Q&A Hero

Q: In 1940, about 38% of people in the United State age 25 to 29 had completed high school. What was that figure for 2013? a. 99.9% b. 86.6% c. 68.8% d. 28.4%

Q: Approximately what percentage of public high school students in the United States will drop out before graduation? a. 54% b. 30% c. 15% d. 5%

Q: Many problems in U.S. schools are related to the lack of student interest. According to the chapter, this is the downside ofa. upward mobility.b. boring teachers.c. American youth.d. compulsory education.

Q: Americans' faith in education is based on the assumption that a. an educated citizenry is more patriotic. b. educated people earn more money and pay more taxes. c. a democratic society requires an educated citizenry. d. educated people are easier to manipulate.

Q: According to the chapter, which course is most likely to be opposed in U.S. public high schools? a. Survey of British Literature 1800"1950b. The Life and Teachings of Karl Marxc. Particle Physics and the Big Bangd. Survey of 19th Century Russian Literature

Q: The formal system of education in all societies is _____, because the avowed function of the schools is to teach newcomers the attitudes, values, roles, specialties, and training necessary for the maintenance of society. a. conservative b. progressive c. transformative d. to nurture individualism

Q: Discuss child poverty and how it relates to changing family structures.

Q: Discuss the ways in which work affects family life, and how gender differences affect work and family roles in the United States today.

Q: Discuss how sociologist Judith Stacey's concept of the modern family differs from her idea of the postmodern family. How does class factor into each type of family?

Q: Discuss the evolution of how families have been portrayed on American television.

Q: Compare and contrast the order and conflict perspectives on the myth of separate worlds as it relates to the idea of the family as a "haven in a heartless world."

Q: Trends regarding families led Joseph Coates in 2002 to make predictions about family life in the future. What did he speculate about divorce? a. Divorce rates will diminish as more minority families decide to remain intact. b. Divorce rates will soar as more women enter the workforce, either out of necessity or a desire for personal fulfillment. c. Divorce will diminish because society will focus on creating more effective families as profamily movements emerge. d. Divorce will continue but society will focus on creating more effective families as profamily movements emerge.

Q: The chapter predicts several possibilities for families in the future based on the growing numbers of senior citizens in our society. Which of the following is NOT one of those predictions?a. The percentage of multigenerational households will grow.b. Elders will enter shared living arrangement such as dorm-style living in retirement communities.c. Adult children will boomerang back to their parents.d. Parents will boomerang back to their adult children.

Q: During the 20th century, the population of the United States experienced a profound changeit became older and is on the verge of becoming much older. The chapter refers to this phenomenon as thea. multigenerational family.b. grandparent glut.c. senior boom.d. second childhood.

Q: The chapter makes the case that, along with the changing pace of life, _____ is (are) decreasing family interactions.a. rites of passageb. technologyc. formal educationd. afterschool jobs

Q: Unlike premodern societies, which have _____ serving to identify the individual as a child or an adult, adulthood in U.S. society is unclear. a. rites of passage b. secret names c. identity cards d. technology

Q: A comparison of various factors such as infant mortality, child and teen death rates, and teen birth rates show that children's well-being in the early 21st century is _____ than in the late 20th century. a. equal to b. somewhat worse c. much worse d. better

Q: The term _____ is used to describe the transfer of moods, feelings, and behavior between work and family settings. a. glass wall b. boundary issue c. spillover d. stress reaction

Q: Which term is defined as the way in which the connections between jobs and family life may be a source of tension for workers and family members? a. Spillover b. Work"family interference c. Home-as-haven d. Work"life balance

Q: Since the 1960s, the rise of _____ in the workforce has been dramatic, creating both benefits and constraints for families. a. women b. African Americans c. Latinos d. first-generation immigrants

Q: What percentage of people in the United States who remarry were previously divorced (rather than widowed)? a. 10% b. 40% c. 60% d. 90%

Q: Which of the following is NOT one of the patterns noted about divorce in the United States? a. One in five marriages ends in divorce or separation within five years. b. Couples who separate do so, on average, after seven years and divorce after eight years. c. One in eight marriages dissolves within 10 years. d. Divorce patterns for African Americans differ from those of Whites.

