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Social Inequality: Exercise 1 - Social inequality
Instructions:
Read the passage and click on the correct answer. If wrong, try
again. Scroll down if you do not see the Answer box. Click
here to review the key terms for this exercise.
One form of social stratification is
called the caste system. In a caste system, such as the one
found in India, a person's future is almost always determined at birth.
For this reason, a caste system is considered to be a closed system.
A child born to high caste parents has social mobility (the ability
to advance in the social hierarchy), while a child born to low caste
parents will live a life of little or no opportunities. Another form
of social stratification is the class system. In a class
system, hierarchies are determined by birth as well as on individual
achievement. A class system is relatively more open than a caste system.
In a class system, a person who gets an education and learns some
skills may have a higher chance of social mobility than his parents
or siblings. Gradually, industrial societies move towards meritocracy:
social stratification based on the merits (abilities and qualifications)
of individuals.
Although social stratification in the
U.S. is mostly based on meritocracy, a person's birth still plays
an important role in shaping his future. Being born into a particular
family affects a person's social standing more than other factors.
Those born to rich families receive the best schooling and inherit
wealth, while children of poor parents face a life of hardship.
Gender too contributes to social inequality. On average, women earn
less than men, and households where women are the head of the family
are most likely to be poorer than those headed by men.
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Instructions:
Read the passage and click on the correct answer. If wrong, try
again. Scroll down if you do not see the Answer box.
