Quiz on Social Stratification

Name of Student

1. The term ‘social stratification’ relates to the existence of social

• (A) control
• (B) mobility
• (C) upheaval
• (D) inequality

2. Which of the following systems of social stratification existed in the Caribbean prior to emancipation?

• (A) Class
• (B) Caste
• (C) Estate
• (D) Slavery

3. Stratification occurs not because it is functional, but because groups compete for scarce resources. Which sociological perspective is illustrated in this statement?

• (A) Marxism
• (B) Weberian
• (C) Functionalism
• (D) Interactionism

4. Which of the following statements relates to the functionalist theory?

• (A) Stratification is universal, necessary and inevitable.
• (B) Stratification is an expression of the values of powerful groups.
• (C) Change in the stratification system comes through an evolutionary process.
• (D) In market economies, classes develop from people’s situations in relation to buying and selling.

5. Which of the following statements relates to the conflict theory?

• (A) Stratification is universal, necessary and inevitable.
• (B) Stratification is an expression of the values of powerful groups.
• (C) Change in the stratification system comes through an evolutionary process.
• (D) In market economies, classes develop from people’s situations in relation to buying and selling.

6. Which of the following options BEST describes false class consciousness?

• (A) Being aware that you are being exploited
• (B) Becoming a member of a revolutionary class
• (C) Being unaware of the interests of one’s social class
• (D) Becoming less interested in the amount of wages earned

7. Marx and Weber shared similarities and differences in their views about class analysis. Which of the following views was shared by BOTH theorists?

• (A) Group conflict is not necessary.
• (B) People are driven by self-interest.
• (C) Socialism would replace capitalism.
• (D) Dominant groups control the working class.

8. Social stratification is useful to society because it helps to

• (A) maintain the status quo
• (B) improve social relations
• (C) reduce opportunities for migration
• (D) allocate persons to roles for which they are best suited

9. In a closed society, which determinant will LEAST affect a person’s social position?

• (A) Race
• (B) Education
• (C) Skin colour
• (D) Family ancestry