Deck 9: Families and Children

Question 1

One reason adoptions in the U.S. have become more open is that there are more

A) interracial adoptions.
B) older parents adopting.
C) younger couples adopting.
D) wealthier people adopting.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What is one reason women with lower education levels tend to have more children?

A) Women have children first and then continue their education.
B) Women with lower education levels are more likely to get married.
C) Women with lower education levels start having children when they are younger.
D) Younger parents have more to lose financially than older parents.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Forty percent of all children born in the United States are born to parents who aren't married, up from 28 percent in 1990. This trend is closely tied to

A) wealth inequality.
B) the legalization of gay marriage.
C) the growing immigrant population.
D) the decline of marriage.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

One group of women is labeled "Group X" and the other is labeled "Group Y." The women in Group X have an average of 2.8 children. The women in Group Y have an average of 1.8 children. Which of the following is the best prediction about these two groups of women?

A) The women in Group X are married, and the women in Group Y are unmarried.
B) The women in Group X are unmarried, and the women in Group Y are married.
C) The women in Group X did not finish high school, and the women in Group Y have bachelor's degrees.
D) The women in Group X have bachelor's degrees, and the women in Group Y did not finish high school.

Question 5

Within the broader growing trend of single parenthood, what is one way that people become single parents?

A) Young adults, either alone or with a partner, are not ready to marry.
B) Older women decide to have children to receive a tax break.
C) Divorced people may be too focused on their careers to marry again.
D) Gay and lesbian couples may refuse to conform to social norms.

Question 6

The high frequency of unintended births, especially among women or couples with less education or fewer economic resources, partly results from

A) the opportunity cost of having children.
B) intensive motherhood.
C) religious beliefs that prevent them from using birth control.
D) a lack of access to quality medical care.

Question 7

How have adoption patterns in the United States shifted over the past half-century?

A) Adoption has become less common, but it is more open and acceptable.
B) Adoption has become more common and less acceptable.
C) Adoption has become easier, especially internationally.
D) Adoption has become impossible due to global improvement of state support for poor families.

Question 8

Why might Latinos descended from relatively recent immigrant groups have a higher fertility rate?

A) The federal government encourages recent immigrants to have children.
B) The United States is polluted with environmental toxins that prevent fertility.
C) They are Catholic, and all Catholics strictly follow the church's ban on birth control.
D) They come from countries with a higher fertility rate, where having children is a cultural expectation.

Question 9

The sociological definition of fertility focuses on

A) whether individuals are able to reproduce biologically.
B) the number of children born in a society or among a particular group.
C) the number of children an average woman wants in her lifetime.
D) the number of children fathered by the average man.

Question 10

The sociological definition of parents

A) is limited to the mother-father couple.
B) includes a specific number of parents.
C) requires at least one woman.
D) is fluid, especially when the law does not set the rules.

Question 11

Why are many children involved with more than two parents?

A) More children are born to unmarried women.
B) A growing number of families include stepparents and siblings from parents' previous relationships.
C) The number of women reaching age 45 without children has doubled.
D) Most American families have one to three children, with two being the most common.

Question 12

Barbara is a 35-year-old executive at a banking firm. What is the opportunity cost of her decision to have children?

A) She risks halting or losing her stature within the company or industry.
B) She will receive a tax break for having children.
C) She may be able to find a job that will pay her more because she will have higher expenses.
D) Having a child will give her time to go back to school.

Question 13

Daniel is insulted when his mother says that Daniel and his husband will become a family only when they have children. What do Daniel and his mother disagree about?

A) whether same-sex marriage should be legal
B) what is required to create a family identity
C) whether the male provider ideal or the involved father ideal is better
D) whether there is an opportunity cost to parenthood

Question 14

After Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi married, rumors spread that they were going to have a child. Headlines and references to the married couple "starting a family" indicate that

A) couples without children are often considered less than a family.
B) gay marriage is now accepted by everyone in the United States.
C) lesbian parents can raise children just as well as heterosexual parents.
D) the media loves talking about children.

