Syllabus

Fall 2017
PAD 434 - The Changing American Family and Public Policy

Instructor: Mary Beth Ray

E-mail: MaryBeth.Ray@llcc.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This class looks at shifts in governmental policy that affect family formation and dissolution,
family roles and responsibilities, and quality of life for parents and children. The course is
interdisciplinary; incorporating subject matter from the areas of political studies, sociology,
history, psychology, economics and multicultural studies. Class discussion and assignments will
focus on current issues and related policy, changes in societal attitudes and values, and trends
for the future. Students will analyze specific family laws to understand the consequences these
laws have had on families from various cultures. This course can be taken for graduate or
undergraduate credit. This class is presented in an online format using Blackboard. Blackboard
is compliant with ADA requirements.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of the class students should be able to:

Understand the historical trends that have shaped our family philosophy.

Explain the implications of these historical trends on public policy making.

Form a fundamental opinion about the state of the family in America today.

Evaluate the ways that laws may need to be amended to meet the needs of contemporary
families.

Analyze the effects current family policy will have on the structure of future families.

Predict future family trends and what their implication may be on family policy.

Contrast the differences among various cultures in relation to family issues discussed in class.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will demonstrate their learning by meeting the following objectives:

Compose a letter to a representative stating the ways one of the laws discussed in class could
to be amended to better suit the needs of today’s families and, also, families in the future.
Choose an optimistic or pessimistic philosophy of the family and support that view by analyzing
family laws that have contributed to either the disruption of families or the strengthening of
families.

Write an opinion paper describing the effects on families that have resulted from the increasing
number of women who have entered the workforce in the last 50 years and what this might
mean for the future of families.

Participate in class discussions exploring historical trends that have shaped our families as well
as laws that may shape the family of the future.

Taking a multicultural approach, write a paper explaining how various cultures are affected by
the family issues discussed in class.

Engage in written and class discussion about laws made at the local, community or workplace
level.

Summarize information and key concepts from textbook and class discussions in
two papers posted for class discussion.

Explore and critique current journal articles on topics covered in class and post
these critiques on the discussion board.

TEACHING/LEARNING PHILOSOPHY

I am here to facilitate your learning in this course in any way I can. Even though the
course is online, I am available to you by e-mail or telephone. I can help with some
technology problems and will call on our technical staff if I cannot solve it. Much of
the learning takes place on the discussion board and I urge you to be respectful of
other students’ opinions. Grades will be posted weekly in the Student Gradebook
and I will give private feedback on assignments. Online learning takes self
discipline and time management. It is easy to get behind and, before you know it,
you cannot catch up. I will try to prevent that from happening by contacting you if
you have missed two assignments and working with you to prevent falling farther
behind. Please contact me if something is preventing you from getting the reading
or assignments completed. I am here to help you succeed!

TEXTBOOKS

Required Reading:
Public and Private Families, 8th edition by Andrew J. Cherlin

Related Readings (optional):

Citizens, Families and Reform. Stein Ringen

Families and Change: Social Needs and Public Policy. Rosalie G. Genovese
Reweaving the Social Tapestry: Toward a Public Philosophy and Policy for
Families. Browning, Don S.
Public and Private Families: A Reader. Andrew J. Cherlin

MODULES AND CORRESPONDING TOPICS

Module 1
Orientation and Introduction to Blackboard Web Site

Module 2 -- Introduction
Chapter 1 - Public and Private Families
Chapter 2 - The History of the Family

Module 3 -- Gender, Class, and Race-Ethnicity

Chapter 3 - Gender and Families
Chapter 4 - Social Class and Family Inequality
Chapter 5 - Race, Ethnicity and Families

Module 4
Application of Concepts Assignment #1 due. (See Assignments below)

Module 5 -- Sexuality, Partnership, and Marriage

Chapter 6 - Sexualities
Chapter 7 - Cohabitation and Marriage
Chapter 8 - Work and Families

Module 6
Application of concepts Assignment #2.

Module 7
Application of Concepts #3

Module 8
Summary Paper of First Eight Weeks.

Module 9 -- Links Across the Generations

Chapter 9 -- Children and Parents
Chapter 10 – Older People and their Families

Module 10
Application of Concepts Assignment #4.

Module 11 -- Conflict, Disruption, and Reconstitution

Chapter 11 - Domestic Violence
Chapter 12 – Union Dissolution and Repartnering
Module 12 – Family, Society and the World
13 - International Family Change
14 – The Family, the State, and Social Policy

Module 13
Application of Concepts Assignment #5

Module 14
Summary paper of second 8 weeks

ASSIGNMENTS FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS

Your grade for the course will be based on the following requirements. Points will be deducted
for any assignments posted after the due date.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS - 180 points

There are discussion questions for the Modules containing chapter readings. Each module’s
answers are worth 30 points. Each question's answer should be at least 8 sentences long.
These are “discussion” questions so you will not receive full credit if you just answer the
question. I want you to “discuss” it by adding your thoughts, opinions and conclusions.
Remember, too, that it is hard for other students to comment on your answer if it is short and
strictly an answer to the question. Answers are due by midnight on Sunday of each week.

