SYG 2430 Marriage and Family
Fall 2014 Section 7727
Tuesday 7th period (1:55 – 2:45 p.m.)
Thursday 7-8th period (1:55 – 3:50 p.m.)
TUR 2319
Instructor
Tianhan Gui
Email: tianhan.gui@ufl.edu
Meeting Time & Place
Office: Turlington 3307/3357
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 12:20 – 1:50 p.m. (Or by appointment)
Course Description
This course is designed to introduce students to major issues in relationships and
families from a sociological perspective. It will offer a comprehensive coverage of the
field, explore the social, political, cultural, economic and demographic factors
influencing marriage and family. It will highlight the important contemporary
changes in society, marriage and the family in the United States and also in a crosscultural and multicultural context.
This section of SYG 2430 fulfills General Education requirements (S, D), but is NOT
a Gordon Rule section.
Course Objectives
 Review the historical development to understand the context of contemporary
family issues and debates.
 Examine the diversity of U.S. families, using cross-cultural and multicultural
material to analyze many critical issues that confront today’s families.
 Grasp important contemporary aspects of marriage and family, develop
critical thinking skills on family and society changes.
 Comprehend key concepts frequently used in sociological research on
intimate relationships, marriages and families, as well as theoretical
developments which focus on individual and family formation.
 Understand the dialectical relationship between “personal troubles” and
“public issues” (C. W. Mills), comprehend the interaction between
macro/micro processes.
Course Reading
Marriages and Families: Changes, Choices, and Constraints, 8th edition. (2014)
Nijole V. Benokraitis. Pearson.
Course Requirements and Evaluation
 Classroom conduct: Laptop computers and tablets are not allowed in class,
and please silence your cellphones. Remember to keep an open mind towards
different opinions.
 Attendance: Attendance will be taken 5 to 7 times randomly.
 Participation: “Don’t just come to class – be present.” Since we will discuss
many controversial topics in this class, it is crucial to speak out in order to
develop your own ideas and criticisms about the material.
 Reading: I strongly recommend you to do the readings before each class.
 Tests: We will have three in-class tests (100 points for each). Each test will
include two parts: explanation of 10 key terms from previous chapters you
have learned and 40 multiple choices. I will post selected key terms from each
chapter on e-learning, and you only need to prepare those posted key terms.
The schedule of exams will not change. Please plan accordingly.
 Facilitating class discussion and group report: The class will be divided into 8
groups. Each group will facilitate one class discussion for about 30 minutes
during the semester. Each group needs to prepare at least 8 questions to lead
class discussions and spark debates. The facilitating group also needs to
submit a report one week after your discussion session, which will be the
group’s own answers to the questions. Each group only needs to submit one
report, and each question should have a 200 to 300-word answer. Suggested
discussion topics are listed in the “Calendar” section of this syllabus, if you
would like to choose relevant topics other than the ones I prescribed, please
feel free to let me know. For this group assignment, group members need to
evaluate each other (using letter grade), and email me their evaluations. Your
evaluations will be confidential.
Grade breakdown:





Attendance—10%
1st in-class tests—20%
2nd in-class tests—20%
3rd in-class tests—20%
Facilitating discussion and report—30%
Percentage
93 – 100%
90 – 92.9%
87 – 89.9%
83 – 86.9%
80 – 82.9%
77 – 79.9%
73 – 76.9%
70 – 72.9%
67 – 69.9%
63 – 66.9%
60 – 62.9%
Below 60%
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DE
GPA
4.0
3.67
3.33
3.0
2.67
2.33
2.0
1.67
1.33
1.0
0.67
0
Course Calendar
Week 1
August 26—Introduce courses, syllabus, and requirements
August 28—Chapter 1: The changing family
Week 2
September 2—Chapter 3: The family in historical perspective
September 4—Chapter 3: The family in historical perspective (Continued)
Chapter 4: Racial and ethnic families: Strengths and stresses
Week 3
September 9—Guest lecture
September 11—Chapter 5: Socialization and gender roles;
Discussion 1: Socialization and gender roles
Week4
September 16—Chapter 6: Romance, love and loving relationships
September 18— Chapter 7: Sexuality
Discussion 2: Sexuality
Week 5
September 23—Review
September 25—In-Class Test 1 (Chapter 1-7)
Week 6
September 30—Video & discussion day
October 2—Chapter 8: Choosing others: Dating and mate selection
Discussion 3: Dating and mate selection
Week 7
October 7—Guest lecture
October 9—Chapter 9: Singlehood, cohabitation, civil unions, and other options
Discussion 4: Singlehood, cohabitation and marriage
Week 8
October 14—Chapter 10: Marriage and Communication in Intimate Relationships
October 16—Chapter 10: Marriage and Communication in Intimate Relationships
(continued)
Chapter 11: To be or not to be a parent: More choices, more constraints
Discussion 5: To be or not to be a parent
Week 8
October 21—Guest lecture
October 23—Chapter 12: Raising children: Promises and pitfalls
Discussion 5: Raising children
Week 9
October 28—Review
October 30—In-class exam 2 (Chapter 8-12)
Week 10
November 4—Video & discussion day
November 6—Chapter 13: Balancing work and family life
Discussion 6: Work & family
Week 11
November 11—Holiday, no class
November 13—Chapter 14: Family abuse and violence
Discussion 7: Intimate partner violence
Week 12
November 18—Chapter 15: Separation and divorce
November 20—Chapter 15: Separation and divorce (continued)
Chapter 16: Families in later life
Discussion 8: Families in later life
Week 13
Thanks giving week, no class
Week 14
December 2—Review
December 4—In-class Exam 3 (Chapter 13-16)