Sociology Chapter 9: Social Stratification and Mobility
This deck covers key concepts from Sociology Chapter 9, focusing on social stratification, mobility, and related theories. It includes definitions, examples, and theoretical perspectives on social class systems.
What factor makes caste systems closed? a. they are run by secretive governments b. people cannot change their social standing c. most have been outlawed d. they exist only in rural areas
b. people cannot change their social standing
Key Terms
What factor makes caste systems closed? a. they are run by secretive governments b. people cannot change their social standing c. most have been outlawed d. they exist only in rural areas
b. people cannot change their social standing
What factor makes class systems open? a. they allow for movement between the classes b. people are more open-minded c. people are encouraged to socialize within their class d. they do not have clearly defined layers
a. they allow for movement between the classes
Which of these systems allows for the most social mobility? a. cast b. monarchy c. endogamy d. class
d. class
Which person best illustrates opportunities for upward social mobility in the united states? a. first shift factory worker b. first generation college student c. firstborn son who inherits family business d. first time interviewee who is hired for the job
b. first generation college student
Which statement illustrates low status consistency? a. a suburban family lives in a modest home and enjoys a nice vacation each summer b. a single mother receives food stamps and struggles to find adequate employment c. a college dropout launches an online company and earns millions in its first year d. a celebrity actress owns homes in three countries
c. a college dropout launches an online company and earns millions in its first year
Based on meritocracy, a physician's assistant would: receive the same pay as all other physician assistants b. be encouraged to earn a higher degree to seek a better position c. most likely marry a professional at the same level d. earn a pay raise for doing excellent work
d. earn a pay raise for doing excellent work
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
What factor makes caste systems closed? a. they are run by secretive governments b. people cannot change their social standing c. most have been outlawed d. they exist only in rural areas | b. people cannot change their social standing |
What factor makes class systems open? a. they allow for movement between the classes b. people are more open-minded c. people are encouraged to socialize within their class d. they do not have clearly defined layers | a. they allow for movement between the classes |
Which of these systems allows for the most social mobility? a. cast b. monarchy c. endogamy d. class | d. class |
Which person best illustrates opportunities for upward social mobility in the united states? a. first shift factory worker b. first generation college student c. firstborn son who inherits family business d. first time interviewee who is hired for the job | b. first generation college student |
Which statement illustrates low status consistency? a. a suburban family lives in a modest home and enjoys a nice vacation each summer b. a single mother receives food stamps and struggles to find adequate employment c. a college dropout launches an online company and earns millions in its first year d. a celebrity actress owns homes in three countries | c. a college dropout launches an online company and earns millions in its first year |
Based on meritocracy, a physician's assistant would: receive the same pay as all other physician assistants b. be encouraged to earn a higher degree to seek a better position c. most likely marry a professional at the same level d. earn a pay raise for doing excellent work | d. earn a pay raise for doing excellent work |
In the United States most people define themselves as: a. middle class b. upper class c. lower class d. no defined class | a. middle class |
Structural mobility occurs when: a. an individual moves up the class ladder b. an individual moves down the class ladder c. a large group moves up or down the class ladder due to societal changes d. a member of a family belongs to a different class than he or she's siblings | c. a large group moves up or down the class ladder due to societal changes |
The behaviors, customs, and norms associated with a class are known as: a. class traits b. power c. prestige d. underclass | a. class traits |
Which of the following scenarios is an example of intergenerational mobility? a. a janitor belongs to the same social class that his grandmother did b. an executive belongs to a different class than her parents c. an editor shares the same social class as her cousin d. a lawyer belongs to a different class than her sister | b. an executive belongs to a different class than her parents |
Occupational prestige means that jobs are: a. all equal in status b. not equally valued c. assigned to a person for life d. not part of a person's self identity | b. not equally valued |
Social stratification is a system that: a. ranks society members into categories b. destroys competition between society members c. allows society members to choose their social standing d. reflects personal choices of society members | a. ranks society members into categories |
Which graphic concept best illustrates the concept of social stratification? a. pie chart b. flag poles c. planetary movement d. pyramid | d. pyramid |
The GNI PPP figure represents: a. a country's total accumulated wealth b. annual government spending c. the average annual income of a country's citizens d. a country's debt | c. the average annual income of a country's citizens |
The basic premise of the Davis-Moore thesis is that the unequal distribution of rewards in social stratification: a. is an outdated mode of societal organization b. is an artificial reflection of society c. serves a purpose in society d. cannot be justified | c. serves a purpose in society |
Unlike Davis and Moore, Melvin Tumin believed that, because of social stratification, some qualified people were -- higher-level job opportunities a. denied the opportunity to obtain b. encouraged to train for c. often fired from d. forced into | a. denied the opportunity to obtain |
Which statement represents stratification from the perspective of symbolic interactionism? a. men often earn more than women, working the same job b. after work, pat, a janitor, feels more comfortable eating in a truck stop than a french restaurant c. doctors earn more money because their job is more highly valued d. teachers continue to struggle to keep benefits such as health insurance | b. after work, pat, a janitor, feels more comfortable eating in a truck stop than a french restaurant |
When Karl Marx said workers experience alienation, he meant that workers: must labor alone, without companionship b. do not feel connected to their work c. move from one geographical location to another d. have to put forth self-effort to get ahead | b. do not feel connected to their work |
Conflict theorists view capitalists as those who: a. are ambitious b. fund social services c. spend money wisely d. get rich while workers stay poor | d. get rich while workers stay poor |
caste system | a system in which people are born into a social standing that they will retain their entire lives |
Class system | social standing based on social factors and individual accomplishments |
Class traits | also called class markers, the typical behaviors, customs, and norms that define each class |
Class | a group who shares a common social status based on factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation |
Conspicuous consumption | buying and using products to make a statement about social standing |
Davis-Moore thesis | thesis that argues some social stratification is a social necessity |
Downward mobility | a lowering of one's social class |
Endogamous marriage | unions of people within the same social category |
Exogamous marriage | unions of spouses from different social categories |
Global stratification | a comparison of the wealth, economic stability, status, and power of countries as a whole |
Income | the money a person earns from work or investments |
Intergenerational mobility | a difference in social class between different generations of a family |
Intragenerational mobility | a difference in social class between different members of the same generation |
Meritocracy | an ideal system in which personal effort—or merit—determines social standing |
Primogeniture | a law stating that all property passes to the firstborn son |
Social mobility | the ability to change positions within a social stratification system |
Social stratification | a socioeconomic system that divides society's members into categories ranking from high to low, based on things like wealth, power, and prestige |
Standard of living | the level of wealth available to acquire material goods and comforts to maintain a particular socioeconomic lifestyle |
Status consistency | the consistency, or lack thereof, of an individual's rank across social categories like income, education, and occupation |
Structural mobility | when societal changes enable a whole group of people to move up or down the class ladder |
Upward mobility | an increase—or upward shift—in social class |
Wealth | the value of money and assets a person has from, for example, inheritance |