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HECOL 310: Parent-Child Relationships Winter 2016
Instructor:
Email (preferred):
Phone:
Office:
Adam M. Galovan, Ph.D.
(780) 492-9277
321 Human Ecology Building
Lecture Time:
Lecture Location:
Office Hours:
Mon/Wed/Fri 9-9:50 am ED 228
Tuesdays 2 pm to 4pm and by appointment
Welcome!
I am looking forward to this term and want to welcome each of you to this course. Within Human Ecology, Human Development and Family Science are exciting areas of study for me, and I hope you catch some of the excitement! My research interests focus on family roles, marriage/couple relationships, and parenting. As we discuss parent-child relationships, I am excited to share my knowledge and experiences, as well as learn from you and your life experiences. I am thrilled to be teaching this course and am looking forward to a wonderful term!
In the fields of human development and family science, factors contributing to our relationships and how we become who we are at any point in the life cycle are studied. As we discuss parent-child relationships, we will explore many stages of life using a framework that looks at physical, biological, cognitive, and socioemotional factors. You will be introduced to family and developmental theory, terms, and concepts used in the field as well as current thinking based on the latest research.
It is my hope that you will not only learn about human development and parent-child relationships this
term, but that you will also
experience development while in this course. As we discuss parent-childrelationships and development, I hope you will come to better understand of both yourself and others.
2 Course Description (from the calendar):
An exploration of parent-child relationships, with a concentration from infancy through adolescence. An examination of theoretical and research perspectives of parent-child relationships and the practical application of those perspectives. Prerequisite: PSYCO 104 and 105 or EDPY 200; PSYCO 104 and 105 are preferred.
Course Objectives
1. To develop an understanding of the nature of parent-child relationships and how they develop, primarily from infancy to adolescence.
2. Develop an understanding of models/theories related to parent-child relationships from the perspective of theory and research.
3. To develop an appreciation in the diversity of parenting values and approaches to parenting within families and across cultures.
4. To become knowledgeable of some of the special challenges faced by children and parents across both traditional and non-traditional family forms.
5. To develop some understanding of the factors that place parents and children “at risk.”
6. Become familiar with a variety of educational, preventive and treatment approaches to working with families to improve the quality of parent-child relations.
7. Reflect on your knowledge and experiences of parent-child relationships and consider how this will influence your work with children and families.
Required Text
Heath, P. (2013). Parent-child relations: Context, research, and application (3rd ed.). Toronto, ON: Pearson.
The bulk of the course will center on Heath’s (2013) discussion of parent-child relationships.
However, I will also refer to other sources and add additional information to Heath’s framework during lecture.
Possible Lay Audience Books for Book Review Assignment (see below)
Berk, L. E. (2001). Awakening children’s minds: How parents and teachers can make a difference. Toronto, ON: Oxford University Press.
Faber, A., & Mazlish, E. (2012). How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk. Toronto, ON: Scribner.
Ginott, H. G., Ginott, A., & Goddard, H. W. (2003). Between parent and child. Toronto, ON: Penguin Random House.
Gottman, J. M., & DeClaire, J. (1998). Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child. Toronto, ON: Simon & Schuster.
Letourneau, N., & Joschko, J. (2013). Scientific parenting: What science reveals about parental influence. Toronto, ON: Dundurn.
Markham, L. (2012). Peaceful parent, happy kids: How to stop yelling and start connecting. Toronto, ON: Penguin Random House.
Siegal, D. J. (2012). The whole-brain child: 12 revolutionary strategies to nurture your child's developing mind. Toronto, ON: Penguin Random House.
3 Course Policies
Code of Student Behaviour: The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at http://www.governance.ualberta.ca/Codesof ConductandResidenceCommunityStandards/CodeofStudentBehaviour.aspx) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
Key components of the code include the following statements:
30.3.2(1) No Student shall submit the words, ideas, images or data of another person as the Student’s own in any academic writing, essay, thesis, project, assignment, presentation or poster in a course or program of study.
30.3.2(2) c. No Student shall represent another’s substantial editorial or compositional assistance on an assignment as the Student’s own work.
