Free Social Stratification MCQs with Answers
138 Social Stratification MCQs from Sociology, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.
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138 questions · page 12 of 14
111. The term assets refers to_______________?
- A. the culturally valued commodities and standards of living that make the poor feel relatively deprived
- B. the flow of money a person receives from their salary or wage
- C. a stock of economic resources including land shares and bank deposits
- D. the slices of the population who own differing amounts of wealth
Explanation: Assets are accumulated stocks of wealth, such as land, shares, savings and bank deposits. Salary or wages are income, which is a flow rather than a stock.
Correct answer: a stock of economic resources including land shares and bank deposits112. In developed countries the official definition of poverty used for statistical purposes is based on_____________?
- A. Absolute poverty
- B. Relative poverty
- C. both a and b
- D. None of these
Explanation: Developed countries generally measure poverty relatively, comparing resources with the prevailing living standards of the society. Absolute poverty is more commonly used for severe deprivation and subsistence-level comparisons.
Correct answer: Relative poverty113. Absolute poverty refers to a set standard which is consistent over time and______________?
- A. in a county
- B. between countries
- C. for a decade
- D. None of these
Explanation: Absolute poverty uses a fixed deprivation threshold intended to remain comparable over time and across countries. Relative poverty instead changes with the income distribution and living standards of each society.
Correct answer: between countries114. Prohibiting intermarriage across ethnic groups the physical separation of groups and restrictions on contact between ethnic groups are examples of______________?
- A. resource allocation
- B. ethnocentrism
- C. discrimination
- D. group closureAccess Government Careers
Explanation: Group closure occurs when a group maintains boundaries by restricting marriage, physical proximity or social contact with outsiders. Ethnocentrism is judging other groups by one's own standards, whereas these examples directly enforce separation.
Correct answer: group closureAccess Government Careers115. Which of the following is not part of a sociological definition of a minority group ?
- A. the minority group is disadvantaged compared to the more powerful and dominant group
- B. minority groups are always non-white
- C. the minority group has a strong sense of group solidarity
- D. the minority group often experiences prejudice and discrimination
Explanation: Minority status is sociological rather than numerical or racial: a minority group is typically disadvantaged, marked by solidarity and exposed to prejudice or discrimination. Minority groups can be of any racial background, so they are not always non-white.
Correct answer: minority groups are always non-white116. Which sociological perspective views race from the macro level and sees the economic structure as a central factor in the exploitation of minority groups ?
- A. functionalist perspective
- B. conflict perspective
- C. interactionist perspective
- D. labeling theoryTrace Family History
Explanation: The conflict perspective examines race at the macro level and links minority exploitation to unequal economic power and ownership. Functionalism focuses on how social arrangements contribute to order, while interactionism examines everyday meanings and encounters.
Correct answer: conflict perspective117. The new racism refers to______________?
- A. a subtler form of prejudice masked by nationalist pride
- B. a post-modern deconstruction of racist ideas to reveal their lack of depth
- C. racist practices found in newly emerging areas of social life such as cyberspace
- D. an anti-fascist movement which challenges nationalist politics
Explanation: New racism is often expressed indirectly through claims about national identity, culture or immigration rather than openly biological racial superiority. It is therefore a subtler prejudice presented as nationalist or cultural pride.
Correct answer: a subtler form of prejudice masked by nationalist pride118. Both the functionalist and conflict perspectives agree that ?
- A. if ethnic stratification continues in a society conflict will decrease as people are socialized into the stratification system
- B. ethnic stratification will persist as long as it is in the best interests of those in power
- C. conflicts will be particularly likely and severe if class and ethnic cleavages coincide
- D. none of the above
Explanation: Both perspectives recognise that ethnic and class inequalities can reinforce one another, making conflict especially likely when the same groups occupy both positions. The other statements either predict declining conflict or describe only the interests of dominant groups.
Correct answer: conflicts will be particularly likely and severe if class and ethnic cleavages coincide119. A split labor market ?
- A. Underlies the development of ethnic tensions
- B. results in more well-defined norms and roles
- C. divides managerial and line workers
- D. none of the above
Explanation: A split labor market places ethnic or racial groups in competition under unequal wage and employment conditions, creating divisions that can produce ethnic tension. It is not simply a division between managerial and line workers.
Correct answer: Underlies the development of ethnic tensions120. Functionalists argue that even though ethnic conflict is dysfunctional it my still serve some important functions in society Which of the following is NOT one of those important functions ?
- A. Conflict promotes group formation and cohesion
- B. Conflict may function as a safety valve for society by enabling hostilities to be channelled toward permissible targets known as permissible targets known as scapegoats
- C. A multiplicity of conflicts between large numbers of differing groups within a society may be conducive to a democratic as opposed to a totalitarian society
- D. Conflict attributable to ethnic stratification problems may reach an unacceptable frequency and intensity
Explanation: The first three describe possible integrative or stabilising functions of conflict, including cohesion, scapegoating and support for pluralist democracy. Excessive frequency and intensity is a harmful consequence of conflict, not a function.
Correct answer: Conflict attributable to ethnic stratification problems may reach an unacceptable frequency and intensity