Q&A Hero

Q: Peter Berger's comment, "Society penetrates us as much as it envelopes us," is an expression of the _____ view, the idea that human behavior or actions are entirely controlled by outside forces. a. deterministic b. agency c. fatalistic d. ideology

Q: Discuss the ways that Social Security disadvantages women.

Q: Discuss demographic trends related to aging in the United States. How do gender and race factor into the issues of an aging population?

Q: Compare and contrast the situation in America in which unauthorized immigrants are forbidden from holding jobs with the practice of outsourcing or offshoring jobs to other countries.

Q: Discuss the effects of increasing economic globalization.

Q: Discuss the three major turning points in human history mentioned in the chapter that transformed society.

Q: Currently, the elderly account for around 20% of the voting public. By 2038, they are projected to make up _____ of the electorate. a. almost 60% b. at least half c. more than one-third d. only about 15%

Q: Financed by payroll taxes, premiums paid by recipients, and a government subsidy, _____ automatically entitles everyone to hospital insurance, home health care, and hospice care through this program. a. Medicaid Part B b. Medicaid Part A c. Medicare Part B d. Medicare Part A

Q: The elderly make up about 13% of the U.S. population, and consume _____ of all health care in the United States. a. about a quarter b. more than one-third c. almost half d. 89%

Q: What is defined as the proportion of the population who are workers compared to the proportion not working? a. Ratio scale b. Dependency ratio c. Nominally unemployed d. Chronically employed

Q: Social Security is a(n) _____ tax, meaning it takes a larger percentage from people with the lowest incomes. a. regressive b. progressive c. agressive d. adjustable

Q: The higher probability of older African Americans being poor is a direct consequence of their a. cultural unwillingness to care for the elderly. b. unwillingness to pay into the Social Security Administration. c. failure to plan. d. cumulative disadvantages over a life span.

Q: Personal income is usually reduced by one-third to one-half after retirement. Research shows that in old age, the poor get _____ and the affluent _____. a. not much poorer; increase their economic advantage b. somewhat poorer; get much poorer c. poorer; maintain their economic advantage d. richer; lose their economic advantage

Q: Marilyn and Carolyn are both retirees from Detroit, Michigan. Marilyn has decided that she is fed up with winter and is moving to Phoenix, Arizona. Carolyn is going to stay in Detroit. Based on the chapter, which of the following statements is most likely to be true?a. Marilyn is older than Carolyn.b. Marilyn is more affluent than Carolyn.c. Marilyn requires more public assistantce than Carolyn.d. Marilyn is less affluent than Carolyn.

Q: On average, life expectancy for an African American is about _____ years than for a White person the same age. a. four fewer b. four more c. 40 fewer d. 40 more

Q: Currently, the largest racial"ethnic group among the elderly in the United States is a. Asian Americans. b. Latinos. c. African Americans. d. Whites.

Q: Women's greater longevity, the social norm for men to marry younger women, and the traditional Social Security bias against women combine to create two problems for elderly women: _____ and _____. a. remarriage; excess income b. boredom; health problems c. isolation; poverty d. job security; injuries

Q: About _____ of elderly women and _____ of elderly men live alone in the United States. a. 40%; 19% b. 55%; 42% c. 75%; 68% d. 91%; 60%

Q: Because life expectancy is about five years more for women than men, older women outnumber older men by a ratio of a. three to two. b. four to five. c. 10 to one. d. 20 to one.

Q: Henry is a healthy baby boy who was just born today. Based on current projections, his chance of living to be 100 is a. highly unlikely. b. about one in 200. c. practically guaranteed. d. about fifty-fifty.

Q: There are several categories of elderly people, due in part to the fact that old people in our society are living longer. People age 85 and older fall into the category of the a. young-old. b. middle-old. c. old-old. d. older than old.

Q: Up until the 20th century, the United States was a youthful nation. What has changed that situation? a. The nation is now more than 200 years old. b. A falling birthrate combined with greater longevity. c. Immigration is mostly among people age 50 or older. d. The birthrate is rising thanks to modern technology.

Q: In 1900 about one in 25 residents of the United States was 65 years and older. By 2030, that ratio will likely be around one in _____ residents, with more people over 65 than under 18. a. 5 b. 10 c. 12 d. 20

Q: Peter, a third-generation Mexican American, goes by this name instead of his birth name (Pedro) because he does not speak Spanish and just finds it easier. He works as an architect and is married to a young woman of Korean descent who only speaks Korean with her parents. As a member of an ethnic minority whose life is no different from his White peers, Peter can be considered a. an illegal immigrant. b. socialized. c. diverse. d. assimilated.

