Question 1

According to your textbook, what was the most consequential change that came with postindustrial society?
A) the loss of manufacturing jobs
B) the increase of women in the workforce
C) the decline in prestige of many blue-collar jobs
D) the need for outsourcing

Accepted Answer

The most consequential change that came with postindustrial society was the loss of manufacturing jobs. With the shift from industrial to service-based economy, many jobs in the manufacturing sector were outsourced or automated, leading to a decline in employment opportunities and economic inequality.

Question 2

What was the relative pay rate for women in 2019?
A) 72 cents
B) 78 cents
C) 80 cents
D) 95 cents

Accepted Answer

According to the National Women's Law Center, in 2019, women's median earnings were 80 cents for every dollar earned by men. Therefore, the best choice is C.

Question 3

Fields in which rewards are heavily concentrated in the hands of a few top performers are known as ______.
A) two-tier wage systems
B) winner-take-all markets
C) weakened wage-setting institutions
D) economic restructuring

Accepted Answer

Winner-take-all markets are fields in which rewards are heavily concentrated in the hands of a few top performers. In these markets, competition is so fierce that only the best of the best are able to earn significant rewards, leaving the rest with relatively little. The other choices do not describe this phenomenon.

Question 4

The Social Register, published in 1887, was a directory of 881 elite families in what city?
A) Boston
B) New York City
C) Philadelphia
D) London

Accepted Answer

The Social Register was first published in 1887 as a directory of 881 elite families in New York City.

Question 5

Massive layoffs by major corporations, so-called downsizing, were commonplace during which decades?
A) 1960s and 1970s
B) 1970s and 1980s
C) 1980s and 1990s
D) 1990s and 2000s

Accepted Answer

The 1980s and 1990s saw a significant increase in downsizing by major corporations, as they sought to cut costs and increase profits through the elimination of jobs. This period of time is often referred to as the "age of downsizing" and resulted in significant economic and social impacts.

Question 6

Ward McAllister's "400" list attempted to define membership in New York's upper-class society.

Accepted Answer

Ward McAllister created the "400" list in the late 1800s, which attempted to identify the 400 individuals who were considered part of New York's upper-class society.

Question 7

The Social Register excluded new money families from its directory.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Social Register excluded new money families...

Question 8

When the Lynds revisited Middletown, they found that the relationships between business owners and their employees and customers had become more personal.

Accepted Answer

When the Lynds revisited Middletown (Muncie, Indiana) in the 1930s for their second study, they found that relationships between business owners and their employees and customers had become more impersonal, reflecting broader changes in American society towards industrialization and urbanization.

Question 9

In 1870, approximately a quarter of all Americans lived in a rural location (under 2,500 inhabitants).

Accepted Answer

In 1870, the vast majority of Americans lived in rural areas, with more than three-quarters of the population residing outside of urban centers.

Question 10

By 1920, 60% of the industrial labor force was foreign born.

Accepted Answer

By 1920, a significant portion of the industrial labor force in the United States was indeed foreign-born, but it did not reach 60%. The actual percentage varied by region and industry, but overall, the foreign-born labor force constituted a large but not majority segment of industrial workers.

Question 11

Two years after the publication of Middletown, the Lynds returned for a restudy.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Two years after the publication of Middletown,...

Question 12

The service-producing sectors of the economy now employ the majority of Americans.

Accepted Answer

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the service-providing sectors employed 126.4 million Americans in June 2021, representing 83.4% of total non-farm employment in the country.

Question 13

Since the 1970s, the gender gap between men's and women's wages has declined.

Accepted Answer

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the gender wage gap has been gradually decreasing since the 1970s but still persists. As of 2019, women earned 82 cents for every dollar earned by men.

Question 14

The period from the Revolutionary War to World War I saw the most violent labor confrontations in American history.

Accepted Answer

The period from the late 19th century through the early 20th century (roughly the 1870s to the 1930s) witnessed the most violent labor confrontations in American history, including events like the Haymarket Riot, the Homestead Strike, and the Ludlow Massacre.

Question 15

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the U.S. workers adopted Marx's conception of a capitalist society.

Accepted Answer

While some labor movements and socialist groups in the U.S. during the late 19th and early 20th centuries were influenced by Marx's ideas, the broader U.S. workers' movement did not fully adopt Marx's conception of a capitalist society. American labor movements were more focused on immediate reforms, such as better wages and working conditions, rather than the complete overhaul of the capitalist system.

Question 16

In 1943, while an employee of the U.S. Census Bureau, Alba Edwards developed a set of broad occupational groups which provided a "socioeconomic" hierarchy of earnings, education, and prestige, ascending together.

Accepted Answer

This is true. Alba Edwards developed a set of broad occupational groups in 1943 while working for the U.S. Census Bureau. Her system provided a hierarchy based on earnings, education, and prestige, which were considered to be closely related.

Question 17

Of the three white-collar groupings, it is the managerial occupation that has grown the most since 1980 in the United States.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Of the three white-collar groupings, it is...

Question 18

The majority of women professionals today work in just three fields: nursing, teaching, and social work.

Accepted Answer

According to statistics, the majority of women professionals today work in nursing, teaching, and social work.

Question 19

From 1979 to 2007, the relative pay rate for women had risen from 60 cents to 85 cents for every dollar earned by a similarly employed man.

Accepted Answer

The answer of From 1979 to 2007, the relative pay...

Question 20

Despite the civil rights movement, antidiscrimination legislation, and affirmative action programs in government and private industry, a considerable occupational gap remains between Blacks and Whites.

Accepted Answer

Despite efforts to address racial inequality, a significant gap in occupational opportunities and outcomes persists between Black and White individuals in the United States.

Quiz 3: Social Class, Occupation, and Social Change

According to your textbook, what was the most consequential change that came with postindustrial society?

What was the relative pay rate for women in 2019?

Fields in which rewards are heavily concentrated in the hands of a few top performers are known as ______.

The Social Register, published in 1887, was a directory of 881 elite families in what city?

Massive layoffs by major corporations, so-called downsizing, were commonplace during which decades?