Middlesex Community College

Course Syllabus

 

 

Course Title:   Sociology 210:  The Family

 

Semester:   Spring 2007 Online  

 

Instructor:   Professor Patricia J. Sawyer

 

Credit Hours:   3

 

Department:   Social Science

 

Course No:   1287

 

Course Prerequisite:   English 101 Placement

 

Course Location:   Distance Learning – Online  

 

Meeting Time (days/hours):   Distance Learning 24/7.  Since this is a distance learning course, you are required to log on a minimum of three days weekly at your convenience to complete assignments and participate in the discussion board.

 

Scope of Course:   An examination of the evolution of contemporary relationships such as dating, cohabitation and marriage.

The implications of changes in relationships and their effect on the individual, family and society will be analyzed.

 

Textbook:    

Marriages, Families, and Intimate Relationships: A Practical Introduction,  Williams, Brian, Sawyer, Stacey & Wahlstrom, Carl; Copyright: 2006, Allyn & Bacon Publishers.  ISBN: 0-205-36674-0

 

Office Hours:  

 

Monday  OSHS Extension      5:00pm – 6:00pm

and by Appointment  

 

Office Telephone:   (860) 343-5813  

 

Email:   psawyer@mxcc.commnet.edu        

There is internal email built into the course.  Please use that email. Use the above email address in an emergency only.

 

Attendance Policy:   You are required to log on a minimum of three days weekly and perform tasks and assignments according to the syllabus.  Each late assignment will lose one letter grade for each day the assignment is late beginning on the first day after the deadline.

Credit will not be given for late postings.  All Discussion Board postings must be completed by Saturday 3:00pm.

 

Class Cancellation Policy:   Non Applicable

 

Evaluation (term paper, discussion board, mid-term and final exam and percentages towards final grade):

 

 

1.  Two Examinations                                     50%

Mid-Term Examination – Ch’s 1 – 7 Due: Friday, March 9, 2007 6:00pm  (25%)

Final Examination – Ch’s 8 – 15 Due:  Friday, May 11, 2007  6:00pm    (25%)

Examinations will be essay questions which will be posted on the discussion board one week prior to due dates.

 

2.  Research Paper                                             20%

You are to write a 10 page double spaced research paper on a topic related to Sociology.  You are to use a minimum of four references.  Only two can be the internet unless they are online textbooks and journals.  Your sources cannot be older than 10 years.  Included in your research paper must be a bibliography and footnote page (use MLA or APA format).  Research papers without documentation will not be accepted.  Use correct grammar, punctuation and full sentences.  Put your best effort into it as this counts for a good part of your final grade. 

Your research paper is Due: Friday, March 30, 2007  6:00pm.

 

3.  Weekly Discussion Board Participation                30%

In order to receive full credit for the discussion board, you must log on a minimum of three days weekly and respond to the current question as well as interact with your classmates.  You must respond to at least three other postings in order to receive full credit.  You will be graded on how completely you answer the assigned discussion question and by the quality of responses to the other postings.  Your use of critical thinking skills, conducting research on the discussion board question and applying knowledge from your readings will be assessed.  No credit will be given should you log on after one week.  You will have one week to conduct research and post. The discussion board closes at 3:00pm each Saturday.  No postings will be accepted after 3:00pm.

 

Course Objectives:  Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

 

  1. Gain an understanding of the social nature of the individual.

 

  1. Gain an understanding of family systems theory, family dynamics, violence

and power in relationships.

 

  1. Gain an understanding of alternative lifestyles

 

4.   Gain an understanding of the sociological and psychological principles

      relating to marriage, family and intimate relationships.

 

  1. Gain an understanding of the process and consequences of separation

and divorce.

 

  1. To gain an understanding of the importance of human diversity in 

 topics related to the family.

 

 

Learning Outcomes:  Upon completion of each chapter the students’ performance will be satisfactory when they are able to:

 

Chapter One:             Seeking

  • Understand how to see happiness through love and intimacy
  • Define intimacy, marriage and family
  • Understand the challenges to relationships and families today
  • Be familiar with the changes in the family that involve race, ethnicity,

demographic characteristics, and different family roles

 

Chapter Two:             Understanding

  • Gain an understanding of the history of marriage
  • Learning how to be open-minded
  • Understand research and how it is conducted and evaluated
  • Understand the theoretical perspectives on the family
  • Be familiar with the changes in the family that involve race, ethnicity,

demographic characteristics, and different family roles

 

Chapter Three:          Gender

  • Distinguish between sex and gender and to define gender roles
  • Understand how gender roles differ
  • Understand how we learn about gender roles
  • Familiar with gender and sexual orientation

 

Chapter Four:             Love

  • Understand the definition of love
  • Understand the origins of love and the theories of love
  • Understand the concepts of jealousy, unrequited love and attempts to control

