Familia De Militares

SOCIOLOGY 654: MILITARY FAMILIES

Fall 2009

Tentative syllabus – subject to change
Mondays from 3:30 to 6:10 P.M. in Room 1117 Art-Sociology Bldg.
Professor:
Dr. Mady W. Segal
Office: 4127 Art-Sociology Bldg. Office hours: By appointment.
Office phone: 301-405-6433. (If voice mail engages immediately, phone is busy.)
e-mail: msegal@socy.umd.edu
FAX: 301-314-6892
Reading ResourceT.A.: Karin De Angelis e-mail: kdeangelis@socy.umd.edu
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Course Description and Goals
p. 2
Course Requirements
pp. 3-5
Schedule of Classes and Required Readings
pp. 6-20
1. 31 August. Introduction To The Course
2. 14 September. Overview of Work and Family Linkages in the Military
3. 21 September. Military Family Research and Theory
4. 28 September. Demographics of MilitaryFamilies & Changes in Family Patterns
5. 5 October. Organizational Outcomes: Retention, Readiness, Morale, & Commitment
6. 12 October. Family Well-Being
7. 19 October. The Military‘s Organizational Demands and Life-Style Characteristics:
Family Separation and Reunion (including POW/MIA)
8. 26 October. Children in Military Families
9. 2 Nov. Family Well-Being (Continued): Family Violence andFamily Dissolution
10. 9 Nov. The Military‘s Organizational Demands and Life-Style Characteristics:
Geographic Mobility, Living Overseas, Retirement, Traumatic Loss, Long
Hours, & Shift Work
11. 16 Nov. Roles of Military Spouses: Employment, Education, Gender Construction,
& Volunteer Work
12. 23 Nov. Military Community and Informal Social Support
13. 30 Nov. Formal Support Services toMilitary Families and Military Family Policy.
14. 7 Dec. Course wrap-up. Review. State of the field. Catch-up day.
Final Project due.
Term paper and Term Paper Proposal
Optional Readings: Suggestions for expertise days and papers
Key Terms for Learning Outcomes

pp. 21-24
pp. 25-48
Separate

1

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS
Work and family are the two most important life domains for mostpeople. While both
have been traditional areas of sociological study, they were separate areas of research. Growing
emphasis is being placed on the relationship between these two major social institutions in
contemporary society and therefore in social science. This course covers the relationship
between the work organization and the family in the armed forces of the U.S.
Topics to be coveredinclude: theoretical approaches to the study of work and family;
analysis of the military family life style; demographic profiles of military families; effects of
families on organizational outcomes; organizational demands on service members and their
families; effects of the organizational demands on families (e.g., effects of separations on family
roles; effects of geographic mobility onspouse employment and on children); roles of military
spouses; coping with stress in military families; military famil y well-being; family policy in the
military (including family support programs).
The goals that we seek to accomplish in this course are to:
1. Describe and synthesize sociological concepts, principles, and theories used in the study of
the relationship between the military andfamily institutions.
2. Apply the scientific method to the study of military families from a sociological perspective.
3. Explain the relationship between work and family in the armed forces of the United States
(and perhaps other nations).
4. Analyze and discuss contemporary issues, situations, problems, and policies relevant to
military families using a sociological perspective.
5.Compare the relationship between work and family in the military with work and family
relations in civilian society.
6. Evaluate methodology and findings of social science research on military families.
7. Demonstrate the ability to communicate all of the above effectively, both orally and in
writing.
These course goals represent what you are expected to be able to do upon successful
completion...