Deck 1: Families and the Sociological Imagination

Question 1

This theoretical perspective emphasizes issues surrounding social inequality, power, and social change:

A)developmental theory
B)structural functionalist theory
C)conflict theory
D)micro theory
E)family systems theory

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A number of changes in families have taken place over the past several decades. These changes include:

A)both men and women are postponing the age of marriage
B)the percentage of persons who have never married has increased significantly
C)the divorce rate has increased
D)Blacks are the largest minority group in the United States
E)the teenage birthrate is increasing rapidly, especially among Blacks

Answer 2

A

Question 3

C) Wright Mills stressed the importance of understanding the relationship between individuals and the society in which they live because many of our personal issues or problems are shaped by social forces. He was referring to something called:

A)the sociological imagination
B)family
C)fictive kin
D)universal programs
E)conflict theory

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Adrian is a researcher doing a detailed study about attitudes and opinions people have about being childfree. She wants detailed information from each person. Which method would be best to use?

A)in-depth interview
B)experiment
C)observation
D)secondary analysis
E)survey

Question 5

Brandon traveled to Mexico recently and made fun of the way the poor families lived. "Geez, don't they know that they should do things like we do here in America? Everyone knows our way is best." This is an example of:

A)feminist theory
B)a conservative perspective
C)ethnocentrism
D)the sociological imagination
E)liberal perspective

Question 6

Structural functionalist theory focuses on:

A)the social interaction between family members and other groups and is concerned with the meanings and interpretations that people have
B)gender as the central concept for explaining family structures and family dynamics
C)collecting data that can be measured numerically
D)the distinct stages of families and family members with their set of tasks, roles, and responsibilities
E)all social institutions, including the family, that exist to fill a need in society

Question 7

Relationships by blood, marriage, or affection, in which members may cooperate economically, may care for any children, and may consider their identity to be intimately connected to the larger group define a/an:

A)domestic partner
B)fictive kin
C)empirical relationship
D)family
E)quantitative method

Question 8

Macro theories represent a general framework that focuses on:

A)personal dynamics and face-to-face interaction
B)the social interaction between family and members of other groups, and is concerned with the meanings and interpretations that people have
C)the family into which you were born
D)societal patterns
E)other societies around the world or other historical periods to see how others organize their social life and respond to its challenges

Question 9

There are several different perspectives of family change. Shane believes that the changing economic structure, such as through a loss of high-paying manufacturing jobs or an erosion of the minimum wage, leads to changing family and gendered roles, which ultimately leads to an underclass with extraordinary challenges facing poor children. Shane represents which perspective?

A)conservative
B)liberal
C)neo-con
D)feminist
E)developmental

Question 10

Your family has a special friend that you are very close to, and call "Auntie Marge," even though she is not related to you. You invite her to many family functions, and share many traditions together. Marge is an example of a/an:

A)domestic partner
B)fictive kin
C)human agency
D)family of orientation
E)family of procreation

Question 11

Compared to other developing nations, the U.S. has a ________ national family policy.

A)strong
B)weak
C)compassionate
D)aggressive
E)innovative

Question 12

Jake is analyzing some data collected by the Census Bureau for his senior project. What type of research method is he using?

A)experiment
B)secondary analysis
C)survey
D)in-depth interview
E)focus group

Question 13

Which of the following best summarizes the attitudes of U.S. high school seniors towards marriage and family?

A)Both boys and girls believe that a good marriage and family life are extremely important; however, the percentage that thinks so has declined since the early 1980s.
B)Most boys think that cohabiting before marriage is a good idea, but most girls do not.
C)Teenagers are more likely to accept divorce, cohabitation, singlehood, and being childfree as legitimate lifestyles, while at the same time also believing that marriage, children, and a strong family life are important goals.
D)Over two-thirds of boys and girls believe that most people will have fuller and happier lives if they choose legal marriage rather than staying single or cohabiting.
E)Overwhelmingly, teenagers disapprove of divorce.

