BEH. SCI. 435
Dr. Jane Granskog
TAKE-HOME FINAL ESSAY EXAM
Answer FOUR (4) of the following questions; everyone MUST answer the first TWO (2). Essays
MUST be typed and be a minimum of six (6) pages, double-spaced, in length (for all four essays).
They are due in class by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, November 29th . If you have an exam conflict
they can be emailed to me as a word.doc attachment at jgranskog@csub.edu .
1. One of the major emphases in this course has been on the interpretation and utilization of
kinship principles by different cultural groups in different settings. Using any THREE cases,
(Black, Mexican-American, Native American, Zapotec etc.), illustrate: (1) how kinship may be
used as a strategy for survival in societies of varying complexity; and (2) its relative
importance in defining sets of relationships within a given society. In each case, include a
description of the major features of the key kinship groups as well as the roles and identity of
individuals within them.
2. Because of your knowledge of the varieties of families around the world, you have been
invited to speak at an international conference on the prospects for the future of the family.
Your presentation is to focus on what you consider to be the major economic, social and
ideological factors affecting the family (structure and functions) and its role in society. What
have been the most significant factors and why? What do you see as the prospects for the
family in the future? Support your assertions with examples chosen from our own changing
society AND those of other societies that have been discussed in class and/or the readings.
At the end of your presentation, you are also asked to describe the most significant
insights/perceptions regarding the relative significance of the family that you have obtained as
a result of your studies AND whether your studies have made a significant difference in terms
of how you perceive yourself in relation to others. How do you answer them?
3. Discuss the stereotypes of at least THREE types of family (e.g., Black, Mexican-American,
Anglo, Italian, etc.) and how they contrast with the realities of everyday family life. In
particular, what are the significant problems researchers have had in defining and
characterizing particular family types? Be sure to include what you would consider to be a
"good" description of each family type discussed as well as the extent to which it incorporates
the concept of positive dependency. (NOTE: At least TWO of the cases chosen MUST be
different from those selected in question 1.)
4. You have just been given the opportunity to spend three months with a family in a culture of
your own choosing (eg., Japanese, Vietnamese, Zapotec, etc.). About three weeks after your
arrival, one night after dinner, they ask you about your family. What do you tell them?
(Discuss the major similarities and differences between your family and theirs, including
discussion of positive dependency networks where relevant.)
5. One of the significant issues that we have addressed concerns the role that social networks
play in our lives. Gurian and Gurian discuss positive dependency networks. Lindsey
discusses networks as another form of family. Bott looks at networks in terms of their impact
on family structure and role relations between husbands and wives. Schaffer and Wagner
discuss the degree to which women from different ethnic groups employ networks as a
strategy for survival. Because of your knowledge in this area, you have been asked to give a
presentation at the Women's Day Symposium on "The Role of Social Networks in Our Lives".
Based on your readings and class discussion of social networks as well as your own
experiences (i.e., your network of friends and family), what do you tell them?
6. Considerable attention has been given this quarter to discussion of the significance of family
structure (in relation to other groups within society) as well as role relations within the family in
terms of their impact upon the individual and her/his sense of identity. John Bradshaw,
among others, has commented that 97% or more of American families are dysfunctional to
varying degrees; the significance of their dysfunctional character is measured by the impact
that such families have had on individuals and the issues they face as adults. Gurian and
Gurian likewise point this out in their discussion of the Independence Complex. Cohen deals
with this issue as well in his discussion of the core incest taboo and the functioning of
boundary maintenance groups. Based on your readings and class discussion, what do you
consider to be the significance of the family (in terms of structure and role relations within it) in
terms of its impact upon an individual's identity? What do you perceive to be dysfunctional
features (in terms of consequences for individuals) of the "American" family that these authors
are describing? Be sure to define your terms and support your assertions with case examples
from the readings and/or your own personal experiences.