Deck 13: Families and Religion

Question 1

Discuss the role of religion in promoting and inhibiting social change; give two examples.

Answer 1

Religion has played a significant role in both promoting and inhibiting social change throughout history. On one hand, religion has been a driving force behind many social movements and changes, providing a moral and ethical framework for individuals and communities to advocate for social justice and equality. For example, the Civil Rights Movement in the United States was heavily influenced by religious leaders and organizations, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, who used their religious beliefs to advocate for racial equality and social change.

On the other hand, religion has also been used to justify and perpetuate social inequality and oppression. For example, throughout history, certain religious beliefs have been used to justify discrimination against women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and minority groups. In some cases, religious institutions have actively worked to maintain the status quo and resist social change that would challenge their traditional power structures.

Overall, the role of religion in promoting and inhibiting social change is complex and multifaceted. While religion has been a powerful force for positive social change in many instances, it has also been used to uphold oppressive systems and hinder progress towards equality and justice. It is important to critically examine the ways in which religion influences social change and to work towards a more inclusive and equitable society.

Question 2

Outline the historical forces shaping family structure in the United States.

Answer 2

The historical forces shaping family structure in the United States are complex and multifaceted. One of the most significant historical forces is the influence of immigration. Throughout the nation's history, waves of immigrants from different parts of the world have brought with them their own cultural norms and family structures, contributing to the diversity of family arrangements in the United States.

Another important historical force is the impact of industrialization and urbanization. The shift from agrarian to industrial society led to changes in family dynamics, as more people moved to cities in search of work, leading to smaller and more nuclear family units. This also led to a greater emphasis on individualism and independence within the family.

The institution of slavery and its legacy has also had a profound impact on family structure in the United States. The forced separation of families during the slave trade and the subsequent struggles for reunification and stability have left a lasting imprint on African American family structures.

The women's rights movement and the changing role of women in society have also played a significant role in shaping family structure. As women have gained more rights and opportunities outside the home, traditional gender roles within the family have shifted, leading to changes in family dynamics and structures.

Additionally, economic factors such as the Great Depression and the post-World War II economic boom have influenced family structure by affecting employment opportunities, income levels, and the ability to provide for a family.

Overall, the historical forces shaping family structure in the United States are diverse and interconnected, reflecting the complex and evolving nature of family life in American society.

Question 3

Define the terms church and sect as they are understood by sociologists and compare and contrast their organizational structure. 

Answer 3

In sociology, the term "church" refers to a large, established religious organization with a formal hierarchy, a well-defined set of beliefs and practices, and a significant level of influence in society. Churches often have a long history and a large membership base, and they typically have a stable and centralized organizational structure. Examples of churches include the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, and the Lutheran Church.

On the other hand, a "sect" is a smaller, more exclusive religious group that has broken away from a larger religious organization. Sects often have a more charismatic and authoritarian leadership, and they tend to be more focused on specific, often radical, interpretations of religious teachings. Sects also tend to be more exclusive and may require a higher level of commitment from their members. Examples of sects include the Amish, the Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Hare Krishnas.

When comparing the organizational structure of churches and sects, churches tend to have a more formal and hierarchical structure, with clear lines of authority and a well-defined system of governance. In contrast, sects often have a more decentralized and informal structure, with a strong emphasis on charismatic leadership and a greater degree of autonomy for individual congregations or communities.

Additionally, churches often have a more established and institutionalized presence in society, with a broader range of activities and services, such as schools, hospitals, and social welfare programs. Sects, on the other hand, tend to be more focused on the spiritual and religious aspects of their beliefs and may have a more insular and exclusive approach to their community life.

Overall, while both churches and sects are religious organizations, they differ in terms of size, history, level of influence, and organizational structure, with churches being larger, more established, and more formal, while sects are smaller, more exclusive, and often more charismatic in their leadership and structure.

Question 4

How does symbolic interactionism help us understand religion as a social phenomenon? Explain the process of religious socialization.

Question 5

What is the boomerang generation, and how have social forces, including social class, shaped it?

