Download Sociology 247: Family and Modern Society

McGill University
Sociology 247: Family and Modern Society
Fall 2008
Class Location: BURN 1B45
Class Meeting Times: 4:35 - 5:25 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
Professor: Elaine Weiner
Office Address: LEA 732
Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. or by appointment
E-mail: [email protected]
Office Phone: 514-398-6843
“A family is the nucleus of civilization.” – William James Durant
“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it,
whoever you are, you need one.” – Jane Howard
Course Description
By definition, sociology involves the systematic study of human social behavior, interaction and organization.
Sociologists are particularly interested in understanding how human social life is shaped by social forces (e.g.,
globalization) and social structures (e.g., class). This is a survey course designed to introduce you to the study of one
particular institution of human social life – the family. In this class, we will explore a variety of concepts,
methodologies, theoretical perspectives, and empirical findings pertaining to the sociological study of family, with
particular reference to Canadian and American families.
Course Materials
•
Coursepack
The coursepack (prepared by Eastman Systems, Inc.) is available at the McGill University bookstore. A copy of the
coursepack will also be placed on reserve in the McLennan-Redpath library. I will be using WebCT Vista to make
available slide presentations, handouts, exam review sheets, etc…, so please check the course site on a regular basis.
Course Organization and Requirements
Class format:
Lectures not only cover material from the readings, but also material which is not in the readings.
So, while attendance is not mandatory, it is in your interest to attend lecture. Additionally, in order
to be best-prepared, you should do the readings as scheduled (see the “course schedule” below).
This will enable you to better follow my lectures and to most effectively synthesize lecture and
reading materials.
CONFERENCES: Conferences will be held every Friday (locations and times TBA), with the
exception of Friday, September 5th on which day I will lecture. No sign-up is necessary. You must
attend six conferences, of your choosing, in order to receive credit (i.e., = 5% of your final grade).
Should you attend any less than six you will receive no credit.
Reading
These are the kinds of questions you should be thinking about as you are doing your reading for this
course in order to best mentally process the materials:
1.
What point or argument is the author trying to make?
2.
3.
How does the author go about supporting his/her argument? What kind of evidence is s/he
relying on? What are the strengths and/or weaknesses of his/her argument and/or research?
What are the implications of the author’s argument and/or findings?
Course Requirements:
Mid-term Exam = 30% (Monday, October 20th)
Final Exam = 35% (to be scheduled during the final exam period)
Papers = 30% (due Monday, December 1st)
Conference Attendance = 5%
Note: If you have a disability and require any special accommodations, please let me know.
Exams
I consider all materials in this course including readings, lectures, videos, and discussions to be “fair
game” for the exams. Exams are comprised of a combination of multiple choice, short answer and
essay questions.
Note: The Midterm exam CANNOT be made up, except in instances of doctor-verified illness, family
emergency/death or natural disaster. Also, according to Senate regulations, instructors are not
permitted to make special arrangements for final exams. Please consult the Calendar, section
4.7.2.1., General University Information and Regulations at www.mcgill.ca.
Paper
You are required to write a paper, ~8-10 pages in length (double-spaced) (further guidelines will be
made available on WEBCT Vista). This paper is due Monday, December 1st).
“The State of the Family: Recommendations to Government”: You have been called as an
“expert” on the family to address the Canadian Parliament (or the U.S. Congress, your
choice). You are to write a short briefing and to conclude with a few recommendations to
the government as to what kinds of actions you believe it should take in order to improve
the contemporary circumstances of families in Canada (or the U.S.).
LATE PAPER SUBMISSION POLICY: For each day that a paper is late, the paper grade will be
lowered by half a grade (e.g., if your initial grade is a B- and you submit the paper a day late, your
final paper grade will be a C+).
General
Academic
Policies
McGill University values academic integrity. Therefore, all students must understand the
meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offenses under the
Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures (see www.mcgill.ca/integrity for more
information.
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Course Schedule
SECTION I : SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY: THE FOUNDATIONS
September 3 and 5
Topic(s):
COURSE INTRODUCTION; DEFINING “FAMILY”
• Czyscon, Janice. 1995. “On Being a Family.” Pp. 122-33 in Lesbian Parenting: Living With Pride and
Prejudice, edited by Katherine Arnup. Canada: Gynergy Books.
