Deck 15: Separation, Divorce, Remarriage, and Stepfamilies

Question 1

During the __________ phase of separation, the partners must learn how to survive as singles again.

A) preseparation
B) early separation
C) midseparation
D) late separation

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following is true about a co-parent family with reference to lesbian families?

A) The lesbian stepmother is the one who takes on the role of father as in a heterosexual family.
B) The biological mother is responsible for all tasks and the nonbiological mother does the decision making.
C) Both mothers have equal rights and responsibilities in everyday tasks.
D) The nonbiological mother is a supporter and helper to the biological mother.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Describe a scenario which would serve as an example of pseudo reconciliation.

Answer 3

Sam and Jenny separated due to Sam's drinking habit.Two months later, after much thought, Jenny felt that, other than his drinking habit, Sam was a good husband.She felt that she never really gave him a chance to change and got back together with him to try and make the marriage work.But they separated six months later as all the previous issues came back.
This is an example of pseudo reconciliation.In the midseparation phase, the pressures of maintaining two households and meeting the children's emotional and physical needs mount, and stress intensifies.Because of such problems, as well as feeling guilty over breaking up the family, the couple may experience a "pseudo-reconciliation" and move back in together.The reunion rarely lasts.Soon the underlying problems that led to the separation in the first place surface again, conflicts reemerge, and the couple separates again.

Question 4

Which of the following is true of pseudo-reconciliation?

A) The couple lives together temporarily to meet the provisions for divorce.
B) The couple lives together but see other people.
C) The couple feels guilty for breaking the family and moves back in together.
D) The couple separates but are asked by the courts to remain as a couple till child custody is determined.

Question 5

Glen's relationship with his wife isn't going very well and he is worried about who would complete paying their mortgage if they decided to separate.Which of the following stages of separation is Glen currently in?

A) late separation
B) early separation
C) preseparation
D) midseparation

Question 6

Paula, a recent divorcee, asks her friend for advice on how to lessen the negative effects of the divorce on her kids.Which of the following statement would be effective in the given case?

A) She should move her household and start again in a new community.
B) She should keep her distance from the children and not be too rigid in setting household rules.
C) She should blame the other parent so that they take her side.
D) She should emphasize that the children are not responsible for the divorce.

Question 7

Which of the following is a micro-level reason for divorce?

A) military service
B) technology
C) extramarital affair
D) the economy

Question 8

Jessica and Jake, a married couple, go out to social gatherings together, attend their children's school events, and act like everything is normal while they are out of their home.However, they are having trouble in their relationship and their marriage is not going very well.Which of the following stages of separation are Jessica and Jake currently in?

A) the emotional stage
B) the early separation stage
C) the preseparation stage
D) the midseparation stage

Question 9

Kate and Chelsea argue about which stage of separation the couple they have been observing in their college study are in.Kate believes that they are in the early stage of separation, but Chelsea disagrees.Which of the following is an accurate statement that strengthens Kate's assumption?

A) They are plagued with questions of what they are going to tell their parents and how they will split household items.
B) They have started avoiding each other, and are open to seeing other people socially.
C) They are experiencing pseudo-reconciliation and have moved back in together.
D) They are still pretending that nothing is wrong between them.

Question 10

According to ________ theories, children in stepfamily households have more problems than children in nuclear families because the stepparents often invest less time and energy in raising their children.

A) risk and resilience
B) family stress
C) social capital
D) cumulative effects

Question 11

Which of the following best describes split custody?

A) One parent is responsible for raising the child, while the other parent has specified visitation rights.
B) Neither parent is allowed custody, and the authority to make final decisions for the child are handed over to a legal custodian.
C) The children are divided between the parents either by sex or the children's choice.
D) The children divide their time between their parents, who share decisions about the children's upbringing.

Question 12

The first phase in the separation process is the ________ phase.

A) preseparation
B) psychic divorce
C) early separation
D) pseudo-separation

Question 13

During the ________ remarriage stage, a divorced person has to establish a commitment to and trust in a new partner.

A) emotional
B) psychic
C) formal
D) parental

Question 14

During the ________ phase of separation, the pressures of maintaining two separate households and meeting the daily emotional and physical needs of the children mount, and stress intensifies.

A) preseparation
B) early separation
C) midseparation
D) late separation

Question 15

Cathy and John have been undergoing pressures in their marriage and have decided that the relationship isn't working out between them.Cathy is now in a dilemma as to how she is going to break the news to her mother and what she should tell her.John is more worried about who is going to continue paying for their son's tuition fees at college.Cathy and John are in the ________ phase in the process of separation.

