Assignment 8: Skip!

Skip!

Assignment 7: Divorce

Assignment 7: Divorce

The article I chose is titled “The interactive effects of marital conflict and divorce on parent-adult children's relationships” by Yu, T., Pettit, G. S., Lansford, J. E., Dodge, K. A., & Bates, J. E.

The APA reference for this article is:

Yu, T., Pettit, G. S., Lansford, J. E., Dodge, K. A., & Bates, J. E. (2010). The interactive effects of

marital conflict and divorce on parent-adult childrens relationships. Journal of Marriage and Family,

72(2), 282-292. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00699.x

a)       The researchers who wrote this article were trying to find out the effect that marital conflict, divorce had on parent-adult relationships.  To find their data, the researchers used a longitudinal study with a sample of 585 participants. They researchers found that marital conflict and divorce were correlated with poorer quality parent-adult relationships.  The correlation was much stronger for father-child relationships than for mother-child relationships.  In the discussion, the researchers wrote that this is most likely due to the fact that mothers are most likely to be the primary guardians over their children and it is easier for them to have a closer relationship (Yu, T., Pettit, G. S., Lansford, J. E., Dodge, K. A., & Bates, J. E., 2010).

b)       This article talks about how marital conflict and divorce correlated with parent-adult relationship.  The researchers stated that “Consistent with previous research, we found that parents' marital conflict and divorce were both associated with adult child relationships with parents” (Yu et al, 2010).

c)       The report was in a graph and a table.  I did not understand the graph at all.  However, the table was really clear to understand.

d)       The study I chose has few limitations but the biggest one is that the sample size does not represent the population well.  They mostly used middle class in their sample.  The higher and lower class is nowhere to be found.  

Assignment #6 Cohabitation

Assignment #6 Cohabitation

1) Briefly describe the trend in cohabitation over the past thirty years.
                According to the powerpoint on cohabitation, the number of cohabitating couples is gradually increasing.  In 1980s about 1,500,000 were cohabitating while in 2000 almost 5,500,000 couples were cohabitating.

2) According to your textbook by Cherlin, cohabitation has three diverse meanings. Please list and describe these using your own words.
                Cherlin talks about how cohabitation can be divided into three groups.  The first group contains couples that use cohabitation as an alternative way of being single.  Those couples would not be planning on getting married anytime soon or ever.  Since they have no legal obligation to each other, they are more likely to end their relationship.  The second group of cohabitating couples is using cohabitation as a testing ground for their marriage.  When two people want a long term relationship but they are not sure if they want to marry each other they might cohabitate to see if living together works for them.  The third group of cohabitating couples would live together as a married couple but without involving a legal commitment. 

3) Would you consider cohabitation? Why or why not? If you would consider cohabiting, which of these meanings coincides with how you might view your own cohabiting relationship.
                No, I would not consider cohabitation.  My parents are religious and they would rather pay for my wedding rather than knowing I am living with my boyfriend without marriage.  If I were to consider cohabitation  I would use it as an alternative to marriage.  I would like to marry sometime after graduating from Montclair State but with this economy I do not think I will be able to have a job that supports me, my boyfriend and our wedding plans.  If we were to cohabitate, we would act as a married couple and eventually marry at some point in our lives.

4) After reading the boxed section on Domestic Partnerships on pages 228-29 in Chap 7 of your textbook, and going over the Powerpoint slides, list 4 of the rights that married couples receive that cohabiting couples want?
                Four rights that married couples have that cohabitating couples want are: file a joint income tax return, receive Social Security survivor’s benefits if their spouse dies, adoption of children and both being responsible for them.

5) Do you believe that cohabiting heterosexual couples should have the same rights as married couples? Why or why not? What if the couples are the same-sex and cannot marry in their state, should they receive the same benefits of married people. Why or why not?

             Cohabitating heterosexual couples should not have the same rights as married couples.  A cohabitating couple that wants the same benefits as a married couple is most likely a couple that wants to stay with each other in a long term relationship. If they want all the benefits that come with marriage, they should just marry.    Same-sex couples should be receiving the same benefits as married couples.  If they are not able to have a legal commitment to each other there is nothing they can do about this.  

