The second half of the twentieth century has seen profound changes in the structure and social meaning of family and marriage. The main goal of this course is to examine these changes in contemporary Australia and in cross-national context. Students will gain the understanding of demographic changes, shifts in attitudes to family and marriage, the work-family balance and the effectiveness of government policy in this area.  The course will also introduce sociological and social-psychological theories of marriage and family.

A large part of the course will be devoted to the examination of special topics including gender, love and sexuality in relationships, the meaning of family and marriage across cultures, singlehood, partner selection; stress, crisis, violence and abuse in relationships; divorce, remarriage and their effect on children; childlessness as a lifestyle, same-sex relationships, balancing work and family life, globalisation and outsourcing of care.

2,500 word Essay (40%); 1000 word Tutorial Paper (20%); Tutorial Participation (10%); Tutorial Research Project (30%).

12 units of 1000-level courses or with the permission of the coordinator.

Gilding, M., Australian Families. A Comparative Perspective, Melbourne: Longman, 1997.