Family Studies 1010A Final Exam
questions well answered 2025/2026
The Changing Family - correct answer ✔✔- There is a rising proportion of individuals living alone
(1.7 mil in 1981 to 4.4 mil in 2021)
- household composed of roommates is the fastest growing household (increased by 54% from
2001-2021)
- younger adults are less likely to live as a couple
- from 1981-2021 there is a lot more common law couples then married couples
Definition of Family - correct answer ✔✔- Family is a type of social group
- Family membership is achieved through the sexual bond of same generational adults
(marriage) and biological reproduction (offspring)
Restrictive definitions of family - correct answer ✔✔- these definitions state what a family
SHOULD look like
- Provide very specific definitions (two opposite gender adults and their biological offspring)
- This excludes same sex marriages and their children, single mother/father families, children
raised by grandparents
Legal definitions - correct answer ✔✔- Relates to family law about custody, common law
relationships and cohabitation
- Each province and territory has its own legislation on families
Normative Definitions - correct answer ✔✔- Shared by the majority of people
- A practice or action regarded as socially legitimate and approved/ acceptable
- These definitions change and broaden over time
,Theoretical Definitions - correct answer ✔✔- use the concepts and propositions from a social
science theory
- definitions are the starting point for a theory
- Theoretical definitions are not incorrect or correct, they're just consistent with the concepts in
a theory
Research Definitions - correct answer ✔✔- definitions where the context is a specific research
question
Social constructions - correct answer ✔✔- social constructions of a family gain power when
adherents of a perspective increase in number
- This increase will eventually change normative definitions
- Social construction of marriage now includes gay and lesbian marriages
How does Society Affect Families? - correct answer ✔✔- Families are part of society, they are
not individual (family members exist outside of their family in different social networks, eg.
work, religion, social groups etc.)
- society provides expectations for families
Kinship Systems - correct answer ✔✔- Kinship systems represent basic assumptions (how to
behave (norms) and to whom we are related to)
- Kinship allows us to trace families over time
- marriage, social status, inheritance and property
Race - correct answer ✔✔- A system of classifying people based on physical characteristics (skin
colour)
, Ethnicity - correct answer ✔✔- the term used to specific a group of people who share a
common cultural heritage
- Ethnic classification is complex, especially in multicultural societies like Canada
Visible Minority - correct answer ✔✔- A person other than an aboriginal who is not white in
race or in colour
Aboriginal - correct answer ✔✔- A person who is First Nations, Inuit or Metis
Minority Group - correct answer ✔✔- Any group that holds less power then the dominant
group (a group that has greatest power but not necessarily greatest number)
Why is interpreting data on ethnicity hard? - correct answer ✔✔- ethnicity is a fluid concept
- Respondents understanding of their ethnicity varies because of generations, length of time
since immigration, and social context
- There is intermarriage among different ethnic groups
How do multi racial families change race? - correct answer ✔✔- mixed race families vary among
different groups (children born to these parents have complex backgrounds, children adopted
internationally have their own background plus now their adoptive parents background)
Stereotypes - correct answer ✔✔- Simplified perceptions people have of an entire group
- Negative stereotypes (all arabs are terroists)
- Positive stereotypes (all Italian families are loving)
Prejudice - correct answer ✔✔- A negative attitude toward an entire group of people
questions well answered 2025/2026
The Changing Family - correct answer ✔✔- There is a rising proportion of individuals living alone
(1.7 mil in 1981 to 4.4 mil in 2021)
- household composed of roommates is the fastest growing household (increased by 54% from
2001-2021)
- younger adults are less likely to live as a couple
- from 1981-2021 there is a lot more common law couples then married couples
Definition of Family - correct answer ✔✔- Family is a type of social group
- Family membership is achieved through the sexual bond of same generational adults
(marriage) and biological reproduction (offspring)
Restrictive definitions of family - correct answer ✔✔- these definitions state what a family
SHOULD look like
- Provide very specific definitions (two opposite gender adults and their biological offspring)
- This excludes same sex marriages and their children, single mother/father families, children
raised by grandparents
Legal definitions - correct answer ✔✔- Relates to family law about custody, common law
relationships and cohabitation
- Each province and territory has its own legislation on families
Normative Definitions - correct answer ✔✔- Shared by the majority of people
- A practice or action regarded as socially legitimate and approved/ acceptable
- These definitions change and broaden over time
,Theoretical Definitions - correct answer ✔✔- use the concepts and propositions from a social
science theory
- definitions are the starting point for a theory
- Theoretical definitions are not incorrect or correct, they're just consistent with the concepts in
a theory
Research Definitions - correct answer ✔✔- definitions where the context is a specific research
question
Social constructions - correct answer ✔✔- social constructions of a family gain power when
adherents of a perspective increase in number
- This increase will eventually change normative definitions
- Social construction of marriage now includes gay and lesbian marriages
How does Society Affect Families? - correct answer ✔✔- Families are part of society, they are
not individual (family members exist outside of their family in different social networks, eg.
work, religion, social groups etc.)
- society provides expectations for families
Kinship Systems - correct answer ✔✔- Kinship systems represent basic assumptions (how to
behave (norms) and to whom we are related to)
- Kinship allows us to trace families over time
- marriage, social status, inheritance and property
Race - correct answer ✔✔- A system of classifying people based on physical characteristics (skin
colour)
, Ethnicity - correct answer ✔✔- the term used to specific a group of people who share a
common cultural heritage
- Ethnic classification is complex, especially in multicultural societies like Canada
Visible Minority - correct answer ✔✔- A person other than an aboriginal who is not white in
race or in colour
Aboriginal - correct answer ✔✔- A person who is First Nations, Inuit or Metis
Minority Group - correct answer ✔✔- Any group that holds less power then the dominant
group (a group that has greatest power but not necessarily greatest number)
Why is interpreting data on ethnicity hard? - correct answer ✔✔- ethnicity is a fluid concept
- Respondents understanding of their ethnicity varies because of generations, length of time
since immigration, and social context
- There is intermarriage among different ethnic groups
How do multi racial families change race? - correct answer ✔✔- mixed race families vary among
different groups (children born to these parents have complex backgrounds, children adopted
internationally have their own background plus now their adoptive parents background)
Stereotypes - correct answer ✔✔- Simplified perceptions people have of an entire group
- Negative stereotypes (all arabs are terroists)
- Positive stereotypes (all Italian families are loving)
Prejudice - correct answer ✔✔- A negative attitude toward an entire group of people
