Question 1

According to the textbook, which of the following concepts explains the connection between ideology and poverty?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the textbook, which of the...

Question 2

For her class presentation, Janessa decides to discuss Marx's theory of social change with particular emphasis given to the force that drives it. What will Janessa focus on?

Accepted Answer

Marx's theory of social change is primarily driven by class conflict, which he believed was the engine of human history. This conflict arises between the bourgeoisie, who own the means of production, and the proletariat, who sell their labor.

Question 3

Many Canadians are poor because they work in occupations that are non-unionized, low-skilled, low-waged, and often seasonal and part-time. Which of the following causes their poverty?

Accepted Answer

The poverty of many Canadians working in non-unionized, low-skilled, low-waged, often seasonal and part-time occupations is primarily due to a lack of "good" jobs, which offer better pay, benefits, and job security.

Question 4

In which social system is one class required to protect another class that then gives a portion of its agricultural labour and crops in return?

Accepted Answer

Feudalism is a social system where a class of nobles or lords provides protection to a lower class of serfs or peasants, who in return owe a portion of their agricultural labor and crops to their protectors. This system was prevalent in medieval Europe.

Question 5

In Canada, which of the following is a progressive tax?

Accepted Answer

Income tax in Canada is progressive, meaning that the tax rate increases as the taxable amount increases.

Question 6

Leif believes that poverty is caused by the boom and bust cycles of a capitalist economic system and by people's tolerance of low-wage jobs and union busting. His views are consistent with which of the following explanations of poverty?

Accepted Answer

Leif's belief that poverty is caused by systemic issues like the cycles of a capitalist economic system and societal tolerance of low-wage jobs and union busting aligns with a structural explanation. This perspective attributes poverty to broader socio-economic and political structures rather than individual actions or cultural factors.

Question 7

What was the main problem faced by early capitalists in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What was the main problem faced by...

Question 8

According to the textbook, what is the main effect of minimum-wage legislation?

Accepted Answer

Minimum-wage legislation creates a group of working poor because it sets a minimum wage that is above the equilibrium wage. This means that some workers who would be willing to work for less than the minimum wage are unable to find jobs.

Question 9

Why might regressive taxes be a more important expense to Paulo than they are to Maria?

Accepted Answer

Regressive taxes take a larger percentage of income from low-income earners than from high-income earners. If Maria is wealthier than Paulo, regressive taxes would likely be a more significant burden for Paulo, as they would constitute a larger portion of his income.

Question 10

What term did Marx use to refer to the growth in workers' awareness of their exploitation under capitalism?

Accepted Answer

Marx used the term "class consciousness" to describe the awareness that workers gain of their exploitation under capitalism, leading them to recognize their shared interests as a class in opposition to the capitalist class.

Question 11

June has lived on a reserve all her life. She tried leaving once in her 20s, but was unable to get a job because people stereotyped her and refused to hire her. Which type of explanation of poverty does racist and sexist discrimination against June reflect?

Accepted Answer

The discrimination June faces is a structural-level explanation of poverty, as it involves societal and systemic barriers that prevent her from obtaining employment, reflecting broader issues of racism and sexism within the job market and society at large.

Question 12

Which of the following theoretical orientations has the least interest in social stratification?

Accepted Answer

Symbolic-interactionism focuses on individual interactions and meanings, rather than societal structures or hierarchies, making it less concerned with social stratification compared to the other orientations listed.

Question 13

In seventeenth-century Britain, landowners turned cropland into pastures and drove peasants off the land. Which of the following did this change benefit?

Accepted Answer

This change primarily benefited capitalists, as the conversion of cropland into pastures for sheep farming was driven by the demand for wool in the growing textile industry, which was a key part of early capitalism. This shift allowed landowners and investors to make higher profits than traditional farming could.

Question 14

Which of the ideas below is central to the Davis and Moore theory of stratification?

Accepted Answer

The Davis and Moore theory of stratification posits that to ensure that the most important positions are filled by the most capable individuals, society must offer greater rewards for these positions. This is a functionalist perspective on social stratification, suggesting that inequality is necessary to motivate individuals to undergo the training and perform the duties of high-responsibility jobs.

Question 15

Support for which of the following is most likely to be a manifestation of workers' class consciousness?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Support for which of the following is...

Question 16

What were the most compelling forces undermining feudalism in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries?

Accepted Answer

The expansion of exploration and trade led to the growth of a market economy, which undermined the feudal system by shifting wealth and power away from the land-based feudal lords to merchants and traders.

Question 17

What happens when lower-income Canadians spend more of their income on consumption?

Accepted Answer

Regressive taxes, which take a larger percentage of income from lower-income individuals, hurt them more when they spend a higher proportion of their income on consumption, as these taxes are often applied to goods and services.

Question 18

According to the textbook, why do Canadians have twice the rate of poverty of most Western European nations?

Accepted Answer

The textbook suggests that the higher rate of poverty in Canada compared to most Western European nations is due to a lack of political will within the Canadian government to address and reduce poverty.

Question 19

Jocelyn is a single mother who works two jobs but every month must choose between paying the electric bill and buying food. Which term best classifies Jocelyn's kind of poverty?

Accepted Answer

Jocelyn's situation is classified as "working poor" because she is employed but her income is not sufficient to meet basic needs such as paying for electricity and buying food.

Question 20

Which of the following statements about the feminization of poverty is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

The statement that the low-income gap between women and men is growing is not necessarily true across all contexts. In many parts of the world, efforts to address gender disparities in income and employment have been somewhat successful, leading to a narrowing of the gap in some cases. The other statements accurately reflect aspects of the feminization of poverty, including the impact of women's positions in the labor market, their likelihood of being low-income earners, and the financial implications of their longer life expectancy.

Quiz 8: Social Stratification