Deck 13: The Dual-Worker Family: the Real American Revolution

Question 1

The rapid increase in the number of working women has been fueled by all of the following factors EXCEPT:

A) decreasing educational opportunities.
B) inflationary pressures.
C) declining birth rates.
D) dramatic wage increases.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Many companies have been reluctant to invest in long-term training for women because they fear women employees will:

A) raise a lot of unsolvable feminist issues.
B) create a sexually-charged work environment.
C) get pregnant and quit work.
D) make it easier for unions to organize.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Rachel has been working at her company for 20 years, but she has not moved beyond a middle-management position. Although Rachel would like to advance, there have been many excuses along the way. Rachel is experiencing:

A) sexual harassment.
B) employment differentials.
C) the glass ceiling.
D) corporate downsizing.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Overall, the group with the lowest median family income is:

A) Hispanics.
B) single-parent families
C) white married families
D) blacks.

Question 5

Recent declines in the male-female earning gap have been attributed to all of the following factors EXCEPT:

A) higher starting wages for young women.
B) lower unemployment rates for women.
C) more wives earning more than their husbands.
D) an increase in the number of pink-collar jobs.

Question 6

Today the American married family is represented by all of the following EXCEPT:

A) two jobs.
B) two paychecks.
C) more time.
D) paid child care.

Question 7

All of the following changes are related to the migration of women into the labor force EXCEPT:

A) redistribution of power within the family.
B) more restrictive family time schedules.
C) the development of ambiguous, overlapping gender roles.
D) simplification of the relationship between work and family.

Question 8

Of the following, the job most likely to be filled by a woman who has broken through the glass ceiling is:

A) personal secretary.
B) teacher.
C) cashier.
D) corporate executive.

Question 9

In the past, most women in the American labor force were:

A) single.
B) professionals.
C) lesbians.
D) unionized.

Question 10

The major restraint for freer role choice is:

A) female domination in certain fields.
B) physical demands.
C) women's inferior economic position.
D) having children.

Question 11

Real wages are earnings that have been:

A) subtracted from one's gross income.
B) adjusted for inflation.
C) exempted from federal taxation.
D) derived from manual labor.

Question 12

In the college graduating class of 2009, all of the following trends were found EXCEPT:

A) women were more likely than men to earn a Bachelor's degree.
B) men were more likely than women to earn a Master's degree.
C) women were more likely than men to earn a Doctorate.
D) African American women were more likely than African American men to earn a Doctorate

Question 13

Many women who were previously unable to break through the glass ceiling have:

A) become stay-at-home mothers.
B) returned to school.
C) started their own businesses.
D) moved to a different area of the country.

Question 14

The glass ceiling is the cumulative effect of various practices that:

A) require women to meet unrealistic educational requirements.
B) place work and family in opposition to one another.
C) encourage workers to perform below their potential.
D) reduce the fringe benefits offered by employers.

Question 15

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has enabled women to:

A) reduce sexual harassment in the work place.
B) move in the direction of equal pay for equal work.
C) secure more government-sponsored day-care services.
D) minimize the negative effects of corporate downsizing.

Question 16

Sue is going back to work after time at home raising children. What is the most likely reason for Sue to go back to work?

A) escape the pressures of child rearing
B) please her husband
C) conform to traditional gender roles
D) help make ends meet

Question 17

"Supermoms" are mothers who attempt to cope with:

A) child-rearing tasks and volunteer activities.
B) family responsibilities and work outside the home.
C) housecleaning and child-rearing responsibilities.
D) mothering, homemaking, and social change.

Question 18

The male-female earning gap has been attributed to all of the following factors EXCEPT:

A) higher commitment among men.
B) increasing birthrates.
C) discrimination against female workers.
D) better training for men.

Question 19

Cox and Demmitt believe that the relationship between work and family has become more:

A) leisurely.
B) complex.
C) peripheral.
D) covert.