A) late separation
B) preseparation
C) midseparation
D) early separation

Question 16

Which of the following is true of the early separation stage?

A) The couple typically undergoes pseudo-reconciliation in this stage.
B) The partners have to learn to live as singles again.
C) The couple have questions about splitting of responsibilities and household items.
D) The partners are overwhelmed with the pressures of maintaining two households.

Question 17

Gail, who has recently gotten married for the second time, tells her friend Sharon, who is also in her second marriage, that she wants this marriage to be successful as a stepmother.Which of the following is an accurate statement that would prove beneficial to Gail?

A) She should restrict the children from mourning their losses.
B) She should take the role of the disciplinarian.
C) She should forge a strong couple relationship with her partner.
D) She should continue the exact same rituals of her previous marriage.

Question 18

Harry and Jessica move back in together after separating for a brief period.Harry's father tells him that he is experiencing a midseparation and that he doubts that it would last.Which of the following is an accurate statement that will strengthen the father's argument?

A) Couples get influenced by their parents or peers negativity which causes them to split again.
B) Couples that undergo pseudo-reconciliation rarely stay together for long.
C) Couples must learn to live as singles again.
D) Couples get overwhelmed with individual responsibilities and reconcile under the pressure.

Question 19

According to Bohannon, couples typically argue about who should pay past debts, property taxes, and new expenses during the ________ station of divorce.

A) emotional
B) co-parental
C) psychic
D) economic

Question 20

According to Bohannon, the ________ divorce begins before people take any legal steps.

A) emotional
B) community
C) economic
D) co-parental

Question 21

Which of the following occurs in the middle stage of emotional divorce?

A) Spouses feel disappointment in each other but hope the marriage will improve.
B) The unhappier partner begins to evaluate the rewards and costs of leaving the marriage.
C) One of the partners stops caring and detaches emotionally from the other.
D) One of the partner contacts a lawyer and files for divorce.

Question 22

A ________ is when neither partner has to establish the guilt or wrongdoing of the other.

A) psychic divorce
B) nullified divorce
C) no-fault divorce
D) voidable divorce

Question 23

Which of the following statements is true of no-fault divorce laws?

A) It does not consider "incompatibility" as a valid reason for divorce.
B) It is not applicable for individuals who have served in the military.
C) It is only granted for divorces resulting from adultery, desertion, or physical and mental cruelty.
D) It allows for divorce to be granted on the basis of "irreconcilable differences."

Question 24

Which of the following is true of social integration?

A) Lower social integration increases divorce rates.
B) Higher social integration increases divorce rates.
C) Lower social integration decreases divorce rates.
D) Rising individualism increases social integration.

Question 25

Kelly believes that her friend Mark's parents are in the emotional stage of divorce, while her brother, Jacob, believes that the divorce is in the legal stage.Which of the following is an accurate statement that strengthens Jacob's belief?

A) Mark's parents have started seeing other people.
B) Mark's parents are still together.
C) Mark's parents are trying to decide on child support payments.
D) Mark's parents have started informing their relatives that they are no longer together.

Question 26

Colin has been trying to be more supportive of his wife.Despite his efforts they fight a lot and things don't look promising between them, although he feels he can turn things around.Colin is in the ________ phase of emotional divorce.

A) beginning
B) pseudo reconciliation
C) end
D) middle

Question 27

Tanya, a teenager, argues with her friend that teen marriages will lead to stronger marriages.Which of the following is an accurate statement that weakens Tanya's argument?

A) Teens are less likely to divorce as they live in a shrinking marriage market.
B) First marriages of teens tend to last longer than first marriages of adults.
C) Teens are more likely to be involved in a cohabitation arrangement.
D) Teen marriages are typically hastened by a premarital pregnancy.

Question 28

Monetary payment made by one ex-spouse to the other after a divorce is known as ________.

A) marital dividends
B) paternal gatekeeping
C) alimony
D) accommodation

Question 29

Kristin, having separated from her husband and who is now living on her own, still feels sorry that her marriage didn't work out.Even though her ex-husband is seeing another woman, Kristin is finding it difficult to move on.According to Bohannon, which of the following stages of divorce is Kirstin going through?

A) emotional divorce
B) economic divorce
C) psychic divorce
D) community divorce

Question 30

Matt and Kim, who are both sociology students, argue about the stage of divorce that Kim's mother is in.Matt believes that she is in Bohannon's beginning phase of emotional divorce stage although Kim disagrees.Which of the following is an accurate statement that confirms Matt's belief?

