SOCIOLOGY 313
SPRING 1997: OLSCAMP 205
MONDAY & WEDNESDAY 8:00-9:15
Professor Wendy Manning
233 Williams Hall
372-2850
wmannin @ opie.bgsu.edu
OFFICE HOURS: Monday and Wednesday 9:30-10:30 or by appointment
WELCOME TO FERTILITY AND FAMILY PLANNING !
In this class we will explore, discuss, and analyze a variety of materials related to issue of fertility and family planning. We will study fertility issues in the United States as well as fertility and population change in less developed countries. We will focus specifically on the role of social institutions on fertility behavior.
My primary responsibility in this course is to be prepared to lecture and discuss each class period's material. I will try to make the material interesting, challenging, and relevant to your lives. Your main responsibilities are to be prepared to discuss and evaluate both the lectures and reading assignments each day.
TEXTS:
Ashford, L. 1995. New Perspectives on Population: Lessons from Cairo. Population Bulletin:
50(1).
Bianchi, S. and D. Spain 1996. Women's Work and Family in America. Population Bulletin: 51(3).
Luker, K. 1996. Dubious Conceptions. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Tien, H. 1992. China's Demographic Dilemma. Population Bulletin. 47(1).
Visaria, L. and P.Visaria. 1995. India's Population Transition. Population Bulletin 50(3).
Zelizer, V, 1994. Pricing the Priceless Child: The Changing Social Value of Children. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press
Selected journal articles and book chapters are available from the Reserve Reading Room of Jerome Library.
COMPUTER SOFTWARE:
StudentCHIP to be purchased for $5.00
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
(l) EXAMS: Three in-class multiple choice and short answer exams. Material on the exams will include information provided in lecture, films, discussion, readings, and guest lectures.
NO make-up exams are permitted unless the student speaks to me BEFORE the exam. Documentation will be required, e.g. emergency room receipt. All make-up exams will be essay.
(2) CRITICAL REVIEW: One typewritten critical review will be assigned. Specifics will be provided in class. Students will critically review one journal article of their choice. Critical reviews are NOT article summaries.
(3) QUIZZES: There will be 4-6 quizzes based on the readings for that class period. The quiz will be short - one or two questions. You can drop your lowest quiz score. No excused absences on quizzes will be allowed.
(4) NEWS ASSIGNMENT: You will sign up to orally present information from a news article related to a fertility or population issue in the United States or another country. The article must come from a newspaper or news magazine (i.e. magazines not like People, Mademoiselle, Cosmopolitan, etc.). You will also hand in a two page typed paper that summarizes, makes a critical statement about an issue raised in the article, and includes your opinion about the issue.
(5) ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION: It is to your benefit to attend class. Material on the exams will include information from lectures and discussion. More importantly, you cannot participate in class discussion unless you attend class. Class participation is strongly encouraged and rewarded! Be prepared to discuss the material.
(6) ACADEMIC HONESTY: In this class you are expected to adhere to the academic honesty rules as stated in the Bowling Green State University Student Handbook.
GRADES:
EXAMS 3 x 20%
CRITICAL REVEW 15%
QUIZZES 7%
NEWS 7%
U.S. FERTILITY 7%
PARTICIPATION 4%
60% 15%
7%
7%
7%
4%
If you have a problem or question, come see me! I cannot help you unless you come talk to me. Also come see me if you don't have a problem. If you are not doing as well as you would like in the class, please don't wait until the end of the semester to talk to me.
TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE
1/12
1/14
1/19
Distribution of syllabus, review of course requirements, Student CHIP demo
ASSIGNMENT: WEB site
What is Fertilitv?
READ: Weeks. Pages:94-95,118-124
NO CLASS: MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY
1/21-1/26 Proximate Determinants of Fertilitv
READ: Weeks. Pages:96-117
Ingrassia. 1995. "Still Fumbling in the Dark."
1/28
212-214
219-211 1
2/16 EXAM l
2/18
Planned Parenthood - Cindy Gardner - Farnily Planning in the United States
PREPARE: Questions
HINT: Start reading Zelizer book
Sociological Constraints - Historical Value of Children READ: Zelizer. Pricing the Priceless Child.
Low Fertilitv Context - United States
READ: Bianchi and Spain. 1996. Women, Work and Family in America.
ASSIGNMENT: U.S. Fertility Trends 2/11
Childlessness
READ: Seccombe. 1991. "Assessing the Costs and genefits of Children."
Tyler May. 1995. "Childfree: The Revolt Against the Baby Boom"
2123-312 Issues in the U.S. - Adolescent Fertilitv
READ: Luker. 1996. Dubious Conceptions
3/4
Issues in the U.S. - Men and Fatherhood
READ: Coltrane, S. 1996. Chapter 5 of "Fatherhood, Housework, and Gender Equity"
Schulte & Sonenstein. 1995. "Men at Family Planning Clinics."
ABSTRACT: CRITICAL REVIEW 3/4
3/9-3/ll NO CLASS: SPRING BREAK
3/16-3/18 Issues in the U.S. - Birth Technologv
READ: Begley. 1995. "The Baby Myth."
Meyer 1997. "Politics and Reproductive Technologies"
3123-3125 Low Fertilitv Context - Europe & Japan
READ: Johnson, Horga, & Andronache. 1993. "Contraception and Abortion
in
Romania"
Population Today. 1992. "Japan's Declining Fertility."
3/30
EXAM 2
411-416 Frameworks to Understand Fertilitv Change
READ: Robey, Rutstein, & Morris. 1993. "The Fertility Decline in
Developing
Countries."
Bongaarts and Bruce. 1995. "The Causes of Unmet Need for
Contracepti
and the Social Content of Services."
418-411 3
High Fertilitv Context - Cairo Population Conference READ: Ashford- PRB Bulletin.
4/15-4/20 High Fertilitv Context - China
READ: Tien - PRB Bulletin
DUE: 4/15 CRITICAL REVIEW
4/22-4127 High Fertilitv Context -India
READ: Visaria and Visaria. 1995. India's Population Transition
4/29
5/??
Policv Options
REREAD:Bongaarts and Bruce. 1995. "The Causes of [Jnmet Need for Contraception and the Social Content of Services."
READ: TBA - Policy Options
EXAM 3 - FINALS WEEK