Question 20

Julie is a line worker for the electric company. Julie's occupation can be described as:

A) growing at a rapid rate.
B) misrepresented.
C) a dominating change.
D) rare.

Question 21

Pattern A work arrangements are:

A) increasing.
B) declining.
C) stabilizing.
D) fluctuating up and down.

Question 22

A Pattern B work arrangement is associated with all of the following groups EXCEPT:

A) African American women.
B) women without children.
C) wives of affluent men.
D) professional working women.

Question 23

In order to perform her job, Carol had to work with a variety of computer software. She enjoyed her work, but decided to drop out of the labor market for five years so she could stay home until her new baby reached school age. When she returned to work, she was unable to perform at her previous level because the software that she was once proficient in is now obsolete. The working pattern that she is following is:

A) Pattern A.
B) Pattern B.
C) Pattern C.
D) Pattern D.

Question 24

The work pattern associated with "supermoms" is:

A) Pattern A.
B) Pattern B.
C) Pattern C.
D) Pattern D.

Question 25

The work pattern that is credited with causing women the most stress and strain is:

A) Pattern A.
B) Pattern B.
C) Pattern C.
D) Pattern D.

Question 26

The work pattern that is characterized by continuous, full-time employment from graduation to retirement is:

A) Pattern A.
B) Pattern B.
C) Pattern C.
D) Pattern D.

Question 27

The work pattern that is limited by available job opportunities is:

A) Pattern A.
B) Pattern B.
C) Pattern C.
D) Pattern D

Question 28

The typical wife who returns to work is likely to face all of the following costs EXCEPT:

A) child care.
B) transportation.
C) tuition.
D) taxes and Social Security.

Question 29

Approximately ____ of all married women earn more than their husbands.

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

Question 30

The Pattern A work arrangement is associated with all of the following groups EXCEPT:

A) women in managerial careers.
B) women with more than three children.
C) high school dropouts.
D) wives of affluent men.

Question 31

When Sarah had her first child, she dropped out of the labor force and stayed home for five years. She eventually returned to work under conditions that did not interfere with her family responsibilities. The work pattern that Cox would use to describe her labor force participation is:

A) Pattern A.
B) Pattern B.
C) Pattern C.
D) Pattern D.

Question 32

The work pattern that allows women to remain in the labor force continuously with short time-outs to have children is:

A) Pattern A.
B) Pattern B.
C) Pattern C.
D) Pattern D.

Question 33

The work pattern that allows women to equally combine family duties and work responsibilities is:

A) Pattern A.
B) Pattern B.
C) Pattern C.
D) Pattern D.

Question 34

Joan worked for two years, met and married Alex, had two children, and has been a full-time homemaker ever since. The work pattern that Cox and Demmitt would use to describe her labor force participation is:

A) Pattern A.
B) Pattern B.
C) Pattern C.
D) Pattern D.

Question 35

The work pattern that makes it extremely difficult for women to keep their work skills up-to-date is:

A) Pattern A.
B) Pattern B.
C) Pattern C.
D) Pattern D.

Question 36

Recent college-educated black women earn:

A) slightly more than white women with a similar education.
B) less than college-educated black men.
C) less than white women with a similar education.
D) about the same as college-educated black men.

Question 37

Gwen has worked full-time for a major airline for 15 years. She likes her job so much that she only took two weeks off to have her first child. Similarly, she took a week and a-half off to have her second child. The work pattern she is following is

A) Pattern A.
B) Pattern B.
C) Pattern C.
D) Pattern D.

Question 38

Christine, a career woman with no children, is retiring after 30 years of uninterrupted, full-time teaching. The work pattern that Cox and Demmitt would use to describe her labor force participation is:

A) Pattern A.
B) Pattern B.
C) Pattern C.
D) Pattern D.

Question 39

The most common work pattern for middle-class white women prior to World War II was:

A) Pattern A.
B) Pattern B.
C) Pattern C.
D) Pattern D.

