SOC. 1201 SECTION 90: SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY
Spring 2008
Class Meets:
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Instructor: Susan Janssen |
Office Hours: 10 – 11:30 Tues. 5:20-5:40 Tues. and Thurs. |
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Email: sjanssen@d.umn.edu |
Location: 324 Kirby Plaza |
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Web page: http://www.d.umn.edu/~sjanssen (contains handouts and other course information). |
Phone: (218) 726-8767 |
Textbook: Cherlin, Andrew J. 2005. Public
and Private Families, 5th edition.
Liberal Education Objectives:
Soc. 1201 is a liberal education course listed under category 8 (contemporary social issues and analysis). According to the UMD catalog, “courses in this category analyze contemporary issues and their relationship to individuals and/or social institutions in economic, political, educational, or religious systems.” This course deals with the “public” family as it relates to social structure and institutions and the “private” family as it relates to individual members. Specific objectives are:
1. To encourage you to think critically about society and the family.
2. To understand and interpret current research on the family.
3. To introduce various sociological perspectives on the family
4. To provide an awareness of historical events and current issues as they affect the family.
5. To increase awareness of cultural and structural diversity in family systems and values.
6. To consider what makes a family strong and how social policy might be framed to strengthen families.
Learning Activities:
1. In class discussions and worksheets: Class activities may include lectures, videos, short exercises or discussions, and scheduled group projects. Some of these in-class activities will be unannounced and will be graded. You should be prepared for changes in the schedule and should assume that attendance is very important. Tests will be based on lecture materials, videos, and readings.
2. Group Projects: Group work will be done in class and will include
short projects and discussions. Groups are not required to meet outside of
class, but you may be required to do some preparation on your own prior to the
group meeting. Each group member is expected to participate and contribute to
the projects. This means attending class and doing your share of the
work on time. Missed group meetings cannot be made up - you will have to do
extra credit to replace missed project points. If you miss more than two
group projects, extra credit will not be enough to replace the points.
3. Video Project: Get out your director's chair and prepare to be creative! You will be assigned to produce a documentary or fictional story video dealing with a major topic in the sociology of the family. The project will include researching your topic, choosing a format (documentary, fiction, etc.) to present your findings, producing the video, and showing it to the class at the end of the semester. For those who need help, equipment and expertise will be available from ITSS. You must do this project in a group of at least 3 persons; you will be allowed to choose your partners.
Research Paper Option: Most students say they enjoyed the video production process, and learned new skills from it. But a few felt that tthey were not skilled or creative enough or lacked the time to meet with group members to produce a video. If this applies to you, you may talk to me about writing a research paper instead. This is not necessarily an easier assignment. It is expected that the paper will be 10-15 pages in length and will include properly cited and documented information from at least 10 scholarly sources.
4. Exams: There will be three multiple choice exams plus a comprehensive final. The lowest of your first three scores will be dropped. If you miss an exam, regardless of the reason, the resulting “0" will be considered your lowest score. You must take the final exam regardless of your scores on the first three exams - the final exam score may not be dropped.
Expectations,
Policies, and Grading:
The following grading system will be used:
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Attendance/participation |
50 points |
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Group projects (1 @ 10 points, 6 @ 15 points each) |
100 points |
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Video project |
100 points |
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Exams (2 @ 75 pts. each, drop lowest) |
150 points |
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Final Exam |
100 points |
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Total possible points |
500 points |
Letter grades will be assigned according to the following scale:
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A |
460 or more points (92%+) |
C |
360-389 points (72-77%) |
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A- |
450-459 points (90-91%) |
C- |
350-359 points (70-72%) |
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B+ |
440-449 points (88-89%) |
D+ |
340-349 points (68-69%) |
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B |
410-439 points (82-87%) |
D |
300-339 points (60-67%) |
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B- |
400-409 points (80-81%) |
F |
0-299 points (< 60%) |
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C+ |
390-399 points (78-79%) |
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EXTRA CREDIT: A maximum of 20 points may be earned by doing one or more of the following:
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Max. Points |
Activity |
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20 |
20 hours of volunteer work (this semester) with families who are disadvantaged or troubled. This work must be done through an existing community agency and must be approved in advance by me. Volunteer work that is required for another course cannot be used for extra credit in this course - if you are volunteering for another class, you must put in extra hours or work in a different place in order to count it for this class. Normally, child care, hospital, school, and church settings do not qualify for extra credit, unless the program in which you are working is specifically designed for families in need of considerable help or intervention. The work must all be done in one place (not a combination of places), and you must do the full 20 hours in order to get the extra credit. Keep a log of the dates, time, and type of work done and have the log signed by your supervisor. |
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15 |
