Information for Students | William Marsiglio

Society and the Individual (SYP 3000) Students: Midterm Study Guide (October, 2009)

Your midterm exam on October 15th will cover all of the reading materials for the first 8 reading weeks of the semester as indicated by the syllabus (including “The Social Construction of Subjective Experience”). The lecture notes are particularly important, but you will need to study the assigned readings as well because I will include a question or two from most of the readings. Make sure you understand the three theoretical perspectives we studied in this class (symbolic interactionism, social exchange, and the IRC model). PLEASE learn the three perspectives! You will do VERY POORLY on this exam if you do not understand them. You should know the various features of each perspective and be able to distinguish the persperctives from one another. You also should be able to apply them, or see how they could be relevant to different types of situations. At least 10 questions will focus on these perspectives.

The exam will include 50 multiple choice questions worth either 7 or 10 points apiece depending on whether you decide to write the term paper. Bring a #2 pencil. You will have the entire class period to take the exam. Please be on time so that everyone hears the same directions and students are not disrupted by others coming in late. Only under very, very rare circumstances do I give make-up exams and any student who approaches me about this option will need to do so BEFORE March 3rd. Such a student will forfeit having any potential curve applied to his/her final score, irrespective of their reason for requesting a makeup exam. A curve might be applied to those students who take the exam during the regular class time. (see syllabus for exam policies)

The computerized program I use is supported by the university and requires that I have 5 answer categories. Because I’m a nice guy, I will only ask you to choose from 4 possible answers. Thus, for each question there will be one answer that reads “xxxxx.” You should (you must) ignore this answer category. If you choose it you will automatically get it wrong! I will test the depth of your understanding by including some questions which have legitimate answer categories “all of the answers are correct” or “none of the answers are correct.” You should not be afraid to choose this answer if you feel confident it is the correct answer.

Also, in the fall 2008 the Department was migrated to a new computer system and that system sometimes does not process the computer program for creating testing as efficiently as the old system. There may be some odd symbols interspersed throughout the exam because the computer program does not always read accurately symbols like question marks, dashes, or apostrophes.

The questions will vary in difficulty. Some will require you to process information dealing with different theories or concepts and demonstrate your understanding of the material. For example:

As discussed in class, a major criticism of the social exchange model of human behavior is that:

(1) it inappropriately assumes that human behavior can sometimes have an important rational component
(2) it tends to overemphasize the idea that individuals are confronted with various alternatives
(3) it does not give enough attention to individuals’ ability to search for and find alternative ways of behaving
(4) the emotional dimensions to social life are not treated adequately
(5) xxxxx

Other questions will be relatively straight forward and will simply determine whether you can recall the definition of a key concept. For example:

According to the IRC model, a person’s knowledge about the stock market represents:

(1) an aspect of the norm of reciprocity
(2) personalized cultural capital
(3) none of the answers are correct
(4) a form of univocal reciprocity
(5) xxxxx

Reification:
(1) is a strategy for bridging the gap between social structure and social process
(2) refers to the notion that sometimes people treat abstract ideas as being concrete
(3) all of the answers are correct
(4) xxxxx
(5) can be accounted for most accurately by using the social exchange perspective

In some instances I will provide you with a brief scenario to encourage you to think about social psychological processes and concepts. As part of the scenario I will ask you a question to determine if you have a clear and deep understanding of the concept. An example might be:

Assume the year is 2015 and you run into one of your close friends and classmates from this course (Society and the Individual) at an amusement park. Your former classmate is accompanied by her husband (Dareous) and child and you start to talk about childrearing. In the course of your conversation you jokingly ask your former classmate if her child has blurted out any bad words yet like like Marsiglio did with his mom. Both you and your former classmate start to laugh. Dareous is quite puzzled by your hysterical laughter because he is ignorant of the fact that you and your former classmate share:

(1) personalized cultural capital
(2) generalized cultural capital
(3) similar reputations
(4) emotional energy
(5) xxxxx

If I (Dr. Marsiglio) were taking this exam I would do the following:

Read and highlight all of the material by the end of the weekend!
2. Have complete, well-organized, and legible notes.
3. Develop athorough understanding of the theoretical perspectivescovered in the course. Think about their key assumptions and criticisms. Compare and contrast them to each other.
4. Study the key concepts and force myself to come up with my own examples to illustrate them.
5. Perhaps study with someone to force myself to talk about these concepts aloud.
6. Study Cahill’s initial comments about each of the articles included in Inside Social Life.
7. Read Hewitt’s work in a way that I retain a solid understanding of the concepts central to the SI perspective.
8. Review Tuesdays with Morrie and be prepared to interpret Mitch and Morrie’s story using concepts we’ve discussed in class.
9. Spend a lot of time studying my notes!
10. Go over the discussion questions thoroughly.
11. Visualize how good I will feel if I do well on the exam!

