Sociology of the Family

Catalog description

This course examines the family in American society by looking at individually lived family experience, the family as a systematic social institution influenced by larger social processes and social structure and context, and the ways in which family patterns and processes influence broader social patterns. Students will learn how researchers resolve issues related to the definition of family; how researchers develop theories and conduct research on family issues; how family experiences are shaped by factors such as race/ethnicity, social class, and the larger social context; how the key stages of the family life course and family challenges may be experienced by individuals and influenced by the larger social context; how family choices and processes impact the larger society. The course both provides a foundation for further study in both general sociology and sociology of the family, and prepares students to make informed choices about their future family-related issues. Throughout the course students are empowered to reflect on their individual experiences, and to link individual experience to the larger social context and the family as a key social institution.