FAMILY SOCIOLOGY
Sociology 599
Spring 2014
Tuesdays 3:30-6:20, HSH 303
DRAFT 1/14/2014
Professor:
E-mail:
Office Hours:
Lynne M. Casper
lcasper@usc.edu
W 1:30-3:30 pm
and by appointment
Phone:
Office:
213-740-8847
HSH, Room 313
Course Website:
Announcements, links to readings, assignments, class notes, and all other information will be
posted on our course website. The site is https://blackboard.usc.edu and can be accessed with your
USC username and password.
Introduction:
The diversity and complexity of families in the United States and other industrialized countries
have increased dramatically over the past half century. Since the 1950s the “ideal” family of
breadwinner-husband, homemaker-wife, and three children has become less common, while dualearner families, single mothers, single fathers, childless couples, same-sex couples and cohabiting
partners have become more prevalent. The family has evolved throughout history. It differs from
one society to another, and has changed over time within our own society. Recently, however,
some changes have seemed to intensify. Some scholars and policy makers are alarmed at the ways
in which the family has changed and believe that the family itself is disintegrating. Others believe
that many of the changes in the family have been positive, and that although families have grown
more complex and diverse, the family is an enduring institution that continues to serve its purpose
in society.
Course Objectives:
This graduate seminar examines changes and differences in family behaviors and household
relationships from a demographic and sociologic perspective. Readings are drawn from family
demography, sociology, economics, history, human development, and even a little evolutionary
theory. The major focus is on the post-World War II United States. Seminar discussion will
consider explanations and classical debates about changing family forms and family variation, as
well as assess implications for empirical research and public policy.
During the first few classes, we will discuss the demographic perspective on family change and
variation, review the broad trends in family transitions and structures, introduce theoretical
perspectives on union formation and family change, and discuss the difficulty of making causal
inference in family research.
Then we will turn to topics that dominate current research in family sociology: young adult
transitions; marriage and cohabitation; same sex relationships and families; social class and
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families; race, ethnicities and family, father involvement with children; the intersection of gender,
work, and family, the U.S. family in comparative, Western perspective and family policy.
My interest and areas of expertise is U.S. family change and variation and workplaces, families and
health; my goal is to give you a comprehensive introduction to U.S. family demographic trends,
theoretical perspectives and issues, and policies that impact families. My current thinking about
family change and variation is influenced by 1) past participation in an interdisciplinary NIHfunded project where the goal is to design new models for explaining family change and variation
(a project you will read about in class) and 2) an NIH/CDC/WT Grant funded workplace
intervention study aimed at reducing work-family conflict and improving the health and wellbeing
of employees, their families, and their places of employment. I have also recently co-authored a
book on family change and variation, and edited books on work, family, health and well being, and
measurement issues in family research. I want to bring some of the insights from this work to the
classroom – and hope that you will find the topics as interesting as I do. Teaching this class is
important to me, as it helps to keep me up-to-date on research in the field and on family public
policy issues.
Course Format and Requirements:
1. Participation and Leadership of Discussion
The format of the course will consist mostly of class discussion in a seminar format. From time to
time I will provide brief overview lectures. Students will be expected to post to our website a
discussion question on the readings in advance of class, prepare a one-page paper each week on a
question that I provide, and come to class ready to discuss the readings.
We will discuss and evaluate the readings in class. Class discussion constitutes an important part of
the course grade. Each week, every participant in the class should post at least 1 discussion
question based on the readings to our discussion board. These questions can be on a single
reading or on general issues that crosscut the readings for the week. Students should post their
discussion question no later than noon on Monday. Each week, two students will be responsible
for combining and organizing the questions into one document and sending this to all of us
electronically by noon on Tuesday. Those responsible for organizing the list of questions in a
given week should also be prepared to provide a brief summary of the week’s readings and use the
questions to facilitate class discussion that week. I will do this the first couple of weeks but then
circulate a sign-up sheet for the remaining weeks of the semester.
This course is designed to foster dialogue about issues and ideas that come up in the readings. For
this reason, students are expected to attend the seminar regularly and punctually, do all required
reading on time, and come to class prepared to participate in class discussions. Students are
expected to welcome differing viewpoints and to respect the thoughts and ideas of all class
participants, listen quietly while others are speaking, and arrive and leave on time.
