Course Syllabus
Athabasca University
Sociology (SOCI) 316
Sociology of Families (Revision 3)
Revision 3 closed, replaced by current version.
View previous syllabus
Delivery mode: Individualized study or grouped study.
Credits: 3 - Social Science
Prerequisite: SOCI 287 or SOCI 288 or introductory sociology.
Precluded course: None
Centre: Centre for Global and Social Analysis
SOCI 316 has a Challenge for Credit option.
Course website
Overview
SOCI 316 introduces sociological theories about, and research on, families, with an emphasis on the situation of families in Canada. Students are also expected to have university-level analytical and writing skills.
Outline
Section 1: Beginnings
Unit 1: Definitions, Gender, and Social Contexts
Unit 2: Theoretical Perspectives on the Family
Unit 3: Gender, Social Class, and Families
Unit 4: Single, Alone, and Cohabiting
Unit 5: Relationships and Intimacy
Section 2: Maintaining Relationships
Unit 6: Making a Commitment
Unit 7: Marriage Relations
Unit 8: Parenting
Unit 9: Socialization
Unit 10: Communication, Conflict, and Crises
Section 3: Stressors and Endings
Unit 11: Managing Family, Finances, and Work
Unit 12: Divorce
Unit 13: Remarriage and Step-Parenting
Unit 14: Abuse and Violence in Families
Unit 15: Family Policies and the Future of Families
Evaluation
To receive credit for SOCI 316, students must achieve a course composite grade of at least "D" (50 percent) and a grade of at least 60 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| Quiz 1 | Quiz 2 | Quiz 3 | Quiz 4 | Essay | Final Exam | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 20% | 35% | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
Course Materials
Textbooks
Coltrane, Scott. 2000. Gender and Families. Walnut Creek, CA: Rowman and Littlefield.
Luxton, Meg. 1980. More than a Labour of Love: Three Generations of Women's Work in the Home. Toronto: Women's Press.
Riedmann, Agnes, Mary Ann Lamanna, and Adie Nelson. 2003. Marriages and Families. First Canadian Edition. Scarborough, ON: Thomson Nelson.
Other Material
The course materials also include a student manual and a study guide.
