SOCI 4311: Sociology of the Family: Families in a Multicultural World
Students will explore the characteristics of families around the world, especially in non-Western societies, as they experience the forces of globalization and social change. Building on comparative family studies, students will first explore varied kinship structures and stages in family life. Students then investigate how contemporary families are impacted by global forces, including media, employment, violence, and migration. Students will also examine how social inequality, through the relations of gender, race and poverty, further influences family dynamics. In concluding the course, students review the potential of social policy to support the needs of global families in transition.
Learning outcomes
- Discuss the significance of variations in family and kinship systems for an understanding of global society.
- Identify and discuss the forces contributing to contemporary changes in non-Western families.
- Compare the characteristics of the traditional family with those of emerging families in non-industrial societies.
- Differentiate between a comparative or cross-cultural perspective of the family and a global perspective.
- Distinguish between the positive and negative effects of globalization for the family.
- Analyze the forces of globalization most likely to impact families in developing nations.
- Discuss the ways in which social inequality influences the lives of global families.
- Evaluate examples of family policy and their impacts on global families today.
Course topics
The course is organized into four instructional units and contains eight major topics. The lessons provide specific learning outcomes that guide your learning; course notes that highlight, discuss, and illustrate important points in the textbook, as well as practice and review exercises. The outline is as follows:
Unit 1: Families in Global Perspective
- Introduction to the Global Family
- Kinship Structure, Residence and Marriage
Unit 2: Stages and Dynamics of Family Life
- Stages of Family Life: Roles and Relations
- Comparative Family Organization: Regional Differences
Unit 3: The Family and Globalization
- Families, Demographics and Global Change
- Impacts of Globalization on Families
Unit 4: Social Inequality, Policy and Family Futures
- Diversity, Social Inequality and the Family
- Social Inequality: Poverty and Social Policy
Required text and materials
- Ingoldsby, B. & Smith, S. (2006) Families in Global and Multicultural
Perspective (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
ISBN: 9780761928195. Type: Textbook
- Karraker, M. K. (2014) Global Families (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage.
ISBN: 9781412998635. Type: TRU-Reprint of textbook.
Assessments
Please be aware that should your course have a final exam, you are responsible for the fee to the online proctoring service, ProctorU, or to the in-person approved Testing Centre. Please contact exams@tru.ca with any questions about this.
To complete this course successfully, you must achieve a passing grade of 50% or higher on the overall course and 50% or higher on the mandatory Final Exam. The following table shows how your final grade will be determined for this course.
| Assignment 1 - Universality and Difference in Global Families | 15% |
| Assignment 2 - Transitions in Family Life | 15% |
| Assignment 3 - Globalization | 15% |
| Assignment 4 - Social Inequality and Policy | 15% |
| Final Exam (mandatory) | 40% |
| Total | 100% |
Open Learning Faculty Member Information
An Open Learning Faculty Member is available to assist students. Students will receive the necessary contact information at the start of the course.