All students at the University of Alberta are subject to the Code of Student Behaviour, as outlined in the 2015 / 2016 University Calendar. Students should speak with the course instructor about any questions or concerns about the code. Students should be particularly aware of the code as it pertains to internet and library research, use of previous class notes, reclamation plans of former students and interviews or discussions with others.
Absence from Exams: Instructors and Faculties are not required to grant excused absences for unacceptable reasons that include, but are not limited to personal events such as vacations, weddings, or travel arrangements.
When a student is absent from a term or final exam without acceptable excuse, a final grade will be computed using a raw score of zero for the exam missed.
Any student who is incapacitated because of illness, is suffering from severe domestic affliction or has other compelling reasons (including religious conviction) is advised not to sit for the midterm exam. In such cases a student may apply for an excused absence for the missed exam. If you miss an exam due to illness or other acceptable reason (see Calendar 23.3.1) you will be granted an excused absence and the percentage weighting for the exam will be added to the final exam automatically. If you need to miss the final exam for an acceptable reason, you should contact your faculty for instructions regarding applying for deferral of a missed final exam.
Technology: This course has an eClass page available through Moodle. This page contains course power points outlines, reading assignments, and full assignment instructions.
Laptops are only permitted for note taking during class. Although, there is compelling evidence their use is associated with shallower information processing and less retention of information than hand-written notes (e.g., Mueller & Oppenheimer, 2014).
Audio or video recording of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of the approved accommodation plan. Recorded material is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the instructor.
Email Policy: I welcome communication via email for quick questions. Please refer to the syllabus and specific assignment instructions prior to sending an email, as the answer to your question may be located there. I will respond to all emails within 2 business days. For lengthier questions, please come to office hours or make an appointment.
Additionally, students need to regularly check their U of A email for communications from the professor. If I have an emergency and need to cancel class, email will be the mechanism for communicating this information.
Late Work Policy: Late work is not accepted in this course and any assignment not completed as designated in the course outline will result in no credit for that assignment. In the case of illness or serious personal/family issue, alternate arrangements can be made.
4 COURSE OUTLINE CONTENT
The University of Alberta’s policy about course outlines can be found in Section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar.
Attendance and Participation
Class participation and attendance is an expectation. The ideas, experiences, insights, and knowledge of each class member are an integral part of the overall learning process. Therefore, you should arrive on time, complete all the readings prior to coming to class, and be prepared to engage the topic of the day and each other. If you are unable to attend class for any reason other than an emergency, please let me know in advance. Evidence of class engagement (or not) includes participating in all activities, listening to what others have to say, building on others’ ideas, remaining on task, refraining from smartphone and social media use during class time, and offering your experience, knowledge, and opinions respectfully and openly.
Grading
Grades for the course will be based on three exams, a book review and group poster project, and two writing assignments. Each exam will consist of multiple choice questions.
Assignment Weight Due Date
Exams Exam 1 Exam 2 Final Exam
15%
15%
25%
January 27 March 2 April 18 Parenting Paper Assignments
How you were parented paper How you plan to parent paper
10%
15%
January 18 April 8 Lay Audience Book Review and Application
Individual Book Review Group Poster Assignment
10%
10%
February 26 April 4 or 6 Detailed explanations for each assignment will be provided on eClass. Papers must follow APA format.
Grading Scale
Evaluation of assignments is expressed in raw marks throughout the term. A final, cumulative score is translated into a letter grade based on the university four-point grading system (see below). Assignment of final grades is based on a combination of absolute achievement and relative performance in this course.
Excellent:
The student has demonstrated excellent understanding of course content.
A+ Outstanding: The student has demonstrated an extraordinary grasp of the course content and performance reflects creativity and innovation, in addition to a high level of analytical ability.
A Excellent: The student has demonstrated superior understanding of the course content and a high level of analytical ability.
A- The student has demonstrated superior understanding of the course content, but has not shown the same level of analytical ability as students receiving an A.
5 Good:
The student has demonstrated a sound understanding of course content.
B+ The student has demonstrated a sound understanding of course material, with superior understanding being evident in some topics.
B The student has demonstrated a uniformly sound understanding of course material.
