Exam 8: Stratification and Social Mobility in the United States

The concentration of wealth in the U.S.has decreased substantially in the last two decades.

Stratification is universal,in that all societies maintain some form of social inequality among members.

Gerhard Lenski argues that social inequality may have once served the overall purposes of society,but the degree of social and economic inequality that now exists far exceeds the need to provide for goods and services.This facet of Lenski's analysis is consistent with which perspective?

Some sociologists have suggested that in the southern U.S.in the pre-civil rights era,an African American individual was born into a status that would always be subordinate to the status of all of the White members of the community.This is an example of a(n)

Conflict sociologists argue that stratification will inevitably lead to instability and to social change.

Which of the following statements about the minimum wage in the U.S.is accurate?

Some analysts suggest that inner-city riots have frequently occurred when poor people realize that their chances of climbing out of poverty are unlikely because of the structure of our social system.Their frustration is based on their perception that they are living in a(n)

The United Nations has valued the unpaid work performed by women in child care,agriculture,and housework at $11 trillion.

Which sociological perspective argues that competition for scarce resources results in significant political,economic,and social inequality?

A condition in which members of a society have different amounts of wealth,prestige,or power is called

An ascribed status is a social position

Which of the following refers to a floating standard of deprivation by which people at the bottom of a society are judged to be disadvantaged in comparison to the nation as a whole?

A class system employs a social ranking based primarily on

Which of the following statements about slavery is true?

Describe the various issues surrounding the definition of poverty.Define the difference between absolute and relative poverty.

Max Weber argued that the actions of individuals and groups can be understood solely in economic terms.

An 83-year-old woman is placed at a small table in a dark corner of a trendy nightclub and is ignored by the staff.Her shoddy treatment is probably due to her age,which is a(n)________ status.

Max Weber referred to people's opportunities to provide themselves with material goods,positive living conditions,and favorable experiences as

In Karl Marx's view,a worker who identifies with the wealthy and believes that she can achieve great wealth through hard work is likely to have developed a

The commonly used "poverty line" measure of poverty used by the federal government measures which type of poverty?