Deck 8: Living Alone, Cohabiting, Same-Sex Unions, and Other Intimate Relationships

Question 1

Which category (all ages) is least likely to live alone?

A) Asians and Hispanics
B) non-Hispanic whites
C) blacks
D) divorced parents

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Individuals living alone now make up __________ percent of U.S. households.

A) 5
B) 12
C) 17
D) 28

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The text concludes that much of the increase in singlehood is explained by several factors. Which of the following is NOT one of these?

A) technological changes regarding pregnancy
B) economic disadvantage and/or a low sex ratio
C) rejection of marriage as an institution
D) changing attitudes toward marriage and singlehood

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Living alone together is already a trend in Europe, and is __________ in the United States.

A) unheard of
B) not yet a trend
C) likely to become a trend
D) clearly an emerging trend

Question 5

The text cites four social factors that may encourage young people today to postpone marriage or not to marry at all. Which of the following is NOT one of these?

A) a rejection of marriage as an institution
B) changing cultural attitudes
C) better contraception
D) population numbers - low sex ratios

Question 6

The text points out that, in American society, communes

A) have existed throughout its history.
B) have never appeared.
C) are a very recent development.
D) began to develop in the 1940s.

Question 7

An emerging alternative to marriage is __________, where a couple is engaged in a long-term relationship, but each partner also maintains a separate dwelling.

A) cohabitation
B) living alone together
C) domestic partnership
D) common-law marriage

Question 8

Although we know little about this family form, it is apparently at least partly motivated by a desire to retain __________.

A) autonomy
B) separate cars
C) individual financial arrangements
D) personal belongings

Question 9

The sex ratio is the ratio of __________ in a given society or subgroup of a society.

A) married men to married women
B) men to women
C) single men to single women
D) divorced men to divorced women

Question 10

Significantly less likely to be married than other racial/ethnic groups, __________ are more likely than other groups to be living by themselves, particularly in older age groups.

A) non-Hispanic whites
B) blacks
C) Native Americans
D) Asians

Question 11

In 1940, the proportion of adults under age 30 living with their parents was quite high. Sociologists Paul Glick and SungLing Lin suggest that this was true because

A) an atmosphere of familism prevailed at this time.
B) the birth rate had been particularly high for several years.
C) the economic depression of the 1930s made it difficult for young men and women to obtain employment on a regular basis.
D) these adult children felt closer to their parents.

Question 12

Some adults who live with their parents have never moved out, but others - called _________ - have left home and then returned.

A) late bloomers
B) boomerangers
C) losers
D) bouncers

Question 13

Sociologists who argue that singles weigh the costs against the benefits of marrying are utilizing the __________ perspective.

A) exchange
B) structure functional
C) conflict
D) family ecology

Question 14

Young singles choose to live with their parents for several reasons. Which of the following is NOT one of these reasons?

A) the need for emotional support
B) tax shelter
C) the need for help with child raising
D) economic support

Question 15

WTo the U.S. Census Bureau, single means

A) never married.
B) possibly divorced.
C) unmarried.
D) unattached.

Question 16

In the year 2008, the sex ratio was about 97 men for every 100 women. Why is this important to the study of marriage and the family?

A) People will get married younger if there are more men than women in a population.
B) When there is a vastly uneven ratio of men and women, homosexual relationships are more common.
C) The sex ratio indicates who will get married and when.
D) A high rate of heterosexual marriage presumes matching numbers of males and females in a population.

Question 17

The likelihood of living alone is highest for which group according to age and gender?

A) older men
B) older women
C) young men
D) young women

Question 18

In 1970, less than 28 percent of U.S. adults were single. Today that number is about ____ percent.

A) 11
B) 23
C) 32
D) 44

Question 19

The text points out that one reason for the declining perceived advantages of marriage is that today, society views being single as a(n) __________ lifestyle.

A) deviant
B) non-traditional
C) optional
D) bohemian

Question 20

By 2003, __________ percent of young adults aged 18-24 lived with their parents.

A) about 5
B) close to 10
C) nearly 25
D) more than 50

Question 21

WCommunal living is designed to provide __________.

A) financial independence
B) social support and companionship
C) relational detachment
D) sexual expressiveness

Question 22

Today, approximately __________ million U.S. heterosexual couples cohabit.

A) 1.8
B) 2.8
C) 3.8
D) 6.8

Question 23

Compared to marrieds, cohabitants report that they are __________ happy with their relationships.

A) equally
B) less
C) slightly more
D) much more

Question 24

According to the text, unmarried parents to one partner's child should consider three documents. Which of the following is NOT one of these?

A) a Co-parenting Agreement
B) a Nomination of Guardianship
C) a Living Trust
D) a Consent to Medical treatment

Question 25

Communal living may be one way to deal with problems associated with all EXCEPT which of the following?