Correct answers for Q’s above: 1. (4), 2. (3), 3. (2), 4. (1)

END OF STUDY GUIDE

Men & Masculinities (Summer, 2009): Final Exam and Final Course Grades

I just submitted your final grades to the registrar this afternoon. I curved the final exam 2 questions or 8 points out of 200. The top raw score was 49/50. Each question was worth 4 points, so that person ended up receiving 204/200 (congrats!).

Here is the final grade distribution for the entire course (see syllabus for the scale)

A    (930 and higher):   1
A-   (900-929):          6
B+ (870-899)               4
B    (830-869) 4
B-   (800-929) 3
C+ (770-799) 0
C     (730-769)    2

As I mentioned in class, there is NO EXTRA CREDIT, so please do not contact me about it.

Have a great summer AND life. In my mind, you were part of an exceptional class. THANKS!

Secret												ATT	Mid	MP	PJE	Final	Total
Code	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	100	250	100	350	200	1000

01	10	8	10	10	10	8	10	10	10	10	10	98	230	91	304	172	895	B+
02	10	9	10	10	10	7	10	10	10	10	10	99	220	94	323	168	904	A-
03	10	8	10	10	10	8	10	10	0	10	10	96	210	93	273	156	828	B-
04	10	9	10	0	10	7	9	10	10	10	10	95	200	89	311	188	883	B+
05	10	9	10	10	10	7	10	10	10	10	10	99	220	86	320	184	909	A-
06	10	9	0	0	0	0	0	10	0	0	0	29	200	88
07	10	0	10	10	10	6	10	10	10	10	10	96	230	94	339	204	963	A
08	10	8	10	10	10	8	10	10	10	10	10	98	210	90	268	172	838	B
09	10	9	0	0	10	5	0	10	0	10	10	64	205	90	329	160	848	B
10	10	9	10	10	10	9	10	10	10	10	10	99	210	95	330	172	906	A-
11	0	9	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		145
12	0	9	0	0	10	8	0	0	0	0	0
13	10	0	10	10	0	10	0	10	0	10	0	60	225	93	318	152	848	B
14	10	9	10	10	10	7	10	10	10	10	10	99	225	95	325	172	916	A-
15	10	9	10	10	10	8	9	0	10	10	10	96	225	85	296	168	870	B+
16	0	9	0	10	10	6	9	10	0	10	10	74	215	84	282	168	823	B-
17	10	9	10	10	10	6	0	10	10	10	10	95	205	90	333	164	887	B+
18	10	9	10	10	10	0	10	0	10	0	10	79	175	79	268	140	741	C
19	10	9	10	0	10	7	9	10	10	10	10	95	205	95	334	172	901	A-
20	0	9	10	0	10	6	10	10	9	10	10	85	175	93	307	172	832	B
21	10	9	10	0	10	8	10	10	10	10	10	97	220	94	321	172	904	A-
22	0	0	10	10	10	7	10	0	10	10	10	77	180	95	319	156	827	B-
23	10	9	10	10	10	5	9	10	0	0	10	83	170	79	244	168	744	C

Midterm Exam Grades: Men & Masculinities, Summer 2009

The scores below include your 6 attendance scores thus far and your midterm exam score. All midterm scores below INCLUDE a 2 question or 10 point curve. The top raw score was 44/50 which was converted to 46/50 or 230/250.

Grade Distribution

A   (225-250)               4
B   (200-224)             12
C   (175-199)               3
D (150-174)              2
E   (below 150)            1

Secret												ATT	Mid	MP	PJE	Final	Total
Code	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	100	250	100	350	200	1000

01	10	8	10	10	10	8							230
02	10	9	10	10	10	7							220
03	10	8	10	10	10	8							210
04	10	9	10	0	10	7							200
05	10	9	10	10	10	7							220
06	10	9	0	0	0	0							200
07	10	0	10	10	10	6							230
08	10	8	10	10	10	8							210
09	10	9	0	0	10	5							205
10	10	9	10	10	10	9							210
11	0	9	10	0	0	0							145
12	0	9	0	0	10	8
13	10	0	10	10	0	10							225
14	10	9	10	10	10	7							150
15	10	9	10	10	10	8							225
16	0	9	0	10	10	6							215
17	10	9	10	10	10	6							205
18	10	9	10	10	10	0							175
19	10	9	10	0	10	7							205
20	0	9	10	0	10	6							175
21	10	9	10	0	10	8							220
22	0	0	10	10	10	7							180
23	10	9	10	10	10	5							170

Study Guide for Men and Masculinities (Summer), EXAM is during the class period June 2, 2009.

