WSTD 414 - Family Ties:Function and Ideology

Institution:

University of Pennsylvania

Subject:

Description:

Rabberman. Families serve as the basic building blocks of societies. Besides helping to distribute economic resources within a society, families reflect societies' values, norms, tensions and power dynamics through their structure. Furthermore, changes in the family's values, functions and structures mirror changes in women's roles and experiences, both inside and outside the home. Finally, families also serve as the repository for memories from generation to generation. In this course, we will explore some central debates and issues in the history of the family by focusing on case studies from England, France, Germany, and the United States from the medieval through the modern periods. How are families created and dissolved over time, and how did changes in these practices come about How did people make the decision to get married, and how important were affective ties and material considerations in this process How did past societies treat their children, and did love for children increase over time Which people, inside and outside families, exerted power over family members How did political and economic developments influence families' structure, function, and ideology What do the changing structure and purpose of families in the West tell us about changes in the role of the individual and the relationship between public and private in the West What do recent family histories tell us about the relationship between the past and the present, between individuals and ancestors, at the end of the twentieth century Class requirements will include participation in class discussion, in-class presentations, two short papers, and a 1520 page paper based on primary sources. Class readings will draw on works from women' studies, historical anthropology, social history, legal history, material culture, sociology, and literature, and will include both primary and secondary sources.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.upenn.edu

Phone Number:

(215) 898-5000

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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