Deck 15: Families

Question 1

Some functionalist sociologists call for various legal and cultural reforms such as making it harder to get a divorce.They do this because they want:

A)to shore up the traditional nuclear family
B)to advance their conservative agenda
C)to reorganize American society
D)to call attention to the plight of children
E)to reinstitute arranged marriages

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Many sociologists view the decreasing prevalence of the married-couple family and the rise of the "working mother" as an unmitigated disaster.Most of these sociologists are:

A)conflict theorists
B)symbolic interactionists
C)feminist sociologists
D)functionalists
E)none of these choices

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The "primary provider and ultimate authority" in a traditional nuclear family is:

A)the mother
B)the children
C)the father
D)the patriarch of the family line
E)the matriarch of the family line

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The percentage of married-couple families decreased between 1950 and the late 1990s.In addition,a large percentage of women over the age of 16 entered the paid labor force between 1950 and the late 1990s.As a result:

A)eight out of ten American adults live in traditional nuclear families
B)a minority of American adults live in traditional nuclear families
C)roughly the same number of American adults lived in traditional nuclear families in 2000 as in 1950
D)against all odds,traditional nuclear families have greatly increased in number
E)nine out of ten Americans now lives in nuclear families

Question 5

A man and a woman are living together prior to marriage to determine if they are a good match.They represent a(n):

A)informal family
B)traditional nuclear family
C)extended family
D)alternative family
E)nuclear family

Question 6

According to sociologists who are influenced by conflict and feminist theories,it is inaccurate to talk about the family as if:

A)we all knew what the term meant
B)there is a precise scientific definition of the term
C)this important social institution can take only a single form
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 7

Some functionalist sociologists argue it is important to make fundamental changes to American culture to save the family.Which of the following is one of the changes they wish to make?

A)place more emphasis on individual happiness because "a happy parent is a good parent"
B)place less emphasis on individual interests and happiness over family responsibility
C)reorganize the welfare system to support all families regardless of the number of parents present in the household
D)change family responsibilities
E)recalibrate the functions of the family

Question 8

In the traditional nuclear family:

A)the wife works in the home without pay
B)the husband stays home to care for the children
C)stepchildren are major partners in the family structure
D)the parents are not involved in the community
E)none of these choices

Question 9

Dona and Lou are married and have children.She does domestic work in their home while he works at an office.Their family is a(n):

A)extended family
B)nuclear family
C)traditional nuclear family
D)global nuclear family
E)postmodern family

Question 10

Which of the following is a characteristic of some of the new alternatives to the traditional nuclear family?

A)legally married
B)two parent
C)permanent
D)egalitarian
E)male primary provider

Question 11

If a mother,father,children,and grandparents all live in the same household we would characterize them as a(n):

A)postmodern family
B)nuclear family
C)traditional nuclear family
D)extended family
E)global nuclear family

Question 12

In the 1940s and 1950s,much of the American public considered which type of family the most widespread and ideal family form?

A)extended family
B)nuclear family
C)traditional nuclear family
D)global nuclear family
E)postmodern family

Question 13

In the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding,the character of Toula,played by Nia Vardalos,creates a clash between cultures when she:

A)marries a non-Greek
B)adopts a daughter as a single woman
C)comes out as a lesbian
D)forcibly alters the ethnic structure by converting to another religion
E)murders a family member

Question 14

For functionalists,rising rates of crime,illegal drug use,poverty,and welfare dependency can be traced to the fact that:

A)there are too many traditional nuclear families
B)working parents are too highly paid,leading to more non-child focused activities
C)many American children are not living in two-parent households with stay-at-home mothers
D)many American children are not living in two-parent households with stay-at-home fathers
E)all of these choices

Question 15

Some sociologists counter arguments made by functionalists.They argue that changing family forms do not necessarily represent deterioration in the quality of people's lives.In fact,they contend that:

A)these changes are inevitable
B)these changes may be improvements in the way many people live
C)these changes may decrease happiness but are good for the economy
D)these changes reorganize interests
E)these changes are dysfunctional

Question 16

Some sociologists contend that family structures are changing:

A)to accommodate the demands of new social pressures
B)to evolve the species
C)to create an egalitarian future
D)to return to fundamental norms and values
E)none of these choices

Question 17

A family composed of a cohabiting man and woman who maintain a socially approved sexual relationship and have at least one child is called a(n):

A)extended family
B)nuclear family
C)traditional nuclear family
D)global nuclear family
E)postmodern family

Question 18

In the traditional nuclear family:

A)the wife works outside of the home
B)the husband stays home to care for the children
C)stepchildren are major partners in the family structure
D)the parents are not involved in the community
E)none of these choices

Question 19

A family composed of a cohabiting man and woman who maintain a socially approved sexual relationship and have at least one child,and in which the wife works in the home without pay and the husband works outside the home for money is called:

A)extended family
B)nuclear family
C)traditional nuclear family
D)global nuclear family
E)postmodern family

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the traditional nuclear family?

