A Course Title

& Number HIS 340 History of the Family

B Pre/Co- Prerequisite(s): HIS201 or HIS202 or HIS204 or HIS205 or HIS206
requisite(s) or HIS208 or HIS210 or HIS240 or INS205 or WST240
C Number of
Credit hours (3-0-3)
credits
D Faculty Name Dr. Suzanne E. Joseph
E Term/ Year Spring 2016
F Sections
CRN Course Day Time Location
s
20316 HIS 340-01 M/W 11:00-12:15pm NAB 105*
Location subject to change
G Instructor
Information Instructor Office Telephone Email
Dr. Suzanne PHY X2452 sjoseph@aus.edu
Joseph 227
Office Hours:

Mon/Wed 9:30-11:00AM; 2:30-3:30pm.

Or by appointment
Office Hours will be posted on the office door as well as on iLearn.
Explores the transformation of family life and family structures in a specific historical context.
H Course
Examines the family as an economic, political, and social entity, and as a gendered network.
Description
Analyzes the relationship between family/kinship structures and socio-economic/socio-political
from Catalog
developments. Covers key concepts and different methodological approaches employed in the
field of family history.

Upon the successful completion of the course (grade C- or above), a student has earned 3 credit
hours. To students majoring in International Studies, HIS340 may be counted as a Major
Elective. For all other students, HIS340 may count as a Humanities Requirement or a Culture
in a Critical Perspective Requirement in AUSs General Education Program. Alternatively, the
course can be counted as a Free Elective. For students pursuing a minor in History and/or in
Womens Studies, the course can also be counted as a minor elective.
Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:
I Course
1) Demonstrate an overview of changing family structures in specific
Learning
historical contexts
Outcomes 2) Employ discipline-specific terminology and methodologies
appropriate to the history
of the family
3) Identify ways in which family structures reflect the economic, political,
and social
reality
4) Demonstrate an understanding of the possibilities and limitations of
different primary
and secondary sources used in the history of the family
5) Develop clear analytical arguments (verbal and written) related to
 history of the family
6) Demonstrate the ability to think independently, analytically, and
critically about
prevailing family structures and the ways in which they are discussed in
current debates.
J Textbook and The main text, Mary Jo Maynes and Ann Beth Waltner (ed.) The Family: A
other World History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012, is available on
Instructional ebrary; the remaining readings can be found on iLearn/Blackboard. The readings from the
Material and main text will be supplemented with readings from various edited volumes and academic journals in
Resources the AUS library (please see the schedule and overview of required readings below). Note: a copy of
assigned readings for the particular class must be brought to class; students who fail to bring the text
to class may be counted absent or dismissed from class.
The course is taught as a combination of lectures and class discussions. The course is taught as a
K Teaching and
combination of interactive lectures, small-group and seminar-style discussions. Students are expected
Learning
to come to class having read the relevant text. Students may occasionally be required to discuss a
Methodologie
series of study questions in groups and present to the class.
s
L Grading Grading Scale
Scale,
Grading 94 100 4.0 A 77 79 2.3 C+
Distribution, 90 93 3.7 A- 73 76 2.0 C
87 89 3.3 B+ 70 72 1.7 C-
and Due
83 86 3.0 B 60 69 1.0 D
Dates
80 82 2.7 B- Less Than 0 F
60
Grading Distribution

Assessment Weight Due Date

Pop Quiz #1 10%
Pop Quiz #2 --- (lowest
grade will be
dropped)
Attendance and Class 5% ongoing
Participation
Midterm Exam 25% March 24th 2016
Research Paper, Part I 20% March 30th 2016
Research Paper, Part II 20% May 2nd 2016
Final Exam 20% TBA
Total 100%

Each student will be evaluated for understanding the basic concepts of the course, for ability to
M Explanation of
demonstrate understanding of continuity and change of these concepts over historical time
Assessments
periods and geographic space. Consideration will be given for the following qualities: ability to
reason, breadth of knowledge, aptitude for independent study or research, and precision and
ability to communicate in writing and orally.

Quizzes: Students will be evaluated on their ability to understand concepts relevant to the field of
family history and demonstrate an awareness of empirical findings, as well as their contestations.
The format of the quizzes varies, but will consist of short-answer questions designed to gauge
student understanding of conceptual- empirical findings in family history (see course goals 1, 2,
and 4)
 In-class exams (i.e. midterm exam and final exam):
The in-class mid-term exam and the final exam are in the form of essays (see course goals 1, 3, and
6). The final exam is cumulative. The essays require both summary and critical synthesis of
course material.

