Sociology Quiz 1 Flashcards
Study guide questions for online quiz one
what is a structural family?
heterosexual couple with or without children. generally consists of a husband, wife, son, and daughter.
what is a functional family?
designed for procreation and socialization of children, production and consumption of goods and services, fueling economic growth, and sexual regulation
what is a relational family?
relies on higher levels of loving and caring, serves individual emotional needs, does not need to be related by blood or legally
what is an institution?
a structure in which members of a society organize themselves into groups assigning rights and responsibilities
what is the difference between an institutional and analytical components of the family?
institutional = what explains similarities and differences across society analytical = discovering laws and principles that explain how groups organize & function
how is an institution socially constructed?
an institution is a structure that is naturalized through cultural belief systems of a social society
what does socially constructed mean?
reality agreed on by members of a social group. reinforced through norms and sanctions. can be conditions of survival or the power hierarchy
what does it mean to say that a definition is theoretically meaningful?
institutional definitions are arbitrary (inconsistent). theory consists of casual factors that led to an event or decision.
what are the key elements of an institution?
- adaptability, what patterns “work”
- cultural conditions, patterns that fit with societies ideas, beliefs, values
- power hierarchies, ideology
what are the key elements that define a family as different from other groups?
biological relations, mate selection, commitment and attachment, and future interaction.
what are the two general types of marital systems found across societies?
monogamous - one spouse at a time
polygamous - multiple spouses at a time
what is serial monogamy?
having multiple marital partners over a series of time. not a long term commitment to one partner.
what is the difference between polygyny, polyandry, and group marriage?
polygyny is multiple wives, polyandry is multiple husbands, and group marriage is multiple wives and husbands
what type of marriage system is most preferred?
polygyny. it advances the interests of men, women and children in societies. most preferred but not most common because of the sex ratio
what type of marriage system is the most frequently occurring?
monogamous
what is the sex ratio?
of men/ 100 women
what are the two general types of family systems found across societies?
- nuclear/conjugal
2. extended
what is a nuclear family?
most frequently occurring family system (along with conjugal). consists of a husband, wife, and dependent children
what is a conjugal family?
a husband/wife dyad
what is an extended family?
a family with the presence of other kin such as lateral or vertical
what is a vertically extended family?
includes at least three generations of parents and children residing under one roof
what type of family is theoretically meaningful?
analytical
what is a laterally extended family?
brothers get together and form families that they stay in and live together in the male property line (joint family). this involves one generation of adults.
what is a fully extended family?
both vertically and laterally extended
what is your family of procreation?
the family you form when you get married
what is your family of orientation?
the family you grow up in
what is a modified nuclear/extended family?
a network of nuclear family units with high levels of interdependence. decisions like children socialization and finances are coordinated between parental units. living together but letting each couple have autonomy.
which type of family system is most preferred?
extended family system. not most common as it’s limited by life expectancy and resources
what are the three major types of extended families?
- stem family
- joint family
- fully extended family
what is a stem family?
an adult child living with their parents, generally in areas with land limitations (ex. Japan, Ireland)
what is a joint family?
a lateral cooperation between brothers that allows the sharing of the property
what are three forces that sociologists focus on when trying to understand variation in marital and family systems?
adaptational needs, cultural context, and societal conflict
what is adaptational needs?
marital and family systems based on economic system. hunting and gathering is monogamous/nuclear. agricultural is polygamous/extended. industrial and capitalistic is monogamous/nuclear. the important adaptation conditions is 1)production vs. consumption unit 2) stability vs. mobility
what is societal conflict?
preserving hierarchies through structured dependencies (gender, generation, social class). achieved vs. ascribed
what is cultural context?
relationships of obligation vs rational choice. obligation would be where your parents have influence over your marital partner and rational is you having the freedom to make a decision for yourself for your own self interest
what is a lineage system?
rules governing the inheritance of property
patrilineal
matrilineal
bilateral- property can be passed down through the mother’s or father’s side of the family
what is an authority system?
rules governing decision making in the family
patriarchal
matriarchal
egalitarian- both parents make decisions in the family
what is a residence system?
rules governing where families live relative to each other
patrilocal
matrilocal
neolocal- living or located away from both the husband and wives family
avuncolocal
what is avuncolocal?
the family goes and lives with the husbands mothers brother. passes down control and not ownership
when do you find avuncolocal residence patterns?
found in matrilineal societies, a way that men can maintain power and women can maintain property
what is a matrifocal system?
necessary presence of the mother as the center of the household. more institutional
what is a matricentric system?
family system where the mother is the central actor in family life. more empirical.
what are characteristics of a prefeudal society?