A)legally married
B)two parent
C)permanent
D)egalitarian
E)male primary provider

Question 21

The average number of children born to women of the same age over their lifetime is called the:

A)divorce rate
B)marriage rate
C)total fertility rate
D)family rate
E)fertilization rate

Question 22

No society can allow people to have sexual activity wherever,whenever,and with whomever they wanted because it would disrupt an orderly social life.This demonstrates that:

A)functionalism is the best theory for understanding marriage
B)marriage ignores the issue of sexuality
C)political elites limit sexuality through legislation
D)sexuality is often a taboo topic for discussion
E)marriage provides a legitimate forum for expressing sexuality

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT one of the five main functions of marriage?

A)sexual regulation
B)economic cooperation
C)reproduction
D)political cooperation
E)socialization

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT a family function according to the functionalists?

A)socialization
B)regulation of sexuality
C)economic cooperation
D)conflict with peer groups
E)emotional support

Question 25

Conflict and feminist sociologists tend to believe that the proliferation of diverse family forms has benefited many men,women,and children and has not harmed other children as much as some functionalists think.They also believe that:

A)various economic and political reforms are necessary to support alternative family forms
B)major reforms in the education system would solve most family problems
C)women and men simply cannot functionally coexist
D)family problems are related to the way in which spouses abuse language; linguistic reform,which would promote greater understanding between spouses,would do much to solve the problems that families face today
E)the two main political parties are too corrupt to support the kinds of reforms needed to solve major family problems

Question 26

Counter to Parsons's argument,in foraging societies socialization occurs largely in the:

A)family
B)education system
C)band
D)boys in the band
E)religious system

Question 27

The family form in which there are at least two wives is known as:

A)the nuclear family
B)polygamy
C)the extended family
D)the foraging family
E)the traditional nuclear family

Question 28

According to Talcott Parsons,the "basic and irreducible" function of the family is:

A)sexual regulation
B)economic cooperation
C)reproduction
D)emotional support
E)socialization

Question 29

Investing in children -- caring for them physically,emotionally,intellectually,and psychologically -- is called:

A)sexual regulation
B)economic cooperation
C)reproduction
D)emotional support
E)socialization

Question 30

Conflict and feminist sociologists tend to believe that the decreasing prevalence of the traditional nuclear family and the proliferation of diverse family forms has benefited:

A)many women
B)many children
C)many men
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 31

Since the 1940s,functionalists have argued that the nuclear family is ideally suited for meeting required social tasks such as:

A)reproduction
B)the regulation of sexuality
C)economic cooperation
D)emotional support
E)all of these choices

Question 32

While there is a gendered division of labor in foraging societies,there is evidence that:

A)the gender division of labor has been abandoned
B)the gender division of labor is less strict than Murdock and Parsons believed
C)the gender division of labor is stricter than Murdock expected
D)the gender division of labor is intimately tied to sexuality
E)the gender division of labor disappears in more advanced forms of society

Question 33

According to Murdock,there is a division of labor in marriage because women are ill prepared to accomplish certain physically demanding tasks.Men possess superior strength and specialize in physically difficult tasks.Which function of marriage does this illustrate?

A)sexual regulation
B)economic cooperation
C)reproduction
D)emotional support
E)socialization

Question 34

Talcott Parsons noted that the nuclear family universally gives its members love,affection,and companionship.He called this:

A)sexual regulation
B)economic cooperation
C)reproduction
D)emotional support
E)socialization

Question 35

A mother has the primary child-rearing role,according to Parsons.She is the one who bears children,nurses them,and is most involved in their immediate and early development.Therefore,mothers play a(n):

A)expressive role
B)instrumental role
C)secondary role
D)organizational role
E)emotive role

Question 36

Murdock defined a ____ as a socially approved,presumably long-term,sexual and economic union between a man and a woman.

