HIS 546 History of the Family

Course Description: The purpose of this course is to trace the American family from early modern times through today. The following questions will form the foundations of the course: How does society construct and define families? Were there racial, ethnic, class, geographical, or religious differences that contributed to the differences found between families of the same era? Did the institution change over time? Do economic, social and political factors play a role? What can a historical examination of the institution tell us about the family's future?

Course Requirements: Attendance and informed participation in class discussions are mandatory (10%). Students take two essay exams (40%) and submit three formal papers (one will be a family history project) (50%).

Required Reading:
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Good Wives: Image and Reality in the Lives of Women in Northern New England, 1650-1750.
Larry Hudson, To Have and to Hold: Slave Work and Family Life in Antebellum South Carolina
Kathy Peiss ed., Major Problems in the History of American Sexuality
Elaine Tyler May, Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era
Rickie Solinger, Wake Up Little Susie: Single Pregnancy and Race before Roe v. Wade
Handouts in class and articles on reserve

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