Assignment 5: Social stratification in your everyday life

Assignment 5: Social stratification in your everyday life

Please read the lecture slides on Social Class and Families posted on wiki. In the lecture slides I discuss the hierarchical arrangement of people in terms of power, prestige, and privileges, which is called social stratification.

1. According to the slides how do we define power, prestige, and privileges and give an example of each.
               Power is defined as the ability to make one person do something against their will.  An example of this term would be if a popular high school student makes another (not so popular) student to do his homework for him.  The popular student uses his power of social status to make another student do his homework for him.

                Prestige is a term that is defined as respected in a society.  An example of this term would be president of the U.S. He is the most important person in the U.S government; therefore, his status is prestige.

               Privilege is a term that can be defined as a special privileges that one person can enjoy but not everybody else.  An example of privilege would be my brother receiving a car from my parents on his birthday and he is the only one who is allowed to drive it.

2. Also, what three variables do Sociologists use to define social class. How would you define your social class and why?
               There are three variables that sociologists use to define class. Those are: occupation (which is the job one has), (education which is the degree one has) and income (is how much money one makes per year).  By those three terms I am most likely a lower class.  Currently, I do not have stable job; therefore, I do not have any income.   At the same time I am in college but I do not have any college degrees yet.

3. Think about how your race/ethnicity or gender or age has blocked you from an opportunity or given you an advantage.

When one has certain race/ethnicity, gender or even age, they contribute to a person being blocked from an opportunity.  I think we all have experienced this and so have I.  About a year ago I wanted to work at the Garden State Plaza in one of the stores my friend works at.  In all honestly, I was excited to be working there because according to my friend the pay was good, the people he worked with were really nice and it was not a hard work.  Before I even applied I asked my friend if they were hiring and he said he will ask his manager.  They next day he told me he did talk with his manager and the store is hiring; however, they are only hiring Asians because “Asians do not steal”.  Obviously, I did not get the job.

4. Please identify your age, or gender of race/ethnicity and then tell me your story.

I am a 20 year old female of white ethnicity.  Being a young female impacted me negatively and positively.  When I am working in groups with older classmates, I feel that they do not take me as seriously as they should.  For example, I am currently working with a classmate that is in her 30s and I am having this problem.  She thinks she is right and things should be done her way because she is older.  Multiple times I came up with an idea for our project and she made fun of it in front of other members of our group.  If it wasn’t for them, our group would never use any of my ideas.  

Assignment 4: Doing Gender & Sexuality

Assignment 4: Doing Gender & Sexuality

1) What does Cherlin mean when he argues that gender differences are built into the system i.e. "society." Give an example from the text of how gender is systematic.

When Cherlin argues that gender differences are built into the system he actually means that we were all raised to believe certain stereotypes about men and women.  In our society, men are supposed to be masculine and strong while women supposed to be just the opposite of that.  A perfect example of how gender is systematic can be found in Chapter 3 where Cherlin talks about how little boys learn that a real man never cries.  Even as a young child, a boy is pressured by the society not to be seen crying because.  Because of this, a little boy will grow up to be a man who does not show his emotions as much as he should.

2) Give an example of "doing gender" from your own life. Had you ever thought about this idea before?

Almost all of us had been “doing gender” at least at some point in our lives and I am no exception.  When I worked at a school with kids ages 3 to 5, I found myself “doing gender” all the time.  One time, I saw a boy and a girl fighting over a toy.  I tried talking to those two children and told the boy he should give the doll to the girl because boys do not play with dolls.  I was a little surprised with myself that I would say something like this because I was raised in a home where my siblings and I always shared toys and there was no “boy toy” or “girl toy” only toys. 

3) From chapters 3 & 6 in the Cherlin text: define sexual identity in your own words. You may paraphrase/summarize Cherlin, but do not directly copy his words.

