Deck 8: Marriage, family, and Domestic Groups

Question 1

In a system of cross-cousin marriage,a man would be required to marry:

A)His mother's sister's daughter.
B)His mother's brother's daughter.
C)His father's brother's daughter.
D)A woman with whom he has no blood relations.
E)A member of his own village.

Answer 1

His mother's brother's daughter.

Question 2

Polyandry is adapted to a number of different economic and demographic circumstances.Among the Toda of South India,it is an adaptation to the:

A)Shortage of land.
B)Need for men to be away as soldiers for long periods of time.
C)Shortage of females,created by female infanticide.
D)Low birth rate of females as compared with males.
E)High degree of occupational specialization.

Answer 2

Shortage of females,created by female infanticide.

Question 3

What do the Na of China do during their "visits?"

A)Exchange gifts.
B)Go out for a meal.
C)Fight.
D)Make love.
E)Arrange marriages.

Answer 3

Make love.

Question 4

A widely accepted function of the incest taboo is that it:

A)Helps families form wider alliances.
B)Prevents recessive genes from appearing in human populations.
C)Demonstrates our connections with other primate families.
D)Raises the intelligence level of the human species.
E)Is key to maintaining the species differences between humans and other primates.

Question 5

In the United States,although there are no formal endogamous rules,social groups tend to be endogamous by:

A)Sex.
B)Race.
C)Hair color.
D)Nuclear family.
E)Extended family.

Question 6

One of the exceptions to the almost universal prohibition on brother/sister marriage was among:

A)The Toda of India.
B)The Tiwi of Australia.
C)The ancient Hawaiian royalty.
D)The Kipsigis of East Africa.
E)Medieval Europan Royalty.

Question 7

If you live in a society that practices exogamy,you must:

A)Have more than one husband or wife.
B)Get married (no one is allowed to be a single adult).
C)Marry someone of your own social group.
D)Marry someone of a different social group.
E)Marry someone chosen by your mother's parents.

Question 8

When a society practices polygyny:

A)Most men will have more than one wife.
B)Some men will have more than one wife.
C)Some women will have more than one husband.
D)Most women will have more than one husband.
E)Some men will have more than one wife and some women will have more than one husband.

Question 9

In arranged marriages:

A)The wife's family never initiates the arrangement.
B)The couple always lives with the husband's family (patrilocal residence).
C)The woman is valued for her economic potential.
D)Both families lose face (social status)if they reject the marriage offer.
E)Marriage brokers are frequently used.

Question 10

Which of the following practices is commonly found among the Navajo?

A)A woman's children are considered legitimate members of the matriclan whether or not she is married.
B)A man's children are considered legitimate only if he resides with the woman for more than one year.
C)Sexual activity is never permitted outside of marriage,and it is rare for children to be born outside of wedlock.
D)Children are believed to belong to the tribe itself and are not members of any nuclear family until they marry.
E)The patriclan of the tribe controls children and they are raised by the father's family.

Question 11

Which of the following is the most important function of marriage?

A)Agreement between parties to maximize sexual competition.
B)Creation of a stable environment in which to raise children.
C)Arrangement between families for economic gains.
D)Accord between individuals so that they can obtain political status.
E)Ritual ordained by religion so that the church can endure.

Question 12

A female perspective on the Tiwi marriage system indicates that:

A)Tiwi women are totally dominated by their husbands.
B)There are no advantages for women in this marriage system.
C)Tiwi wives enjoy both sexual and social freedom.
D)Women benefit psychologically by having husbands much older than themselves.
E)There is no such thing as sexual egalitarianism in foraging societies.

Question 13

Incest taboos universally apply to:

A)Members of the same village.
B)Mothers and sons.
C)First cousins.
D)Cross cousins but not parallel cousins.

Question 14

Which of the following is the most common form of marriage (favored)across cultures?

A)Monogamy.
B)Serial monogamy.
C)Sororal polyandry.
D)Polyandry.
E)Polygyny.

Question 15

Polygyny among the Tiwi of Australia is most usefully viewed as:

A)A result of the extraordinary sexual desire on the part of Tiwi males.
B)An adaptation to the importance of food gathering as the basic means of survival.
C)An abnormal marriage pattern among the world's cultures.
D)An illustration of the high degree of conflict in families with more than one wife.
E)An effect of conversion to Christianity.

Question 16

Which of the following are Na men very unlikely to do?

A)Invite a lover to visit them in their homes.
B)Ride in motorized vehicles.
C)Have sex before they are 30.
D)Engage in agriculture.
E)Join the army.

Question 17

Among the Tiwi,as a woman grows older,her social position:

A)Declines,as she loses her looks.
B)Increases,as she becomes eligible for political office and tribal chief.
C)Increases,as her status as senior wife gives her social influence.
D)Declines,as her husband takes on younger co-wives.
E)Remains at the same low state as when she was young.