In this course, your grade for participation is based on your contributions to general discussion and
your preparation and performance in leading your assigned topic(s).
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2. Weekly Short Papers
Most weeks during the course, you are required to turn in a short paper (no more than 2 doublespaced pages (no smaller than 12 point font either!!)) on the question that appears at the bottom
of the readings for that week. You should draw on class readings in answering the question but
these are also “thought exercises” asking you to formulate and defend a perspective. You are
welcome to draw on your past experiences, courses, suggested readings and other outside readings,
but it is not required that you read anything beyond that week’s required readings. A hard copy of
the paper should be given to me at the end of class and you should be prepared to discuss your
perspective on the question in class. (No late papers accepted – one “miss” forgiven and not
counted against your grade.)
3. Research paper/proposal.
The major project for the course is a research paper on a family topic of your choice. I would like
you to work toward a paper that you could submit for consideration for presentation at either the
2015 annual meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA) (Deadline for submissions
January, 2015) or the 2015 annual meeting of the Population Association of America (PAA)
(Deadline for submissions September, 2014). The goal is to develop a research question on a
family topic, identify a data set or qualitative data source with which to answer the question, and
execute at least a preliminary analysis and write up the results by the end of the course. Ideally, the
paper you complete in the class could serve as the basis for a PAA or an ASA submission when the
class is over. For sociology graduate students, it might also serve as the basis of one of the three
papers for your dissertation.
A one page statement of the family question you want to investigate will be due on Tuesday,
February 18, 2014. I am looking for a page with four brief paragraphs: a paragraph that poses the
question and justifies why it is important, one paragraph that begins to delineate what we know and
don’t know about the topic, a paragraph that suggests what “new” approach or finding this paper
will contribute, and a final paragraph that suggests a possible data set that could be used to study
the question. The second deadline is Tuesday, March 18, 2014 when I expect to receive a draft
literature review with bibliography.
For students who do not feel prepared to execute an empirical paper, I will allow the option of a
research proposal. If you choose to write a proposal, you should follow NIH guidelines on the
sections to include – Specific Aims, Background and Significance, Data and Analysis. This
assignment is similar to writing the paper except that you will not actually execute the analysis.
This project will help you learn how to prepare your dissertation proposal, if you have not yet done
so. If you have already done so, the project will teach you how to write a research proposal to
secure funding for your research.
Everyone will give a short 10 minute presentation on your topic in the last class meeting. The final
research paper (or proposal) is due in my mailbox no later than noon on Friday, May 2, 2014.
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Grading Summary:
The majority of your grade will be based on evidence of your knowledge, comprehension, and
critical analysis of course materials; however, the quality of your writing (including grammar,
spelling, and clarity) will also affect your grades.
30%
30%
10%
30%
Class participation and leadership of discussion
Short weekly papers and discussion questions
Outline and literature review
Final project
General Guidelines and Policies:
No late assignments will be accepted unless you can provide clear evidence that circumstances
beyond your control prevented your timely performance. Written assignments must be doublespaced in 12-point font and stapled, and you must keep a copy of all work that you turn in. As the
course progresses, it may be necessary to make some adjustments to the schedule of readings,
topics, assignments, and due dates printed in this syllabus. You should check the course website on
a regular basis for updates and changes. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out what
you missed.
Each student must hand in his or her own writing assignments and respect USC’s standards for
academic integrity. Authors and researchers work hard on their papers and books; plagiarism will
not be tolerated!
The use of electronic devices in this class is strictly prohibited unless you are using them for
notetaking or presentation purposes. The use of computers, cell phones, blackberries, etc. for other
purposes will result in dismissal from that lecture. After three lecture dismissals you will be asked
to drop the class.
If you need any special accommodations, including accommodations to complete the course
requirements, please talk to me right away.
Required and Recommended Course Materials:
The readings for the course are a mix of books, book chapters, and journal articles. Book chapters
and journal articles will be put on our course website.
