Deck 12: Family and Religion

Question 1

Why were marriages an important source of social stability in preindustrial societies?

A) They insured that families would pay a dowry, thus contributing to the stability of both families' social status.
B) Divorce would undermine social stability.
C) They gave children legitimacy by preventing unwed parenting.
D) They could serve as a means of defense and prosperity for two kinship networks.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

More than a hundred years ago, families were much larger than they are now. It was much more common for families to own farms and to work as a cooperative group. There were more distinct gender roles; women worked in the home and men worked outside the home. Parenting was also viewed very differently. Parents did not involve their children in the number of activities now common in the United States. Today, children's primary roles are to receive an education and to play and be children. What has contributed to the shift in family size and the expectations of children?

A) Children today are seen as an economic liability rather than an economic asset.
B) Children today are much smarter and need more individualized attention.
C) Today's parents feel less pressure than they did a hundred years ago.
D) Parents had more food available to feed their children, since they lived on farms.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Muhammad and Alia are in their twenties. They share a household and an intimate sexual relationship with one another. They feel that their arrangement works well, since they are able to share the rent, the bills, and household responsibilities with one another. As economic conditions worsen, they see more of their friends in this type of relationship as well. Also, both of their parents are divorced and Muhammad and Alia are both concerned that this could be a path that they could follow. Muhammad and Alia's social relationship is best described as

A) cohabitation.
B) a trial marriage.
C) an extended family.
D) a conjugal family.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Ultimately, how is "family" defined?

A) culturally
B) by the family itself
C) through sociology and other, similar, disciplines
D) blood relations

Question 5

Kinship is traced over multiple generations through

A) descent.
B) inheritance.
C) wealth.
D) extended networks.

Question 6

Which of the following is the LEAST common form of marriage in the world?

A) monogamy
B) polygamy
C) polyandry
D) polygyny

Question 7

In modern industrial societies, how is descent traced?

A) patrilineally
B) bilaterally
C) matrilineally
D) unilineally

Question 8

The reallocation of property and wealth when someone dies is known as

A) wealth distribution.
B) generational distribution.
C) an inheritance.
D) descent.

Question 9

What factor has significantly contributed to smaller family sizes?

A) increased divorce
B) women having children out of wedlock
C) men's reluctance to marry
D) women waiting longer to marry

Question 10

In India, marriages are traditionally arranged by family members. Often, among more traditional families, the prospective spouses rarely meet prior to their wedding date. The families are very concerned that their sons and daughters marry within their appropriate caste. In the United States, arranged marriages are rare. While many people do marry within their own social class, it is not frowned upon if they do not, though some wealthy families may be an exception. What would explain the difference in marriage patterns between India and the United States?

A) India requires exogamy, while the United States permits endogamy.
B) India has laws banning marriage between people in different class systems.
C) India requires endogamy, while the United States permits exogamy.
D) Americans, through experience, discovered that endogamous marriages are rarely successful.

Question 11

In the United States, when two people marry and have children they have choices about what last name to use for their children. Some couples may choose to use both of their last names to create a hyphenated version for their children, while others might use the woman's last name as a middle name and the father's last name as the child's last name. In the Hmong culture, the male is the head of the household. Children take on the father's last name and in families that still maintain the traditional culture, the newly married couple may even move in with the husband's family. In many respects, the Hmong woman has given up her family and is expected to be a part of her husband's kin. What accounts for the differences between the American and Hmong culture?

A) Descent is bilateral in the United States and matrilineal in the Hmong culture.
B) Descent is bilateral in the United States, while it is patrilineal in the Hmong culture.
C) The United States has moved to a matriarchal society rather than the patriarchal one in the Hmong culture.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 12

Sociologists refer to two or more people related by birth or social commitment, who share resources, care for any dependents, and often maintain close emotional relationships, as

A) a household.
B) a family.
C) affiliated kin.
D) blood relations.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a function of families, according to functional sociologists?

