Chapter 9 Social Groups and Social Stratification
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. In Africa, youths who go through circumcision rituals together are said to constitute __________.
A) secondary groups
B) cooperatives
C) non-mainstream groups
D) age sets
2. Carol Stack’s research among African Americans found that social bonds support __________.
A) the formation of status categories
B) fulfillment of basic economic needs
C) a sense of identity based on ethnicity
D) acceptance of the status quo
3. Bonds based on friendship are __________.
A) one of the most over-studied topics of cultural anthropology
B) most common in foraging cultures where all relationships are “face-to-face”
C) probably found in all cultures
D) more common among women than among men
4. According to case study of friendship in Andalucia, Spain, __________.
A) women tend to make friends with coworkers
B) both women and men make friends with neighbors almost exclusively
C) men’s friendships are built on work roles
D) relationships that meet the definition of friendship are rare
5. Studies of U.S. fraternities show that __________.
A) a sense of privilege among members is linked to the age and history of their fraternity
B) gynophobic behavior is typical of the entire fraternity system
C) they socialize members into behavior that is associated with cultures that assign a high value to competition
D) very few similar institutions exist in other cultures
6. A feature that unites the Masta Liu of the Solomon Islands is __________.
A) shared unemployment
B) the fact that they came from households with no resident father
C) a shared sense of inborn power and privilege
D) their shared position as last-born sons with no claim to the family property
7. The term used in some U.S. fraternities to describe gang rape of a woman is a(n) __________.
A) “train”
B) “party”
C) “brother thing”
D) “event”
8. Body piercers are an example of a social group that creates bonds primarily through __________.
A) balanced exchange
B) dues and fees
C) ritual
D) gender-based work groups
9. The only South American country whose official language is English is __________.
A) Chile
B) Venezuela
C) Guyana
D) Argentina
10. According to a study of youth gangs in the United States, intense competitiveness, mistrust of others, self-
reliance, social isolation, and strong survival instinct are characteristics of a(n) __________ personality.
A) defiant individualistic
B) responsible independent
C) ego-centric
D) dominant dependent
11. A structurist view of youth gang violence sees it as a result of __________.
A) lack of proper child socialization
B) absence of a father figure in the family
C) poverty and constricted economic opportunities
D) genetics
12. The Guna people, known for their matrilineal descent and colorful molas, live mainly in __________.
A) Costa Rica
B) Panama
C) Venezuela
D) Brazil
13. A person’s class position is __________.
A) determined mainly by ethnicity
B) almost completely ascribed
C) closely correlated with his/her religion
D) usually measured in terms of income level
14. Social ranking on the basis of caste is __________.
A) of great ritual importance in India but has no economic or political importance
B) an example of a primary social group
C) an ascribed system
D) no longer an operational social system in India
15. Which of the following is an ascribed status?
A) prime minister of England
B) president of the United States
C) Olympic medal winner
D) Queen of England
16. The Latin American term for indigenous people who have “mixed” with the dominant group is __________.
A) dalit
B) mestizaje
C) diaspora
D) kuna
17. All systems based on inequality (such as “race,” caste, etc.), regardless of their local specificities, share which of
the following features?
A) Physical characteristics of the dominant group differ from the underprivileged.
B) Underprivileged groups accept the status quo.
C) The position of the dominant group is maintained by belief alone.
D) People are relegated to particular levels of entitlement.
18. The term used to refer to groups of people who are displaced or dispersed from their original homeland is
__________.
A) secondary group
B) diaspora population
C) mestizaje
D) stratified group
19. A characteristic of the Roma is that __________.
A) they are horticulturalists
B) they are the dominant ethnic group in Budapest
C) their original homeland is in northern India
D) they are no longer migratory
20. Dalits are __________.
A) the most oppressed social category in India
B) the most oppressed social category in Brazil
C) an example of an age set
D) the warrior males among the Maasai
21. In villages in India, a group of people who control most of the land and may also be the numerical majority is
referred to as __________.
A) the primary group
B) civil society
C) the dominant caste
D) jatis
22. The jajmani system of India __________.
A) prohibits most forms of exchange between members of different castes
B) generally works to improve living conditions among the less-advantaged castes
C) is increasingly widespread
D) has been viewed as a system that links different groups together in mutual support
23. The Chinese Women’s Movement __________.
A) functions alongside the Chinese government, but is not connected to the government
B) is an example of a state-created organization
C) has had no positive impact on women’s education in China
D) is controlled by the government at the national level, but not at the village level
24. The CO-MADRES organization demonstrates that __________.
A) women’s groups mostly focus on issues related to the domestic domain
B) personal interests can mix with political interests
C) organizations with political motives are dominated by male leaders in Latin America
D) women in Latin America depend completely on men to organize people into protest groups
25. The intangible “resource” gained from organized action is called __________.
A) civil society
B) group revenue
C) achieved status
D) social capital
TRUE/FALSE
26. Specialized forms of nonkin groups are more common in agricultural and industrial societies than in foraging,
horticultural, and pastoralist societies.
27. Groups of friends fit in the category of cooperatives.
28. Sharing stories is a prominent basis for formation of friendship groups cross–culturally.
29. Research on college campuses in the United States reveals that fraternities and sororities construct a sense of
belonging through rituals.
30. Agricultural and credit cooperatives are the most common forms of cooperatives worldwide.
31. In much of Latin America, local categories of “race” and ethnicity overlap.
32. Tattoos are universally associated with low-status members of society.
33. Fifty percent of the population in South Africa is Black.
34. In India, all dalits are Hindus.
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35. The group FAFG gathers forensic evidence of the atrocities committed by the Salvadoran government during the
1979–1992 civil war.
ESSAY
36. How does a primary group differ from a secondary group, and what is an example of each?
37. List two of the ways Peggy Sanday argues that fraternities in the United States create and reinforce social bonds
among the members, and one way that they are similar to the Amazonian groups described in the same section of the
text.
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38. How do cultural anthropologists define youth gangs and what are some of their findings about this type of
group?
39. Define the term cooperative and describe the workings of one example; address its membership, goals, and
activities.
40. Make an argument that one of the types of groups described in the text is primarily the result of personal agency
or personality characteristics. Using the same or a different group, argue that it is the product of larger forces such as
the economy, government, or cultural beliefs.
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41. Define the concepts of status, ascribed position, and achieved position, and provide an example of ascribed and
achieved position and how each relates to status.
42. Discuss the concepts of “race” and racism as cultural constructions; provide an example of racial stratification
and its consequences.
43. Explain the basic features of India’s caste system and how it works. Compare it with apartheid in South Africa.
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44. Describe some general features of the Roma as a group and analyze their status using some of the terms found in
the text.
45. Define the concept of civil society and discuss an example of a civil society organization in terms of its goals
and functions.