The following required books are available for purchase:
1. Cherlin, Andrew J. 2009. The Marriage-Go-Round: The State of Marriage and the
Family Today. New York: Knopf.
2. Gerson, Kathleen. 2010. The Unfinished Revolution: How a New Generation is
Reshaping Family, Work, and Gender in America. New York: Oxford University
Press.
3. Peters, H. Elizabeth, and Claire M. Kamp Dush. (eds.) 2009. Marriage and Family:
Perspectives and Complexities. New York: Columbia University Press.
4. Smart, Carol. 2007. Personal Life. Cambridge: Polity Press.
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Overview: Topics and Schedule
Week 1
1/14/14
Introduction to the Course and Family Change and Variation:
Description and Causal Explanation
Week 2
1/21/14
Family Change and Variation:
Description and Causal Explanation
Week 3
1/28/12
Is the Concept of “Family” Outdated?
Week 4
2/04/14
Theoretical Perspectives on Marriage and Family Change
Week 5
2/11/14
How to Choose a Data Set and Write an Empirical Paper on the
Family
Week 6
2/18/14
Intergenerational Expectations and Young Adult Transitions
One Page Statement Due!
Week 7
2/25/14
Marriage and Heterosexual Cohabitation
Week 8
3/04/14
Same Sex Relationships and Families
Week 9
3/11/14
Social Class and Families
Week 10
3/18/13
Social Class and Families
Draft of Literature Review and Bibliography due!!
Week 11
3/25/14
Race, Ethnicity, and Families
Week 12
4/01/14
Father Involvement in Families
Week 13
4/08/14
Gender, Work, and Families
Week 14
4/15/14
U.S. Families in Comparative, Western Perspective
Week 15
4/22/14
Family Policy and Wrap-up
Week 16
4/29/14
Student Presentations
5/02/14
Paper Due!
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Weekly Reading Assignments/Short Paper Questions:
Weeks 1 and 2: Family Change and Variation: Description and Causal
Explanation
Bianchi, Suzanne M. and Lynne M. Casper. 2005. “Explanations of Family Change: A Family
Demographic Perspective.” Chapter 4 (Pp. 93-117) in V. Bengtson et al. (eds.) Sourcebook
of Family Theory and Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Fischer, Claude S. ,Michael Hout and John Stiles. 2006. (How Americans Lived: Families and Life
Courses in Flux, pp. 57 -95 (Chapter 4) in C. Fischer and M. Hout. Century of Difference.
New York: Russell Sage.
Giddens, Anthony. 1991. “Introduction,” Chapter 1 (“The Contours of High Modernity”), and
Chapter 3 (“The Trajectory of Self”) in Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the
Late Modern Age. Stanford: Stanford University.
Levy, Frank. Chapter 4 (“Industrial Change: Is There Life after the Service Sector”) and Chapter 5
(“Occupational Change: Can the Economy Still Provide Good Jobs and, If So, Who Gets
Them?”) from The New Dollars and Dreams: American Incomes and Economic Change
New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
Currie, Janet. 2005. “When Do We Know What We Think We Know? Determining Causality?”
Pp. 279-296 in SM Bianchi, LM Casper, and RB King (Eds.) Work, Family, Health and
Well-Being. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. (NOTE: Only read pp. 279-286).
Moffit, Robert. 2005. “Remarks on the Analysis of Causal Relationships in Population Research.”
Demography 42 (February): 91-108. (NOTE: Difficult reading but give it a try!)
Suggested Readings:
Casper, Lynne. 2007. “Family Demography.” In George Ritzer (ed.) Encyclopedia of Sociology.
Blackwell.
Demo, David, William S. Aquilino, and Mark A. Fine. 2005. “Family Composition and Family
Transitions.” Chapter 5 (Pp. 119-142) in V. Bengtson et al. (eds.) Sourcebook of Family
Theory and Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
J.A. Seltzer, C. Bachrach, S.M. Bianchi, C. Bledsoe, L.M. Casper, P.L. Chase-Lansdale, T.A.
DiPrete, V.J. Hotz, S.P. Morgan, S. G. Sanders, D. Thomas. 2005. “Designing New Models
for Explaining Family Change and Variation.” Journal of Marriage and Family 67
(November): 908-925.
