PROSEMINAR IN PARENT-CHILD RELATIONS

DEP-5315                                                                             Gordon Finley

Tuesday 2:00-4:45                                                                Fall, 2003

 

TEXT:

Bornstein, M. H. (Ed.) (2002).Handbook of Parenting, Volume 3, Being and Becoming A Parent, Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates

(ISBN:0-8058-3780-9). (B)

 

**Key Buy directly for $75.00 from publisher (1 800-926-6579)**

 

            This proseminar consists of an examination of several key issues in the Psychology of Parent-Child Relations.  It also serves as one of the required proseminars for our Ph.D. Program in Life-Span Development.  It is structured as a discussion seminar with readings assigned for each meeting, a take-home "think" examination, and an oral seminar presentation.

             The seminar will have four primary foci: (a) Given our location, we will look at cultural influences on parent-child relations and caregiving; (b) given the tremendous success of the Human Gemone Project, we will look at genetic influences on parent-child relations; (c) given the instructors current research interests, we will examine the issues involved with fathers, children and divorce; and (d) we also will look at two family forms which currenty are “hot” topics - the very high frequency family of divorce and the much lower frequency adoptive family. The amount of reading will vary from week to week.

 

            Seminar sessions will consist of a discussion of the readings assigned for that session.  It is critical that you read carefully, think about, and come to each session prepared to discuss the readings and related theoretical and methodological issues.  Students evaluation will consist of seminar discussion (30%), a take home exam (40%), and an oral seminar presentation of an independent project (30%).  The independent project should: (1) Focus on a narrow subtopic within the general framework of the seminar; (2) review and critically evaluate the relevant literature; and (3) design a new study based on your review and critical evaluation of the literature.  The format for the oral presentation should be that of a research proposal.  The topic must be a new one for you.  You may not choose a topic you have worked on previously.  Please give me a title and paragraph on your proposed presentation by 10/01. Depending on the number of students, the presentations will be between 15 and 30 minutes.

 

            The readings assigned for this seminar will be found in the text noted above and online on the library web page under FIU Course Reserves on Web LUIS under DEP 5315.

PREREQUISITE:  Graduate standing or permission of the instructor.

 

TENTATIVE SEMINAR OUTLINE

 

DAY

SEMINAR TOPIC

READINGS

8/26

Introduction; Family Research & Policy; Pre-school in 3 cultures

--------------------

9/02

Historical & Cultural Influences on Parenting 

Schwalb, "Modern Japanese Fathers"(RESF189.42); French, "History of Parenting"(RESF 189.58).

Harkness and Super"Culture and Parenting" (RESF 189.59); Werner xerox, "Child Nurturance in Other Cultures" (RESF 189.01).

9/09

Transition to Parenting; Parental Development and Personality

B Chs 12, 13, & 14

9/16

Motherhood and Fatherhood

B,Chs1&2;Marsiglio, et al,“Scholarship On Fatherhood in the 1990's and Beyond”; Lamb, the Emergent American Father(RESF 189.37) Silverstein & Auerbach “Deconstructing the Essential Father (RESF 189.70)

9/23

Marriage, Divorce, & Co-Parenting

B, Chs 3&9; Amato “The Post Divorce Society”, Finley “The Best Interest of the Child and the Eye of the Beholder”.

9/30

Fathers, Children, and Divorce

Thompson,“The role of the

father after divorce”; Hetherington & Stanley-Hogan,The effects of divorce on fathers and their children”; Finley & Schwartz, xerox, “Father hunger, divorce, family court, and the reconstruction of the essential father.”Finley “Father-Child Relationships Following Divorce”, TBA

0/07

Adoptive Parenthood and    the Reproductive Technologies

B, Ch 11; Brodzinsky, et al

“Parenting Adopted Children(RESF 189.23);Finley,“On individual ddifference,choice,selection,and complexity in adoption research”. Finley,“Children Of Adoptive Families”.

10/14

Stigmatized Families: Adolescent, Single, Gay/Lesbian

B, Chs 4,6,10

10/21

Non-Parental Caregiving

B, Chs 5,7,8

10/28

Cognitive Parenting

B, Chs 15,18,19

11/04

Nature, Nurture, and Psychoanalysis

 

Distribute Take Home Exam

B,Ch20;Cadoret “Biologic Perspectives,on Adoptee Adjustment (RESF 189.47); Rose, “Genes & Human Behavior”; Gottesman & Goldsmith “Developmental Psychopathology of Antisocial Behavior.”

11/11

Veteran’s Day Holiday Work on Take-Home Exam

--------------------

11/18

Take Home Exam Due (by 4:45 at place to be specified)

--------------------

11/25 

Presentations

--------------------

12/02

Presentations

--------------------

12/09

Presentations (Note: For 12/09 there is a time change to 15:30-18:15. Be sure you have No exam schedule conflict.

--------------------