Social Institutions and Family Dynamics

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Questions and Answers

What term describes states where governments are primarily controlled by religious leaders?

Democracies

Theocracies (correct)

Oligarchies

Autocracies

Which of the following is an indicator of secularization in society?

Decreasing church attendance (correct)

Increase in community church events

Growth of religious schools

Rise of religious festivals

What role did liberation theology play in South America during the postwar period?

Encouraged the Catholic Church to engage in social activism against dictators (correct)

Limited the influence of the Catholic Church in politics

Advocated for the separation of church and state

Promoted the establishment of religious monarchies

Which regions have shown a significant influence of Islam according to the context provided?

Asia and Africa Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a contrast to secularization, particularly in South America?

Influence of liberation theology Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes an extended family from a nuclear family?

An extended family consists of parents, children, and additional relatives. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of kinship is based strictly on the male line?

Patrilineal Kinship Signup and view all the answers

How does the relational approach to social institutions differ from the institutional approach?

The relational approach emphasizes social relations over rules and norms. Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of monogamous marriage?

A person is limited to one spouse. Signup and view all the answers

In which kinship system is ancestry traced through both male and female lines?

Bilineal Kinship Signup and view all the answers

What role does kinship play in many societies?

It can define social status and influence political power. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the family as a social institution?

To nurture offspring from childhood into adulthood. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following correctly describes reconstituted families?

Families formed by the spouses and children from previous marriages. Signup and view all the answers

What do socialists believe is necessary to achieve societal change?

A revolution to abolish private property Signup and view all the answers

According to Marx, what is the main benefit of communism over a free market system?

Addressing the alienation of man and promoting equality Signup and view all the answers

What are market failures often attributed to?

Imperfect competition and information Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a government intervention example that aims to address economic issues?

Increasing government spending during times of recession Signup and view all the answers

What assumption is made by liberal economics regarding the market?

The market is a competitive environment for all individuals Signup and view all the answers

What do educational and health institutions primarily aim to uphold?

Basic human rights and functional literacy Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program mentioned?

To improve access to health and education for impoverished families Signup and view all the answers

In which instance does Keynes argue government intervention is necessary?

To prevent market failures Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the type of polygamy where a husband can have many wives?

Polygyny Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the economic perspective of liberal economists?

Market forces should determine resource distribution. Signup and view all the answers

According to socialists, who predominantly benefits from a free market system?

The bourgeoisie or the controlling class Signup and view all the answers

What is one key characteristic of a market economy as described in the content?

Self-regulating mechanisms driven by competition Signup and view all the answers

What critique did Karl Marx have about the free market system?

It concentrates wealth in the hands of a few. Signup and view all the answers

In polygamous societies, what is the term for a woman's ability to have multiple husbands?

Polyandry Signup and view all the answers

What basic question must an economy address regarding production?

What should be produced? Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential effect of free competition in a market economy?

It limits greed by self-interested individuals. Signup and view all the answers

What is the belief system that posits that both animate and inanimate objects have a spiritual essence?

Animism Signup and view all the answers

How did Karl Marx view the role of religion in society?

A tool for social control and domination by capitalists Signup and view all the answers

What did Max Weber argue regarding religion and economic development?

Protestant values promote frugality and hard work, aiding economic growth Signup and view all the answers

What does August Comte's Mysticism theory suggest about the evolution of society?

Mysticism will eventually lead to the supremacy of science and rationality Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary implication of secularization theory?

The gradual decline of religion's role in social affairs Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following belief systems includes elements of animism?

Shintoism Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of society did Marx associate religion with?

Economic exploitation and oppression Signup and view all the answers

In which phase does August Comte believe science will dominate the societal outlook?

The scientific phase Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Refer to organized sets of elements such as beliefs, rules, practices, and relationships that aim to achieve social order.
They are well-established and structured relationships between groups of people, considered fundamental components of a society's culture.
Can be studied through the Institutional Approach, focusing on the organized set of rules, norms, beliefs, or values that guide human behavior.
Can be studied through the Relational Approach, focusing on the social relations rather than the rules, norms, beliefs, or values.

