412: SOCIOLOGY FAMILY DEMOGRAPHY 2:00 3:15 PM Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3203 Art-Sociology Building Spring Semester 2005 Prof. Steve Martin 3125 Art-Sociology, 301-405-3464 Office Hours: Tu 9:00 - 11:00, Th 8:00 10:00, and by appointment [e-mail]
Subject Matter and Objectives: As in many courses on the family, we will investigate how culture, economics, and population characteristics can shape family structures, how the role of families has changed in recent decades, and how families are important in peoples lives. What makes this course different is our extensive use of demographic tools that help us compare families across time periods, across social groups, and (to some extent) across countries. This means we will pay special attention to the ways people collect and organize information about the family, and we will be doing more quantitative work than is typical of many Sociology classes. We will study important (and measurable) events in peoples family lives, such as cohabitation, marriage, divorce, and childbearing. We will also study how family roles are changing for fathers, mothers, and grandparents. Finally, we will examine a few important social issues that have important impacts on many families, such as poverty, child care, and immigration. In all of these topics, you will develop your skills at interpreting and critiquing demographic data that researchers use to support their arguments about the family. You will also develop your skills at making your own accurate and compelling arguments using demographic data.
Prerequisite: The prerequisite of Sociology 410 is no longer required for this course.
Required Texts: The following text is available at the University Book Center, the Maryland Book Exchange, and through various online bookstores. Casper, Lynne M., and Suzanne M. Bianchi. 2002. Continuity and Change in the American Family. Thousand Oaks CA: Sage Publications. There is a required course reader available through the College Park Copy Center. I also will assign readings at various government and other websites, and from the UMD online library.
Website: Homework assignments and other course materials will be posted online as the semester progresses. My website for classes is http://www.bsos.umd.edu/socy/smartin/
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Homework: There will be several homework projects where you will use demographic data. I will show you how to re-tabulate and graph demographic data, how to access demographic tables from library archives and websites, and how to make your own tables from census data and from the General Social Survey. I intend these assignments to take only a few hours each. The homework activities will culminate in a project where you present graphs and figures in a poster format.
Lectures: Class time will be a mix of lectures, slide shows, discussions on previously assigned questions, and occasional activities in computer labs. To help keep things organized, outlines of lecture notes will be available at each lecture. These outlines are useful but cannot convey everything we discuss in class, so I recommend that write your own notes if you intend to get a high grade in the class. Missing lectures, leaving early, arriving late: If you anticipate any of these problems, I expect you to rely on other students to catch up on what you missed. If you are late or must leave early, please come, but plan your entry and exit so that it wont disrupt the flow of the class.
Accommodating students with disabilities: If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss accommodations, please contact me by the second class session.
Students requiring religious accommodation: If you need academic accommodation by virtue of your religion (e.g. missing a class, rescheduling an examination), please see me as soon as possible to discuss your needs. We will try not to have any important assignments due on Passover/Easter week.
Examinations: There will be a midterm and a final examination. The test questions will involve short essays. At the lecture before each examination, you will be given a list of potential essay questions to study. I will randomly select three questions from the list for the test. Time Limits on Examinations: Because classes are limited in length, you will have 1 hour and 15 minutes to write your midterms. I do not like to rush students more than necessary, so I try to write examinations that take a typical, well-prepared student no more than 60 minutes to answer fully. The final will be the same length as the midterms. If you have writing or reading difficulties that make it difficult to write 500 words in an hour and fifteen minutes, please contact me before the testing period, and we will make appropriate accommodations without penalties. Cheating on Examinations: I encourage you to study for examinations with other students, and I understand that your answers may look similar (but not identical!) if you have studied together. Once you enter classroom the for the test, I will enforce two strict rules: 1.) Do not write from other students examinations. 2.) Do not read notes of any kind during the examination. Read the undergraduate catalog to understand the universitys strict policies toward cheating.
Papers: In this course you will write a term paper which includes your own demographic analyses. The term project will involve a project proposal, rough draft, and final draft. I will hand out detailed instructions as the due dates approach.
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Cheating on Papers: Papers and poster projects must be your own work to receive any credit. Late Papers: Papers and other assignments turned in late will be penalized by one grade.
Grading:
Your grade will be calculated as follows: 30 % midterm 30 % final 20 % term paper 15 % homework and poster 5 % class participation I assign letter grades as follows: 90.0 100 % = A or A80.0 89.9 % = B+ or B or B70.0 79.9 % = C+ or C or C60.0 69.9 % = D 0 59.9 % = F
Plus- or minus- grades do not affect your grade point average, but they help me assess your performance if you ask me to write a letter of recommendation. For students who are on the border between two letter grades, I will consider class participation and careful homework. If you disagree with a score on an assignment or a test, please come to me during my office hours. I will also stay after lecture on the days you receive your midterm scores. Incompletes: I can give extra time to students who have unexpected circumstances that prevent them from finishing the class on time. Please avoid incompletes students who take incompletes tend to do less well on the examinations and term projects.
Calculators: Bring a calculator to class, and bring one to the midterm and final examinations.
Teacher evaluations: I will request your evaluations part-way through the class, and at the last lecture. I also welcome unsolicited observations at any time (but please try to be polite).
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OUTLINE OF TOPICS The order or coverage of these topics may change as we move through the semester.
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
Week 1: January 27. Class introduction. Week 2: February 1 - 3. What is changing about the family? Casper and Bianchi Chapter 1. In course reader: Popenoe: A Marriage Research Agenda for the 21st Century. Week 3: February 8 10. Why are these changes occurring? From library e-journal: Popenoe, David. 1993. American Family Decline: A Review and Appraisal. Journal of Marriage and the Family 55(4): 527-542. Plus responses by Norval Glenn and Judith Stacey on pages 543-547. In course reader: Hareven. Continuity and Change in American Family Life. In course reader: Skolnick. The Life Course Revolution. Week 4: February 15 17. How do we know what is happening? In course reader: Vital statistics certificates, census forms, General Social Survey excerpts. COHABITATION, MARRIAGE, AND DIVORCE Week 5: February 22 24. Comparing cohabitation with marriage and singlehood. Casper and Bianchi, ...