Deck 8: Marriage and Cohabitation

Question 1

Tammam and his girlfriend live together and are expecting their second child. They are not married and do not plan to get married. What might Andrew Cherlin suggest as the reason that Tammam and his girlfriend are not married?

A) There are no longer any incentives that steer people toward marriage.
B) Tammam and his girlfriend are waiting to save enough money for a large wedding.
C) The formal and informal rules of marriage have become weaker.
D) Tammam and his girlfriend are not in love and are not truly committed to one another.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The number of people who are not getting married at all is increasing. However,

A) those who do not marry don't practice cohabitation.
B) the children of these people are at a disadvantage.
C) Whites have experienced the largest decline in marriage rates.
D) a great majority of people do get married.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following is one of the primary forms of endogamy practiced in the United States?

A) political affiliation
B) desire for children
C) religion
D) occupational similarities

Answer 3

C

Question 4

About two-thirds of people who marry _.

A) cohabit first
B) are only married symbolically.
C) are in a same-sex marriage
D) have not attended college

Question 5

Marriage rates have

A) fallen slightly since the 1960s.
B) dramatically decreased since the 1960s.
C) gradually risen since the 1800s.
D) gradually decreased since the 1960s.

Question 6

Men and women with higher incomes are more likely to marry than people with lower incomes because people with higher incomes

A) have an economic need to marry.
B) have more incentive to stay single because finding a partner is difficult.
C) have more choices in the "marriage market," and this tips in favor of getting married.
D) are more likely to feel confident while in a long-term relationship and, therefore, not need marriage.

Question 7

The marriage squeeze

A) is an example of demography affecting marriage choices.
B) contributed to earlier marriage for baby boomers.
C) raised the marriage rate for women.
D) is usually due to a shortage of marriageable women.

Question 8

Which of the following is a symbolic interactionist interpretation of wedding planning and wedding ceremonies?

A) Capitalism has eliminated the traditional religious view of marriage.
B) The "wedding industrial complex" is exploitative.
C) Engagement rings are reminders of a deeply patriarchal culture.
D) Weddings socialize people into their roles.

Question 9

Which of the following is a reason given in the text for the decline in marriage rates?

A) racism
B) economic insecurity
C) religious differences
D) decreased expectations of marriage

Question 10

Which conclusion can be drawn from current marriage trends?

A) The vast majority of people never marry.
B) People spend more years of their lives married now than in the past.
C) Americans are more likely to value careers over family.
D) People are married less continuously throughout their lives than in the past.

Question 11

Which of the following significantly impacted the marriage rates of the baby boom generation?

A) the legalization of same-sex marriage
B) a cultural shift away from endogamy
C) the high cost of weddings
D) a demographic marriage squeeze

Question 12

Which of the following is a way that social scientists have tried to understand the decline in marriage rates?

A) by observing the changed behaviors of married and single people
B) by comparing trends of family representation on TV shows
C) by comparing different families at different times
D) by interviewing experts such as counselors

Question 13

The change in marriage rates over time is due to

A) increased rates of cohabitation.
B) people marrying later.
C) moral decline.
D) economic recession.

Question 14

Which of the following can be concluded from the data given in your textbook?

A) Marriage rates are likely to continue declining.
B) Women are getting married in greater numbers and at younger ages than in the past.
C) Marriage rates have risen by more than half since 1970.
D) Americans no longer take marriage as seriously as they did in the past.

Question 15

Which of the following is a source of social change in family life?

A) The growth of individualism has strengthened the ties of marriage.
B) The law has begun to recognize people more as individuals than as members of a family entity.
C) Married couples are much more likely to be poor than single adults, especially single parents, are.
D) Same-sex couples rarely face discrimination because the laws providing for equal protection are consistently upheld.

Question 16

Which of the following is true about current trends in marriage?

A) Marriage rates are higher for those with college degrees.
B) Marriage rates are on the rise for those without college degrees.
C) It is becoming more common for people with dissimilar education levels to marry.
D) Married couples are more likely to be poor than single adults are.

Question 17

The idea that wedding must be expensive, large, and lavish may contribute to

A) how often married adults attend religious services.
B) the divergence of marriage rates between rich and poor.
C) the political movement for gay and lesbian rights.
D) the increasing marriage rates for all groups.

Question 18

Kelly is from the United States, and Afonso is from Portugal. After they fall in love and get married, Afonso is able to immigrate to the United States. This is an example of

A) utilitarian love.
B) a benefit offered to married couples by governments.
C) social pressure.
D) people getting married at later ages.