 

Chapter Five:             Involvement

  • Gain an understanding of the dating game
  • How to choose a partner
  • Understand the concept of cohabitation
  • Understand why couples break up

 

Chapter Six:               Sexuality

  • Understand sexual values, learning and scripts
  • Understand the varieties of sexual experience
  • Understand how AIDS and other sexual diseases
  • Understand how to practice safe sex

 

Chapter Seven:          Marriage

  • Be able to understand why people get married
  • Understand diversity and how bi-racial couples are accepted
  • Understand the changes in the family life cycle
  • Understand different kinds of marriage relationships
  • Understand what makes for a successful marriage

 

Chapter Eight:            Variations

  • Understand the single way of life
  • Understand the gay and lesbian way of life
  • Understand communal living, group marriage & open marriage

 

Chapter Nine:            Communication

  • Understand power and intimacy and the effects of unequal power
  • Understand conflict and how to handle conflict
  • Understand the nature of communication

 

Chapter Ten:              Reproduction

  • Understanding the impact of parenthood
  • Understand the different methods of contraception
  • Understand infertility, reproductive technology and adoption

 

Chapter Eleven:         Parenting

  • Understand what it means to become a parent
  • Understand parenting styles
  • Understand the characteristics of the parent-child relationship

 

Chapter Twelve:        Work

  • Understand the unequal distribution of income that affects the family today
  • Understand the changing family work patterns
  • Understand how to balance work and family
  • Understand the dynamics of discrimination in the workplace, including the mommy

track, the daddy penalty, the gender gap in wages and sexual harassment

 

Chapter Thirteen:      Crises

  • Understand what constitutes a crises
  • Understand stress and disasters their impact on the family
  • Understand violence and abuse
  • Understand coping strategies and develop successful ways of handling stress

 

Chapter Fourteen:     Uncoupling

  • Understand the concept of separation and divorce
  • Understand why people divorce
  • Understand the process of divorce
  • Understand the effects of divorce

 

Chapter Fifteen:         Remarriage

  • Understand how to return to the single life and dating
  • Understand remarriage and the blended family
  • Understand what it is like being a stepmother, stepfather and stepchild
  • Understand how to become a successful stepfamily

 

 

Competence/Assessment

 

Competence will be demonstrated in each chapter:

  • By critiquing weekly assigned readings
  • By written examinations
  • By research paper
  • By weekly discussion board

 

 

ADA Accommodation Statement:

“Students with physical or learning disabilities who may require accommodations are

encouraged to contact the counseling office.  After disclosing the nature of the disability,

students are urged to discuss their needs with individual instructors.  This should be

done at the beginning of each semester.  Instructors, in conjunction with appropriate

college officials, will provide assistance and/or accommodations to those students who

have completed this process.”

 

Academic Ethics and Classroom Behavior:

“At Middlesex Community College we expect the highest standards of academic honesty. 

Academic dishonesty is prohibited in accordance with the Board of Trustees’ Proscribed

Conduct Policy in Section 5.2.1 of the Board of Trustees’ Policy Manual.  This policy

prohibits cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration on assignments,

unauthorized access to examinations or course materials, plagiarism, and other

proscribed activities.  Plagiarism is defined as the use of another’s idea(s) or phrase(s)

and representing that/those idea(s) as your own, either intentionally or unintentionally.”

“(Board of Trustees’ Policy 5.2.1)

 

 

The Family 210

Class Schedule

Spring 2007

 

Week 1           Seeking                                                           Chapter 1

1/22

 

Week 2           Understanding                                                Chapter 2

1/28                

 

Week 3           Gender                                                            Chapter 3

2/4                  

 

Week 4           Love                                                                Chapter 4

2/11

 

Week 5           Involvement                                                   Chapter 5

2/18

 

Week 6           Sexuality                                                         Chapter 6

2/25

 

Week 7           Marriage                                                        Chapter 7

3/4                   MID-TERM EXAM DUE, FRIDAY MARCH 9, 2007  6:00PM

 

Week 8           Variations                                                       Chapter 8

3/11

 

3/18 – 3/24/07  Spring Break – No Class

           

Week 9           Communication                                              Chapter 9

3/25                 RESEARCH PAPER DUE, FRIDAY 3/30/07 6:00PM      

 

Week 10         Reproduction                                                  Chapter 10

4/1                   Parenting                                                        Chapter 11

 

Week 11         Work                                                               Chapter 12

4/8                  

 

Week 12         Crises                                                             Chapter 13

4/15                

 

Week 13         Uncoupling                                                      Chapter 14

4/22                

 

Week 14         Remarriage                                                    Chapter 15

4/29

 

Week 15         FINAL EXAMINATION DUE, FRIDAY 5/11/07  6:00PM

5/6