Q: Same-sex marriage was legalized on June 27, 2015. Prior to that decision, there was much debate on both sides. Supporters of same-sex marriage argued that denying same-sex couples access to things straight couples take for granted, such as _____, was discriminatory. a. setting up a household together b. Social Security benefits, health care, and pension benefits c. sending their children to public school d. starting a business together

Q: Jessie Bernard's work demonstrated that each marriage is actually a. two marriageshis and hers. b. the merging of two separate human beings into a single entity. c. impossible to evaluate from the outside. d. a balance of advantage and abuse.

Q: Recent research finds the _____ benefits of marriage to be uneven; that is, they differ by social class and race. a. intimacy b. companionship c. social d. economic

Q: Companionship and intimacy are obvious benefits of marriage, but research has also found another benefit, which is a. married people who divorce are happier than people who never marry. b. married people enjoy participating in risky behaviors like excessive drinking together. c. marriage promotes better health, both physical and mental. d. marriage promotes a higher level of education.

Q: The _____ is made up of family scholars and therapists, educators, policymakers, and religious leaders who have proposed a number of strategies for improving marriage and reducing divorce. a. feminist movement b. marriage movement c. family enhancement movement d. conservative coalition

Q: In 1970, 72% of all U.S. adults were married. Today, that figure is a. just over 60%. b. almost 55%. c. just under 50%. d. almost 25%.

Q: Greta is a 62-year-old woman who is raising her five-year-old grandson. They rent an apartment in a converted garage behind a house in a residential neighborhood of a small city. When the census taker visits Greta, she records this household as a a. blended family. b. family. c. nonfamily household. d. postmodern family.

Q: In the next decade, the overall composition of households is projected to continue to shift, with a increasing proportion of a. nonfamily households. b. family households. c. modern families. d. traditional families.

Q: The fastest growth among nonfamily households in recent years has been among a. immigrants. b. cohabiting heterosexual couples. c. college-age youth sharing apartments. d. individuals living alone.

Q: Frank and Marty have been a couple for 25 years but they only married in July, 2015, following the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows same-sex marriage in all 50 states. In the 2010 census, they were recorded as living in a _____, but in 2020 they will be considered a _____. a. household; family. b. nonfamily household; household. c. nonfamily household; family. d. nonfamily household; real household.

Q: Jane and Mary are in their senior year of college. They have decided to forego dorm life and rent an apartment of their own. When the census-taker appears at their door, he records them as a(n) a. family. b. nonfamily household. c. extended family. d. same-sex couple.

Q: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a(n) _____ consists of two or more persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption who reside together. a. family b. household c. nonfamily household d. extended family

Q: What is defined as one or more persons living in a residence, whether related or not? a. Family home b. Extended family c. Family d. Household

Q: Although families throughout society are changing as a result of macroeconomic forces, the changes are most profound among a. upper-class families, who are making more money than ever. Women and minorities have long been targets of discrimination in U.S. industries. b. middle-class families, who find it hard to afford college for their children. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has no legal authority to prosecute for discrimination. c. working-class families, who are being fired or laid off in disproportionate numbers. Charges of discrimination center on hiring policies, seniority rights, restricted job placement, limited opportunities for advancement. d. low-income families, although they are accustomed to hard times. The segmented labor market and capitalist patriarchy perpetuate inequalities.

Q: Tough economic conditions have caused couples to a. marry and have children earlier. b. marry earlier but delay having children. c. delay marriage and/or children. d. delay marriage but have children immediately afterward.

Q: According to the chapter, a family's location in the _____ is the single most important determinant of family life. a. modern vs. postmodern dichotomyb. class systemc. East Coast of the United Statesd. industrialized northeastern United States

Q: According to sociologist Judith Stacey, women of immigrant and racial minority families who relied on the support of relatives and the community in order to provide for their families by working outside the home were pioneers of new family forms Stacey calls a. postmodern families. b. nonfamily households. c. modern families. d. spillover families.