Question 19

Dana and Chege feel that they are husband and wife. Most of their friends and coworkers assume that they are legally married. However, on credit card applications and when filling out tax returns, they do not indicate that they are married. What does this show about marriage?

A) Marriage is both a symbolic status and a legal status.
B) It is illegal for a couple to live together without first being married.
C) Before being legally married, a couple must convince their friends and coworkers that they are socially married.
D) Marriage is a symbolic status only, and it does not have tangible or legal benefits.

Question 20

The norms for marriage have become weaker, leaving it to be considered more optional. Andrew Cherlin calls this change

A) marriage diversity.
B) the deinstitutionalization of marriage.
C) the cohabitation trend.
D) the decline of marriage ethics.

Question 21

The social space in which people search for potential marriage partners is called

A) society.
B) selection effect.
C) the marriage market.
D) college.

Question 22

Even though U.S. society rigorously values individualism, Americans nevertheless still predominantly view marriage as

A) a sexist endeavor.
B) a lifelong commitment.
C) just one stage of life.
D) a reward for highly educated people.

Question 23

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) had two major goals: to provide

A) food and health care assistance to poor families.
B) education and cash assistance to poor families.
C) assistance to poor families and promote two-parent families.
D) assistance to single parents and to their children.

Question 24

Which decision legalized same-sex marriage?

A) Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)
B) Loving v. Virginia (1967)
C) Hollingsworth v. Perry (2013)
D) Perry v. Schwarzenegger (2010)

Question 25

In researching marriage among Black men, Tera Hurt found that happily married men usually valued which of the following?

A) lifelong commitment, success, education, and security
B) success, education, emotional support, and security
C) lifelong commitment, success, emotional support, and security
D) religious commitment, lifelong commitment, success, and security

Question 26

Sociologists have objected to the market model of marriage for which of the following reasons?

A) Potential mates may have complementary desires.
B) This model trivializes human intimacy.
C) Marriage choices are always rational because they are driven mainly by evolution.
D) Spouse decisions do not always reflect a choice from many alternatives.

Question 27

According to the text, __________ are more likely than __________ to report happier marriages.

A) women; men
B) Black people; White people
C) men; women
D) first marriages; remarriages

Question 28

Which is true about social class and marital happiness?

A) Richer couples tend to be happier, whether married or cohabiting.
B) Social class has no effect on marital happiness.
C) Middle-class couples tend to be the happiest group.
D) Poor marriages tend to be happiest.

Question 29

"I strongly believe that my wife is the key to my success. She keeps me grounded." This quote is related to

A) Rebecca Traister's research on the sacrifices that marriage entails.
B) Tera Hurt's research interviewing Black men about their marriages.
C) The Obergefell v. Hodges case that ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.
D) Chrys Ingraham's research on the "wedding industrial complex."

Question 30

High rates of intermarriage pose a substantial threat to the future of a separate __________ population.

A) Black
B) American Indian
C) Asian
D) Hispanic

Question 31

The author of the text asserts that the benefits of marriage stem from which of the following sources?

A) management
B) obstruction
C) social status
D) communication

Question 32

Which of the following are the two assumptions necessary for viewing marriage as a market?

A) voluntary participation and competition
B) available partners and competition
C) available partners and valuing partners
D) competition and valuing partners

Question 33

Symbolically, what does the Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) case represent, according to the textbook?

A) the stereotype that rich men marry women who are poorer yet beautiful
B) the growth of the "wedding industrial complex"
C) how individualism causes the decay of American institutions
D) the social recognition of family diversity

Question 34

The marriage practice of early humans and ancient civilizations that facilitated trade, reduced health problems, and prevented conflict was called

A) exogamy.
B) endogamy.
C) polygamy.
D) monogamy.

Question 35

Many previously divorced couples over 50 choose cohabitation

A) to prepare for marriage.
B) as a substitute for marriage.
C) to maximize financial benefits.
D) to placate their grown children.

Question 36

A young man reads that married men live longer and report being happier. He then begins thinking about proposing to his partner. This is an example of

A) romantic love.
B) a benefit offered to married couples by governments.
C) social pressure.
D) the increasing choices about family life in the modern age.

Question 37

To define marriage as a market, Gary Becker made two assumptions: marriage must be __________, and there must be _.

A) symbolic; competition for spouses
B) voluntary; competition for spouses
C) voluntary; a selection effect
D) symbolic; a selection effect

Question 38

The desire to wait for financial stability motivates the poor and working class toward

A) cohabitation before marriage.
B) cohabitation instead of marriage.
C) cohabitation after marriage.
D) multiple jobs.