B- The student has demonstrated a generally sound understanding of course material, but there are some areas in which depth of understanding is limited.
Satisfactory/Adequate:
The student has
demonstrated awareness of course content.
C+ The student has demonstrated adequate awareness of course content with sound understanding of some topics.
C The student has demonstrated adequate awareness of all of the central dimensions of the course.
C- The student has demonstrated adequate awareness of most of the central dimensions of the course, but lacks knowledge of one or two topics.
Poor D+ The student has demonstrated a lack of knowledge in one or more of the central dimensions of the course, and has very superficial understanding of most topics.
Minimal Pass D The student’s performance is only minimally acceptable due to a lack of understanding of several central dimensions of course content.
Fail F The student has demonstrated a lack of knowledge of most of the course content.
Assignments
Assignment Submission
I will mark each of your papers electronically. You will upload your paper to eClass before you come to class on the day it is due. To ensure that technical challenges do not prevent your paper from being marked, you will also be required to print a hard copy of your paper and turn it in at the beginning of class on the day it is due. Graded papers will be returned on eClass approximately two weeks after they were due.
Parenting Paper Assignments
During the course of the semester you will complete two papers that explore parenting and what factors might affect the way you (may) parent in the future.
How you were parented paper. When individuals become parents, they are heavily influenced by their own experience with how they were parented. Accordingly, your first paper will be a 4 page reflective paper in which you will discuss the way that your parents parented you. In your paper you will discuss the key ways your parents have influenced you. As you write, you should discuss at least four areas:
(1) discipline, (2) communication, (3) affection and support, and (4) ethical/moral standards. As this is a reflective paper, citations are not required, but if you rely on information from the course or outside information you should cite these sources (see eClass for additional information about the requirements for this paper). This paper is due January 18, 2016.
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o I understand that, unfortunately, not all students have had the best parents. You may have a history of challenges, such as abuse. You are welcome to come and speak with me about any concerns you have. Please note, I am not a therapist, but I can listen to your concerns. I can also make you aware of supportive campus resources that can aid you in working through any lingering challenges.
How you plan to parent paper. Your final parenting paper will represent the culmination of all you have learned in the course. This 6 page paper should discuss how you (would) plan to parent your children in the future. You should discuss at least each of the four areas: (1) discipline, (2) communication, (3) affection and support, and (4) ethical/moral standards. You are expected to integrate course material into your discussion, including what you have learned in both parts of the lay audience book review and application assignment (see below). You should use APA style and cite sources throughout your paper.
More information regarding the requirements for this paper will be posted on eClass. This paper is due April 8, 2016.
Lay Audience Book Review and Application
This assignment will be completed in two parts, a book review paper that you complete by yourself and a poster presentation that you complete with a group of your classmates.
Individual Book Review Paper. During the term you will be required to read ONE of the approved lay audience books noted above. Near the first of the term you will sign up for available slots for each book.
Once the slots for a particular book are filled no more students may read that particular book to complete the course requirements; in such cases students will need to sign up for a different book.
After reading the book, you will write a 5 page paper (not including the title page or references) where you share the main themes from the book, discuss any parts of the book that you found insightful, and discuss how the concepts from the book could be applied to a parenting challenge in each of two developmental stages (more details about the assignment will be posted on eClass). This paper is due February 26, 2016.
Group Poster Assignment. After you have completed the book review and application paper, you will be given the opportunity during class to meet with those who read the same book as you and discuss what you have learned. Each “book group” will be further divided into two subgroups of approximately 4 students.
With your smaller sub group, you will prepare a professional poster to be presented in class. The poster should be of professional quality and be approximately 3 X 4 feet. Among many options, students may choose to print posters through IST Printing Services (see https://print.ualberta.ca) or SubPrint (see https://www.su.ualberta.ca/businesses/subprint/printing/). Cost for a 3 X 4 foot poster at either location is approximately $30. Aside from the textbook costs and the group poster printing, there are no additional course fees.
The poster presentations will cover two class periods near the end of the term. As each book has two sub groups, only half of the students will present on each day. Those who are not presenting will be required to attend the poster presentation of 4 other groups, ask questions, and complete a brief worksheet noting what they learned about the other books. Students will then use these worksheets to reflect on what they learned during the poster session in a short 2-3 page paper (see eClass for more details).
