Week 2 Readings Flashcards
(Chapter 2): What do postmodern critics argue about the objectivity of social science findings?
They argue that conclusions are not genuinely objective and are contaminated by various biases, including the values and perspectives of the researchers.
(Chapter 2): How can the framing of questions reflect values in family demography?
The questions posed and the categories used often reflect specific values, such as preferences for traditional family structures.
(Chapter 2): What categories did Paul Glick use to classify American families in his 1941 article?
(1) Normal families (two-parent families), (2) Other male-headed families, and (3) Other female-headed families.
(Chapter 2): What implication did Glick’s classification of families carry?
It implied that all single-parent families were abnormal.
(Chapter 2): How does the choice of terminology in immigration debates influence perceptions?
The term “illegal alien” evokes a negative image of lawbreakers, while “undocumented immigrant” suggests a more sympathetic portrayal of newcomers.
(Chapter 2): What should one consider when evaluating the credibility of a presented fact?
Key questions include who produced the fact, their purpose, and the relationship of the fact to other trends.
(Chapter 2): What is the purpose of familyfacts.org?
It aims to present social scientific findings on family life, claiming to be a neutral source for research.
(Chapter 2): What findings did familyfacts.org present about children in different family structures?
It reported that children living with two parents perform better academically and behaviorally than those living with single parents or stepparents.
(Chapter 2): How does familyfacts.org selectively present research findings?
It highlights findings that support the benefits of traditional marriage while omitting findings that complicate or challenge this view.
(Chapter 2): What was the criticism of the statistic about 2 to 3 million Americans being homeless?
This figure originated from an estimate by an advocate, Mitch Snyder, rather than from rigorous data collection.
(Chapter 2): What does the claim of 1,049 federal benefits of marriage illustrate about the use of facts?
It shows how facts can be presented in a way that supports specific viewpoints, even if they are based on flawed interpretations.
(Chapter 2): What was the source of the “1,049 federal benefits” statistic?
It came from a General Accounting Office study that included all laws involving marriage, even those that penalize married couples.
(Chapter 2): How can the presentation of a statistic, like the 1,049 benefits, become misleading?
Its precision and magnitude can lend it undue credibility, despite potentially trivial or misleading implications.
(Chapter 2): Why is it important for users of facts to examine their sources critically?
Understanding the source’s position helps evaluate the information’s validity and potential biases.
(Chapter 2): What should users remember about organizations that take sides in public debates?
They may not provide fully objective and balanced facts, as their choices reflect their biases and values.
(Chapter 3): What is the first step after checking the accuracy of facts according to Cherlin’s paper?
To critically examine how people interpret the relationship between one fact and another.
(Chapter 3): What is a fact regarding children in single-parent families?
Many children are growing up in households that do not contain two parents who are married to each other, and these families often experience financial and emotional challenges.
(Chapter 3): What is the misconception regarding single-parent households and children’s difficulties?
It is tempting to conclude that single-parenthood causes difficulties for children, but underlying preexisting disadvantages in adults may be responsible for these issues.
(Chapter 3): How do both political sides misuse social science research?
Both the political right and left select studies that support their views on social issues like divorce and poverty, but these studies often do not provide evidence for causal claims.
(Chapter 3): What is the importance of distinguishing between moral arguments and social science arguments?
It’s crucial to be explicit about whether we are making arguments based on moral values or drawing conclusions from social science research.
(Chapter 3): What do causal facts imply?
Causal facts imply a direction of effects, where the cause precedes the effect, whereas statistical correlations do not indicate directionality.
(Chapter 3): Why can’t we conclude that one social trend causes another based on correlation alone?
Correlation does not demonstrate causation, as other factors may be influencing both trends.
(Chapter 3): What is the issue with backward reasoning in social science research on child abuse?
The issue with backward reasoning in social science research on child abuse is that most studies focus on outcomes and assume that early abuse directly causes negative results, like violent relationships. However, this ignores the fact that many people who experience early abuse do not end up in violent relationships, meaning the assumption of causation might be too simplistic.
(Chapter 3): What is a dangerous assumption about cohabitation and domestic violence?
Assuming that cohabitation leads to domestic violence without considering the quality of the relationship can lead to misguided policy recommendations.
(Chapter 3): How do socioeconomic factors affect children’s outcomes in divorced or single-parent households?
The difficulties faced by children in these households may stem from lower incomes and reduced resources rather than single parenthood itself.
(Chapter 3): What is a common oversight in marriage and divorce studies?
Many studies focus on family status (married, cohabiting) rather than the quality of relationships or processes within families.
(Chapter 3): Why is systematic evaluation of family programs important?
To assert that a program is effective, evaluations must avoid biases and include objective data from multiple sources.
(Chapter 3): What is the role of control groups in evaluating program effectiveness?
Control groups help to determine if observed changes in participants are due to the program rather than external factors or trends.
(Chapter 3): Why can’t controlled experiments always be conducted in social research?
It is not ethical or feasible to assign individuals to different family status groups (e.g., married vs. single) for experimental purposes. Researchers cannot manipulate people’s lives in this way, so they rely on other methods like observation or surveys instead.
(Chapter 3): What is a more powerful method than controlled experiments for understanding the impact of family structure?
Longitudinal studies that track changes over time provide better insights into causal relationships.
