Sample Quizzes For Preparation: What Is Social Stratification?
O Level and IGCSE Sociology – Quiz: 3.1 What is Social Stratification?
1. What is meant by social stratification?
A. A system where everyone is treated equally
B. The division of society into unequal layers or strata
C. The process of cultural transmission
D. The development of primary socialisation
2. Which of the following is an example of an ascribed status?
A. Becoming a lawyer
B. Winning a scholarship
C. Being born into a royal family
D. Getting promoted at work
3. What best describes an open system of stratification?
A. Movement between social strata is impossible
B. People remain in the social group they are born into
C. Individuals can move between social levels based on merit
D. Roles are assigned based on religious status
4. In which system is social mobility most restricted?
A. Class system
B. Open system
C. Meritocracy
D. Caste system
5. What is meant by achieved status?
A. Status inherited at birth
B. Status given by society
C. Status gained through effort or merit
D. Status due to age
6. Which of the following is a key feature of a meritocratic society?
A. Caste identity
B. Equality of outcome
C. Achievement-based success
D. Government appointments
7. Which term describes forced labour and human trafficking in modern times?
A. Achieved status
B. Modern slavery
C. Ascribed status
D. Labelling
8. What is power in the context of social stratification?
A. A measure of income inequality
B. The ability to influence others
C. Control of natural resources
D. Equal access to life chances
9. Which of the following is an example of upward social mobility?
A. A doctor becoming a janitor
B. A rich man losing all his money
C. A taxi driver’s son becoming a lawyer
D. A factory worker retiring
10. Which of the following is a life chance?
A. Owning a luxury car
B. Being able to access quality healthcare
C. Eating in a five-star hotel
D. Watching sports on TV
11. What is intersectionality?
A. A method of teaching sociology
B. A framework that considers overlapping identities and inequalities
C. The measurement of social status
D. A type of stratification
12. Which group would likely experience the worst life chances?
A. Upper-class males
B. Working-class ethnic minorities
C. Middle-class professionals
D. University graduates
13. What is meant by labelling in sociology?
A. The classification of goods
B. Assigning stereotypes that can shape behaviour
C. The process of cultural change
D. The distribution of wealth
14. What is meant by master status?
A. The most dominant label in a person’s identity
B. The highest income bracket
C. The role assigned in a company
D. The label used for criminals only
15. What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?
A. A religious belief system
B. A prediction that causes the expected outcome
C. A method of quantitative research
D. A label ignored by an individual
16. What is the reserve army of labour according to Marxists?
A. Soldiers hired during war
B. Unemployed workers available for cheap labour
C. Government employees
D. Managers and CEOs
17. Which of the following would best represent ideological control?
A. Media promoting the idea that poor people are lazy
B. Equal access to education
C. The right to vote
D. Inheritance of property
18. Which theory focuses on the exploitation of the working class?
A. Functionalism
B. Feminism
C. Marxism
D. Interpretivism
19. According to Marxism, what traps the poor in poverty?
A. Excessive ambition
B. Lack of self-awareness
C. Poverty trap
D. Overeducation
20. Which of the following best illustrates social mobility?
A. A priest inheriting his father’s status
B. A student from a poor background becoming a CEO
C. A retired athlete starting a business
D. A child learning cultural norms
21. What is the primary aim of a meritocratic system?
A. Protect inherited wealth
B. Maintain traditional values
C. Reward individuals based on ability
D. Provide equal salaries to all
22. Which factor is most likely to affect life expectancy?
A. Social media usage
B. Access to education
C. Social class and income
D. Favourite hobbies
23. What role does education play in stratification?
A. Reduces economic inequality completely
B. Provides guaranteed employment
C. Offers opportunities for mobility
D. Increases ascribed status
24. What is a characteristic of a closed stratification system?
A. High levels of mobility
B. Status is earned
C. Status is fixed
D. Opportunities based on merit
25. Who are the proletariat in Marxist theory?
A. Government officials
B. Media professionals
C. Working class
D. Property owners
26. Which of the following best describes wealth?
A. The money you earn monthly
B. Your reputation in society
C. Accumulated assets and property
D. Your level of education
27. Which best describes bias in research?
A. Using only statistics
B. Preferring one outcome or group over another
C. Interviewing too many participants
D. Studying only poor people
28. Which of the following is an example of generalisability?
A. Results that apply to one person only
B. Findings that apply only to females
C. Results that can apply to wider populations
D. A theory that changes regularly
29. What is representativeness in sociological research?
A. Accuracy of methods
B. Degree to which sample reflects the population
C. Presence of ethical guidelines
D. Use of qualitative data
30. Which method is commonly used in triangulation?
A. Only using interviews
B. Using one source of data
C. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods
D. Ignoring conflicting data
Answer Key with Explanations: 3.1 What is Social Stratification?
1. B – Social stratification is the division of society into unequal layers based on access to resources, status, and power.
2. C – Being born into a royal family is an ascribed status since it is inherited.
3. C – An open system allows individuals to change their social status through personal achievements.
4. D – The caste system is closed and rigid, with minimal or no social mobility.
5. C – Achieved status is earned through personal efforts like education or career.
6. C – Meritocracy rewards people based on talent, effort, and achievements.
7. B – Modern slavery includes forced labour and exploitation, even in the 21st century.
8. B – Power is the ability to influence or control others’ behaviour or decisions.
9. C – A taxi driver’s son becoming a lawyer is upward social mobility.
10. B – Life chances refer to opportunities, like accessing good healthcare.
11. B – Intersectionality examines how multiple factors like age, gender, and class overlap to affect inequality.
12. B – Working-class ethnic minorities often face systemic inequalities in multiple areas.
13. B – Labelling is the act of assigning a stereotype which may influence behaviour.
14. A – Master status is the dominant label that overshadows all others (e.g., “criminal”).
15. B – A self-fulfilling prophecy is when someone acts in a way that confirms the expectations placed on them.
16. B – The reserve army of labour refers to unemployed people who can be exploited when needed.
17. A – Media reinforcing negative stereotypes is a form of ideological control that maintains inequality.
18. C – Marxism focuses on class conflict, exploitation, and power imbalance.
19. C – The poverty trap is a cycle that prevents the poor from escaping poverty due to systemic barriers.
20. B – Social mobility is changing social status, like a poor student becoming a CEO.
21. C – A meritocracy rewards effort and ability rather than background.
22. C – Income and social class are strong determinants of life expectancy due to access to services.
23. C – Education can help people move up the social hierarchy.
24. C – Closed systems like caste restrict mobility and assign status permanently.
25. C – In Marxist terms, the proletariat are the working class who are exploited by the bourgeoisie.
26. C – Wealth includes property, savings, and investments, not just income.
27. B – Bias involves a slant that favours or discriminates against certain outcomes or groups.
28. C – Generalisable results apply beyond the sample to the larger population.
29. B – Representativeness means the sample accurately reflects the demographics of the wider population.
30. C – Triangulation strengthens research by combining different types of data or methods for more accurate results.