Full file at
Families Across the Life Course (White/Martin/Bartolic)
Chapter 2 Life Course Analysis
2.1 Multiple Choice
1) In the social sciences, the principle way we answer "how" and "why" questions is through
A) experimentation
B) theoretical analysis
C) theoretical assumptions
D) philosophy
E) empirical analysis
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 2
Skill: Recall
2) Although various authors have detailed the general forms of social science theories, this text abbreviates these to the following three sets of assumptions:
A) motivational, normative, macro historical theories
B) conflict, functional, symbolic interaction theories
C) micro, macro, structural theories
D) motivational, micro, macro theories
E) conflict, motivational, structural theories
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 3
Skill: Recall
3) Rational choice theory is based on ones decision to bring one
A) pleasure
B) the greatest rewards
C) satisfaction
D) cognitive superiority
E) none of the above
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 3
Skill: Recall
4) Critics of rational choice theory point out the worth of something is determined by
A) family norms
B) class
C) societal norms
D) ethnicity
E) all of the above
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 3
Skill: Recall
5) Some notable critics of rational choice theory argue that there is little logic in our choices since we cannot
A) compute the costs and rewards of an action in a rational way
B) think clearly under pressure
C) disassociate ourselves from our familial way of thinking
D) ignore the emotional impact on our humanity.
E) none of the above
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 3-4
Skill: Recall
6) Your teacher expects all assignments to be handed in on time, otherwise you will be penalized five percent per day late. This is an example of
A) informal norm
B) social expectation
C) personal preference
D) formal norm
E) all of the above
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 4
Skill: Recall
7) The expectation that you should not have children until you are married is a an example of a
A) age graded norm
B) timing norm
C) stage graded norm
D) event norm
E) moral norm
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 4
Skill: Recall
8) The major criticism of normative theories is that they fail to explain
A) how norms are formed and developed
B) cross-cultural differences
C) period effects
D) non-normative behavior
E) social change
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 4
Skill: Recall
9) Macro historical theories assume social norms are the result of macroscopic forces such as
A) historical dialectics
B) means of production
C) evolution
D) historical dialectics and evolution
E) historical dialects, evolution and means of production
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 4
Skill: Recall
10) The major problem with macro-historical theories is explaining _ in human behavior
A) altruism
B) evil
C) variation
D) motivation
E) praxis
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 5
Skill: Recall
11) This school of thought maintains that the family is a normative institution in all societies and that the family is central in all societies to perform reproduction, control of sexuality, and socialization of children.
A) functional theories
B) conflict theories
C) systems theories
D) rational choice theories
E) feminist theories
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 5
Skill: Recall
12) This school of thought maintains that the family is a central institution that reproduces social roles and mechanisms that maintain patriarchal oppression.
A) functional theories
B) conflict theories
C) systems theories
D) rational choice theories
E) feminist theories
Answer: E
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 5-6
Skill: Recall
13) This framework focuses on individuals being constructed by their society. Society precedes the individual.
A) functional theories
B) conflict theories
C) systems theories
D) symbolic interaction theories
E) feminist theories
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 6
Skill: Recall
14) This framework tends to think of the family as a social group that mirrors and is affected by large scale forces such as historical dialectical materialism or a clash of cultures.
A) functional theories
B) conflict theories
C) systems theories
D) symbolic interaction theories
E) feminist theories
Answer: A, B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 5
Skill: Recall
15) The fundamental difference between and event and a stage is
A) experience
B) duration of time
C) labels
D) categories
E) none of the above
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 10
Skill: Recall
16) Infancy, childhood, adolescence, middle age are examples of
A) events
B) transitions
C) historical markers
D) stages
E) all of the above
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 10
Skill: Recall
17) Stages are characterized by the following element(s)
A) all stages have a beginning point that is marked by an event
B) they have an ending or exit event that marks the end of the duration of the stage
C) for its duration, the stage is marked by a particular property that the stages before the transition event did not have and the stages after the event will not have
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 11
Skill: Recall
18) Which of the following represent the major levels of analysis
A) individual, relationship, family, institution
B) individual, relationship, country, corporation
C) individual, relationship, university, country
D) individual, relationship, country, civilization
E) none of the above
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 13
19) When most people conform to a social norm the resulting stage for the institution is one in which the frequency of the behavior is referred to in statistical terms
A) kurtosis
B) platykurtic
C) leptokurtotic
D) skewness
E) polylosis
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 13
Skill: Recall
20) Single, cohabiting, married, separated, are all examples of a
A) stage
B) event
C) process
D) norm
E) experience
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 13
Skill: Recall
21) The marriage contract (licence) is a _ that publicly acknowledges a monogamous relationship between two adults.