A) She has hurt and angry feelings about the things her husband has done.
B) She believes that the marriage will still work and that it's not the end.
C) She has started drifting further away from her husband.
D) She has become happier and has become more independent.

Question 31

Ron debates that women are more likely to initiate divorce in most marriages.However, his wife Clarice believes that men are the ones who initiate divorce.Which of the following is an accurate statement that strengthens Ron's argument?

A) Women have higher expectations than men of how a marriage should be.
B) Men generally tend to be more responsive to relationship problems.
C) Women in unhappy marriages are more likely to divorce if they can support themselves.
D) Women are less likely to break up a cohabitation relationship.

Question 32

Jude believes that cohabitation results in a successful marriage and reduces chances of divorce.However, his friend Jake disagrees with him.Which of the following is an accurate statement that strengthens Jude's argument?

A) Cohabitants tend to be less accepting of divorce and more committed to marriage.
B) Cohabitants are found to have better marital managing skills than married couples.
C) The risk of divorce is found to be lowest among serial cohabitants.
D) A marital commitment prior to cohabitation decreases the likelihood of divorce.

Question 33

Monetary payment made by the noncustodial parent to the parent who has custody of the child to help pay for the child's expenses is known as ________.

A) child dividend
B) spousal maintenance
C) alimony
D) child support

Question 34

Jacob tells his boss that he and his wife are no longer together.His friends have also talked him into going out with one his colleagues.This is an example of a(n)________ divorce.

A) quasi
B) informal
C) psychic
D) community

Question 35

Which of the following scenarios would serve as an example of a macro-level reason for divorce?

A) Jim spends most of his days away from his wife on combat missions and as a result his wife wants a divorce.
B) Mia's husband always misunderstands what she tries to tell him, and, as a result, she has filed for a divorce.
C) Jack's wife can no longer bear his drinking habit and has filed for a divorce.
D) Cindy expected her marriage with her husband to be a fairytale and wants a divorce as it isn't what she expected it to be.

Question 36

Which of the following is a macro-level reason for divorce?

A) extramarital affairs
B) education
C) communication problems
D) military service

Question 37

Mark's wife gained custody of their son and he is required to pay $2,000 a month toward his son's upkeep to his ex-wife.This payment is known as________.

A) marital dividends
B) litigation
C) alimony
D) child support

Question 38

Which of the following is true of the differences between African Americans and their Asian-American counterparts when it comes to divorce?

A) African-American women have lower divorce rates than Asian Americans.
B) African-Americans are more likely to divorce than Asian-Americans.
C) Older Asian-Americans have higher divorce rates than their African-American counterparts.
D) Educated African-Americans tend to have lower divorce rates than their Asian-American counterparts.

Question 39

Lydia and Gregory are in the process of a divorce and are currently fighting over who should complete the payment of the education loan that they took for their daughter's university tuition.According to Bohannon, which of the following stages of divorce are Lydia and Gregory going through?

A) emotional divorce
B) economic divorce
C) psychic divorce
D) community divorce

Question 40

According to Bohannon, the ________ divorce is the formal dissolution of a marriage.

A) emotional
B) legal
C) economic
D) co-parental

Question 41

Which of the following scenarios would serve as an example of a micro-level reason for divorce?

A) Gary finds it hard to cope with the fact that his wife is constantly away on military duty.
B) Tiffany has found out that her husband Jeff is cheating on her with another woman.
C) Donna has filed for divorce from Colin after he lost his job during an economic downturn.
D) Harry has found a website which offers to help people divorce for a very low price.

Question 42

Clive gives his friend Leon advice on how to have a successful stepfamily.Which of the following is an accurate statement that would prove beneficial for Leon?

A) He should let the children mourn their losses.
B) He should follow the same rituals as he did in his previous family.
C) He should take on an easy-going role.
D) He should develop high and challenging expectations.

Question 43

Joint custody differs from split custody in that in a joint custody ________.

A) the mother gets the daughters and the father gets the sons
B) the children divide their time between their parents, who share decisions about the children's upbringing
C) the children are allowed to choose the parent with whom they want to live
D) neither parent gets legal or physical custody of the children

Question 44

The ________ stage involves developing a relationship between a partner and the children of the new spouse.

A) parental remarriage
B) community remarriage
C) psychic remarriage
D) emotional remarriage

Question 45

The likelihood of divorce is ________ if partners belong to different faiths.

A) low
B) high
C) absent
D) moderate

Question 46

Which of the following is a characteristic of a successful stepfamily?