A) social stability
B) sexual regulation
C) emotional comfort
D) financial regulation

Question 14

It is typical for immigrant families to live in multigenerational households when they immigrate to the United States. A household may consist of parents, their biological children, grandparents, or older aunts and uncles. They may sponsor and pay to bring over loved ones from their homeland. Both parents are likely to work for pay while the children are in school. The other relatives will also contribute to the household, either financially or by taking on tasks within the home. What type of social function best explains this cooperative arrangement?

A) social stability
B) descent and inheritance
C) material aid
D) sexual regulation

Question 15

In most societies, what typically determines acceptable sexual relationships?

A) cultural norms
B) religious standards
C) tradition
D) individual family standards

Question 16

Around the world, what has been replacing extended family households?

A) single-parent households
B) nuclear family households
C) gay or lesbian households
D) cohabiting couple households

Question 17

All of the following are trends occurring in many parts of the world EXCEPT

A) people spending fewer years of their lives being married.
B) women waiting longer to marry.
C) open-mate selection shrinking.
D) families becoming smaller.

Question 18

Iman, her mother, and her grandmother all live together in the same household. This is an example of a(n) ________ family.

A) nuclear
B) extended
C) cohabiting
D) conjugal

Question 19

Which theoretical perspective would focus on how families carry out necessary tasks?

A) functionalists
B) symbolic interactionists
C) conflict theorists
D) micro-level theorists

Question 20

The Nyinba people of Nepal have a unique culture. When a woman marries a man, she marries all his brothers, too. The brothers all have equal sexual access to the wife, and the entire family cares for the children, although the family may recognize an individual brother as the specific father of a given child. The advantage of such an arrangement is that the wealth and resources of all the brothers can be contained in one family. It also concentrates their parents' land and wealth into a single family unit as well. Which form of marriage is represented by the Nyinba people?

A) monogamy
B) polygamy
C) polyandry
D) polygyny

Question 21

What is the current status of same-sex marriage in the United States?

A) Same-sex marriage is only legal in some states in the United States.
B) Same-sex marriage was found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2015.
C) Same-sex marriage was legalized by the Supreme Court in 2015.
D) Domestic partnerships, but not same-sex marriage, are legal in the United States.

Question 22

The historical "idealized model" of the family was most often found, in reality, among which group in the United States?

A) middle-class whites
B) the poor, no matter the race or ethnicity
C) the working class, though primarily in the suburbs
D) African Americans

Question 23

During which decade was the traditional family idealized?

A) 1930s
B) 1940s
C) 1950s
D) 1960s

Question 24

On which solution do U.S. policymakers typically focus when trying to address the challenges faced by single parents?

A) universal health care
B) school-based social programs
C) affordable housing
D) promoting marriage

Question 25

Which of the following statements accurately describes most research about children and household composition?

A) Children fare better in married-couple households than in two-parent households where the couple is cohabiting.
B) Children do better in two-parent households than in single-parent households.
C) Children are equally likely to drop out of school regardless of family type.
D) Children from cohabiting households are more like to have unsteady employment as young adults than kids from single-parent households.

Question 26

Why was divorce a difficult option during the 1950s?

A) It was associated with social stigma.
B) There were strict divorce laws.
C) There were few economic opportunities for women.
D) All these answers are correct.

Question 27

What patterns can be observed in the median age of marriage for men and women?

A) From the 1960s to the present, median age has increased for men and stayed roughly the same for women.
B) From the 1970s to the present time, median age has fluctuated up and down for men only.
C) From the 1960s to the present time, median age for both men and women has increased.
D) From the 1960s to the 1980s, median age for women decreased.

Question 28

Which group is most likely to still be living with their parents?

A) those with a bachelor's degree
B) those who are divorced
C) those who are younger
D) those who are employed

Question 29

Which of the following countries has legalized same-sex marriage?

A) United States
B) Peru
C) Russia
D) Japan

Question 30

Which of the following accurately describes the divorce rate in the United States?

A) It began to decrease in the 1980s.
B) It decreased between the 1960s and 1980s, when it began to rise again.
C) It has steadily increased since the 1960s.
D) In 2005, it reached its lowest point since the 1960s.

Question 31

How do past gender expectations affect family life of today in the United States?

