Exam 8: Social Class in the United States

What is the relationship between level of education and births to single mothers?

The belief by many Americans that they actually contribute to major governmental decisions through the power of their vote is referred to by Hellinger and Judd as ________.

Lower-class parents encourage their children to be creative as they grow up,while middle class parents focus on having their children defer to authority.

John worked at a steel mill for 25 years. A recessionary economy and competition with foreign steelmakers forced the closing of the mill. At the age of 45,John is unable to find work in his town,lives in poverty,and must go on welfare. What is the MOST likely cause of John's poverty?

In the Down-to-Earth Sociology,"Taking Another Fun Quiz: Exploring Stereotypes about the Poor" how do stereotypes about the poor fit with dominant American values?

Few of the U.S. presidents have come from a class of Americans who qualify as being members of the power elite.

-When examining Figure 8.5,"The U.S. Social Class Ladder," what would be the rationale to add at least one or two additional levels of social class above the upper middle class? Even if this appears to be a good idea,why isn't it done? Use Figure 8.2 "Distribution of the Income of Americans" to help your reasoning.

Why do members of the capitalist class have a narrower field of "eligibles" as marriage partners than any other social class?

Of the six social classes in America,the lower middle class has the highest percentage of members.

In 1996,the U.S. welfare system was restructured. Supporters of this reform maintain that the new system rescues people from poverty and reduces welfare costs. What is the primary evidence they point out to support this?

What are the three components Weber identified as being the key elements of determining one's social class?

List the ways in which social class affects people's experiences in life. How has social class affected your own life chances?

Ken belongs to a church in which the worship services are highly expressive with spontaneous "Amens" and "Praise Jesus" outbursts accompanied by loud,inspirational organ music. Ken is MOST likely a member of the ________ class.

Theorists who suggest that the purpose of the welfare system is to maintain a "reserve labor force" is MOST aligned with the ________ perspective.

Compare and contrast the working poor and underclass noting similarities and differences.

What did Higginbotham and Weber discover about women from working-class backgrounds who now occupied professional,managerial,and administrative positions in Memphis?

What did C. Wright Mills mean by the term "power elite"? How do the power elite manage to maintain their influence? Has the power elite become more or less powerful since Mills introduced the term in the 1950s?

What is the standard used by the U.S. government to determine if a family is in poverty?

-Based on Figure 8.2,"Distribution of the Income of Americans," the average American's individual income is calculated at $41,000 and the average U.S. family's income is $60,000. Calculate the income of the richest Americans based on the Mt. Everest analogy. What are the results? Just who are some of these Mt. Everest income giants? What is the mathematical formula you used to reach this number?

Ruth owns the Head 2 Toe Boutique where she employs 15 workers. According to Erik Wright's model of social class,Ruth would be classified as a(n)________.