Exam 8: Class and Stratification in the United States

______________ refers to a reduction in the proficiency needed to perform a specific job that leads to a corresponding reduction in the wages for that job.It has resulted from the introduction of computers and other technology.

______________ are anything valued in a society,ranging from money and property to medical care and education.They are considered to be scarce because of unequal distribution among social categories.

Distinguish between functionalist perspectives and conflict perspectives in regards to explaining social inequality in the U.S.

Contemporary Marxian (or conflict)theorists would examine class in terms of:

According to sociologist Karl Marx,when the workers realized that capitalists were the source of their oppression,they would overthrow the capitalists and their agents of social control,leading to the end of capitalism.The workers would then take over the government and create a(n) society.

According to the social class model developed by sociologist Dennis Gilbert,the______________is the one that is most shaped by formal education.

The separation of the races refers to:

Imagine you have recently been appointed to the United States Commission Against Poverty.Discuss what specific reforms and strategies (assume that you have a blank check at your disposal)you would attempt to implement in order to reduce or alleviate poverty in America.

According to the text,India's caste system is based in part on______________,while the caste system of South Africa was based on______________.

Describe consequences of inequality in relation to physical and mental health and nutrition.

Imagine you were walking along the beach and found a bottle.You rubbed the bottle and a genie appeared.The genie could grant you any one of the following elements: wealth,power,or prestige.Which would you choose? Explain.

Based on in-depth interviews and participant observation,sociologist Judith Rollins examined rituals of______________that were often demanded by elite white women of their domestic workers,who were frequently women of color.

According to the social class model developed by sociologist Dennis Gilbert,two-year or four-year college degrees have replaced the high school diploma as an entry-level requirement for employment in many______________occupations,including medical technicians and nurses.This social class represents an estimated 30 percent of the U.S.population.

The economic gain derived from wages,salaries,income transfers (government aid),and ownership of property is:

The Davis­Moore thesis assumes that social stratification results in______________-a hierarchy in which all positions are rewarded based on people's ability and credentials.

Discuss U.S.stratification in the future.

Technological advances have changed patterns of______________which has also decreased the number of jobs available.

______________ is the ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite opposition from others.

______________ theorists view education as the "elevator" to social mobility.Improvements in the educational achievement levels (measured in number of years of schooling completed)of the poor,people of color,and white women have been cited as evidence that students' abilities are now more important than their class,race,or gender.

Slavery in the United States has ended.