Q: Which type of family did sociologist Judith Stacey find was much less likely to follow the modern family format? a. Upper-class families b. Middle-class families c. Working-class families d. Low-income families

Q: John was raised in a home that was the epitome of the 1950s model of an intact nuclear household composed of a male breadwinner, his full-time homemaker wife, and their dependent children. He was surprised to learn that his wife did not want to continue this model of the _____, but preferred to have her own job. a. downwardly mobile family b. preindustrial family c. modern family d. postmodern family

Q: In 1950, _____ of U.S. families fit the model of a male breadwinner, a female full-time homemaker, and their dependent children. a. 22% b. 60% c. 75% d. 83%

Q: Up until World War II, industry operated with the assumption that men worked outside the home and women did unpaid work within the home. Therefore, men were paid a _____, an income intended to support a family. a. family wage b. fair day's wage for a fair day's work c. working man's wage d. breadwinner's wage

Q: Prior to _____, there was very little separation between work and family. a. the Feminist movement of the 1970s b. the American Revolution c. agrarianism d. industrialization

Q: Which sociological perspective sees different family arrangements emerging out of different social and economic contexts? a. Traditional model b. Family values model c. Conflict model d. Order model

Q: Which term is considered code for reinstating the traditional concept of the nuclear family as a way of protecting the social order? a. Order perspective b. Family values c. Conflict perspective d. Premodern family

Q: The myth of family decline as the cause of social problems promotes which of these ideas? a. Fatherless families or women working outside the home are the reasons for poverty, violence, and crime. b. The family is a gendered institution. c. Reality television has ushered in a new depiction of family life. d. Social inequalities prevent many people from experiencing the good things in life.

Q: Which myth of family life blames divorced and unwed mothers for damaging children, destroying families, and tearing apart the fabric of society? a. The myth of family decline as the cause of social problems They increase the centralization of capital, increase corporate debt, and raise prices. b. The myth of a unified family experience They increase the power of huge corporations over workers, unions, and government and reduce the number of jobs. c. The myth of the monolithic family form They diminish the benefits to local communities, as superlarge companies are unlikely to focus as intensely as smaller ones on support for local neighborhoods. d. The myth of family decline as the cause of social problems All of the above

Q: _____ experience their childhoods differently, because there are different expectations, different rules, and different punishments. a. Blacks and Whites b. The rich and the poor c. Girls and boys d. Children from one-parent vs. two-parent households

Q: Which myth of family life ignores the fact that males and females perceive the same events in their lives very differently? a. The myth of family decline as the cause of social problems b. The myth of a unified family experience c. The myth of the monolithic family form d. The myth of separate worlds

Q: The myth of the unified family experience is that we assume a. all family members experience family life in the same way. b. all families share similar experiences. c. the experience of each family member is unique. d. every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

Q: In which decades, coinciding with rising divorce rates, did family forms start to become more diverse on television? a. 1950s and 1960s b. 1960s and 1970s c. 1970s and 1980s d. 1980s and 1990s

Q: What percentage of U.S. households today matches the ideal of a married couple with children in which only the husband has a job? a. 75% b. 63% c. 53% d. 22%

Q: Which myth about families is represented by a White, middle-class, heterosexual, father-as-breadwinner, mother-as-homemaker, and children-at-home living in a one-family house? a. The myth of separate worlds Totalitarianism b. The myth of the monolithic family form State control c. The myth of a unified family experience. Democracy d. The myth of a stable and harmonious family of the past The military state

Q: Which term refers to an individual or family moving down in social class due to economic changes? a. Social descent b. Downward mobility c. Descending the social ladder d. Course correction

Q: Which myth about family life glorifies family life in a way that masks its dark side? a. The myth of separate worlds b. The myth of the monolithic family form c. The myth of a unified family experience. d. The myth of a stable and harmonious family of the past

Q: According to the myth of separate worlds, the family is a. the place where "when you have to go there, they have to take you in." b. the public face of private tragedy. c. an economic engine. d. a "haven in a heartless world."

Q: Part of the idea that families once were more stable than today is based on the concept of three generations living under one roof or in close proximity. Research shows that the three-generational family a. is still common. b. was the norm until the advent of the Social Security system. c. was not actually common. d. is actually deeply destabilizing to families.

Q: The idea that social problems are caused by the breakdown of families is flawed because it treats a. society and families as though they are interrelated. b. society as overly fragile and subject to damage. c. families as the building blocks of society rather than as a product of social conditions. d. families as breaking down when they are stronger than ever.

