MCCCD Program Description

Marriage and Family Life

Course: CFS157

First Term: 1995 Fall

Lecture 3 Credit(s) 3 Period(s) 3 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: S

Description: Study of marriage and the family as a social system, including models of family analysis, intrapersonal and interpersonal relations, and cross-cultural and historical patterns

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Define the family and evaluate alternative family forms. (I) 2. Analyze significant family functions as they apply to a variety of cultures. (I) 3. Describe basic methods of family analysis and identify strengths and limitations of each method. (I) 4. Determine specific factors that invalidate research. (I) 5. Evaluate major conceptual frameworks. (I) 6. Describe basic changes in the family from pre-industrial times to the present. (I) 7. Evaluate functions of dating practices in a variety of cultures and in various periods of United States history. (II) 8. Identify major sexual value systems and describe their effect on dating behavior. (II) 9. Compare and contrast infatuation and love, and describe basic theories of love. (II) 10. Describe major mate selection theories. (II) 11. Identify and describe personal and legal issues that should be addressed in a contemporary marital contract. (II) 12. Identify predictors of marital satisfaction. (III) 13. Evaluate gender role changes over the last three decades, indicating possible causes. (III) 14. Describe positive and negative impact of traditional and egalitarian role expectations and evaluate their effect on marital relationships. (III) 15. Describe major styles of communication and analyze their effect on marital relationships. (III) 16. Identify issues affecting marital adjustment and describe their impact on marriage. (III) 17. Analyze the effect of sexual values and behavior on marital adjustment and intimacy throughout the marriage. (III) 18. Analyze the impact of childbirth, parenting, stepparenting, and the empty nest on marital adjustment. (III) 19. Describe causes and consequences of family violence and resources available for victims of abuse. (III) 20. Compare and contrast the legal issues involved in the death/divorce of a spouse. (IV) 21. Use case analysis on bereavement to analyze the stages of grief. (IV) 22. Describe factors that lead to successful adjustment to the realities of divorce or bereavement. (IV)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Institutional analysis A. Definition of family including various subcultures in the United States 1. Analysis of alternative family functions 2. Cross-cultural assessment of family functions B. Methods of family analysis 1. Strengths and limitations of each method 2. Discrimination between valid and invalid research C. Conceptual frameworks 1. Underlying assumptions of each framework 2. Interrelationship of frameworks in forming hypotheses D. Historical perspective of the family by decade 1. Correlation between sociobiological social change and family function 2. Projections for the family of the 21st century based on historical antecedents II. Dating and mate selection A. Functions of dating practices 1. Cross-cultural and historical assessment 2. Projection of future trends B. Sexual value systems and their effect on behavior C. Definitions of love D. Sociological, psychological, and mate selection theories and their impact on marital satisfaction E. Premarital contracts III. Marital adjustment A. Predictors of marital satisfaction B. Historical and cross-cultural perspectives on role expectations: assessment of evolving gender roles C. Styles of spousal interaction and their effect on marital adjustment D. Impact of job stress, economic strain, retirement, personal value differences, and relationships with other people on marital adjustment E. Impact of sexual values and behavior on marital adjustment F. Effect of childbirth and parenting on marital adjustment G. Step family readjustments H. Causes, types, and consequences of family violence; options for victims of family abuse IV. Marital dissolution through divorce or death of a spouse A. Legal issues B. Stages of grief C. Factors leading to positive personal adjustment to loss D. Comparison of adjustment issues involved in divorce and bereavement

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: 5/23/1995

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.