When Mr. Thompson lived overseas for a year, he was very surprised at how much respect he received from people simply because he was an elderly person. His sense of surprise suggests that he had not previously live in a culture characterized by:
a. social diversity
b. collectivism
c. heritability
d. individualism
e. self actualization

b. collectivism                                              

Explanation:

Collectivistic culture: In sociology, the term "collectivistic culture" is described as a culture in which people are engaged in activities that refers the goals and needs of a particular group as a whole over the desires and needs of a single person. However, in the collectivistic cultures, the relationship that exists with other members of a specific group and the "interconnectedness" among these members plays an important role in every person's identity.

In the question above, the given statement is characterized by collectivism.

"social stratification refers to the way people are ranked and ordered in society. in western societies, stratification is primarily seen and understood as a result of socioeconomic status, which produces a hierarchy in which access to resources, and possession of them, increases from the lower to the upper strata"

the first question's answer is a.