Understanding Social Stratification

What is a key aspect of social stratification?

• It is unique to only a few societies.

• It categorizes and ranks people in a hierarchy.

• It is based solely on personal achievements.

• It varies from individual to individual.

What principle highlights the generational persistence of social stratification?

• Persists across generations

• Individual differences

• Characteristic of society

• Universal but variable

Which type of mobility is more common in the United States?

• Structural mobility

• Horizontal mobility

• Upward mobility

• Downward mobility

What does a society's cultural beliefs influence in terms of social stratification?

• The amount of wealth one can accumulate

• The categorization of people and normalization of inequalities

• The individual's ability to move up the social ladder

• The legal system and its enforcement

What is a characteristic of a closed system of stratification?

• Merit-based categorization

• Little to no social mobility

• Based on achieved status

• High social mobility

Which system is an example of a closed stratification system?

• Soviet classless society

• The American class system

• The Indian caste system

• British class system

What is a key difference between caste and class systems?

• Class systems combine ascribed status and personal achievement.

• Caste systems are considered open systems.

• Class systems are based on ascribed status.

• Caste systems allow for more social mobility.

What does the American dream symbolize in terms of social stratification?

• The importance of ascribed status

• The absence of social stratification

• The possibility of upward mobility through hard work

• The rigidity of social classes

What is an example of status inconsistency?

• A government official with no political power

• A wealthy business owner with low education

• A skilled worker in a low-prestige job

• An adjunct professor with high education but low income

Which society claimed to be classless but was stratified into different groups?

• Modern Britain

• Traditional India

• The Soviet Union

• Feudal Europe