Contact Information

Instructor: Dr. Christine Monnier
Office: IC 3005a
Office hours: Before and After class Saturdays and Sundays
Phone: (630) 942 2438
Fax (home): (630) 778 6820
Fax (College): (630) 942 3490
Email 1: Monnier@cdnet.cod.edu
Email 2: c.monnier2@att.net

Meeting Days: Saturdays and Sundays (5 weekends)
Times: Saturdays - 9:00AM - 6:00PM, Sundays - 1:00 - 6:00PM
Room: OCC 101
Dates: 06/17/2002 (orientation) to 08/23/2002
5 credit hours

Course Description: A cross-societal focus on sex roles, dating, mate selection and sexuality. Traditional and emerging marriage, family and child-rearing patterns are explored from a multinational perspective. Marital dynamics, including expressiveness, marital power, conflict, family violence, divorce and the later years of marriage are featured. (5 lecture hours)

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Course Objectives

The main point of this course will be to dispel the most common myths about the family and family life. We may think we know a great deal about the family; after all, we all have one. We will see that many of the commonsense ideas we have about the family are erroneous and misleading. To achieve this general objective, we will examine the following aspects of sexuality, marriages and families:

• We will first examine recent trends in marriages and family life, in terms of its increasing diversity. We will also take a look back in history to identify what family life was really like in different era rather than relying on the commonplace nostalgia, “things were better in the good old days”.

• After reviewing the main theories and research methodologies in marriages and family studies, we will examine the social aspects of gender-identity construction. We may think of our sex or gender as an exclusively biological matter, this is not the case. Much of our gender identity and the gender roles we play are shaped and influenced by our culture and social-structural constraints. Conversely, our gender identity shapes our structure of opportunities and how we interpret our different experiences. Gender is a central aspect of our relationships.

• We will then examine the different aspects of relationships: love, mate selection and dating, sexuality, nonmarital lifestyles, marriage, reproduction and parenting. We may think that such topics as love, sexuality and reproduction are personal matters, we will see that a sociological analysis is essential to understand the structural logic of these phenomena. There is an integral connection between our personal experiences and the social structure of love, sexuality, etc.

• Following this line of argument, we will analyze how the changes in the economy and the social structure of work have affected family structure and family life.

• And finally, we will examine the negative aspects of family life: violence and abuse. We will also sociologically the process of uncoupling and divorce, as well as the trends in remarriage and their impact on family life.

• The overall objective of this course will be to show you that not all problems of society can be blamed on a supposed family breakdown and alleged loss of family values. A sociological understanding of the intricacies of family and social structure helps us understand that some of the trends in family life are here to stay, others could be remedied through sensible social policies.

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Text

The Sociology Course will use the following texts:

Lamanna, Mary Ann & Riedmann, Agnes (2000), Marriages & Families. Making Choices in a Diverse Society, 7th Edition, Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Demmitt, Kevin (1999), Marriage & Family, An Introduction Using ExplorIt, Wadsworth Publishing Company.

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Course Assignments

You will be graded on several types of assignments (which can be modified at the discretion of the instructor) :

1. Attendance and Participation in different class activities. 10%

2. Review sheets based on your reading of assigned chapters in the Lamanna/Riedmann textbook. 30%

3. Exercises in the Demmitt workbook. 30%

4. Film Project (Sociology component). 15%

5. Essays. 15%

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As you can see, you will be graded on 100%, your final grade for this class will consist in the following :

90 - 100% = A
80 - 89% = B
70 - 79% = C
60 - 69% = D
Below 60%

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Academic Honesty : Plagiarism includes not only copying directly from another source without acknowledging the source, but also rewriting the material in your own words without acknowledging that you have done that. If the idea belongs to another, do not pass it off as your own. Plagiarism is grounds for failure and can become part of your academic record, affecting your chances for success in your career.

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Copyright © 2001 College of DuPage
Department of Sociology, Liberal Arts Division, IC 3098 (630) 942 2047
monnier@cdnet.cod.edu
Updated 06 June 2001
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