Family Questions for the Midterm Exam

Below are the questions I accepted from each family which will appear on the midterm exam on Tuesday, 3/23. In several cases I did some editing of both the questions and answers.

BLACK FAMILY: (Sami, Cindy, Katie, Cameron) 5pts

1. Briefly describe the "conservative contradiction," which is discussed at the end of Chapter 6, Family convulsions. (2)

ANSWER: Conservatives tend to be strong supporters of free-market capitalism, yet they also recognize how it undermines families and communities in its drive for profits above all else.

2. In Chapter 5, The stress of excess, how did Swedish economist, Staffan Linder, explain why we would become a "harried leisure class?" (2)

ANSWER: He predicted that with economic growth we would have less time, rather than more leisure time. He noted that as we produced more and consumed more, the increasing amount of stuff we would have would take more of our time to take care of, repair, etc..

3. Why did I suggest work is so important for individuals and the larger society? (1)

ANSWER: Because work is "an organizing principle of life," providing routine and meaning to our lives and, as such, crucial to a stable social order.


YELLOW FAMILY: (Carolina, Brandon, Natalie, Lacie) 5pts

1. Identify any TWO consequences of "shopping fever." (2)

ANSWER: Any 2 of the following: (a) debt, (b) divorce, (c) crime.

2. The xerox handout, "Utopian Thinking," stressed (as I also did in presenting a conception of a healthy society) that the real contribution of "utopia" derives from which ONE of its two meanings? (1)

ANSWER: As "good place"; that utopia represents an implicit criticism of the existing society.

3. I was going to use your question #5, but it was so poorly worded and the answer was not accurate. So, let me just say there will be a question dealing with the doctor/medical analogy on the exam, but not the one you proposed.


BLUE FAMILY: (Holly, Hannah, LeLand, Kariesha) 5pts (plus 1 bonus point -- although I only accepted three of your questions, those questions and answers were very good, so I am giving you a bonus point)

1. What is the "value-free" approach to defining social problems? What is the biggest issue with this approach? (2)

ANSWER: The "value-free" approach to defining social problems revolves around the idea that sociologists use polls and other means of gauging public opinion to determine what social problems are. It is considered value-free because the sociologists do not tell the people what the problems are, rather, they leave it up to the people. But public opinion is often not informed opinion and it may be biased, which means public opinion is NOT an adequate basis for determining social problems.

2. When we were discussing the concept of "keeping up with the Joneses," we talked about who the Joneses are today and why this is an issue. To whom are we referring when we use this expression in our society today, and why is this a problem? (2)

ANSWER: We compare ourselves today not to our neighbors but to celebrities and the rich and famous, like Bill Gates. This is a huge problem because this gives people unrealistic expectations of what they need, increasing consumerism and stress on consumers to keep up, especially because most people cannot afford to keep up with the more rich and famous "Joneses."

3. What did cereal tycoon W.K. Kellogg prove by shortening the work week to 30 hours? (1)

ANSWER: That workers produced just as much as they did working 40 hours/week, and it gave them more leisure time which they could use for hobbies, family time, and community involvement.
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That's all folks. See you Tuesday.