Deck 4: The Family in Cultural Context

Question 1

In Buss' (1994) study of mate preferences in 37 cultures, he found that four qualities were highly valued by both women and men across cultures. These qualities included

A) kindness and good health.
B) attractiveness and intelligence.
C) chastity and intelligence.
D) exciting personality and social status.

Answer 1

kindness and good health.

Question 2

Gomez is a male who lives in Chile and is married to Maria, Elizabeth, and Martha at the same time. Nehoma is a female living in South Korea, where she is married to Kuai Lo, Liang Mui, and Ying Shi. According to the text, Gomez's marriage is an example of while Nehoma's is an example of .

A) polyandry; polygyny.
B) polygyny; polyandry.
C) polymonogamy; polygamy.
D) polygamy; polymonogamy.

Answer 2

polygyny; polyandry.

Question 3

A pathic relationship is

A) between same-sex partners of different ages and social statuses.
B) between same-sex partners of similar age and social status.
C) between opposite-sex partners of different ages and social statuses.
D) between opposite-sex partners of similar age and social status.

Answer 3

between same-sex partners of similar age and social status.

Question 4

In Japan, a ceremonial betrothal gift that usually comes in the form of money is presented by the bride- and groom-to-be, through a go-between, or to the bride-to-be's household.This gift is known as

A) yuinou.
B) hataka.
C) yumachi.
D) watashi.

Question 5

The word "Islam" means

A) peace above all other concerns.
B) belief in the one God.
C) one family of God's children.
D) submission to the will of God.

Question 6

According to Smith (1995), the study of grandparenting presents unique challenges and can be more difficult than the study of parenting, because

A) there are more varieties of grandparents than parents.
B) one studies three generations instead of two.
C) historical and generational aspects play a greater role.
D) all of the above

Question 7

Brigitte Jordan, in her study of birth in four cultures, observed the following about giving birth in the Yucatan:

A) The father-to-be must not be present during either labor or birth.
B) The mother-to-be gives birth by herself, after receiving some training from an older female relative.
C) Prior to the birth, both a witch doctor and the entire village bless the mother-to-be.
D) The mother-to-be is encouraged to lie in the same hammock in which she sleeps each night.

Question 8

In MacDorman and Singh's (1998) study comparing births attended by nurse-midwives and births attended by physicians, the results indicated that

A) nurse-midwife-attended births led to better birth outcomes.
B) physician-attended births led to better birth outcomes.
C) nurse-midwife-attended births led to lower infant mortality and higher risk of low-birth weight infants.
D) physician-attended births led to lower infant mortality and higher risk of low-birth weight infants.

Question 9

When comparing Kenyan mothers with American mothers, Richmen, et al (1988) observed that

A) Kenyans engage in more soothing physical contact with their infants than do Americans.
B) Kenyans engage in more eye contact with their infants than do Americans.
C) Kenyans engage in more "rough play" with their infants than do Americans.
D) Kenyans talk to their infants more than do Americans.

Question 10

"Allomothering" means

A) childrearing provided by the father.
B) childrearing provided by an older sibling.
C) shared mothering; many women provide parenting.
D) lack of mothering; the child is neglected.

Question 11

In Schlegel and Barry's (1991) cross-cultural study of 186 cultures on adolescent issues, the results indicated that

A) passage into adolescence is easier for girls than for boys.
B) boys are more competitive than girls; this sex difference appears to be innate.
C) adolescent social behavior cannot be predicted from behavior in earlier childhood.
D) none of the above

Question 12

Stevenson, Chen, and Lee's (1992) research on grandparenting uncovered the concept of the "outside grandchild." An "outside grandchild," from the point of view of the grandparent, is

A) one's step-grandchild.
B) one's grand niece or grand nephew.
C) one's daughter's children.
D) one's great-grandchildren.

Question 13

According to Gardiner (1996), in Japanese, parenting is represented by three characters literally translated as "to stand," "a tree," and "to watch," which when combined can be interpreted as

A) protecting a developing child.
B) feeding a hungry child.
C) watching over a growing child.
D) teaching a curious child.

Question 14

Researchers have become increasingly interested in the effects fathering has on the development of children. Flouri (2005) found that father involvement:

A) protected daughters against marriage.
B) was associated with low risk for delinquency in sons.
C) was associated with homelessness in sons.
D) was associated with higher divorce rates.

Question 15

In the U.S., the "sandwich generation" is the generation which

A) often must provide care for younger and older generations.
B) is misunderstood by and alienated from both younger and older generations.
C) has less traditional values than both younger and older generations.
D) has a higher divorce rate than both younger and older generations.

Question 16

Anthropologists have found that long-term relationships take many forms. For example, in some cultures, it is customary for one man to be married to several women at the same time, while in others, it is normal for one woman to be married to several men. Have students design a cross-cultural study that would compare various types of long-term relationships discussed in the chapter.

Question 17

Tell students to imagine they are preparing for a class presentation on the topic of cultural variations in birth practices. Have them review the findings reported by Brigitte Jordan in her classic investigation of childbirth in four cultures. Have students prepare 2-3 slides illustrating distinct differences in how birth is viewed in the Yucatan, Holland, Sweden, and the United States. Finally, have them include three questions that you might pose to the students that would stimulate discussion of the ecological aspects of childbirth.