MCAT® ExamPsychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of BehaviorHard
A sociologist observes a family where the parents, despite working long hours at low-wage jobs, emphasize the importance of education and hard work to their children, believing that upward mobility is achievable through individual effort. However, the children attend underfunded schools and lack access to resources that would support their academic success. This situation best illustrates the concept of:
- ARelative deprivation
- BIntergenerational mobility
- CMeritocracy
- DThe culture of poverty
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Meritocracy
The parents' belief that hard work and individual effort lead to upward mobility, despite structural barriers, is a core tenet of meritocracy. The scenario highlights the disconnect between the ideal of meritocracy (achievement based on merit) and the reality of structural inequalities (underfunded schools, lack of resources) that hinder true merit-based advancement.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Relative deprivation is the feeling of being disadvantaged when compared to a reference group. While the family might experience this, the primary concept highlighted by the parents' belief in individual effort despite structural barriers is meritocracy.
- B. Intergenerational mobility refers to changes in social status between different generations within the same family. While relevant to the family's situation, the core concept illustrated by the parents' belief system is meritocracy.
- D. The culture of poverty theory suggests that poverty is perpetuated by a distinct set of values and behaviors among the poor. The parents' emphasis on education and hard work contradicts this, as they hold values that align with mainstream success.
Meritocracy
An ideal system in which social stratification is based on personal merit. In a meritocracy, individuals achieve their social standing based on their abilities and efforts, rather than on their family's wealth or social connections.
- Based on achievement, not ascription.
- Often an ideal, rarely fully realized in practice.
- Underpins beliefs in 'pulling oneself up by bootstraps'.
- Can mask structural inequalities.
Memory trick: Social Systems: Striving, Sticking, or Struggling.