Part 1 - multiple choice
1) One reason that extended families (other relatives in the household besides a married couple and their children) were never predominant in the United States and western Europe is that:
a) affectionate and emotional ties to family were emphasized only recently in Western history.
b) very few families were involved in agriculture or other types of work in which large families could be beneficial.
c) life expectancy was short, making it unlikely that grandparents would survive to live with their children's families.
d) all of the above.
2) What is the main reason for the relatively high levels of poverty among African-American families?
a) African-Americans face racial discrimination in the labor market.
b) African-American families have more children than families of other racial groups.
c) African-American families are more likely to be headed by single mothers.
d) African-Americans have a higher proportion of "breadwinner-homemaker" families.
3) Which of the following relationships is NOT part of the "romantic love ideology" characterizing the relationship between sex, love, and marriage that prevailed throughout the first half of the 20th century in the United States?
a) Love is necessary for marriage.
b) Marriage is necessary for sex.
c) Sex is necessary for love.
d) Love is necessary for sex.
4) The paper by Barber used a unique source of data to test hypotheses about the direct and indirect effects of parental preferences on children's family formation behavior. Which of the following best describes the findings of this study?
a) The effect of mothers' preferences are very different for sons and daughters.
b) Mothers' preferences influence children's behavior only via socialization (i.e., indirectly).
c) Net of the effects of socialization, mother's preferences have a strong direct effect on children's behavior.
d) There are large racial differences in the relationship between mothers' preferences and children's behavior.
Part 2 - short answer
1) What is the so-called "Second demographic transition"? What explanations have been offered for it and what are some of its major implications?
2) Briefly, how do the liberal and conservative sides of the "family debate" differ in how they view the relationship between poverty, welfare, and the family.