Fall 1998

Dr. Jayne E. Maugans

Office: 301AB; Office Hours: Tue. 3-5:00PM, Thur. 3-4:00PM, or by appointment; Phone: X445; E-mail: jmaugans@houghton.edu

Professor’s prerogative: Note well that I may alter this syllabus as needed during the semester—but I will avoid doing so, if possible. Changes to the syllabus will be announced in class.

Student’s responsibility: You are responsible for all announcements made in class and completing class activities and assignments, even if you are not in class when they are given. If you miss a class, please see a fellow student or the professor—and makeup the work immediately. Announcements may be posted in Shared Folders.

I. Course Description. This course presents the main approaches, theories, methods, statistics, concepts, and issues of marriage and family systems to undergraduate college students. Throughout the course, faith and learning will be integrated.

II. General Learning Objectives.

• Be familiar with the theoretical paradigms in Marriage & Family Studies.
• Understand the major concepts and principles of Marriage & Family Studies.
• Become more familiar with the research methods of Marriage & Family Studies.
• Understand the fundamentals of statistics and data analysis.
• Be more analytical and more critical in assessing Sociological works and subjects.
• Sharpen writing and speaking skills.
• Improve computer skills.
• Enhance research skills.

III. Required Texts.

A. Marriages and Families, Shehan, Constance and Kenneth Kammeyer.

B. Marriage and Family: An Introduction Using MicroCas, Demmitt, Kevin.

(Includes workbook and software containing actual national and cross-cultural data sets.)

C. Annual Editions: Marriage and Family 98/99, Gilbert, Kathleen, ed.

IV. Grading Policy. Your final course grade will be determined as follows:

A. 4 Exams: 50%

B. MicroCase Exercises: 20%

C. Research Paper: 20%

D. Class Participation & Activities: 10%

V. Grading Scale.

See Houghton Catalog. Some assignments will be graded on the following check system: check+ (exceptional); check (good/adequate);

check- (insufficient).

VI. Course Requirements.

A. 4 Exams. Exams will be a combination of any of the following: multiple choice, short answer, fill in the blank, and essay. Plan to be present for each exam—no make-ups for travel plans. Make-ups are highly discouraged and given only with prior approval from me, Dr. Maugans.

B. MicroCase "MC" Exercises. Complete readings and workbook pages for the assigned computer exercises. The exercises will usually be graded in class.

C. Research Paper. One research paper is required for this course. You will receive a handout for this assignment. The paper is to be typed, double-spaced, and stapled. Please use only APA style—otherwise, your paper will be returned to you with an "incomplete" status. At the top of the first page of your paper, type your name, campus post office number, Soc. 237, the date, and the title of the paper—failure to do so will result in the loss of one letter grade (I’m not kidding!). Your paper is to be turned in on Nov. 11, 1998 no later than 4:00PM. Late papers, which are highly discouraged, will not be accepted unless prior arrangements were approved by Professor Maugans.

D. Class Participation and Activities. You are expected to participate during class discussions. It is crucial that you have the reading assignments completed before coming to class so that you are prepared to talk informatively during class discussions. Simply commenting on a topic will not result in class participation credit; you must speak informatively on the topic, referring to material covered in the readings and using appropriate concepts, etc.

During the semester, you will be asked to engage in various in-class activities ranging from written responses to videos viewed in class to role playing. Some assignments may involve homework such as internet searchers. You will receive a grade for each class activity. If you miss class on a day of a class activity, you will receive an F for the activity you missed, unless you make up the activity. You may be asked by me, Dr. Maugans, to write a paper in place of the activity assigned in class. This policy applies to all students, even those who miss class for legitimate reasons such as illness and college related activities. Again, you are responsible for all announcements and in-class activities-- even if you miss class.

VII. Attendance Policy.

An attendance sheet will be circulated in class. Please initial next to your name for the appropriate date. If you have more than two unexcused absences, your final letter grade will be lowered by one mark.

VIII. Computer Connection.

You can find this syllabus on my Houghton Web-page (look under Psychology and Sociology Department). Also, feel free to contact me via E-mail. Finally, I plan to send some announcements and copies of overhead material to you through either Shared Folders or E-mail.

IX. COURSE OUTLINE: INTRODUCTION TO MARRIAGE & FAMILY STUDIES

SOC. 237/Fall 1998

DATE ..............ASSIGNMENT & CLASS CONTENT

Sept. 2 ..............Introduction

Oct. 5............... Chap. 5, "Meeting, Dating, and Falling in Love"

Nov. 2..............Chap. 9, "Childrearing"

AE #17, "Fertile Minds"

Dec. 2............... Chap. 14, "Life After Divorce"

EXAM IV: Dec. 15, 1998, 8-10a.m.