Q: Which term refers to the process by which individuals or groups adopt the culture of another group, losing their original identity? a. Immigration b. Acculturation c. Assimilation d. Socialization

Q: The chapter argues that immigration can be understood as an act of _____, because people make a choice to leave all they know behind in order to come to a new place for economic opportunity or to flee repression.a. follyb. human agencyc. terrorismd. hubris

Q: Immigrants from _____ countries have had to confront considerable hostility and suspicion since the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001. a. Muslim b. Latin American c. Eastern European d. all

Q: For immigrants who remain in the United States, evidence shows that they are a burden on the economy for two decades mainly because of educational costs. After that a. they must return to their countries of origin. b. they are automatically citizens. c. they must repay that money or be deported. d. the society benefits monetarily.

Q: A study by the Academy of Sciences found that by the time a typical immigrant with a family dies, that immigrant and his or her children will have paid _____ government benefits. a. no taxes, despite receiving b. no more in taxes than they received in c. $80,000 more in taxes than they received in d. $80,000 less in taxes than they received in

Q: Donald is against immigration, especially illegal immigration from Mexico. He complains loudly that immigrants expect social services but do not pay the taxes that support them. His brother, Bernie, points out that a. in the short run, immigrants consume less in public services and benefits than they pay in taxes. b. undocumented immigrants pay a variety of taxes, such as income, Social Security, Medicare, and sales taxes. c. undocumented immigrants annually receive about $1.5 billion from Medicare and $7 billion from Social Security. d. the state and local taxes paid by immigrants are relatively high, especially because their children are not allowed to attend public schools.

Q: Immigrants are more likely than the rest of the population to _____, which in turn creates jobs and adds strength to local economies. a. be self-employed and to start their own businesses b. be college graduates c. enter the country with significant savings d. hold white-collar jobs, especially in finance and banking

Q: Arizona has a particularly tough law penalizing employers who hire illegal immigrants (who are paid significantly less than American citizens). The irony of this situation is that a. most of the immigrants labeled illegal in Arizona are actually legal. b. employers in Arizona do not tend to hire illegal immigrants in the first place. c. there are no Arizona citizens who want to do those jobs anyway. d. jobs in Arizona's semiconductor industry have been outsourced to foreign countries with cheaper labor.

Q: The evidence is that immigrants _____ on the wages of most Americans, except for the low-wage, poorly skilled, poorly educated segment of workers. a. have positive effects b. have negative effects c. do not have negative effects d. do not have an effect

Q: The states with the most _____ have the highest levels of anti-immigrant feeling. a. unemployment b. immigrants c. diversity d. conservatives

Q: About one million people legally migrate into the United States every year. How many unauthorized people per year enter the country and stay? a. About 525,000 b. About 1.5 million c. About 2.5 million d. About 11.12 million

Q: In the 1920s, the United States established the _____ rule to limit the number of immigrants it would accept, to limit the number of Eastern Europeans who enter the country, and to deny entry to Asians. a. immigrant quota b. third wave c. Yellow Peril d. national origins

Q: Which term is defined as the movement of people across political boundaries? a. Transmigration b. Emigration c. Immigration d. Ex-patriotism

Q: By 2023 a majority of children (under 18 years of age) in the United States will be from a minority background. By what year will non-White ethnic groups surpass working-age Whites in number? a. 2057 b. 2039 c. 2020 d. 2016

Q: Today, _____ of the people in the United States are either African American, Latino, Asian American, or Native American. a. more than one-third b. just under half c. more than half d. nearly three-quarters

Q: Ironically, wages have declined since 1973, while worker _____ actually rose. a. productivity b. benefits c. vacation time d. enthusiasm

Q: With relatively weak unions and competition from low-wage economies, U.S. corporations have been reducing _____, or setting up a two-tiered system that disadvantages newer employees. a. golden parachutes b. executive bonuses c. executive salaries d. workers' benefits

Q: What is a term used to describe when independent contractors work from their homes, pay for their own health care and retirement plan, and furnish their own equipment? a. Sunrise industry b. Offshoring c. Homesourcing d. Oursourcing

Q: About three-fourths of _____ (employees who work part time, in temporary jobs, or as independent contractors) are women. a. homeschoolers b. contingent workers c. outsourcers d. offshore workers

Q: Economist Paul Krugman points out that _____ has actually reduced the demand for white-collar workers. a. technological progress b. increased manufacturing c. the rise of the big-box store d. unionization of blue-collar jobs

Q: The term sunrise industry describes one that a. was established at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. b. involves manufacturing breakfast foods. c. will soon fade, like the sunrise. d. is characterized by increased output and employment.

