SCC Social Issues and Inequality 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sociological concept refers to the tendency for individuals to associate primarily with others of similar social status?
- Social closure
- Homophily (Correct answer)
- Endogamy
- Network bridging
Correct answer: Homophily
Homophily is the principle that people form connections with those who share similar characteristics, reinforcing social stratification.
Question 2: The 'working poor' are best described as people who:
- Are unemployed and actively seeking work
- Work full- or part-time but still live below the poverty line (Correct answer)
- Rely solely on government assistance programs
- Earn middle-class wages but carry excessive debt
Correct answer: Work full- or part-time but still live below the poverty line
The working poor hold jobs but earn wages insufficient to lift them above the federal poverty threshold, highlighting limits of employment as a poverty solution.
Question 3: Which term describes a system where social rewards are distributed based on individual merit, talent, and effort?
- Aristocracy
- Meritocracy (Correct answer)
- Plutocracy
- Oligarchy
Correct answer: Meritocracy
A meritocracy is an ideal system where status is earned through achievement rather than ascribed characteristics like birth or family background.
Question 4: Social capital, as described by Robert Putnam, refers to:
- Financial assets held by social service agencies
- Networks of relationships that enable cooperation and collective action (Correct answer)
- Government investment in education and healthcare
- Individual savings accumulated over a lifetime
Correct answer: Networks of relationships that enable cooperation and collective action
Social capital encompasses the norms, networks, and trust that facilitate coordination and resource-sharing within communities.
Question 5: Which policy approach directly addresses inequality by redistributing income from wealthier to lower-income citizens?
- Supply-side economics
- Progressive taxation (Correct answer)
- Flat tax systems
- Trickle-down economics
Correct answer: Progressive taxation
Progressive taxation charges higher rates on higher incomes, generating revenue that can fund programs targeting poverty and inequality.
Question 6: Blaming individuals for their poverty while ignoring structural causes is a manifestation of:
- The culture of poverty thesis
- Victim blaming (Correct answer)
- Social Darwinism
- Relative deprivation
Correct answer: Victim blaming
Victim blaming shifts responsibility for social problems onto those who suffer from them rather than examining systemic factors that create disadvantage.
Question 7: The concept of 'double jeopardy' in the sociology of aging suggests that older Black Americans face:
- Only the disadvantages of race, not age
- Compounded disadvantages from both racism and ageism (Correct answer)
- Greater advantages due to community support systems
- No measurable difference in outcomes from white peers
Correct answer: Compounded disadvantages from both racism and ageism
Double jeopardy theory posits that older Black Americans experience cumulative disadvantage from racial discrimination compounded by age-based discrimination.
SCC Social Issues and Inequality 3
Which sociological concept refers to the tendency for individuals to associate primarily with others of similar social status?