Chapter 10

Question 1

Which was the first province with a divorce law?

a. Ontario
b. Quebec
c. New Brunswick
d. Prince Edward Island

Answer 1

New Brunswick

Question 2

Following Confederation in 1867, what was the situation in provinces where there was no divorce law?

a. It was impossible to get a divorce.
b. To get a divorce, it was necessary to have a private member’s bill passed in parliament.
c. Anybody could get divorced easily because there were no regulations.
d. Only men could get divorces.

Answer 2

To get a divorce, it was necessary to have a private member’s bill passed in parliament.

Question 3

According to the text, what was often called the “poor man’s divorce”?

a. adultery
b. desertion
c. applying to the Senate
d. annulment

Answer 3

desertion

Question 4

By 1968, all provinces except two had divorce laws with adultery basically the sole ground for divorce. Which two provinces did not have divorce laws?

a. Newfoundland and Quebec
b. Alberta and Newfoundland
c. Quebec and New Brunswick
d. British Columbia and Nova Scotia

Answer 4

Newfoundland and Quebec

Question 5

Which of the following describes the divorce rate?

a. the number of couples who get divorced divided by the number of couples who marry in a given year
b. the number of married couples who get divorced before their 30th wedding anniversary times 100
c. a prediction of the proportion of couples that can be expected to divorce before their 30th wedding anniversary based on current patterns of divorce
d. an estimate of the proportion of people who get divorced each year divided by the total number of married couples in the population

Answer 5

c. a prediction of the proportion of couples that can be expected to divorce before their 30th wedding anniversary based on current patterns of divorce

Question 6

During the 1960s, the churches were strongly involved in the debate over changing the divorce law. Which of the following statements is true regarding this debate?

a. The Roman Catholic Church supported a bill to make divorces more difficult to obtain.
b. The United Church and the Baptist Church stated that grounds for divorce should not be widened.
c. The Anglican Church argued that cruelty, but not marriage breakdown, should become grounds for divorce.
d. The Catholic Women’s League stated that Roman Catholics should not make other Canadians live by their beliefs.

Answer 6

The Catholic Women’s League stated that Roman Catholics should not make other Canadians live by their beliefs.

Question 7

What happened following passage of the new divorce law in 1968?

a. the number of divorces dropped
b. the divorce rate increased slightly
c. the divorce rate increased, then dropped to previous levels
d. divorces increased dramatically

Answer 7

divorces increased dramatically

Question 8

Which of the following is true regarding Bill C-187, passed in 1968?

a. It introduced the “no-fault” principle of marital breakdown as legitimate grounds for divorce.
b. It allowed women to sue for divorce on the same grounds as men.
c. It reduced the waiting period for a divorce to one year.
d. It was not acknowledged by the Catholic Church.

Answer 8

It introduced the “no-fault” principle of marital breakdown as legitimate grounds for divorce.

Question 9

Which of the following was one change in the 1985 divorce law?

a. Divorcing couples needed to show who was at fault for the marriage breakdown.
b. The waiting period for divorce on the grounds of marriage breakdown was reduced.
c. The person seeking a divorce had to prove both adultery and cruelty.
d. Divorces became more difficult if the couple had young children.

Answer 9

The waiting period for divorce on the grounds of marriage breakdown was reduced.

Question 10

What happened to the divorce rate following the changes to the divorce law in 1985?

a. it increased rapidly, then dropped
b. it continued to increase rapidly
c. it stayed about the same
d. it declined slightly

Answer 10

it increased rapidly, then dropped

Question 11

What factor is probably a reason for the decrease in divorces since 1987?

a. more people cohabit instead of marry
b. people are younger when they marry
c. cohabitators who separate are now included in divorce statistics
d. the churches have gained greater influence over people’s decisions

Answer 11

more people cohabit instead of marry

Question 12

Currently, what is the most commonly stated grounds for divorce?

a. adultery
b. mental cruelty
c. separation for at least one year
d. physical cruelty

Answer 12

separation for at least one year

Question 13

In which situation do almost all Canadians feel that divorce is justified?

a. when one partner abuses the other
b. when the couple has an unsatisfactory sex life
c. when one partner is infertile
d. when the couple constantly disagrees about money

Answer 13

when one partner abuses the other

Question 14

Researchers have identified three kinds of reasons for divorce. Which of the following is one of these reasons?

a. personal reasons
b. experiential reasons
c. substantive reasons
d. emotional reasons

Answer 14

experiential reasons

Question 15

Which term did John Gottman use to describe the four types of negative interaction that are lethal to a marriage?

a. Four Divorce Lawyer Signals
b. Four Marriage Busters
c. Four Deadly Reasons
d. Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Answer 15

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Question 16

According to research, which of the following is a risk factor for divorce?

a. later age at marriage
b. having more than a high school education
c. having children
d. cohabiting before marriage

Answer 16

cohabiting before marriage

Question 17

Which of the following is consistent with the structural functionalist view of divorce?

a. The liberalization of laws has made divorce more likely.
b. Divorce is more likely if other desirable partners are available.
c. The presence of children reduces the likelihood of divorce.
d. The patterns of communication between spouses help predict divorce.

Answer 17

The liberalization of laws has made divorce more likely.

Question 18

What does the exchange perspective state about divorce?

a. it is less likely if the wife has many male colleagues
b. it is less likely if there are many costs
c. it occurs more often when couples are more dependent on each other
d. it is more likely when social stigma is greater

Answer 18

it is less likely if there are many costs

Question 19

According to symbolic interactionist thought, what shift has occurred in marriage?

a. Women have gone from depending on men for support to supporting themselves.
b. Spouses have gone from emphasizing security in marriage to reaching one’s highest potential.
c. Spouses have gone from having a greater to a lower cost in getting divorced.
d. Value has shifted from the implied contract of marriage to demands for personal freedom.

Answer 19

Spouses have gone from emphasizing security in marriage to reaching one’s highest potential.

Question 20

What does the feminist perspective state about divorce?

a. Divorce is more frequent because women now have more opportunities.
b. Women are realizing that marriage is often unsatisfying.
c. Men are afraid of giving up power in marriage, which is why the divorce rate is increasing.
d. Divorce is more likely when social stigma is greater.

Answer 20

Divorce is more frequent because women now have more opportunities.