Q: Sectors of the economy that fade in importance or will die out completely are known as a. dinosaur sectors. b. endangered economic sectors. c. sunset industries. d. sunrise industries.

Q: Whereas in the past, Americans mostly worked at producing goods, today most jobs are in the service sector. Which of the following is NOT a service sector job? a. Banking b. Metal fabrication c. Custodial work d. Retail sales

Q: Manufacturing was the backbone of the U.S. economy in the 20th century, but is no longer dominant. In 1917, the largest U.S. corporation was U.S. Steel. Today, the largest U.S. corporation is a. Wal-Mart. b. Boeing. c. Microsoft. d. Pearson.

Q: Which American company laid off 30,000 American workers following September 11, 2001, and then announced it would be shifting most of its advanced design and engineering tasks to Russia and China, where these kinds of professionals are paid significantly less? a. Sunset Industries b. Apple c. Chrysler d. Boeing

Q: Mary lives in Detroit, Michigan. She once worked as a customer service representative for a major automobile manufacturer, but lost her job when the company started _____ its customer service functions to India. a. deporting b. offshoring c. outsourcing d. homesourcing

Q: Which term is used to describe what a company is doing when it moves its production to another country, producing the same products in the same way but with cheaper labor, lower taxes, and lower benefits to workers? a. Outsourcing b. Offshoring c. Capital flight d. Contingent employment

Q: The term capital flight is defined as a. the movement of corporate money from one investment to another through investment in plants located in other nations, plant relocation within the United States, and mergers. b. when a company moves its production to another country, producing the same products in the same way, but with cheaper labor, lower taxes, and lower benefits to workers. c. taking some specific task that a company was doing in-housesuch as research, call centers, accounting, or transcribingand transferring it to an overseas company to save money and then reintegrating that work back into the overall operation. d. independent contractors working from their homes, paying for their own health care and retirement plan, and furnishing their own equipment.

Q: Which term is defined as the processes by which everyone on Earth becomes increasingly interconnected economically, politically, culturally, and environmentally? a. Internationalism b. Technology c. One World Government d. Globalization

Q: Among other changes, new _____ have, most significantly, magnified the connections among all peoples across the globe. a. agragrianism b. ways of thinking c. technologies d. spirituality

Q: During the Industrial Revolution, which began in the _____ century, the application of steam power and later oil and electricity as energy sources for industry, mining, manufacturing, and transportation brought fundamental changes to the economy, the nature of work, family organization, and a transition from rural to urban life. a. 17th b. 18th c. 19th d. 20th

Q: The chapter cites two fundamental turning points in human history. What and when was the first of these two major turning points?a. Neolithic agricultural revolution that began about 8000 BCb. Industrial Revolution that began in Great Britain in the 1780sc. Immigration Revolution that began in the United States in the 1990sd. American Revolution that began in 1776

Q: What is identified in the chapter as a primary reason that the Catholic church does not have enough priests (averaging one for every 1,400 Catholics)?a. Too many priests have been fired due to the pedophile/coverup scandals.b. Women are leaving the Catholic priesthood to become nuns.c. Priests are not allowed to marry.d. Priests frequently move from parish to parish, and cannot put down roots.

Q: According to the chapter, which of the following is in decline?a. Atheism and agnosticismb. Mainline churchesc. Evangelical churchesd. Conservative religious ideology

Q: An analysis by Putnam and Campbell shows that young people are increasingly disaffected with organized religion, in large part because of they perceive religion as intolerant of a. homosexuality. b. the elderly. c. the spiritual. d. social injustice.