A)family
B)social contract
C)marriage
D)social organization
E)mating

Question 37

Trends in divorce,marriage,and childbearing show a gradual weakening of the nuclear family from the second half of the 1800s until the mid-1940s,and continued weakening after the 1950s.This means that the immediate post World War II period was:

A)historically normal
B)an historical aberration
C)inexplicable
D)based on economic trends
E)based on political trends

Question 38

The number of divorces that occur in a year for every 1,000 people in the population is the:

A)divorce rate
B)marriage rate
C)total fertility rate
D)family rate
E)nuptiality index

Question 39

According to Parsons,the father's role in child rearing is known as a(n)____ role.

A)expressive
B)instrumental
C)secondary
D)organizational
E)emotive

Question 40

When a family expands beyond to include more than two generations in the household,it is called a (n):

A)nuclear family
B)polygamy
C)extended family
D)foraging family
E)polyandrous family

Question 41

When individuals marry in the United States today,they typically marry for what reason?

A)false expectations
B)love
C)political alliances
D)convention or tradition
E)none of these choices

Question 42

The percentage of people who marry inside their group is about ____ for Hispanic Americans.

A)85%
B)65%
C)45%
D)25%
E)5%

Question 43

What is the system of male dominance,and the norms justifying that dominance,that is rooted in all aspects of society?

A)gerontocracy
B)patricianism
C)male social stratification
D)patriarchy
E)matriarchy

Question 44

The percentage of people who marry inside their group is about ____ for Asian Americans.

A)95%
B)75%
C)55%
D)35%
E)15%

Question 45

The percentage of people who marry inside their group is about ____ for European Americans.

A)85%
B)65%
C)45%
D)25%
E)5%

Question 46

The percentage of people who marry inside their group is about ____ for African Americans.

A)90%
B)75%
C)55%
D)35%
E)150%

Question 47

According to Friedrich Engels,the traditional nuclear family is a site of gender conflict and:

A)gender cooperation
B)social instability
C)social change
D)self-fulfillment
E)the perpetuation of social inequality

Question 48

Schools,colleges,places of work,neighborhoods,bars,and clubs are settings where people meet potential marriage partners.These are called:

A)dating spaces
B)Gemeinschaften
C)local marriage markets
D)family settings
E)communities

Question 49

According to Brym and Lie,there are sets of social forces that influence whom you are likely to fall in love with and marry.Which of the following is NOT one of these sets of forces?

A)marriage resources
B)political resources
C)third parties
D)demographic factors
E)compositional factors

Question 50

In most societies throughout human history,marriage is not based on:

A)economic considerations
B)political considerations
C)status considerations
D)love

Question 51

Engels argued that the only way to bring an end to the traditional nuclear family and create gender equality was to eliminate:

A)religion
B)bureaucracies
C)private property
D)markets
E)the mass media

Question 52

Due to the operation of social forces,the process of falling in love and choosing a mate:

A)still remains random
B)still depends on individual psychology
C)is far from random
D)remains random
E)none of these choices

Question 53

The idea that love should be important in the choice of a marriage partner first gained credibility in the 1700s in England with the rise of:

A)liberalism
B)individualism
C)collectivism
D)utilitarianism
E)liberalism and individualism

Question 54

Brym and Lie contend that a revolution in family structures,authority relations,and socialization patterns began in the United States and Western countries about 40 years ago.This revolution is evident in the following trends:

A)women's increasing participation in the paid labor force
B)the rise of romantic love and happiness as the bases for marriage
C)women's increasing control over reproduction
D)women's increasing participation in the system of higher education
E)all of these choices

Question 55

According to Brym and Lie,you are more likely to marry outside of your group if ____ are socially heterogeneous.

A)local marriage markets
B)dating spaces
C)counties
D)marriage organizations
E)communities

Question 56

According to psychologist Robert Sternberg,love can be built from certain components.Out of which components can love be built?

A)passion
B)intimacy
C)commitment
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 57

Although we are more likely now than ever before to fall in love with,and marry,anyone we want,social forces:

A)expand our choices to varying degrees
B)constrain our choices to varying degrees
C)do nothing more than provide choices
D)may be flexible,depending on which community we live in
E)may be inflexible,depending on which community we live in

Question 58

Potential spouses bring certain resources with them to a "marriage market".Examples of these resources are:

A)financial assets
B)status
C)values
D)taste and knowledge
E)all of these choices

Question 59

Friedrich Engels maintained that once wealth was concentrated into the hands of a man he became concerned with how to transmit it to his children,especially his sons.A man could safely pass on an inheritance,wrote Engels:

A)only by allowing women to have equal rights
B)only by controlling his wife sexually and economically
C)only by favoring the creation an egalitarian family
D)only by favoring the growth of socialism
E)only by bigamy

Question 60

In the past,marriage selection was based mainly on calculations intended to do which of the following?

