OAKTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE COURSE SYLLABUS. PREFIX NUMBER NAME CREDIT LECTURE SOC 104 Sociology of Marriage

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1 OAKTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE COURSE SYLLABUS Instructor: Barbara Dayton Fall Semester I. COURSE COURSE COURSE PREFIX NUMBER NAME CREDIT LECTURE SOC 104 Sociology of Marriage II. PREREQUISITE: SOC 101 III. COURSE CATALOG DESCRIPTION: This Course explores a broad survey of issues related to marriage and family in contemporary society. Content includes nature of relationships and intimacy; love, dating, courtship, cohabitation, marriage and its alternatives, childbirth and parenting, and crisis faced in intimate relationships such as divorce and family violence. IV. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: General education objectives: The student will: A. gather and analyze social science data using appropriate research methods, e.g. observations, surveys, and/or secondary analysis, and use theory to interpret these social science data. B. critically read sociological materials in order to compare and evaluate alternative explanations of social behavior. C. communicate sociological research and theory effectively in written assignments. Course Objectives The student will: A. apply functional, conflict, and symbolic-interactionism theoretical perspectives to family and marriage. B. identify social factors that contribute to the emergence of problems within marriage and family. C. compare and evaluate alternative patterns of marriage and family life. D. explain how marriage change over time and vary by culture, including how they are influenced by broader social, political, and economic forces.

2 E. assess how change within social institutions, structures, and societies produces change in intimate relationships relating to gender, love and intimacy, sex and sexualities, and/or communication, power, and conflict. F. assess how structures of inequality within society, such as wealth and poverty, race and ethnicity, and/or sex and gender discrimination, are linked to a wide range of social problems within marriage and families. G. compare and evaluate different societal responses to the problems of family an marriage such as divorce, single-parenthood, family violence, sexual abuse childcare, and/or child support H. Academic Integrity: Students and employees at Oakton Community College are required to demonstrate academic integrity and follow Oakton s Code of Academic Conduct. This code prohibits: cheating, plagiarism (turning in work not written by you, or lacking proper citation), falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth), helping others to cheat, unauthorized changes on official documents, pretending to be someone else or having someone else pretend to be you, making or accepting bribes, special favors, or threats, and any other behavior that violates academic integrity. There are serious consequences to violations of the academic integrity policy. Oakton's policies and procedures provide students a fair hearing if a complaint is made against you. If you are found to have violated the policy, the minimum penalty is failure on the assignment and, a disciplinary record will be established and kept on file in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs for a period of 3 years. Details of the Code of Academic Conduct can be found in the Student Handbook (see "Course Resources/Internet Links" in the CONTENT tab for an active link to this document). VI. OUTLINE OF TOPICS: A. Married Partners as Individuals B. Becoming Partners C. Defining Your Marriage and Family D. Experiencing Family Commitment E. Family Change and Crises VII. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:

3 Lecture: This class will be taught entirely online. Each week there will be mini lectures that will go along with the chapter (s) you are reading in your textbook. Discussion: In my face to face class I encourage students to share ideas and to interact about the various issues relevant to the chapter we are reading. In an attempt to simulate this on line, each week I will post a discussion topic which you are expected to respond to: as others post their responses, I also expect you to respond to at least one of your classmates. Your response should not simply be I agree, but it should be I disagree and why, or in some way move the discussion forward by introducing additional information. VIII. COURSE PRACTICES REQUIRED: Computer Skills: Since you have decided to take this course on line, it is assumed that you are familiar with computers. In this class you are expected to know how to use a word processing program like MS Word to compose the assigned short papers. You are expected to log into the Desire2Learn (D2L) class site at least 3 times a week to read assignments, check your and post comments on the discussion board as well as to respond to your classmates' postings. You will be using the e mail system within D2L to communicate with me. You will also send all assignments through this system. In addition, if you have never used D2L before you should review the features of this platform. You will find an orientation in the Content area of this course. Reading: College level reading skills are expected. You will be assigned approximately one chapter per week, sometimes two. Writing: Again, college level skills are expected. Throughout the semester there are two short papers approximately 3-5 pages in length. You will be graded, not only on content, but also on grammar, punctuation and spelling. In addition you will be responding to the Discussion Question that I have posed as well as replying to your classmates at least once a week. Critical Thinking: You textbook emphasizes the interaction of the individual, the group, and society. You are expected to use this framework, not only in writing your papers but also in responding to each other's discussion posts. None of the three exist in a vacumn. Each is influenced by the others. However, as sociologists we emphasize the importance of society and the role it plays in the various decisions that we make. Tolerance of Differences: In this class RESPECT for each other's opinions and differences is essential. We may not always agree with what another classmate says but we must read their posts critically. ATTACKING or DEMEANING others will not be tolerated. One of the objectives of this class is to understand how there may be more than one point of view. That is the purpose of education. We must evaluate what another has to say within the framework of the sociological perspective and challenge not the individual, but their ideas, on the the basis of this. IX. Course Practices A. Read the assigned Chapter (s) in your textbook each week. B. Read the Mini Lecture (s) each week