In Chapters 3 and 6 Charlin stated that sexual identity is a term used to describe people that identify themselves as a heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual because of certain behaviors and attitutes.

4) Next give one reason why social constructionists argue that sexual identity or gender are socially constructed.

Social constructionists argue that sexual identity or genders are socially constructed.  They believe that once we were born, we are assigned to be either man or a woman and the society believes we should stick to those assigned genders.  Our society begins to teach us how to play a role of the assigned gender roles from the day we were born.  Girls will wear pink and play with dolls while boys will prefer blue color and play with cars. 

5) Last, why is it difficult to find accurate data on sexuality as a researcher? If you were asked to participate in a study on sexuality would you answer truthfully? Would you participate at all? What kinds of things would you want to hear from the researcher about how your privacy would be protected if you did participate?

Finding accurate data on sexuality can be challenging because many people are scared to admit if they are attracted to the same sex.  If I were to participate in a study on sexuality I would have no problem answering all the questions if the answers were totally anonymous.  However, if I did have something I did not want others to know, I would ask the researchers if the data collected is anonymous.  As researchers, they should make sure that they respect my request. 

Assignment 3

My last name, Hanaka, is not Japanese.  Multiple people asked me about my last name and very few would guess I am actually Polish.  Usually, Polish last names end with “ski” but not mine.  Both of my parents are both Polish and come from a small village named Szczebrzeszyn.  Because of this, I am Caucasian.  My race and ethnicity are not that important to me.  I have met many Polish people who say they are proud to be Polish because of people like Marie Curie and Fredric Chopin. I don’t feel like I should be proud of something I didn’t do.  At the same time, race is not important to me as well.  

The doll video left me a disappointed in our society.  No child should feel like the girls in the video do.  If we were all the same, the world would be boring. When the girls were asked to describe a perfect female, they said she was white, with long blonde hair and blue eyes.  In all honesty, if we had a world filled with Barbies, I think I would rather move to Mars.  Or Pluto.  It is really sad that young girls feel that they are not considered pretty because of their ethnicity or race.  One thing the video teaches us is that we need to teach children that everybody is beautiful.

Assignment 2

1. According to functionalist theory, what was the definition of the "instrumental leader" and what was the definition of an "expressive leader." What family roles were connected to each of these leader definitions?

According to the functionalist theory, “instrumental leader” is one person that emerges from a group and leads the group discussion about how to accomplish the task that was assigned.  According to the same theory, “expressive leader” is a person who keeps the groups spirit with supportive jokes and remarks. Persons and Bales felt like the father was the “instrumental leader” because he financially supported the family while the mother was the “expressive leader” because she supported the family emotionally.

2. What main demographic change during the 1960s and 1970s led theorists to be critical of the functionalist perspective?

During the 1960s and 1970s married women joined the workforce and began providing their families with financial support.

3. In contrast to functionalist theorists, in your own words, what is the main theme of conflict theory?

Functionalist theorists focus on cooperation within a group.  The conflict theory focuses on how one person can overpower another person.

4. Social exchange theory is based on ideas from what discipline (not sociology). What do exchange theorists say about husbands bargaining power versus that of wives?

Social exchange theory is based on idea that people are able to exchange goods or services if they benefit from it somehow.  The exchange theorists state that when a wife is not working, her husband has all the power over the household.  When the wife begins working, the husband’s power over the household decreases and wife’s power over the household increases.

5. Gender/Feminist theory is based on what main idea?

The gender/feminist theory is based on the idea that in our society man are being favored over women.

6. Thinking about the functionalist, conflict, exchange and feminist/gender perspectives or theories: do you think the power of wives versus husbands in families is changing and why? CLEARLY identify a specific demographic, economic, or cultural change(s) described in lecture 3 to support your argument.

Lately, the power of wives versus husbands in families is changing.  This is happening because man and women do not have the same positions in their families as they did not that long ago. Before 1950s, women stayed home and took care of the kids while man worked and provided financial support for their families.  Now, both women and man are present in the workforce.