What is Social Stratification

What is the term used by sociologists to describe the system of social standing?

• Social mobility

• Social networking

• Social stratification

• Social grouping

What does social stratification refer to?

• A society's method of assigning jobs to its people

• A society's categorization of its people into rankings based on factors like wealth, income, education, family background, and power

• A society's cultural norms and values

• A society's political structure

Why is meritocracy considered an ideal system of stratification?

• Because it is based on hereditary factors

• Because it is based on age and seniority

• Because it is based on skill and ability

• Because it is based on wealth and income

What term do geologists use to describe the distinct vertical layers found in rock, which is also used to describe the layers of society?

• Sedimentation

• Erosion

• Stratification

• Deposition

In societal stratification, what does the top layer of the social structure represent?

• People with the least resources

• People with moderate resources

• People with the most resources

• The physical environment

What is an individual's place within the stratification of society called?

• Social ranking

• Social status

• Socioeconomic status (SES)

• Social hierarchy

What factors determine a person's social standing according to the text?

• Choice, motivation, and self-effort

• Wealth, education, family background, and power

• Societal values and institutional racism only

• Location in the country and group memberships

What is the general belief about social mobility in the United States as indicated in the text?

• Social mobility is based on societal values and institutional racism

• Social mobility is determined by individual choices and self-effort

• Social mobility is impossible to achieve for individuals

• Social mobility is predetermined at birth

How do sociologists view social stratification?

• As an individual problem based on personal choices

• As a society-wide system that makes inequalities apparent

• As a system that is solely based on education and wealth

• As a structure that is irrelevant in modern society

According to the text, who is blamed for social inequalities by sociologists?

• Individuals who make poor choices

• Society as a whole

• Specific groups or locations in the country

• The government and its policies