PURPOSE OF THE COURSE: It is the aim of this course to gain an overall perspective on the changing nature of American family relationships over the lifespan. Through readings, presentations and writing assignments, students will gain an overview of the theories and research dealing with individual and family development - from courtship and the beginning of intimate relationships through to late life and widowhood.

We will view the family in the context of its social environment, its historical epoch, its specific familial organization, and the variety of individuals that constitute its membership. We will attempt to construct, as completely as possible, a developmental model of family life in the United States today.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Students will gain an overall perspective on the changing nature of American family relationships over the lifespan. Students will gain an overview of the theories and research dealing with individual and family development - from courtship and the beginning of intimate relationships through to late life and widowhood.

Several levels of interaction and change will be considered throughout the course from:

• the macrolevel of organization (i.e., historical change, institutional interaction and evolution, radical social change, political climate)
• the middle ecological level (i.e., intrafamilial interaction & development, development of social relationships)
• the microlevel of development (i.e., individual growth and development).

HOW TO STUDY FOR THIS COURSE: We aim for scholarship in this class. You should become familiar with the Reference section of Bierce Library. Selected references are provided below to serve, in conjunction with the website sections, as a starting place for you to begin your investigations. Student responsibilities for this class are easy to follow:

• Come to class every week without fail.

You've paid your money - now come see how you've spent it.
• Read your assignments prior to coming to class.

*This means you have found an appropriate journal article in the library, read it, summarized it, made copies of the summary for classmates, and are ready to discuss it.
*This also means you've read the week's assignment on the website and are ready to incorporate it into comments on your article selection.
• During class, listen to the lecture, take notes and ask questions as they occur to you.
• Turn in assignments on their due date.

• The first two class times will consist of lecture and discussion.
• The next five sessions will consist of an hour or so of lecture about the topic of the week, followed by discussion of your exploits at the library. During this time, students will exchange summaries for purposes of discussion.
• The eighth week will be spent in review in anticipation of your midterm examination (attached)
• The ninth through 13th weeks will consist of more lecture and reports on your findings.
• The last two sessions will consist of lecture and demonstration.

Each article will be summarized (a sample sheet is provided) for distribution to members of the class and instructor. Students should be prepared to answer questions about their article choice each week.

• There will be ten (10) article assignments (10 points each - see form attached below)

    throughout the semester for a total of 100 points.
• The Midterm and Final examinations are worth 100 points each and are attached to the bottom of this page
• Assignments are due on specific nights - No late assignments will be accepted

and you must be present to win (your 10 points).
• Did I mention that you must be present in class when you hand in assignments?

Can't hand them in and then take off - You gotta stay for the whole class.

Week 1 -Introduction and Diversity of Family Life - Resources in the Library
                (be sure to hit the "Back" Button to return to the syllabus from here!)

Week 2 - Theory and Research Overview - Gender Roles

Week 3 - Getting to Know Someone Else - Getting Involved - Falling in Love - Selecting a Partner

First Article Assignment: Your article should deal somehow with Falling in Love, Mate Selection, or Interpersonal Attraction Research or Theory! After my lecture, we will share your findings at the library.

Article: Here, you should find articles dealing with Marital Adjustment, the evolution of relationships after marriage, but prior to pregnancy and childrearing. You could even find articles dealing with relationships serving as alternatives to traditional marriage and family.

Week 6 - Human Sexuality within Marriage.

Article: Again, any article that treats human sexuality within marriage or long term relationships.

Article:

Week 9 - Midterm Due Tonight - Special Lecture: Doing Research with the Internet

Week 10 - Family Communication Article

Week 11 - Work and Home/Family Finances - Family Life Management Article

Week 12 - Family Lifescycle Relationships Article

Week 13 - Separation & Divorce - Remarriage & Stepfamilies Article

Week 14 - Marriage as a Struggle - Family Crises Article

Week 15 - Summary of the course / Question and Answer Night

Finals Week - Final Examination due at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday of finals week

Course Evaluations: Please take time to fill out the online evaluation for this course at
http://www.uakron.edu/hefe/evalform.htm

Expand the categories below to fit your critique. Be sure to comment on each category and try to fit your review on one (two maximum) pages. Make copies of the review only for everyone in the class and one for the instructor.

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Reference Information:

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Purpose of the Study:

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Sampling Comments:

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Measures:

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Findings/Results/Main Points:

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Conclusion:

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Your final draft of your midterm should be typed and double spaced. Each question should be answered concisely and thoroughly, using the lecture notes, and student report hand-outs.
Write your answer in a critical, reflective form, detailing what is known about the question, and what remains to be discovered. You should be able to answer each question satisfactorily in about 2-3 pages. If you get stuck, work out your problems with each other, and ask questions in class. Due dates are listed in the course outline.

1. How are families defined in American culture?
What's are the differences between the ways individuals define their family relationships
and the way researchers define family relationships?

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2. Describe the important changes that have occurred in American family life since 1900.
How could changes in the economy bring about changes in the ways men and women,
parents and children, boys and girls interact and relate to each other.

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3. What changes occur in new marriages during the first year together?
To what extent is there more variety of behavior and deviance from the normal today,
as compared to more traditional roles in marriage from earlier decades?

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4. Describe the relationship between an individual's sexual attitudes and a couple's sexual relationship in marriage (the main point). Is there a relationship between love, affection, and sexuality? Are there still gender differences where sexuality and love is concerned? What part does sexuality play in falling in love?