Question: TBA
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Week 3: Is the Concept of “Family” Outdated?
Carol Smart. 2007. Personal Life. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Question: TBA
Week 4: Theoretical Perspectives on Marriage and Family Change
Demographic/Ideational Perspective
Lesthaeghe, R. 2007. “Second Demographic Transition.” In George Ritzer (ed.) Encyclopedia of
Sociology. Blackwell.
Morgan, S. Philip, Christine A. Bachrach, Jenna Johnson-Hanks and Hans-Peter Kohler. 2007.
“Theory Development by the Parenthhood Group: A Theory of Conjunctural Action.”
NICHD Explaining Family Change and Diversity Final Report.
Sociological Perspective
Cherlin, Andrew J. 2004. “The Deinstitutionalization of American Marriage.” Journal of Marriage
and Family 66 (November): 848-861.
Historical Perspective
Coontz, Stephanie. 2004. “The World Historical Transformation of Marriage.” Journal of Marriage
and Family 66 (November): 974-979.
Evolutionary Perspective
Cox, Donald. 2007. “Biological Basics and the Economics of the Family.” Journal of Economic
Perspectives 21 (Spring): 91-108.
Economic Perspective
Lundberg, Shelly and Robert A. Pollak. 2007. “The American Family and Family Economics.”
Journal of Economic Perspectives 21 (Spring): 3-26 (NOTE: Read pp. 3-4, skip or skim
4- 11, read pp.11-23 on family economics and family policy.)
Stevenson, Betsey and Justin Wolfers. 2007. “Marriage and Divorce: Changes and their Driving
Forces.” Journal of Economic Perspectives 21 (Spring): 27-52 (NOTE: Skip or skim pp.
27-40, read beginning bottom of pp 40-50.)
NOTE: The trends discussion in these two articles is repetitive of Week 2 readings so I
am asking you to skim/skip those pages and focus on the theory and factors economists
use to explain family change.)
Suggested Readings:
Daly, Martin and Margo I. Wilson. 2000. “The Evolutionary Psychology of Marriage and Divorce.”
Pp. 91-110 in L. Waite (ed) The Ties that Bind: Perspectives on Marriage and
Cohabitation. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.
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Pollak, Robert A. 2000. “Theorizing Marriage.” Pp. 111-125 in L. Waite (ed) The Ties that Bind:
Perspectives on Marriage and Cohabitation. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.
Question: Take one of the above perspectives on the family/union formation and critique it. What
are its strengths and weaknesses? What unique insights does the perspective provide? Comment on
the “reach” of the perspective: E.g., Can it be equally well applied to different race-ethnic and
socioeconomic subgroups of the U.S. population? Or, could it be used to explain family behaviors
in non-Western settings as well as in Western countries? Can it explain change in family formation
behaviors?
Week 5: How to Choose a Data Set and Write an Empirical Paper on the
Family
Hofferth, Sandra L. 2005. “Secondary Data Analysis in Family Research.” Journal of Marriage
and Family 67 (November): 891-907.
White, Lynn. 2005. “Writes of Passage: Writing an Empirical Journal Article.” Journal of
Marriage and Family 67 (November): 791-798.
Matthews Sarah H. 2005. “Crafting Qualitative Research Articles on Marriages and Families.”
Journal of Marriage and Family 67 (November): 498-808.
Assignment: Choose a data set for your project (Hofferth’s articles should help) and write the one
page introduction to the paper/proposal you will do for the course (see White for help here). This
one page “Introduction” is due next week and will be discussed in class.
Week 6: Intergenerational Expectations and Young Adult Transitions
Ruggles, Steven. 2007. “The Decline of Intergenerational Coresidence in the United States, 18502000.” American Sociological Review 72 (October):
Furstenberg, Frank F. , Jr., Sheela Kennedy, Vonnie C. McLoyd, Ruben G. Rumbaut and Richard
A. Settersten, Jr. 2004. “Growing Up is Harder to Do.” Contexts 3 (Summer): 1-7.
Cook, Thomas D. and Frank F. Furstenberg Jr. 2002. “Explaining Aspects of the Transition to
Adulthood in Italy, Sweden, Germany, and the United States: A Cross-Disciplinary, Case
Synthesis Approach.” ANNALS 580(March): 257-287.
