Relationships, Marriage and Family

In the last fifty years, there have been significant changes in the structure and social significance of relationships, families, and marriage. This course provides an opportunity to analyze these changes from an international perspective and to relate them to contemporary Australia. Students will interpret demographic shifts and evaluate changing attitudes towards family and marriage, issues associated with balancing work and family, and the effectiveness of family-related government policies. The course will also introduce influential sociological theories related to marriage and family. Students will conduct research projects on one of the course's specialized topics to consolidate their knowledge. They may include gender, love, and sexuality in relationships, cultural variations in the understanding of family and marriage, singlehood, partner selection, relationship breakdown, same-sex relationships, gender roles in parenting, the sociology of everyday family life, the intersection of money and intimacy, and the outsourcing of care. Students will critically assess debates on the diversity of modern family and relationship structures by engaging in group discussions.