Social Stratification in the United States Vocabulary

class: a group who shares a common social status based on factors like wealth, income, education, and ________.

• occupation

• hobbies

• geography

• age

class system: social standing based on social factors and individual ________.

• accomplishments

• wealth

• education

• heritage

class traits: the typical behaviors, customs, and norms that define each class (also called class ________).

• markers

• indicators

• symbols

• attributes

conspicuous consumption: the act of buying and using products to make a statement about one's social ________.

• standing

• behavior

• identity

• preferences

Davis-Moore thesis: a thesis that argues some social stratification is a social necessity and is ________.

• functional

• detrimental

• arbitrary

• unnecessary

Intragenerational mobility refers to the changes in a person's social status within their own lifetime.

• Changes in social status between generations

• Changes in a person's social status within their own lifetime

• The ability to move between different social classes

• The study of social mobility patterns over time

Define meritocracy.

• A system where people are chosen and moved into positions of success based on their abilities and merits.

• A system where people are chosen based on their social status.

• A system where people are chosen based on their wealth.

• A system where people are chosen based on their family background.

Primogeniture is a system where the right of succession belongs to the:

• youngest child

• eldest child

• middle child

• child chosen by the parent

Status consistency refers to the consistency of an individual's rank across different dimensions of social inequality. Which of the following best describes this concept?

• The alignment of an individual's social status across various social categories

• The fluctuation of an individual's social status over time

• The inconsistency of an individual's social status in different contexts

• The improvement of an individual's social status through education

What is structural mobility?

• A change in an individual's social position due to personal effort

• A shift in the social position of large numbers of people due to changes in society itself

• A change in social position due to family background

• A movement from one social class to another within a lifetime