SOC 120 - Marriage & Family

1. Apply relevant concepts, the (social) psychological perspective, and the sociological imagination to intimate relationships, the family, and related problems
   1. Define (social) psychological perspective and the sociological imagination
   2. Explain intimate relationships and the family in terms of social psychological and sociological theories, including symbolic inter­actionism, functionalism, and conflict theory
   3. Analyze the myths that influence ideas and ideals of families and relationships
   4. Illustrate specific aspects of intimate relationships and families from a variety of sources, including experience
   5. Analyze one’s own family relationships using sociological con­cepts
2. Explain the choices in Marriage and the Family
   1. Describe some of the basic choices most individuals make regard­ing relation­ships and lifestyles
   2. Discuss the characteristics of marriage in the United States
   3. Distinguish between the various types of marriage and family systems
   4. Discuss the definition of family and how the legal definition of family is changing
   5. Discuss the different approaches (perspectives) and major func­tions of the family
   6. Discuss the family life cycle perspective and the major transi­tions that may occur over a person’s lifespan
   7. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance and weaknesses of research in mar­riage and the family
3. Identify Love Relationships
   1. Identify the elements of love
   2. Describe the social, psychological, physical, and cognitive condi­tions of love
   3. Discuss the triangular theory of love
   4. Distinguish between the different types of love
   5. Identify some similarities and basic differences between love and sex.
   6. Explain that self-love (self-respect) is prerequisite to a loving relationship
   7. Discuss misconceptions of love
   8. Describe Reiss’s wheel theory of love
   9. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of friendship love in intimate rela­tion­ships and its relationship to liking
4. Analyze Gender Roles
   1. Distinguish among the terms sex, gender, gender identity and gender role
   2. Describe the roles that chromosomes and hormones play in determining biologi­cal sex
   3. Explain the origins of traditional gender roles in terms of patri­ar­chy
   4. Compare theories of gender role acquisition
   5. Describe how various agents of socialization influence gender role behavior, attitudes and self-concept, including codepen­dency
   6. Outline the positive and negative consequences of male and female role social­ization
   7. Describe masculine-feminine stereotypes and the problems that such stereotypes create
   8. Discuss gender role influences in interpersonal relationships between men and women
   9. Discuss gender roles in the family, including the shift away from patriarchal roles toward equalitarian roles
5. Investigate Sexual Values and Sexual Behaviors in Relationships
   1. Describe how individuals may explore and clarify their own sexual values
   2. Distinguish between a liberal and a conservative view of sexuali­ty
   3. Explain gender and racial differences in sexual behavior.
   4. Discuss various forms of sexual expression in a relationship
   5. Describe the characteristics of STD’s
   6. Describe some ways that couples can improve sexual communica­tion in their relationship
   7. Discuss the sexual response cycle
   8. Discuss several prerequisites to sexual fulfillment
   9. Discuss the causes and treatment of male and female sexual dysfunctions
6. Review Lifestyle Alternatives
   1. Note the differences between traditional and egalitarian marriag­es
   2. Identify reasons why people get married, including both healthy and unhealthy ones
   3. Describe categories of singles and their relative percentages in our population
   4. Compare single with marrieds in relation to social life
   5. Sort out myths and realities of singles
   6. Outline the advantages and disadvantages of the various lifestyle alternatives
   7. Define living together and the major categories
   8. Identify the characteristics of cohabitants
   9. Discuss how cohabitants go about deciding to live together
   10. Discuss the types of problems cohabitants report
   11. Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of living together
7. Analyze Dating and Mate Selection
   1. Describe the contemporary functions of dating
   2. Discuss the theories of mate selection
   3. Outline the steps in breaking up with a partner
   4. Discuss the issues to consider in timing your commitment to marriage
   5. Discuss the implications of the engagement period
   6. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of writing a premari­tal agreement
