Ethics, gender and the family

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

170 hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

The family continues to be regarded as a private institution that should be immune to public scrutiny, despite the increasing intervention in the family by public institutions - notably, the law, education, medicine and social services. Towards the end of the 20th century, feminist thinkers challenged the view that the family is a private domain and there is now a growing tradition of using alternative perspectives, such as gender studies and childhood studies to examine the family as a site of contestation over members’ rights and responsibilities.

An indicative list of topics in this subject is as follows: the public/private divide; feminist perspectives on families; men’s contemporary roles and power in families in diverse cultural contexts; the roles and power in families of the ‘helping professions’; globalization, family diversity and the normalization of family life; the state regulation of families; the compatibility of parents’ and children’s rights.

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• Identify and understand different historical and contemporary theoretical perspectives on the study of family life;
• Analyse the role of specific public institutions in family life in 21st century;
• Explore and understand alternative perspectives on studying families in different cultural and political contexts;
• Present case studies of the changing roles and power of men in families in diverse cultural contexts;
• Develop awareness of the intersections and tensions between children’s rights and parents’ rights in current debates about the family.

Assignments totalling 4,000 words or equivalent. Case study mid-semester, Essay (2,500 words) end of Semester.

Attendance at all classes (tutorial/seminars/practical classes/lectures/labs/online classes) is obligatory. Failure to attend 80% of classes will normally result in failure in the subject.

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

On completing this subject, students should be able to:

• Sharpen their analytical skills by identifying and analysing diverse contemporary and historical theoretical perspectives in family studies;
• Enhance their skills of scholarly critique through reading widely in diverse journals and texts;
• Gain improved written and oral communication skills through developing and presenting case studies of changing role and power of men in families;
• Demonstrate skills in critical reflection on the role of public institutions in family life;
• Gain reflective knowledge and understanding of cross-cultural concepts in the study of family life.