A) Today's gender expectations are so radically different from previous generations' expectations that few vestiges of the "old ways" persist.
B) They are generally confined to a few symbolic acts, such as "giving the bride away" in traditional wedding ceremonies.
C) Their influence is really only found in expectations of a male head of household to be able to support his family financially.
D) Although gender relations are more equitable, previous generations' gender expectations continue to affect American families.

Question 32

All of the following are reasons that single-parent households face more challenges than two-parent households EXCEPT that they

A) are more likely to be poor.
B) lack access to economic resources.
C) cannot provide the same level of supervision to their children.
D) are more likely to have been previously divorced.

Question 33

In the movie Failure to Launch, Matthew McConaughey plays Tripp, a thirty-something-year-old man still living in his parents' home. Tripp, along with a couple of his friends, all seem content to live at home with their parents. The parents, of course, would like some privacy and feel like it's time for Tripp to move on with his life. They devise a plan with Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker) to get their son out. What does Tripp's situation represent?

A) an increased laziness among young adults
B) a trend in delayed adulthood
C) a transitional passage of time
D) a delayed labor force response

Question 34

The average number of births per woman is known as the

A) crude mortality rate.
B) fertility rate.
C) pregnancy rate.
D) demographic rate.

Question 35

What does the research show, according to Cherlin's summary of it, regarding children's experience of divorce?

A) Few children will experience intense emotional upset.
B) A small group of children will experience long-term problems that persist into adulthood.
C) Most will resume normal development within five years after their parent's separation.
D) Most will experience problems in school.

Question 36

Which racial/ethnic group is LEAST likely to raise children in a one-parent household?

A) Asians
B) African Americans
C) Hispanics
D) Whites

Question 37

What is meant by the term "open-mate selection"?

A) Cohabitation replaces marriage.
B) People are free to choose the person with whom they form a family.
C) Monogamy is not required or expected in marriage.
D) Marriages may be "open," meaning both partners are allowed sexual intimacy with others.

Question 38

During which decade did the fertility rate in the United States hit its lowest point?

A) 1950s
B) 1960s
C) 1970s
D) 1980s

Question 39

Which of the following statements accurately describes the American family of the 1950s?

A) Fathers participated in housework and childrearing.
B) Heterosexual couples were the "norm."
C) Child and spousal abuse were directly acknowledged.
D) Marriages were considered very egalitarian.

Question 40

The Brady Bunch was a popular television series in the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, a time in which divorce rates were increasing. Mike had three sons and Carol had three daughters. They met, married, and merged their families. During the first few seasons, the family had to adjust to their new circumstances, how to live together, accept step-siblings, and become a new family unit. Today, these types of families are more common. What does family in The Brady Bunch represent?

A) an extended family
B) fictive kin
C) a transitional family
D) a blended family

Question 41

The concept of karma is a part of which major religion?

A) Christianity
B) Hinduism
C) Buddhism
D) Islam

Question 42

The form of Christian belief dedicated to combating poverty and other forms of social injustice is called

A) religious justice.
B) humanitarian relief.
C) egalitarian ideology.
D) liberation theology.

Question 43

In Emile Durkheim's view, the Bible is an example of

A) the profane.
B) a ritual.
C) a belief.
D) the sacred.

Question 44

The children of which group are most likely to live in a household with both parents?

A) Asian
B) white, non-Hispanic
C) Hispanic
D) African American

Question 45

Which of the following is NOT an element of Emile Durkheim's definition of religion?

A) a set of core beliefs
B) a set of ritual practices
C) a belief in God
D) a community of adherents

Question 46

Which U.S. Supreme Court case legalized the right for same-sex couples to marry?

A) Lawrence v. Texas
B) District of Columbia v. Heller
C) Obergefell v. Hodges
D) Loving v. Virginia

Question 47

In today's society there are many responsibilities and distractions that require a person's attention. On a daily basis, most people focus upon issues of work, their household, their finances, and other ordinary aspects of daily life. Few have time to think about religion, the meaning of life, or other supernatural issues. In Emile Durkheim's view, the issues focused on are

A) superficial concerns.
B) rituals.
C) the profane.
D) the sacred.