Rosenfeld, Michael J. and Byung-Soo Kim. 2005. “The Independence of Young Adults and the
Rise of Interracial and Same-Sex Unions.” American Sociological Review 70 (August): 541562.
Billari, Francesco C. and Aart C. Liefbroer. 2007. “Should I Stay or Should I Go? The Impact of
Age Norms on Leaving Home.” Demography 44 (February): 181-198.
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Suggested Reading:
Joyner, Kara and Grace Kao. 2005. “Interracial Relationships and the Transition to Adulthood.”
American Sociological Review 70 (August): 563-581.
Question: Suppose you had to organize the insights from the readings for this week into a lecture
for an undergraduate family class. What would you highlight? What would you argue are the most
important causes and consequences of young adult family transitions? Would you be able to use
any of the theoretical perspectives from week 4 to explain changes in family transitions in young
adulthood?
Week 7: Marriage and Heterosexual Cohabitation
Paul Amato. 2009. “Institutional, Companionate, and Individualistic Marriage: A Social
Psychological Perspective on Marital Change.” In Peters and Dush, Chapter 4.
Brandon, Peter B. Lynne M. Casper, Thomas A. DiPrete, Seth Sanders and Pamela Smock. 2007.
“Rethinking Change and Variation in Unions.” NICHD Explaining Family Change and
Variation Final Report.
Smock, Pamela, Wendy D. Manning, and Meredith Porter. 2005. “’Everything’s There Except
Money’: How Money Shapes Decisions to Marry Among Cohabitors.” Journal of Marriage
and Family 67 (August): 680-696.
Liefbroer, Aart C. and Edith Dourleijn. 2006. “Unmarried Cohabitation and Union Stability:
Testing the Role of Diffusion Using Data from 16 European Countries.” Demography 43
(May): 203-221.
Kenney, Catherine T. and Sara S. McLanahan. 2006. “Why Are Cohabitation Relationships More
Violent than Marriages?” 43 (February): 127-140.
Cherlin, Andrew J., Linda M. Burton, Tera R. Hurt and Diane M. Purvin. 2004. “The Influence of
Physical and Sexual Abuse on Marriage and Cohabitation.” American Sociological Review
69 (December): 768-789.
Suggested Reading:
“Chapter 2: Cohabitation” Pp. 39-66 in LM Casper and SM Bianchi (2002). Continuity and
Change in the American Family. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Bumpass, Larry and Hsien-Hen Lu. 2000. “Trends in Cohabitation and Implications for Children’s
Family Contexts in the United States.” Population Studies 54: 29-41.
Musick, Kelly and Larry Bumpass. “Cohabitation, Marriage, and Trajectories in Well-being and
Relationships.” CCPR Working Paper No. 064-05. University of California, Los Angeles.
Question: TBA
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Week 8: Same Sex Relationships and Families
Judith Stacey and Timothy R. Biblarz. 2001. “(How) Does the Sexual Orientation of Parents
Matter?” American Sociological Review 66: 159-183.
Dana Berkowitz. 2009. “Theorizing Lesbian and Gay Parenting: Past, Present, and Future
Scholarship.” Journal of Family Theory and Review 1: 117-132.
Timothy R. Biblarz and Evern Savci. 2010. “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Families.”
Journal of Marriage and the Family 72 (June): 480-497.
Suggested Reading:
Black, Dan A., Seth G. Sanders, and Lowell J. Taylor. 2007. “The Economics of Lesbian and Gay
Families.” Journal of Economic Perspectives 21 (Spring): 53-70.
Andersson, Gunnar, Turid Noack, Ane Seierstad, and Harald Weedon-Fekjaer. 2006. “The
Demographics of Same-Sex Marriages in Norway and Sweden.” Demography 43
(February): 79-98.
Question: TBA
DUE: One page describing the course paper you will do (see course requirements).