Your midterm exam will cover all of the reading materials for the first 3 READING weeks of the semester as indicated by the syllabus. The lecture notes are particularly important, but you will need to study the assigned readings as well. I will ask questions about reading material that we did not cover in class.

The exam will include 50 multiple choice questions worth 5 points apiece. Remember that the exam is worth 250 out of the 1,000 points for the course. You will have the entire class period to complete the exam. Please be on time (5-10 minutes early ideally) so that everyone hears the same directions and students are not disrupted by others coming in late. If you arrive late, you will still have to finish the exam by the end of the period 12:15. Only under very, very rare circumstances do I give make-up exams and any student who approaches me about this option will need to do so BEFORE June 2. Such a student will FORFEIT having any potential curve applied to his/her final score that might be applied to those students who take the exam during the regular class time. (see syllabus for exam policies)

The computerized program I use is supported by the university and requires that I have 5 answer categories. Because I’m a nice guy, I will only ask you to choose from 4 possible answers. Thus, for each question there will be one answer that reads “XXXXX” You should (you must) ignore this answer category. If you choose it, you will automatically get it wrong! I will test the depth of your understanding by including some questions which have legitimate answer categories “all of the specific answers are correct” or “none of the specific answers are correct.” You should not be afraid to choose this answer if you feel confident it is the correct answer.

The questions will vary in difficulty. Below you will find several sample questions taken from a couple sections of the course thus far. This should give you some sense of the kinds of questions you will see on the exam. Obviously, these questions do NOT represent the breath of the questions you will see on the exam. The correct answers are listed below after my study suggestions for this exam (don’t peek).

QQ Based on our class discussion and class reading middleclass men’s use of hormonal treatments
and cosmetic surgeryin the 1990s:
(1) is much higher than it was twenty years ago
(2) has leveled off during the past decade, but is higher than it was twenty years ago
(3) is similar to the rates for men from the lower socioeconomic classes
(4) represents about five percent of all treatments and surgeries involving men and women
(5) xxxxxx

2. QQ According to our class discussion, which of the following
statements is correct:
(1) the “conduct of fatherhood” has progressed more quickly than
the “culture of fatherhood” in recent years
(2) mothers’ changing employment patterns during the past
30 years or so have had a major impact on the “culture of
fatherhood”
(3) the “conduct of fatherhood” was largely responsible for shaping
the “culture of motherhood”
(4) the “culture of fatherhood” and the “conduct of fatherhood” were
out of sync about a decade ago but now they are basically consistent
with one another
(5) xxxxx

3. QQ The diagram of the scripting perspective that was handed out in
class:
AA (1) how cultural scenarios tend to affect interpersonal scripting
(2) how sexual scenarios influence intrapsychic scripting
(3) all of the specific answers are correct
(4) stressed the reciprocal relationship between intrapsychic processes
and subjective expected utility
(5) xxxxx

Which of the following most accurately represents the pattern of committed suicides among teenagers in the U.S.?
AA S(1) xxxxx
(2) girls are between 1-2 times more likely to commit suicde than boys
(3) boy are about 10 times more likely to commit suicide than girls
(4) boys are about 4 times more likely to commit suicide than girls
(5) boys and girls commit suicides at about the same rate
If a researcher applied a social constructionist approach to understanding gay men’s desires for children in
the early 2000s, he or she would most likely:
(1) xxxxx
(2) explore the meanings of family gay men negotiate with their intimate partners
(3) study how men’s reproductive physiology restricts gay men’s ability to have as much control of the
fertility process as lesbians do
(4) none of the specific answers are correct
(5) consider how recent social movements and policies have affected the way gay men think about familiesIf I were taking this exam I would do the following:
Read and highlight all of the material by the end of the weekend then review my materials!
2. Have complete, well-organized, and legible notes.
3. Develop a thorough understanding of the theoretical perspectives covered in the course. Think about their key assumptions and be able to apply them.
4. Develop a clear understanding of the key concepts discussed in class.
5. Develop a clear understanding of the main observations and conclusions in the individual articles/chapters.
6. Perhaps study with someone to force myself to talk about these concepts aloud.
7. Spend a lot of time studying my notes!
8. Do not spend time remembering dates or specific statistics (know general patterns associated with the data). Typically, if statistics are used on the exam, you will be able to answer questions correctly by knowing the general pattern or whether some figure is low, medium, or high.
9. Focus MUCH MORE on the concepts, patterns, ideas rather than who said what.
10. Visualize how good I will feel on June 2 after I do well on the exam!