Q: Which of these mainstream Protestant denominations ordained its first openly gay bishop in 2003, which drove some more conservative church members to form a rival church? a. United Methodist Church age b. Presbyterian Church (USA) socioeconomic status c. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America race d. Episcopal Church all of the above

Q: Why did the Southern Baptist Convention vote in 1996 to boycott the Walt Disney Corporation? a. Because Disney theme parks were deemed too expensive for the low-income members of this fundamentalist sect b. Because Disney was denying employment to illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States as children c. Because Disney was providing health care benefits for the live-in partners of gay employees d. Because the Walt Disney Corporation boycotted the Southern Baptist Convention in 1995

Q: For fundamentalists, the twin pillars of their fight in the culture wars are to a. outlaw polygamy and abortions. b. outlaw abortions and same-sex marriages. c. join with other denominations to create a unified church. d. follow Jesus's directions to help the poor.

Q: Which of these four mainstream Protestant denominations was the first to ordain women as ministers? a. United Methodist Church b. Presbyterian Church (USA) c. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America d. Episcopal Church

Q: What is something that the three dominant religions in the United StatesChristianity, Judaism, and Islam"all have in common? a. Their belief systems all recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah. b. Their female prophets all predicted the coming of Mohammed. c. They are collectively known as "God's chosen people." d. Their belief systems have been used to legitimize female subordination to males.

Q: Female clergy are _____ male clergy, even though women in the pulpit are generally more highly educated than their male counterparts. a. subordinate to b. less competent than c. paid less than d. paid more than

Q: Women are denied the role of minister, priest, or rabbi in many Protestant denominations, the Catholic and Orthodox churches, and Orthodox Judaisim, among others. This indicates that the _____ tradition in religion continues to this day. a. spirit of reform b. patriarchal c. feminist d. feminine

Q: Feminist theologian Mary Daly said, "As long as God is male, the _____." a. male is God b. Earth is female c. Church is female d. Holy Spirit is female

Q: The leaders of _____ were almost exclusively African American clergy. a. the communist witch hunts of the 1950s b. the 1970s crusade against atheism c. swing-era bands and orchestras d. the civil rights movement in the 1960s

Q: The following people all attend the same church. In general, which is most likely to be a elected or appointed to a position of influence? a. 24-year-old man with a young family, who works in the warehouse of a major fullfillment company at a salary of almost $38,000 per year. b. 35-year-old single female associate attorney making about $90,000 per year. c. 65-year-old female retired teacher with an annual income of about $43,000 per year. d. 72-year-old man who is a former pilot with a retirement income of over $160,000.

Q: The most affluent of the major religions is _____, with 67% of households making more than $75,000 a year in 2010. a. Episcopalian b. Reform Judaism c. Presbyterian d. Roman Catholicism

Q: The chapter argues that sects and churches tend to have a social-class biasthe lower the socioeconomic status, the greater the probability of belonging to a(n)a. sect.b. mainstream church.c. orthodox church.d. cult.

Q: The chapter argues that in the United States today, if politicians want to be successful, they must show some semblance of piety by occasionally invoking the blessings of the _____ God associated with our civil religion.a. nondenominational, nonsectarianb. Roman Catholicc. angry, jealousd. fundamentalist Protestant

Q: As of 2014, what percentage of Americans expressed a belief in God or a universal spirit? a. 17% b. 39% c. 54% d. 86%

Q: Outsourcing is the practice of shifting work done domestically to an entity in another society. Today, according to the chapter, even some _____ are being outsourced to India, at a rate of about 90 cents each.a. votesb. debatesc. prayersd. sects

Q: Unlike many other societies, in the United States there is a wide diversity of a. opinion. b. levels of education. c. incomes. d. belief systems.

Q: The notion prevalent among many Americans that the United States and its institutions are sanctified by God has been labeled the _____ of the United States. a. foundational principle b. cult c. civil religion d. antithesis

Q: Typically, the members of a _____ give extreme devotion to a charismatic leader who requires much of them (their material resources, their work, a demanding lifestyle, and a total, intense commitment). a. sect b. cult c. church d. religion

Q: Which term is defined as a religious legitimation for a situation that otherwise might cause guilt or anger (such as defeat in a war or the existence of poverty among affluence)? a. Theodicy b. Theocracy c. Deism d. Doctrine

Q: One sign that a sect may be ready to develop into a church is when the charisma of the leader evolves into _____; that is, whoever holds the position possesses charisma. a. routinization of charisma b. transfer of charisma c. charisma of succession d. charisma of office

Q: Before the beloved minister of the small church retired, the church council asked him to bestow his blessing on the new minister and tell the congregation that they should follow him with happy hearts. The term ________ describes what the church council was attempting to do. a. transfer of power b. being a team player c. routinization of charisma d. getting over the hump