Family 160: Family Relations - Syllabus & Course Description

Course Description

This is a survey course of family development across the lifespan, including the study of the family as a system, family interaction, and family roles. The course will emphasize the relationship of the family and its environment. Consideration is given to the cultural diversity and heritage of families.

Objectives

By the end of the Course, students will be able to:

Required Materials - Auto Access

Lauer, Robert H. & Lauer, Jeanette C. (2012) Marriage & Family: The Quest for Intimacy, 8th Edition. Boston: McGraw-Hill. (ISBN: 9780078111624)

The required textbook for this course is a low cost auto access digital textbook. Access the textbook using the link provided in the Student Resources module of this course. You will be automatically charged for the digital textbook after the “Add” deadline (the end of the 2nd week of the semester).

If you do not want to use the digital textbook (perhaps you already purchased the print version of the textbook), you must opt out or you will be charged for the digital textbook. Follow this link if you wish to opt out: https://web.byui.edu/byuistore/booklist.

Compare Prices for your textbooks through the University Store Comparison Site. They will show you all of the options from the University Store plus several online options to help you find the best price.

Department Policy Regarding Intellectual Property and Course Materials

All of the materials in this course are covered by fair use and copyright law and are proprietary (intellectual property). Students are not permitted to sell, post, trade, share, distribute, or send any information contained in this course (including outlines, handouts, syllabi, exams, quizzes, PowerPoint presentations, lectures, audio and video recordings, or images of the same, etc. including your own work for this course) to any parties outside of this course (ie Course Hero, Quizlet, Google Docs, etc.) by any means (e.g., posting, uploading, attachments, etc.) without the express written permission from the creator of these works and the Department Chair. Any of these actions violate the Academic Honesty policies of Brigham Young University-Idaho (please see Academic Honesty) and will be dealt with as such. The materials in this course are also intellectual property and taking any materials from the course and posting them outside of this course in any manner will be construed as theft and distribution of intellectual property. If you engage in any of these actions, or use any of these materials without authorization, the instructor has the right to impose an appropriate academic sanction (e.g., give you a failing grade for the assignment and/or fail you from the course). Additionally, the respective Course Lead, Program Lead, and/or Department Chair also reserve the right to impose appropriate academic sanctions regardless of any imposed by the instructor.

Assignments

A variety of assignments will be posted by Monday of each week and will be due the following Wednesday or Saturday. Students should view the lesson materials no later than Tuesday of each week as some assignments will necessitate students to check their course website every couple of days to keep informed of changes and new discussion postings.

Weekly assignments will consist of such things as discussion groups, discussion summaries, quizzes, short papers, and viewing guides. The most important piece of this class is participation. You MUST check the course website several times weekly in order to keep up with announcements, times, assignments, and changes.

Participation in all class assignments is expected. The nature of the course involves class discussion about important and sensitive information. This makes it impossible for students to "make up" or receive credit for missed discussion groups (internet based) as students will not be able to "converse" with their classmates. Remember, you are responsible for checking the website for announcements, changes, assignments, etc. If you fail to check the website several times weekly, you’ll lose points and get behind.

Discussion Groups (10 points each)

Each lesson will include mandatory participation in either an asynchronous discussion board, or a synchronous online discussion using Zoom—something like a group Skype session. You will be given topics for discussion and will be expected to offer meaningful observations and responses to the discussion prompts (questions). In the discussion boards, students will continue to check in and respond to peers’ observations, questions and responses throughout the week. Students are to spend a minimum of 60 minutes participating in the weekly discussion boards by posting an initial response to the discussion prompt by Wednesday night at 11:59 pm Mountain Time, and at least 3 posts to other students’ responses by the Saturday deadline. That would total 4 postings (minimum) each discussion.

Students are, of course, expected to be polite and respectful of others in the class, especially when they have views that differ from yours. Although participation is expected, students must be cautious about revealing personal information about themselves or their families that they may later regret sharing. Students must hold in confidence personal information that is shared from other students. This means that all personal information that is revealed from other students must remain private and must not be discussed outside of class.

Lessons 3, 6, 9 & 12 will provide opportunities to actually interact via Zoom. Instructions will be provided for scheduling and connecting with members of your discussion group by your individual instructor near the beginning of the course. Be sure to participate for 60 minutes in your group at the scheduled time.

Zoom Session Summaries (10 points each)

For the live Zoom Sessions in lessons 3, 6, 9 & 12, students will be assigned to upload individual summaries of the discussion. To summarize the discussion for your group, you will be expected to write up the key points your group discussed. A summary form will be found at the digital drop boxes for lessons 3, 6, 9 & 12.

Reading Quizzes (20 points each)

Students have an obligation to be prepared to contribute to the learning environment. When students have not read the assigned reading before participating in discussion groups, etc., it detracts from learning, especially when discussing the material in small groups. To help motivate us to be prepared for the week, you’ll be asked to complete an online quiz over the readings for that week.

This quiz can be completed anytime during the week, but you are encouraged to complete the quizzes by Wednesday night so that you have this background when participating in the discussion groups and other assignments. Generally, this should be one of the first things you do each week.

