Deck 7: Marriage: From Social Institution to Private Relationship

Question 1

In 1970, 36 percent of women age twenty through twenty-four were never-married; by 2005, that figure had risen to almost _________ percent.

A) 40
B) 50
C) 60
D) 80

Answer 1

D

Question 2

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the last 50 years, the marriage rate has __________.

A) generally declined
B) declined only slightly
C) stayed consistent
D) risen significantly

Answer 2

A

Question 3

According to a 2006 Gallop poll, fewer than __________ of American adults under age 50 think that it's very important for a committed couple to marry-even when they plan to spend the rest of their lives together.

A) three-fourths
B) two-thirds
C) half
D) one-third

Answer 3

B

Question 4

By 2009, the median age at first marriage for women was

A) 20.
B) almost 22.
C) 24.
D) almost 26.

Question 5

In the United States, __________ remains the most socially acceptable-and stable-gateway to family life.

A) marriage
B) cohabitation
C) adoption
D) childbearing

Question 6

Today, almost__________ percent of U.S. adults are currently married-a proportion that has been slowly declining over the past several decades.

A) twenty
B) forty
C) sixty
D) eighty

Question 7

The text notes that getting married announces a personal life-course to several different parties. Which of the following is NOT one of these?

A) one's relatives
B) the community
C) the state
D) the country

Question 8

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the last 50 years, the divorce rate __________.

A) is higher today than in 1960
B) declined until the mid-70s, then rose
C) has declined steadily since the 1950s
D) has risen significantly since the mid-70s

Question 9

Which racial/ethnic group is least likely to married and most likely to be never-married?

A) Asian American
B) Hispanic
C) African American
D) non-Hispanic white

Question 10

One reason for the decline in marriages in the U.S. is that Americans increasingly expect to find __________ in marriage.

A) our soul mate
B) love
C) wealth
D) happiness and success

Question 11

By 2009, the median age at first marriage for both men and women was __________ for both men and women.

A) over 18
B) over 20
C) over 25
D) over 30

Question 12

Divorces in the United States reached an all-time high in __________.

A) the late 1990s
B) the early 1960s
C) the mid-1970s
D) 2005

Question 13

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the last 50 years, the birth rate has __________.

A) been up and down
B) steadily declined
C) stayed consistent
D) risen significantly

Question 14

Which racial/ethnic group is most likely to be married and least likely to be divorced?

A) non-Hispanic white
B) African-American
C) Hispanic
D) Asian American

Question 15

Between ___________ percent of Americans are, have been, or will be married for at least part of their lives.

A) 50 and 60
B) 60 and70
C) 70 and 80
D) 80 and 90

Question 16

Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, __________ percent of marriages lasted until the children left home.

A) 80
B) 70
C) 60
D) 50

Question 17

Over the past several decades, the proportion of widowed women and men has

A) risen slightly.
B) risen substantially.
C) declined.
D) remained about the same.

Question 18

In 2009, the median age for men to marry was

A) 28.
B) 25.
C) 23.
D) 21.

Question 19

Historically, marriage and family had two important functions: (1) guaranteeing property rights, and (2) _________.

A) the responsible upbringing of children
B) emotional intimacy
C) sexual release
D) changing the woman's name

Question 20

According to the text's discussion of the divorced, the

A) divorce rate continues to rise.
B) divorce rate is declining.
C) divorced will continue to contribute to the singles population.
D) the divorce rate is stable at an all-time low level.

Question 21

WJavier and Megan are married, but have agreed to retain the option of sexually and emotionally loving others. This is referred to in the text as

A) polyamory.
B) polygamy.
C) polygyny.
D) swinging.

Question 22

It is estimated that there are about __________ married swingers in the United States.

A) 5 million
B) 3 million
C) 1 million
D) 500, 000

Question 23

Due to the American individualist orientation, three interrelated developments have occurred relating to marriage. Which of the following is NOT one of these?

A) The authority of kin and extended family weakened.
B) Community became more vital and important.
C) Individuals began to find their own marriage partners.
D) Romantic love came to be associated with marriage.

Question 24

Rhonda and Jeb have recently married and have agreed that they will only have sexual relations with each other. This agreement reflects the expectations of

A) polygamy.
B) permanence.
C) sexual exclusivity.
D) self-disclosure.

Question 25

Parents, brothers, and sisters are part of a person's family of

A) procreation.
B) origin.
C) orientation.
D) dominance.

Question 26

A key difference between swinging and polyamory is that, in the case of the latter, outside relationships

A) are exclusively sexual.
B) can be emotional as well as sexual.
C) are always emotional as well as sexual.
D) are exclusively emotional, but not sexual.

Question 27

According to the text, permanence and sexual exclusivity are two every important elements of the marriage

A) dialogue.
B) premise.
C) contract.
D) dynamic.

