GOVT 315
The Politics of Family in
American Life
Spring 2006
Dr. Valerie Lehr
84 Park
229-5677
vlehr@stlawu.edu
Course Description:
"Family values" is a key phrase in American political life. Most commonly, this phrase is used to encourage citizens to think about a vision of the family from the past and how this understanding of family might be recreated and supported in the present. Yet, as many assert, such a vision may have less to do with what actually existed and more to do with current political agendas. In this course, we will explore various agendas surrounding family politics, definitions of "family values," and some of the policy recommendations that these agendas and definitions are developed to support.
Required Texts:
Mary Shanley, Just Marriage,
Nancy Folbre, The Invisible
Heart, The New Press, 2001.
Uma Narayan and Julia Bartkowiak, eds., Having and Raising Children, Pennsylvania
State University Press, 1999.
Assignments:
1) Responses to Shanley, Narayan, and Folbre: In a 3-4 page essay, discuss what you see as the most interesting assertion in the text. If you were to define this as a research question, how would you phrase the question? What do you see as the most important points that would need further research? You must write two of the three responses; each is worth 7.5% of your final grade.
2) Identify 4 academic/peer reviewed essays that address your topic from at least two different perspectives and read each. Write a paper in which you bring these essays together by writing approximately 1 page about each and discuss common points and points of contrast. This essay should be dropped in your group dropbox. Please note: You must work together enough to be sure that you are each reading different essays. Failure to do this will result in a 1.0 deduction for each essay that is duplicated. 15%
3) Identify a website that you believe could be important for people in class to read to better understand your topic. Write a review of the website and put it in your group dropbox. Again, you should work together to be sure that you are reviewing different sites. 10%
4) Work together as a group to identify an academic essay that you want the rest of the class to read and a website that you want them to explore. Using Shanley as a model, you will each write a response to the essay, so choose something that is provocative, but don't just choose something that you all either agree with or disagree with. As a group, write a one page rationale, as well as a few questions that you would like your peers to consider as they read. You will then run discussion of your group’s assignments.15%
5) Write a 4-5 page essay in which you respond to the essay that your group has chosen. You must draw from at least 5 sources, whether essays that you found, books that I assigned, or essays that others in your group found. 20%
6) Final exam -- I will draw from our conversations over the 5 weeks that you are leading class to ask a question thast asks you to draw from and integrate the topics. 15% of your final grade.
7) Participation: 10%. If you miss more than two classes, you will not receive above a 2.0.
Please Note: You are responsible for understanding and following the University's academic honesty policy. This policy applies to all assignments. If you have questions or are not sure about anything, it is your responsibility to speak with me. All assignments should be turned in on time. This is particularly important because your group is dependent upon each of you. All work will receive a 1.0 deduction for each day that it is late.
Tentative Class Schedule:
|
Date |
Assignment |
|
1/24 |
Introduction, "Let' Get Married" |
|
1/26 |
Shanley, pp. 1-56. |
|
1/31 |
Shanley, pp. 57-end. |
|
2/2 |
Folbre, Introduction, and pp.3-80. |
|
2/7 |
Folbre, pp. 83-182. |
|
2/9 |
Folbre, pp. 183-232. |
|
2/12 |
Read essays from Narayan: Shanley, Narayan, Almond, and Gavignon. |
|
2/14 |
Read reports and analyses on Frontline: Failure to Protect website. View Failure to Protect in class. |
|
2/21 |
Reads essays from Narayan: LaFollette, Purdy, Feder, and Bartkowiak. |
|
2/23 |
Class conversation about topics, groups. Library time. |
|
2/28 |
Provide a bibliography to me by the beginning of class. You should begin to read your essays for the paper that must be posted by Friday. I will be available in the library. |
|
3/2 |
Continue reading. I will be available in the library. Your essay is due on Friday. You also must recommend an essay for your group to read. By email, determine which 2 you will all read by Tuesday. |
|
3/7 |
Each group should read 2 essays and discuss them using questions that I will give to you in class. |
|
3/9 |
Each group should read 2 or 3 essays and discuss them using questions that I will give to you in class. |
|
3/14 |
Website review due. Groups will meet to determine which essay they will assign to the rest of the class and which website they will ask the class to visit. |
|
3/16 |
Group response essay due by Friday. |
|
3/28 |
Final planning day. Meet in class to talk about what you plan to write and how you are planning to lead the class during your week. You should also tell me how you want to divide the reading. That is, create a specific assignment for each of your two days and plan how you will structure class. |
|
3/30 |
Group #1, class #1 |
|
4/4 |
Group #1, class #2 |
|
4/6 |
Group #2, class #1 |
|
4/11 |
Group #2, class #2 |
|
4/13 |
Group #3, class #1 |
|
4/18 |
Group #3, class #2 |
|
4/20 |
No class. I will be at a conference. |
|
4/25 |
Group #4, class #1 |
|
4/27 |
Group #4, class #2 |
|
5/2 |
Group #5, class #1 |
|
5/4 |
Group #5, class #2 |