A) informal norm
B) formal norm
C) consensual norm
D) governmental norm
E) none of the above
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 14
Skill: Recall
22) The statement "don't get married until you complete your education," is an example of a
A) timing norm
B) age graded norm
C) stage norm
D) social norm
E) sequencing norm
Answer: A, E
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 14
Skill: Recall
23) Havar has three children and has been married for twenty-two years. He is in school working on a bachelor's degree. In the area of informal norms, this is an example of being
A) being off time
B) being too old
C) in sequence
D) regressive
E) none of the above
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 15
Skill: Recall
24) Hogan (1978), and later White (1991), demonstrated that getting out of normative life-course sequences early in life is often associated with
A) higher likelihood of divorce
B) interrupted labour force participation
C) later life disruptions
D) delay in educational attainment
E) all of the above
Answer: E
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 15
Skill: Recall
25) Radha and Parth continue to argue about who should clean the house and who should clean the meals. As a result, family and friends recommend that they don`t have children yet. This is an example of not being successful in meeting a
A) developmental task
B) social norm
C) family expectation
D) conflict resolution maturity
E) parental prerequisites
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 17
Skill: Recall
26) Normative social expectations depend upon
A) age, period, duration
B) age, period, cohort
C) age, status, cohort
D) status, period, cohort
E) age, status, period
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 19
Skill: Recall
27) Anticipatory socialization can be achieved in which of the following roles
A) baby sitting
B) older sibling
C) camp counsellor
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 20
28) Historical dialectics is a dialectical process that moves from
A) thesis-antithesis
B) thesis-synthesis
C) thesis-synthesis-antithesis
D) antithesis-synthesis-thesis
E) thesis-antithesis-synthesis
Answer: E
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 24
Skill: Recall
29) In order to understand the concept of an event, a correct illustration would be
A) pregnancy is to stage as being pregnant is an to event
B) engagement is to stage as marriage is to event
C) being a student is to stage as graduation is to event
D) being unemployed is to stage as being laid off is to event
E) all of the above
Answer: E
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 22
Skill: Applied
30) Examples given in the text of the concept of social process include
A) cognitive consistency
B) agreement
C) coalitions
D) conformity
E) all of the above
Answer: E
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 13
Skill: Recall
2.2 True or False
1) Motivational theories assume that one chooses or determines what is important to study.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 3
Skill: Recall
2) Rational Choice Theory is based on macroeconomics.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 3
Skill: Recall
3) Normative theories assume that social norms predict behavior and action.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Skill: Recall
4) A social norm is a person who exhibits average behavior in a society.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 4
Skill: Recall
5) Social norms are commonly divided into static and fluid norms.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 4
Skill: Recall
6) Life course theory is largely a normative theory.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 4
Skill: Recall
7) Developmental and life course theories focus on the concepts of stages and transitions.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 6
Skill: Recall
8) Questions of identity and change are central to developing a dynamic theory.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 8
Skill: Recall
9) Select organisms and social organizations experience transitions.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 11
Skill: Recall
10) Transitions can be studied more or less independently of stages.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 11
Skill: Recall
11) The life course can be conceptualized as a pathway through a maze of possibilities.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 11
Skill: Recall
12) A level of analysis is the theoretical and conceptual level on which we are conducting our analysis or explanation.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 13
Skill: Recall
13) Most social change begins with deviance.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 14
Skill: Recall
14) There is a strong association between being off-time and being out of sequence.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 15
15) Development at any level of analysis (as measured by age or duration of a unit) can be confounded with birth cohort or historical period.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 23
Skill: Recall
2.3 Short Answer
1) Define the three sets of assumptions used to group theories about families.
Answer: Refer to pages 3-5
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 3-5
Skill: Applied
2) Illustrate four of the eight major theoretical frameworks for studying families.
Answer: Refer to 5-7
Diff: 3
Skill: Applied
3) Using one family illustration, document the three defining elements of one life-course stage.
Answer: Refer to 10-11
Diff: 4
Skill: Applied
4) What is the importance of taking into account different levels of analysis when studying the family?
Answer: Refer to page 13.
Diff: 4 Page Ref: 13
Skill: Applied
5) Using the concepts of off time and out of sequence provide a life-course example that uses both.
Answer: Refer to page 15
Diff: 4 Page Ref: 15
Skill: Applied
6) Discuss the interaction of age, period, and cohort when studying the family over time.
Answer: Refer to pages 18-19
Diff: 4 Page Ref: 18-19
Skill: Applied
1