4 C. Respond to the discussion question (s) that I have posed each week as well as respond to at least one of your clssmate's responses D. Take 4 exams which will consist of 40 multiple choice questions and 2 short essays E. Write two short papers In each case you have been provided two topics from which you must choose one. They must be typed and 3 to 5 pages in length. Although you may use information from your text, I expect you to go beyond this source in writing your papers. You must include a bibliography (textbooks and encyclopedias are not considered adequate sources). Your grades for the papers will be based on your ability to analyze, to use outside sources and to discuss the topic not only at the individual level but also within the context of society as a whole IX. INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS Benokraitis, Nijole Marriages and Families: Changes Choices and Constraints, 7 th edition, Prentice-Hall X. METHODS OF EVALUATING STUDENT PROGRESS: Your grade will be based on the 4 exams, your responses to the weekly discussion questions and the 2 short papers. Each exam is worth 100 points. Each weekly discussion is worth a maximum of 5 points and each paper is worth 25 points. There are a total of 510 points possible. The grading will be as follows: 80% = A 408 points 70% = B 357 points 60% = C 306 points 55% = D 281points *IN ORDER TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE COURSE YOU MUST WRITE BOTH PAPERS AND TAKE FOUR EXAMS. XI. First Short Paper Due Week 5 Choose one of the following questions to discuss. Cover that topic in detail, explaining each area in the question. Answers are to be approximately three to five pages in length and typed. This is not an opinion paper. It is expected that you will have relevant outside sources and that these will be appropriately documented. 1. Domestic abuse (specifically Male on Female) has been getting increased attention although it is NOT clear that it is more prevalent or just that it has become more acceptable to acknowledge it. Discuss wife abuse including why the individual woman puts up with it and why individual male commit it. In addition discuss its affects on families and society

5 2. Up until recently people were introduced to perspective mates by family or fiends, or by meeting them at school or work. However, in the past decade or so, many are turning to Cyber dating. Research this new business: how popular is it, what kind of people use it; identify different companies and how they match perspective mates; what percentage of people actually end up getting married/divorced; what are the potential problems of this kind of dating; is Cyber dating a fad or the trend of the future? Second Short Paper Assignment Due by: Week 10 Choose one of the following questions to discuss. Cover that topic in detail, explaining each area in the question. Answers are to be approximately three to five pages in length and typed. As in paper 1, this is not an opinion paper and relevant sources should be documented. 1. According to 2010 statistics, illegitimacy rates in the U.S. were 41%. With the ease of accessibility to birth control discuss why this is occurring. In addition discuss its effects on individuals families and society. 2. The Millenial Generation, the average age of which is approximately 25 (range 13-33) is unique a Since birth, members have been taught that they are special, that they can be anything they want to be. Their self-esteem has been nurtured both at home and at school; they have learned that they should be themselves and not worry about what others think. Paradoxically, this same generation is experiencing more anxiety, depression, and loneliness than ever before Discuss why this is happening and the implications that this is likely to have for individuals, families, and society.