A) aging
B) unattached singlehood
C) single parenthood
D) sexual permissiveness

Question 26

A __________ is a situation or place characterized by group living.

A) YMCA
B) hospital
C) commune
D) gathering

Question 27

The text reports that approximately __________ percent of cohabitants are age 65 and over-a fifty percent increase since 1990.

A) 5
B) 15
C) 25
D) over 30

Question 28

On average, cohabiting relationships are

A) stable and enduring.
B) relatively short term.
C) longer term.
D) permanent.

Question 29

By 2008 opposite-sex, unmarried-couple households were ______ percent of all households.

A) 5
B) 10
C) 25
D) 50

Question 30

People's reasons for __________ often include the belief that marriage signifies loss of identity or stifles partners' communication and equality.

A) living alone together
B) remaining single
C) breaking off an engagement
D) cohabiting

Question 31

Cohabiting couples are __________ as likely as marrieds to be interracial.

A) twice
B) just
C) half
D) five times

Question 32

The __________ case established that nonmarital partners may claim property and support if their explicit or implicit contract (the verbal or written understanding underlying their union) established these obligations.

A) Wade
B) Miranda
C) Marvin
D) Gideon

Question 33

________of all cohabiting relationships last less than one year, because the couple either break up or marry.

A) One quarter
B) One third
C) Half
D) Two thirds

Question 34

Compared with married women, cohabiting women are __________.

A) much younger than their partners
B) several years older than and earn more than their partners
C) more likely to be financially dependent on their partners
D) less likely to be sexually abused

Question 35

Compared to married couples, cohabitors are all EXCEPT which of the following ?

A) younger
B) older
C) less educated
D) more likely to be nonwhite

Question 36

Today, some cohabitants consider their lifestyle a means of courtship, officially called __________, as they seek to test their compatibility before deciding whether to marry.

A) "test drive"
B) trial period
C) "if the shoe fits, wear it"
D) premarital cohabition

Question 37

When unmarried partners decide to move in together, there are

A) certain firm legal guidelines to follow.
B) some legal guidelines, but these are limited.
C) many legal guidelines to follow.
D) regulations, customs and laws that may cause them problems.

Question 38

The text points out that Puerto Rican women have a long history of

A) non-consensual cohabitation.
B) consensual marriages.
C) remaining single until they are at least 30 years of age.
D) not being interested in marriage.

Question 39

By 2005 it was estimated that _________ of U.S. women age 15 through 45 had cohabited with a male partner at some time in their lives

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

Question 40

The definition of __________ usually includes criteria of joint residence and finances, plus a statement of loyalty and commitment.

A) communal living
B) cohabitor
C) living together alone
D) domestic partner

Question 41

__________ allow any two single adults-including same-sex partners-to have access to virtually all marriage rights and benefits on the state level, but none on the federal level.

A) Cohabitation rights
B) Domestic partnerships
C) Common-law marriages
D) Civil unions

Question 42

According to the 2008 census, __________ of female, same-sex couple households now include children under 18.

A) one-quarter
B) more than one-third
C) over one-half
D) nearly two-thirds

Question 43

Research has compared adolescents living in married, two-biological-parent families with those who have lived with a cohabiting parent. Those adolescents who have lived with a cohabiting parent are more likely to experience all EXCEPT which of the following?

A) earlier premarital intercourse
B) higher academic test scores
C) higher rates of school suspension
D) antisocial and delinquent behaviors

Question 44

Stress resulting from the effects of discrimination was once thought to point to higher rates of __________ among same-sex couples than among heterosexual couples.

A) PTSD
B) couple dissatisfaction
C) child abuse
D) domestic violence

Question 45

Lesbian and gay singles

A) are a very homogenous group demographically.
B) comprise a diverse category of all ages, but racially, most are non-Hispanic whites.
C) comprise a diverse category of all ages and racial/ethnic groups.
D) are usually racially prejudiced.

Question 46

In one study of cohabiting gay male, lesbian, heterosexually married, and dating couples, psychologist Lawrence Kurdek concluded that the gay and lesbian couples

A) had dysfunctional relationships.
B) experienced relationship quality similar to that of the marrieds.
C) experienced relationship quality vastly inferior to that of the marrieds.
D) had better relationships than all of the other categories.

Question 47

In 1996, the U.S. passed DOMA, which refuses to acknowledge same-sex marriages. What does DOMA stand for?

A) Defense of Marriage Act
B) Declaration of Marital Accordance
C) Domestic Operation May Access
D) Definition of Marital Acceptance

Question 48

What percent of lesbians are in long-term, committed relationships?

A) 8
B) 18
C) 28
D) 44

Question 49

About __________ of all nonmarital births occur to cohabiting couples.

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

Question 50

Today, __________ percent of all first births occur to a cohabiting mother.