Question 6

Explain and critique Weber's theory on capitalism and the Protestant ethic.

Question 7

Explain how gay and lesbian couples are distinctive in terms of characteristics such as household roles, the impact of economic contributions to the household, and the effects on children.

Question 8

Religion played a prominent role in bringing about social change in which major social movement?

A) Gay rights movement
B) Civil rights movement
C) Equal rights movement
D) Church versus state movement

Question 9

Elder care in the modern family is best characterized by

A) a range of approaches depending on family characteristics.
B) a standard cultural approach.
C) a dependency on governmental support.
D) respect and compassion for both elders and their caregivers.

Question 10

Discuss the relationship between religious identification and intolerance.

Question 11

Identify the functions of religion as identified by Emile Durkheim.

Question 12

Which of the following statements is false about contemporary American families?

A) There are fewer births today than in the past.
B) The number of single-parent households has increased dramatically and exceeds that of two-parent households.
C) People may spend more years caring for elderly parents than they did raising their children.
D) Married couples now make up a smaller proportion of households than was true even thirty years ago.

Question 13

Define monotheism and polytheism; give an example of each. How do the religions conceptualize their deities?

Question 14

Explain Marx's idea of religion as a form of false consciousness.

Question 15

Discuss the changing religious identity of Latinos in the United States and relate this to social forces influencing the institution of religion.

Question 16

Which of the following is not a feature of a kinship system?

A) Who is permitted to marry whom
B) How property is passed on
C) How power is distributed
D) Who cares for children

Question 17

Because of the rise in divorce and remarriage in the United States, stepfamilies have become fairly common. Despite how common stepfamilies have become,

A) there is still little institutional support for stepfamilies.
B) the number of children in stepfamilies is declining.
C) the legal status of the nonresidential parent is not well understood.
D) the percent of stepmothers remains low.

Question 18

Isabella is godmother to the Hernández family's youngest daughter. In Chicano culture, being a godmother is likely to confer on her the status of

A) an othermother .
B) compadrazgo .
C) fictive kin.
D) extended family.

Question 19

Othermothers reflect the specific experience of _____, whose historically dual responsibilities in the family and work have meant that they have a history of creating alternative means of providing family care for children.

A) African American women
B) Caribbean women
C) Latin American women
D) European women

Question 20

The Shakers were formed by departing from the Society of Friends (the Quakers) . Shakers retain some Quaker practices, such as simplicity of dress and a belief in pacifism, but have departed from Quaker religious philosophy. Shakers are best described as a(n)

A) extremist group.
B) church.
C) cult.
D) sect.

Question 21

Studies of gay and lesbian couples have found that

A) gay and lesbian partners tend to be more flexible and less gender-stereotyped in their household roles than heterosexual couples.
B) money has a strong influence on who has the most power in gay and lesbian households.
C) lesbian parents lack any type of social support in the LGBTQ community.
D) children raised by gay parents are more likely to be gay themselves.

Question 22

It is the assertion of _____ that religion was developed by the oppressed to relieve their distress.

A) functionalism
B) conflict theory
C) symbolic interaction theory
D) social exchange theory

Question 23

In the United States, _____ is a cultural ideal that is prescribed through law and promoted through religious teachings.

A) serial monogamy
B) monogamy
C) polygamy
D) polygyny

Question 24

Conflict theorists see families as

A) teaching people the norms and values of society.
B) inculcating values consistent with the needs of dominant institutions.
C) where people learn social identities through their interactions with others.
D) primary agents of gender socialization.

Question 25

Which of these is the best definition of extended family?

A) A network of parents, children, and other relatives who form a family unit
B) A set of relatives who live together in the same residence
C) A group of people who are related to each other by "blood" or ancestry
D) Grandparents, parents, and children of the same lineage

Question 26

The family wage system

A) paid men more than women based on the assumption that they were the breadwinners.
B) was based on the assumption that all members of the family would need to work in wage labor.
C) forced all women to work outside of the home.
D) made families more self-sufficient.