Question 14

An organized pattern of social relationships and social institutions that together form the basis of society is called:

A)the sociological imagination
B)social structure
C)comparative perspective
D)human agency
E)family

Question 15

As illustrated in World Map 1.1, a comparative perspective reveals that the U.S.:

A)has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the developed world
B)has an infant mortality rate similar to Canada, France, and England
C)has among the highest infant mortality rates in the developed world
D)can show other developed and developing countries how to lower their infant mortality rates
E)has primarily universal programs to help combat infant mortality

Question 16

When one family is uninsured, we are tempted to see it as a private problem; however, when 50 million people are uninsured, it is really a social problem. This is the point of:

A)a focus group
B)the sociological imagination
C)domestic partnerships
D)systems theory
E)micro theories

Question 17

The feminist perspective:

A)has nothing in common with the conservative perspective
B)attributes the difficulties children face to sexist parenting practices in the home and in the schools
C)has fallen out of fashion in the 21st century
D)suggests that children face problems because of a lack of cooperation between the community, family, and employment to improve the quality of life
E)believes that gross cultural and moral weakening contributes to father absence and family disorganization through divorce or illegitimacy

Question 18

________ is a method that answers questions through a systematic collection and analysis of data, including description and a determination of cause and effect.

A)Theory
B)Comparative perspective
C)Family systems theory
D)The means-tested approach
E)The empirical approach

Question 19

What are the advantages and disadvantages of an experiment?

A)advantage: good for gathering information about issues that are not directly observed; disadvantage: because the data were collected for another purpose, the researcher cannot control what variables were included
B)advantage: good for exploratory and descriptive study in a natural setting; disadvantage: a potential for a low response rate
C)advantage: group interaction may produce more valuable insights than individual surveys; disadvantage: research must balance roles of participant and observer
D)advantage: saves the expense and time of original data collection; disadvantage: replication of research is difficult
E)advantage: provides greatest opportunity to assess cause and effect; disadvantage: the setting may have an artificial quality about it

Question 20

Which theory is an example of a micro theory?

A)structural functionalist theory
B)conflict theory
C)feminist theory
D)family systems theory
E)empirical theory

Question 21

Sales tax is an example of progressive taxation, but income tax is not.

Question 22

There are five (5)themes of this textbook. Which is NOT one of them?

A)Families are both a public social institution and a private personal relationship.
B)Social inequality has a powerful influence on family life.
C)Human agency interferes with family change.
D)Family policies reflect historical, cultural, political, and social factors.
E)Understanding families in the U.S. requires a comparative perspective.

Question 23

Carla's husband recently left her and their three children for another woman. He pays no child support, she has few job skills, and is destitute. Therefore she turns to the principal cash welfare program, which is called:

A)food stamps
B)Social Security
C)social structure program
D)Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
E)universal cash

Question 24

The sociological imagination reveals general patterns in what otherwise might be thought of as simple random events.

Question 25

A "domestic partner" is an unmarried couple, either heterosexual or homosexual, in a long-term committed relationship.

Question 26

You, your spouse, and your children comprise your:

A)family of orientation
B)resiliency
C)family of procreation
D)domestic partners
E)human agency

Question 27

How does the ideology of "family" shape perceptions of immigrant children, according to researcher Karen Pyke in the feature box?

A)Immigrant parents and their children become closer as they all try to act "American."
B)The Mexican families that she interviewed felt that the circumstances surrounding parents' immigration, particularly whether their immigration was legal or illegal, influences how they socialize their sons more so than their daughters.
C)Parents watch television to observe how American families are supposed to act, and practice their new model of parenthood with their children.
D)The cultural imagery of American families that children see on television is often at odds with many immigrant families and the children denigrate their own families as deficient.
E)Parents panic over the different expectations of families in the U.S. compared to their homeland, and it causes them to be extremely strict with their daughters.

Question 28

You, your siblings, and your parents comprise your:

A)family of orientation
B)fictive kin
C)family of procreation
D)domestic partners
E)human agency

Question 29

According to World Map 1.1, the United States has a low infant mortality rate compared to other developing nations.

Question 30

Matthew exemplifies a liberal perspective of family change, and therefore argues that many of the changes in family structure, such as divorce or unwed parenting, cause children to be at risk.

Question 31

Your brother-in-law, Bob, is an example of fictive kin.

Question 32

Your mom and dad are part of your family of orientation.

Question 33

Social exchange theory suggests that individuals are rational and their behavior reflects an evaluation of costs and benefits.