A) between 1 and 5
B) 10
C) between 10 and 20
D) 30

Question 51

Kurdek's study of gay male and lesbian couples found lesbian couples to have __________ relationship quality.

A) enhanced
B) reduced
C) poor
D) limited

Question 52

In 2000, __________ became the first country to allow same-sex partners to marry. Some other European countries, as well as Canada, now allow same-sex marriage.

A) France
B) Belgium
C) the Netherlands
D) Italy

Question 53

In 2004, which state allowed gay and lesbian couples to marry legally (although this situation could change due to pending legal challenges to the law)?

A) California
B) New York
C) Massachusetts
D) New Jersey

Question 54

In 2008, of the 565,000 same-sex households in the United States, were there more gay-male couples or lesbian couples?

A) many more lesbian couples
B) slightly more lesbian couples
C) about evenly divided
D) more gay-male couples

Question 55

Which states have passed civil union laws for same-sex couples? 

A) California and Oregon
B) New Jersey and Delaware
C) Connecticut and Vermont
D) Massachusetts and New York

Question 56

Compared to marrieds, cohabitants pool their money __________.

A) to a lesser extent
B) equally
C) a little more often
D) to a greater extent

Question 57

Which of the following religious groups is expressly dedicated to serving gay and lesbian partnerships?

A) the Metropolitan Community Church
B) the United Presbyterian Church
C) the Prescott Memorial Baptist Church
D) the Church of Latter-Day Saints

Question 58

Which state prohibits same-sex couple adoption, although it does allow them to serve as foster parents?

A) New York
B) California
C) Massachusetts
D) Florida

Question 59

From a variety of national surveys, demographers estimate that about __________ percent of gay men are "currently partnered."

A) 8
B) 18
C) 28
D) 44

Question 60

There is __________ evidence that children of same-sex parents are confused about their gender identity, either in childhood or adulthood, or that they are more likely to be homosexual.

A) no
B) slight
C) some
D) strong

Question 61

Mainland Puerto Ricans often define living together as a form of consensual marriage.

Question 62

In discussing the importance of friendships for single individuals, the text points out that

A) unmarried men usually cultivate a wide variety of same-sex friendships.
B) women's friendships with each other are likely to be "thinner" in comparison with men's friendships.
C) jealousy and competition are typical characteristics of women's friendships.
D) men may be more open and disclosing with a female friend.

Question 63

Sociologist E. Kay Trimberger identified several "pillars of support" for unattached single women. Which of the following is NOT one of these "pillars"?

A) a nurturing home
B) satisfying work
C) connections to the next generation
D) financial comfort

Question 64

When unmarried partners decide to move in together, there are some absolutely firm legal guidelines to follow.

Question 65

The distinction between marriage and singlehood is not as sharp today as it used to be.

Question 66

Barbara Simon interviewed fifty never-married women old enough to be retired and concluded that the most common thread of identity these women shared was their

A) view of themselves as members of a group larger than their own families.
B) rejection of marriage.
C) sexual orientation.
D) dislike of men.

Question 67

About __________ percent of Americans say that they favor legal marriage for same-sex couples.

A) 15
B) 25
C) 50
D) 80

Question 68

Sociologist Catherine Ross has suggested that we need to reconceptualize various living arrangements as a continuum of

A) diversity.
B) social attachment.
C) individuals.
D) families.

Question 69

Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the United States had more men than women.

Question 70

The text points out that when we think of singlehood as a(n) __________, we realize that not all singles are socially unattached, disconnected, or isolated.

A) product
B) process
C) continuum
D) entity

Question 71

The text points out that getting married is still the only way to gain adult status.

Question 72

___________ of Americans favor allowing same-sex couples to enter into legal agreements, such as civil unions and domestic partnerships, that would give them many of the same rights as married couples.

A) One-tenth
B) One-quarter
C) One-third
D) More than half

Question 73

The number of one-person households has increased dramatically over the past 30 years.

Question 74

It appears that some of the increase in singlehood results from the low sex ratio and economic disadvantage.

Question 75

We can conclude that the __________-deep conflict over matters concerning human sexuality and gender-is global.

A) culture war
B) sexual revolution
C) gender battle
D) universal socialization

Question 76

The cohabitation trend spread widely in the 1960s, took off sharply in the 1970s, and has risen steadily ever since.

Question 77

The proportion of young adults living with parents rose sharply between 1995 and 2002.

Question 78

Living communally has become even more popular today than during the 1960s.

Question 79

The text indicates that perhaps the most important task for unmarried individuals of both genders is

A) finding an appropriate mate.
B) the development of strong social networks.
C) avoiding sexually transmitted diseases.
D) understanding the value of a permanent companion.

Question 80

When older single women were asked what had given their lives meaning, 90% emphasized __________.

A) their careers
B) children
C) religious, political, or humanitarian work
D) freedom to express their sexuality