Question 15

The price one pays for choosing the less lucrative available option is known as

A) intensive motherhood.
B) opportunity cost.
C) the total fertility rate.
D) involved father ideal.

Question 16

The relatively high fertility rate among Latinos partly explains the growth of their population in the United States. What is one of the reasons for this pattern?

A) Latinos are descended from relatively older immigrant groups.
B) The Catholic church encourages family planning practices.
C) Groups with higher levels of education usually have higher fertility rates.
D) The Latino population includes many young, healthy adults.

Question 17

Decisions about childbearing aren't perfectly planned. When researchers look at larger trends, however, they see that childbearing patterns among people respond to what?

A) cultural acceptance
B) economic conditions
C) age of the mother
D) religious practices

Question 18

In 2015, 40 percent of births were to unmarried women. This statistic supports which of the following trends?

A) Fewer children are born to parents who are not married.
B) The number of women reaching age 45 without children has doubled.
C) The number of women reaching age 45 without children has decreased.
D) More children are born to parents who are not married.

Question 19

If a country has a fertility rate of more than 2.1 or so, the population will usually

A) grow.
B) stagnate.
C) shrink.
D) explode.

Question 20

While biological parents are the adults whose bodies produce a child, adoptive parents are

A) parents to a child they did not produce biologically.
B) people who have chosen a childfree lifestyle.
C) unmarried partners who cohabitate.
D) divorced or separated adults with a child.

Question 21

Why has infertility been a source of stigma for women?

A) All women want to have kids.
B) It has been used to justify men's infidelity.
C) Men are not the cause of infertility.
D) It has been blamed for the ethical and legal problems of international adoption.

Question 22

Overall, the opinion of abortion in the United States is evenly split. However, in the past few years, the opinion of abortion in the United States has slightly moved in which general direction?

A) More people consider themselves "pro-life."
B) More people consider themselves "pro-choice."
C) More people believe abortion should be illegal.
D) More people have no opinion.

Question 23

Which of the following represents a typical response when people are asked why they had children?

A) "I was young, but I was ready."
B) "I had thought it out extensively, and this was the right time."
C) "It was part of my life plan with my partner."
D) "I really didn't want to have kids, but my partner did."

Question 24

What factors may lead to infertility?

A) a person's race or ethnicity
B) a person's job, as stress is the main cause of infertility
C) smoking, obesity, or a history of sexually transmitted infections
D) age, as young women are more likely to experience infertility

Question 25

Family transitions always have what component?

A) economic
B) racial
C) gendered
D) romantic

Question 26

Since 2004, the number of international adoptions has dropped dramatically as the flow of children from certain countries shrank. What has caused this decline?

A) Adoption became more stigmatized after 2004.
B) The Hague Adoption Convention made international adoption illegal.
C) International adoption was more closely scrutinized for ethical and legal violations.
D) Increased access to birth control significantly reduced unintended pregnancies worldwide.

Question 27

Raising children is often expected to

A) pay off financially.
B) increase the education level of parents.
C) drain parents of all time and energy.
D) give emotional and symbolic rewards.

Question 28

Adopted children can be adopted through the foster care system, through , or internationally.

A) private services
B) the involved father ideal
C) opportunity cost
D) assisted reproductive technology

Question 29

Since 2000, the average minutes per day that fathers engage in developmental activities with their children has

A) decreased.
B) remained similar to the 1980s.
C) increased.
D) been close to zero.

Question 30

What is one reason that mothers today might be less likely to relinquish their children than in the past?

A) The stigma associated with unmarried motherhood has decreased.
B) It is harder to gain access to birth control.
C) Adoptions have become much more open.
D) Adoptions have become much more secretive.

Question 31

A young man has always known that he was adopted, and he recently decided to meet his birth parents. According to research trends, how is he likely to respond to meeting his birth parents?

A) He will feel good and assured that his birth parents cared about him.
B) His sense of security and identity will be hurt.
C) He will feel a strong stigma about being adopted.
D) He will feel angry after meeting his birth parents.

Question 32

By one national estimate, 39 percent of women in the United States live in a county with no clinics that provide abortion care. What does this estimate primarily reflect?

