SRES 345 Marriage, Family, and Social Order
Offered in Fall & Spring semesters. This course is a broad introduction to contemporary social research for non-majors, with a focus on marriage, family, childbearing and related social trends in America today. Topics to be addressed include: marriage and well-being; family and family formation; cohabitation and emerging adulthood; non-marital childbearing; divorce and well-being; reproductive technologies; demographic trends; and the economic and cultural divisions that correlate with trends in marriage and family. Special topics in each semester may include current family issues in American society from a social science perspective.
Throughout the course, students will be introduced to the theory and methods, benefits and limitations of social research, with an emphasis on questions of statistical inference, causality, selection, and the use of survey data. Attention will also be given to the relationship between social science findings and ethical considerations, especially those situated within the Catholic intellectual tradition. Readings are drawn from highly engaging primary sources, including best-selling monographs, and leading articles and reports in economics, sociology, social psychology, and demographics.
Cross Listed Courses
SRES 345 & SRES 545
Prerequisite
Open to undergraduates with sophomore or higher standing