01 Knox-MF T

CHAPTER 1
RELATIONSHIPS, MARRIAGES AND FAMILIES TODAY
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter, students should be able to:
1. Identify the various issues to keep in mind when making interpersonal choices (e.g., not
to decide is to decide; some choices require correction; choices involve trade-offs;
choices include selecting a positive or negative view; choices involve various decision
making styles; choices produce ambivalence; some choices are revocable while others are
not); choices vary with the family life cycle; making wise choices is facilitated by
learning decision making skills.
2. To understand global, structural, cultural and media influences on choices.
3. Discuss how ones family of origin, unconscious motivations, habit patterns,

personalities, and previous relationship experiences influence choices in relationships.
4. Identify five elements that define marriage, and four types of marriage.
5. Make the case for marriage in terms of the benefits of marriage and the liabilities of
singlehood.
6. Define family according to the U.S. Census Bureau definition, specify who is excluded
by this definition, and why the definition of who is family? is important. To what
degree are pets and friends commonly regarded as family members?
7. Describe various types of families including the family of origin, family of procreation,
nuclear family, binuclear family, extended family and the traditional/modern/postmodern
family.
8. Identify the differences between marriage and the family in the United States.
9. Explain how the Industrial Revolution affected family life.
10. Describe how marriages and families have changed since 1950.
11. Discuss various theoretical frameworks for viewing marriage and the family, including
social exchange, family life course development, structural-functional, conflict, symbolic
interaction, family systems, and feminist frameworks.
12. Identify the various stages in conducting a research project.
13. Identify caveats to keep in mind when reading/evaluating a research article.
1
TEST QUESTIONS
Multiple Choice
1. Not to decide is to decide means that not making a decision:

a. is a mistake
b. is a negative way of making a decision
c. is to reverse the decision making process
d. is making a decision by default
ANS: D REF: PAGE 2 OBJ: 1.1
2. According to your text, if you dont make a decision to be faithful to your partner,:
a. you will become hedonistic by default
b. you have made a decision to be vulnerable to cheating
c. your partner will not reciprocate your promise of fidelity
d. your lack of moral values will reflect negatively on you
ANS: B REF: PAGE 2 OBJ: 1.1
3. Which of the following is close to an irrevocable choice?

a. deciding to marry
b. deciding to have a child
c. deciding to give up religion
d. deciding to end the relationship with ones parents
4. The decision making style of 148 college students in the Allen et al. study is:
a. I am in control
b. I am experimenting and learning
c. I am irresponsible
d. I am struggling but growing
ANS: A REF: PAGE 4 OBJ: 1.1
5. The central theme of your text is:

a. choices in relationships
b. everything changes in marriage and the family
c. the pursuit of marriage is being replaced by the pursuit of singlehood
d. the moral fabric of the institution of marriage must be strengthened
6. Generation Yers tend to be all of the following except:

a. they focus on fun
b. they live with parents
c. they sacrifice through hard work to achieve economic stability
d. they focus on the here and now
ANS: C REF: PAGE 5 OBJ: 1.1
2
7. The price of oil in the Middle East impacting family vacation choices reflects:
a. materialistic values result in moralistic choices
b. the interconnectedness of the European common market
c. Obama economics
d. global influences on choices
8. Individuals in which country report the highest life satisfaction?

a. Switzerland
b. United States
c. Canada
d. Australia
9. Which of the following is not a member of your primary group?

a. your sibling
b. your boss at your primary place of employment
c. your mother
d. your father
10. All of the following are secondary group members except:

a. your boss
b. your roommate
c. your teacher for this course
d. your sibling
11. Which tends to be true of Asian and Asian American families?

a. collectivism
b. individualism
c. familism
d. relatism
12. The family and education are:

a. role relationships
b. social institutions
c. normative networks
d. status relationships
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13. Which of the following is a universal institution?
a. education
b. economy
c. family
d. religion
14. Two types of include primary and secondary.

a. social institutions
b. social groups
c. social statuses
d. social roles
15. Your coworkers in a job context are an example of a:

a. primary group
b. secondary institution
c. peer role set
d. secondary group
16. A mother in a family is an example of a .

a. role
b. norm
c. status
d. function
17. Our identify who we are; our ___________ identify what we do.
a. statuses; roles
b. roles; statuses
c. functions; beliefs
d. beliefs; functions
18. If your child needs to go to the doctor and you have a final exam, you are experiencing:
a. family dysfunction
b. status conflict
c. primary group conflict
d. role conflict
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19. Role conflict exists when:
a. the expectations of one role conflict with the expectations of another role
b. a person is uncertain about the expectations of a particular role
c. a person intentionally disregards his or her role expectations
d. a person has not properly identified status responsibilities
20. Two central elements of culture include:

a. roles and statuses
b. beliefs and values
c. primary and secondary groups
d. functions and institutions
21. The sociological imagination shows how affect(s) individual lives.