Correct answers: 1: 1; 2: 2; 3: 3; 4: 4, 5: 5

Sociology of Reproduction and Gender Students (Final Grade Info)

Your various grades, including your final exam and course grades, appear below. I curved the final exam 3 questions (15 points). The high score before the curve was 47/50 which was converted to 50/50 or 250/250 points. The two highest scores for the course were 967 and 965 (congrats).

Please recall my statement before class and my guidelines in the syllabus: I do not add points to students’ scores nor do I provide opportunities for extra credit. I will not respond to requests to add points to students’ point totals. The distribution for the course grades are as followers:

A  = 6
B+= 1
B  = 7
C+=3
C =  5
D+=2
D = 2
E  = 1

Thanks for helping to make this a memorable class–I trust that you’ll take something away from this course that influences how you see and experience yourself in the reproductive realm for years to come.

Secret													Int	MID	Pap		Fin
Code													Pro	EX			Ex	Tot
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	100	150	250	250		250	1000
01	0	10	10	9	10	10	0	10	3	10	10	82	140	225	228	675	225	900	A
02	10	10	8	0	10	10	10	0	10	0	0	68	126	210	194	598	210	808	B
03	10	10	0	9	10	0	0	0	3	0	0	42	132	170	197	541	180	721	C
04	10	10	10	8	10	10	10	10	10	9	0	97	121	180	185	583	195	778	C+
05	10	0	8	0	0	10	0	10	9	10	10	67	125	210	227	629	205	834	B
06	10	10	10	8	0	0	10	10	10	10	10	88	130	160	227	605	215	820	B
07	10	10	10	9	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	100	141	265	239	745	220	965	A
08	10	10	10	8	10	10	10	10	7	10	10	98	119	160	216	593	215	808	B
09	0	0	0	8	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	126	125	185	444		444	E
10	0	0	0	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	10	144
11	0	10	8	10	0	10	0	0	3	0	0	41	147	175	218	581		581	E
12	0	0	10	9	10	0	10	10	10	0	10	69	129	150	172	520	185	705	C
13	10	10	10	10	0	10	9	10	10	9	0	87	140	210	227	664	190	854	B
14	10	10	9	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	100	141	195	181	617	205	822	B
15	10	10	0	8	10	0	X	10	7	0	10	65	121	130	169	485	160	645	D
16	X	10	9	8	0	10	0	0	3	0	0	40	119	185	208	552	175	727	C
17	10	10	10	8	10	0	10	9	7	0	0	74	130	195
18	10	10	9	8	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	99	142	245	231	717	250	967	A
19	0	8	8	0	8	10	0	0	9	9	10	62	132	200	198	592	200	792	C+
20	10	10	8	9	10	10	10	10	10	10	0	97	139	205	242	683	235	918	A
21	10	10	9	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	39	123
22	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	3	0	10	93	117	155	182	547	150	697	D+
23	10	10	8	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	100	127	245	245	717	240	957	A
24	10	10	10	8	10	10	10	0	3	10	10	91	130	170	210	601	205	806	B
25	10	0	10	8	0	10	10	10	10	10	10	88	138	155	216	597	200	797	C+
26	10	10	9	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	100	141	225	213	679	220	899	B+
27	10	10	8	9	0	0	10	0	9	10	0	56	127	185	50	418	195	613	D
28	0	10	9	10	10	0	10	10	3	10	10	82	143	240	227	692	225	917	A
29	10	8	8	10	10	10	9	10	10	10	10	97	135	160	195	587	180	767	C
30	0	10	0	9	0	10	10	10	9	10	10	78	126	160	214	578	170	748	C
31	10	10	0	8	0	0	10	10	7	10	10	75	130	130	183	518	175	693	D+

S & I Students (FINAL GRADE INFO):

Your various grades, including your final exam and course grades, appear below. I curved the final exam 5 questions (30 points). The high score before the curve was 40/50 which was converted to 45/50 or 270/300 points. Please recall my statement before class and my guidelines in the syllabus: I do not add points to students’ scores nor do I provide opportunities for extra credit. I will not respond to requests to add points to students’ point totals. The distribution for the course grades are as followers:

A  = 5
B+= 0
B  = 8
C+=1
C =  6
D+=4
D = 1
E  = 1

I hope that you all have fun summers and productive/happy lives!

