Child and Family Development
CFD 135: Principles of Family Development
Summer 2014
Instructor Contact Information
Instructor: Erin Senff
Office: EBA 401
Office hours: Mondays 7:15-9:15 PM, or by appointment
Email: CFD135Online@gmail.com
Email is the preferred means of contact.
Section and Enrollment Information
Class meeting/location: Online
Schedule number: 20514
Course Description
This course engages a critical, in-depth analysis of the ways in which families are seen by
society and the ways in which they see themselves. Topics to be covered include
division of labor, childcare, economics, health, leisure, and the politics of the family.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. To become familiar with the conceptual frameworks and theories applied to
marriage and the family.
2. To compare and contrast an understanding of the concepts of love, sex, romance
and the family in modern American culture.
3. To view media representations of family life and analyze them developmentally and
sociologically.
4. To conduct a self-assessment of aspects of one’s own families of origin and current
families.
5. To compare one’s own family of origin and family of orientation to current and past
trends.
6. To read and summarize scholarly articles on marriage and family.
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Course Materials
Required Readings and Materials
Welch, K. J. (2010). Family life now, second edition-2010 Census Edition. New York:
Allyn and Bacon
ISBN-10: 0205006833 | ISBN-13: 979-0205006839
Recommended Readings and Materials
APA Manual (Publication manual of the American Psychological Association) (6 th ed.)
(2010). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
ISBN: 978-1-4338-0561-5
Course Website
All course content will be accessible through blackboard.
Assessment and Grading
Assignment/Exam
Points Possible
11 Quizzes
100 (10 points each, with lowest
quiz score dropped)
10 Blackboard Postings
50 (5 points each)
Genogram Assignment
75
Research Assignment
10
TOTAL
235
Final Grades
218-235=A
204-210.4=B+
180.5-187.9=C+
157-164.4=D+
210.5-217.9=A-
195-203.9=B
171.5-180.4=C
148-156.9=D
188-194.9=B-
164.5-171.4=C-
141-147.9=D140.9 and BELOW=F
Grading Policies
Assignments are due on the date and time specified. Assignments will lose 10% for
each day or portion of a day the assignment is late. This policy only applies to the
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Research Assignment and the Genogram Assignment, all other materials due (quizzes
and Blackboard Postings) cannot be made up. Any missing quizzes and postings will be
counted as zero.
It is your responsibility to ensure all of your assignments, (including quizzes, postings,
research assignment, and genogram) are posted through Blackboard. If at any time
you are having difficulty with uploads you must email me immediately. There are 2
dates (3/3 and 4/7) that you will be asked to review your grades and uploaded course
content. If you do not review your content at these times missing assignments will not
be altered.
Course Activities and Schedule
Date
Topic(s)
Readings (to be
completed prior to
class)
1/21 to
2/3***
Introduction to Family Life
Now
Chapter 1
2/4 to
2/10
Research and Theories
Chapter 2
2/11 to
2/17
Communication
2/18 to
2/24
Intimacy
Assignments / Activities
Due by Tuesday 11:59 PM
Quiz #1
Blackboard Posting #1
Quiz #2
Blackboard Posting #2
Chapter 3 & 4
Gender Issues
Quiz #3
Blackboard Posting #3
Research Assignment Due
2/17 at 11:59 PM
Chapter 5
Quiz #4
Blackboard Posting #4
Genogram Part 1 Assignment
Due 2/24 at 11:59 PM
2/25 to
3/3
Love and Commitment
Chapters 6 and 7
Genogram Assignment Part 2
Due 3/3 at 11:59 PM
REVIEW ALL COURSE CONTENT TO THIS DATE (3/3), EMAIL INSTRUCTOR WITH ANY CONCERNS
IMMEDIATELY!
3/4 to
3/10
Genogram Assignment
No Readings
Genogram Assignment Part 3
Due 3/10 at 11:59 PM
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Date
Topic(s)
Readings (to be
completed prior to
class)
3/11 to
3/17
Coupling
Chapters 8
3/13 to
3/24
Sexuality and Child Bearing
3/25 to
4/7
Spring Recess
4/8 to
4/14
Parenthood and Family Life
and Work
Chapter 11 & 12
4/15 to
4/21
Divorce
Chapter 13 & 14
4/22 to
4/28
Stress, Crisis and Transition
4/29 to
5/5
Aging
5/6 to
Entire Course Content
Assignments / Activities
Due by Tuesday 11:59 PM
Quiz #5
Blackboard Posting #5
Chapters 9 & 10
Quiz #6
Blackboard Posting #6
REVIEW ALL COURSE CONTENT TO THIS DATE (3/3-4/7), EMAIL INSTRUCTOR WITH ANY
CONCERNS IMMEDIATELY!
Quiz #7
Blackboard Posting #7
Quiz #8
Blackboard Posting #8
Chapter 15 & 16
Quiz #9
Blackboard Posting #9
Chapter 16
Quiz #10
Blackboard Posting #10
5/19***
Chapters 1-16
Quiz #11
Final Quiz
Course Assignments
Quizzes and Final Exam
There will be 11 quizzes worth 10 points each, the 11th one serves as the Final Exam, and
will be cumulative Each quiz will be on the course content from that week and will not
be cumulative, except for the final quiz. The quizzes consist of 10 multiple-choice
questions. The way to prepare for the quiz is to read the text, listen to any posted Video
lectures, and view all material for that week, including any videos or article postings. Do
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not try to avoid doing those things and attempt to take the quiz unprepared, as there
will be no time to “look things up.” The multiple choice questions will be pulled
randomly from a pool of questions from that chapter or chapters for that week so
everyone’s quiz will be slightly different from the other students, although covering the
same material.
