Q.1 According to Max Weber, which factor distinguishes his concept of stratification from Karl Marx's primarily economic model?
Status groups and political power influence social ranking
Technological innovation alone determines class structure
Family size completely explains social inequality patterns
Geographical location is the sole source of prestige
Explanation - Weber argued that class, status, and party jointly shape stratification, whereas Marx emphasized relations to the means of production.
Correct answer is: Status groups and political power influence social ranking
Q.2 In sociological analysis, social stratification refers to:
A structured system of unequal social positions and rewards
A temporary distribution of individual personality traits only
A random allocation of occupations without social consequences
A biological classification based entirely on genetic factors
Explanation - Social stratification involves institutionalized inequality in access to resources, power, and prestige.
Correct answer is: A structured system of unequal social positions and rewards
Q.3 Which concept best describes movement between different social strata during an individual's lifetime?
Social mobility
Cultural lag
Role conflict
Collective behavior
Explanation - Social mobility refers to movement between social positions or classes, either upward or downward.
Correct answer is: Social mobility
Q.4 What is the primary basis of stratification in a caste system?
Ascribed status determined by birth membership
Educational achievement obtained through competition
Occupational success resulting from meritocratic selection
Political participation gained through democratic elections
Explanation - Caste systems assign social position at birth and generally restrict mobility across groups.
Correct answer is: Ascribed status determined by birth membership
Q.5 Davis and Moore argued that stratification is functional because it:
Motivates individuals to fill socially important positions
Eliminates all forms of economic and social inequality
Ensures equal rewards regardless of occupational demands
Prevents competition among members of modern societies
Explanation - The functionalist perspective views differential rewards as incentives for training and performance in crucial roles.
Correct answer is: Motivates individuals to fill socially important positions
Q.6 A major criticism of the Davis-Moore thesis is that it:
Assumes rewards accurately reflect social importance
Rejects the existence of occupational specialization entirely
Focuses exclusively on symbolic interaction processes
Denies the significance of educational institutions completely
Explanation - Critics argue that high rewards often reflect power rather than genuine societal importance.
Correct answer is: Assumes rewards accurately reflect social importance
Q.7 Which term describes the transmission of social advantages and disadvantages across generations?
Intergenerational mobility
Reference grouping
Role distancing
Social contagion
Explanation - Intergenerational mobility examines changes in social status between parents and their children.
Correct answer is: Intergenerational mobility
Q.8 Pierre Bourdieu's concept of cultural capital refers to:
Knowledge and cultural competencies valued by society
Financial investments held within cultural industries only
Government funding allocated to museums and libraries
Traditional customs preserved through religious rituals
Explanation - Cultural capital includes educational credentials, tastes, skills, and dispositions that facilitate social advantage.
Correct answer is: Knowledge and cultural competencies valued by society
Q.9 Which form of mobility occurs when an entire social group experiences a change in status due to societal transformation?
Structural mobility
Exchange mobility
Horizontal mobility
Occupational closure
Explanation - Structural mobility results from large-scale economic or social changes affecting many people simultaneously.
Correct answer is: Structural mobility
Q.10 Marx identified the bourgeoisie primarily as those who:
Own and control the means of production
Provide labor in exchange for monetary wages
Occupy middle-level bureaucratic administrative positions
Perform agricultural work within rural communities
Explanation - For Marx, the bourgeoisie are the capitalist class who own productive resources.
Correct answer is: Own and control the means of production
Q.11 What is meant by class consciousness in Marxist theory?
Awareness of shared class interests and collective position
Recognition of cultural diversity among social groups
Understanding of bureaucratic procedures in organizations
Acceptance of inequality as socially necessary and beneficial
Explanation - Class consciousness develops when members recognize common interests arising from their class location.
Correct answer is: Awareness of shared class interests and collective position
Q.12 The term 'life chances' was introduced by Weber to describe:
Opportunities individuals have to access valued resources
The statistical probability of surviving childhood diseases
Patterns of migration between urban and rural regions
The likelihood of participating in political campaigns
Explanation - Life chances refer to the opportunities available for achieving desired outcomes such as education, health, and income.
Correct answer is: Opportunities individuals have to access valued resources
Q.13 An open stratification system is characterized by:
Greater opportunities for movement across social levels
Strict inheritance of status without mobility possibilities
Complete absence of economic and cultural inequalities
Exclusive reliance on hereditary occupational assignment
Explanation - Open systems allow individuals more freedom to change social position through achievement.
