1. What is a meritocracy, and why is the educational system an important component of a meritocratic society? In what ways is the U.S. education system meritocratic, and in what ways is it not meritocratic? 

2. According to the Coleman Report, how important is the quality of schools to student achievement? What other factors affect student achievement? What factors have not been found to affect student achievement to any great extent? 

3. What is the relationship between income of parents and the ability of their children to enroll in and graduate from college? What role does one’s habitus play in shaping the decision to go to college or not? 

4. What kinds of alternatives do vouchers, homeschooling, and charter schools offer compared to the traditional public education system in the United States? 

5. What are some of the differences between the U.S. education system and the education systems in Finland, Germany, and Japan? What do think most accounts for why U.S. students score lower on the PISA rankings than students in these countries? 

6. What is a ritual? Why is it an important component of reli¬gion? Offer an example of a ritual from one of the religions discussed in the chapter.

7. Define civil religion and describe its functions. Provide an example of civil religion that is most important to you and explain why. 

8. Describe how religion can be understood as a form of con¬sumption. Do you think that the commercialization of reli¬gious holidays, like Christmas, undermines the sacredness of religion? Why or why not? 

9. Why has the term cult fallen out of favor with sociologists of religion?

10. What role does transnational migration play in the global¬ization of religion?