Questions and Answers
What is social stratification?
What does social construction mean?
The idea that human beings experience reality through their cultural beliefs and values.
Define oppression.
A relationship of domination and subordination benefiting the dominating group at the expense of the subordinated group.
A double bind refers to situations where multiple options are available, all resulting in a positive outcome.
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What does status quo refer to?
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What is capitalism?
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What is surplus labor?
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Define social class or economic class.
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What does wealth encompass?
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What is income?
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What is social mobility?
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Define meritocracy.
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What is classism?
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What is race?
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Study Notes
Social Stratification
- Enduring societal pattern ranking people into categories that influence access to resources.
- Based on factors like class, race, and gender leading to unequal distribution of wealth, power, and prestige.
Social Construction
- Reality is perceived through cultural beliefs and values rather than objective experience.
- Societal beliefs are taught through social institutions, influencing perceptions and power relations.
Oppression
- Dominating groups benefit from the systematic exploitation and injustice faced by subordinated groups.
- Oppression restricts certain groups from fully exercising rights and reaching their potential.
Double Bind
- A situation where options are severely limited, resulting in negative outcomes regardless of the choice.
- Commonly experienced by oppressed individuals facing constrained options.
Status Quo
- Refers to the existing state of affairs, often maintaining current inequalities and associated structures.
Capitalism
- An economic system where production means and distribution are owned privately for profit.
- Involves a class system characterized by the exploitation of workers by owners, creating rich and poor divisions.
Surplus Labor
- Refers to work performed beyond worker compensation, contributing to capitalist profits.
- Represents the extent of worker exploitation, indicating a disparity between producers and beneficiaries.
Social Class/Economic Class
- Groups of people with similar economic standings in a stratification system.
- Shared characteristics include similar income, education, and wealth levels.
Wealth
- Comprises all economically valuable goods and resources owned by an individual.
- Includes assets like money, stocks, property, and natural resources.
Income
- Money regularly received from work or investments, serving as a primary economic measure.
Social Mobility
- The ability of individuals or groups to move between social or economic classes.
- Can be upward (advancing to a higher class) or downward (falling to a lower class).
Meritocracy
- A system ensuring social positions are based on talents and abilities rather than non-merit factors.
- However, merit itself is socially constructed by the elite, often reinforcing existing inequalities.
Classism
- A belief system that legitimizes the domination of the wealthy over the poor.
- Includes negative stereotypes aimed at justifying the low status of economically disadvantaged individuals.
Race
- A discredited scientific notion dividing humanity into distinct biological groups based on physical traits.
- Race is a social construct with significant implications for economic, social, and political inequality, used by those in power to control and divide society.
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Description
Explore the concepts of social stratification, oppression, and the constructs that shape societal realities. This quiz delves into how class, race, and gender influence power dynamics and the status quo. Understand the implications of societal beliefs on individual rights and opportunities.
