Sociology 1201
Instructor: Bruce Mork
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DAY TWO. IF YOU WEREN’HERE
WEDNESAY, ; PICK UP SYLLABUS AND
SEATING CHART FROM INSTRUCTOR .
IF YOU JUST ADDED THE COURSE,
YOU’RE IN IN GROUP V OR W. PLEASE
SIT WITH YOUR GROUP.
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Sociology 1201
Syllabus and Schedule
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Teaching assistant: Alex McCallum, Mariano
Glitsos
Texts: Edin and Lein, Promises I Can Keep
Risman, Families as They Really Are
Schedule and reading assignments
Questions?
Sociology 1201
Course objectives (from syllabus)
1.To understand the ways in which social
inequality affects families
2. To understand how American society's cultural
norms about gender, sexuality, marriage, and
parenting affect family life.
3. To understand how the family as an institution
intersects with the other major institutions in
American society, including politics, the
economy, religion, and the education system. .
4. To identify the major trends and movements for
change that may modify American families, as
well as the impact of public policy.
Sociology 1201
My expectations
Arriving on time
 Keeping up with the reading
 Treating each other and me with respect
 Try to remember to turn off your cell
phones and I will do the same
 If you have along with you a laptop or
other device that can access the internet,
feel free to look up materials that relate to
our class. I’m a bit more skeptical about
multi-tasking.
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Sociology 1201
Groups
Facilitator, recorder, reporter
 Project record sheet
 Worksheet--Your family of orientation: 1.
On your own (5 minutes); 2. In groups (10
minutes and then see if more is needed)
 Notice to all: group members will evaluate
each others participation at the end of the
semester.
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Sociology 1201
Friday’s reading assignment
Edin and Kefalas, Promises I Can Keep
(E&K),"Introduction"
 Bring to class two discussion questions on
the reading assignment. These will be the
basis for group work on Friday.
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Sociology 1201
Who Am I?
My home page
 My family history: photos
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Sociology 1201
Introductions: my mother’s parents’
families in southern Minnesota
Sociology 1201
My father’s parents and his siblings
Sociology 1201
My family of orientation plus my
mother’s parents
Sociology 1201
Introductions: my family and yours
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My family
Where do you see the
power of social forces
most obviously in
these photos?
Sociology 1201
Social forces: definition
The pressures and expectations arising
out of our relationships with other people
 How much influence do social forces have
on the shape of your family (as opposed to
individual characteristics—values,
preferences, and the like?)
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Sociology 1201
Groups
Choose a facilitator and notetaker for the
day.
 Take turns with reading discussion
questions you brought to class and
discussing your questions with the group.
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Sociology 1201
Sociological approaches to family
The scientific method: theory and research
 Objectivity and the community of scholars
 Science: the process of creating (and
modifying) theories that are tested through
systematic research. E.g. what are the
consequences of divorce for children? (not
primarily a matter of opinion or political
views)
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Sociology 1201
Research methods
Experiment: NOT FEASIBLE OR
ETHICAL
 Quantitative research methods: censuses,
surveys and samples, government
statistics
 Qualitative research methods: field study,
in-depth interviews
 Cross cultural and longitudinal studies
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Sociology 1201