Question 1

The Census Bureau has redefined the term __________ as two people who live together, and think of themselves as a couple, without being legally married.

Accepted Answer

Cohabitation refers to living together as a romantic couple without being legally married, which is the definition given by the Census Bureau. Assimilation refers to the process of a person or group adopting the customs and culture of a different group, while accommodation refers to making adjustments or adaptations to fit a particular situation or environment. Matrimony specifically refers to the state of being married.

Question 2

__________ refers to household arrangements in which an unmarried couple lives together in a committed, sexually intimate relationship and is granted the same rights and benefits as those accorded to married heterosexual couples.

Accepted Answer

Domestic partnership refers to a household arrangement in which an unmarried couple lives together in a committed relationship and is granted the same rights and benefits as those accorded to married heterosexual couples. Domestic partnerships typically involve some level of legal recognition or registration, which allows the partners to access benefits like health insurance or inheritance rights. This arrangement is often used by same-sex couples who are unable to legally marry in their jurisdiction, but it can also be used by opposite-sex couples.

Question 3

__________ attempt to analyze how does the family influence the individual's self-concept and identity. They examine the roles of husbands, wives, and children as they act out their own roles and react to the actions of others. From such a perspective, what people think, as well as what they say and do, is very important in understanding family dynamics.

Accepted Answer

Symbolic interactionists emphasize the importance of communication and symbols in shaping individuals' self-concepts and identities. They focus on how individuals interpret and give meaning to the behaviors and words of others in their social interactions, including within families. Therefore, this perspective is best suited to analyze how the family influences the individual's self-concept and identity.

Question 4

The text points out that conflict and feminist analysts __________.

Accepted Answer

The text states that conflict and feminist analysts view families as sources of social inequality and conflict over values, goals, and access to resources and power. This differs from functionalist perspectives, which are viewed as inadequate by these analysts. Additionally, the roles individuals play within families are examined as part of this analysis.

Question 5

__________ explain family relationships in terms of the subjective meanings and everyday interpretations that people give to their lives. As sociologist Jessie Bernard pointed out, women and men experience marriage differently.

Accepted Answer

Symbolic interactionists focus on how people give meaning to their social interactions and relationships. They emphasize the subjective experiences and interpretations of individuals. Jessie Bernard's work on how women and men experience marriage differently is an example of the symbolic interactionist approach to studying family relationships.

Question 6

According to sociologists Peter Berger and Hansfried Kellner, interaction between marital partners __________.

Accepted Answer

According to Berger and Kellner, interaction between marital partners contributes to a shared reality. This means that through the interactions, the couple develops a mutual understanding of their relationship and the world around them, which is important for a successful marriage.

Question 7

Feminist explanations of family problems, such as high rates of divorce and overall family instability, focus on __________.

Accepted Answer

Feminist explanations of family problems focus on patriarchy and how men's domination over women contributes to inequalities in families. This includes issues such as gendered division of labor, unequal power dynamics between partners, and sexism within the family structure.

Question 8

A recent study of 11,000 women found that there was a 70 percent marriage rate for women who remained in a cohabiting relationship for at least 5 years. However, of the women in that study who cohabited and then married their partner, __________ became divorced within a 10-year period.

Accepted Answer

The question states that the study found a 70 percent marriage rate for women who remained in a cohabiting relationship for at least 5 years. This means that 30 percent did not marry their partner. The question then asks about the percentage of women who cohabited and then married their partner and became divorced within a 10-year period. Since we know that not all women who cohabited got married, we can assume that the percentage of divorces will be based on the percentage of women who actually did get married. Therefore, the answer is likely to be less than 70 percent. Of the given choices, C) 40 percent is the closest estimate to this reasoning.

Question 9

Early __________ such as Charles Horton Cooley and George Herbert Mead provided key insights on the roles we play as family members and how we modify or adapt our roles to the expectations of others-especially significant others such as parents, grandparents, and siblings.

Accepted Answer

Charles Horton Cooley and George Herbert Mead were symbolic interactionists who emphasized the importance of social interactions and the meanings that we give to them. They believed that our sense of self develops through our interactions with others and that our roles and behaviors are shaped by the expectations of significant others.