Weeks 9 and 10: Social Class and Families
a. Marriage, Economics, and Well-being
Schwartz, Christine R. and Robert D. Mare. 2005. “Trends in Educational Assortative Marriage
from 1940 to 2003.” Demography 42 (November): 621-646.
Ahituv, Avner and Robert I. Lerman. 2005. “How Do Marital Status, Work Effort, and Wage Rates
Interact? Unpublished paper.
Waite, Linda J. 1995. “Does Marriage Matter?” Demography 32 (November): 483-520.
Kohler, Hans-Peter, Jere R. Behrman, and Axel Skythe. 2005. “Partner + Children = Happiness?
The Effects of Partnership and Fertility on Well-Being. Population and Development
Review 31 (September) 407-445.
Martin, Steven P. 2004. “Women’s Education and Family Timing: Outcomes and Trends
Associated with Age at Marriage and First Birth.” Pp. 79-118 in K. Neckerman Social
Inequality. New York: Russell Sage.
Edin, Kathryn and Joanna Reed. 2005. “Why Don’t They Just Get Married? Barriers to Marriage
Among the Disadvantaged.” The Future of Children15 (Fall): 117-130.
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Question: When Linda Waite gave her 1995 PAA address on the benefits of marriage, many felt
she paid too little attention to gender differences in the costs and benefits of marriage. Is marriage
(and parenthood) equally beneficial for women and men? How do the costs and benefits of
marriage/parenthood differ for men and women?
Suggested Readings:
Teachman, Jay. 2007. “Race, Military Service, and Marital Timing: Evidence from the NLSY-79.”
Demography 44 (May): 389-404.
Wilcox, W. Bradford, and Steven L. Nock. 2006. “What’s Love Got To Do With It? Equality,
Equity, Commitment and Women’s Marital Quality.” Social Forces. 84 (March): 13211345.
b. Childrearing and Child Well-being
Wu, Larry. Forthcoming. “Cohort Estimates of Nonmarital Fertility for U.S. Women.”
Demography.
Sigle--Rushton, Wendy, John Hobcraft and Kathleen Kiernan. 2005. “Parental Divorce and
Subsequent Disadvantage: A Cross-Cohort Comparison.” Demography 42 (August): 427446.
Lareau, Annette. 2002. “Invisible Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black Families and
White Families.” American Sociological Review 67: 747-776.
Annette Lareau. 2010. “Unequal Childhoods and Unequal Transitions to Adulthood: The
Importance of Social Class in Turning Points.” Forthcoming in Paula England and Marcia
Carlson (eds.), Families in an Unequal Society. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Sara McLanahan. 2004. “Diverging Destinies: How Children Are Faring under the Second
Demographic Transition.” Demography 41: 607-627.
Recommended Readings:
“Chapter 4: Single-Mother Families,” Pp. 95-121 in Casper and Bianchi (2002). Continuity and
Change in the American Family. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Question: TBA
Week 11: Race, Ethnicity and Families
Furstenberg. Frank F. 2009. “If Moynihan Had Only Known: Race, Class, and Family Change in
the Late Twentieth Century.” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social
Science 621: 94-110.
Hondagneu-Sotelo, Pierrette and Ernestine Avila. 1997. “ I’m here, but I’m There:’ The Meanings
of Latina Transnational Motherhood.” Gender & Society 11: 548-571.
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Bruce Western and Christopher Wildeman. 2009. The Black Family and Mass Incarceration. The
Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 621: 221–242.
Shirley A. Hill. 2009. “Why Won’t African Americans Get (and Stay) Married? Why Should
They?” In Peters and Dush, Chapter 14.
Page, Marianne E. and Ann Huff Stevens. 2005. “Understanding Racial Differences in the
Economic Costs of Growing Up in a Single-Parent Family.” Demography 42 (February):
75-90.
Brown, Susan L. 2006. “Family Structure Transitions and Adolescent Well-Being.” Demography
43 (August): 447-461.
Due: Literature review and bibliography for Paper/Proposal.
Question: TBA
Week 12: Father Involvement in Families
Mincy, Ronald, Irwin Garfinkel and Lenna Nepomnyaschy. 2005. “In-Hospital Paternity
Establishment and Father Involvement in Fragile Families.” Journal of Marriage and
Family 67 (August): 611-626.
