Leslie A. Morgan, Ph.D.
Offices: Academic IVB, 346
Phone: 455-2074
e-mail: lmorgan@umbc.edu
Hours : I'm on campus most afternoons. You can schedule appointments at class or by calling or e-mailing.
 

Texts: Blieszner & Bedford (Eds) Aging and the Family. Praeger, 1996.

Reserve readings (2 hour circulation) at Kuhn Library (marked R below)

Electronic Reserves (marked E below--a select number of R reserves available online)
 

Course Purpose: This course is an analysis of human development and aging as it relates to the institution of the family. Using a family life cycle perspective, the course examines demographic trends, historical changes in the family, stages of family life, changing family roles and intergenerational relations. Particular attention is paid to the mutual effects of changing family structure and social policy in shaping the status of the aged in society.
 

Course Requirements and Expectations

University policies regarding academic misconduct and sexual harassment will be enforced in this course. A climate of respect for all persons and groups is expected in the classroom and in written work.
 

• Readings Students will be expected to attend class regularly and participate in discussions. Readings should be completed by class time each week. This syllabus covers required readings for the course. All students must read the items without an asterisk, and additional readings for graduate students are indicated with a *. Students will be held responsible for all assigned readings at exam time, unless otherwise specified. Since complete texts on this topic are difficult to find, some of the material is on reserve at the library.

 
• Weekly Questions: Each week at the start of class for which readings were assigned, students will turn in two essay-type questions based on the readings. Usually there are multiple readings and questions should reflect two different readings. The questions should be of sufficient scope to write a substantial essay and reflect the basic issues addressed in the reading. Submitted questions may be used for subsequent exams. They may be hand written, if legible, with the student's name and the reading from which the question is derived indicated. Skipping questions for one of weeks with reading assignments unexcused is acceptable, but two or more weeks will result in deductions. Questions will not be graded as such, but will count toward the 10% of the grade allocated to class participation.

 
• Class Participation: Both assigned readings and attention to lectures are necessary for comprehending the material and good class performance, since not all material in the readings will be discussed in lectures, and vice versa. Students are expected to attend the entire class each week and participate in class discussions, unless there is some valid reason not to, such as illness or family emergency.

 

Missing class is strongly discouraged, especially since we meet only once a week. Students who must miss class should get notes from a fellow student and be sure to check for any updates on assignments or class schedule. Make an effort to identify two or three individuals with whom you may exchange this information, study in preparation for examinations, etc.
 

Name:                                                          Phone:                                 E-Mail                                               _
Name:                                                          Phone:                                 E-Mail:                                              _
Name:                                                          Phone:                                 E-Mail:                                              _
 

4. Research Paper - All students must complete a course research paper, which counts 30% of the grade. Students must propose a paper topic relevant to the course content in writing on February 15, 1999. Outlines and preliminary bibliographies are due to me on April 5, 1999 and final papers are due to me May 3, 1999, 1997 at the beginning of class. Papers appearing any later will face deductions of 5 points per day (3 pts if during class) (based on 100 possible points). Further instructions will be handed out and further discussion of this assignment will take place in class. Grading standards and expectations will be more stringent for graduate students.

5. Examinations. Two exams will be given. Each will count 30% of the final grade and cover primarily the material in their respective halves of the course (some overlap is unavoidable). Since the course may be taken for undergraduate or graduate credit, exams differ for the two groups. Each exam has an objective question section, comprising approximately 50% of the score, and an essay section accounting for the remaining 50%. Prior to the exam, students will be given a study guide for the objective section and a set of 5 essay questions, from which the 3 essays used for the exam (you will have the choice of 2 out of 3) will be selected. Since the students have the essays before the exam, it is expected that the answers will be well-organized and thought out by the time they are written. Essays must be written without notes during the exam period.
 

6. Grading Student grades will be based on a numeric total of their scores on the four graded assignments. Students who are borderline may have grade trend over the semester taken into consideration. Occasionally the scale below will be adjusted, but normally grading will be as follows:

Exam 1 100 pts 30% 300-333 = A

Paper 100 pts 30% 266-299 = B

Exam 2 100 pts 30% 233-265 = C

Participation 33 pts 10% 200-232 = D

333 pts 100%
 

No extra credit work will be available. If you perform poorly on the first exam or are having trouble with other assignments, please see me as soon as possible so that we can discuss strategies and options. Good Luck-Here We Go!!

(Changes may be announced in class. Chapter author in parentheses)
 

I. Introduction to the Course and Topic Areas (2/1/99)
 

II. Family Perspectives in Later Life (2/8/99) (Due: Questions on readings)

1. Blieszner & Bedford-Chapter 2 (Hareven)

2. Blieszner & Bedford-Chapter 3 (Kinsella)
 

III. Development of Aging Policies - Ties to the Family (2/15/99)

(Due: Questions on Reading/ Topic statement for paper)

1. Blieszner & Bedford-Chapter 13 (Meyer and Bella)

2. Moody, H. R. 1994. "Should Age or Need Be a Basis for Entitlement?" Pp 189-201 in Aging: Concepts and Controversies. Pine Forge Press. (R,E)

3. *Binstock, R.H. 1994 "Changing Criteria for Old-Age Programs." The Gerontologist. 34(6):726-730. (R)
 