Correct answer is: Greater opportunities for movement across social levels
Q.14 Which concept refers to barriers used by groups to restrict access to resources and opportunities?
Social closure
Role strain
Collective conscience
Cultural diffusion
Explanation - Social closure involves exclusionary practices that protect advantages for particular groups.
Correct answer is: Social closure
Q.15 In Bourdieu's framework, social capital primarily consists of:
Resources obtainable through social networks and relationships
Material assets accumulated through industrial ownership
Government benefits distributed through welfare programs
Academic qualifications awarded by educational institutions
Explanation - Social capital refers to benefits derived from membership in networks and social connections.
Correct answer is: Resources obtainable through social networks and relationships
Q.16 Which type of mobility involves movement to a similar-status position without major rank change?
Horizontal mobility
Vertical mobility
Structural mobility
Collective mobility
Explanation - Horizontal mobility occurs when individuals change roles or locations without significant status change.
Correct answer is: Horizontal mobility
Q.17 The concept of meritocracy suggests that social rewards should be allocated according to:
Individual talent, effort, and achievement
Inherited family background and ancestral privilege
Religious affiliation and ceremonial obligations
Age hierarchy and generational seniority alone
Explanation - Meritocracy emphasizes achievement-based allocation of opportunities and rewards.
Correct answer is: Individual talent, effort, and achievement
Q.18 Conflict theorists generally view stratification as:
A system that benefits dominant groups at others' expense
A neutral mechanism unrelated to power distribution
An inevitable biological outcome of human evolution
A temporary condition limited to industrial societies
Explanation - Conflict perspectives emphasize power inequalities and exploitation in maintaining stratification.
Correct answer is: A system that benefits dominant groups at others' expense
Q.19 What is status inconsistency?
Possessing different levels of prestige across social dimensions
Changing occupations repeatedly during a single career
Rejecting participation in formal educational institutions
Maintaining equal prestige in all areas of life
Explanation - Status inconsistency occurs when an individual's rankings differ across income, education, occupation, or prestige.
Correct answer is: Possessing different levels of prestige across social dimensions
Q.20 Which sociologist is most closely associated with the concept of habitus?
Pierre Bourdieu
Talcott Parsons
Herbert Spencer
Robert Merton
Explanation - Bourdieu's habitus refers to durable dispositions shaped by social experience and class background.
Correct answer is: Pierre Bourdieu
Q.21 Relative deprivation refers to:
Perceived disadvantage compared with relevant reference groups
Absolute lack of food, shelter, and basic necessities
Government redistribution of resources through taxation
Voluntary reduction of consumption for environmental reasons
Explanation - Relative deprivation is based on comparisons with others rather than objective conditions alone.
Correct answer is: Perceived disadvantage compared with relevant reference groups
Q.22 In contemporary stratification research, intersectionality emphasizes:
The interaction of multiple systems of inequality
The replacement of class by technology as a social force
The elimination of gender differences in modern societies
The dominance of economic variables over cultural factors
Explanation - Intersectionality examines how class, race, gender, and other dimensions combine to shape experiences.
Correct answer is: The interaction of multiple systems of inequality
Q.23 Which statement best characterizes an estate system?
Social positions are linked to legally defined groups
Status depends entirely on educational achievement levels
Occupations are freely chosen without institutional barriers
Economic resources are distributed equally among citizens
Explanation - Estate systems historically organized society into legally recognized strata with unequal rights and duties.
Correct answer is: Social positions are linked to legally defined groups
Q.24 The 'glass ceiling' concept describes:
Invisible barriers limiting advancement of certain groups
Physical restrictions preventing workplace accessibility
Formal regulations requiring equal promotion opportunities
Economic policies reducing occupational specialization rates
Explanation - The glass ceiling refers to hidden structural obstacles that hinder upward mobility, especially for women and minorities.
Correct answer is: Invisible barriers limiting advancement of certain groups
Q.25 Which measure is most commonly used to assess income inequality across a population?
Gini coefficient
Dependency ratio
Crude birth rate
Human ecology index
Explanation - The Gini coefficient quantifies the degree of inequality in income or wealth distribution.
Correct answer is: Gini coefficient