monogamy:A form of marriage in which a person has one spouse at a time. This is the law in
all 50 states of the United States.
morning-after pill:Controversial form of birth control used as emergency contraception
after unprotected intercourse.
mutual submission:A relationship which is characterized by mutual giving and receiving.
nativism:An ideology or policy of favoring the interests of native inhabitants over those of
immigrants.
natural family planning:A method of birth control in which a woman determines her
‘fertility window’and avoids sexual intimacy during that time to avoid pregnancy.
neotraditional stepfamily:Stepfamily is close and loving, having values similar to a nuclear
family. This is the most successful stepfamily type.
New Deal:Instituted by the government between 1933 and 1945, this series of relief programs
was intended to stimulate economic recovery and bolster the male breadwinner role.
nice-girl dilemma:Occurs when a religious woman cannot accept her own sexual drives and
will deny that she is in a sexual relationship, even to the point of refusing to plan to
prevent pregnancy.
no-fault divorce:No explanation or proof of a problem is necessary for a divorce to be
granted.
nuclear family:This includes parents and children living together in one household.
nurturing/nurturance:Parental responsibility to foster a child’s development, giving the
child a loving, caring environment in which the child can grow to full potential.
operatic marriage:These couples have the third highest divorce rate. Their volatile
relationships are marked by heated arguing following by passionate lovemaking. These
couples are more prone to emotional and physical abuse contributing to their high divorce
rate.
pantraditionalism:An interest in returning to one’s roots or“old ways.”For example,
pantraditional Native-Americans who had been assimilated are seeking to re-embrace
their previously lost native culture, values, and practices.
parallel style of conflict:The couple retreats or avoids one another.
parent image theory of mate selection:Suggests we marry someone most like our opposite-
sex parent.
passion:The drive which produces romance.
paternal determinism:The belief that if you parent your children properly, they will turn out
well.
Glossary