A)maximize prestige
B)economic benefits
C)political advantages
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 61

Which of the following is a NOT a factor influencing marital satisfaction?

A)economic forces
B)divorce laws
C)family life cycle
D)sex life
E)political beliefs

Question 62

Marital stability depends largely on:

A)marital infidelity
B)marital satisfaction
C)marital organization
D)marital opportunities
E)all of these choices

Question 63

While religion influences the divorce rate,it:

A)does not affect marital satisfaction
B)only modestly affects marital satisfaction
C)does not affect the choice of marriage partners
D)does not influence local marriage markets
E)also influences local marriage markets

Question 64

Women's increased autonomy is associated with:

A)the introduction of the birth control pill
B)the entry of women into higher education
C)the entry of women into the paid labor force
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 65

Although most people get married at least partly to have children,it turns out that children,especially teenagers,usually put big emotional strains on families.This results in:

A)relatively high marital satisfaction
B)relatively low marital satisfaction
C)no marital satisfaction
D)cyclical marital satisfaction
E)bimodal marital satisfaction

Question 66

Which of the following is NOT one of the factors that accounts for the distress experienced by some children of divorce?

A)a high level of parental conflict
B)a decline in living standards
C)the absence of a parent
D)the change in school districts and friendship networks

Question 67

Many surveys have been conducted on marriage,divorce,and happiness.Many of the surveys show that,on average,married people are ____ unmarried people.

A)less happy than
B)happier than
C)better adjusted than
D)less well adjusted than
E)just like

Question 68

A high level of parental conflict creates long-term distress among children.It is also true that,on average,children of divorce:

A)have a higher level of well-being on average than children in intact high-conflict families
B)have a lower level of well-being on average then children in intact high-conflict families
C)have the same level of well-being on average then children in intact high-conflict families
D)there is no clear pattern in the well-being of children in intact high-conflict families

Question 69

The United States divorce rate reached a historic high in ____ and has declined since then.

A)1959
B)1969
C)1979
D)1989
E)1999

Question 70

What topic do families quarrel about most?

A)what to watch on television
B)money
C)where to live
D)where the children will go to college
E)sex

Question 71

After divorce,the most common economic outcome for the former husband and wife is that:

A)the husband's income declines and the wife's increases
B)the husband's income rises and the wife's declines
C)there is no change in income levels
D)the wife's income rises and then declines,while the husband's declines and then rises
E)the wife's income declines and then rises,while the husband's rises and then declines

Question 72

Half of all divorces take place by the end of which year of the marriage?

A)1st
B)4th
C)7th
D)10th
E)13th

Question 73

The lower the social class and the lower the educational level of the spouses,the more likely it is that:

A)financial pressures will make them unhappy and the marriage unstable
B)they will divorce
C)they will stay together for many years
D)they will separate but not divorce
E)none of these choices

Question 74

Some experts conclude that general marital happiness leads to sexual compatibility.However,Brym and Lie argue that:

A)this is a disputed research finding
B)the reverse may also be true
C)sexual behavior is not very important for a successful marriage
D)sex is overstated as a component of a happy marriage
E)all of these choices

Question 75

The percentage of people who marry inside their group is about ____ for Protestants and Jews,and ____ for Catholics.

A)80%; 60%
B)60%; 50%
C)40%; 40%
D)20%; 30%
E)0%; 20%

Question 76

Laws were changed in the 1960s to make divorce easier and divide property between divorcing spouses more equitably.This resulted in a(n):

A)increase in the divorce rate
B)decrease in the divorce rate
C)more work for family lawyers
D)law reform
E)a widespread re-evaluation of family forms by religious leaders

Question 77

For spouses with children,marital satisfaction generally ____ after 15 to 20 years of marriage:

A)levels off
B)reaches a low point
C)begins to increase
D)stops
E)starts

Question 78

Marital satisfaction generally starts high,falls when children are born,reaches a low point when children are in their teenage years and then:

A)levels off
B)reaches a low point
C)begins to increase again
D)stops
E)none of these choices

Question 79

Which of the following is NOT one of the four main reproductive technologies?

A)artificial insemination
B)surrogate motherhood
C)in vitro fertilization
D)screening techniques
E)virtual insemination

Question 80

Contrary to popular belief,surveys show that sex generally ____ during a marriage.

A)results in childbirth
B)increases
C)stops
D)improves
E)happens