Chabot College
Fall 2002
Replaced Fall 2010
Course Outline for Sociology 4
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY RELATIONS
Catalog Description:
4 - Marriage and Family Relations
3 units
Sociological perspective of the family including mate selection, marital roles, marital
adjustment, sexual adjustment, reproduction, child rearing, marital dissolution, and
problems associated with the family in modern industrial society. Emphasis on
methodology of family investigation. 3 hours.
[Typical contact hours: 52.5]
Prerequisite Skills:
None.
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of this course the student should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
identify the varied definitions of family and explain the relevancy of each definition;
identify and define the primary concepts for understanding families;
explain how and why the family is changing;
describe the primary research methodologies utilized by sociologists in the field of
family studies;
identify and explain the theoretical perspectives utilized by sociologists to study
marriage and family;
compare and contrast how the ethnic communities in the U.S. structure their marital
and family relationships;
describe the importance of gender to the study of marriage and family;
describe the changing roles of women and men in society and family in particular;
explain why sexual standards and practices vary by culture;
discuss the role power plays in intimate relationships;
summarize the major social theories about mate selection, including the importance of
age, ethnicity and physical attraction;
explain the different types of marital relations;
describe the components involved in marital quality in the United States;
discuss the incidence of and reasons for monogamy and polygamy in societies;
explain the childbearing trends in the United States and other societies;
explain socialization of children and describe the role that parents and other
significant others play in this process;
discuss the change in women's employment patterns and its effects on family in the
United States;
identify the current trends in adult children/parent relations in the U.S.;
identify and explain the major types and characteristics of family abuse and
mistreatment in the United States;
identify the measurement of divorce and explain major U.S. divorce trends;
Chabot College
Course Outline for Sociology 4
Fall 2002
Page 2
Excepted Outcomes for Students (Cont'd):
21. explain the factors associated with divorce in the United States;
22. identify the major external and internal stresses for family relations
23. describe how public policy assists, controls and changes family patterns.
Course Content:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The study of marriage and family
a.
Methodology
b.
Cross cultural comparisons
c.
Historical perspective
d.
Contemporary marriage and family
e.
Definitions
Mate selection
a.
Differences in sex roles
b.
Dating patterns
c.
Premarital sex behavior
d.
Engagement and wedding
Basic components of marital adjustment
a.
Role, personality, communication, sexual, economic
b.
Parent-child relationships
c.
Empty nest and retirement phases
Conflict, crisis, dissolution
a.
Marital conflict and family crisis
b.
Bereavement, separation and divorce
The future of marriage and family
Methods of Presentation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Lecture - discussion
Guest speakers
Audio-visual aids
Student reports
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1.
Typical Assignments
a.
Construct a family genogram focusing on family interaction patterns
b.
Draw a cost analysis of having a child from conception through college
based on your projected profession/life style
c.
Write a two page essay explaining the emotional, psychological and social
effects of divorce
d.
Select a current newspaper article that discusses family and public policy,
explain the intended and possible latent functions of the policy in a two
page paper
Chabot College
Course Outline for Sociology 4
Fall 2002
Page 3
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress (Con't):
e.
2.
Prepare for in class-discussions groups-describe the U.S. family of 2050.
Support your predictions with data, theory, trends, etc. Present to the
class.
Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
a.
Exams and quizzes
b.
Exercises
c.
Projects
d.
Group discussion/assignments
e.
Final exam
Textbook(s) Typical):
Marriages and Families: Changes, Choices, and Constraints. Benokraitis, Nicole,
Prentice Hall, 2001, or latest edition.
Special Student Materials:
None.
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Revised-2-4-2002