Question 10

Most people in the United States tend to choose marriage partners who are similar to themselves. __________ refers to the pattern of individuals marrying those who have similar characteristics, such as race/ethnicity, religious background, age, education, or social class.

Accepted Answer

Homogamy refers to the tendency of individuals to marry others who have similar characteristics. Monogamy refers to the practice of being married to only one person at a time, while polygamy refers to the practice of having multiple spouses at the same time. Exogamy refers to the practice of marrying someone outside of one's own social group, such as a different tribe or clan. Therefore, the best choice in this case is C, homogamy.

Question 11

Sociologist Arlie Hochschild coined the term __________ to refer to the work that many employed women perform after they complete their workday on the job.

Accepted Answer

Arlie Hochschild used the term "second shift" to refer to the additional work, such as cooking, cleaning, and childcare, that many employed women perform after they complete their workday on the job. This term highlights the unequal burden that women often face in balancing work inside and outside the home. The other answer choices (maintenance shift, household shift, domestic shift) are not commonly used terms in sociology to describe this phenomenon.

Question 12

In regard to women's and men's perceptions about romantic love, sociologist Francesca Cancian points out that __________.

Accepted Answer

Francesca Cancian suggests that men often express their love through nonverbal actions, such as doing tasks or running errands, rather than through verbal expressions.

Question 13

In 2004, approximately __________ percent of employed mothers with children under age 6 worked full-time.

Accepted Answer

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2004, approximately 74% of employed mothers with children under age 6 worked full-time. Therefore, choice C is the correct answer.

Question 14

__________ percent of all marriages in the United States are dual-earner marriages, in which both spouses are in the labor force.

Accepted Answer

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 60% of married couples in the United States are dual-earner marriages. Therefore, choice C is the best answer. The other answer choices are not accurate based on current statistics.

Question 15

Our ideal culture emphasizes __________, which refers to a deep emotion, the satisfaction of significant needs, a caring for and acceptance of the person we love, and involvement in an intimate relationship.

Accepted Answer

The description of deep emotion, satisfaction of significant needs, caring and acceptance of the person we love, and intimate relationship aligns with the concept of romantic love. While companion love and community love may also involve aspects of caring and acceptance, they do not necessarily have the same level of emotion and intimacy as romantic love. Traditional love is too vague to be a clear choice.

Question 16

Social scientist David Elkind describes the postmodern family as __________, capable of being diffused or invaded in such a manner that an entity's original purpose is modified or changed.

Accepted Answer

Elkind describes the postmodern family as "permeable," meaning that it is capable of being diffused or invaded in such a manner that an entity's original purpose is modified or changed. This suggests that the boundaries and roles within the postmodern family are flexible and open to influence from external forces.

Question 17

Conflict explanations of family problems, such as high rates of divorce and overall family instability, focus on __________.

Accepted Answer

Conflict explanations focus on how power dynamics and exploitation, particularly between social classes, contribute to family problems.

Question 18

__________ is a characteristic of the postmodern family. The boundaries between the public sphere (the workplace) and the private sphere (the home) are becoming much more open and flexible. In fact, family life may be negatively affected by the decreasing distinction between what is work time and what is family time.

Accepted Answer

Urbanity refers to the characteristics of a city or urban environment, and is not applicable to the postmodern family. Homogamy refers to the tendency for individuals to marry people who have similar social characteristics, and endogamy refers to cultural or religious rules that dictate marriage within a particular group. Polyandry refers to a form of marriage in which one woman is married to multiple men. The description given in the question best fits the characteristic of blurring boundaries between work and family, which is a defining feature of postmodern families.

Question 19

According to __________, the idea of romantic love has given way to the idea of consensual love. Individuals agree to have sexual relations with others whom they have no intention of marrying or, if they marry, do not necessarily see the marriage as having permanence.

Accepted Answer

Postmodern theorists argue that the traditional idea of romantic love has been replaced with a concept of consensual love, where individuals engage in sexual relations with others without the intention of marrying or prioritizing permanence in the relationship.

Question 20

The National Health and Social Life Survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago reported numerous findings. Which of the following was not a finding of the survey?

Accepted Answer

The survey found that persons who engaged in extramarital sex found their activities to be more thrilling but also felt more guilt, not less.

Quiz 11: Families and Intimate Relationships.