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Family and Life Cycles

Code 13444
Year 1
Semester S2
ECTS Credits 6
Workload OT(15H)/TP(30H)
Scientific area Sociology
Entry requirements Not applicable.
Mode of delivery In Presence
Work placements Not applicable
Learning outcomes Provide a dynamic and longitudinal view of family by making use of concepts such as family transitions, conjugal biographies and individual trajectories. To deepen theoretical problematics and processes of research on family and family life cycle.
To complete successfully this curricular unit s tudents must demonstrate:
-Be able to understand, to analyze and to argue subjects, theoretical perspectives, concepts and longitudinal research processes in the scope of this curricular unit.
-Be able to apply the knowledge in the field of the family and life cycle in areas as the research, the elaboration of projects and the social intervention.
-Be able to question current knowledge and judgments of value towards different family models and towards poverty situations and social exclusion on the basis of the acquired theoretical knowledge
-Be able to participate in the lessons and to contribute for the collective debate.

Syllabus 1.Developmental perspectives about family: the concepts of life course and family life cycle.
2. Diversity of meanings, contexts and trajectories of the couple and the family formation; youth transitions; trajectories of cohabitation followed or not by marriage; entry into parenthood; union formation and dissolution; marriage; divorce; lone-parent families …
3.The impact of the different stages of family life in the conjugal organization and patterns of family interactions; gender divisions of paid and unpaid labour; caring practices (child and elderly care); the significance of individual life course (educational, professional, conjugal trajectories ...) in the analysis of families’ dynamics.
4.Familiar situations and vulnerabilities face to the poverty; Family Policy and social inaqualities.
Main Bibliography - Almeida, A. N. (2009), Para uma Sociologia da Infância, Lisboa, ICS;
- Diana Maciel (2014), “Gender and individual life courses. Between reproduction and defiance”, in Sofia Aboim e Pedro Vasconcelos (ed.),, Gender, Sexuality and the Body: Critical Perspectives - Collection of Papers, ICS, Estudos e Relatórios 3;
- Elder, Glen H. Jr. et al. (2003). The Emergence and the Development of the Life Course”. In J.T. Mortimer and M.J. Shanahan (Eds.), Handbook of the Life Course. New York: Kluwer;
- Guerreiro, M., Abrantes P. (2007), Transições Incertas: os jovens perante o trabalho e a família, Lisboa, CITE.
- Sandefur, Gary (1994), Growing Up with a Single Parent, Cambridge: H. University Press;
Santos, Filomena (2007), Sem Cerimónia nem papéis – um estudo sobre as uniões de facto em Portugal. Phd Thesis;
- Santos, Filomena; Dias, Rita (2017), Homoparenthood: Family Dynamics and Individual Biographies (Conference abstracts). “Queering Parenting, 2ND Intimate International Conference”, 02-03 March 2017, Centre for Social Studies/CES, Coimbra, Portugal;
- São José, J.; Wall, K. (2004), Trabalhar e cuidar de um idoso dependente, Actas do V Congresso APS;
- Wall, K., Aboim, S. & Marinho, S. (2010), “Perfis de paternidade no Portugal contemporâneo” in K.Wall, S. Aboim e V. Cunha (Coord.), A Vida Familiar no Masculino, Lisboa, CITE;
- Wall, K. (2010), “Conciliação entre vida profissional e familiar em casais com filhos” in A Vida Familiar no Masculino, Lisboa, CITE;
- Wall, K. et al. (2008), Family Configurations from the Male Perspective: Exploring Diverity over the Life Course in E. Widmer R. Jallinoja (Eds.) Families in a Configurational Perspective, Berna:Peter Lang.
Language Portuguese. Tutorial support is available in English.
Last updated on: 2019-07-21

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