1 Course: Psychology of Families Psychology 295B-Fall, 2010 Instructor- Dr. Susan Crockenberg Time/Place: T/Th 1:00- 2:15; Billings Hall, Martin Luther King (MLK) room Office Hours: T/Th 11-12:30 and by appointment (please make appts. via e-mail) in 362 Dewey E-mail address: [email protected] Office phone number: 656-4058 Course Goals: The course is designed to meet several goals: 1) to consider the range of groupings considered “families” in humans and other animals; 2) to evaluate alternative psychological explanations of family-related events and behaviors using theory and empirical research; 3) to understand how communities/cultures affect families, recognizing that family dynamics are a complex interplay of individual personalities and contexts that change over time; 4) to use research to address pressing social issues related to families; 5) to foster critical thinking, coherent writing and speaking, and active collaboration with others. Course Format: The course is organized around lectures, discussions of reading and assignments, and student presentations. Active student involvement is expected daily. Grading: Final grades are based on weekly written and oral assignments (40%), a final 15 page research review paper and presentation (30%), and daily class participation (30%). Attendance is required; two absences are allowed without penalty. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to check Blackboard for any information you may have missed. Assignments must be turned in on the day they are due to receive full credit, unless you arrange for a later turn in date ahead of time. Please bring them to class or to my office; I cannot receive them via e-mail. Reading: All our Families by Mason, Skolnick, & Sugarman (MSS) is available at the UVM bookstore. Other reading is available electronically through Bailey Howe electronic reserves or online. Syllabus Topic 1-What is a family? What are its functions? Why do definitions matter? Aug 31st- Introduction, slide show; Assignment 1 (due Thursday) Reading: Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas, It’s All Relatives, pp. 96-103 Sept 2nd- Small groups and class discussion: what we think…what we need to know Reading: MSS Chapter 13: Solomon’s Children: The New Biologism, Psychological Parenthood, Attachment Theory, and the Best Interests Standards Topic 2- Understanding Families as Understanding Behavioral Development in Context Sept. 7th – Genes and Environment broadly defined: Assignment 2 (due Thursday) Reading: Hagerty-A Neuroscientist uncovers a Dark Secret Gottlieb, G. (2007). Probabilistic epigenesis. Developmental Science, 1, 1-11.2 Sept 9th – Attachment and Families lecture/student presentation of research article Gervai, J. (2009). Environmental and genetic influences on early attachment. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 3, Sept 14th- Families as Complex Systems; Reading: Cox, M. & Paley, B. (1997). Families as systems. Annual Review of Psychology, 48, 243-267. Schermerhorn, A. C., Chow, S. M., & Cummings, E. M. (2010). Developmental family processes and interparental conflict: Patterns of microlevel influences. Developmental Psychology, 46, 869-885. Topic 3- Marital and Committed Partner Relationships: The first transition Sept 16th - Assessing marital happiness & behavior: Gottman tapes; Assignment 3-due 9/21 Reading on electronic reserve: Gottman, J. & Levenson, R. (1999). Rebound from marital conflict and divorce prediction. Family Process, 38, 287-292. Sept 21st - What Matters for Marital/Partner Happiness and Stability Reading on electronic reserve: Johnson, S. (2005). Emotion and the repair of close relationships, pp. 91-103. In Pinsof & Lebow (Eds.) Family Psychology: The Art of the Science. Sept 23rd- Violence between Partners video/discussion; Assignment 4-due 9/28 Reading on electronic reserve: Capaldi, D. et al (2005). A life span developmental systems perspective on aggression toward a partner. In Pinsof, W. & Lebow, J. (Eds.) Family Psychology: The Art of the Science. Sept 28th- Work and Gender Equality as Family Issues Reading: MSS Chapter 10: Working families: Hearth to Market Topic 4-Becoming Parents: The second transition…for some Sept 30th- Having a baby impacts mothers & fathers; adjusting to parenthood Reading: MSS-Chapter 9. New Families: Modern Couples as New Pioneers; Chapter 3: Families Started by Teenagers Oct 5th- Fathers: What they do; why they are important; are they necessary Reading: MSS-Chapter 6: Ambiguous-Father Families Oct 7th- Father DVD-Letters from the Other Side; Assignment 5-due 10/12 Reading on electronic reserve: Adamsons, K., O'Brien, M., & Pasley, K. (2007). An ecological approach to father involvement in biological and stepfather families. Fathering, 5, 129-147.3 Oct 12th-Good Parenting: What is it? How do we know it when we see it? *Student Panel* Reading on electronic reserve: Grusec, J. & Davidov, M. (2010). Integrating different perspectives on socialization theory and research: A domain-specific approach. Child Development, 81, 687-709. Oct 14th- Single Parent Families Reading: MSS-Chapter 2. Single Parent Families; on electronic reserve: Booth, A., Scott, M., & King, V. (2010). Father residence and adolescent problem behavior: Are youth always better off in two-parent families? Journal of Family Issues, 31, 585-605. Oct 19th-Gay and Lesbian Families video- Our House; Assignment 6-due 10/21 Reading: MSS-Chapter 7: Queer like Us; on electronic reserve: Bos, H. & Sandfort, T. (2010). Children’s gender identity in lesbian and heterosexual two-parent families. Sex Roles, 62, 114-26. Oct 21st – Small group/class discussions: The court case in California Topic 5: Families in Transition across Nations and Cultures Oct 26th - Immigrant Families-lecture/discussion; Assignment 7-due 11/2 Reading: MSS Chapter 11: Immigrant Families Hernandez, Denton, & Macartney. (2008) Children in immigrant families: Looking to America’s Future. SRCD Social Policy Report, 22 (3). Oct 28th-Sibling Roles, Responsibilities, and Influences-lecture; *Student Panel* Zukow-Goldring, P. (1995). Sibling caregiving. In M. Bornstein (Ed.) Handbook of Parenting. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Nov 2nd - Parents Unable to Parent: Fostering, Adoption,