Sociology 4035 SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

Study questions for the first exam

Required readings:

Gilbert and Kahl, chapters 1, 3 and 4

Eitzen and Zinn, chapters 4, 8 and 10

  1. Define social stratification
  2. Define socio-economic status
  3. What do Marx and Weber identify as the most important basis for class differences? Why is it so important?
  4. How do social class and socioeconomic status differences affect individuals' life chances?
  5. Status is a term with several meanings denoting important forms of stratification. Briefly define and discuss each one.
  6. Industrialization transformed the U.S. class structure. Why? How? Be specific and give examples.
  7. Compare and constrast the old and the new middle class.
  8. Present and discuss the current patterns of income and wealth distribution in the U.S. and their race and gender variations.
  9. What are some of the main determinants of capital flight? What conditions led to the use of capital flight as a mechanism to discipline labor? Is this an example of class struggle? Why?
  10. What does the process of industrialization indicate about the balance of power between the capitalist and the working classes in the U.S.? What are the effects of deindustrialization on communities exemplified in the contradiction between life space and economic space?
  11. What changes in the U.S. economy have led to the proliferation of contingent work? Describe the main kinds of contingent work and the reasons why employers find contingent work attractive.
  12. Women are a substantial proportion of contingent workers. Why? Why do women choose that kind of work? What are the positive and negative features of contingent work? What do these features suggest about the changing balance of power between employers and the U.S. working class?
  13. Using information from Gilbert and Kahl and chapter 10 from Eitzen and Zinn, outline some of the main impacts of the changing U.S. occupational structure upon the U.S. social stratification.
  14. The globalization of the economy entails, among other things, that national stratifications are affected by global processes. Examine the relevance of this generalization for understanding changes in U.S. stratification. Give examples to illustrate your points.