Secret												Tot	Mid	Paper	Fin	Tot
Code												Att	Ex		Ex	Pts
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	100	300	300	300	1000
01	10	9	0	10	10	10	0	0	10	0	10	69	234	243	168	714	C
02	10	10	0	10	10	10	10	0	10	10	10	90	288	271	270	919	A
03	0	10	0	0	0	0	10	0	0	0	0	20	240
04	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	0	100	234	260	234	828	B
05	10	10	10	0	10	10	0	9	0	0	0	59	114
06	10	10	10	10	0	10	10	10	10	0	10	90	228	280	180	778	C+
07	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	9	8	0	10	97	198	262	204	761	C
08	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	0	10	0	90	300	289	264	943	A
09	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	100	288	274	264	926	A
10	10	10	10	10	0	10	0	0	8	0	10	68	222	286	192	768	C
11	10	10	0	10	10	10	0	10	10	10	10	90	270	233	252	845	B
12	10	10	8	10	10	10	10	9	8	10	10	97	306	273	264	940	A
13	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	9	8	10	10	99	276	284	270	929	A
14	10	10	10	10	9	10	10	0	9	0	9	87	246	283	252	868	B
15	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	10	0	18	180	260	234	692	D+
16	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	100	228	251	222	801	B
17	10	10	0	10	0	10	10	8	9	10	10	87	222	282	210	801	B
18	10	9	0	10	9	10	10	9	6	0	9	82	216	228	150	676	D+
19	0	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	10	180	208	180	578	E
20	0	10	0	0	0	0	10	9	8	0	0	37	120	252	198	607	D
21	10	10	0	0	0	10	0	8	10	0	10	58	264	285	246	853	B
22	10	9	10	10	0	10	0	0	6	0	9	64	186	237	192	679	D+
23	10	10	8	5	10	10	10	9	8	10	10	95	222	252	246	815	B
24	0	10	0	10	0	10	10	10	0	0	0	50	150
25	10	10	10	0	10	10	10	8	9	0	10	87	210	267	198	762	C
26	10	9	8	10	10	10	10	9	10	10	10	98	180	254	180	712	C
27	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	10	0	0	10	216	271	192	689	D+
28	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	8	9	10	10	99	222	224	204	749	C
29	10	10	0	10	10	0	10	10	10	10	10	90	240	280	192	802	B

Society and the Individual (SYP 3000) Students: MIDTERM EXAM SCORES

Here are the midterm scores as well as your attendance scores to date. I applied a rather substantial curve to the midterm exam: 6 questions (36 points). The top score prior to the curve was 45 questions correct out of 50. With the curve, multipled by the 6 points per question weighting, that person received 306/300 (congrats!).

To find your score look for your secret code on the far left-hand side and then read across.

Number of students
(Curve include)

A (270 and above)                 6
B (240 -269)                          5
C (210-239)                         10
D (180-209)                           5
E (below 180)                        2

Secret code												Att	Ex	Pap	Ex	Pts
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	100	300	300	300	1000
01	10	9	0	10	10	10							234
02	10	10	0	10	10	10							288
03	0	10	0	0	0	0							240
04	10	10	10	10	10	10							234
05	10	10	10	0	10	10							114
06	10	10	10	10	0	10							228
07	10	10	10	10	10	10							198
08	10	10	10	10	10	10							300
09	10	10	10	10	10	10							288
10	10	10	10	10	0	10							222
11	10	10	0	10	10	10							270
12	10	10	8	10	10	10							306
13	10	10	10	10	10	10							276
14	10	10	10	10	9	10							246
15	0	0	0	0	0	0							180
16	10	10	10	10	10	10							228
17	10	10	0	10	0	10							222
18	10	9	0	10	9	10							216
19	0	10	0	0	0	0							180
20	0	10	0	0	0
21	10	10	0	0	0	10							264
22	10	9	10	10	0	10							186
23	10	10	8	5	10	10							222
24	0	10	0	10	0	10							150
25	10	10	10	0	10	10							210
26	10	9	8	10	10	10							180
27	0	0	0	0	0	0							216
28	10	10	10	10	10	10							222
29	10	10	0	10	10	0							240

Sociology of Reproduction and Gender (SYD 4820) Students: MIDTERM EXAM SCORES

Here are the midterm scores, internet project, and attendance scores to date. I applied a rather substantial curve to the midterm exam: 6 questions (30 points). The top score prior to the curve was 47 questions correct out of 50. With the curve, multipled by the 5 points per question weighting, that person received 265/250 (congrats!).

To find your score look for your secret code on the far left-hand side and then read across.

