Undergraduate Programs
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HDFS 220 COMPARATIVE FAMILY ORG
same as ANTH 210
Course Objectives
This course provides you with an opportunity to learn how history has shaped the diversity that can be found in the lives of contemporary American families. We will explore this diversity by applying a cross-cultural perspective. Cultural and historical examples will be included throughout the semester to enhance your understanding. This course will reveal general trends and unique variations in family structures and processes by examining both the diversity of family life in the United States and around the world. In addition, this course provides a broad picture of family organization, examining how social forces have influenced family organization throughout history.
After completing this class, you will be able to:
- Develop a comparative analysis of family life, both in the United States and around the world, utilizing appropriate theoretical frameworks and concepts.
- Identify general trends and unique variations in family structures and processes in the United States and around the world.
- Provide a critique of how social, political and economic systems shape the family organization and change family life.
- Evaluate the importance of understanding families that are different from your own.
Topics
- Historical Perspectives
- Effects of Industrialization
- Family Variations
- Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Formation
- Deciding (or not) to Have Children
- Parents and Children
- Motherhood and Fatherhood
- Relationship Dissolution & Reformulation
- Gender, Work & Family
- Poverty & Wealth
- Interpersonal Violence
- Aging
Graded Activities
- Paper
- Exams (3)