Social Status and Mobility Quiz

Identify the way in which immigration affects social mobility.

• It fuels upward mobility

• It increases the chances of people falling into poverty

• It leads to increases in unemployment among groups that are already in a country

• It restricts intragenerational mobility

Which of the following statements best describes relative poverty?

• It is the minimal income level that the federal government considers necessary for basic subsistence

• It is defined as not having enough money to maintain an average standard of living

• It refers to the movement up or down a social class over one's lifetime

• It is defined as not having enough money to afford the basic necessities of life

It refers to the worldwide inequality patterns that result from the differences in wealth, power, and prestige.

• Global stratification

• Intergenerational mobility

• Meritocracy

• Globalization

__________ is movement up or down a social class over one's lifetime.

• Intragenerational mobility

• Cultural diffusion

• Assimilation

• Socialization

__________ refers to the habits of speech and lifestyle that determine where a person feels comfortable and knowledgeable.

• Habitus

• Dialect

• Norms

• Ethos

Income differs from wealth in that income __________.

• is based on status inconsistency

• is usually spent on everyday expenses

• remains stable

• is accumulated over time

Unlike upper-middle class, those in the lower-middle class _______.

• have less freedom from supervision in their jobs.

• require a college education for their jobs

• work in minimum-wage jobs, or are often unemployed

• are relatively isolated from the rest of the population

• live on earned income rather than accumulated or inherited wealth

The minimal income level that the federal government considers necessary for basic subsistence is called _______.

• prestige

• meritocracy

• the poverty line

• the income deficit

• wealth

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates corporate welfare?

• A government gives tax breaks to large corporations to encourage them to stay in the country.

• A local charity provides food to low-income families.

• A small business receives a loan from a private bank.

• An individual receives unemployment benefits from the government.

Which of the following statements is true of the jobs held by the working class in the United States?

• Most of them work in minimum-wage jobs, or are often unemployed.

• Their jobs have considerable on-the-job autonomy and freedom from supervision.

• Their occupations usually require a Ph.D. or advanced professional degree.

• Most of their occupations are blue collar, but some are white collar.