Number of students
(Curve include)

A (225-250)                             6
B (200-224)                             5
C (175-199)                             6
D (150-174)                            9
E (below 150)                         3

													Int	MID	Pap	Fin	Tot
													Pro	EX		Ex
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	100	150	250	250	250	100
01	0	10	10	9	10	10							140	225
02	10	10	8	0	10	10							126	210
03	10	10	0	9	10	0							132	170
04	10	10	10	8	10	10							121	180
05	10	0	8	0	0	10							125	210
06	10	10	10	8	0	0							130	160
07	10	10	10	9	10	10							141	265
08	10	10	10	8	10	10							119	160
09	0	0	0	8	0	0							126	125
10	0	0	0	10	0	0							144
11	0	10	8	10	0	10							147	175
12	0	0	10	9	10	0							129	150
13	10	10	10	10	0	10							140	210
14	10	10	9	10	10	10							141	195
15	10	10	0	8	10	0							121	130
16	X	10	9	8	0	10							119	185
17	10	10	10	8	10	0							130	195
18	10	10	9	8	10	10							142	245
19	0	8	8	0	8	10							132	200
20	10	10	8	9	10	10							139	205
21	10	10	9	10	0	0							123
22	10	10	10	10	10	10							117	155
23	10	10	8	10	10	10							127	245
24	10	10	10	8	10	10							130	170
25	10	0	10	8	0	10							138	155
26	10	10	9	10	10	10							141	225
27	10	10	8	9	0	0							127	185
28	0	10	9	10	10	0							143	240
29	10	8	8	10	10	10							135	160
30	0	10	0	9	0	10							126	160
31	10	10	0	8	0	0							130	130

Sociology of Reproduction and Gender: Study guide for Exam (March 3^rd, Tuesday)

Your CHALLENGING exam will cover all of the reading materials for the first 8 READING weeks of the semester as indicated by the syllabus. Thus you are responsible for Sex, Men, and Babies and 13 articles/chapters. This material INCLUDES the articles for the section on Interview Training. Although the lecture notes are particularly important, you will most likely do very poorly on this quiz if you have not read and studied the readings.

The exam will include 50 multiple choice questions worth 5 points apiece. Remember that the exam is worth 250 out of the final 1,000 points for the course. You will have the entire class period to take the exam. I want everyone to hear the same directions and it is rude to come in late and disrupt other students who have already started to take the exam. Only under very, very rare circumstances do I give a make-up exam and any student who approaches me about this option will need to do so BEFORE March 3rd. Such a student will FORFEIT having any potential curve applied to his/her final score that might be applied to those students who take the exam during the regular class time (see syllabus for exam policies).

The computerized program I use is supported by the university and requires that I have 5 answer categories. Because I’m a nice guy, I will only ask you to choose from 4 possible answers. Thus, for each question there will be one answer that reads “XXXXX” You should (you must) ignore this answer category. If you choose it, you will automatically get it wrong! I will test the depth of your understanding by including some questions that have legitimate answer categories “all of the specific answers are correct” or “none of the specific answers are correct.” You should not be afraid to choose this answer if you feel confident it is the correct answer.

The questions will vary in difficulty. Below you will find 4 sample questions taken from a couple sections of the course thus far. This should give you some sense of the kinds of questions you will see on the quiz. Obviously, these questions do NOT represent the breath of the questions you will see on the quiz. The correct answers are listed below after my study suggestions for this exam (don’t peek).

Sample Questions:

QQ Authoritative knowledge in the medical community:
AA S (1) all of the specific answers are correct
(2) minimize pregnant women’s feelings about being in control
of their own body and pregnancy
(3) currently marginalizes midwives’ opportunities to be
involved in hospital births
(4) xxxxx
(5) provides physicians with the most power in the birthing
process

QQ According to our class discussion about the possibility that
women would become more valued if sex preselection technology
were widely adopted we noted that:
AA S (1) most women would actually stand to benefit a great deal
(2) at least some women might be valued more, but not for
reasons that accentuated their professional skills in the
employment sector
(3) women would be exploited and would probably not experience any benefits
(4) none of the specific answers are correct
(5) xxxxx

QQ One of the main questions related to the study of men=s relationship-based modes of procreative consciousness is:
AA S (1) to figure out how key aspects of men=s sense of fatherhood
readiness influence their desires to have children
(2) to understand the types of properties associated with men=s turning points
(3) to determine when and how men=s experiences in one relationship influence their experiences in subsequent relationships
(4) to learn more about how men=s thoughts about manhood are linked to their paternity views
(5) xxxxx

QQ Couvade syndrome is:
AA S (1) a disruptive mental condition that some women experience who are unable to become pregnant despite their best efforts
(2) xxxxx
(3) involuntary and unconscious bodily symptoms some men experience while their partner is pregnant
(4) none of the specific answers are correct
(5) a destructive form of interpersonal conflict between partners who have a fundamental difference of opinion about whether a pregnancy should be brought to term or aborted