Question 27

During periods of rapid social change, families experience social disorganization, which creates social problems that lead, in turn, to increased instability in society. This is part of the _____ view of families.

A) functionalist
B) conflict theory
C) symbolic interactionist
D) exchange theory

Question 28

Religiosity is measured by sociologists using all of the following except

A) by asking about people's religious beliefs.
B) surveying people about their membership in religious organizations.
C) asking how often people attend religious services.
D) secondary analysis of the U.S. census about current religious practices.

Question 29

Which event led to the emergence of the nuclear family in the United States?

A) The American Revolution
B) The Industrial Revolution
C) The civil rights movement
D) The Second World War

Question 30

Durkheim's emphasis on rituals and shared meanings fits with which type of sociological theory?

A) Conflict theory and functionalism
B) Functionalism and symbolic interactionism
C) Symbolic interactionism and conflict theory
D) Exchange theory and functionalism

Question 31

What is the general pattern for marriage within the United States?

A) Marriage is as likely to involve individuals from different social classes as it is to involve individuals from the same social class.
B) Most people marry someone who shares similar social characteristics.
C) Americans marry without regard to race or class.
D) People in the United States tend to marry people whom they think will help them achieve a higher social class.

Question 32

According to conflict theory, the family 

A) meets the needs of society to socialize children and reproduce new members.
B) is an institution that reinforces and supports power relations in society.
C) merges as people interact to meet basic needs and develop meaningful relationships.
D) is a gendered institution that reflects the gender hierarchies in society.

Question 33

Prior to industrialization,

A) the nuclear family was the cultural ideal in the United States.
B) the household was the center for production and distribution of goods.
C) men were responsible for economic life, and women were responsible for domestic life.
D) men worked in wage labor outside the home, and women and children labored at home.

Question 34

The theoretical perspective that is most concerned with the fact that families are gendered institutions that reflect the gender hierarchies in society is _____, a position that is similar to that of _____, which views families as reinforcing and supporting power relations in society.

A) functionalism; feminist theory
B) exchange theory; functionalism
C) symbolic interaction theory; feminist theory
D) feminist theory; conflict theory

Question 35

Which of the following is not part of the sociological definition of family?

A) A social unit of those related through marriage, ancestry, or adoption
B) A group that is committed to maintaining the group over time
C) A social unit related by blood and bound together by love
D) A group that engages in economic cooperation

Question 36

 In the United States, interracial marriage is

A) illegal.
B) declining for all social groups.
C) increasing and reached 12 percent of new marriages in 2013.
D) common among the lower classes only.

Question 37

Which statement about African Americans and religion is the most accurate?

A) Most African Americans reject Christianity due to its association with slavery.
B) African Americans are more likely to identify as Muslims than as Christians.
C) About 25 percent of African Americans identify as Catholic.
D) About 75 percent of African Americans identify as Protestants.

Question 38

_____ focuses on the processes through which people learn social identities through their connections with others in a family.

A) Functionalism
B) Conflict theory
C) Symbolic interaction theory
D) Feminist theory

Question 39

From a(n) _____ perspective, married couples create an identity for themselves that merges society's definition of who they are with their own definition.

A) functionalism
B) conflict theory
C) symbolic interactionist
D) exchange theory

Question 40

What impact did industrialization have on the families in the United States?

A) It brought more production work into the household.
B) It created an economy based on cash instead of domestic production.
C) Small family businesses took the place of production for household use only.
D) Women were able to earn as much or more than men for the first time.

Question 41

According to Durkheim, _____ are vehicles for the creation, expression, and reinforcement of social cohesion.

A) rituals, like making a pilgrimage to Mecca, celebrating a bat or bar mitzvah, or being baptized,
B) mantras that are repeated to focus conscious awareness
C) totems, like communion wafers or Torah scrolls,
D) clerics, like rabbis, imams, and priests,

Question 42

Sociologists have found that most of the problems faced by households headed by women are the result primarily  of

A) the absence of male authority figures.
B) the threat of poverty that is connected with being a single mother.
C) the psychological pressure of heading a household.
D) excess media attention that creates the perception of a problem.

