Course aims:

Familiarize students with sociological perspective of family approach at the micro, mezzo and macro level.
Opening new perspectives for microsociological analysis of the social field of the domestic space
Facilitating an adequate understanding of the complex interactions between members of the domestic group, respectively between family and society

Course Entry Requirements:

None

Course contents:

1. Historical landmarks in family sociology 2. Current trends in family sociology 3. Marital and family types and structures. Domestic group 4. Marriage and its forms. Transversal and longitudinal perspective 5. Social and psychosocial in conjugal partner choice. The marital market 6. Psychosocial mechanisms in conjugal partner choice 7. Roles and role expectations in the family group 8. Theories about the structure and dynamics of family roles 9. Distribution of domestic tasks; from ideology to facts. 10. Power distribution and decision-making in the family 11. Stages of married life and determinants of satisfaction/dissatisfaction 12. Divorce: causes and consequences of the phenomenon. 13. Remarriage: advantages and disadvantages 14. Non marital alternatives.

Teaching methods:

Debate, analysis, exemplification.

Learning outcomes:

• Familiarize students with methods and techniques of families sociological analysis regarding interactions within and without domestic groups • Acquisition of new perspectives in micro-sociological analysis of the social field characteristic to family life • Facilitate better understanding of complex interactions between domestic groups members, and between family and society

Learning outcomes verification and assessment criteria:

A two-hour written examination (60% of the final grade); The evaluation of an paper. (40% of the final grade)

Recommended reading:

Benokraitis N.,V., Marriages and Families: Changes, Choices and Constraints, Pearson Education, xxx, 2010, xxx.
Chambers D., A Sociology of Family Life, Polity Press, Cambridge, 2012, xxx.
Millar Bidwell., L. ,D., Vander Mey B., Sociology of the Family: Investigating Family Issues, Allyn & Bacon, xxx, 1999, xxx.
Newman, D., A Sociological Perspective, Sage Publications, California, 2008, xxx.