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 5 of 14

41. Which of the following does John Scott identify as belonging to the middle class ?

Moderate
  • A. senior executives
  • B. industrial entrepreneurs
  • C. finance capitalists
  • D. none of the aboveTrace Family History

Explanation: In John Scott’s classification, senior executives belong to the middle class because they exercise authority and hold advantageous professional positions without necessarily owning major capital. Finance capitalists and industrial entrepreneurs are capitalist-class categories.

Correct answer: senior executives

42. The embourgeoisement thesis suggests that_____________?

Moderate
  • A. capitalists are being replaced by salaried managers with bureaucratic authority
  • B. the affluent working class is adopting middle class values and ways of life
  • C. white collar occupations are being deskilled by the introduction of new technologies into the workplace
  • D. the class structure has fragmented and there are no longer any distinct social classesAccess Government Careers

Explanation: The embourgeoisement thesis argues that an affluent or increasingly prosperous working class adopts middle-class values, lifestyles and aspirations. It therefore describes cultural convergence between sections of the working and middle classes.

Correct answer: the affluent working class is adopting middle class values and ways of life

43. The class polarization that Marx predicted referred to________________?

Moderate
  • A. the division of each social class into the more or less privileged.
  • B. a growing gap between rich and poor resulting in class consciousness
  • C. the growth of intermediate strata in the middle classes
  • D. the tendency for the working class to live in very could places

Explanation: Marx’s class polarization predicts an increasingly wide gap between the bourgeoisie and proletariat as intermediate groups decline, potentially strengthening working-class consciousness. The phrase refers to opposing class positions, not the growth of middle strata.

Correct answer: a growing gap between rich and poor resulting in class consciousness

44. A social stratum is_______________?

Moderate
  • A. a level in the social hierarchy comprising people with shared life chances
  • B. a methodological tool used to identify a person's social class
  • C. the boundary between two levels of the social hierarchy
  • D. a symbol of status used to differentiate between social classes

Explanation: A social stratum is a layer in the system of social stratification whose members share broadly similar life chances, such as access to income, education and power. A boundary separates strata rather than constituting one.

Correct answer: a level in the social hierarchy comprising people with shared life chances

45. The lower class is often considered to be living in_______________?

Moderate
  • A. culture of poverty
  • B. Culture of lower class
  • C. Mere poverty
  • D. None of these

Explanation: The culture-of-poverty concept describes a pattern of values, behaviour and expectations associated with persistent deprivation, not poverty as income alone. “Mere poverty” therefore misses the cultural dimension implied by the question.

Correct answer: culture of poverty

46. Each social class is a subculture with a system of______________?

Moderate
  • A. Behavior
  • B. Set of values
  • C. Way of life
  • D. All of above

Explanation: A social class functions as a subculture because its members tend to share characteristic behaviour, values and ways of life. Since all three are included, “All of above” is the best choice.

Correct answer: All of above

47. The people of the same class share for the most part ?

Moderate
  • A. Same income level
  • B. Way of life values
  • C. Both of the values
  • D. None of these

Explanation: Class membership commonly involves similarities in income or economic position as well as shared values and lifestyle. Thus both listed features are relevant, making option c the intended answer.

Correct answer: Both of the values

48. Social stratification is_______________?

Moderate
  • A. a system in which people can change their status with relative ease.
  • B. the ranking or grading of individuals and groups into hierarchical layers
  • C. based entirely on self-classification
  • D. none of the above

Explanation: Stratification ranks individuals and groups in layers of unequal prestige, wealth or power. Option a describes an open system or mobility rather than the definition of stratification itself.

Correct answer: the ranking or grading of individuals and groups into hierarchical layers

49. Which of the following statements about the status of women around the world is correct _____________?

Moderate
  • A. it is estimated that women grow half the world's food but they rarely own land.
  • B. Women constitute one-third of the world's paid labor force but are generally found in the lowest paying jobs
  • C. Single-parent households headed by women which appear to be on the increase in many nations -are typically found in the poorest section of the population
  • D. all of the above

Explanation: All three statements describe gender-based economic inequality: women often produce food without owning land, are concentrated in low-paid work, and female-headed households are disproportionately poor. Therefore the inclusive option is correct.

Correct answer: all of the above

50. __________ refers to the reputation that a specific person has earned within an occupation?

Moderate
  • A. prestige
  • B. esteem
  • C. status
  • D. power

Explanation: Esteem is the reputation or respect attached to a particular person, whereas occupational prestige is the general social standing assigned to an occupation. Because the question asks about a specific person’s reputation, esteem fits best.

Correct answer: esteem