SOCIOL 207 Sociology of Gender and Families - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

Focuses on the interrelationship between gender, sexuality and families in New Zealand and other Western societies. Through an examination of important moments in the life course of families – for example, partnering and parenting – it explores changes and continuities in the gendered norms, identities, practices and patterns that characterise contemporary family life.

Course Overview

Although we’re encouraged to think about ‘family’ as a fixed and stable social institution, it is actually an institution subject to change over time. In this course, we will look at some of the drivers of family change, consider what this means for the composition and boundaries of who we call family, and examine the extent to which we are afforded opportunities to make new choices about our family and intimate lives, assume novel identities and engage in different patterns of care and work.

The first few weeks of the course lay the conceptual foundation for thinking about the family as a normatively hetero-gendered institution. We begin by examining two prominent cultural approaches to the relationship between family members and the family as a whole and, also, look at the functions often identified as being fulfilled by ‘family’. Following on from this, we look at the impact of feminist and queer scholarship on sociology’s family. This has led to the recognition of gender as a significant structuring principle within heterosexual families and of sexuality as an important component of normative assumptions about family composition. We then look at important theoretical approaches to thinking about family and family change. We complete this foundational work by taking a critical look at the empirical data charting some of the changes in the family during the latter part of the twentieth and now twenty-first centuries.

Having undertaken this foundational work, we continue to explore continuity and change in our families through a critical focus on different dimensions of family life. The aspects of family life that we consider in any semester may vary but are likely to include many of the following topics: partnering and becoming a couple; having children and becoming a family; raising children; generating and sharing family income; caring for family members; post-separation families and other new family forms; family violence; and child poverty.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 30 points in Sociology or Gender Studies or 60 points passed Restriction: SOCIOL 214, SOCIOL 222

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Be able to discuss the meaning and significance of empirical data documenting key dimensions of families within western societies (Capability 1.1)
Be able to critically discuss how gender and other axes of difference and power shape family life in western societies in the past and the present (Capability 6.2)
Be able to draw on relevant theory to coherently discuss changes to and within families in Aotearoa New Zealand and other modern western societies (Capability 1.2)
Be able to describe and reflect upon changes and continuities in your own families (Capability 1.2)
Be able to write coherently argued texts, informed by relevant social science literature (Capability 2.3 and 4.2)
Be able to appropriately acknowledge, using academic referencing conventions, the source of the ideas contained in their written work (Capability 5.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Assignments	30%	Individual Coursework
Test	20%	Individual Coursework
Final Exam	50%	Individual Examination
3 types	100%

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 4 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 3 hours of work on assignments.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

This course is not available for delivery to students studying remotely outside NZ in 2023.

Attendance is expected at all scheduled activities including tutorials to complete components of the course.

Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.

The course will not include live online events.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

There is no textbook for this course; all mandatory readings will be available via the library if in Journal format or from an electronic book and via Canvas if chapters from a print book.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

The 2023 version SOCIOL 207 will be taught by a different Course convenor. Also different will be some of the course readings and the assessment structure.

Other Information

This course was offered in Semester 2, 2022.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Capability 1:	Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2:	Critical Thinking
Capability 4:	Communication and Engagement
Capability 5:	Independence and Integrity
Capability 6:	Social and Environmental Responsibilities

SOCIOL 207 : Sociology of Gender and Families

Arts

2023 Semester One (1233) (15 POINTS)