Deck 8: Inequality

Question 1

A 2011 report by two scholars about the American class structure at the beginning of the 21^st century was typified by:

A) An extremely rich capitalist class and corporate managerial class, having relatively weak constraints on their exercise of economic power
B) A historically large and relatively stable middle class whose stability and futures remain relatively secure.
C) A poor and precarious segment of the working class, characterized by low wages and relatively insecure employment.
D) a and c only
E) All of the above.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Among developed capitalist countries, the American class structure is the most polarized:

A) At the top.
B) At the bottom
C) In the middle
D) a and b only.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A news report on one of the wealthiest individuals of India suggests that:

A) Philanthropy grows with the level of trust in society.
B) India has more billionaires than China
C) "All boats are rising" in India and China

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The 'American Dream' refers to:

A) A societal myth that American society is open and meritocratic, allowing upward mobility for individuals who work hard.
B) An empirically proven fact that individuals who work hard will be equally rewarded for their dedication.
C) A mass media illusion that all Americans are married, with 2 children, a puppy, and a white picket fence.
D) A social phenomenon in the United States in which individuals are unrealistic about day to day life.
E) None of the above

Question 5

Which of the following statements accurately describes the difference between social stratification and social difference?

A) Social difference is subjective, social stratification is objective.
B) Social differences refer to physiological characteristics (i.e. hair color, skin color, height) and social stratification refers to acquired distinctions (i.e. wealth, occupation, lifestyle).
C) Social differences are characteristics, such as wealth, occupation, and lifestyle. Social stratification refers to the way in which social differences are ranked hierarchically with regards to access to resources, life chances, and social influences.
D) There is no difference.
E) None of the above

Question 6

Social Structures are:

A) Buildings that exist for the benefit of a given society.
B) Enduring, patterned relationships between elements of a society that in turn shape social behavior
C) Individuals in society that regulate and limit other individual's actions and freedom.
D) Both a and b, but not c
E) None of the above

Question 7

The opportunity to share certain material and cultural goods refers to an individual's:

A) Inheritance
B) Life chances
C) Good fortune
D) Upward mobility
E) All of the above

Question 8

The esteem, honor, or deference assigned to one's social position is also called:

A) Power
B) Life Expectancy
C) Prestige
D) Affirmative Action
E) None of the above

Question 9

Which of the following statements describes the difference between Marx and Weber's theories of stratification?

A) Marx singled out class divisions as the fundamental means of social stratification in modern society. Weber argued that prestige and power are also important sources of stratification.
B) Marx ignored the importance of gender in social stratification. Much of Weber's work focused on the way that gender is a source of stratification.
C) Weber studied stratification among Protestants who worked and Protestants who did not. Marx studied capitalist economic relationships.
D) There is no difference, Marx and Weber agreed with each other and offered very similar arguments.
E) None of the above

Question 10

Exploitation refers to:

A) When one actor (or group of actors) manipulates another actor (or group of actors) for their own benefit.
B) An inherent part of modern capitalism, according to Marx.
C) The way in which the underclass is trapped in a 'culture of poverty' by a power elite.
D) Both a and b, but not c
E) None of the above

Question 11

"There is an elite whose power is derived from corporate hierarchies that constitutes the power elite. This power elite is contrasted with a powerless and unorganized mass, the underclass." This statement is a summary of whose theory of social stratification?

A) Karl Marx
B) Max Weber
C) Peter Blau
D) C. Wright Mills
E) None of the above

Question 12

Which of the following is not a critique of Mills' power elite theory?

A) During the Cold War period, there were close decision making ties between corporate elites in the state, military and industrial sector.
B) Bill and Melinda Gates of Microsoft, even with their tremendous wealth, were not spared from federal court proceedings that led to a partial breakup of the Microsoft corporation.
C) In spite of their wealth and political influence, corrupt executives from Enron were prosecuted and are now spending part of their adult lives in jail.
D) Although there may be elite control of large media corporations, the power is limited by the competition and diversity in media itself.
E) None of the above

Question 13

According to Chapter 8, the underclass is defined by:

A) Property or non-property ownership
B) The status of being a citizen dependent on welfare benefits
C) Racial category
D) Both a and c, but not b
E) None of the above

Question 14

Which of the following is not a key belief about inequality in the 'dominant ideology'?

A) The opportunity for economic advancement is limited.
B) Individuals are the victims of their circumstances, rather than personally responsible for their situation.
C) Inequality is an unjust and unfair system.
D) Inequality unjustly penalizes members of society, such as children, who have no control over their own circumstance.
E) All of the above

Question 15

According to Chapter 8, the phrase 'consumer society' refers to:

A) A society in which people think of themselves primarily as consumers rather than producers.
B) A society in which there is virtually a free market and all resources are instead commodities
C) A society in which individuals consume drastically more than they produce, leaving resources over-extended and sparse.
D) Both a and b, but not c
E) None of the above

Question 16

The tendency of Americans to think of themselves as 'one big class' can be described as:

A) 'Middle America'
B) the Melting Pot
C) Globalization
D) Homogenization
E) None of the above

Question 17

When individuals think of themselves as individual consumers, this is referred to as:

A) Capitalism
B) Industrialization
C) Free market economy
D) Privatization
E) None of the above

Question 18

According to Chapter 8, which of the following describes the effects of a globalized structuring of inequalities?

A) The wider the gap between poor and rich countries, the more pressure for people to migrate or be prepared to work for lower wages.
B) There is increased competition among countries around the world for laborers.
C) Due to the increase in communications technology, poverty is no longer an ignorable social phenomenon affecting a select group; instead, it is present in everyone's lives.
D) Both a and c, but not b
E) None of the above

Question 19

The American individualistic success model is in fact not limited to the United States, but is most prevalent in the United States.

Question 20

Possession of power depends on unequal distribution of material and social resources within a society.

Question 21

In a caste system, social mobility is maximized by fluid social structures.

Question 22

Prestige is synonymous with power.

Question 23

Race, class, and gender are the three hierarchies of social stratification that have drawn the most attention and caused the most controversy.

Question 24

Weber and Marx both agreed that property ownership and the lack of property were basic categories of class situations.

Question 25

Major inequalities of opportunity are concentrated at the top and the bottom of the social stratification hierarchy, between the elite and the underclass.

Question 26

Because people are stigmatized by their race, gender, or family status, they often experience further discrimination and exclusion, becoming trapped in a 'culture of poverty.'

Question 27

Social liberalism entails an attitude of acceptance toward social and political equality. The increase of social liberalism has called into question fundamental beliefs about inequality in America.

Question 28

Structural inequalities are now more than ever a global phenomenon.