   7. Describe trends in dating and mate selection
   8. Discuss interracial and interfaith marriages in the United States
   9. Discuss the problem of finding and meeting dates
   10. Demonstrate an understanding of some of the major problems in dating
8. Differentiate between types of Marriage Relationships
   1. Discuss how weddings and honeymoons serve as rites of passage
   2. Describe the changes people experience when they get married
   3. Discuss myths of marriage
   4. Discuss interreligious, interracial, cross-cultural, and age-dis­crep­ant marriages
   5. Describe the different types of marital relationships classified by Cuber and Haroff
   6. List characteristics of “very happy” marriage relationships
   7. Describe various ways that researchers measure marital happi­ness
   8. Discuss marriage as a civil and legal contract marriage
   9. Discuss the need to prepare for marriage and the roles of educa­tion, premarital assessment, and counseling
9. Investigate Two Income Relationships and Power
   1. Discuss the relationships of the family to the economic system and to work
   2. Identify the various meanings of money
   3. Describe how money is used as power in relationships
   4. Discuss why wives are more likely to have jobs
   5. Demonstrate an understanding of the basic facts about money and the family
   6. Summarize the basic reasons why people go in debt
   7. Describe the efficient and workable money management system
   8. Describe the consequences of having two incomes in marriage
   9. Discuss the trends of married women in the labor force
   10. Describe reasons for budgeting
10. Analyze power in relationships and in the family
    1. Define power
    2. Outline the different units of family power
    3. Explain why people want power
    4. Discuss at least two theories of family power
    5. Discuss decision-making power in the family.
    6. Discuss the outcome and effects of different types of power tactics on individu­als and on marital satisfaction
    7. Explain ways to move away from power dominance towards equal power in families
11. Explain Communication and Conflict Resolution in Relationships
    1. Discuss the elements of effective communication
    2. Distinguish between content and process in communication
    3. Identify the differences between women and men in their com­muni­cation patterns
    4. Describe theories of marital communication
    5. Identify source of conflict in marriage
    6. Compare styles of conflict
    7. Outline the stages of resolving an interpersonal conflict
    8. Compare productive and nonproductive communication
    9. Compare the various styles of marriage therapy (cognitive, transactional analysis, and Adlerian) between directive and nondirective therapy.
    10. Identify the major barriers to communication
    11. Identify the extent, causes, and consequences of abuse in dating, cohabitation, and marital relationships
    12. Suggest several reasons why some men and women stay in abu­sive relation­ships
    13. Discuss the extent, causes, and the prevention of child abuse
12. Review Planning Children, Having Children, and Rearing Children
    1. Describe the social influences that encourage people to have children
    2. Identify the benefits of family planning
    3. Identify the reasons people give for deciding to have children
    4. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of deciding to remain childfree
    5. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having one or two children
    6. Describe each of the methods of contraception and their relative advantages and disadvantages
    7. Discuss how to avoid sexually transmitted diseases
    8. Identify some of the causes of infertility.
    9. Discuss AID, AIH, artificial insemination via a surrogate moth­er, in-vitro fertilization, ovum transfer, and gamete intra­fallopian transfer
    10. Describe mechanisms for adopting a child
    11. Describe the Lamaze, Dick-Read, Bradley, and LeBoyer methods of childbirt
    12. Make a comparison of the adjustment of women and men to the birth of a child.
    13. Discuss the impact of having children on marital happiness and marital stability
    14. Discuss parenting styles
    15. Identify myths and realities of child rearing
    16. Discuss theoretical approaches to child rearing
    17. Identify techniques that may facilitate effective communication between parents and teenagers
13. Explain Family Crises and Transitions: Addiction, Codependency, Disability, Divorce, Widowhood, Remarriage, and Step-families
    1. Define family crisis, stressor, addiction, codependency
    2. Explain the course of a family crisis: stressors, stages, and an attitude of creative optimism
    3. Explain the problem of, and possible solution to, addiction and codependency
    4. Describe the problem of, and possible solution to, illness and disability in the family
    5. Identify societal and individual factors that contribute to di­vorce
    6. Trace the stages that characterize the movement of couples toward divorce
    7. Describe the characteristics of people who tend to get divorced and who tend to stay married
    8. Discuss the emotional, financial, and other consequences of divorce.
    9. Outline those factors which help individuals to adjust to a di­vorce
    10. Review the various studies of the effects of divorce on children
    11. Identify alternatives to divorce
    12. Identify the issues involved in taking care of widowed or elderly parents
    13. Identify some of the issues with which individuals who remarry are confronted
    14. Describe various aspects of remarriage
    15. Compare first and second marriages in terms of level of happi­ness
    16. Define stepfamilies or reconstituted families and note the differ­ent types of
    17. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of stepfamilies ste­pfamilies
14. Discuss the trends and future of the family
    1. Discuss how people have more choices in relation to family life and relation­ships
    2. Review how the options available and the choices made are influ­enced by our changing to a postindustrial society
    3. Discuss how the choices people make influence their relation­ships, their families, their community, and society
    4. Describe how families are becoming a less rigid and more flexi­ble institution with new choices and problems