Social problems - 2

Which term refers to the total assets of an individual or household minus liabilities?

Wealth

The majority of people living in extreme poverty live in:

Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia.

Which of the following term refers to the lack of resources necessary for material well-being?

Absolute poverty

In the United States, which of the following is considered a major obstacle to employment for single parents and a burden on dual-income families and employed single parents?

Lack of affordable, high-quality childcare

The U.S. poverty line is calculated as:

Three times the minimum cost of an adequate diet.

Two individuals work full time, but their annual income is just above the poverty line. They represent those considered as:

Near-poor.

A sociologist argues that inequality motivates people to achieve success. The sociologist is most likely a:

Structural functionalist.

What is the main difference between chronic homelessness and unsheltered?

Chronic homelessness involves long-term homelessness with health issues, while unsheltered homelessness refers to living on the street.

What does the term "food insecurity" refer to?

Not enough food due to insufficient resources.

In which region of the United States are poverty rates the highest?

The South and West

What is wealth?

Total assets minus liabilities.

What is the difference between absolute poverty and relative poverty?

Absolute poverty is a lack of resources necessary for basic survival, while relative poverty is having fewer resources compared with other members of society.

What is extreme poverty according to the lecture notes?

Living on less than $1.25 per day in the developing world.

What is social mobility?

Movement of individuals or groups from one social or economic position to another.

What is meritocracy?

A system in which individuals advance based on their abilities, achievements, and merit.

What is a major criticism of the U.S. poverty line formula?

It assumes families spend one-third of their income on food, even though actual spending patterns have changed.

What does the Supplemental Poverty Measure (2011) consider that the traditional poverty measure does not adequately account for?

Regional cost-of-living differences, childcare expenses, and government benefits.

According to Davis-Moore's structural functionalist theory, why does society have unequal pay?

Higher rewards motivate people to obtain education and training for important and difficult jobs.

What is the structural functionalist perspective on the origin of poverty?

Inequality and unequal rewards help motivate people to pursue important roles, although this perspective explains poverty in terms of how inequality functions in society.

What is meant by chronic homelessness?

Experiencing homelessness for at least a year or repeatedly while struggling with a serious disability, mental illness, or substance abuse.

What does unsheltered homelessness mean?

Sleeping in places not intended for human habitation, such as cars, abandoned buildings, or storage units.

Capitalism focuses on:

Individual ownership and profit.

What is a significant result of the aging population on the economy?

It reduces the proportion of working-age adults.

Which of the following perspectives analyzes the relationship between economic development and life expectancy?

Structural-functionalist

What is one way the IMF and World Bank influence developing countries?

By pressuring them to open their economies to foreign corporations.

The symbolic interactionist perspective of work and unemployment is most likely to be concerned with explaining:

How work gives meaning and self-worth to the individual.

For many, the most significant status in a person's social identity, represented by occupation is ___________.

Master status

Which of the following best describes "vulnerable employment"?

Employment lacking social protection and benefits.

Which of the following is a major cause of unemployment?

Corporate downsizing

Which principle of McDonaldization is illustrated by a retail store worker reciting a script when interacting with customers?

Predictability

What is a common consequence of automation in the workplace?

Displacement of workers alongside the creation of new jobs.

What is an economic institution?

The social institution responsible for producing, distributing, and consuming goods and services.

What is socialism?

An economic system in which major resources and means of production are socially or publicly owned or controlled, emphasizing collective needs.

What is offshoring?

When U.S. companies move jobs or business operations to other countries, often to reduce labor and production costs.

How does an aging population affect the economy?

It can reduce the proportion of working-age adults while increasing healthcare and retirement demands.

What does the conflict perspective emphasize about the economic system and work?

Powerful corporations and wealthy individuals can use their economic power to maintain inequality and control resources.

What is vulnerable employment?

Work that often involves insecure employment, low pay, and limited benefits or social protection.

Who is considered unemployed in official labor statistics?

Someone without a job who is available for work and actively looking for employment.

What is long-term unemployment?

Being unemployed for 27 weeks or longer.

What are the four principles of McDonaldization, according to George Ritzer?

Efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control through technology.

Which example demonstrates calculability?

A restaurant emphasizes how quickly it serves customers and how many meals it sells rather than the quality of each meal.

The benefits of having a college degree compared to the cost of education are called the:

Earnings premium.

Which of the following sociological perspectives is more likely to emphasize the relationship between teacher approval/disapproval and class differences in the social and verbal skills students bring to the classroom?

Symbolic interactionism

The classic study by Rosenthal (1968) in which some students were identified as "spurters" but actually were no different from the other students illustrates:

The self-fulfilling prophecy.

According to Annette Lareau's study, what is the "concerted cultivation" approach used by middle-class parents?

Providing structured, adult-led activities.

Who among the following is Project Head Start designed to help?

Preschool children from disadvantaged families.

Assessments of Head Start and Early Head Start generally conclude that:

The programs benefit children, but the benefits may not last.

According to the textbook, the relationship between race/ethnicity and educational achievement is largely due to the association between race/ethnicity and:

Socioeconomic status.

At the college level, first-generation students often struggle:

To understand the unspoken rules of the college culture.

Critics of bilingual education argue that:

It reduces the English language skills of underrepresented groups.

According to the textbook, what is a major concern regarding the current state of teacher education?

Teachers are dropping out due to low pay, large class sizes, and lack of support.

What is the earnings premium?

The additional financial benefits generally associated with having a college degree compared with having only a high school diploma.

What are the major functions of education?

Socialization, transmitting knowledge and skills, social integration, and preparing individuals for work and society.

