a sociology of the family

Question 1

where do most mass murders happen?

Answer 1

family; residence

Question 2

working definition of family

Answer 2

a group of related people bound by connections that are biological, legal, or emotional

Question 3

the personal family

Answer 3

the people to whom we feel related and who we expect to define us as members of their family as well
- allows for inclusion

Question 4

the legal family

Answer 4

a group of individuals related by birth, marriage, or adoption
- state-imposed

Question 5

institutional arena

Answer 5

a social space in which relations between people in common positions are governed by accepted rules of interaction

Question 6

what are the three types of institutional arenas?

Answer 6

the family, the state, and the market

Question 7

the family arena

Answer 7

the institutional arena where people practice intimacy, childbearing and socialization, and caring work

Question 8

the state

Answer 8

the institutional arena where, through political means, behavior is legally regulated, violence in controlled, and resources are redistributed
- the state regulates families and redistributes resources based on family

Question 9

the market

Answer 9

the institutional arena where labor for pay, economic exchange, and wealth accumulation take place
- market interactions with family include housing, childcare, wages, etc

Question 10

how does the US Census count families?

Answer 10

people who live together in one household, and each person can only be counted as part of one household

Question 11

how many families does the Census estimate there are?

Answer 11

84 million

Question 12

what is the consensus perspective?

Answer 12

a perspective that projects an image of society as the collective expression of shared norms and values
- Talcott Parsons
- Order is essential to social life; consensus and harmony

Question 13

structural functionalism

Answer 13

this is the dominant consensus theory; focuses on stability
- Emile Durkheim

Question 14

breadwinner-homemaker family

Answer 14

key family concept of structural functionalism; husband as breadwinner and wife as homemaker considered complementary and in “harmony”

Question 15

conflict perspective

Answer 15

the view that opposition and conflict define a given society and are necessary for social evolution
- Karl Marx
- social change comes from conflict

Question 16

feminist theory

Answer 16

a theory that seeks to understand and ultimately reduce inequality between men and women; falls under the conflict perspective

Question 17

what are the two important contributions of feminism to family theories?

Answer 17

• gender inequality is central to family life
• family structure is socially constructed

Question 18

socialization

Answer 18

the process by which individuals internalize elements of the social structure in their own personalities

Question 19

exchange theory

Answer 19

the theory that individuals or groups with different resources, strengths, and weaknesses enter into mutual relationships to maximize their own gains

Question 20

symbolic interactionism

Answer 20

a theory concerned with the ability of humans to see themselves through the eyes of others and to enact social roles based on others’ expectations
- social roles are much like symbols

Question 21

modernity theory

Answer 21

a theory of the historical emergence of the individual as an actor in society and how individuality changed personal and institutional relations

Question 22

demographic perspective

Answer 22

the study of how family behavior and household structures contribute to larger population processes
- focuses on birth, death, and migration

Question 23

life course perspective

Answer 23

the study of the family trajectories of individuals and groups as they progress through their lives, in social and historical context

Question 24

what is the world population?

Answer 24

8.1 billion

Question 25

what is the US population?

Answer 25

337 million

Question 26

children under 18 as share of population

Answer 26

22%

Question 27

adults 65+ as share of population

Answer 27

18%

Question 28

official unemployment rate (July 2024)

Answer 28

4.3%

Question 29

non-hispanic whites as share of population

Answer 29

58%

Question 30

blacks as share of population

Answer 30

14%

Question 31

hispanics as share of population

Answer 31

20%

Question 32

asian / pacific islanders as share of population

Answer 32

7%

Question 33

american indians as share of population

Answer 33

1%

Question 34

immigrants as share of population

Answer 34

14%

Question 35

total poverty rate

Answer 35

12%

Question 36

child poverty rate

Answer 36

15%

Question 37

top 5 most populous countries

Answer 37

China (1.4 billion)
India (1.4 billion)
USA (CIA estimate = 342 billion)
Indonesia (282 million)
Pakistan (252 million)

Question 39

sample survey

Answer 39

a research method in which identical questions are asked of many different people and their answers are gathered into one large data file

Question 40

longitudinal survey

Answer 40

a research method in which the same people are interviewed repeatedly over time

Question 41

in depth interviews and observation

Answer 41

get a deeper understanding that sample surveys cannot accommodate

Question 42

time use studies

Answer 42

surveys that collect data on how people spend their time during a sample period