Question 34

The capacity to rebound from adversity, misfortune, trauma, or other transitional crises and become strengthened and more resourceful is called:

A)family protective factors
B)resiliency
C)human agency
D)family of orientation
E)symbolic interaction

Question 35

A welfare program like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)is an example of what type of social program?

A)universal
B)focus group
C)means-tested
D)Maasai
E)structural

Question 36

Jenna and Roberto are debating how the U.S. deals with family policies. Help them out. How does the U.S. compare with other developed nations with respect to family policy?

A)The U.S. is the only developed country without universal health insurance, paid maternity leaves, or family/child allowances.
B)The U.S. tends to have universal programs, whereas other developing countries tend to rely on selective programs.
C)Programs like the fire department, parks, and public schools tend to be means-tested in the U.S., unlike other countries.
D)Only Germany, Japan, Italy, and the U.S. fail to offer national health insurance.
E)People in the U.S. tend to think more collectively and support more progressive taxation.

Question 37

A ________ is a major sphere of social life, with a set of beliefs and rules that are organized to meet basic human needs.

A)sociological imagination
B)universal program
C)selective program
D)life-course
E)social institution

Question 38

Public education is an example of a means-tested program.

Question 39

Min is researching what happens to the health of families when they leave Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). She is collecting data using a series of focus groups, which will offer narrative description rather than numbers. In other words, she is using quantitative methods.

Question 40

Ju-long has overcome a difficult childhood to become a successful college student, a kind friend, and a loving boyfriend. He was, and continues to be insightful, independent, creative, and has a good sense of humor and a strong sense of morality. Within the concept of resiliency, these are known as:

A)ideological factors
B)family recovery factors
C)systems theoretical factors
D)individual-level protective factors
E)developmental factors

Question 41

The U.S. tends to have ________ social policies and programs, whereas other developed nations tend to have universal policies and programs.

Question 42

A strengths perspective focuses on identifying, creating, mobilizing, advocating, and respecting the resources, assets, wisdom, and knowledge that every person and every family has to help ameliorate problems.

Question 43

A theory is defined as:

Question 44

List the five themes of the text:

Question 45

Which theory examines how individuals' lives change as they pass through the events in their lives, recognizing that many changes are socially produced and shared among a cohort of people?

Question 46

A ________ looks at other societies around the world or looks at a culture historically to see how others organize their social life and respond to its challenges.

Question 47

The conservative perspective believes that:

Question 48

In ________ methods, the focus is on narrative description with words rather than on numbers to analyze patterns and their underlying meanings.

Question 49

A family of orientation is defined as:

Question 50

List the four factors discussed in your text that promote resiliency.

Question 51

According to the feature box, adolescence among the Maasai lasts much longer than in the U.S.-often until into their mid-twenties.

Question 52

________ is the organized pattern of social relationships and social institutions that together form the basis of society.

Question 53

Progressive taxation refers to:

Question 54

Nathan Cabrera, in the feature box, shows the importance of community factors in building resiliency.

Question 55

________ reveals general patterns in what otherwise might be thought of as simple random events.

Question 56

________ are relationships by blood, marriage, or affection, in which members may cooperate economically, may care for any child, and may consider their identity to be intimately connected to the larger group.

Question 57

Human agency refers to the impossibility of creating viable lives when constrained or limited by social forces.

Question 58

It is important to study other cultures such as the Maasai because it offers greater insight into our own culture.

Question 59

List the four goals of an empirical approach.

Question 60

A major sphere of social life, with a set of beliefs and rules that is organized to meet some basic human need, such as the family, political, or educational system is called a ________.

Question 61

Describe the six research methods presented in the text, outlining their advantages and disadvantages.

Question 62

Compare and contrast the U.S. to other developed countries with respect to family policy. Give examples.

Question 63

List the five themes of this textbook and choose two to describe in depth.

Question 64

Define family, and explain why definitions are important.

Question 65

Define "theory." List and briefly describe the seven theories that are common in the study of families.

Question 66

Compare and contrast adolescence among the Maasai with adolescence in the U.S. Why is this comparative approach important?

Question 67

Explain what we mean by the sociological imagination, and elaborate on its two primary components.