Exam 8: Stratification and Social Mobility in the United States

A system of enforced servitude in which people are legally owned by others is known as

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

What term did Thorstein Veblen use to refer to the behavior of those at the top of the social hierarchy when they engage in such activities as jetting off to a remote destination for dinner?

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.

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

Which term is used to refer to the reputation that a specific person has within an occupation?

Which sociological perspective would be most likely to emphasize that a person's health and educational opportunities are affected by his or her class position in important ways?

Max Weber defined ________ as the ability to exercise one's will over others.

Karl Marx used the concept of class consciousness to refer to

Prestige refers to the

A woman is born into a homeless, single-parent family. She is very talented and as an adult, becomes a wealthy, world-acclaimed pianist. This scenario most closely represents which type of stratification system?

A class system employs a social ranking based primarily on

Discuss Karl Marx's view on class differentiation. Define the terms bourgeoisie and proletariat. Describe what Marx termed a false consciousness, and give an example to support your answer.

Which sociological perspective suggests that the higher rates of poverty among single mothers are due to the difficulty women have finding affordable child care, to sexual harassment, and to sex discrimination in the labor market?

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 most extreme form of legalized social inequality for individuals or groups is a caste system.

In Karl Marx's view, social relations during any period of history depend on who controls the

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

Which sociologist first made the distinction between vertical and horizontal mobility?

Conflict theorists would argue that poverty is functional in the U.S. system.