Deck 4: Problems of the Family

Question 1

People often say that the world used to be a better place; that families, marriages, and so on were better off in the recent past. This practice of looking backward to purportedly better times is

A) a very modern phenomenon, emerging from postmodernist concepts of disintegration.
B) a common phenomenon in recent history, stemming from settlers who looked back at their presettler living conditions as representing an easier time.
C) an ancient practice, going back thousands of years to the Greeks.
D) none of the above.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Family is a good subject for critical constructionists to study because

A) modern family life is rife with social problems.
B) the modern family is on the verge of collapse.
C) the reality of the health of families and the perception do not match.
D) none of the above.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The breadwinner/housewife form of family

A) is an aberration across time and cultures.
B) was preceded by an agrarian model in which all family members contributed to the economic well-being of the family.
C) only became the dominant form of family in the middle class; the poor could not afford it.
D) has been the historical norm and most common family structure across cultures.
E) all but d are true.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Which of the following is true of welfare (government subsidies) in the 1950s, which was considered the golden age of family health and independence?

A) Government subsidies were far lower in the 1950s.
B) Government subsidies were similar to modern rates.
C) Government subsidies were far higher in the 1950s than they are now.
D) None of the above.

Question 5

Which of the following is most true about the number of married women in the workforce?

A) The number of married women working outside the home has stayed fairly stable over time.
B) The number of married women working outside the home has declined over the past decade.
C) The number of married women working outside the home has nearly doubled since 1960.
D) None of the above.

Question 6

When both parents work outside the home, the family is at greater risk because

A) no one is available to start working if some disaster occurs.
B) the children are without the attention of a loving parent and are more likely to become involved in drugs and crime.
C) it is twice as vulnerable to crisis because there are two incomes that can be threatened, and the family depends on both.
D) none of the above.
E) a and c are true.

Question 7

How does maternity leave in the United States compare to that of other European nations?

A) Mothers in the United States are guaranteed more paid maternity leave.
B) Mothers in the United States are guaranteed longer maternity leave, although unpaid.
C) Mothers in the United States are guaranteed less maternity leave, but it is paid.
D) Mothers in the United States are guaranteed less maternity leave, and it is unpaid.

Question 8

Approximately what percentage of all children were in poverty in 2012?

A) 1%
B) 5%
C) 10%
D) 20%

Question 9

Which of the following is most true about full-time, minimum wage employment?

A) Full-time minimum wage employmen for a parent and child to pay for the basic necessities.
B) Full-time minimum wage employment provides enough income for a parent who has a child to pay for basic necessities and some discretionary spending.
C) Full-time minimum wage employment does not provide enough income for a parent to rent an apartment with a bedroom for himself and his child, pay for food, and pay for utilities.

Question 10

Children who grow up in poverty face a number of setbacks. These setbacks are primarily related to

A) poor parenting skills associated with impoverished parents.
B) poor parenting skills associated with single parenthood.
C) a lack of access to proper nutrition and healthcare during critical developmental stages.
D) poor nutrition due to impoverished parents not making good, healthy choices at the grocery store.

Question 11

The concept that we should make certain that children have proper nutrition, healthcare, and education because these children will either become assets or liabilities to society as a whole is known as

A) socialism.
B) communism.
C) humanistic perspective.
D) human capital perspective.

Question 12

Which of the following is the most accurate description of impoverished families?

A) Most members of the "family" are unrelated.
B) Most are minorities.
C) Most are white with high school educations.
D) Most are uneducated.
E) Most simply won't work, even though jobs are available to them.

Question 13

Which two nations have not ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children, which guarantees children the right to access to food, shelter, and healthcare?

A) Russia and Mexico
B) China and Mexico
C) China and Latvia
D) Somalia and China
E) Somalia and the United States

Question 14

Which of the following represent ways in which the United States government "intervenes" in pure capitalism?

A) Welfare programs
B) Unemployment
C) Firefighting and police departments
D) Minimum wage legislation
E) All of the above

Question 15

Which of the following is true of the social construction of teen pregnancy?

A) More teens than ever are having babies due to having two parents who work outside the home, social media, and unprecedented access to phones and cars.
B) Over two-thirds of babies born out of wedlock are born to women over the age of 20.
C) Rates of teen pregnancy are very low in recent years.
D) Three-fourths of unplanned pregnancies are to women in their teens.
E) Both B and C are true.
F) But A and D are true.

Question 16

The crisis of the family is a purely modern phenomenon and of great concern to our future as a human race.

Question 17

The "1950s" form of family made famous by early television (husband who works, wife who cares for the children) is an unusual form of family that emerged after World War II.

Question 18

Women from the lower classes have almost always worked outside the home.

Question 19

A two-income family is more, not less, vulnerable to economic disaster.

Question 20

Most people who declare bankruptcy must do so because they were irresponsible in regard to their money and borrowing.

Question 21

Compare and contrast television portrayals of the family with the reality of family life, as discussed by Heiner.

Question 22

According to Heiner, the "median annual wage of a child-care worker in 2013 was just under $20,000." Construct a budget for a child-care worker earning $20,000 per year that is consistent with costs in your community. Remember to subtract approximately 20% of the salary for taxes. Also find the rates for child care in your community for infants, toddlers, and grade-school aged children. Can the child-care worker afford to have a child of his or her own in child care? Why or why not? Under what circumstances does it become possible?

Question 23

Compare and contrast the United States with the international community with regard to meeting the needs of children and families.