Question 28

In 1878, in the case of Reynolds v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that

A) polyamory is illegal.
B) swinging is illegal.
C) extramarital sex of any kind is illegal.
D) freedom to practice the Mormon religion did not extend to having multiple wives.

Question 29

Bill and JoAnn have recently married and have made a commitment to each other that they will keep each other as the most important people in their lives, and stay together as long as they live. Bill and JoAnn's joint commitment reflects the expectations of

A) self-disclosure.
B) permanence.
C) devotion.
D) convenience.

Question 30

Social scientists have defined the family as a(n) __________-a fundamental component of social organization.

A) social institution
B) individual contract
C) familial norm
D) unit of existence

Question 31

Other societies, and past societies, tended to be more __________, where people identify with and conform to the expectations of their extended kin.

A) individualistic
B) collectivistic
C) unrealistic
D) realistic

Question 32

As a category, "swingers" tend to be

A) in their early twenties.
B) working-class.
C) socially and politically conservative.
D) opposed to variety.

Question 33

What is the key function of marriage for most Americans?

A) a practical, economic institution
B) love and ongoing emotional support
C) childbearing and rearing
D) merging two families

Question 34

__________ (having more than one spouse) is culturally accepted in many parts of the world.

A) Heterogamy
B) Homogamy
C) Polyandry
D) Polygamy

Question 35

Some groups have friends who are so close that they are hardly distinguished from actual relatives. These relationships are referred to as "__________" kin.

A) conjugal
B) extended
C) nuclear
D) fictive

Question 36

Spouses and children are part of a person's family of

A) parentage.
B) procreation.
C) orientation.
D) extension.

Question 37

The text reports that over ___________ percent of Americans believe that "an affair is morally wrong."

A) 30
B) 50
C) 70
D) 90

Question 38

With a group of other married couples, Maureen and Bobby regularly exchange partners in order to engage in purely recreational sex. This reflects a practice known as

A) "musical beds."
B) "marriage alternatives."
C) "fun with Ted and Alice."
D) "swinging."

Question 39

WParents and children, along with other relatives such as in-laws, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins are included in the __________ family.

A) extended
B) nuclear
C) conjugal
D) fictive

Question 40

The United States is society which is increasingly __________, where romantic love is valued in marriage.

A) individualistic
B) collectivistic
C) unrealistic
D) realistic

Question 41

Family sociologist Andrew Cherlin has noted that time-honored family definitions and social norms "count for far less" than in the past. He calls this__________.

A) the disrespecting of the family
B) the deinstitutionalization of marriage
C) tragic and irreversible.
D) extended kin disdain

Question 42

The __________ family has no one structure or form.

A) extended
B) nuclear
C) postmodern
D) conjugal

Question 43

According to the text, the high expectations inherent in an individualistic marriage may be associated with several societal results. Which of the following is NOT one of these results?

A) people deciding not to marry, they can't find a "soul mate" who can promise that level of togetherness
B) a high divorce rate
C) a lower birth rate as individuals focus on options in addition to raising children
D) more early marriages, and pregnant teens

Question 44

The proportion of children under age eighteen living with two married parents __________ over the past 30 years.

A) rose dramatically
B) rose steadily
C) declined steadily
D) remained the same

Question 45

Arranged marriage has characterized __________ societies.

A) individualistic
B) collectivistic
C) unrealistic
D) realistic

Question 46

WFor Hispanics today, la familia means

A) the extended family only.
B) the nuclear family only.
C) the conjugal family only.
D) the extended as well as the nuclear family.

Question 47

Couples are "yoked" together by high expectations for permanence, bolstered by the strong social control of extended kin and community. Which does this describe?

A) the institutional marriage bond
B) the companionate marriage bond
C) the individualized marriage bond
D) the cohabitation bond

Question 48

According to family historian Stephanie Coontz, the institution of marriage has changed from being seen as the fundamental unit of work and politics to being ____________________.

A) like a yoke for paired oxen
B) expected by the extended family unit
C) an economic unit
D) a haven in a heartless world

Question 49

In a(n) __________ marriage, coming together as husband and wife was based on dutiful adherence to the time-honored marriage premise, particularly the norm of permanence.

A) institutional
B) companionate
C) individualized
D) romantic

Question 50

The text lists four interrelated characteristics which distinguish individualized marriage. Which of the following is NOT one of these?

A) It is optional.
B) Spouses' roles are flexible-negotiable and renegotiable.
C) Its expected rewards involve love, communication and emotional intimacy.
D) It is economically practical.

Question 51

Over the course of about three centuries, couples have moved from yoke mates to __________.

