Midterm Review Family Sociology

Midterm Exam  EXAM WILL BE ON BLACKBOARD  Midterm will be listed under Course Documents Folder  Exam will be available from 10:00 A.M. on Tuesday, March 8 to 4:00 P.M. on Wednesday, March 9  If the exam freezes, me to unlock.  Jot down your answers every 5-10 questions on paper or type into Word as a backup  Don’t try to save or back track!

Midterm Exam  40ish multiple choice questions (2/3 points each)  7 questions on 3-4 charts (also multiple choice) (2 points each)  Print out Midterm charts to use during midterm

Midterm Review  1. A ________ is a major sphere of social life with a set of beliefs and rules that is organized to meet human needs.  A.social institution  B.social norm  C.social rule  D.social organization

Midterm Review  2. Give an example of a macro level analysis:  1.Examining large scale changes such as the increase in married women’s employment rate in U.S.  2.Comparing divorce rates in two countries

Midterm Review  3. Briefly define and distinguish between the terms sex and gender  Sex refers to the biological characteristics such as reproductive organs, sex chromosomes, hormones, that distinguish males and females  Gender refers to the cultural or social characteristics that distinguish men and women

Midterm Review  4. How has sexuality changed over time?  A.sex has become decoupled from marriage.  B.the sex specialization marriage model has become more common.  C.The government has enacted more laws regulating sexuality  D.None of the above  Answer A

Midterm Review  5. According to the article by Hymowitz, “The New Girl Order,” the “Sex and the City” lifestyle, is going global.  What three demographic changes are at the core of this lifestyle shift?  First, women—especially, but not only, in the developed world—are getting married and having kids considerably later than ever before.  Second, young people, particularly women, are enrolling in colleges and universities at unprecedented rates. Between 1960 and 2000, the percentages of 20-, 25-, enrolled in school urbanization. more than doubled in the U.S.  Third, urbanization -- women more likely to live on their own in cities after finishing school and before getting married.

Midterm Review  6. Briefly describe the main ideas of the gender perspectives  6. Briefly describe the main ideas of the gender perspectives  Operates at both macro and micro level  Central concept is gender—the social and cultural characteristics that distinguish women and men in society.  Oriented toward power in relationships.  Feminist theory argues that differences between men and women are socially constructed to maintain power of men over women.  Emphasizes culture, rather than biology.

Midterm Review 7. According to sociologists, race is defined as ___________ while ethnicity refers to_________________ while ethnicity refers to_________________  Race: groups with a common set of physical features that distinguishes them from other groups  Ethnicity: A population that shares a cultural heritage or common ancestry  Ethnic groups have a sense of brotherhood or sisterhood maintained within the larger culture

Midterm Review 8. Why do demographers argue that the 1950s were an anomalous (atypical) period in terms of family demographics?  Percentage never married was lower than rates before and after 1950s  Higher fertility rates during 1950s  Higher marriage rates  Lower divorce rates  Probably due to post WW II economic boom

Annual Divorce Rate,

Midterm Review 9. Briefly distinguish between the macro and micro levels of analysis in sociological inquiry  Analysis at the macro level focuses on large-scale institutions, structures, and processes; comparisons between entire societies  Analysis at the micro level examines interaction between individuals and small groups like families

Midterm Review 10. In contrast to structural functionalist theory, which views society as a system of interacting parts that act in harmony, conflict theory A. A. views society as a set of social institutions with specific functions B. B. focuses on power differences between the haves and have nots C. C. focuses on gender differences D. D. None of the above Answer: B

Midterm Review 11. The new discourse on gay families emerges from the same cultural trends that have led to the weakening of marriage as a social institution including A. The increased focus on adolescence as a separate stage of life. B. The rise of individualism (focus on me). C. The separation of sex from marriage D. B & C Answer D: Both B & C

Midterm Review  12. Why do gay couples seek to get married? A. Married couples are more likely to have children than gay couples B. Benefits are automatically given to married couples such as inheritance and health insurance for spouses C. Married couples more likely to own a house together D. All of the above. Answer is B

Midterm Review  13. Which of the following statements about how families have changed over time is FALSE?  A. While the power of marriage over people's lives has weakened, 90 percent of whites and 75 percent of African Americans will eventually marry.  B. Images of the happy, nuclear family of the 1950s are largely myths.  C. Families today are similar to those in the past in which three generations lived together for long periods of time.  D. Families are adapting to demographic and social changes, but remain a strong influence over the lives of adults and children.  Answer C