Nepomnyaschy, Lenna. 2007. “Child Support and Father-Child Contact: Testing Reciprocal
Pathways.” Demography 44 (February): 93-112.
Hofferth, Sandra. 2006. “Residential Father Family Type and Child Well-Being: Investment
Versus Selection. Demography. 43 (February): 53-78.
Guzzo, Karen Benjamin and Frank Furstenberg Jr. 2007. “Multi-partnered Fertility Among
American Men.” Demography 44 (August)
Recommended Reading:
“Chapter 5: Fathering,” Pp. 123-147 in Casper and Bianchi (2002). Continuity and Change in the
American Family. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Day, Randall D, Charlie Lewis, Margaret O’Brien, and Michael E. Lamb. 2005. “Fatherhood and
Father Involvement: Emerging Constructs and Theoretical Orientations.” Chapter 14 (Pp.
341-365) in V. Bengsten et al. (eds.) Sourcebook of Family Theory and Research. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage.
Question: Reflect on what this week’s and last week’s readings have to say about the ease or
difficulty in achieving one of the current goals of welfare reform legislation: to promote marriage
and parental responsibility among low-income parents. What stands in the way of achieving that
goal?
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Week 13: Gender, Work, and Family
Kathleen Gerson. 2010. The Unfinished Revolution: How a New Generation is Reshaping Family,
Work, and Gender in America. New York: Oxford University Press.
Suggested Readings:
Short, Susan E., Frances K. Goldscheider, and Berna M. Torr. 2006. “Less Help for Mother: The
Decline in Coresidential Female Support for the Mothers of Young Children, 1880-2000.”
Demography 43 (November): 617-629.
Bianchi, Suzanne M., John P. Robinson, and Melissa A. Milkie. 2006. “Chapter 1: Parenting: How
Has It Changed?” (pp. 1-14) and “Chapter 3: Changing Workloads: Are Parents Busier?’
(pp. 38-58) in Changing Rhythms of American Family Life. New York: Russell Sage.
Goldin, Claudia. 2004. “The Long Road to the Fast Track: Career and Family.” ANNALS 596
(November): 20-35.
Rindfuss, Ronald R., David Guilkey, S.Philip Morgan, Oystein Kravdal and Karen Benjamin;
Guzzo. 2007. “Child Care Availability and First-Birth Timing in Norway.” 44 (May): 345372.
Bianchi, Suzanne M. and Sara B. Raley. 2005. “Time Allocation in Families.” Chapter 2 (Pp. 21-42
in SM Bianchi, LM Casper, and RB King (Eds.) Work, Family, Health and Well-Being.
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Glass, Jennifer. 2005. “Sociological Perspectives on Work and Family.” Chapter 15 (Pp. 215-229
in SM Bianchi, LM Casper, and RB King (eds.) Work, Family, Health and Well-Being.
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Joshi, Heather. 2002. “Production, Reproduction, and Education: Women, Children, and Work in a
British Perspective.” Population and Development Review 28 (September): 445-474.
Question: TBA
Week 14: U.S. Families in Comparative, Western Perspective.
Cherlin, Andrew J. 2009. The Marriage-Go-Round: The State of Marriage and the Family Today.
New York: Knopf.
Question: TBA
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Week 15: Family Policy
Nock, Steven L. 2005. “Marriage as a Public Issue.” The Future of Children15 (Fall): 13-32.
Knox, Virginia, and David Fein. 2009. “Supporting Healthy Marriage: Designing a Marriage
Education Demonstration and Evaluation for Low-Income Married Couples.” In Peters and
Dush, Chapter 10.
Johnson, Michael P. 2009. “Differentiating Among Types of Domestic Violence: Implications for
Healthy Marriages.” In Peters and Dush, Chapter 11.
Metz, Tamara. 2009. “The Future of Marriage and the State: A Proposal.” In Peters and Dush,
Chapter 13.
No paper due. Concentrate on your proposal. Please do the readings!!!
Week 16: Student Presentations
FINAL COURSE PAPER DUE by 12:00 (Noon), May 2, 2014!!!
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