Course Outline SOC 403 Dynamics of Marriage ... - Lourdes College

Course Outline
SOC 403 Dynamics of Marriage and Family
May 2011
Department: Sociology
Credit Hours: 3.0
Prerequisite: Soc101 or Psy101
General Education: L.O. 6.2--Cultural Awareness
College Learning Outcomes: Cultural Awareness 5a, 5b
I. Course Description: Explores marriage and the family from a psychosociological perspective
including cultural and historical family forms, the impact of social change on the family, and
families stratified by social class, ethnicity, race, and religion. Analyzes topics such as love,
attraction, sexuality, relationship styles, stability of marriage and the family, divorce, remarriage,
and reconstituted families.
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Purpose of the Course: To assist the student in developing an awareness of the processes involved
in human interaction. To this end, the course is designed to provide students with opportunities to
learn the basic social psychological elements of the family analytically and scientifically.
College Learning Outcomes and Objectives:
5a. Connect skills and knowledge from multiple sources and experiences in responding to issues or
situations and addressing contemporary problems.
5b. Apply theory to practice in responding to issues or situations and addressing contemporary problems in
academic and/or other real-world settings.
Program Learning Outcomes
Sociology Program Learning Outcomes (SOC PLO)
Students majoring in Sociology should study, review and demonstrate understanding of the
following:
1. Basic Sociological Concepts & Theory - Students will understand basic concepts in sociology
so that they will be able to
1a. Define, give examples, and demonstrate an understanding of sociological concepts and
theories.
1b. Demonstrate the ability to apply sociological concepts and theories
2. Basic Research Competence - Students will understand the role of evidence in sociology, such
that they will be able to
2a. identify basic methodological approaches and describe the general role of methods in
building sociological knowledge
2b. compare and contrast the basic methodological approaches for gathering data
3. Cultural and Global Diversity - Students will understand the diversity of American society and
its place in the international context such that they will be able to
3a. Describe the significance of variations by race, ethnicity, class, gender, age and sexual
orientation and other culturally relevant categories in human relations
3b. Describe the social factors and processes through which prejudice and discrimination are
created and perpetrated.
Criminal Justice Program Learning Outcomes (CJ PLO)

Criminal Justice majors should study, review and demonstrate understanding and skills in the following
areas:
1. Students will understand basic sociological concepts and theories and their relationship to the
institutions of social control
V. Course Objectives:
1. To gain a basic knowledge of social science definitions, levels of analyses, and theories of
marriage and family topics (CLO 6a; 7a,c, d) (CJ PLO 1; SOC PLO 1a, 1b).
2. To understand and be able to use various elemental social research methods in studying the
family (CLO 7a,b, c, d) (SOC PLO 2a, 2b, 2c).
3. To analyze the internal dynamics of the family, including topics of love, dating, marital power
and conflict, marital and extramarital sexual behavior, childrearing and parenthood, and relational
styles. (CLO 6a,b; 7a, b, c) (CJ PLO 1; SOC PLO 1a, 1b, 3a, 3b).
4. To be able to discuss the social psychological elements of cohabitation, age and marriage,
divorce, remarriage, reconstituted families, and families stratified by race, ethnicity and class
(CLO 6a,b; 7a, b, c) (CJ PLO 1; SOC PLO 1a, 1b, 3a, 3b).
5. To intensively investigate and critique additional readings in family diversity using the concepts
and theories presented in the course and text (CLO 6a, b; 7a, b, c) (SOC PLO 1a, 1b, 3a, 3b).
VI.
Topical Outline:
1. Introduction to discipline of family studies and theoretical perspectives
2. Research methods for studying the family: Qualitative and quantitative
3. Intimate relationships: Friendship, types of love, jealousy
4. Communication patters and conflict resolution
5. Factors affecting pairing and singlehood
6. Cohabitation
7. Sexual behavior in and out of marriage
8. Developmental stages of the family
9. Childbearing and parenting
10. Economic aspects of family: Both paid and unpaid work , poverty, class stratification of
families.
11. Family violence
12. Separation and Divorce
13. Single parent families, step families
14. Information about race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and changing gender roles will be
integrated into the above topics.
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