For the midterm exam you will need to know the following:

1. Definitions and examples of the following concepts for short answers in matching and multiple-choice questions:

   absolute poverty class class consciousness conflict theory cycle of poverty deindustrialization downsizing functionalism global economy income quintiles life chances lower-middle class median income	middle-class squeeze public assistance outsourcing power prestige social insurance underclass upper-middle class wealth working class working poor social stratification
   (For a definition and an example, click on a concept and a link will open. The best way to learn this information is to use 3"x5" index cards, writing the concept on one side of the card and the definition and example on the other side.)

2. The main ideas in Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich, and in Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 of the textbook by Martin Marger  for true-false questions.
   

3. Definitions of each of the following concepts, along with clear, specific, and detailed examples of each for longer written answers (There will be two of these for which you will be asked to write an explanation or definition, along with a detailed example in one or two full sentences):

   class global economy life chances

   power prestige wealth

4. An answer, in essay form, to one of the following questions (your choice):

   Using specific information from Chapter 3 of Marger, argue for or against the following statement: The United States is a middle-class society, and, except for some racial and ethnic discrimination, we are all pretty much equal.

   Do Barbara Ehrenreich’s experiences in low-wage work support or contradict the idea that welfare reform helps poor people because it forces them to get jobs that will lift them out of poverty? Give specific details from Nickel and Dimed.

   With rerefence to specific details in Chapter 5 of Marger, describe the impact of globalization on the working class, the lower-middle class, and the upper-middle class. Based on this, which class or classes do you think got hit the hardest by this situation? Explain why. In which class have some people lost income while others have gained? Explain how.