Question 40

The predominate work pattern among American men is:

A) Pattern A.
B) Pattern B.
C) Pattern C.
D) Pattern D.

Question 41

Rachel is a full-time nurse with three kids. When she is at home with free time, she is most likely to do:

A) hobbies.
B) volunteer activities.
C) self-renewal.
D) household tasks.

Question 42

The most time-consuming household task for mothers with children at home is:

A) care of family members.
B) laundry and regular house care.
C) budgeting and paying bills.
D) meal preparation and clean-up.

Question 43

According to Hochschild, a man who earns less than his wife may attempt to maintain his power by refusing to:

A) grant her a divorce.
B) perform housekeeping and child-care duties.
C) participate in "togetherness" time.
D) introduce her to his friends.

Question 44

Pink-collar occupations are concentrated in:

A) manufacturing firms.
B) professional fields.
C) government agencies.
D) service industries.

Question 45

The main advantage of working part-time is that it allows women to:

A) take care of family and the home.
B) do more volunteer work.
C) pursue their education.
D) acquire health insurance.

Question 46

Pink-collar occupations are dominated by:

A) teenagers.
B) women.
C) middle-aged workers.
D) professional workers.

Question 47

Tracy is a stay-at-home mom who listens to kids and helps them when their parents are at work. The text refers to women like Tracy as a:

A) supermom.
B) invisible career.
C) neighborhood mom.
D) temporary parent.

Question 48

According to Cox and Demmitt, the single largest expense for wives who return to work is:

A) child care.
B) transportation.
C) tuition.
D) taxes and Social Security.

Question 49

About ____ mothers stays home and provides full-time care for her children.

A) one in two
B) one in three
C) one in four
D) one in five

Question 50

Benefits (insurance, pensions, etc.) for part-time workers are:

A) better than for full-time employees.
B) the same as for full-time employees.
C) better in the public sector than in the private sector.
D) almost nonexistent.

Question 51

Women with families tend to have absence rates:

A) that are half that of men.
B) that are twice as high as men.
C) that are half as much as women without children.
D) that are equal to men.

Question 52

Approximately half of all women who work part-time give ____ as their reason for not working full-time.

A) lack of an education
B) child care and family obligations
C) the inability to find a full-time job
D) physical limitations

Question 53

Opponents of government funding of professionally run child-care centers are concerned about:

A) giving federal funds to state governments.
B) the quality of subsidized day care.
C) increasing the national debt.
D) site selection criteria.

Question 54

Part-time work is considered:

A) less than 40 hours a week.
B) less than 35 hours a week.
C) less than 30 hours a week.
D) less than 25 hours a week.

Question 55

The biggest increase in labor force participation among mothers has occurred among women:

A) with large families.
B) with children under age 3.
C) with foster children.
D) with only one or two children.

Question 56

In general, ____ are more likely than ____ to do volunteer work in the community.

A) men; women
B) married persons with children; married persons without children
C) married persons without children; married persons with children
D) young people; older people

Question 57

Ninety percent of part-time employment occurs in:

A) home-based work.
B) industries dominated by men.
C) light manufacturing.
D) pink-collar occupations.

Question 58

Which of the following husbands is most likely to perform household duties?

A) Travis has a Master's degree in engineering.
B) Charlie believes women should stay at home.
C) Joe works at the local factory.
D) Paul is 60 years old.

Question 59

Sue organizes the local food drive and tutors elementary students. Sue is not paid for her activities, but they occupy a great deal of her time. Cox and Demmitt categorize this as:

A) invisible career.
B) moonlighting.
C) flexible time.
D) vocation.

Question 60

Hochschild found that men who earned less than their wives did:

A) all of the family work.
B) most of the family work.
C) half of the family work.
D) little or no family work.

Question 61

Some employees fail to take advantage of family-oriented work policies because they believe their employer will:

A) eliminate more traditional fringe benefits.
B) pass them over for promotions.
C) undermine the power of their union.
D) find a way to lower their wages.