5. Why do American parents so adamantly reserve the right to spank their children?
Devise a realistic plan for new parents so that they might properly socialize their children without ever using corporal punishment. Include nonthreatening and inductive methods here.

6. How does parenthood change the lives of women versus men?
Are traditional gender roles continuing? What is taking their place? How do "environmental differences" (i.e., social class) effect the quality of childhood? What are some of the steps parents can take to guarantee positive outcomes from their children's? 

Your final draft of your final should be typed and double spaced. Each question should be answered concisely and thoroughly. Write your answer in a critical, reflective form, detailing what is known about the question, and what remains to be discovered. You should be able to answer each question satisfactorily in about 2-3 pages. If you get stuck, work out your problems with each other, and ask questions in class. Due dates are listed in the course outline.

1. Briefly describe the goal of communication in a close relationship. What are some common problems people find when attempting to communicate with their lovers. Are there gender differences that you can document between the communication behavior and expectations?

2. Chart a probable course for most families' finances over the life course. Include here a budget of normal expenses.
Why do you suppose so many people have money troubles as they get older? What are some recommendations with an eye on the future that you might give to newlyweds.

3. Thinking about Cuber and Haroff's Five Types of Marriage, what would you say is the "normal" type of family relationship that couple's have at Mid-life. Explain the "sag" in marital satisfaction that seems to occur until children are out of their teens.
What are some strategies for combating this depression?

4. Chart the divorce rate in the U.S. since about 1900. What are some of the explanations for the steady, long-term increase, and why has it seemed to have leveled off in the mid-1980s? Prioritize a list of the variables that change due to the "impact of divorce" on men, women, and children under 12 years of age (include a theoretical explanation for each item on your list).

5. Aside from divorce, there are a great many other stressors and crises that may occur in families over the lifespan.
Use a two by two table to chart the sources of stress and crisis both inside and outside the family over the lifespan.
Include solutions and preventive measures that might be taken for each item in your chart.

6. Second marriages, particularly those where one or both partners have been divorced, appear to be more unstable than first marriages. What are some of the most important explanations for this phenomenon? What advice would you give, in general, to someone contemplating marriage for the second time?

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Belsky, Jay; Youngblade, Lise; et al., (1991). Patterns of Marital Change and Parent-Child Interaction. JMF. 53:2, 487-498.

Brody, Gene H; Stoneman, Zolinda; McCoy, J Kelly, (1992). Associations of Maternal and Paternal Direct and Differential Behavior with Sibling Relationships: Contemporaneous and Longitudinal Analyses. Child Development 63: 1, 82-92.

Braver, Sanford H; Wolchik, Sharlene A; et al., (1991). Frequency of Visitation by Divorced Fathers. Am. J. of Orthopsychiatry. 61:3, 448-454.

Crnic, Keith A; Booth, Cathryn L. (1991). Mothers' and Fathers' Perceptions of Daily Hassles of Parenting Across Early Childhood. JMF 53:4, 1042-1050.

De Luccie, M. F, Davis, A. J., (1991). Father-Child Relationships from the Preschool Years Through Mid-Adolescence. J. of Genetic Psychology, 152:2, 225-238.

Dudley, James R., (1991). Increasing Our Understanding of Divorced Fathers Who Have Infrequent Contact with Their Children. Family Relations. 40:3, 279-285.

Fagot, Beverly I; Hagan, Richard, (1991). Observations of Parent Reactions to Sex-Stereotyped Behaviors: Age and Sex Effects. Child Development. 62:3, 617-628.

Fox, Nathan A; Kimmerly, Nancy L; Schafer, William D., (1991). Attachment to Mother/Attachment to Father: A Meta-Analysis. Child Development, 62:1, 210-225.

Greenberger, Ellen; O Neil, Robin, (1992). Maternal Employment and Perceptions of Young Children: Bronfenbrenner et al. Revisited. Child Development, 63: 2, 431-448.

Hawkins, Alan J; Eggebeen, David J. (1992). Are Fathers Fungible? Patterns of Coresident Adult Men in Maritally Disrupted Families and Young Children's Well-Being. JMF. 53: 4, 958-972.

Harris, Kathleen Mullan; Morgan, S Philip, (1991). Fathers, Sons, and Daughters: Differential Paternal Involvement in Parenting. JMF. 53:3, 531-544.

Hill, Martha S. (1992). The Role of Economic Resources and Remarriage in Financial Assistance for Children of Divorce. J. of Family Issues, 13:2, 158-178

Hutter, J. (1982). THE CHANGING FAMILY. New York: Jon Wiley.

Ishii-Kuntz, Masako, (1992). Are Japanese Families "Fatherless"?, Sociology & Social Research. 76: 3, 105-110.

Julian, Teresa W; McKenry, Patrick C; McKelvey, Mary W., (1991). Mediators of Relationship Stress Between Middle-Aged Fathers and Their Adolescent Children. J. of Genetic Psychology. 152:3, 381-386.

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Marsiglio, William, (1991). Paternal Engagement Activities with Minor Children. JMF, 53:4, 973-986.

McDevitt, Teresa M; Lennon, Randy; Kopriva, Rebecca J., (1991). Adolescents' Perceptions of Mothers' and Fathers' Prosocial Actions and Empathic Responses. Youth & Society. 22: 3, 387-409.

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