Interview with an elderly person. Talk to someone aged 70 or over about their family life and history. Interview should include the elderly person's experiences growing up, their marriage and family of procreation, and any future generations. Focus especially on how each generation's family was organized - their occupations, division of labor in the family, number and spacing of children, men's and women's roles, type of family system, special situations and problems, and anything else that relates to material covered in this class. Your report should include objective description of the interviewee's responses, along your interpretation. In your interpretation, be sure to relate the family history to the economic and social environment in which each generation lived. Show how learned in this class apply to the family you describe. Suggested length is about 10 pages. |
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10 |
5-page book review. Choose a scholarly book on a topic related to the sociology of the family. I cannot make suggestions or recommendations for specific books, but if you find a book that you think might work, I will be happy to take a look at it and let you know if it is acceptable. |
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5 |
Lecture summary. Attend a university or community lecture on a topic related to the family. Write a 2-3 page summary which includes your reaction to the speaker. |
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5 |
Movie review. Show how concepts learned in the class are illustrated in a movie, play, or 1 ½ - 2 hours of a TV series. Suggested length is 3 pages. A maximum of 2 reviews may be submitted. |
Expectations and Classroom Etiquette: It is expected that students will follow the UMD student conduct code: attend class regularly, pay attention, make every effort to keep up and turn in assignments on time, ask for help if needed, and be polite and respectful in the classroom. Distracting behaviors such as walking in late, talking during lectures, ringing or vibrating cell phones, text messaging, or using personal computers for non-class purposes will not be tolerated. In turn, you can expect me to come to class prepared, know the material I teach, be available during office hours, provide up-to-date information on your progress, listen to your concerns, provide help when needed, and respect you as a student and human being.
Academic Integrity: It is expected that students will know and follow all aspects of the university's academic integrity policy . The consequences of violating this policy may include a lower or failing grade on a particular assignment, a lower or failing grade in the course, or sanctions imposed by the university.
Late work/extensions: Late work will not be accepted.
Incompletes: In order to get a grade of "I" for this course, at least 60% of the work must have been completed with a passing grade. Arrangements should be made before the final exam; an incomplete agreement form must be approved and signed by the student and instructor
Withdrawals: You are free to withdraw from the class for any reason up to the end of the eighth week. After that, departmental permission is required. We do not consider failing grades to be grounds for withdrawal from a course. Around the eighth week of the semester, I will send out an email alert to any student whose current grade is a D or lower. If you receive such an alert, it is important to see me as soon as possible to discuss your options. To avoid getting a D or F on your official record, it is strongly recommended that you evaluate your progress in this course before the end of the eighth week.
Class Cancellation: If class is unexpectedly canceled due to inclement weather, instructor illness, or other situation, you may assume that the activity scheduled for that day will take place the next time the class meets, unless otherwise notified. This includes exams.
E-mail announcements: Official class announcements may be made via UMD e-mail. Be sure to check your e-mail daily.
Final exam: Tuesday, May. 13 at 6:00 p.m. No early finals will be given, except in accordance with the official university final exam policy.
Special Arrangements: Individuals who have any disadvantage or disability, either temporary or permanent, which might affect their ability to perform in this class, are encouraged to contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester. Adaptations of methods, materials, or testing may be made as necessary to provide for equitable participation.
Course Calendar (subject to change)
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Date |
Topic |
Chapters |
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1/22 |
Introduction to the class |
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Studying the family |
1 |
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1/29 |
History of the family |
2 |
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Introduction to Video Project |
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2/5 |
Gender and families |
3 |
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2/12 |
Social class, race, and families
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4, 5 |
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2/19 |
Exam 1: Covers chapters 1-5 and lectures from 1/22 – 2/12 |
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Sexuality and love |
6 |
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2/26 |
Sexuality and love, continued |
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7 |
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3/4 |
Work and families |
8 |
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3/11 |
Childbearing and Parenting |
9 |
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3/18 |
Spring Break |
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3/25 |
Exam 2: Covers chapters 6-9 and
lectures from 2/26 – 3/11 |
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4/1 |
Elderly and families Families and Crisis
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10
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| 4/8 | Domestic violence
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11 |
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4/15 |
Divorce, Remarriage, and stepfamilies |
12, 13 |
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4/22 |
Exam 3: Covers Chapters 10-13 and lectures from 3/25 – 4/15 |
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Family and social policy |
14 |
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4/29 |
Social change and families All extra credit due - no extensions |
15 |
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5/6 |
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5/13 |
Final Exam, 6:00 p.m. Covers entire semester |
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