This course analyzes marriage and the family, primarily in the United States. We begin, however, with some anthropological materials so as to understand what aspects of the family are universal and also the tremendous variability of the family.
Students utilize the readings in organizing their comprehensive essay exams.
Often this also is connected to the question of what kind of family they might wish to create. Without the production, rearing, and socialization of children, a society ceases to exist. This course grew out of my research on rape and gradually evolved to looking at many types of violence against women. Several sessions of the course focus on empowerment and solutions. This course has two main topics.