SOCY/WMST 353

Spring, 2001 -SS 103

Leslie A. Morgan, Ph.D.

Office: 333 B-Wing, Academic IV

Phone : 455-2074

E-Mail: lmorgan@umbc.edu

Office Hours : M 1:00-2:00, W 3:30-4:30, Th 6:00-7:00 Or by appointment

No Phone Calls at HomeBmy number is unlisted for a reason.

Purpose of the Course: This course is designed to acquaint students with current knowledge in the areas of the sociology of marriage and the family.  The course emphasizes marriage and the family as social institutions, forms and functions of the family, interpersonal attraction and couple formation, marriage and its alternative forms, parenthood, the family life cycle and the future of these institutions.  The course is not intended to prepare students to get married or become parents, but some of the information may be applied by students to those ends.

Requirements and Expectations:

1. Attendance - Attendance will not be formally taken.  Students are strongly recommended to attend regularly, since not all lecture material will be covered in assigned readings.  Students who must miss class for any reason are strongly encouraged to get the class notes.  Note: Long experiences shows that poor attendance is associated with poor grades.

2. Readings - Regular reading assignments in the text are given in this syllabus.  Students are responsible for covering readings to insure adequate performance on exams.  Not all readings will be discussed in lecture, so failure to read assigned material will probably result in poorer performance in the course.

3. Examinations - Three exams will be given in the course, dividing the time and material approximately in thirds.  Each exam will contain both objective and essay components and will focus most of its questions (not all) on the material covered in that section of the course (some overlap is likely due to the interrelatedness of the material).  Each exam is worth 1/3 of the final course grade, and the dates for exams are listed on this syllabus.  Students are expected to take all exams on time, unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise.  Seniors must take all three exams.  Those who must miss an exam must call the instructor prior to the exam at the number given above, or leave a message on phone mail or in the Sociology Department office (410 455-3979) regarding the reason for missing the exam, and how you can be contacted to schedule a makeup exam.  Students who fail to call will not be given a makeup, but be awarded a zero for that third of the course.  The instructor retains the option of giving a different exam (e.g., all essay) as a makeup.  Makeups will be scheduled within a week of the original exam date, and a student who fails to appear for a scheduled makeup will be given a zero!

4. Grading - Final grades will be based on a student's numeric total on their graded work.  Letter grades will be based on cutoff points for each exam. Normally 90%+ will be an A, so 270+ points will be a final grade of A. Any grading scale other than 90, 80, 70 cutoffs for A, B, and C respectively will be announced in class. Only in true borderline cases will other factors (e.g., class participation, trend in scores over the semester) be considered.  No incompletes will be given except in very unusual circumstances and with prior consultation with the instructor. No Aextra credit@ work is permitted during or after the semester aside from #5 below.
 
 

5. Optional Library Research Paper - Students wishing to improve their grade average may attempt to do so by doing an optional research paper on a topic relevant to the course. The grade from the paper becomes a fourth grade to added the student's final score, changing the point scale (360 for an A, 320 for B, 280 for C, etc.) so a poorly done paper will not help. Any student planning to do a paper must discuss the details with the instructor and get approval for the topic in advance. A paper presented with no prior consultation will not be accepted. Papers must be at least 10 pages and correctly researched, organized, and documented. A sheet of tips on doing a paper will be provided to those requesting this option. The final date for deciding to do a paper is April 25, 2001, and papers would be due by 4:30 on May 16, 2001. Note: Students who commit to do a paper and fail to turn one in will be given a zero score, so think carefully before making your decision.

READING ASSIGNMENTS:

Week______Topic__________________________________Text Chapters
01/29/01 Introduction: Public & Private Families Chap 1
02/05/01 Historical Background/Definitions Chap 2
02/12/01 Gender and Families Chap 3
02/19/01 Social Class and Families Chap 4
02/26/01 Race & Ethnicity in Families Chap 5
 

______________________Exam #1 March 5, 2001 _____________________

__________________________________________________________________
03/07/01 Family, State and Policy Chap 6
03/12/01 Sexuality and Love, Family Formation Chaps 7-8
03/26/01 Spouses and Partners Chap 9
04/02/01 Children and Parents Chap 14
04/09/01 Work and Families Chapter 10
 

______________________Exam #2 April 16, 2001 ______________________

___________________________________________________________________
04/18/01 Domestic Violence Chap 11
04/23/01 Divorce Chap 12
04/30/01 Remarriage & Stepfamilies Chap 13
05/07/01 Elder and the Family Chap 15
05/14/01 Families & Social Change Chap 16
 
 

_______________________Exam #3 May 23, 2001 1:00-3:00 PM___________
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

_________________________________________________________________________________

Read, sign, tear off, and return to instructor

I have read and understood the requirements and expectations for SOCY/WMST 353 as outlined in the course syllabus.

Signed __________________________________________(print last name)______________________

Social Security Number _________-_______-__________

Date ____________________________________________