Sociological approaches to family and couple

Teacher(s)

Wauthier Pierre-Yves;

Language

French

Content

Throughout the course, various theoretical frameworks are presented to encourage students’ critical reflection. Classical and contemporary sociological concepts and theorists are drawn upon to understand the social implications of changes and continuities in the realm of family and couple relationships throughout the 20th and 21st centuries in Belgium and Western Europe.
The main developments in family and marital relationships are contextualized within broader cultural and sociotechnical changes (biotechnologies, ICT, modes of production and consumption, values, etc.). This approach is combined with eight ways of studying families and couples: morphologies, functions, interactions, economic relationships, power relations, Leitbild, and life cycles and trajectories.
Equipped with these conceptual approaches, students will be able to interpret contemporary issues—such as sexualities, social inequalities, lifestyles, ecology, housing, the transition to adulthood, parenthood, old age, domestic violence, public health (STIs, COVID…), work (unpaid and paid), the digitization of social relations, legal developments, and biomedical advances in the fields of human reproduction and preventive medicine.
This course contributes to the University’s goal of educating students on the challenges of sustainable development and the transition to a sustainable future. In particular, we will examine recent research in sociology that shows how—or to what extent—family and couple dynamics and practices affect the environment, and how the environmental crisis affects family and couple dynamics and practices.

Teaching methods

The course is taught through lectures, academic discussions with students on analytical concepts (based on assigned readings), and flipped classroom sessions (see assessment methods). Unless there are circumstances beyond our control (e.g., a pandemic, a general strike, etc.), sessions are held in a lecture hall.

Evaluation methods

Students’ learning outcomes will be assessed based on their individual demonstration of knowledge of the subject matter, as well as their ability to analyze contemporary issues related to family and couple life from a sociological perspective.
The specific assessment criteria will be defined by the instructor, during the first lesson:

Online resources

The resources needed for the study will be posted on Moodle: slide presentations, cited references, scientific texts, hyperlinks, and videos.

Bibliography

Schneider, N. F., & Kreyenfeld, M. (2021). Research Handbook on the Sociology of the Family. Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781788975544
Wauthier, P.-Y. (2022). Faire famille sans faire couple. Comprendre l’hétérogénéisation des parcours familiaux (Vol. 36). Peter Lang. doi: 10.3726/b19554 
Autres éléments bibliographiques détaillés sur Moodle.

Faculty or entity

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