Course Description
Family study utilizing data from the fields of anthropology, individual and social psychology, history, sociology, economics, and psychiatry.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will meet with the instructor every other week
to discuss additional readings relevant to the course and their
programs of study. Graduate students will also give a short
series of presentations to the undergraduates. In addition, they
are required to prepare a 20-page theoretical paper based on
peer-reviewed literature. Graduate students are also expected to
do solo presentations on their papers tailored to their career
goals.
Athena Title
The Family
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in HDFS 4610E, SOCI 4610E
Prerequisite
Junior or senior standing or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
1. To gain an understanding of the nature of the American family in its present form(s) 2. To be knowledgeable about historical changes in the form and function of the American family over time 3. To understand the profound effects that race/ethnicity, social class, and gender have on our experiences within families 4. To be familiar enough with the statistical data regarding families to use it in support of your position on issues regarding the family 5. To stimulate academic and intellectual curiosity in real- world family issues, and to see that the knowledge gained in this course is applicable to your own experiences—past, present, and future—of family
Topical Outline
I. Syllabus and Course Requirement II. Introduction to Sociology of the Family III. History of the Family IV. Gender and the Family V. Social Class and the Family VI. Social Class and Social Policy VII. Race, Ethnicity, and Families VIII. Sexuality and Society IX. Cohabitation and Marriage X. Child Rearing XI. Work, Families, and Childcare XII. Growing Old in Families XIII. Divorce XIV. Remarriage
Syllabus