While most of us have families and may have specific ideas about what
constitutes a “good” family, few of us really have a grasp of how our
own experiences fit into a larger scheme.  Are your family
experiences “typical?”  How do family experiences shape what becomes
of us in a broader social context?  In this section of sociology of
the family, we explore the myriad ways we create families and the
dynamic nature of how we define what family is and should be.  We’ll
also study the interplay of forces among family, race, class, and
gender.

Specific topics include: how family is defined now; historical
changes in the family; gender and power in intimate relationships;
the roles of motherhood and fatherhood; divorce, remarriage, and
blended families; families and work; and families and poverty.