Winter Quarter, 2009, What Are Families For?
Faculty: Stephanie Coontz, x 6703; 2104 C Seminar II; coontzs@msn.com
Resource Librarian: Sarah Pedersen, x 6647
Library URL: http://www2.evergreen.edu/pederses/what-are-families-for
Check this frequently for sources for your interest groups and extra resources for class.
The library page will have all the interest group’s members’ names and projects, and each
interest group will periodically be updated with sources I have found that I think will be
of interest to people in the group
Schedule:
* Monday
10-3 – Book Seminar and lectures, with lunch break, Seminar II, D2109
* Tuesday:
10-noon – Ethnographic seminar, Seminar II, C2109
1-4 – Presentations of interest group readings and projects, Seminar II, B3105
* Wednesday or Thursday: field work sites
* Friday:
10-1 – book seminars, C2109
Required books for Winter: Finnegan, Cold New World; Rosenfeld, The Age of Independence;
Arnett, Emerging Adulthood, Lareau, Unequal Childhoods; Coontz, American Families;
Ferguson, Bad Boys; Marcus, What It Takes to Pull Me Through; Risman, Gender Vertigo;
Kimmel, Guyland; Katz and Stern, One Nation Divisible; plus all books from last quarter
and EITHER Bogle, Hooking Up, Carpenter, Virginity Lost or Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters
I. Week One: January 5-9
Monday:
10-12:30 – Seminar on Finnegan, Cold New World: Everyone reads introduction and epilogue;
pre-assigned groups read one of case studies and report on it to the rest of the class. Group 1,
New Haven, pp. 1-92. Group 2, Deep East Texas, pp. 96-208. Group 3, Yakima Valley, 211-68.
Group 4, Antelope Valley, pp. 272-340. Students in groups 1, reread Sugrue article in American
Families. In group 2, reread Kay Hymowitz, “The Teen Mommy Track” In group 3, reread Raley
article in American Families.. Group 4, reread Rubin article in American Families..
Students in each group will also do a fishbowl seminar on their reading
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1:30-3 – continuation of morning activities
Tuesday: Conferences; reading time; initial search of resources for interest group topics. By 4
pm, please turn in a statement of the question or topic you are investigating.
Friday: 10-1 – Seminar on Rosenfeld, The Age of Independence (entire book).
II. Week Two: January 12-16
Monday:
10-12:30 – Seminar on Lareau, Unequal Childhoods, pp. 1-160 and “Windfall Childrearing,”
American Families, pp. 366-375.
1:30-3 – Seminar on ethnographies we read last quarter plus Lareau, pp. 259-74
Tuesday:
10-noon: ethnographic workshop
1-4. Interest group session and report back to group; turn in a list of sources you have identified
so far for your topic.
Friday, 10-1
Seminar on Lareau, pp. 163-257, 275-78
III. Week Three: January 19-23
Monday, January 19 is a holiday: note different schedule for Tuesday
Tuesday:
10—12:30 – Seminar on Ferguson, Bad Boys, pp. 1-96, plus review Thorne, Gender Play, pp.
167-169.
1-4 -- Small groups or individuals research individual projects and students come in for
individual consults with me on these
Friday: 10-1 – Seminar on Bad Boys, pp. 97-194 plus Kimmel, “A War Against Boys?”
American Families, pp. 387-92
4 pm: Progress Report Due on Individual Projects: Turn in a typed description of the topic you
are working on, a list of sources you have read and the ones you plan to read, and a short essay
(1-2 pages) on what’s you’ve found so far and think that you may be arguing or focusing on.
IV. Week Four: January 26-30
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Monday
10-noon – Lecture on changing American families -- Stephanie
1-3 -- Seminar on Arnett, Emerging Adulthood, pp. TBA
Tuesday:
10 – Noon – ethnographic workshop
1-4 – small groups presentations to class on what you have learned about your individual topics
Friday: 10-1 – Seminar on One Nation Divisible, pp. 63-101, 121-25, 126-170
V. Week Five: February 2-6
Monday at 10 am: Turn in a thesis statement and 4-5 point full-sentence outline for a paper due
on Friday along with a list of at least 5 examples, figures, or anecdotes from our readings that
you will use to illustrate your points. The paper should address the main challenges facing youth
today in making a successful transition to adulthood and will require you to think through how
these challenges differ for males and females and vary according to race and/or class.
