Sociology 2700H: Sociology of Families and Households (original) (raw)

The purpose of the course is to examine theoretical and substantive issues in the sociological analysis of families and households. With emphasis upon the contemporary diversity of family forms and household types, students will be introduced to a range of topics addressed by family sociologists, such as mate selection and couple formation, cohabitation, marriage, voluntary and involuntary singlehood, same-sex couplehood, the division of household labour, family stress and family violence, divorce, widowhood, and remarriage. Three principal objects of analysis can be identified in the general social science literature regarding families and households: (1) the patterns of activity among those who share a household and interact with each other in the provision of daily needs; (2) intimate couple relationships within which sexuality is a significant component; and (3) children, the development of children, and parent-child relationships. The third object of analysis falls chiefly within the domain of psychology (see, for example, PSYC 2500H, 3510H, and 3560H), and therefore it is addressed only to a limited extent in this course, which focuses upon the contributions of sociology to the multidisciplinary family studies literature. Family phenomena can be analyzed at three different levels: (1) the ways in which individuals experience family processes; (2) the dynamics internal to families as small groups; and (3) the ways in which broader societal forces shape processes within households. A central task of family sociology is to establish the connections between these three levels of analysis. Towards that end, we will briefly examine a variety of theoretical frameworks that can shed light upon these linkages. At the same time, we will pursue many of the substantive sociological questions that surround family and household formations as well as family dynamics.