SOCI-103 The Sociology of the Family

Sociology of the Family will introduce the student to the sociological study of the family. Part one of the course will examine the American family in historical and cross-cultural perspective, and in the process students will achieve a clearer understanding of what the family does and how it has changed. Part two will examine the various paths to family formation and the responsibilities and expectations we have as family members. Part three will shift focus to the larger social forces that shape families and the implications this has for a social policy of the family. The final part will turn to the stresses the contemporary family endures and the possibilities this holds for the future of the family.

Credits

Prerequisite

Eligible to enroll in ENGL-121

Hours Weekly

3 hours weekly

Course Objectives

1. identify the major functions of the contemporary family and analyze the social forces which are creating changes in
these functions;
2. distinguish between private and public functions of family life;
3. identify the methods sociologists use to study family life;
4. distinguish the basic ideas and focus of the following major theoretical perspectives: functionalist theory, conflict
theory, symbolic interaction theory, social exchange theory, and feminist theory;
5. identify how the family histories of major racial-ethnic groups have differed, and analyze the social and cultural
conditions that help explain these differences;
6. identify the important changes that have occurred in marriage and childbearing in the last half of the 20th century,
and explain how changes in the American economy since the 1970s have affected families;
7. identify the different perspectives that explain gender differences, and analyze the ways in which gender roles of
men and women affect marriage, the family, and participation in the work force;
8. examine how social class influences parenting strategies and family structure;
9. analyze the influence of race and culture on family life;
10. define sexual identity, and explain how the relationship among love, sex, and marriage have changed over time;
11. distinguish between institutional marriage, companionship marriage, and individualized marriage, and use these
concepts to analyze how marriage has changed over the past century;
12. identify and/or describe the major components of both the mate selection process and the preparation for marriage
process including the pros and cons of cohabitation;
13. identify the social and historical forces giving rise to the displacement of the breadwinner-homemaker household by
the dual earner household;
14. analyze the impact of the rise of the dual earner household on the family;
15. identify the public functions of family life vis-à-vis childrearing, and analyze the social forces influencing how well
families fulfill their obligations to children;
16. examine the changing nature of intergenerational links between grandparents, parents, and children;
17. analyze selected problems facing contemporary families including family violence, divorce, and remarriage, and
examine ways in which these problems can be reduced; and
18. examine the public debates about how the state should intervene in family life.

Course Objectives

1. identify the major functions of the contemporary family and analyze the social forces which are creating changes in
these functions;
2. distinguish between private and public functions of family life;
3. identify the methods sociologists use to study family life;
4. distinguish the basic ideas and focus of the following major theoretical perspectives: functionalist theory, conflict
theory, symbolic interaction theory, social exchange theory, and feminist theory;
5. identify how the family histories of major racial-ethnic groups have differed, and analyze the social and cultural
conditions that help explain these differences;
6. identify the important changes that have occurred in marriage and childbearing in the last half of the 20th century,
and explain how changes in the American economy since the 1970s have affected families;
7. identify the different perspectives that explain gender differences, and analyze the ways in which gender roles of
men and women affect marriage, the family, and participation in the work force;
8. examine how social class influences parenting strategies and family structure;
9. analyze the influence of race and culture on family life;
10. define sexual identity, and explain how the relationship among love, sex, and marriage have changed over time;
11. distinguish between institutional marriage, companionship marriage, and individualized marriage, and use these
concepts to analyze how marriage has changed over the past century;
12. identify and/or describe the major components of both the mate selection process and the preparation for marriage
process including the pros and cons of cohabitation;
13. identify the social and historical forces giving rise to the displacement of the breadwinner-homemaker household by
the dual earner household;
14. analyze the impact of the rise of the dual earner household on the family;
15. identify the public functions of family life vis-à-vis childrearing, and analyze the social forces influencing how well
families fulfill their obligations to children;
16. examine the changing nature of intergenerational links between grandparents, parents, and children;
17. analyze selected problems facing contemporary families including family violence, divorce, and remarriage, and
examine ways in which these problems can be reduced; and
18. examine the public debates about how the state should intervene in family life.