- pre 1200s
- families as production and political units
- high marriage rate and low age at marriage
- ascribed vs. achieved status system
- society based on traditional action
what are characteristics of a feudal society?
- 1200 to 1750
- families as limited production units (not independent)
- European marriage pattern
- loosening of ascribed status system
what is the European marriage pattern?
- low marriage rates and high age at marriage
- large nuclear families
what are three developments that occurred in the modern period?
urban industrial production, capitalist economy, rational modes of social action
what came as a result of urban industrial production?
loss of community and kinship control, increased differentiation and individualism
what came as a result of the capitalist economy?
decline in primacy of families as units of production, focus on profit maximization, families as units of consumption
what came as result of rational modes of social action?
focus on maximizing individual goals, significance of social development
what changed during the early modern industrial stage?
- 1750 to 1850
- “putting out” system
- marriage as economic partnership
- presence of the husband
- emergence of urban manufacturing centers
- reduced control of community
- increased freedom in partner choice
- informal unions
what changed during the modern period stage?
- 1850 to 1960
- growth of urban factories and capitalist economies
- exploitation of workers
- separation of public and private spheres
- conjugal love = love of god
- cult of domesticity
- women as protector of morals in private sphere
what changed during the modern family life period?
- 1960 to present
- loss of community controls and directives
- diversification and alteration of the life course
- emergence of the expressive self
- consequences
- reflected appraisal
what is the difference between the public and private sphere?
public sphere = realm of politics where strangers come together to converse
private sphere = smaller enclosed space that is open to those with permission
what is the cult of domesticity?
true womanhood. women as protector of morals in private sphere. dual emphasis of motherhood and conjugality
what is the expressive self?
concept based on one’s individuality, emotional, and psychological need fulfillment, and a system of informal intimate relationships
what is the instrumental self?
concept based on what one has done or one’s status in the commmunity/broader society
why is there greater risk in modern relationships and increased emphasis on rituals in relationships?
higher stakes since you pick your marital partner from different races, religious groups, and social classes. not based on hierarchal level.
what is a family?
two or more persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption and who reside together in a household
what is a household?
all persons who occupy a housing unit
what is a subfamily?
a family living with someone else who is the head of the household
what are some of the major change that have occurred in American marriage, families, and households in the past 50 years?
decline in the family household starting 1960 to present.
- fewer married couple households
- fewer households with children under 18
- increase in households of unrelated persons
- increase in single elderly individuals
- increase in single parent households
what was the major period of change during the shift in American marriage, families, and households?
1970s to 1980s.
- no fault divorce put into place
- more people going to college
- more jobs requiring higher education
- extended age of marriage
what proportions of households consists of gay and lesbian couples?
1.2% of all couple households (726,600)
what do the demographics say about the popularity of marriage about those in gay vs. lesbian relationships?
it is more popular for lesbian couples to get married than gay couples.
how does the state of the US family compare to other modern families?
- fewer family households than in Western Europe
- more family households than northern Europe (except Netherlands)
what are some of the ways that political systems affect and are affected by family systems?
- eligibility for marriage and parenthood
- rights and obligations based on marital and family status
- almost impossible for your parents to disown you
- laws governing divorce, child custody, domestic violence
what is a social democratic regime?
things are provided by the state by taxing the rich
what is a liberal regime?
having to buy things like healthcare and education. different than the term liberal in the political arena
what is a conservative regime?
the idea that family has enough to buy what they need in the marketplace
what is the difference between gemeinschaft societies and gesellschaft societies?
gemeinshcaft = rural gesellschaft = urban
what is family work spillover?
family related stress affects work
what is work family spillover?
work related stress affects work
what are negative spillovers?
when stress, fatigue, or negative mood from one realm affects a person’s behavior in their own role
what are positive spillovers?
when some skill or cognition developed in one realm enhances a person’s role
how has women’s labor force participation changed over time and how has this impacted family life?
increased since the 1960s. man is no longer in all cases the sole breadwinner. more dual income families