Question 62

Working at home facilitates the employment of:

A) immigrants.
B) teenagers.
C) the disabled.
D) ethnic minorities.

Question 63

Working wives are likely to enjoy all of the following benefits EXCEPT:

A) increased marital power.
B) feelings of self-respect.
C) a chance to use unused skills.
D) less role disparity.

Question 64

Husbands with working wives may be in a position to enjoy all of the following benefits EXCEPT:

A) increased contact with their children.
B) a chance to adopt a role of higher status.
C) the opportunity to enter a new career.
D) more free time for leisure activities.

Question 65

The largest criticism of people working at home is:

A) recurrent boredom and isolation.
B) the stress of working with electronic equipment.
C) lack of managerial direction.
D) the blurring of boundaries between work and family.

Question 66

Sam and Nick are both in preschool and their parents work. Based on research, they are most likely to be cared for by:

A) child-care centers.
B) in-home caregivers.
C) neighbors.
D) relatives.

Question 67

All of the following benefits are included in the Federal Family Leave Bill EXCEPT:

A) leave for family emergencies.
B) funds to support adoptions.
C) maternity leaves.
D) elder care.

Question 68

In light of the discussion of family leave in European countries, we may conclude that:

A) European countries seem more committed to stabilizing families than the United States.
B) the United States was one of the first countries to grant leave for job relocation.
C) Hungary lags behind the rest of the world in granting family leave for pregnancy.
D) most of the liberal ideas about family leave have emerged in southern Europe.

Question 69

In their analysis of the quality of substitute child care, Cox and Demmitt take the position that:

A) the effects of substitute child care are easy to uncover.
B) young children belong with their biological parents.
C) orphanages and nursing homes should be closed.
D) substitute child care can't be wholly praised or condemned.

Question 70

Cox and Demmitt use the term "double-edged" to describe:

A) the psychological impact of working at home.
B) employment policies that foster family stability.
C) government-funded professional child-care centers.
D) marital satisfaction in dual-earner families.

Question 71

A working wife who does most of her job-related work at home can expect to encounter all of the following problems EXCEPT:

A) finding adequate work space.
B) constant family interruptions.
C) higher payroll taxes.
D) buying new equipment.

Question 72

The research evidence on marital satisfaction when the wife works is:

A) useless.
B) mixed.
C) scarce.
D) unscientific.

Question 73

Critics charge that working at home increases the possibility of:

A) computer crimes.
B) worker exploitation.
C) economic inflation.
D) family violence.

Question 74

All of the following tend to be characteristics of flexible work schedules EXCEPT:

A) flexible schedules are about twice as common today than in 1985.
B) most flexible work schedules are informal.
C) flexible schedules are less common among managerial and professional occupations.
D) flexible schedules work best when they are supported by supervisors.

Question 75

Researchers who observed 400 child-care centers in several different states concluded that only one in seven were:

A) too expensive.
B) family-owned.
C) of good quality.
D) open at night.

Question 76

An example of a woman who recently has chosen to leave full-time work and remain at home with her young children would be:

A) a recently divorced single parent.
B) a well-educated white married woman.
C) a lower-class black woman.
D) a pink-collar worker married to a working-class man.

Question 77

The disadvantages for home-based work include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) time and space for working.
B) small children demanding attention.
C) the need for an updated wardrobe.
D) cost of equipment.

Question 78

The effects of substitute childcare are:

A) difficult to uncover because of the many interacting factors.
B) typically negative.
C) better than being at home all day.
D) usually good if the care costs more than $20 per hour.

Question 79

Better leave policies, more flexible work hours, and on-site child-care facilities at the workplace have been linked to:

A) declines in employee theft.
B) increased work strain.
C) lower employee turnover.
D) higher taxes.

Question 80

Research on the marital satisfaction of husbands in dual-earner families indicates that they are:

A) unable to articulate their feelings.
B) more satisfied than their wives.
C) about as satisfied as their wives.
D) less satisfied than their wives.