a. social structure
b. culture
c. unconscious motivations
d. both social structure and culture
22. Mike chose a career and wife similar to his fathers career and wife. This reflects which
influence on ones personal choices?
a. family of origin
b. unconscious motivations
c. habit patterns
d. operant learning
23. The family you visit when you go home for the holidays is:
a. family of procreation
b. family of origin
c. family of familiarity
d. family of kinship
24. What relationship involves a legal contract and a public ceremony?

a. marriage
b. family
c. domestic partnership
d. cohabitation
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25. These marriages result from a heterosexual couple living together and presenting
themselves to the community as married. They are in legal in 10 states and the District of
Columbia.
a. domestic
b. civil union
c. common law
d. both a and b
26. According to Pryor et al. 2008, the top value of U.S. college undergraduates is:
a. raising a family
b. making a contribution to society
c. enjoying ones career
d. being well off financially
27. One form of _________ (generic term) is __________ (the specific term).
a. polygamy; polygyny
b. polyandry; polygamy
c. polygyny; polyandry
d. polyandry; polygyny
ANS: A REF: PAGE 12 OBJ: 14
28. Polygyny is legal in:

a. Hawaii
b. Utah and Arizona
c. California and Nevada
d. no state
29. This term means that one woman is married to several men.
a. polyandry
b. pantogamy
c. polygyny
d. polyamory
30. The Census Bureau defines family as a group of two or more persons related by all of the
following except:
a. law
b. blood
c. marriage
d. adoption
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31. This type of family is known as known as a universal social grouping.
a. nuclear family
b. biparental family
c. monogamous marriage
d. polygamous marriage
32. The family you begin when you marry and have children is your:
a. family of origin
b. family of orientation
c. monogamous family
d. family of procreation
33. Your family of orientation is:

a. the same as your family of procreation
b. the family you begin a new family in
c. the family you marry into- your new spouse and in-laws
d. the family into which you were born
34. In contrast to the traditional family, what is an example of a postmodern family?

a. a dual earner family where both spouses work outside the home
b. a role reversal family where the wife earns the income/the father rears the children
c. a gay couple rearing children
d. a one income family where the husband is the breadwinner
35. What state recognizes the marriages between same sex individuals?
a. Massachusetts
b. California
c. Connecticut
d. both Massachusetts and Connecticut
36. In a Harris Poll, what percent of the surveyed adults regarded pets as family?
a. almost a quarter
b. almost a half
c. almost three-quarters
d. almost 90 percent
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37. The most enduring of all relationships is likely to be that between:
a. two brothers
b. two sisters
c. an older brother and a younger sister
d. a mother and her daughter
38. In contrast to the traditional family, an example of the modern family is:
a. a dual earner family where both spouses work outside the home
b. a role reversal family where the wife earns the income/the father rears the children
c. a gay couple rearing children
d. a one income family where the husband is the breadwinner
39. Which of the following is not a change in the last half century?
a. death rather than divorce is the way most marriages end
b. marriage is a legitimate focus of scientific study
c. decline in marriage
d. rise in feminism
40. The Industrial Revolution provided the context for the development of:
a. familism
b. individualism
c. hedonism
d. relativism
41. Richman (2008) found that the effect of terrorism on families has been:
a. increased stress
b. increased drinking
c. both a and b
d. neither a nor b
42. What is the theoretical framework used most often in studies of marriage and the family?
a. social exchange framework
b. biosocial framework
c. structure function framework
d. family life course development framework
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43. Which theoretical framework views the family as an institution to stabilize society?
a. conflict
b. structural-functionalist
c. family systems
d. symbolic interaction
44. Conflict theorists regard conflict as:

a. bad for families
b. necessary to stop before escalation begins
c. destructive for children as well as adults
d. natural, normal, necessary for change and growth
45. The self-fulfilling prophecy is part of the ______ framework.

a. family systems
b. family development/family life cycle
c. structural-functionalist
d. symbolic interaction
46. According to the looking-glass self, children who are often criticized by their parents:
a. make poor grades
b. develop negative self-concepts
c. improve themselves in order to gain parental approval
d. have high expectations of a mate
47. The family life course development framework emphasizes:

a. how families change over time
b. alternative family forms
c. generational patterns in family dynamics
d. the comparative study of families across cultures
48. Which theoretical framework is concerned with transitions and tasks?

a. family life course development
b. social exchange
c. symbolic interaction
d. structural-functional
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49. The _______ framework is concerned with family rules of interaction and boundaries.
a. structural-functional
b. family systems
c. social exchange
d. conflict
50. The _______ framework looks at mate selection/interaction in terms of profit and loss.
a. symbolic interaction
b. structural-functional
c. systems
d. social exchange
51. A feral child is one who:

a. has been brought up almost exclusively in day care centers
b. has been brought up in foster homes
c. is wild and thought to be brought up by animals
d. is a child genius (sometimes unexplained by social background)
52. The phrase, Most choices are revocable means that:

a. choices can be changed
b. choices have both positive and negative outcomes
c. choices are influenced by society
d. choices are dictated by unwanted authority
53. The Oneida Community of the 19th and 20th century is known for:
a. homogamy
b. polygyny
c. polyandry
d. pantagamy
54. This theoretical framework looks at how marriage is beneficial to the society.
a. structure-function
b. symbolic interaction
c. social organization
d. conflict
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55. This theoretical framework uses the concepts of inequality and oppression in reference to
women.
a. social inequality
b. feminist
c. stratification
d. social class
56. Concepts relevant to the symbolic interaction framework are:

a. definition of the situation
b. mating gradient
c. looking glass self
d. both a and c
57. Why are random samples important in research?

