The Family

The family is an important organizing principle of society, and a key institution in social life. Because of its pervasiveness, the family is also a highly debated institution - we can see this in ongoing debates about the legalization of same-sex marriage, the pros and cons of cohabitation, as well as debates about divorce and child-well-being. Since the institution of the family intersects with other processes in social life – such as gender and sexuality, work, education, religion, and race - the study of the family is particularly useful as a lens to understand broader social trends. The main learning objective of this course is to provide an overview of key issues in the sociological study of the family, and to develop critical thinking and writing skills while doing so.