SOC 340, THE FAMILY: SPRING 2002
MONDAYS,
WEDNESDAYS, & FRIDAYS
CLASS TIME:
1:00 TO 1:50
Instructor: Shyamal Kumar Das, Faner
4421
Office hours: M, W, and F: 02:00 – 04:00
Phone: 453-5224
E-mail: skdas@siu.edu
Text Book: Coltrane, Scott, &
Randall Collins, Sociology of Marriage & the Family, Fifth Edition,
Wadsworth, 2001.
Course Objectives:
(1)
To
identify prevailing family patterns and changes that reflect ideologies in
societies.
(2)
To
apply sociological conceptual tools in identifying family patterns, changes,
and ideologies.
(3)
To
develop critical thinking about various aspects of these.
Exams and Paper:
Your
performance in the course will be graded through two major exams and one research
paper. Exams will be based on reading materials and class lectures. Your
research paper may address any issue that corresponds to our course materials.
I would encourage you to think critically to be “objective” to reach impartial
conclusions. For example, you may select an aspect of media images to examine
an issue or a concept that you explore from the course. In so doing, you need
to explore hidden messages in your analysis.
Before
you start writing your brief outline of the paper, you need to talk to me. If
you submit your outline/paper without consulting me, and you get a worse grade,
I would not allow you rewrite the outline/paper. It is, therefore, your
responsibility to know clearly what my requirements are for outline/paper and
other things related to your paper. I expect the reflection of some sort of
sincerity in your paper. Remember that your research paper may be a challenging
piece of work, if you really want to make it “something”.
Reading Materials:
Preparation for the Classes and Exams:
I
would suggest that you read the assigned reading material prior to attending
the class. This will help you understand lecture effectively. If you do not
want to read the materials prior to the class meeting, you should spare
sometime to read them on the same day after the class meeting to double check
whether you understand the issues addressed in the class. If there is any
problem regarding this, please feel free to stop by my office. I would try to
help you.
You
will need to review any two of your reading materials (e.g. chapters/ articles)
as a partial requirement of the course. I shall distribute the review chapters
to each student. Your review article should be a critical analysis of authors’
views expressed in the chapter.
Points and Grades:
The
distribution of points is as follows:
Two
exams: 100 X 2 = 200
Outline
of research paper = 50
Research
paper = 100
Two
reviews of reading material = 25 X 2 = 50
Your
grade is based on the percentage that you earn of the 400 points possible in
the course, using 10% intervals. Lower cutoffs for grades on 100 point
assignments and in the course are as follows:
Minimum points Needed
Grade 100 pt. ass. Course
A
90
360
B
80
320
C
70
280
D 60 240
F
<60 <240
Deadlines:
Please
maintain the deadlines in submitting your outline/paper/reviews etc. In cases
of outline and reviews, five points will be taken off for each class meeting
past the deadline. For research paper, ten points will be taken off for each
class meeting past the deadline.
Extra Credit:
You
may earn up to 25- points extra credit. Ten points will come from your
attendance in the class. The rest fifteen points may come from surprise tests
and/or other forms of quiz/assignments. The surprise tests will be scheduled to
encourage you to study your reading materials on a regular basis.
Class Schedule:
January
16 – 18: Chapter 1: Sociological Theories
January
23: Chapter 2: Family as a property system.
January
25 – 30: Chapter 3: Gender Inequality: Some Theoretical Reflections.
Outline
of Research Paper due on January 30.
Feb
1 - 4: Chapter 4: History of the Family.
Feb
6 - 8: Chapter 5: Family Trends.
Feb
11 – 15: Chapter 6: Families and Work.
Feb
18 – 20: Chapter 7: Race & Ethnicity.
Feb
22 – 27: Chapter 8: Love, Cohabitation and Marriage.
Review1
due on Feb 27.
March
1 & 6: Chapter 9: Erotic Ties: Marital & Non-Marital Sex.
Midterm
Exam: March 4: Chapter 1 through 8.
March
8 - 20: Chapter 10: Contraception and Reproducing.
March
22 – 29: Chapter 11: Domestic Power.
April
1 – 8: Chapter 12: Raising Children: Fatherhood, Motherhood etc.
April
10 – 15: Chapter 13: Family Violence.
Research
Paper due on April 15.
April
17- 24: Chapter 14: Family Change.
April
26 – May 1: Chapter 15: Life Course Transition.
Review
2 due on May 1.
May
3: Chapter 16: Social Policy.
Final
Exam: May 10: Chapter 9 through 16