If I were taking this exam I would do the following:

Make sure I’ve read and highlighted all of the material by the end of the weekend then review my materials!
2. Have complete, well-organized, and legible notes.
3. Study the key concepts, main points/observations/conclusions, and general empirical patterns for each of the articles.
4. Thoroughly reviewedSex, Men, and Babies. Know the key concepts
5. Perhaps study with someone to force myself to talk about the concepts aloud.
6. Spend a lot of time studying my notes!
7. Be familiar with the key statistics and empirical patterns that were noted in class. However, you do NOT have to memorize statistics from the readings. Knowing general patterns is useful though.
8. Visualize how good I will feel Tuesday night after I do well on the exam!

Correct answers for Q’s above:

(1 )
2.   (2)
3.   (3)
4.   (4)

Enjoy your studying. I’ll SEE YOU Tuesday.

END of STUDY GUIDE

Study Guide for Men and Masculinities: October 11, 2005, 5:10 p.m.

Your midterm exam will cover all of the reading materials for the first 7 READING weeks of the semester as indicated by the syllabus. Thus, it is inclusive of the section on Male Bodies: Perceptions and Health Issues. The lecture notes are particularly important, but you will need to study the assigned readings as well. I will ask questions about reading material that we did not cover in class.

The exam will include 50 multiple choice questions worth 5 points apiece. Remember that the exam is worth 200 out of the 1,000 points for the course. You will have 90 minutes to complete the exam (5:10-6:40 p.m.). WE WILL HAVE CLASS AFTERWARDS THOUGH WE WILL NOT DISCUSS THE EXAM. Please be on time so that everyone hears the same directions and students are not disrupted by others coming in late. If you arrive late, you will still have to finish the exam by 6:40 p.m. Only under very, very rare circumstances do I give make-up exams and any student who approaches me about this option will need to do so BEFORE October 11. Such a student will FORFEIT having any potential curve applied to his/her final score that might be applied to those students who take the exam during the regular class time. (see syllabus for exam policies)

The computerized program I use is supported by the university and requires that I have 5 answer categories. Because I’m a nice guy, I will only ask you to choose from 4 possible answers. Thus, for each question there will be one answer that reads “XXXXXX” You should (you must) ignore this answer category. If you choose it, you will automatically get it wrong! I will test the depth of your understanding by including some questions which have legitimate answer categories “all of the specific answers are correct” or “none of the specific answers are correct.” You should not be afraid to choose this answer if you feel confident it is the correct answer.

1. QQ Based on our class discussion and class reading middle class men’s use of hormonal treatments
and cosmetic surgery in the 1990s:
AA S (1) is much higher than it was twenty years ago
(2) has leveled off during the past decade, but is higher than it was twenty years ago
(3) is similar to the rates for men from the lower socioeconomic classes
(4) represents about five percent of all treatments and surgeries involving men and women
(5) xxxxxx

2. QQ Based on your readings and our class discussions which of the following is correct:
AA S (1) mythopoetics rely on a fundamentalist biblical interpretation of men’s and women’s essentially fixed
and categorically different natures
(2 leaders of the mythopoetic men’s movement and the Promise Keepers are each
concerned with what they see as a recent “feminization” of men
(3) one central belief of the mythopoetic movement is that women and minority men are the only real
victims of oppression due to sexism
(4) xxxxxx
(5) according to Robert Bly, the famous poet who was a major voice in the mythopoetic movement,
masculinity rituals lead either to hypermasculinity or to a “femininity” that softens and deadens men’s
masculine, life-affirming potential

3. QQ Messner’s approach, as presented in his chapter Men and Masculinities and his triangle diagram entitled
The Terrain of the Politics of Masculinties:
AA S (1) emphasizes the importance of a micro, social psychological approach
(2) xxxxxx
(3) treats power issues as crucial to his analysis of gender
(4) all of the specific answers are correct
(5) emphasizes the similarities in problems rich men and poor women face

4. Which of the following most accurately represents the pattern of committed suicides among teenagers in the U.S.?
AA S (1) xxxxx
(2) girls are between 1-2 times more likely to commit suicde than boys
(3) boy are about 10 times more likely to commit suicide than girls
(4) boys are about 4 times more likely to commit suicide than girls
(5) boys and girls commit suicides at about the same rate

If I were taking this exam I would do the following:

1. Read and highlight all of the material by the end of the weekend then review my materials!
2. Have complete, well-organized, and legible notes.
3. Develop a thorough understanding of the theoretical perspectives covered in the course. Think about their key assumptions and be able to apply them.
4. Study the descriptions of the social movements associated with men.
5. Develop a clear understanding of the key concepts discussed in class.
6. Develop a clear understanding of the main observations and conclusions in the individual articles/chapters.
7. Perhaps study with someone to force myself to talk about these concepts aloud.
8. Spend a lot of time studying my notes!
9. Do not spend time remembering dates or specific statistics (know general patterns associated with the data). Typically, if statistics are used on the exam, you will be able to answer questions correctly by knowing the general pattern or whether some figure is low, medium, or high.
10. Focus MUCH MORE on the concepts, patterns, ideas rather than who said what.
11. Visualize how good I will feel on October 11 after I do well on the exam!

Correct answers: 1: 1; 2: 2; 3: 3; 4: 4

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Men & Masculinities: Reading Assignment, TYPED answers due Tuesday November 4th in class

Please reflect on the following as you read SMB and BRIEFLY answer ALL of # 1, #2, and #3. Bring your typed answers to class. This will count toward your attendance points.

1. I’m interested in having you develop a working knowledge of the key concepts: procreative consciousness (PC) and procreative responsibility (PR).

(a) What is procreative consciousness?

       Procreative responsibility
       Latent vs wide awake
       Situational (situated) and global
       Individual vs relationship-based
       Process (what does it mean in this case)?
       Properties (knowledge, emotional response, temporal orientation, child visions)
       What aspects of “knowing” are important, why?

2. How is the “turning point” concept related to the symbolic interactionist perspective?

3. Identify the key features of the concept “fatherhood readiness.”

Men and Masculinities: Study Guide for First Exam (October 14)

1. QQ One of the basic differences between male friendship patterns
as they exist in the United States compared to those that exist
in some non-Western cultures in Africa and South America is that
friendships in the U.S. tend to be:
AA S (1) less formalized
(2) none of the answers are correct
(3) much more intimate
(4) xxxxx
(5) more likely to last a lifetime

2. QQ In survey research, how do wives and husbands, on average,
tend to respond to the question: Who is your best friend?
AA S (1) wives choose their mother or daughter while husbands choose
either a work colleague or someone with whom they do an activity,
such as sports
(2) husbands choose their wife, but wives are more likely
than their husbands to choose someone other than their spouse
(3) both husbands and wives choose their spouse
(4) wives choose their husband and husbands choose someone other
than their wife
(5) xxxxx

3. QQ As discussed in lecture, one explanation for why men may be
satisfied in general with their same gender friendships is that
men:
AA S (1) typically remain close to their childhood friends
(2) typically dislike their friendships with women so their male
friends are viewed as more enjoyable
(3) xxxxx
(4) may be content with low intimacy friendships
(5) derive a great deal of satisfaction when they self disclose
information to their male friends about their romantic
relationships

4. QQ As discussed in class, one of the important aspects of the
mental states associated with the typical male social perception pattern is:
AA S (1) xxxxxx
(2) fairness
(3) subjectivity
(4) intuition
(5) none of the specific answers are correct

Sociology of Reproduction and Gender Students (For April 8, 2003).

Please think about these questions as you read Ragone’s book about surrogacy. Please provide me with a typed answer to #1 as part of your class attendance score.

1. What were some of the key research questions Ragone explored? What other research questions do you feel are relevant to surrogacy? What types of interview questions might you ask in order to address those questions?

2. What are the key practical differences between open and closed surrogacy programs?

3. What is the significance of surrogacy arrangements in term of gender issues and surrogates’ public/private roles?

4. What two strategies do couples use to relate to the surrogate mother in open programs?

5. How is surrogate motherhood consistent with American kinship ideology?

6. What are the three shifts Ragone identifies that are critical to the western conceptualization of conception, reproduction, and parenthood?

7. What are the similarities and differences between surrogacy and DI?

8. What does the future hold for surrogacy? Trends? Major developments? Possible dilemmas?
Sociology of Reproduction and Gender Students (For April 1, 2003).

Please look over and think about the following six questions about infertility for our class Tuesday night. I would like you to type an answer to #5 and turn it in Tuesday during class.

1. How does infertility differ from an illness?

2. How can infertility be viewed as a chronic illness?

3. From an S.I. perspective, how are women’s and men’s sense of self affected? How do they manage their identities?

4. How does the medical model shape individuals” search for meaning in relation to infertility?

5. How and where are concerns about “control,” and “negotiation” played out in the lives of infertile couples? (self, couple, medical professionals)

6. How does infertility affect couples’ relationships and experiences with intimacy?