• Gittens, Diana. 1993. “What is the Family? Is it Universal?” Pp. 60-72 in The Family in Question (2nd
edition) by Diana Gittens. New Jersey: Humanities Press International, Inc.
September 8, 10 and 15
Topic(s):
CRISIS OR CHANGE?: THE CURRENT STATE OF THE FAMILY; FAMILY THEORIES AND
METHODS
• Fox, Bonnie. 2001. “As Times Change: A Review of Trends in Personal and Family Life.” Pp. 153-75 in
Family Relations, Gender Patterns (2nd edition), edited by Bonnie Fox. Canada: Oxford University Press.
• Giele, Janet Z. 1996. “Decline of the Family: Conservative, Liberal and Feminist Views.” Pp. 89-115 in
Promises to Keep: Decline and Renewal of Marriage in America, edited by David Popenoe, Jean Bethke
Elshtain and David Blanenhorn. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.
SECTION II: CANADIAN AND AMERICAN FAMILIES IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
September 17 and 22
Topic(s):
CANADIAN AND AMERICAN FAMILIES IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
• Gerstel, Naomi and Harriet Engel Gross. 1995. “Gender and Families in the United States: The Reality of
Economic Dependence.” Pp. 92-127 in Women: A Feminist Perspective (5th edition), edited by Jo Freeman.
California: Mayfield Publishing.
• Landry, Yves. 2000. “Gender Imbalance, Les Filles du Roi and Choice of Spouse in New France.” Pp. 1432 in Canadian Family History: Selected Readings, edited by Bettina Bradbury. Toronto: Irwin.
• Mintz, Steven. 1998. “From Patriarchy to Androgyny and Other Myths: Placing Men’s Family Roles in
Historical Perspective.” Pp. 3-30 in Men in Families: When Do They Get Involved? What Difference Does It
Make? edited by Alan Booth and Ann Crouter. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
September 24
THE FAMILY OF THE ’50s
Topic(s):
• Coontz, Stephanie. 1992. “‘Leave It to Beaver’ and ‘Ozzie and Harriet’: American Families in the 1950s.”
Pp. 23-41 in The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap by Stephanie Coontz.
New York: Basic Books.
SECTION III: PREMARITAL RELATIONSHIPS
September 29, October 1, 6, and 8 (Monday, October 8th NO CLASS – Thanksgiving Holiday)
Topic(s):
COURTSHIP/DATING AND SEX
• Ericksen, Julia and Sally Steffen. 1999. “Sex Before Marriage.” Pp. 67-85 in Kiss and Tell: Surveying Sex
in the Twentieth Century by Julia Ericksen and Salley Steffen. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
• Laner, Mary Riege and Nichole Ventrone. 2000. “Dating Scripts Revisited.” Journal of Family Issues
21(4): 488-500.
• Manning, Wendy. 2006. “Hooking Up: The Relationship Contexts of ‘Nonrelationship’ Sex.” Journal of
Adolescent Research 21(5): 459-53.
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•
Savin-Williams, Ritch and Kenneth Cohen. 1996. “Dating and Romantic Relationships Among Gay, Lesbian
and Bisexual Youths.” Pp. 166-80 in The Lives of Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals: Children to Adults by Ritch
Savin-Williams and Kenneth Cohen. New York: Harcourt Brace.
**In-class video showing: Love in the Twenty-First Century (Nightline)**
October 15
Topic(s):
COHABITATION
• Brown, Susan. 2005. “How Cohabitation is Reshaping American Families.” Contexts 4(3): 33-37.
• LaPlante, Benoît. 2006. “The Rise of Cohabitation in Quebec: Power of Religion and Power over Religion.”
Canadian Journal of Sociology 31(1): 1-24.
• Le Bourdais, Celine and Évelyne Lapierre-Adamcyk. 2004. “Changes in Conjugal Life in Canada: Is
Cohabitation Progressively Replacing Marriage?” Journal of Marriage and the Family 66: 929-42.
(Monday, October 20th MIDTERM EXAM)
SECTION IV: MARRIAGE
October 22, 27 and 29
Topic(s):
MARRIAGE: HETEROSEXUAL AND HOMOSEXUAL
• Fong, Colleen and Judy Yung. 1995/1996. “In Search of the Right Spouse: Interracial Marriage among
Chinese and Japanese Americans.” Amerasia Journal 21(3): 77-98.