The Family, Marriage, and Kinship

A group of people related by birth, marriage, and shared residence.
Vital to the survival of humanity as it nurtures offspring from childhood into adulthood.
Can be nuclear, consisting of parents and children.
Can be extended, including the nuclear family and other relatives like grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Can be reconstituted, composed of spouses and their children from previous marriages.
Kinship is a social structure defined by relations among individuals linked by blood or marriage ties.
Kinship significantly influences defining the social status of individuals in many societies, such as in the Philippines where many prominent personalities trace their lineage to families with long-standing political power and social influence.

Classifications of Kinship Based on Descent

Matrilineal kinship traces descent through the female line.
Patrilineal kinship traces descent through the male line.
Bilineal kinship traces descent through both the male and female lines.

Marriage

A formally recognized union of a man and a woman.
Can be monogamous, meaning a person cannot have more than one spouse (common in Christian societies).
Can be polygamous, meaning a person can have more than one spouse (common in Islamic societies where polygyny, a husband having multiple wives, is practiced).
Polyandry, a wife having multiple husbands, was prevalent in ancient India.

The Economy

Addresses questions regarding the limited resources of society, including what to produce, how to produce it, and how much it should cost.
Answers to these questions determine economic behavior.
Liberal economists believe that market forces should determine the answers to these economic questions.
The market, a self-regulating mechanism, dictates the number of goods produced and their prices.
Consumers and suppliers are free to participate, without government intervention.
Free competition limits the greed of self-interested individuals.

Socialists View of the Economy

Believe that the bourgeoisie (social class controlling means of production) exerts overwhelming control over a free market economy, benefiting at the expense of the proletariat/laborers who lack capital and resources.
Advocate for the abolition of private property and its control by the state to ensure equal distribution of economic resources according to need, regardless of class.
Believe in a revolution to bring about structural changes in society, including the abolition of private property, which leads to communism.
View communism as a solution to the alienation of man in a free market system, providing an alternative to a system controlled by bankers and industrialists.

John Maynard Keynes

Argued that while the economy should be driven by the "invisible hand of the market," government intervention is necessary to prevent market failures.
Market failures occur when the market becomes inefficient due to factors such as imperfect competition, information, mobility, etc.
Government intervention may be needed to regulate companies controlling a sizeable part of the market to prevent monopolies.
Government spending during recessions is a pump-priming mechanism to help the economy reach its optimal level.
Examples of government intervention include Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs, which provide financial aid to indigent families with conditions related to education and health.

Educational and Health Institutions

Uphold basic human rights and can be provided by the state or private entities.
Health institutions ensure access to health services promoting universal public health.
Educational institutions ensure functional literacy.

Religion & Society

Animism is a belief system recognizing a spiritual essence in both animate and inanimate objects, unlike monotheistic and polytheistic religions that limit spirituality to human beings and transcendental beings.
Karl Marx viewed religion as reinforcing social control and the "opiate of the masses," justifying suffering experienced by the lower social classes.
Max Weber believed religion, particularly Protestantism, contributes to economic development by emphasizing frugality and hard work, leading to capital accumulation and industrialization.
August Comte proposed a three-phase development of society: theological (dominance of religion), metaphysical (abstract ideas), and scientific (dominance of science and rationality).

Secularization

The decrease in the influence of religion and organized churches in social affairs, predicted by the secularization theory.
Theocracies are states with governments under the power of religious leaders.
Secularization is indicated by decreasing church attendance, replacement of theological bases for public policies with secular policies (e.g., human rights), and the separation of church and state.
While secularization is observed in many societies, including the Philippines and the West, it is countered by the influence of liberation theology in South America (addressing poverty) and the continued influence of religion (e.g., Christianity in the US, Islam in Asia and Africa).
However, extremist groups pervert religious doctrines, such as Buddhist extremists in Myanmar and Islamist extremists like ISIS.

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Description

Explore the concepts of social institutions, with a focus on family, marriage, and kinship. This quiz covers various approaches to studying these relations, including the Institutional and Relational Approaches. Gain insights into the importance of family structures in society and how they nurture individuals.