Alternatively, you can address the challenges facing parents in raising children to make a
successful transition to adulthood. Again, distinguish between the issues involved in raising boys
and girls and pay attention to differences by race and class. Be sure you develop a thesis that
takes into account early experiences at school and at home, so that you can integrate the Lareau
and Ferguson readings. This paper should also integrate material from last quarter. Bring four
copies of your thesis, outline and examples. NOTE THAT I HAVE MOVED THE BOOK
SEMINAR TO TUESDAY. YOU WILL NEED TO GET AHEAD ON THE READING OVER
THE WEEKEND BUT I HOPE THIS CHANGE WILL ALSO GIVE YOU TIME TO REALLY
MAE A GOOD START ON YOUR PAPER. IF YOU GET A GOOD ENOUGH START,
BRING ALONG A COPY OF YOUR INTRODUCTION TO CLASS AS WELL AS THE
OTHER THINGS.
10--noon: Ethnographic seminar
Afternoon free to review reading for tomorrow
Tuesday
10-noon -- Seminar on Marcus, What It Takes to Get Me Through, pp. ix-135 and review Hine,
Rise and Fall of the American Teenager, pp.. 138-157, 249 to top of p. 270, and 274-304
1-4 - work in small groups or singly on your projects; meet at 3 to report back
Friday: Seminar on Marcus, pp. 136-317
VI. Week Six: February 9-13
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Monday
Paper Due at 10 AM. Be sure to integrate the most recent readings in your draft. THIS SHOULD
BE YOUR 2ND OR 3RD DRAFT, NOT YOUR FIRST.
10-noon – Ethnographic Seminar
1-3 – “Wrestling with Manhood”
Tuesday: Individual appts with Stephanie re progress in class, projects, etc.
Friday, 10-1 – Seminar on Guyland; papers returned with comments
VII. Week Seven: February 16-20
Monday, February 16 is a holiday: note different schedule this week. It would be a mistake to
take a three-day weekend without working on the revision of your paper and getting ahead on
reading.
Tuesday: 10- 1 - Seminar in small groups on Bogle, Hooking Up, Carpenter, Virginity Lost or
Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters and plan your report to the rest of the class on Monday. We
will want to know the main arguments of the book, what sorts of misconceptions the author
wants to clear up, the most important information the book presents, and how the findings
advance our understanding of families, youth, gender, and sexuality.
2-4 -- “Juno”
Friday: 10-1— Bring in a typed letter to me explaining how you plan to reorganize and expand
your paper and take account of the comments, suggestions, and criticisms I made of the early
draft.
Reports on Bogle, Hooking Up, Carpenter, Virginity Lost and Perfect girls, Starving Daughters
.
VIII. Week Eight: February 23-27
Monday: 10-noon – Seminar on changing role of women in families and economy. Read
American Families, pp. 379-86 and 454-464, and Risman, Gender Vertigo, pp. 1-44.
Review One Nation Divisible, pp. 76-86
Tuesday: 10 –Noon -- ethnography workshop
1-4 -- 5 minute project presentations to class. This will also serve as a speaking workshop.
Friday: 10-1 – Review seminar for final
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Paper due at 5 pm on Friday: You will turn in a revised and expanded paper on the main
challenges facing youth today in making a successful transition to adulthood. In addition to
addressing my feedback on the original paper, you should add a new section that talks about the
issues involved in sustaining successful intimate heterosexual relationships today. If you wish to
also discuss how these challenges differ or are similar for gay men and lesbians, that would be
welcome.
IX. Week Nine: March 2-6
Monday: 10-noon - Seminar on Risman, Gender Vertigo, pp. 45-162 and Kay Hymotiz, “The
End of Herstory” (on reserve)
1:00-3 – film: “Tying the Knot.” Discuss film plus article on gay and lesbian families in
American Families, pp. 394-99
Tuesday: 10-noon – ethnography workshop
1-4 – review sessions for final. Stephanie will be in her office to answer questions.
Friday: Final Exam: Tape this notice to your desk when you are studying for it: USE SPECIFIC
EXAMPLES, FIGURES AND INCIDENTS FROM THE FULL RANGE OF READINGS!
WHEN APPROPRIATE, REFER TO CONCEPTS OR THEORIES OF SPECIFIC AUTHORS!
X. Week Ten: March 9-13
SYMPOSIUM ON CONTEMPORARY YOUTH AND FAMILY ISSUES: 15 minutepresentations in room TBA, Monday, 1-3; Tuesday, 10-noon and 1-4.
Monday at 10 am: Turn in your lecture, or the paper on which your lecture is based, including
copies and urls of all internet sources used and an annotated bibliography of books and articles
consulted. All facts and quotes should be cited as end notes in the lecture or paper, although you
don’t need to refer to them in your oral presentation.
Monday and Tuesday: Student presentations, order and place TBA, followed by program potluck
on Tuesday
Friday: Turn in ethnographic journals and 3-5 page analytical essay on Friday morning.
XI. Evaluation Week: March 16-20
Do not plan to leave down before Thursday, March 19, as I cannot promise to schedule all
evaluation conferences at the beginning of the week.
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