(Course Instructors: Dr. Tim Biblarz, Dr. Jennifer Hook, Dr. Juliana Mc Gene)
This course examines the transformation of family structures in Western societies, addressing three main questions: the evolution of families, the causes behind these changes based on social science theories, and the impacts on individuals and society. Topics include childhood, relationship formation, marriage, parenting, and aging, viewed through lenses of inequality, race, gender, and sexuality. The course highlights how families are shaped by gender and sexual orientation, and how they are stratified by race and class.