Lec 6 & 7- Relationships & Mother Mandate

Question 1

What did Gillespie et al. (2015) find about friendships?

Answer 1

Satisfaction with friendships predicted life satisfaction better than the number of friends. Nearly all respondents had at least one close friend, with variations in friendships based on marital status, age, and parental status.

Question 2

What did the Scientific American article highlight about loneliness? (2)

Answer 2

• Loneliness is a public health crisis that can shorten life by 15 years, equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
• It increases risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other health issues.

Question 3

How is the division of labor typically distributed between women and men?

Answer 3

1. Women: Handle routine or low-control labor (e.g., dishes, cooking, laundry).
2. Men: Handle intermittent labor with flexible timing (e.g., trash, lawn care, fixing things).

Question 4

What is relational aggression? Who is often used by?

Answer 4

A form of aggression aimed at damaging others’ relationships or social status, often through exclusion, gossip, or subtle manipulative behaviors. It is often used by socially powerful individuals against the less powerful.

Question 5

What did Esther Perel emphasize in her talk? (2)

Answer 5

• Relationships are central to our sense of meaning, happiness, and well-being. - They provide what an entire village used to offer, including companionship, emotional support, and intimacy.

Question 6

What did the 2016 study by Kim, Benjamin, Fowler, and Christakis reveal about social isolation and health?

Answer 6

• Socially isolated people have higher rates of illness and death.
• Greater social connections (indegree) lead to lower fibrinogen levels (less inflammation and cardiac risk).

Question 7

How does the impact of social isolation compare to other factors, according to the study?

Answer 7

• The effect is similar to smoking.
• The effect is greater than low education.

Question 8

What are the three types of social support?

Answer 8

1. Informational: Advice or ideas to help with life events.
2. Instrumental: Tangible help like money, goods, or services.
3. Emotional: Making others feel nurtured and cared for.

Question 9

What are three ways that consuming romantic media affect relationships?

Answer 9

1. Leads to unrealistic beliefs and expectations about relationships.
   2.Decreases satisfaction in personal romantic relationships.
2. Increases conflict in one’s romantic relationships.

Question 10

What does sexual strategies theory (SST) suggest about partner preferences? (3)

Answer 10

• Suggests that people prioritize traits ensuring reproductive success.
• With men favoring youth and physical attractiveness
  -Women want older partners with access to resources and status
• Preferences relate more to access to power/resources than sex/gender.

Question 11

What 3 theories explain inequities in household labor?

Answer 11

1. Relative Resources Theory: The partner contributing more resources avoids chores (economic exchange model).
2. Time Availability: The partner with more available time does most household work.
3. Pay Gap & Parenthood: Both reduce women’s relationship satisfaction and earning potential

Question 12

What is the Reproductive Justice Movement about?

Answer 12

It is led by Indigenous people and women of color (WOC) and focuses on intersectional oppressions that limit reproductive choices.

Question 13

What does Stratified Reproduction refer to?

Answer 13

It refers to how individuals with more resources have greater autonomy in their ability to have and raise children.

Question 14

What are the four basic rights centered in reproductive justice?

Answer 14

1. The rights to have children
2. The rights to not not have children
3. The right to parent in a safe environment
4. The right to express one’s sexual/gender identity without fear.

Question 15

What is the “motherhood mandate”?

Answer 15

It is the pervasive societal pressure on women to become mothers, with messaging that associates womanhood with motherhood.

Question 16

What are some common reasons women choose to have an abortion?

Answer 16

Common reasons include the desire to continue education, financial inability to afford a baby, not wanting to be a single parent, and relationship problems.

Question 17

What is the impact of the Roe v. Wade decision?

Answer 17

Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the USA for over 50 years, but was recently overturned, allowing individual states to decide on abortion laws.

Question 18

How does the availability of abortion vary globally?

Answer 18

Abortion rates are higher in countries where abortion is illegal, often due to decreased access to contraception.

Question 19

Who is increasingly having children later in life?

Answer 19

Women in same-sex partnerships, transgender, non-binary individuals, and individuals living with disabilities.

Question 20

What is the difference between a miscarriage and stillbirth?

Answer 20

A miscarriage occurs when pregnancy is lost before the 20th week, while stillbirth occurs when a fetus dies after the 20th week (less common)

Question 21

What factors influence the decision-making process in childbirth? (4)

Answer 21

Whether to have a cesarean section, vaginal delivery, home birth, or an epidural in the hospital.

Question 22

Why are Black women at a higher risk during childbirth?

Answer 22

• Black women face higher childbirth risks due to income, prenatal care access, stress, and racism.
• Stereotypes, like Black women feeling less pain and needing fewer meds, impact their care; many deaths are preventable.

Question 23

What are common postpartum concerns and their symptoms? (3)

Answer 23

1. Baby blues: Crying, poor sleep, irritability, anxiety.
2. Postpartum depression: Sadness, guilt, anxiety, exhaustion, worthlessness, suicidal thoughts.
3. Postpartum anxiety: Worry, dread, obsessive checking, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, nausea, headaches.

Question 24

Why do gender roles within relationships tend to become more traditional after the birth of a child?

Answer 24

After childbirth, gender roles often become more traditional due to societal expectations, where mothers typically take on the primary caregiving role while fathers may be expected to focus on providing financially

Question 25

What are some notable exceptions to traditional gender roles in parenting?

Answer 25

• Black men spend more time caring for their children compared to other men.
• Same-sex partners tend to share childcare and housework more equally

Question 26

What are the sources of inequality in parenting? (2)

Answer 26

1. Fathers are often unwilling to do as much as mothers expect.
2. Maternal gatekeeping: Mothers may limit how involved fathers are in caring for the child.

Question 27

Which groups of mothers are more commonly blamed for negative outcomes in their children?(5)

Answer 27

1. Women of low SES (socioeconomic status)
2. Women of color (WOC)
3. Single mothers
   4.. 2SLGBTQIA+ mothers
4. Disabled mothers

Question 28

How did early feminists view motherhood?

Answer 28

Early feminists often saw motherhood as a source of oppression.

Question 29

What are three characteristic of feminist mothering?

Answer 29

Feminist mothering is associated with attachment parenting, desiring equality in co-parenting, and raising feminist children.

Question 30

What do cultural feminists emphasize about motherhood?

Answer 30

Cultural feminists emphasize motherhood as a source of enhanced empathy and strength.

Question 31

What is attachment parenting based on?

Answer 31

Attachment parenting is based on the belief that loving parental interaction is beneficial to a child.

Question 32

What are key practices in attachment parenting? (4)

Answer 32

Baby-wearing, long-term breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and always responding to a baby’s cry.

Question 33

What is a pro of attachment parenting? (2)

Answer 33

1. Fosters attachment during a critical developmental period
2. May help children develop emotional intelligence (EQ)

Question 34

What is a con of attachment parenting?

Answer 34

One con is the essentialist argument that a woman’s instincts should be focused solely on her baby, potentially leading to economic consequences and mother-blaming.