According to sociologist Max Weber's system of stratification, __________ is the ability of people or
groups to achieve their goals despite opposition from others. - Answers power
The U.S. poverty rate in 2012 was __________. - Answers 15 percent
Of the two categories of people who work for wages, Weber called the white-collar workers, public
officials, managers, and professionals the __________. - Answers middle class
__________ poverty exists when people may be able to afford basic necessities but are still unable to
maintain an average standard of living. - Answers relative
According to Forbes magazine, the richest people in the world are Mexican entrepreneur Carlos Slim
Helu, Bill Gates (co-founder of Microsoft Corporation), and investor Warren Buffet. In Wright's Marxian
model these men would be members of the __________ class. - Answers capitalist
For many of the working poor, medical insurance is out of the question. In 2010, approximately
__________ of people in the United States were without health insurance coverage. - Answers 16
percent
The open stratification system based on the ownership and control of resources, as well as the type of
work people do, is termed __________. - Answers class
Marx's theory had important insights into capitalist societies; for example,________________. - Answers
the economic basis of class systems
The U.S. Social Security Administration has established an official poverty line. The poverty line is
computed by _______________________________. - Answers determining the cost of a minimally
nutritious diet (short-term) and multiplying this figure by 3 to allow for nonfood costs.
__________ is the most likely to have life-threatening consequences, such as when a homeless person
freezes to death on a park bench. - Answers absolute poverty
Camryn started her career as a high-tech factory worker and, through increased experience and taking
specialized courses in her field, became an entrepreneur and started her own highly successful business.
Camryn's advancement is an example of __________ mobility. - Answers intragenerational
About 20 percent of the U.S. population lives from just above to just below the poverty line. These
people typically hold unskilled jobs, seasonal migrant jobs in agriculture, and lower-paid factory and
service jobs and are termed the __________. - Answers working poor
Which age group (of all races) has the highest percentage living in poverty? - Answers 0-18 years
__________ is the sociological term for the hierarchical arrangement of large social groups based on the
control of basic resources. - Answers Social stratification
, One of the most important characteristics of systems of stratification is their degree of flexibility. In a
closed system of stratification __________. - Answers there is little or no social mobility
Corporations have been disinvesting in the United States, displacing millions of people from their jobs.
Economists refer to this displacement as the __________ of America. - Answers deindustrialization
Weber defined social class using ___________ as a major contributor. - Answers power
The Department of Agriculture uses the term __________ for people whose access to adequate food is
limited by lack of money and other resources. - Answers food insecure
__________ mobility refers to the social movement of individuals within their own lifetime. - Answers
intagenerational
__________ theorists view education as the "elevator" to social mobility. They see education as
providing all students with opportunities, and they argue that students' abilities are now more
important than their class, race, or gender in determining success. - Answers functionalist
__________ theorists stress that schools are agencies for perpetuating social inequality because parents
with limited income are not able to provide the same educational opportunities for their children as are
families with greater financial resources. - Answers confict
Davis and Moore, two functionalists, believe that stratification results in __________. - Answers a
meritocracy
Workers have not overthrown capitalism as Marx had predicted because __________. - Answers many
workers have experienced a rising standard of living
Marx used the term __________ for those who own the means of production—the land and capital
necessary for factories and mines. - Answers bourgeoisie
__________ occurs when people experience movement either up or down the class structure. - Answers
vertical mobility
Contemporary Marxian (or conflict) theorists examine class in terms of __________. - Answers people's
relationships with others in the production process
In the Marxian model of Erik Wright, business owners and craftspeople that may hire a small number of
employees but largely do their own work would be considered __________ class. - Answers small-
business
Whereas Marx defined class in purely economic terms, sociologist __________ developed a
multidimensional approach to social stratification that reflects the interplay among wealth, prestige, and
power. - Answers power