Question 48

In 2010, Haiti experienced an earthquake in which millions of people were affected. They faced a great deal of devastation. Many children were left homeless. Haiti relied on a number of humanitarian organizations to come to their aid. Many churches in the United States collected money, clothes, and other items to send to Haiti. Some members of church groups traveled to Haiti and spent time there to help in whatever way that they were needed. Which function of religion is represented in this example?

A) motivating social action
B) aiding in the conversion of nonbelievers
C) a form of social control
D) promoting social solidarity

Question 49

Which of the following describes a part of Karl Marx's view of religion?

A) Religion serves to unify people into a collective whole.
B) Religious symbols help to differentiate one religion from another.
C) Religion serves the interests of the ruling class.
D) Religion offers true comfort and hope to people in their time of need.

Question 50

The ethic of reciprocity is also known as

A) karma.
B) enlightenment.
C) the "golden rule."
D) the soul of religion.

Question 51

Some religious groups' practices and beliefs are at odds with the dominant culture. Those with power in society often refer to these groups as a(n)

A) cult.
B) sect.
C) adherent.
D) denomination.

Question 52

When Jewish boys and girls are thirteen years old, they are considered to be "coming of age." The age of thirteen was chosen because it roughly coincides with physical puberty. Prior to the age of thirteen, parents are responsible for their children following Jewish law and tradition. After this age, the child is responsible. Boys celebrate a bar mitzvah and girls celebrate a bat mitzvah. This involves being called to read the Torah. In Emile Durkheim's view, what do the bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah represent?

A) a ritual
B) a degradation ceremony
C) a practice
D) a sect

Question 53

According to Emile Durkheim, humans create gods and religions to embody the shared values of a society. He termed these shared values

A) beliefs.
B) religious norms.
C) unconscious morality.
D) the collective conscience.

Question 54

Which group did Max Weber see as significantly contributing to the rise of capitalism?

A) Calvinist Protestants
B) the Chinese
C) Lutherans
D) the British

Question 55

Methodist Christianity is an example of a

A) cult.
B) denomination.
C) sect.
D) church.

Question 56

For sociologists, what is the source of the impact of religion on social life?

A) the way people pass on their religious beliefs to their children
B) the way people interact while within groups of their own faith versus the way they interact with those outside their faith
C) people's belief in the truth of their faith and the ways in which they adjust behavior to reflect that faith
D) people's ability to reconcile their faith, their political beliefs, and their professional lives

Question 57

Why do sociologists study religion?

A) to understand the role it plays in social life
B) to assess the truth of the world's religions
C) to determine how science plays a role in religion
D) to help understand the meaning of life

Question 58

Approximately what percent of marriages in the United States are interracial or interethnic?

A) 4 percent
B) 8 percent
C) 11 percent
D) 17 percent

Question 59

Which group is most likely to marry outside of their race or ethnicity?

A) blacks
B) Hispanics
C) whites
D) Asians

Question 60

Which of the following statements about same-sex couples is TRUE?

A) Same-sex couples with children are more likely to enjoy a middle-class income than those without children.
B) Same-sex couples are more likely to be interracial than different-sex couples.
C) Same-sex parents have children with more social and behavioral problems than those with heterosexual parents.
D) Same-sex parents are more concerned about gender nonconformity than different-sex couples.

Question 61

Approximately what percentage of the U.S. population is not affiliated with any religion?

A) less than 5 percent
B) 19 percent
C) 9 percent
D) 23 percent

Question 62

Roger was raised in a Catholic family. When he went away to college, he practiced Catholicism for a short period of time. He was always interested in religion and felt that, at times, his religion did not provide enough answers for him. Roger decided that he would learn more about other world religions. For a short period, he practiced Buddhism. Roger found that while he had a belief in a higher power, he decided he wasn't interested in affiliating with a particular religion. He gave up Catholicism from his childhood and stopped practicing Buddhism as well. What does Roger's situation represent?

A) a growing movement of people who are unaffiliated with any religion
B) a growing group of people who experience a "crisis of religion"
C) an overall decline in the importance of Catholicism in the United States
D) an increasing American interest in Eastern religions

Question 63

What is the largest non-Christian religious group in the United States?