What does conflict theory argue about education?

Schools can reproduce social inequality by favoring dominant groups and providing unequal access to resources and opportunities.

What was the significance of Rosenthal's "spurters" study?

Teachers' expectations can influence student performance through a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What is the importance of the valedictorian in schools?

The valedictorian is generally the student with the highest academic standing and is a symbol of academic achievement, but the selection process can reflect differences in school policies and opportunities.

What did the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 address?

The use of individual students' race in certain voluntary public school assignment plans to achieve racial integration.

What is one potential advantage of income-based school integration compared with race-based integration?

It can address economic disadvantage across racial groups while using family income as the basis for integration.

What became an important school funding concern during COVID-19?

Providing technology, internet access, devices, and support for students learning remotely, especially disadvantaged students.

Race is:

Socially constructed.

According to the federal government, Hispanic origin is considered:

As an ethnicity.

Ethnicity is based on:

Shared cultural origin.

Which of the following is an example of de facto segregation?

Today's racially segregated neighborhoods in the United States.

Many immigrants to the United States changed the spelling and pronunciation of their names to seem more American. This is an example of:

Acculturation

The increasing rate of interracial marriages reflects:

Primary assimilation.

The largest ethnic category in the United States is:

Hispanic

The fastest growing racial category in the United States is:

Mixed-race.

Which statement about the H-2 guest worker programs is correct?

They primarily exploit unskilled labor for seasonal work.

Which of the following statements is true regarding unauthorized and temporary immigrants and federal benefit programs?

They are ineligible for major federal benefit programs.

What defines a minority group sociologically?

A group that experiences unequal access to society's resources and is subject to prejudice and discrimination.

What is the difference between race and ethnicity?

Race refers to socially constructed categories associated with physical characteristics, while ethnicity refers to shared cultural heritage, language, nationality, and traditions.

What is acculturation?

The process of adopting aspects of another culture while potentially retaining parts of one's original culture.

What is primary assimilation?

The development of close, intimate relationships across racial or ethnic group boundaries, such as interracial marriage and close friendships.

What is secondary assimilation?

Integration into more formal institutions and social structures, such as workplaces, schools, and organizations.

Why might colleges and universities benefit from recruiting and admitting racial and ethnic minorities?

Greater diversity of perspectives, experiences, cultural understanding, and educational opportunities.

What does the term Hispanic/Latino refer to?

People with origins in Spanish-speaking Latin American countries or other relevant Latin American backgrounds; Hispanic origin is classified separately from race by the U.S. Census.

What is the difference between H-1 and H-2 guest worker programs?

H-1 programs generally cover specialty occupations requiring specialized knowledge, while H-2 programs cover temporary nonagricultural (H-2B) and agricultural (H-2A) work.

What are push factors in immigration?

Conditions that encourage people to leave their home country, such as war, poverty, unemployment, and political instability.

What are pull factors in immigration?

Favorable conditions that attract people to another country, such as employment opportunities, safety, education, and political stability.

What are two major concerns Americans have historically expressed about immigration?

Economic competition for jobs and concerns about cultural change.

What was the significance of the 2000 U.S. Census regarding race?

It was the first census that allowed individuals to identify with more than one race.

What was the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and UNC about?

The Court ruled against the universities' use of race-conscious admissions policies, finding their programs unlawful under the Equal Protection Clause.

The biological classification of males and females reflects the concept of:

Sex

When the subjects in a research study were asked to list the best things about being female, males most often cited:

Freedom to be emotional.

Samantha is a school nurse. This is an example of:

An expressive role.

According to symbolic interactionists, gender assignment begins:

At birth.

The United States made it illegal to discriminate in wages or employment on the basis of sex in the ________.

Equal Pay Act

Which term refers to displays of gender that are inconsistent with society's expectations of what is appropriate for an individual's gender?

Gender nonconforming

What is the difference between sex and gender?

Sex refers to biological characteristics, while gender refers to socially constructed roles, behaviors, expectations, and identities.

What is the masculine overcompensation thesis?

Men who feel their masculinity is threatened may exaggerate traditionally masculine behaviors, attitudes, or displays to prove their masculinity.

Which of the following helps explain gender disparities in STEM fields?

Gender stereotypes, unequal encouragement, lack of role models, discrimination, and workplace barriers.

What type of work are women more likely to be employed in?

Service-oriented and traditionally female-dominated occupations, including nursing, teaching, childcare, and administrative work.

What does structured choice mean in the study of women's occupations?

Women's career choices are shaped by social expectations, family responsibilities, gender norms, and institutional opportunities rather than being entirely individual choices.

What is the motherhood penalty?

The economic disadvantages mothers may experience in employment, including lower wages, reduced opportunities, and assumptions about their commitment to work.

What does devaluation mean in gender inequality?

Work traditionally performed by women is often valued and compensated less than comparable work associated with men.

What is emotion work?

Managing or regulating emotions to meet the expectations of a job or social role.

Which is an example of emotion work?

A nurse remaining calm and reassuring while caring for an upset patient, even when feeling stressed.

What is an expressive role traditionally associated with gender expectations?

A role involving emotional support, nurturing, and caring for others.

An individual joins a dating app and starts chatting with someone who seems genuinely interested in meeting. After a few days of friendly conversation, they agree to meet in person at a private location. However, upon arrival, they are ambushed by a group of people who rob and assault them. Later, it is discovered that the entire setup was a targeted attack against LGBTQ+ individuals using fake online profiles. This illustrates:

Kito

In general, countries throughout the world are moving toward:

Increased legal protection of LGBTQ individuals.