrants have a hard time assimilating to a new culture. What are the children of immigrants experiencing if they assimilate and have a higher standard of living than their parents?

Oscar Lewis was the first to suggest that the poor develop a way of life with fundamentally different values and goals because they are excluded from mainstream social life. Consequently, they are much less likely to join the middle class. This way of life is usually called

In the United States, the federal poverty line is calculated using food costs based on the cheapest possible diet that can still provide basic nutrition. What sort of measure of poverty is this?

In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau identified the poverty threshold for a family of four as

The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 ended the concept of entitlements by requiring recipients of welfare to find work within two years of receiving assistance. How has this changed the lives of the poor?

A reporter who covers the police beat at a newspaper changes careers. She becomes an editor of nonfiction books and is paid the same salary as she was at the newspaper. What has she experienced?

Many workers at auto plants in Michigan lost their jobs when plants closed. What has this resulted in for the vast majority of these workers?