What Is the Relationship Between Social Class and Race, Ethnicity

question 9

Multiple Choice

What is the relationship between social class and race, ethnicity, gender, and age in the United States today?

• A) Race and ethnicity are more important than any other factor in determining social class.
• B) These variables are irrelevant to social class.
• C) Strictly speaking, social class is determined by socioeconomic status, but there is often overlap between class and these other variables.
• D) These other variables matter for members of the upper class but not for members of the middle or lower classes.
• E) These variables matter for members of the lower class but not for members of the upper or middle class.

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Definitions:

Expectancy Theory

A motivation theory suggesting that individuals are more likely to act in a certain way based on the expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and the attractiveness of that outcome.

Pay Systems

Structures within an organization that determine how employees are compensated for their work, including wages, salaries, benefits, and incentives.

Escalator Clauses

Clauses in collective agreements that provide for quarterly cost-of-living adjustments in wages, basing the adjustments on changes in the consumer price index.

Cost of Living Adjustment

An increase in income or salary to counteract inflation, helping maintain employees' purchasing power.