A) the Supreme Court's ruling in Roe v. Wade
B) restrictions on abortion access on the state level
C) couples' increased use of contraception
D) most Americans belief that abortion should be illegal under all circumstances

Question 33

The term parenting became popular in the 1970s, as did

A) the practice of socialization.
B) the practice of building social networks.
C) relying on grandparents instead of parents to raise children.
D) books and magazines offering advice to parents.

Question 34

An unmarried mother with two children loses her job. She then allows her boyfriend and his child to move in with her family. This allows her to continue making mortgage payments while searching for new employment. The mother and her boyfriend are very happy, but they worry because their three children are experiencing a(n)

A) family transition with a romantic and economic component.
B) economic family transition.
C) multigenerational household.
D) stage of development that will reduce stress.

Question 35

Falling rates of abortion are mostly the result of

A) couples' decreased use of contraception.
B) most Americans identify as "pro-life."
C) couples' increased use of contraception.
D) restrictions on abortion access on the federal level.

Question 36

Research shows that by the time they reach adolescence, the great majority of adopted children

A) are not aware of the fact that they were adopted.
B) are more likely to advocate for the intensive motherhood ideal.
C) do not get along with their parents.
D) say they are glad they got to know their birth parents.

Question 37

Many adults influence the life of a child. The adults who have the most direct influence are

A) teachers.
B) coaches.
C) those who live with them.
D) parents.

Question 38

The main reason that adoption became less common after the 1960s is that

A) stricter laws made adoption more difficult.
B) fewer babies were being relinquished by their birth parents.
C) the number of adoptive parents was decreasing.
D) there was a greater stigma associated with adoption.

Question 39

Which group of women is most likely to have an abortion?

A) White women
B) low-income women
C) married women
D) wealthy women

Question 40

A married couple has decided to call themselves "childfree" rather than "childless," indicating what?

A) Some people have embraced the concept as a lifestyle label.
B) There is growing stigmatization of people without kids.
C) The couple is coping with the stress of infertility.
D) People with children have resentment toward those without children.

Question 41

Although Jeff has a high-paying job, he decided to take a lower-paying position so that he can spend more time with his kids, reflecting

A) economic insecurity.
B) the male provider ideal.
C) the involved father ideal.
D) his religious beliefs.

Question 42

From the 1960s to the 1990s-a period when women's employment rates grew rapidly-the time mothers spent with their children increased. How was that possible?

A) Mothers compensated by doing less of other things, especially leisure and recreation activates, and by sleeping less.
B) Mothers organized and created "bring-your-child to work" programs, allowing them to spend time with children during commuting hours and lunch breaks.
C) Flexible work opportunities allowed mothers to spend time with children and work from home.
D) Fathers took on much more housework, giving mothers more free time to spend with their children.

Question 43

When it comes to children's success in three major dimensions-being happy and well adjusted, doing well in school, and staying out of serious trouble-which parental stance has proven beneficial?

A) supportiveness
B) independence
C) lenience
D) humor

Question 44

Childhood obesity is more common among

A) children who were adopted.
B) the children of mothers who do not achieve intensive motherhood.
C) the children of mothers with less education.
D) the children of mothers who work full-time.

Question 45

Lucia was concerned about the well-being of her 11-year-old, who seemed increasingly anxious. What is a child well-being expert likely to prescribe for Lucia's daughter?

A) more play time
B) more hours of sleep than other children
C) more extracurricular activities
D) antianxiety medication

Question 46

Why might a new mother not put her infant son on his back to sleep, despite abundant evidence that infants who do not sleep on their backs are at risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)?

A) Her husband told her not to.
B) She personally believes that babies sleep better on their sides.
C) Her religion does not allow children to sleep on their backs.
D) She lacks the education.

Question 47

National statistics show that most American families have one to two children, with two being the most common. These numbers are much lower than in the past, but while the falling birth rate is largely acknowledged, many other changes in the institution of the family are less commonly recognized. List at least one other trend and its social significance.

