The Mid-Term Practice Exam

Mid-Term Practice Exam
Sociology of Life Cycles, SOC 390, Section 001
Tuesday/Thursday 2:00 – 3:15 pm – Spring 2009
Dr. Rhonda Matthews
DUE TUESDAY – MARCH 3RD @ 2:PM

GUIDELINES
Use a theoretical perspective in the response.
Use the text, and reference it, at least once in your response.
Please feel free to discuss the question with each other. It is the best way to understand the subject matter. However, do not write your answer together, as this increases the likelihood that you will unintentionally plagiarize each others’ work.
Type your responses! And place the question above your response.
Email your question by 2 pm, Tuesday, March 3rd. Feel free to email it early.
I will not answer once I have handed out the exam. You may, however, ask for clarification.
Do not ask questions in your response. Answer them. Remember, you are the expert here.
Don’t bullshit me. I really hate it.
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In U.S. society, when confronted with what is generally considered to be poor parenting, the following remark is often made “You have to get a license to drive, but any idiot can have a baby.” This statement references the ubiquitous presence of sex in our society as well as the expectation that people actually become parents & use their “parental instincts” and “common sense” to rear their children. In sociology it is understood that neither of these concepts actually exist in the real world. These axioms have been tested lately by the advent of fertility technology and the rise in old women having babies, as well as the increase of women having litters of babies.

Given these social facts, thoroughly discuss the juxtaposition of ideal expectations of parenthood and the social realities that parenthood often brings. Be sure to include at least one theorist’s discussion of the impact of social interaction on the development of identity, as well as the impact of gender on these social interactions.