A) Stepparents let children mourn their losses.
B) Stepparents follow the same rituals that the couple did in their previous families.
C) Stepparents immediately takes on the role of disciplinarian with the children.
D) Stepparents encourage high and challenging expectations from each other.

Question 47

Brad has just remarried.He has started to avoid and cut away from his close friends as they were against his remarriage.He plans to move to a new city and start over again after his remarriage.Based on the example, Brad is in the ________ stage of remarriage.

A) community
B) psychic
C) formal
D) emotional

Question 48

Chris has remarried and is going to meet his spouse's children.He plans to establish a close relationship with the children.Which of the following stages of remarriage is Chris in?

A) the community stage
B) the parental stage
C) the formal stage
D) the emotional stage

Question 49

In a ________ stepfamily, both adults have children from previous marriages.

A) complex
B) nuclear
C) compound
D) joint biological

Question 50

Which of the following is a way in which parents could reduce the negative effects of divorce on their children?

A) They should avoid talking to their children about their problems.
B) They should try and give their children space by keeping a distance from them.
C) They should never tell their children that the other parent is to blame.
D) They should emphasize the importance of child support to the children.

Question 51

Which of the following is true of split custody?

A) The children are divided either by choice or by sex between the partners.
B) The children divide their time between their parents.
C) Both parents share decision making with regard to the children's affairs.
D) Both parents have physical custody of the children.

Question 52

During the ________ remarriage stage, people's identity changes from that of a single individual to that of a couple.

A) community
B) psychic
C) emotional
D) parental

Question 53

Which of the following best describes the community remarriage stage?

A) Couples often sever close personal ties that they establish after a divorce.
B) Couples develop a relationship with the children of their new spouse.
C) Couples officially announce that they are remarried to friends and family.
D) Couples start deciding on allocation of expenses between them.

Question 54

Harry, a sociology student, after observing his aunt who is about to remarry, believes that she is in the psychic stage of remarriage.Which of the following would confirm his belief?

A) She has started cutting away from people whom she was once close to after her divorce.
B) She is thinking of visiting her fiancé's children and wants to spend time with them.
C) She is sad about the fact that she is no longer going to be independent and do what she likes.
D) She has started separating expenses to what she would take care of and those that her husband should.

Question 55

Which of the following is true of co-parenting?

A) It isn't a legal type of custody.
B) It does not require for the partners to communicate with each other.
C) It is not a part of the divorce process.
D) It only allows for either partner to have physical custody and not legal custody.

Question 56

A court-mandated ruling regarding which divorced parent will have the primary responsibility for the children's upbringing is known as ________.

A) an indictment
B) alimony
C) custody
D) a litigation

Question 57

Jessica and Ruth are lesbian mothers.Jessica has a son from her previous heterosexual marriage.Jessica retains all decision-making rights regarding their child's education and well-being, while Ruth takes care of his nutrition, drops him at school, and picks him up from soccer practice.Which of the following lesbian stepfamilies is this an example of?

A) a stepmother family
B) a co-mother family
C) a mother-stepfamily
D) a quasi-stepfamily

Question 58

A joint physical custody differs from a joint legal custody in that in a joint physical custody________.

A) the mother gets the daughters and the father gets the sons
B) the court specifies how much time children will spend in each parent's home
C) the children are allowed to choose the parent with whom they want to live
D) both parents share decision making on issues such as the child's education, health care, and religious training

Question 59

Stepfamilies differ from nuclear families in that stepfamilies typically ________.

A) have simpler structures
B) tend to create new roles in the family structure
C) experience lesser stress and conflict
D) have quicker integration periods between family members

Question 60

Karin and Steve have recently divorced each-other.The court had ordered that Steve would gain custody of their son and Karin would gain custody of their daughter.This is an example of ________ custody.

A) split
B) dual
C) sole
D) gender-based

Question 61

Megan argues with her professor that race and ethnicity is one of the major causes of divorce.Give a suitable answer that would weaken her argument.

Question 62

Describe a scenario that would serve as an example of a person who is in the psychic stage of remarriage.

Question 63

Melissa debates with her mother that early marriage has nothing to do with divorce.Give a suitable answer that would weaken Melissa's argument.

Question 64

List out five micro-level reasons for divorce.

Question 65

Discuss the positive outcomes of divorce.

Question 66

Discuss the difficulties that are encountered in a same-sex divorce.

Question 67

Describe a suitable scenario that would be an example of split custody.

Question 68

List out a few characteristics of successful stepfamilies.

Question 69

List and discuss the different types of stepfamilies.

Question 70

Briefly describe the four phases of separation.