Research Paper (Part I and Part II): In the research paper, students have to develop their own
analytical research question/thesis statement based on the available scholarly literature. All topics must
be approved by the instructor. The paper requires students to engage analytically and critically with a
substantial amount of qualitative and quantitative historical demographic material. In addition to a
well-rounded literature review based on secondary source material, students are required to consult
primary sources for the paper. A good paper is characterized by clarity and must demonstrate an
analytical and independent understanding of the material covered in the course and additional
literature. The paper must of course include accurate and sufficient citations. Lack of coherence,
poor grammar, and inadequate citations are likely to result in low or failing grades (see course goals
2, 3, 5, and 6)

Attendance/Participation: Attendance will comprise 3/5 of the grade. The more absences a student
accumulates, the lower the attendance grade will be. In the event that a student misses 15% of the
sessions in a class for any reason, withdrawal of the student from the course will be initiated.
Attendance is taken from the second day of class. Once the class commences, I will shut the door, at
which point no students will be allowed to enter. Arriving late and leaving early are disruptive
and will not be permitted. A total of 2 absences will result in a 2-point or 2% deduction; 3or more
absences will result in a deduction of 3%. Two tardies or 2 early leaves count as 1absence. The only
excuses that are considered legitimate or excused are medical/health emergencies that require
overnight hospital stays. Two absences will be considered excused under those circumstances and
those circumstances only. The remaining 2 points of the attendance/participation grade will be based
on the students active engagement in class, especially instructor-guided questions. If your cell phone
goes off during class, you will not only lose points but be asked to leave the classroom and return
the following class. (See the AUS Undergraduate Catalog 2012-2013, p. 29 regarding attendance and
lateness).
Students MUST read the Student Academic Integrity Code outlined in the AUS Catalog and
N Student
agree to abide by the standards for academic conduct, students rights and responsibilities and
Academic
procedures for handling allegations of academic dishonesty (see pg. 17-19 in the 2014-2015
Integrity Code
Undergraduate Catalog). Violations of academic integrity are listed in the Academic Integrity
Statement
section of the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogues of the University. These include, but are
not limited to:

Plagiarism
Inappropriate collaboration
Inappropriate proxy
Dishonesty in examinations or submitted work
Work completed for one course being submitted for another
Deliberate falsification of data
Interference with other students work
Copyright violations
Complicity in academic dishonesty

Please see Academic Integrity Code below (taken from the Student Catalogue). Students
MUST read the Student Academic Integrity Code outlined in the AUS
Catalog and agree to abide by the standards for academic conduct,
 students rights and responsibilities and procedures for handling
allegations of academic dishonesty.

O Other
Information Cell phones: All cell phones should be switched off, and students found using their cell
phones in class will be asked to leave the classroom and return the following class.
Repeated offenses will result in a 2 point deduction from the final letter grade in the
course.

Attendance: Once the class commences, I will shut the door, at which point no students
will not be allowed to enter. Arriving late and leaving early are disruptive and will not
be permitted.

Grade scale: Grades are calculated on the above scale (see section L) with no rounding.
Only the final course grade will be rounded up (e.g., a final grade of 89.5will be
rounded up to 90)

Make-up quizzes and exams: No make-up quizzes or exams will be administered under
any circumstances.

Extra credit: No extra credit assignments will be administered under any circumstances.

Syllabus changes: The instructor reserves the right to modify the assigned readings for
the course. All revisions will be posted on iLearn. Students will also be notified over
email. It is the students responsibility to check their email and iLearn regularly over the
course of the semester.

SCHEDULE
NOTES
WEEK READINGS

1 Early Human Families: Conceptual-Empirical

Contributions

Mary Jo Maynes and Ann Beth Waltner Chapter 1:

Domestic Life and Human Origins (to 5000 BCE), In
Mary Jo Maynes and Ann Beth Waltner (ed.) The Family: A
World History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012
Ebrary
2 Early Human Families: Conceptual-Empirical
Contributions
 Gerda Lerner. Chapters 4-5: The Woman Slave, and
The Wife and the Concubine In The Creation of
Patriarchy. Oxford University Press, 1986.
(BLACKBOARD)

Mary Jo Maynes and Ann Beth Waltner Chapter 2: The

Birth of the Gods: Family in the Emergence of Religions
(to 1000 CE), In Mary Jo Maynes and Ann Beth Waltner
(ed.) The Family: A World History. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2012 Ebrary
3 Families in the Classical World: Ancient Greece and Rome

Sarah Pomeroy. Chapters 2 and Final Conclusion:

Becoming a Wife and Conclusion: Gender and
Ethnicity In Spartan Women. Oxford University Press,
2002. (BLACKBOARD)

Suzanne Dixon. Chapters 1-2: Introduction and Roman

Family Relations and the Law, In The Roman Family.
Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992. (BLACKBOARD)
4 Families in Medieval Europe

Jack Goody Chapter 6 Church, Land, and Family in the

West, In The Development of the Family and Marriage in
Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983.
(BLACKBOARD)