Midterm Review  14. According to the lecture on Demographic Trends, which of the following statements about is TRUE?  A. Cohabitation is on the rise in the United States.  B. Men live longer than women  C. Divorce rates have been increasing over the past ten years  D. More than 45% of adults over age 25 have a college degree in the U.S.  Answer A

Midterm Review 15. What are the approximate percentages of Non Hispanic Whites, Non Hispanic Blacks, Asians, Native Americans, and Hispanics living in the US?  African-American:12.1 %  White:75.0 %  Asian-American: 4.3 %  Native American:.9 %  Hispanic/Latino: 14.5 %

Midterm Review 16. What are two reasons that sociologists argue that race is socially constructed?  While racial characteristics are biological in origin, the interpretation of those characteristics may vary  Choice of racial characteristics that are emphasized is subjective  Racial definitions varies over time –from on historic period to another  Racial definitions vary across space - from one society to the next

Midterm Review 17. What racial-ethnic group has the highest percentage of children living in two-parent, intact families and why?  Asian Americans  Because they are more likely to be newer immigrants who are coming from a more traditional culture, country  Divorce is less acceptable and more recently legalized compared to the U.S.

Midterm Review  18. You are a researcher interested in studying the national fertility rate (the number of births per 1,000 women per year) and will use data from the National Center of Health Statistics (NCHS)  Which research method would you be using?  A.positive correlation  B.demographic methods  C.qualitative interviews  D.focus groups  Answer B

Midterm Review  19. What is the average age at marriage for women and for men today?  Women: 25  Men: 27  Make sure to note the chart

20. What is the trend in the following rates, since 1980?  Teen pregnancy rate:  Divorce rate: leveled off  Women’s labor force participation rate:  Fertility rate:  No change (2 children per woman) Midterm Review

 21. According to the article by Hymowitz about “The New Girl Order? Which of the following changes have been spreading from the U.S. to Europe? Hint: Thing Sex and the City  A. More women are becoming educated and focusing on careers before marrying  B. More women are remaining single longer and living in urban areas.  C. The increasing privacy surrounding marriage and sex.  D. A & B  Answer Both A & B

Using the Previous chart 22.From 1995 to 2010, which family type is expected to see the largest decrease?  A. Single mothers with children.  B. Single fathers without children.  C. Two-parent households with children.  D. married couple households with no children.  Answer C

23. According to the reading in the Risman text: The Picture Perfect American Family: These Days it Doesn't Exist, by Andrew Cherlin, which of the following is TRUE? 23. According to the reading in the Risman text: The Picture Perfect American Family: These Days it Doesn't Exist, by Andrew Cherlin, which of the following is TRUE? A. contemporary marriage has become more focused on the emotional rewards of family life, compared to bringing home a paycheck or raising children. B. the two-parent, breadwinner-homemaker marriage reaches its peak in the 1950s. C. families are more diverse than in the past evidenced by the diversity in the political candidates in the 2010 presidential election. C. families are more diverse than in the past evidenced by the diversity in the political candidates in the 2010 presidential election. D. All of the above.  Answer D Midterm Review

24. The U.S. Bureau of the Census has collectied data for the 2010 Census. What is the difference between a Census of the U.S. and national survey of the U.S. like the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH)? A. A Census is not representative of the entire U.S. population, while a national survey is. B. A national survey is not representative of the entire U.S. population, while a Census is. C. A survey is based on a sample drawn from the U.S. national population, while a Census attempts to collect data from every American. D. None of the above. Answer C

Figure 2 Mothers in the Labor Force, 1955–2004 Percentage of mothers with children Year Under 186 to 17Under 6 years years %38.40%18.20% May also have older children. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web: data.bls.gov.

Chart on Mothers Labor Force Participation  Using Figure 2, the table "Mothers in the Labor Force, ," from 1955 to 2004, which group of mothers saw the greatest increase in their rate of labor force participation?  A. Single, never married mothers.  B. Mothers with children under age 18.  C. Divorced, separated, or widowed mothers.  D. Mothers with children under age 6.

Midterm Review  26. According to Figure 3, the chart "Unmarried Partner Households by Sex of Partner and Race and Hispanic Origin of Partners, 2000," and assignment #2, which of the following statements best summarizes the chart?  Answer A. The percentage of same-sex, unmarried partners is rising steadily.  B. African Americans and Native Americans, have the highest rates of opposite-sex unmarried partnerships.  C. Asian Americans are increasingly likely to live in cohabiting partnerships, both same sex and opposite sex.  D. None of the above

Source: Bumpass & Sweet, Figure 3