Exams (50 points each, 100 points total)

Two exams will be given during the course of the semester, one midterm exam (in Lesson 7) and a final exam. Exams will most likely include items that are true and false, multiple-choice, and matching. Exams will cover reading material and everything that is covered in class, including class discussions, video clips, etc. The final exam will not be comprehensive but will just cover the information since the midterm exam. Exams must be taken when scheduled. If you know you are going to be out of town when an exam is scheduled, please arrange to have Internet access so that you can take the exam during the regularly scheduled time.

Reflection Journal (50 points total)

During the semester you are to keep a journal. The instructor will be reviewing your journal; however, the journal is for you, so record that which will be most helpful to you in the exciting but difficult journey of family life. You are encouraged to share fun stories, inspirational thoughts, connections, and insights you’ve had during the course, commitments or cautions to yourself, hopes, dreams, goals, a family mission statement, key principles, or prophetic counsel on marriage and family life.

Your journal will be meaningful as you seek to be taught about marriage and family life by the Holy Ghost and record your thoughts. The important thing is that the journal becomes an important learning tool to you as a spouse, a parent, and a family member. If your journal appears to be busywork rather than a valuable learning tool, points will be deducted. Write in your journal weekly. Be creative in how you organize your journal; however, make sure it is well organized with key principles or concepts easy to identify.

The instructor will grade this assignment near the midterm period and then once again near the conclusion of the course. Grading will be based on the following criteria:

Video and Presentation Viewing Guides (60 points total)

Papers (150 points total)

NOTE – In every paper you write, you should cite any reference used, otherwise it is plagiarism and dishonest. If you get any information anywhere other than from your own head, you need to cite where you got the information from, even if it’s from our textbook, or from your roommate’s dad’s second step cousin twice removed. In citing these sources, please follow your professional field’s citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago). If you aren’t sure which one to use, just use APA. Here are some resources if you aren’t sure how to properly cite your information:

McKay Library: http://abish.byui.edu/library/Nhtw_MLaApa.cfm?tab=btn2&menu=submenu1

Purdue’s online writing Lab: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/

My Family System Paper (Lesson 2; 20 points):

You will apply the principles of Family Systems Theory to your own life for your profit and learning (1 Ne. 19:23).

Cohabitation Role-Play Paper (Lesson 5; 20 points)

This assignment allows you to create a dialog that you could potentially have with your friend/acquaintance regarding cohabitation in order to help them see some of the consequences and problems of this decision. Remember to be kind and respectful; remember to use the research in the article we read and/or in your textbook in your dialog.

Married Couple Interview Paper (Lesson 6; 20 points)

You will interview one couple (or two different individuals if you can’t get a married couple together) about their transition to marriage. Questions will be provided. You will write up a summary on the couple’s background, their specific challenges with the transition to marriage, and any other helpful information you gained.

Family Crisis Paper (Lesson 8; 20 points)

In this paper you will apply the ABCX model to a sample family crisis. Then you will describe some family crisis or great stressor that you have experienced or witnessed quite directly. You will apply all elements of the model to describe what took place and how the family was affected. Be specific about each element of the ABCX model, and describe how the family was actually influenced by the total experience for good, for bad or with mixed results. Be specific about family member behavioral responses as well as the cognitions—thoughts—of which you were aware. Discuss also how events might have been handled differently, and what those results would have been.

Conflict Resolution Exercise and Paper (Lesson 9; 20 points)

For this assignment you will choose a real life person (spouse, family member, roommate, employer, employee, ward member, etc.) you currently have some kind of conflict with. Then you will sit down with them and actually walk through the steps of conflict resolution on the PowerPoint. (The PowerPoint has a couple additional steps compared to the steps in the book.) Of course you’ll need to explain some of the information to the person as you go. Then you will write a paper discussing how you​ used the steps of conflict resolution with this person.

Parenting Application Assignment (Lesson 11; 20 points)

Using the principles of parenting discussed in the Parenting Presentation, you will pick two positive incidents in which your parents exemplified one or more of these parenting principles in their parenting. Then pick one situation where you feel their missed an opportunity to apply these principles. Describe the backgrounds of the situations and what your parents did. Then tie this in to the parenting principles presented, and explain how they exemplified or applied one or more of these principles. Your Paper will need to be around 1-2 double spaced pages.

Top 10 List (Conclusion Lesson; 10 points)

Create a “Top Ten Things I Want to Remember from FAML 160.” This should include the gems you gleaned from the class. You may want to pull these out of your Reflections Journal, from the text, or from your notes. It should be substantive—limited to 1-2 pages typed. Include the list and a brief commentary on each point on the list. For example, you might say, “1) Cohabitation leads to higher divorce rates—I want to share with all my friends the research that shows a much higher divorce rate for people who live together before marriage. The rest of the world believes the myth that cohabitation helps you find the right person to marry.”

Grading Policies

Grades will be based on the following points:

Name

Points Each

Points Possible

12 Reading Quizzes

20

240

14 Discussions

10

140

8 Writing assignments

20 (one 10)

150

6 Viewing Guides

10

60

14 Self-assessments

10

140

13 Journal entries

25 @ each assessment

50

2 Exams

50

100

TOTAL: 880 points

A

93% - 100%

C

73% - 76.99%

​A -

90% - 92.99%

C -

70% - 72.99%

​B+

87% - 89.99%

D+

67% - 69.99%

B

83% - 86.99%

D

63% - 66.99%

B -

80% - 82.99%

D -

60% - 62.99%

C +

77% - 79.99%

F

= 59% and below

Late Work

Individual late policies will be explained to you by your instructor.