Deck 1: Families and the Sociological Imagination

Question 1

Rachel works for a social service agency that helps at-risk families. Her agency's focus is the role each family member plays and on each relationship with the family. The agency looks at parent-child, parent-parent, and child-child relationships and the rules involved in those relationships. Which theory does Rachel's agency follow?

A) Social exchange theory
B) Developmental theory
C) Symbolic interaction theory
D) Family systems theory

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In which decade would a father on television or in comics likely be portrayed spending quality time with his children?

A) 1970s
B) 1950s
C) 2010s
D) 1990s

Answer 2

C

Question 3

What is a key difference between the textbook's definition of family and the Census Bureau's definition of family?

A) Unmarried partners are considered family by the textbook if they have children, but the Census Bureau does not recognize them.
B) Fictive kin are included only in the textbook's definition, not the Census Bureau's definition.
C) The textbook defines a family as people who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption while the Census Bureau has a broader definition.
D) The Census Bureau only recognizes the traditional nuclear family and the textbook recognizes all biological relatives.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Dr. Jordan, a sociologist, is researching the consequences of childcare struggles on parenting. As part of the research, she has gathered detailed information in person which included follow-up and clarification questions, from 1,000 subjects. The process has been time-consuming and expensive, but the information is valuable. Which research method did Dr. Jordan use?

A) Secondary analysis
B) Survey
C) Observation
D) In-depth interview

Question 5

Looking at the ways divorce and pay inequities affects society is one example of

A) universal factors.
B) societal structure.
C) empirical study.
D) sociological imagination.

Question 6

According to social exchange theory, what is the most effective way to explain why one family would have one parent stay at home and another family would choose to have two parents working?

A) Unconscious decisions based on culture, experience, and religion which may or may not be rational.
B) Decisions made by the person with the most power in the relationship.
C) Logical decisions surrounding the strengths of each partner and the costs and benefits.
D) Decisions based on family rules striving to achieve harmony among all family members.

Question 7

Humor is a(n) ________ resilience factor.

A) structural
B) family
C) community
D) individual

Question 8

In which city would you find paid maternity leave?

A) Atlanta
B) New York
C) London
D) Seattle

Question 9

Based on Kauai Longitudinal Study, what would be the expected result at ages 18 and 40 if a child spent a childhood in a high risk environment with poverty, divorce, violence, and alcoholism in the home?

A) Behavior problems at 18 that continued throughout adulthood.
B) Resiliency at 40 only if it was present at age 18.
C) Successful at both 18 and age 40.
D) Behavior problems at age 18, but stable and successful at age 40.

Question 10

Which perspective supports the view that the parents' social well-being is what creates a strong family?

A) Feminist
B) Conservative
C) Liberal
D) Social

Question 11

Randy and Olivia live with their two children, Annika and Cooper. This is Annika's family of

A) acclimatization.
B) procreation.
C) orientation.
D) familiarization.

Question 12

In the United States, the conservative perspective would explain the increase in couples living together without being married as a result of

A) cultural and moral weakening.
B) economic challenges.
C) individualist culture.
D) gender inequality.

Question 13

Which is a family according to the U.S. Census Bureau?

A) An unmarried couple in a long-term romantic relationship.
B) A mother and her adopted daughter.
C) A single man raising his friend's son.
D) An unmarried couple each with three children from previous relationships.

Question 14

Which is a difference between Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)?

A) The goal of TANF is to keep mothers out of the workforce and the goal of AFDC was to get mothers into the workforce.
B) The goal of AFDC was to keep mothers out of the workforce and the goal of TANF is to get mothers into the workforce.
C) TANF is a means-tested program and AFDC was a universal program.
D) AFDC was a means-tested program and TANF is a universal program.

Question 15

Taylor is writing a research paper looking at paternity leave practices in the United States, Sweden, France, and Brazil to more completely understand families. Taylor's paper is an example of the ________ perspective.

A) comparative
B) feminist
C) conservative
D) exchange

Question 16

Meeting the personal needs of family members falls into which theme?

A) Social inequality has a powerful influence.
B) Families are both a public social institution and a private personal relationship.
C) Families reflect historical, cultural, political, and social factors.
D) Understanding families in the United States requires a comparative perspective.

Question 17

The TANF program would be an example of a(n) ________ program.

A) resiliency
B) universal tested
C) means tested
D) protective

Question 18

Which sociologist noted that suicide had patterns and was not a random event?

A) Peter Berger
B) Emile Durkheim
C) Ralph LaRossa
D) Karen Pyke

Question 19

Andy has been writing a popular comic strip about a stay-at-home dad for 30 years. When the strip started, the character was incompetent, but now he is portrayed as more nurturing and capable. What conclusion can be made about why the character in the comic strip changed?

A) Societal expectations of fathers changed.
B) Fathers became more capable.
C) High unemployment put more fathers at home.
D) The child in the comic grew older.

Question 20

Serena's social worker is helping the family with family protective and family recovery factors and is now adding community factors. She has recommended that Serena get her children involved in community sports programs. What purpose would the social worker have in recommending community involvement?

A) To provide ways for them to contribute to others
B) To provide an opportunity for the family to share traditions
C) To improve Serena's parenting skills
D) To improve the children's academic performance

Question 21

Dr. Brown wishes to obtain qualitative information about parent-child interactions. She has time, but not much money for the research, but would like to obtain as detailed information as possible. What would be the more effective strategy to meet her needs?

A) Survey
B) Experiment
C) Observation
D) In-depth interview

Question 22

Evaluate the role of social inequality on family life.

Question 23

Choose either the Census Bureau's or the textbook's definition of family and defend it using one perspective mentioned in the chapter.

Question 24

Assess the factors involved in the United States having fewer universal family policies that other western nations.

Question 25

Based on the current trend, one would expect the teen birthrate to ________ and the number of single-parent households to

A) decrease; decrease
B) increase; increase
C) decrease; increase
D) increase; decrease

Question 26

Evaluate the success of welfare reform as it applied to the poverty rate.

Question 27

Compare and contrast the explanations of social change of the conservative, liberal, and feminist perspectives.

Question 28

Analyze the level of racial and family structure diversity portrayed by the media. What type of family is portrayed as the ideal family? What families are not represented?

Question 29

Examine ethnocentrism and discuss the advantages of the comparative perspective.

Question 30

Choose a television show you are familiar with and evaluate its potential influence on an immigrant child.

Question 31

Choose a family policy in the United States to either change or create. What is the policy and why would it be effective?

Question 32

Which of the following accurately assesses the similarities of structural functionalism and family systems?

A) They both focus on how families are structured.
B) They both focus on the tensions and conflicts.
C) The both focus on roles from a cost and benefit perspective.
D) They both focus on developmental changes over time.

Question 33

A candidate for president is promising a program that pays for 12 weeks of maternity leave for all women. The candidate proposes a tax rate of 45% on individuals earning more than $350K a year while leaving lower tax brackets at current levels. This candidate is proposing a ________ program supported by ________ taxation.

A) universal; recessive
B) universal; progressive
C) means-tested; regressive
D) means-tested; partisan

Question 34

Distinguish the difference between domestic partners and married partners.

A) Domestic partners have all the advantages of married couples except for filing their taxes jointly.
B) Domestic partners are eligible for the same benefits as married couples except they do not have to file for divorce if they separate.
C) Domestic partners are responsible for each other's financial and emotional needs, but cannot adopt children.
D) Domestic partners are not eligible for all the benefits married couples are allowed, such as employer-provided family health insurance.

Question 35

Employ your knowledge of family resiliency and prepare a plan to assist a family with a crisis situation.