SOC 4780 Family and Society in Africa

Course description

The family, as a social institution, is structured according to historical, socio-economic, political, and cultural factors. Course topics include the concepts of the nuclear and extended family, the roles, rights and obligations of different age groups and generations; and marriage and its related issues, including parenthood, childrearing, and gender roles. Other issues examined are reproductive health, family planning, sexuality and fertility (particularly during adolescence), family codes, and legal implications. The course deals also with structural change and continuity, the impact of westernization, urbanization, formal education, and the contemporary economy on the structure and challenges of the family in Africa. Finally, the legacy of African family values and traditions in the African Diaspora, with a focus on the African-American experience, is discussed.

Previously offered classes