Question 43

The United States is commonly described as being based on the heritage of

A) Enlightenment theism and indigenous faiths.
B) Christian fundamentalism.
C) the Judaic tradition and the Christian gospels.
D) Anglo-Protestantism and deism.

Question 44

Which statement about commuter marriages is true?

A) Commuter marriages occur only among the most affluent families, as only they can afford to maintain two separate households.
B) Increasing transportation costs have resulted in a significant decrease in commuter marriages.
C) Many poor and working-class couples have commuter marriages that do not fit the common belief that wealthy young professionals make up the bulk of commuter marriages.
D) Because they are so damaging to families, many corporations have policies specifically against commuter marriages.

Question 45

Elements of the everyday world that are not considered sacred (that which is set apart from ordinary activity for worship, seen as holy, and protected by special rites and rituals) are called _____ (part of the everyday world and specifically not religious) .

A) profane
B) sanctified
C) sacred
D) revered

Question 46

Young people establishing relationships today

A) tend to follow the pre-established norms of dating.
B) may get to know each other through hooking up .
C) have no desire for long-term relationships.
D) get involved sexually without concern about the stigma of a bad reputation.

Question 47

According to your text, Christianity is 

A) polytheistic and patriarchal.
B) patriarchal and monotheistic.
C) matriarchal and monotheistic.
D) matriarchal and polytheistic.

Question 48

Sociological research on the division of labor within married couple households indicates that

A) the allocation of housework is greatly influenced by men's and women's experiences in their families of origin.
B) Latino men rarely get involved in domestic tasks.
C) young professional couples are the most egalitarian.
D) African American men and White men are equally likely to participate in housework.

Question 49

Which statement about marriage and divorce in the United States is true?

A) More than sixteen million people in the United States have divorced but not remarried
B) One out of two U.S. marriages ends in divorce.
C) Women are more likely to remarry following a divorce than men.
D) The divorce rate has been steadily increasing since the 1950s.

Question 50

The major cause of marital disruption in the United States today is

A) the death of the wife.
B) the death of the husband.
C) divorce.
D) remarriage.

Question 51

Church membership and attendance in the United States

A) is higher for men than for women and higher for older people than younger people.
B) is higher for younger people than for older people and higher for women than for men.
C) is higher for women than for men and higher for older people than younger people.
D) is fairly uniformly spread throughout the population.

Question 52

That which is considered by religious individuals and institutions to be profane is

A) of the everyday world and specifically not religious.
B) fundamentally inconsistent with religious norms.
C) prohibited by religious authorities.
D) to be shunned as potentially harmful.

Question 53

Individuals who are 15 or older and single are

A) predominantly male.
B) likely to have never been married.
C) typically quite elderly, as most younger people marry.
D) almost all divorced or widowed.

Question 54

Which statement about religion is accurate?

A) Religion is noninstitutionalized.
B) Religion is a feature of individuals.
C) Religions are based on beliefs that are considered profane.
D) Religion establishes norms for behavior.

Question 55

According to functionalists, families serve all of the following basic social needs to ensure a consensus of values in society except

A) socializing the young.
B) providing education to members.
C) providing physical care for members.
D) regulating sexual activities.

Question 56

Emile Durkheim argued that religion is

A) functional for society because it reaffirms social bonds.
B) a distinct threat to social cohesion.
C) a tool for class oppression.
D) in direct opposition to the other institutions that exist in society.

Question 57

Although a large number of U.S. children living with one parent do so because of _____, the largest number live with one parent _____.

A) divorce; who has never been married
B) the fact that their parents have never been married; whose partner is incarcerated
C) incarceration; because their parents are divorced
D) divorce; because their other parent has died

Question 58

As a consequence of women's greater labor force participation,

A) families have more leisure time than ever before.
B) families are experiencing a significant increase in the pace of life.
C) families are finding they do not need men's income, and they have more flexibility.
D) families have become increasingly affluent.