Q: According to historian Stephanie Coontz in her book, Marriage: A History, the change from _____ to _____ is what made marriages today more fragile than those of the past. a. women working only in the home; women working primarily outside the home b. marriage as an economic and political insitution; a voluntary love relationship c. men's self-image as breadwinner; men's self-image as "player" d. polygamy; monogamy

Q: Many people think of families in the past as better adjusted, more stable, and happier than today. Researchers have found that a. there was never a golden age of the family. b. the true golden age of the family predates anyone alive today. c. this was true for the 1950s but not for the 1850s. d. families are happier and more stable now that at any time in the past.

Q: Discuss the characteristics of the pluralist model of power.

Q: Discuss trickle-down economic policies. What are the pros and cons? Why does the government opt for this system?

Q: Compare and contrast the views of C. Wright Mills and G. William Domhoff on the concept of power.

Q: Discuss the elitist model of power. How does this view relate to the thinking of Karl Marx?Describe the instrumentalist and structural views.

Q: Discuss structural barriers to democracy. How do these barriers affect who is represented and who votes?

Q: Michael Parenti noted in 2008 that the U.S. government has directly intervened in the domestic affairs of foreign governments to a. protect any government based on an alternative to the capitalist model. b. prevent the rise of any government based on the capitalist model. c. protect the interests of the disadvantaged. d. protect U.S. corporate interests.

Q: Which U.S. president first said, "The business of America is business"? a. Theodore Roosevelt b. Herbert Hoover c. Calvin Coolidge d. Rutherford B. Hayes

Q: What legal practice took place during the Civil War? a. The affluent were overrepresented in the Union Army. b. The affluent who were drafted could hire someone to take their place in the service. c. The disadvantaged were underrepresented in the Confederate Army. d. The affluent could pay to take the place of someone else in the service.

Q: In the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the government relied on military volunteers rather than a draft. Who were the most likely to volunteer based on economic incentives? a. Young men and women from the working and lower classes b. Young men and women from the upper classes c. Older men from the working and lower classes. d. Older men and women with previous military experience

Q: During the Viet Nam war, the chances for getting killed while in the service were about _____ for the less educated than for the college educated. a. four times lower b. about equal c. twice as great d. three times greater

Q: After the Great Recession hit in late 2007, federal and state governments had to reduce or eliminate programs. Where were the biggest cuts made? a. Congressional pay b. Subsidies to corporations c. Public schools d. The military

Q: Who is most likely to bear the burden of decisions made by the powerful? a. Rival power brokers b. The poor c. Corporations d. Small business

Q: Which of the following is NOT a reason that the government opts for trickle-down solutions? a. Trickle-down spending is the most efficient and effective way to get government money to the places where it will do the most good. b. Government officials believe in the conservative ideology that says what is good for business is good for the United States. c. Government officials are more likely to hear from business leaders who are organized and have access to the halls of power. d. Because the weak, by definition, are not organized, their voice is not heard or, if heard, not taken seriously in decision-making circles.

Q: The idea that giving money to wealthy businesses will benefit everyone below them on the social ladder is known as a. fair and balanced redistribution of wealth. b. subsidizing poverty. c. socialism. d. trickle-down economics.

Q: The shipping industry, railroads, airlines, and exporters of iron, steel, textiles, paper, and other products receive direct subsidies from a. several state governments. b. local chambers of commerce. c. the federal government. d. the members of NAFTA.

Q: Which of the following is NOT one of the various subsidies that state and local governments offer to woo corporations? a. Tax breaks b. Relatively toxin-free land c. Low-interest loans d. Infrastructure improvements

Q: Despite paying lip service to laissez-faire capitalism, the U.S. government actually _____ big business. a. greatly subsidizes b. completely ignores c. closely regulates d. overtaxes

Q: Which of the following is an area in which Facebook hopes to influence Washington, DC? a. New regulations regarding Facebook hardware purchases by minors b. Investigation as to whether Facebook's search practices merit legal action c. Investigation of Facebook on charges of being a monopoly d. Regulatory actions regarding privacy that might hinder Facebook's revenue from ads targeted at users

Q: Which of the following tech companies mentioned in the chapter is new to lobbying and spent only about $350,000 on this process in 2010?a. Microsoftb. Applec. Facebookd. Google