Question 48

Jackson, age 10, just received his first cellular phone. What does this mean in relation to his parents?

A) He is less likely to think they are cool.
B) His parents will be more likely to know what he is doing.
C) He will feel no change in his sense of freedom.
D) He will feel disconnected from his parents.

Question 49

Parents try to provide which three broad categories of skills or resources to their children?

A) intensive motherhood, opportunity cost, and the male provider ideal
B) prestige, a big house, and a good education
C) socialization, social bonds, and social network
D) discipline, authority, and love

Question 50

Until the 1960s, the male provider ideal was the dominant conception of what a father should be. The current dominant American ideal is the

A) distant father.
B) secure father.
C) funny father.
D) involved father.

Question 51

Parents of a typical family with two children can expect to spend between $175,000 and $370,000 to raise each child up to age 17. Much of this spending represents

A) the legal requirements that parents spend a certain amount on their children.
B) parents' desire to give children whatever it takes to succeed in a world filled with uncertainty.
C) the increasing cost of public education, medical care, product safety inspectors, and so on.
D) the decline of children working for their families and contributing financially to reduce the cost.

Question 52

The greatest expenses in raising children tend to come from

A) food.
B) health care.
C) clothing.
D) child care and education.

Question 53

In her book The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood, sociologist Sharon Hays describes an ideology she calls intensive motherhood, which is

A) a growing trend among mothers to be highly authoritarian with their children.
B) the difficult period of emotional instability following childbirth, previously known as postpartum depression.
C) a cultural pressure on women to devote more time, energy, and money to raising their kids.
D) the way in which grandmothers are now more likely to perform mothering functions for their grandchildren.

Question 54

This chapter begins by considering the social meaning of "starting a family." What are the different ways that the family, the market, and the state all intervene in how people define "starting a family"?

Question 55

When Jose was looking for a job, his father was able to get him an interview at a friend's company. Which category of skill or resource was Jose's father able to provide him?

A) social networks
B) social bonds
C) socialization
D) social status

Question 56

Paul spends nearly every Saturday with his two children. This is very different from his parents, who rarely spent time with Paul and his four siblings. This shift reflects which goal of modern parents?

A) valuing children more highly than the previous generation did
B) investing more in fewer children
C) monitoring children's progress at every step
D) securing children's cooperation in their well-being

Question 57

A number of historical events undermined the dominance of the male provider ideal, such as the

A) increase in women's employment.
B) diversity of family structures.
C) economic value of children.
D) falling fertility rate.

Question 58

A very small fraction of children (less than 1 percent)

A) suffer from childhood obesity.
B) live with their grandparents.
C) have more than two adult caregivers.
D) live in the care of same-sex couples.

Question 59

In part because of the legal, technological, or financial obstacles they must overcome to have children, same-sex couples have been shown to

A) be less likely to pursue adoption.
B) be unusually committed to parenting.
C) spend less time and energy on their children.
D) identify as "pro-life."

Question 60

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) refers to fertility treatments in which

A) eggs or embryos are handled outside of the mother's body.
B) younger couples are able to plan their pregnancies.
C) older, single women are able to plan their pregnancies.
D) couples plan birth around their economic circumstances.

Question 61

List at least two methods of adoption available in the United States and the issues associated with them.

Question 62

A 34-year-old assistant professor just found out she is pregnant. Define the concept of opportunity costs and explain what opportunity costs this particular woman might face.

Question 63

Jackie and Steven have a set of twins about to enter elementary school. Both Jackie and Steven are in their early 40s and work in a professional setting making six-figure salaries. Explain the three broad categories of skills or resources that parents attempt to provide their children-socialization, social bonds, and social networks-and consider how Jackie and Steven might provide those.

Question 64

Compare and contrast how the living arrangements of White, Black, and Latino children have changed in the past 50 years. How do these changes relate to the concepts of diversity, inequality, and social change?

Question 65

Compare and contrast the ideals of intensive mothering and involved fatherhood.

Question 66

Trends show overall decreasing rates of fertility, but this pattern is differentiated across race/ethnicity and education. Explain two reasons why this might be the case.