A) play mates
B) soul mates
C) bed mates
D) stale mates

Question 52

In a(n) __________ marriage, the husband was expected mainly to be a hard-working provider, and the wife a good housekeeper and cook.

A) institutional
B) companionate
C) individualized
D) arranged

Question 53

What we today call the __________ family, is characterized by tolerance and diversity, rather than a single family ideal.

A) individualized
B) postmodern
C) ethnocentric
D) conjugal

Question 54

That marriages should involve romance and lead to personal happiness is a uniquely __________ idea.

A) American
B) ridiculous
C) modern
D) collectivist

Question 55

Comparing children's well-being in married families with that of those in one-parent families, Linda Waite found that children from married families had several strengths. Which of the following is NOT one of her findings?

A) Children were about half as likely to drop out of high school
B) Children had a higher IQ and were more creative.
C) Children were significantly less likely to live in poverty.
D) Children had better-quality relationships with their parents.

Question 56

Those who view individualized marriage as __________ assert that our culture's unchecked individualism has cause widespread moral weakening and self-indulgence.

A) family change
B) family erosion
C) family cycling
D) family decline

Question 57

Middle-class Americans often dream of attaining "the white picket fence." That is, they see marriage as an opportunity for idealized domesticity within the "haven" of their own single-family home. Which marriage does this describe?

A) the institutional marriage bond
B) the companionate marriage bond
C) the individualized marriage bond
D) the cohabitation bond

Question 58

In a(n) __________ marriage, which dominates Americans' goals for marriage today, partners expect companionship and intimacy as well as more practical benefits.

A) institutional
B) companionate
C) individualized
D) arranged

Question 59

Those who view individualized marriage as __________ say that those who look back with nostalgia to the good old days may be idealizing the past.

A) family change
B) family erosion
C) family cycling
D) family decline

Question 60

Marriage partners now expect love and emotional intimacy, open communication, role flexibility, gender equality, and personal growth. Which does this describe?

A) the institutional marriage bond
B) the companionate marriage bond
C) the individualized marriage bond
D) the cohabitation bond

Question 61

Polls show that both male and female spouses are far more likely than others to say that they are "very happy." Nearly __________ of marrieds say they are "very happy," compared to less than half of unmarrieds.

A) three-fourths
B) two-thirds
C) more than half
D) half

Question 62

Polyandry refers to multiple wives for one husband.

Question 63

Louisiana, Arizona and Arkansas became the first states to

A) enact a covenant marriage law.
B) reinstate "fault" divorce.
C) ratify a Defense of Marriage statute.
D) waive a person's right to privacy in domestic issues.

Question 64

Historically, polygamy has been very rare and taboo across all cultures.

Question 65

Expectations for permanence derive from the fact that, historically, marriage has been a practical social institution.

Question 66

About 70 percent of Americans believe that extramarital sex is morally wrong.

Question 67

African Americans are considered __________ to be wed than are other U.S. racial/ethnic groups.

A) much more likely
B) equally likely
C) less likely (by a small margin)
D) considerably less likely

Question 68

Typically, fundamentalist religionists are opposed to covenant marriage.

Question 69

Covenant marriages are bound by a lesser contract, making it easier to get a divorce.

Question 70

When compared with teens in married, two-biological-parent homes, those in single-parent and cohabiting families are more likely to experience all EXCEPT which of the following?

A) higher teen pregnancy rates
B) earlier premarital intercourse
C) lower academic achievement
D) higher rates of school suspension and delinquency

Question 71

Polyamory refers to marriages in which one or both spouses retain the option to sexually and emotionally love others in addition to their spouse.

Question 72

At least among white, middle-class Americans, the husband-wife dyad is expected to take precedence over any others.

Question 73

Policy advocates from a __________ perspective are concerned with the breakdown of the family including money spent on welfare.

A) family change
B) family erosion
C) family cycling
D) family decline

Question 74

WAn important goal from the marital __________ perspective is to return to a society more in line with the values and norms of companionate marriage.

A) change
B) decline
C) advocacy
D) traditionalist

Question 75

La familia means the extended, but NOT the nuclear family.

Question 76

Nearly half of all single-parent families are __________.

A) Hispanic
B) non-Hispanic white
C) African-American
D) Asian-American

Question 77

More than __________ of children live in single-parent households.

A) one-tenth
B) one-quarter
C) one-third
D) one-half

Question 78

The family as a social institution rests on the marriage premise of permanence and sexual exclusivity.

Question 79

WPolicy advocates from a marital __________ perspective are mainly concerned about the high number and proportions of parents and children living in poverty.

A) change
B) decline
C) advocacy
D) traditionalist

Question 80

"Jumping the broom," is an __________ wedding tradition that symbolized the wife's commitment to her new household.

A) institutional
B) arranged marriage
C) African American
D) individualized