Mary Jo Maynes and Ann Beth Waltner Chapter 3: Ruling

Families: Kinship at the Dawn of Politics (ca. 3000 BCE to
1450 CE), In Mary Jo Maynes and Ann Beth Waltner (ed.)
The Family: A World History. Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2012 Ebrary
5 Early Modern Families

Mary Jo Maynes and Ann Beth Waltner Chapters 4 and 5:

Early Modern Families (1400-1750), and Families in
Global Markets (1600-1850), In Mary Jo Maynes and Ann
Beth Waltner (ed.) The Family: A World History. Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 2012 Ebrary
6 Modern Families and Romantic Love

Mary Jo Maynes and Ann Beth Waltner Chapter 6

Families in Revolutionary Times (1750-1920), In Mary Jo
Maynes and Ann Beth Waltner (ed.) The Family: A World
History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012 Ebrary

Eva Illouz. Chapters 7. The Reasons for Passion, In

Consuming the Romantic Utopia: Love and the Cultural
Contradictions of Capitalism. University of California
Press, 1997 (BLACKBOARD)
7 Modern Families and Love in Contemporary Postmodern
Culture

Eva Illouz. Chapters 8 The Class of Love, In Consuming

the Romantic Utopia: Love and the Cultural
Contradictions of Capitalism. University of California
Press, 1997 (BLACKBOARD)
8 Module 2: Families in the Muslim World Midterm
Pre-Islamic Families: Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean Wed
March 24
Leila Ahmed. Chapters 1 and 2 Mesopotamia, and
Mediterranean Middle East, in Women and Gender in
Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate, pp. 11-37.
New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992. (BLACKBOARD)
9 Early Muslim Families March 30th
Research
Leila Ahmed. Chapter 3 Women and the Rise of Islam, Paper I
in Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a
Modern Debate, pp. 41-63. New Haven: Yale University
Press, 1992. (BLACKBOARD)

Hammudah Abd Al Ati. Chapter 2 The Foundations and

Boundaries of the Family in The Family Structure in
Islam., pp. 19-49. Brentwood, MD: American Trust
Publications, 1977. (BLACKBOARD)

Hammudah Abd Al Ati. Chapter 3 Marriage in Islam in

The Family Structure in Islam., pp. 50-97. Brentwood,
MD: American Trust Publications, 1977. (BLACKBOARD)
10 Medieval Muslim Families
Leila Ahmed. Chapters 6 Medieval Islam, in Women
and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern
Debate. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992.
(BLACKBOARD)
11 Muslim Families: Pre and Post-Twentieth Century
Developments

Judith Tucker Chapter 2 Woman as Wife and Mas as

Husband: Making the Marital Bargain, in Women, Family,
and Gender in Islamic Law. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2008. BLACKBOARD
12 Muslim Families and Marriages in the Twentieth Century:
Case Study Iranian Urban Society

Shahla Haeri. Law of Desire: Temporary Marriage in Shii

Iran. Syracuse University Press, 1989. (Selections)
BLACKBOARD
13 Muslim Families and Marriages in the Twentieth Century: May 2nd
Case Study Rural Afghan Tribal Society Research
Paper II
Nancy Tapper. Bartered Brides: Politics, Gender, and
 Marriage in an Afghan Tribal Society. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2006. BLACKBOARD
14 Families in Other Cultural Contexts: Case Study Rural,
Lowland South America

Stephen Beckerman and Paul Valentine Introduction

and Catherine Ales Chapter 4 A Story of Unspontaneous
Generation: Yanomami Male Co-Procreation and the
Theory of Substances, in Cultures of Multiple Fathers,
Stephen Beckerman and Paul Valentine (eds.).
Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2002.
BLACKBOARD
15 Families of the Future: Conclusions and Discussion

Mary Jo Maynes and Ann Beth Waltner Chapter 7 Powers

of Life and Death: Families in the Era of State Population
Management (1880 to the present), In Mary Jo Maynes
and Ann Beth Waltner (ed.) The Family: A World History.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012 Ebrary

FINAL
EXAM TBA

See Spring 2016 Academic Calendar below for important assessment dates and holidays.
 February 2016
Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5 6
Week 1

7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Week 2

14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Week 3 Presidents Day

21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Week 4

28 29
Week 5
 March 2016
Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Week 6

13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Week 7

20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Week 8 Midterm
Good Friday

27 28 29 30 31
Week 9 Research Paper
I
 April 2016
Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Spring Break

10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Week 10

17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Week11

24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Week12
 May 2016
Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Week13 Research Paper
II NO CLASS
Al Israa Wal Miraj

8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Week14
Mothers Day

15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Week15 Last day of class FINAL EXAMS

22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Make-up exam day

29 30 31
Memorial Day
 June 2016
Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Fathers Day

26 27 28 29 30