IV. Intergenerational Relations (2/22/99) (Due: Questions on readings)

1. Blieszner & Bedford-Chapter 11 (Suitor et al.)

2. Ward, R. et al. 1992 "The Influence of Parent and Child Needs on Coresidence in Middle and Later Life." Journal of Marriage and the Family. 54(l):209-221. (R,E)

3. *Johnson, C.L. & L. Troll 1992 "Family Functioning in Late Late Life." Journal of Gerontology 47(2):S66-S72. (R)
 

V. The Role of Marriage in Later Life (3/1/99) (Due: Questions on Readings)

1. Blieszner & Bedford-Chapter 9 (Huyck)

2. Vinick, B.H. & D.J. Ekerdt 1993 "Couples View Retirement Activities." Pp 129-144 in Szinovacz, Ekerdt and Vinick (Eds) Families and Retirement Sage. (R,E)

3. *Lee, G.R. 1988. "Marital Satisfaction in Later Life: The Effects of Non-Marital Roles." Journal of Marriage and the Family. 50(3):775-783. (R)
 

VI. Being Unmarried in Later Life (3/8/99) (Due: Questions on Readings)

1. Blieszner & Bedford-Chapter 21 (O'Bryant & Hansson)

2. Johnson, C. L. 1993 "Divorced and Reconstituted Families: Effects on the Older Generation." Pp 33-43 in Burton, L Families and Aging. Amityville: Greenwood. (R)

3.*Uhlenberg, P., T. Cooney and R. Boyd. 1990. "Divorce for Women After Mid-Life. Journal of Gerontology 45(l):S3-1 1. (R)
 

VII. Exam #1 (3/15/99)
 

VIII. Other Kin and Quasi-Kin Relationships (3/29/99) (Due: Questions on readings)

1. Blieszner & Bedford-Chapter 10 (Bedford)

2. Blieszner & Bedford-Chapter 12 (Robertson)

3. *White & Reidman 1991 "When the Brady Bunch Grows Up." Journal of Marriage and the Family. 54(l):197-208. (R)
 

IX. The Family as a Support System - Potential & Limitations (4/5/99)

(Due: Questions on readings; Paper outline and preliminary bibliography)

1. Blieszner & Bedford-Chapter 17 (Antonucci & Akiyama)

2. Glazer, Nona Y. 1990. "The Home as Workshop: Women as Amateur Nurses and Medical Care Providers." 4(4):479-499. (R,E)

3. *Rosenthal, Matthews & Marshall "Is Parent Care Normative? The Experiences of a Sample of Middle Aged Women." In Hess & Markson (Eds) Growing Old in America, Transaction. (R)

4.*Finley, N.J., M.D. Roberts and B.F. Banahan. 1988. "Motivators and Inhibitors of Attitudes of Filial Obligation Toward Aging Parents." The Gerontologist. 28(l):73-78. (R)
 

X. Health Care Issues of the Later Life Family (4/12/99) (Due: Questions on readings)

1.Blieszner & Bedford-Chapter 19 (Dryer)

2.Matthews, S.H. and T.T. Rosner. 1988. "Shared Filial Responsibility: The Family as the Primary Caregiver." Journal of Marriage and the Family 50(l):185-195. (R)

3. * Schone, B.S. and R.M. Weinick. 1998 "Health-Related Behaviors and the Benefits of Marriage for Elderly Persons." Gerontologist 38(5):618-627. (R)
 

XI. Cultural & Ethnic Variations in Older Families (4/19/99) (Due: Questions on Readings)

1.Blieszner & Bedford -Chapter 15 (Johnson)

2. *O'Rand, Angela M. 1996. "The Cumulative Stratification of the Life Course." Pp 188-207 in Binstock, R.H. and L.K. George (Eds) Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences. New York: Academic Press (R).

3. *Lee, G.R., C.W. Peek, and R.T. Coward. 1998. "Race Differences in Filial Responsibility Expectations among Older Parents." Journal of Marriage and the Family 60(2):404-412.(R)
 

XII. Economic Issues of the Later Life Family. (4/26/99) (Due: Questions on Readings)

1. "Men and Women: Changing Roles and Social Security." Social Security Bulletin, 42(5):25-32,1979. (R)

2. Morgan, Leslie A. 1991 "Economic Security of Older Women: Issues and Trends for the Future."in Hess & Markson (Eds) Growing Old in America, Transaction. (R)

3. *Smeeding, T. & K. Holden "The Poor, the Rich and the Insecure Elderly Caught In Between." 1989 (R)
 

XIII. Retirement and Family Relations (5/3/99) (Due: Papers: Questions on Readings)

1. Blieszner & Bedford-Chapter 18 (Szinovacz & Ekerdt)

2. O'Rand, Henretta and Krecker. 1992. "Family Pathways to Retirement." Pp 81-98 in Szinovacz, Ekerdt and Vinick (Eds) Families and Retirement. Sage. (R)

3. *Szinovacz, M. 1992. "Families and Retirement: Conceptual and Methodological Issues." Pp 1-22 in Szinovacz, Ekerdt and Vinick (Eds) Families and Retirement Sage. (R)
 

XIV. Summing Up: Family Issues, Trends and Policies for the Future

(Due: Questions on reading)

1. Morgan, Leslie A. 1998. "Aging in Families" Chap 5 of Morgan & Kunkel Aging: The Social Context. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.(R,E)
 

FINAL EXAM - May 17, 1999, 6:00-8:00 PM -Same Room