Sociology of Family and Gender
| Module title | Sociology of Family and Gender |
|---|---|
| Module code | SOC3108 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Nitzan Peri-Rotem (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 25 |
|---|
Module description
This module will focus on recent trends in family and living arrangements in developed countries in the context of changing family policy and gender norms. You will learn about the social organisation of production and reproduction, including the gendered division of labour and the underlying factors that shape it. You will also learn about the relationship between state policy and family behaviours and different policy approaches to ‘family-work balance’. You will be introduced to major data sources and basic statistical methods used to analyse this topic.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aim of this module is to provide you with a better understanding of the interplay between family patterns, welfare policy and gender norms and to enable you to address related policy questions, e.g.: Why do women in some countries are more likely to drop out of the labour market after having children than in others? How come that European countries with higher female employment rates also demonstrate higher fertility levels? Do more egalitarian couples have higher union stability?
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of current issues and debates in the sociology of gender and family.
- 2. Critically assess empirical studies in the field.
- 3. Evaluating of the role of welfare policy in accounting for cross-country variations in family and work practices.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Demonstrate in-depth understanding of key concepts pertaining to the sociology of the family.
- 5. Demonstrate a critical understanding of theories and arguments in the field;
- 6. Understanding of relevant research methods employed in family and gender studies.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Engage in group work to prepare presentations for class discussion;
- 8. Critically analyze existing literature in the field;
- 9. demonstrate written analytical skills by producing an essay on deadline; and
- 10. work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following themes:
- Families in the 21st century: An overview of recent trends in post-industrialized societies
- Theories of gender in the context of the family institution
- Social and political aspects of reproductive behaviour
- Women’s education and fertility: A dynamic relationship
- Family policy and the opportunity costs of children
- ‘Doing gender’ and the division of paid and unpaid labour
- Who cares? Social aspects of care work
- Trends in assortative mating and union formation
- Union stability and the gendered division of labour
- Gender perspectives of union dissolution
- The relationship between gender equality and family dynamics
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and teaching activity | 22 | Weekly 2 hour lectures where we go over topics and materials |
| Guided Independent Study | 48 | Reading and preparing for seminars (around 4-6 hours per week); |
| Guided independent study | 80 | Study tasks directed by the module leader: e.g. 35 hours for essay, 5 hours for presentation, 40 hours for the final exam |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation | 5 minutes | 1-8 | Verbal, written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 1,500 words | 1-6,8,9 | Written Feedback |
| Examination | 50 | 1 hour | 1-6,8,10 | Written Feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (1,500 words) | 1-6,8,9 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Examination | Examination (1 hour) | 1-6, 8, 10 | August/September re-assessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
Esping-Andersen, G. (2009). The Incomplete Revolution: Adapting to Women’s New Roles. Cambridge: Polity.
Esping-Andersen, G. and Billari, F. C. (2015). Re-theorizing family demographics. Population and Development Review, 41(1): 1-31.
McDonald, P. (2013). Societal foundations for explaining low fertility: Gender equity. Demographic Research, 28(34): 981-994.
Hochschild, A. R. (1989). The Second Shift: Working Parents and the Revolution at Home. London: Piatkus.
Hochschild, A. R. (2000). Global Care Chains and Emotional Surplus Value, in Giddens, T. and Hutton, W. (Eds.). On the Edge: Globalization and the New Millennium, London: Sage Publishers, pp. 130-146.
Gornick, J. C. and Meyers, M. K. (Eds.) (2009). Gender Equality, Transforming Family Division of Labour. London: Verso.
Ellingsaeter, A L. (2010). Feminist politics and feminist conflicts: Daddy’s care or mother’s milk? In Scott, J., Crompton, R. and Lyonette, C. (Eds.) Gender Inequalities in the 21st Century: New Barriers and Continuing Constraints. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
De Laat, J. and Sevilla-Sanz, A. (2011). The fertility and women's labor force participation puzzle in OECD countries: The role of men's home production. Feminist Economics, 17(2): 87-119.
Hobson, B. and Olah, L. S. (2006). Birthstrikes? Agency and capabilities in the reconciliation of employment and family. Marriage & Family Review, 39: 197-227.
Kravdal, O. and Rindfuss, R. R. (2008). Changing relationships between education and fertility: A study of women and men born 1940 to 1964. American Sociological Review, 73: 854-873.
Torr, B. M. and Short, S. E. (2004). Second births and the second shift: A research note on gender equity and fertility. Population and Development Review, 30(1): 109-130.
Oppenheimer, V. K. (2003). Cohabiting and marriage during young men’s career-development process. Demography, 40(1): 127-149.
Kalmijn, M. (2011). The influence of men’s income and employment on marriage and cohabitation: Testing Oppenheimer’s theory in Europe. European Journal of Population, 27: 269-293.
Lewis, J., Knijn, T., Martin, C. and Ostner, I. (2008). Patterns of development in work/family reconciliation
policies for parents in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK in the 2000s. Social Politics, 15(3): 261-286.
Blossfeld, H. –P. Müller, R. (2002). Union disruption in comparative perspective: the role of assortative partner choice and careers of couples. International Journal of Sociology, 32(4): 3-35.
Härkönen, J. and Dronkers, J. (2006). Stability and change in the educational gradient of divorce: A comparison of seventeen countries. European Sociological Review, 22(5): 501–517.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 22/06/2017 |
| Last revision date | 01/02/2022 |