Question 39

Which of the following is true about racial-ethnic intermarriage in the United States?

A) Marriage between White men and Black women is the most common among interracial marriages.
B) The intermarriage rate is still low compared with the potential for intermarriage.
C) Intermarriage rates have no relationship to the size of the group.
D) Members of larger racial-ethnic groups are more likely to marry members outside their group.

Question 40

Which of the following is considered a sign of modernization in marriage decisions?

A) American marriage markets are informally but sharply divided along the lines of race/ethnicity, religion, and social class.
B) Endogamy helps maintain the existence of groups from generation to generation.
C) The intermarriage rate is still low compared with the potential for intermarriage.
D) The importance of education has increased and the importance of religion declined as a factor in marriage.

Question 41

The 1993 policy implemented by Bill Clinton to address the issue of gay military recruits was known as

A) "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
B) Obergefell v. Hodges
C) the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
D) United States v. Windsor

Question 42

Discuss the varied causes and ramifications of cohabitation among couples who choose it as a living arrangement before marriage, instead of marriage, or after divorce.

Question 43

Marriage remains a strongly valued social institution. Discuss two motivations for individuals to marry.

Question 44

Why would a sociologist analyze what people spend on weddings? What can analyzing the process of preparing for and participating in a wedding reveal about a society or culture?

Question 45

Researchers studying the effect of marriage on wealth are an example of

A) how people think of themselves and explain their lives.
B) the industrial wedding complex.
C) the marriage market.
D) the selection effect.

Question 46

Analyze two current trends in marriage and cohabitation in the context of modern cultural values such as egalitarianism, ambition, or individualism.

Question 47

Outline the trends in two forms of endogamy or exogamy practiced by modern Americans.

Question 48

Analyze the paradox of modern marriage as discussed in the text, with respect to commitment and individualism.

Question 49

Which of the following was a criticism of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) discussed in the text?

A) The government should pursue broader policies promoting marriage, not promoting employment.
B) The program required too many tax dollars and unfairly redistributed wealth.
C) The program could encourage women to leave in abusive marriages.
D) The underlying assumption of the program (that single parenting causes poverty) is flawed.

Question 50

Declining marriage rates have led many to conclude that Americans no longer place a high value on marriage. Use the data and arguments presented in the text to advocate for and against this conclusion.

Question 51

Outline the benefits of marriage for individuals, as indicated by research, addressing issues of life course, gender, health, and same-sex relationships.

Question 52

The problem that occurs when the cause being studied has already been determined by the outcome that is under investigation is known as _.

A) demography
B) the marriage market
C) the selection effect
D) cohabitation

Question 53

"When I met my husband, we turned in toward each other and our worlds got smaller." What best describes this quote?

A) Andrew Cherlin's work showed the "deinstitutionalization of marriage."
B) Rebecca Traister's research showed that married people can be lonelier than single people.
C) Chrys Ingraham's research investigates the "wedding industrialization complex."
D) Gary Becker's idea of the marriage market.

Question 54

According to researcher Tera Hurt, which of the following statements is true about the four categories of reasons for marital happiness?

A) All of these categories involve religion.
B) Marriage is an incorrect ideal for an era defined by individualism.
C) Many people pursue marriage for individualistic reasons.
D) They are only true for Black men.

Question 55

Outline the marriage market model and evaluate its effectiveness in understanding mate selection.

Question 56

The trend in public opinion indicates that

A) a majority of Americans have no opinion on same-sex marriage.
B) opposition to same-sex marriage will grow in coming years.
C) the U.S. public will remain divided on the issue of same-sex for many years.
D) a growing majority will continue to support same-sex marriage rights.

Question 57

Philip Cohen sees marriage benefits as stemming from which three sources?

A) responsibility, cooperation, and social status
B) religion, endogamy, and social class
C) the marriage market, cohabitation, and the selection effect
D) incentives, social pressure, and imitation

Question 58

Which policy passed by Congress in 1996 forbade the government from recognizing the marriages of same-sex couples?

A) "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
B) Obergefell v. Hodges
C) the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
D) United States v. Windsor

Question 59

Social status is one of the rewards of marriage. Consequently, some single people-particularly women-may feel

A) a stigma.
B) discriminated against.
C) the need for religion.
D) social isolation.

Question 60

Religious leaders, counselors, media, and social workers are some examples of which category of reasons people marry?

A) incentives
B) imitation
C) social pressure
D) belief systems

Question 61

Evaluate the reasoning and effectiveness of government efforts to encourage marriage among the poor.

Question 62

What do you think the rise of cohabitation means for the future of family life?