Quizzes will open each Wednesday at 7 AM and close the following Tuesday ay 11:59
PM
Blackboard Postings
For the Blackboard Posting Assignments, there will be “prompts” which explain what
you are to include in your “postings” to other students. Each week one is assigned, you
will initiate one entry and then respond to at least one other student’s posting with a
substantial comment using class material to back up your thoughts. All postings for the
week are due the time that the quiz for that week closes. No late postings for that week
can occur.
For the full points for this assignment, you must address the question in the prompt
fully.
The Blackboard Posting Assignments are extremely important, as this is where you
“meet” other students in the class and hold discussions about class topics. In order to
receive all 5 points you must complete your own prompt and reply to another
classmate’s prompt and both your posting and your reply must be written using content
from the course materials. You will be graded from 1-5 depending upon your
thoroughness.
If, at the end of the semester, you are within one point of a higher grade, the decision
about considering you for that higher grade will be made by reviewing the caliber of
your Blackboard Posting Assignments’ content.
Research Assignment
This assignment will require you to research one scholarly article regarding marriage
and family, and then give a synthesis of the information you have read. Scholarly articles
can be accessed through a variety of databases, including those found on the SDSU
library website. This assignment will be worth 10 point and will be graded based on how
well you connect the information you have read to the content of the course, and how
well you explain the information provided by the scholarly article. This assignment
should be 1-2 pages, and be formatted in APA style.
If you are unsure of what a scholarly article is please see the link marked Scholarly
Articles under the Course Documents tab on Blackboard. For more information on APA
style see the APA Style tab under Course Documents, or refer to the APA Manual in
Recommended Reading Materials.
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Genogram Assignment
The goal of this assignment is to give you an opportunity to learn more about your
family, genetic predispositions, environmental influences and apply knowledge you are
gaining in this course to the analysis of your family of origin and the influences of
various situations and experiences on you and your family. Please use only first names.
Part 1 – Genogram (15 points based on thoroughness and following directions)
In Part 1, you will electronically construct a Genogram of your family tracing your family
of origin on either the maternal, paternal, or both sides of your family. (e.g. you, your
parents, your grandparents, and your great grandparents). This section will be uploaded
separately as a Word Document to the Part 1: Genogram Assignment tab under the
Assignments section of Blackboard. Use the symbols provided and display a symbol for
each family member and number the 10 family members you will be using for part 2
of the assignment. These numbers will be used for the factual data sheet. Each
generation of your family must have at least one member numbered for use in this
factual data sheet.
The symbols and lines represented on the assignment description posted on Blackboard
must be used.
Part 2 –Factual Data Sheet
15 points based on thoroughness and following directions
The second part of your project is a factual data sheet that is to be typed in chart form.
Use ONLY chart provided on the assignment guidelines posted on Blackboard. You
must provide information for all 10 members of your family who are numbered on the
Genogram. The information provided in each column will correspond to the family
member represented by number on the Genogram.
The 10 columns of information needed are:
1. Number (correlates to Genogram)
2. First name
3. Relationship to you
4. Date of birth/death
5. Approximate date of marriage/divorce/remarriage
6. Occupation/profession
7. Major life events
8. Physical/health problems
9. Personality traits
10. Rituals/traditions
Include 10 family members, including you. Do not leave a column blank, write N/A, or ?.
Dates and some information can be estimated.
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This is intended to be an opportunity to connect with family members, gather unknown
information and share family stories.
If any part of this project creates a problem for you such as in cases of adoption, foster
care, divorces, estranged family members, etc., please contact me about finding enough
family members to use in the project and/or conduct an alternate project based on
those issues.
Feel free to have the columns extend to accommodate your information.
Part 3 – Family Profile
45 points based on thoroughness of content, relating content back to text, and APA
formatting
This portion should be 3-5 pages, double spaced, 12 point font, following APA
formatting guidelines. This part of your paper describes the characteristics and
composition of your family of origin. It should be written in paragraph form and follow
APA (American Psychological Association) guidelines. In the narrative parts of your
Family Profile, cite the text a minimum of 10 times.
Your family profile should include the following sections:
1. Composition of your family. Each family member represented with a
number on Part 1, and included on Part 2 must be represented here.
Include ages of all members, gender and how they are related to you.
2. Choose two family members (from the 10 listed in Part 1 and 2). Describe
and analyze the influence the occupational status of each individual has
had upon your development.
3. Size and type of community/communities in which you lived during your
birth-18 years of age. Describe and analyze the influence each has had
upon your development.
4. Location and connections with extended family members. Describe and
analyze the influence your proximity and relationships to extended family
members had upon your development.
5. Health status of you and your immediate family (Parents and siblings).
Describe and analyze the influence each has had upon your development.
6. Choose one more element from the factual data set (such as
rituals/traditions, marital status & divorces, births & deaths, or
personality) and describe and analyze the influence each has had upon
your development.
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General Criteria:







Include 4 generations representing your family.
For couples, draw men on the left and women on the right (except in complex
situations, then just explain)
Draw siblings in chronological order with the first born on the left.
Use appropriate symbols for males and females.
Use appropriate symbols for marriage, divorce, unmarried couples, adoptions,
etc.
Start with yourself and highlight your symbol—you are to be labeled #1.
Numbers should coincide with the Factual Data Sheet, which is Part 2.
Course Policies
 Plagiarism will result in an F in the course and/or further disciplinary action. Please
familiarize yourself with the university’s policy on academic dishonesty. This can be
found on the SDSU webpage for Student Rights and Responsibilities
(www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/index.html )
Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this
class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To
avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student
Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not
retroactive, and that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until I have
received an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is
appreciated.
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