Exam 6: Social Stratification-Canadian and Global Perspectives

Find evidence to support the conflict theory criticism of the functional theory of stratification.

How do Robinson Crusoe, Swept Away, and Titanic all illustrate issues of social inequality?

Distinguish intragenerational and intergenerational mobility.

According to functionalist theory, people would not be motivated to achieve high-prestige jobs unless those jobs rewarded them for which of the following?

The National Council of Welfare argues that the proportion of people who are poor in our country is an indicator of which of the following?

The average earnings of Canadian families today are 20 times greater than the earnings of families in 1951. The gain is not as dramatic as it sounds because part of it is due to inflation. The other part is due to which of the following?

Which of the following most affects the distribution of the opportunities and rewards that shape the patterns of inequality in Canada?

Define class, status group, and party according to Weber.

Social stratification is the division of society into strata or levels of inequality. One measure of that inequality is the wealth of each Canadian family. In the past 21 years in Canada, what has happened to the distance between the lowest quintile and the highest quintile for total family wealth?

Deprivation always occurs when a family has a low income, because income and consumption are correlated.

Explain how material and symbolic culture are used to indicate the rank of status groups.

In which of the following types of societies is social mobility restricted?

At a recent public meeting organized to discuss poverty reduction, Tobin proposed that an extra tax of 0.0001 percent be imposed on every single transaction worth more than $1 million carried out at the stock exchanges. This would be an example of which of the following poverty-reduction strategies?

Ruth has spent much of her adolescence away at school where, in addition to academic subjects, she was taught other skills such as how to speak and walk properly, manners, and public speaking. What has Ruth invested in by learning these skills?

In terms of Weber's categorization of the different kinds of groups in society, which of the following would best describe professional baseball players?

Because most Canadians value individualism and self-reliance, there is significant opposition to the idea that government should intervene to reduce inequality.

Any person who is trustworthy and commits the effort will succeed in achieving a good job with a high income.

Weber believed that the emergence of a classless society was highly unlikely. Which of the following theories agrees with this perspective?

In nations where social solidarity is weak, development holds greatest promise. Weakened structures create greater opportunities for beneficial political and economic reforms.

Popular beliefs emphasize that anyone who works hard and who is willing to develop his or her natural talents can achieve success, upward social mobility, and great wealth. Adopt a sociological perspective to explain what barriers can prevent success.