Question 59

Which of these statements does not describe one of the functions of religion?

A) Religion establishes norms for behavior.
B) Religion establishes moral proscriptions for behavior.
C) Religion serves to preserve diversity and secularism.
D) Religion provides answers to questions of ultimate meaning.

Question 60

Sociologists view marriage as a consensual unit based on

A) intimacy.
B) intimacy and economic cooperation.
C) intimacy and shared goals.
D) intimacy, economic cooperation, and shared goals.

Question 61

The largest religion in the world (measured in numbers of followers) is

A) Islam.
B) Christianity.
C) Hinduism.
D) Buddhism.

Question 62

_____ argued that cultural beliefs inspired by religious faith support other institutional systems within society.

A) Auguste Comte
B) Emile Durkheim
C) Max Weber
D) Karl Marx

Question 63

Which theoretical perspective best explains the process of religious socialization or how people become religious?

A) Functionalist
B) Conflict
C) Symbolic interaction
D) Feminist

Question 64

Virtually all commuter marriages (marriages in which work requires one partner in a dual-career couple to reside in a different city that is too distant for a daily commute) consist of couples who are relatively prosperous professionals.

Question 65

From a _____ perspective, many types of social behavior may be based on the meanings that religion holds for people.

A) functionalist
B) conflict
C) symbolic interaction
D) feminist

Question 66

Children of gay and lesbian parents tend to have poorer educational outcomes than those of heterosexual parents.

Question 67

Weber believed that the search for signs of religious salvation supported the development of

A) religion.
B) capitalism.
C) socialism.
D) Protestantism

Question 68

Historically, death was the major cause of early family disruption, but it has now been replaced by divorce.

Question 69

Prior to industrialization, production took place primarily in households, and all family members were seen as economically vital.

Question 70

Which statement about female-headed households is the most accurate?

A) Of the mothers who are supposed to receive child support, about half actually get the full amount, and one-quarter receive at least some.
B) The presence of economic pressure faced by female-headed households compared with that of male-headed households puts female-headed households under great strain from the threat of poverty.
C) Among female-headed households with children, less than one-quarter live below the poverty line.
D) Sociologists have demonstrated that the problems experienced in female-headed households are directly attributable to the lack of a male influence.

Question 71

Othermothers , an adaptation in the African American community, provide extensive child care but rarely receive recognition or support from the community.

Question 72

In the United States, current attitudes toward the role of women in religion

A) have changed very little over the past twenty-five years.
B) keep women from attending divinity school.
C) support the ordination of women clergy.
D) favor keeping women out of religious roles.

Question 73

Functionalists and symbolic interactionists tend to be in agreement that the breakdown of the family is responsible for most of society's problems.

Question 74

Conflict theorists assert that families serve to inculcate values consistent with the needs of dominant institutions.

Question 75

To _____, religion promotes stratification since it generally supports a hierarchy of people on earth and the subordination of humankind to an imagined divine authority.

A) Auguste Comte
B) Emile Durkheim
C) Karl Marx
D) Max Weber

Question 76

Polyandry refers to the practice of men having multiple wives.

Question 77

Ava Timon is a working mother with three minor children living at home. Her husband's mother, a widow with significant health problems, also lives in the home. Ava often feels as though there is too much to do and not enough time to do it. Ava is most accurately described as experiencing

A) social ennui.
B) a commuter marriage.
C) social speedup.
D) an existential crisis.

Question 78

In general, people view _____ as the most legitimate type of religious organization.

A) sects
B) churches
C) cults
D) factions

Question 79

Married couples now make up a smaller proportion of households than was true even thirty years ago.

Question 80

Weber's analysis of the Protestant ethic demonstrates

A) that religious beliefs are able to shape secular dimensions of national culture.
B) the matriarchal nature of Protestantism.
C) the weaknesses of Emile Durkheim's views on the functions of religion.
D) that religion does serve as a type of drug for people who are disadvantaged in life.