a. they provide for generalization of findings to a larger population
b. they increase the reliability of the research
c. they decrease the likelihood that respondents provide distorted answers
d. they remove the criticism of cohort issues
58. What is the time lag from a completed research study and the article in print?
a. two months
b. two years
c. six months
d. five years
59. Most researchers use convenience samples, which means an overabundance of:
a. grade school data due to the captive audience
b. high school seniors who are willing to complete questionnaires
c. diverse college students from different social classes, religions, and races
d. white, Protestant, middle-class college students
60. In research, the group not exposed to the independent variable is known as the:
a. convenience group
b. random group
c. experimental group
d. control group
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True-False
1. Not to make a decision to end an abusive relationship is to decide to stay in it.

ANS: T REF: PAGE 2 OBJ: 1.1
2. The one social institution that focuses on fulfilling the emotional needs of its members is
the family.
3. The primary themes of the feminist framework are inequality and oppression.
4. Definition of the situation and looking-glass self are concepts relevant to the conflict
framework for viewing the family.
ANS: F REF: PAGE 24 OBJ: 1.11
5. Approximately 2 years elapse between the end of a research study and its publication.
6. Rules, boundaries, subsystems, and openness are concepts relevant to the life course
theoretical framework.
7. More college students are in control than experimenting and learning when making
decisions.
8. Generation Yers are more serious than their immediate gratification parents and feel
more dedicated to get credentials to ensure their economic survival in a recessionary
economy.
9. A person who drinks, is sexually active, and does not use contraception has made a
decision by default to become a parent.
10. The most commonly used theoretical perspective in marriage and the family is the social
exchange framework.
Short Answer
1. Identify the benefits of marriage and the liabilities of singlehood.

ANS: See PAGE 13 REF: PAGE 13 OBJ: 1.5
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2. Compare and contrast the terms marriage and the family.
3 Discuss the changes in U.S. marriages and families in the last fifty years.
4. What functions/benefits does the family provide for the larger society?
5. What are the two primary foci of the feminist framework for viewing marriage and the
family?
6. Using the sociological imagination, explain how your choice of a marriage partner
. is influenced.
7. Discuss and give five examples of how not to decide is to decide.

8. Give examples of how the choices you are facing are influenced by where you are in
the family life cycle.
9. Discuss how global and media influences impact relationship choices.

10. Use the concepts of social exchange and explain the reason for your staying in your
current relationship or leaving your last one.
Essay
1. Discuss the functions of marriage for the individual and for society and predict whether
marriage will or will not continue as a viable social institution.
2. Using the looking glass self concept, discuss how your self-concept develops and is
maintained.
3. How do social structure and culture affect relationship choices?

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4. Discuss the social exchange view of relationships. What social exchanges are occurring
in your current or past relationship?
5. Review the steps in conducting a research project and the issues to keep in mind when
evaluating a research article.
14

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CHAPTER 1

RELATIONSHIPS, MARRIAGES AND FAMILIES TODAY

After reading this chapter, students should be able to:

2. To understand global, structural, cultural and media influences on choices.

3. Discuss how ones family of origin, unconscious motivations, habit patterns,

9. Explain how the Industrial Revolution affected family life.

12. Identify the various stages in conducting a research project.

13. Identify caveats to keep in mind when reading/evaluating a research article.

1. Not to decide is to decide means that not making a decision:

3. Which of the following is close to an irrevocable choice?

5. The central theme of your text is:

6. Generation Yers tend to be all of the following except:

8. Individuals in which country report the highest life satisfaction?

9. Which of the following is not a member of your primary group?

10. All of the following are secondary group members except:

11. Which tends to be true of Asian and Asian American families?

12. The family and education are:

14. Two types of include primary and secondary.

15. Your coworkers in a job context are an example of a:

16. A mother in a family is an example of a .

20. Two central elements of culture include:

21. The sociological imagination shows how affect(s) individual lives.

24. What relationship involves a legal contract and a public ceremony?

28. Polygyny is legal in:

33. Your family of orientation is:

34. In contrast to the traditional family, what is an example of a postmodern family?

44. Conflict theorists regard conflict as:

45. The self-fulfilling prophecy is part of the ______ framework.

47. The family life course development framework emphasizes:

48. Which theoretical framework is concerned with transitions and tasks?

51. A feral child is one who:

52. The phrase, Most choices are revocable means that:

56. Concepts relevant to the symbolic interaction framework are:

57. Why are random samples important in research?

1. Not to make a decision to end an abusive relationship is to decide to stay in it.

1. Identify the benefits of marriage and the liabilities of singlehood.

7. Discuss and give five examples of how not to decide is to decide.

9. Discuss how global and media influences impact relationship choices.

3. How do social structure and culture affect relationship choices?

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