• Kamen, Paula. 2000. “Modern Marriage: From Meal Ticket to Best Friend.” Pp. 113-30 in Her Way:
Young Women Remake the Sexual Revolution by Paula Kamen. New York: New York University Press.
• Larocque, Sylvain. 2006. “Conclusion.” Pp. 279-286 in Gay Marriage: The Story of a Canadian Social
Revolution by Sylvain Laroque. Toronto: James Lorimer & Company Ltd.
• Skolnick, Arlene. 2006. “Beyond the ‘M’ Word: The Tangled Web of Politics and Marriage.” Dissent Fall:
81-87.
• Trimberger, E. Kay. 2007. “Further Beyond the ‘M’ Word: A Response to Arlene Skolnick.” Dissent
Spring: 82-86 (with reply from Arlene Skolnick).
**In-class video showing: God Only Knows: Same Sex Marriage**
*In-conference video showing: Why Get Married?(also on 4-hour reserve at the McLennan-Redpath Library)*
SECTION V: HOUSEWORK AND PARENTING
November 3 and 5
Topic(s):
REPRODUCTIVE LABOR
• Coltrane, Scott and Michele Adams. 2001. “Men, Women and Housework.” Pp. 145-54 in Gender
Mosaics: Social Perspectives (Original Readings), edited by Dana Vannoy. California: Roxbury Publishing.
• Smith, Calvin D. 1998. “Men Don’t Do This Sort of Thing: A Case Study of the Social Isolation of House
Husbands.” Men and Masculinities 1(2): 138-72.
• Sullivan, Maureen. 1996. “Rozzie and Harriet? Gender and Family Patterns of Lesbian Coparents.” 10(6)
747-67.
November 10 and 12
Topic(s):
MOTHERHOOD AND FATHERHOOD
• Berkowitz, Dana and William Marsiglio. 2007. “Gay Men, Negotiating Procreative, Father and Family
Identities.” Journal of Marriage and the Family 69: 366-81.
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•
•
Hays, Sharon. 1995. “The Mommy Wars: Ambivalence, Ideological Work, and the Cultural Contradictions
of Motherhood.” Pp. 131-51 in The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood by Sharon Hays. Connecticut:
Yale University Press.
Wall, Glenda. 2007. “How Involved is Involved Fathering? An Exploration of the Contemporary Culture of
Fatherhood.” Gender & Society 21(4): 508-27.
**In-class video showing: Daddy and Papa**
November 17 and 19
Topic(s):
REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
• Becker, Gay. 2000. “Writing the Family.” Pp. 218-35 in The Elusive Embryo: How Women and Men
Approach New Reproductive Technologies by Gay Becker. Berkeley: University of California Press.
• Orenstein, Peggy. 2004. “The Other Mother.” New York Times Magazine July 25.
• Spar, Debora. 2006. “The Quest to Conceive: Attacking an Ancient Affliction.” Pp. 1-30 in The Baby
Business: How Money, Science, and Politics Drive the Commerce of Conception. Boston: Harvard Business
School.
**In-class video showing: Genetically Correct: Ensuring Perfect Babies**
SECTION VI: FAMILY DISSOLUTION AND REFORMATION
November 24 and 26
Topic(s):
DIVORCE AND SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES; REMARRIAGE AND BLENDED FAMILIES
• Amato, Paul. 2000. “The Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children.” Journal of Marriage and the
Family 62(4): 1269-87.
• Cherlin, Andrew. 1978. “Remarriage as an Incomplete Institution.” American Journal of Sociology 84(3):
634-50.
• Kurz, Demie. 1995. “How Marriages End.” Pp. 43-76 in For Richer, For Poorer: Mothers Confront
Divorce by Demie Kurz. New York: Routledge.
SECTION VII: VIOLENCE IN THE FAMILY; COURSE SUMMATION
December 1
Topic(s):
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
• Cruz, Michael. 2003. “Why Doesn’t He Just Leave? Gay Male Domestic Violence and the Reasons
Victims Stay.” Journal of Men’s Studies 11(3): 309-3.
• Jacobson, Neil and John Gottman. 1998. “Basic Facts about Battering: Myths vs. Realities.” Pp. 34-57 in
When Men Batter Women: New Insights into Ending Abusive Relationships by Neil Jacobson and John
Gottman. New York: Simon & Schuster.
December 2
Topic(s):
COURSE SUMMATION
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