Question 18

A critical problem faced by the Na is:

A)Dealing with a culturally powerful Chinese government that disapproves of Na practices.
B)Continual food shortages.
C)The fact that children rarely know who their parents really are.
D)The fact that their marriage system is unnatural and therefore difficult to sustain.
E)Constant conflict between fathers who want rights to their children and mothers who deny fathers such rights.

Question 19

Where the levirate and the sororate exist,they testify to the importance of:

A)Romantic love as a reason for getting married.
B)The emotional attachment between brothers and sisters.
C)The diffusion of this Judaic custom from its Middle Eastern origin.
D)Marriage as an alliance between families,rather than between individuals.
E)The unimportance of children as a reason for getting married.

Question 20

Which are the most common types of preferential marriages?

A)Marriage with foreigners.
B)Marriage with cross cousins.
C)Marriage with siblings.
D)Marriage into an elder generation.
E)Marriage to mother's sisters' children.

Question 21

In the United States,the "cultural defense" has sometimes been used to justify:

A)Organized crime.
B)Domestic violence.
C)Consumer fraud.
D)Illegal immigration.
E)Armed robbery.

Question 22

Over the last century,among the Kipsigis of East Africa,bridewealth payments have:

A)Disappeared under the pressure of colonialism and modernity.
B)Increased,to cover the rising cost of living.
C)Remained the same in spite of changed economic conditions.
D)Decreased,as other economic opportunities compete for a man's investments.
E)Been prohibited by law.

Question 23

Dowry is:

A)The obligation of a man to work for his wife's family.
B)Wealth that moves from the family of the husband to the family of the wife.
C)The obligation of premarital chastity commonly found in European societies.
D)A husband's obligation to provide his wife's family with vast tracts of land.
E)A presentation of goods by the bride's kin to the groom's family.

Question 24

The concept that caring for the elderly is a burden:

A)Is most common among foraging societies.
B)Rarely occurs in pre-modern societies.
C)Is linked to conditions where warfare is common.
D)Is widespread and occurs even in societies where group harmony is valued.
E)Is a particular aspect of current-day Western society because of its focus on money earning.

Question 25

The fact that neolocal families are common in many industrialized societies is related to:

A)The high rate of divorce in such societies.
B)The high levels of mobility common in such societies.
C)The government assistance to both the poor and the housing industry common in such societies.
D)The declining role of religion in such societies.
E)The marginalization of women in such societies.

Question 26

The nuclear family appears to be well adapted to:

A)Horticulture.
B)Pastoralism.
C)Warfare.
D)Intensive cultivation.
E)Industrialization.

Question 27

When a society practices fraternal polyandry:

A)Brothers share a wife.
B)It is the younger brother's responsibility to find a bride for the older brother.
C)Two sisters are married to two brothers.
D)They always also practice sororal polygyny.
E)Women have much more power than men.

Question 28

Some theories propose that dowry is a source of security for women in society.However,these are not wholly accurate because in many cases:

A)Dowry is symbolic only.
B)The amount of dowry is too small to serve such a function.
C)Women do not retain control over their own dowries.
D)Dowry is actually used to pay debts owed to non-relatives.
E)Dowry is likely to cause jealousy and hence ill treatment by the husband's family.

Question 29

Which of the following is most likely to occur in a society where polygyny is frequent?

A)The nuclear family.
B)The composite family.
C)A matrilocal residence rule.
D)Matrilineal inheritance.
E)Cross-cousin marriage.

Question 30

The extended family seems to have clear advantages:

A)In stable cultivating societies where ownership of land is important.
B)In hunting and gathering societies living on the margins of existence.
C)In industrial societies with large urban populations.
D)In socialist rather than capitalist societies.
E)Where marriage is a matter of free choice rather than arrangement.

Question 31

Among the Kipsigis,in negotiating the terms of the bridewealth payment,a woman's parents:

A)Will frequently forgo the payment if the man is nice.
B)Will ask more payment if their daughter is in love with the man.
C)Will be motivated solely by making the best financial arrangement they can.
D)Will ask less for a highly educated woman who can earn her own living.
E)Try to find a balance between seeking a high bridewealth payment and concern for their daughter's happiness.

Question 32

In societies where accumulating material goods is difficult,the most likely exchange at marriage is:

A)Dowry.
B)Bride service.
C)Bridewealth.
D)Money gifts.
E)No exchanges of gifts or services.

Question 33

In most cases,in pre-modern societies,the elderly are respected:

A)When they have wealth,power,and descendents.
B)To a far greater extent than in most modern societies.
C)But only after they have grandchildren.
D)If they are male.If they are female,not so much.
E)Because they control access to land and water.

Question 34

The main function of bridewealth is to:

A)Assure that the new family has sufficient wealth to support itself.
B)Increase the status of the bride's family.
C)Legitimate the marriage.
D)Reimburse the bride's family for her high school fees.
E)Provide the bride and groom with furnishings for their new home.

Question 35

If your society has avunculocal residence,then,after marriage,a new couple will be expected to live with:

A)The husband's family.
B)The wife's family.
C)The chief's family.
D)Their maternal grandmother's family.
E)The husband's mother's brother's family.