A) Hindus
B) Buddhists
C) Muslims
D) Jews

Question 64

Many young people do not claim a religious affiliation and often do not attend church services. On what level is secularization of religion occurring?

A) at the organic level
B) at the meso level
C) at the micro level
D) at the macro level

Question 65

What did Casanova mean by the "deprivatization" of religion?

A) shifting perceptions of the role of "the church" in Americans' daily lives
B) the increasing number of Americans who do not associate themselves with any religion
C) many American churches shifting from non-profit to for-profit organizational structures
D) moving previously private beliefs into the public sphere

Question 66

Which of the following statements regarding religion on a global level is true?

A) Christianity has a significant presence in every area of the world.
B) The highest percentage of Muslims is in Asia.
C) About 16 percent of the world's population is nonreligious.
D) Religious participation for the U.S. is lowest among the wealthy, industrialized countries.

Question 67

Which world religion claims the largest following?

A) Christianity
B) Buddhism
C) Islam
D) Hinduism

Question 68

Why do some see it as a positive that religion is viewed by many as a commodity?

A) It makes religious tolerance more of an issue.
B) It offers people choices that best fit their needs.
C) It requires religious leaders to be properly trained.
D) It allows people to contribute less money to a religious organization.

Question 69

At one point in time, society relied on religion to help answer many questions regarding how society operated. Religion and religious leaders were seen as the mechanism through which people lived everyday life. With the rise of industrialization, many factories were created. Soon society came to be organized in a hierarchical manner and bureaucracies emerged. People started to rely more on scientific, rational thought to understand how society worked. This soon became the driver for day-to-day life, rather than religion. What shift were people in society experiencing?

A) the globalization of society
B) the rationalization of society
C) the rise of the capitalist machine
D) the rise of the consumption-oriented society

Question 70

Which of the following is an example of secularization at the macro-level of society?

A) People stop attending services on a weekly basis.
B) Religious groups become more like social movements.
C) Religious doctrine ceases to become the basis of legal rulings.
D) There is a drop in those claiming a religious affiliation.

Question 71

When American students say the pledge of allegiance each morning, this represents

A) a civil religion.
B) civil obedience.
C) religious patriotism.
D) nonsecular ritual.

Question 72

Which religious group in the United States has experienced the largest loss of membership?

A) Buddhists
B) Mormons
C) Catholics
D) Baptists

Question 73

Who believed that religion served to create a meaningful reality in which to live?

A) Max Weber
B) Karl Marx
C) Emile Durkheim
D) Peter Berger

Question 74

Which American political party was increasingly supported by Christian fundamentalists beginning in the 1970s?

A) the Republicans
B) the Democrats
C) the Tea Party
D) the Green Party

Question 75

Historically, many religions tended to be patriarchal in nature. Often, women were not allowed to participate in religious services, or they were separated from the men. Over time, these practices changed in some religions, and now men and women are integrated in congregations. In fact, many Christian religions allow women to serve in important positions and to be religious leaders. What does this shift represent?

A) a civil religion
B) secular humanism
C) micro-level secularization
D) a matriarchal religion

Question 76

Which theory asserts that the importance of religion has declined in the face of modernity?

A) conflict theory
B) the theory of least interest
C) the sacred transformation thesis
D) the secularization thesis

Question 77

In the 1925 Scopes trial, a high school teacher in Tennessee was prosecuted for teaching

A) human evolution.
B) about creation.
C) the big bang theory.
D) about alien life.

Question 78

A religious movement that relies on the literal interpretation of sacred texts is referred to as

A) creationism.
B) animism.
C) Darwinism.
D) fundamentalism.

Question 79

Which of the following is common to many fundamentalists, regardless of religious affiliation?

A) They seek to unite people of the world into one large group.
B) They resist changes in the modern world, especially secularization.
C) They are generally "leaderless" groups.
D) They want to change their sacred texts to better meet the needs of their followers.

Question 80

Which of the following is a characteristic shared by the various fundamentalist religious sects?

A) avoidance of ritual
B) resistance to changes in modern life
C) belief in secularization
D) acceptance of individualized varieties of faith