Writing the Family

Family brings us the full range of emotions, from joy to suffering. In this course, we will look at various attempts to define “the family.” We will read sociological accounts of the family, memoirs that grapple with this topic, and do our own writing. This is a workshop-based class: we will read, discuss, write, share our stories, and offer constructive and supportive feedback, paying attention to the variety of ways to write about this complicated topic. This class will culminate in a public reading for the campus community, where students will share portions of their final project: a written story that links our biographies with history to creatively examine one of the most fundamental yet contested social institutions in the 21st century. (SOCI majors only and others by permission) (SOCI 0101)