Question 36

The "cultural defense" argues that in domestic violence cases:

A)An immigrant's cultural values take precedence over American law.
B)Women's views of their culture are more important than men's views.
C)The United States has an obligation to educate immigrants in American law.
D)Ignorance of the law by immigrants is an acceptable excuse for husbands battering their wives.
E)Cultural background should be considered a mitigating factor in a defendant's violent behavior.

Question 37

In premodern Chinese families,as women with male children grew older:

A)They were increasingly oppressed and marginalized in their families.
B)They tended to become more powerful,often becoming the dominant person in the household.
C)They were often discarded by their husbands in favor of younger,sexier wives.
D)Relations between them and their husbands tended to grow increasingly contentious.
E)They often divorced and sought out new,more powerful husbands.

Question 38

Which of the following correctly defines "bride service"?

A)A ritual done in many cultures in which a man pledges his daughter to the son of a friend.
B)Payments made by the family of the bride to the family of the groom.
C)Payments made to cover the cost of rituals associated with marriage.
D)Labor performed by the groom for the family of the bride.
E)Gifts given to a newly married couple,particularly gifts associated with preparing and serving food.

Question 39

Which of the following correctly characterizes relations between children and their divorced fathers in the United States?

A)In most cases,divorced fathers take an active role in raising their children.
B)Almost half of the children of divorced parents have not seen their biological father for more than a year.
C)Shared custody is common in the United States and most children see their biological fathers at least once a month.
D)At least half of all children of divorced parents have legally severed relations with one of their parents,usually the father.
E)Since divorced,non-custodial fathers tend to be permissive,their children's relationships with them tend to be warmer than those children's relations with their mothers.

Question 40

With regard to the stability of a marriage,bridewealth payments:

A)Have no effect.
B)Have a destabilizing effect.
C)Tend to stabilize marriages.
D)Make it easier for a husband to leave his wife than for her to leave him.
E)Make it easier for a wife to leave her husband than for him to leave her.

Question 41

In societies that practice preferential marriage,when there is no available partner,the individuals remain unmarried.

Question 42

Marriage is the way most societies arrange for the products and services of men and women to be exchanged and for the care of children.

Question 43

Among the Toda,the fact that wives could have multiple husbands might have been caused by high levels of female infanticide.

Question 44

The most basic tie in society is between husband and wife.

Question 45

Neolocal residence is when a couple can choose to live with either the wife or the husband's family.

Question 46

The Ju/'hoansi demonstrate that,when a society has few material resources,it is not likely to respect elders or provide much care for them.

Question 47

Among the Tiwi,a man may betroth his infant daughter to a friend or potential ally who he thinks will bring him economic aid and social advantage

Question 48

In the United States,single motherhood is increasing today.

Question 49

Among the Hopi,a boy's relationship with his father is generally affectionate and involves little discipline because the Hopi are a patrilineal society.

Question 50

Endogamy is the social rule that you must marry within your own group.

Question 51

The Na of China,have no word for marriage.

Question 52

The "cultural defense" is not considered a mitigating circumstance in U.S.courts.

Question 53

In India,the use of dowry is increasing.

Question 54

Matrilineal,matrilocal extended families were common in pre-modern China.

Question 55

To replace the population,women must have,on average,between 2.1 and 2.5 children.

Question 56

Among the Na of China,romantic love is considered more important and long lasting than family love.

Question 57

Societies in which the accumulation of goods is difficult are likely to have a practice of bride service,rather than bridewealth.

Question 58

The levirate is a custom in which the woman marries her deceased husband's brother.

Question 59

One anthropological explanation for the incest taboo is that such taboos prevent sex with close relatives from causing disruption within the family.

Question 60

Although the use of dowry was typical in Indian culture,it is now illegal to demand dowry as a precondition for marriage.

Question 61

Define marriage.

Question 62

Why would a family seek a marriage broker?

Question 63

Name three kinds of exchanges made in connection with marriage.

Question 64

Based on current statistics,what is the "typical" U.S.family? How is it composed?

Question 65

Compare and contrast exogamy and endogamy.

Question 66

What are the advantages of polygyny? Name three.

Question 67

Are incest taboos universal? Explain your answer.

Question 68

What is fraternal polyandry?

Question 69

Is aging considered a burden to families in all societies? Use examples to illustrate your answer.

Question 70

What is the strongest and most important tie in Hopi society? Why?

Question 71

Name and describe two types of polygamy.

Question 72

How is the Ju'/hoansi interaction with elders and aging different from that of an urban society?

Question 73

What are the most significant trends of change that have occurred to the American family most recently?

Question 74

What is a blended family?

Question 75

What is a "cultural defense"?

Question 76

How and why have Kipsigis bridewealth amounts changed over the years?

Question 77

How is dowry different from bridewealth?

Question 78

How has globalization affected the family? Name at least two effects.

Question 79

Present and discuss the various theories of dowry in India.

Question 80

Describe the type of courting relationships that are practiced among the Na of China.