DISCUSSION BOARD POSTINGS FOR PARTICIPATION - 260 points (20 points per module)

I would like you to post a response to other students at least 4 times each week on the
Discussion Board in order to earn points for class participation. These 4 postings are in
addition to your posting for the module assignment. You can post responses to discussion
questions from other students, comment on what you think about that week's topic, or respond
to assignments posted by classmates. Your comments should pertain to the discussion. Your
responses should be written in a way that invites further discussion on the topic. “Great answer,
I totally agree,” is not a response that invites further discussion. Responses are due by
Wednesday of the following week and are required for every module but 14. So, you should
post responses for the introduction, application of concepts assignments and first summary.

**The points for your answers (30) will be calculated with your points for participation (20) so the
possible total in the gradebook for each module’s discussion is 50 points.

SUMMARY PAPERS - 200 points

Summarize the high points of the information presented in the first eight weeks of the course
and, again, for the second eight weeks. Each summary should be 8-10 pages long (double
spaced) and will be worth 100 points. If you use references other than our textbook, please list
them at the end of your summary. Post the summary on the Discussion Board. This summary
should include:
--Explanation of at least 10 key concepts presented in the modules.
--Description of how your thinking has changed after studying the concepts. (In other words,
what surprised you, what changed the way you thought about an issue, what do you agree or
disagree with, what is something you never thought about before?)

APPLICATION OF CONCEPTS - Each project is worth 50 points for a total of 250.

You must complete all five.

1. Are families more stable today than in the past? Are families in crisis? Decide what your
philosophy is, pessimistic or optimistic, and support your view by analyzing family laws that you
think have contributed to either the disruption of families or the strengthening of families. You
must refer to at least one specific law in your paper. Post this assignment on the Discussion
Board. This paper should be 3-5 pages in length.

2. Choose a law that affects families and analyze the ways that specific law affects families.
Write a 2-3 page letter to your Congressman stating the ways you believe this law needs to be
amended to better suit the needs of today's families. Post this assignment on the Discussion
Board.

3. The number of mothers who work outside the home has increased significantly in the last fifty
years. There has been a steady increase of mothers entering the workforce since 1948. In your
opinion, what effect has this had on the American family? Include your thoughts on the issues
of money and power in a marriage. Also discuss the changes in family roles that have resulted.
Post this 3-5 page opinion paper on the Discussion Board.

4. Expand your thinking to include laws made at a smaller level such as state, local or, even, in
the workplace. Describe the consequences that have resulted from enacting this law and
possible future consequences for the family. Post this 3-5 page assignment on the Discussion
Board.

5. Keeping in mind the emerging ethnic diversity of American families, choose an issue
discussed in class and analyze how this issue affects families from three different cultural
groups. Write a 3-5 page opinion paper comparing the similarities and differences you see. Post
this assignment on the Discussion Board.

ASSIGNMENTS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS ONLY

In order to receive graduate credit for the course students must complete two additional
assignments worth 100 points each:

1) Write a 10-15 page research paper on a topic relevant to course content, to be approved
by the instructor. Papers should be e-mailed to the instructor.
2) Find two current journal articles related to each of the six textbook modules and write a
critique for each one. These twelve papers should be e-mailed to the instructor.

GRADING
Letter grades are awarded based on point accumulation. Grades are based on the following
scale:
90-100% -- A
80-90% -- B
70-80% -- C
60-70% -- D
Under 60% -- F

CALENDAR OF DUE DATES

WEEK MODULE CHAPTERS ASSIGNMENT ASSIGNMENT DUE

DATE
8/28 1 Introduce 9/3
Yourself
9/4 2 1, 2, 3 questions 9/10
9/11 3 3,4,5 3 questions 9/17
9/18 4 Application of 9/24
Concepts # 1
9/25 5 6,7,8 3 questions 10/1
10/2 6 Application #2 10/8
10/9 7 Application #3 10/15

10/16 8 Summary of first 10/22

8 weeks
10/23 9 9,10 3 questions 10/29
10/30 10 Application #4 11/5
11/6 11 11, 12 3 questions 11/12
11/13 12 13, 14 3 questions 11/19
11/20 THANKSGIVING
BREAK
11/27 13 Application #5 12/3
*Graduate
student article
critiques due.
12/4 14 Summary of 12/10
second 8 weeks