Exam Review: Marriage and Family

Exam Logistics & Structure

  • The exam will include approximately 7575 questions, with each question typically worth one point.
  • There is a take-home portion worth 55 points, which is due next Tuesday. This is the only test that will have a take-home component.

Research Methods & Approaches

  • Key Research Method Distinctions: Understand the differences between:
    • Secondary analysis
    • Focus group survey
    • Nonparticipant observation
    • Participant observation
  • Be prepared to identify research methods (quantitative, qualitative, secondary analysis, experimental method, etc.) based on given scenarios.
  • Types of Research:
    • Ideographic research: Focuses on understanding the in-depth details and unique characteristics of a specific case or individual.
    • Nomathetic research: Aims to discover general laws or principles that apply to a broad population.

Fundamental Definitions & Concepts

  • Intimacy: A close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship.
  • Functions of the Family: The essential roles and responsibilities a family fulfills.
  • Marriage: A legally and socially sanctioned union, usually between a man and a woman, that is regulated by laws, rules, customs, beliefs, and attitudes.
  • Family: A group of two or more persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together.
  • Race: A social construct often based on observable physical differences.
  • Ethnicity: A group of people who share common ancestry, culture, history, religion, and/or language.
  • Culture: The shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that characterize a group or society.
  • Cultural Competence: The ability to understand, appreciate, and interact effectively with people from cultures different from one's own.
  • Acculturation: The process of cultural and psychological change that results from contact between two or more cultural groups.
  • Assimilation: The process by which a person or a group's language and/or culture come to resemble those of another group.
  • Root Cause of an Issue: The fundamental, underlying reason for a problem.
  • Kinship Families (or Kin): Relatives, often including blood relatives, relatives by marriage, and sometimes close friends.
  • Polygamy: The practice or custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time.
  • Polyandry: A form of polygamy in which a woman takes two or more husbands at the same time.
  • Polygyny: A form of polygamy in which a man takes two or more wives at the same time.
  • Bigamy: The act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another.
  • Conceptual Framework: An analytical tool used to understand and explain the phenomenon of interest.
  • Hypothesis: A testable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables.
  • Research Question: A question that a research project sets out to answer.
  • Contemporary Family: Modern definitions and structures of families, which can be diverse.
  • Family Appropriation: Refers to topics related to family structure, policies, or trends in how families are defined or supported.
  • "Couple in hand and mouth": Review this concept.

Demographics & Trends

  • Median Age of First Marriage:
    • When the instructor first started teaching: women = 2222, men = 2424.
    • Currently: women = 2828, men = 3030.
    • Significance: The age at which people are getting married is significantly later than it used to be.
  • Trends: Understand general trends discussed in the slides, not specific numerical details beyond the median age of marriage.

Family Systems & Characteristics

  • Family Residence Patterns: How newly married families tend to live.
    • Patrilocal: Newlyweds reside with or near the husband's parents.
    • Matrilocal: Newlyweds reside with or near the wife's parents.
    • Neolocal: Newlyweds establish a new residence independent of either spouse's parents.
  • Egalitarianism: A belief in human equality, especially with respect to social, political, and economic rights and privileges; in relationships, it refers to shared power and decision-making.
  • Three Family System Characteristics (Foundation for Couple and Family Map):
    • Family Cohesion: The emotional closeness and bonding among family members.
    • Flexibility: The ability of a family to change and adapt in response to stress or demands.
    • Communication: The exchange of information, feelings, and meaning within the family.
  • Couple and Family Map (3imes33 imes 3 Grid): Be familiar with this map as it's a foundational concept. Related concepts include:
    • Chaos (lack of structure)
    • Structure (rules, roles, and routines)
    • Connectedness (emotional bonding and independence)

Theoretical Frameworks & Models

  • Be familiar with various theoretical concepts and frameworks discussed, including:
    • Family Development Framework
    • Symbolic Interaction
    • International Family Strengths
    • Family Systems Theory
    • Social Construction Framework

Communication & Conflict

  • Communication Styles:
    • Assertive: Expressing one's feelings and thoughts directly while respecting others.
    • Aggressive: Expressing one's feelings and thoughts forcefully, often at the expense of others.
    • Passive: Failing to express one's feelings and thoughts, often allowing others to dominate.
  • Relationships & Communication Styles: Understand the different types of relationships between married couples based on their communication patterns.
  • Nonverbal Communication: Communication through actions, gestures, facial expressions, and body language.
  • Types of Communication (Content, Command, Report):
    • Content Communication: The verbal message itself (what is said).
    • Command Communication: The nonverbal or contextual message indicating the nature of the relationship (how it is said).
    • Report Communication: (Often used interchangeably with 'content' or refers to the factual information conveyed).
  • Mixed Messages: When verbal and nonverbal communications are contradictory.
  • Double Binds: A communication paradox where an individual receives contradictory messages, making it impossible to respond appropriately without invalidating the relationship or their own perception, and they cannot comment on the contradictory nature of the messages.
  • Effective Listener: Characteristics and skills of a good listener.
  • Types of Listening: Different approaches to listening.

Cultural Nuances in Family

  • Generalities: Know general characteristics and values important to specific cultures, such as Latinos and African Americans.
  • Core Principle: Understand that family is universally important across all cultures discussed.