When you present your poster, your presentation will cover key themes from the book and how ideas from the book could be applied to parenting challenges. You should also know the material well enough to answer questions from your classmates and instructor. On the day of your presentation, you are expected to be well-prepared, organized, and dress as you would for a professional meeting. More details about the requirements for the poster presentation will be provided on eClass and discussed in lecture.
The poster presentations will take place on April 4and 6, 2016.
7 Paper Citation and Formatting
You must following the American Psychological Association (APA) style guidelines for referencing in all of your papers. The papers will vary in length but must be double-spaced on 8½ X 11” paper with 1” margins, in 12 point font. Paper length must be within 6 lines of the page requirement (in either direction). You will be penalized if your paper does not meet these requirements. You must include a reference list for all sources used and cited in the text of your paper. Some suggestions:
If you are referring to a specific study cited in your text, but you have not read the original article, then cite it as follows in the body of the paper:
Brown and Jones (1998, as cited in Heath, 2013) found that … OR
… (Brown & Jones, 1998, as cited in Heath, 2013).
In the reference list you only have to list Heath.
If you are citing information from a lecture, cite is as follows in the body of your paper:
(Galovan, 2016, February 3), etc.
Then cite the lecture in your reference list, as follows:
Galovan, A. M. (2016, February 3). Parenting Preschoolers. Lecture presented in HECOL 310: Parent-Child Relationships, University of Alberta, Edmonton.
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HECOL 310 Tentative Schedule: Dates, Topics, Required Readings, and Assignments Note that dates may change as the term progresses.
Week Date Topic Reading Assignment
1
4 Jan Introduction to the Course
6 Jan Heath Chapter 1 Heath Chapter 1
8 Jan History and Theories of Child Development and Parenting
2
11 Jan History and Theories of Child Development and Parenting
Sign up for a lay audience book
13 Jan 'Babies' Video Heath Chapter 2
15 Jan 'Babies' Video
3
18 Jan Parenting Patterns, Culture & Context Heath Chapter 2 DUE Monday: Way I was parented paper 20 Jan Parenting Infants and Toddlers Heath Chapter 5
22 Jan Parenting Infants and Toddlers 4
25 Jan Parenting Infants and Toddlers
27 Jan Exam #1 Chapters 1,2 & 5 (readings & lectures)
29 Jan DVD: Our Child is Out of Control Heath Chapter 6 5
1 Feb Parenting Preschoolers Heath Chapter 6
3 Feb Parenting Preschoolers 5 Feb Parenting Preschoolers 6
8 Feb Parenting School-Age children Heath Chapter 7 10 Feb Parenting School-Age children
12 Feb Parenting School-Age children 15 Feb
Reading Week - No Classes 17 Feb
19 Feb 7
22 Feb DVD: Growing up Online.
24 Feb Parenting Adolescents Heath Chapter 8 DUE Friday: Book Review
Paper
26 Feb Parenting Adolescents Heath Chapter 8
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29 Feb Parenting Adolescents & Adolescent parents Heath, Chapter 3 (pp. 66-70)
2 Mar Exam #2 Chapters 6,7 & 8 (readings & lectures)
4 Mar Romantic Relationships, Coparenting, and Parenting Heath, Chapter 3,
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7 Mar Varied Family Structures eClass readings
9 Mar Parenting After Divorce and Step-parenting eClass readings 11 Mar Young Adults, Older parenthood &
Grandparenthood Heath, Chapters 9 & 10 10
14 Mar Way of Being What We Are (eClass)
16 Mar The Parenting Pyramid Parenting Pyramid (eClass) 18 Mar Child Socialization Strategies and Techniques Heath, Chapter 4 11
21 Mar Book Group Discussion Review your BR Paper before
Monday class 23 Mar Meet with Poster Presentation Group (No Class)
25 Mar Good Friday (No class) 12
28 Mar Easter Monday (No class)
30 Mar Parenting Children with Special Needs Heath, Chapter 11
1 Apr Families At Risk Heath, Chapter 12
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4 Apr Poster Presentations
DUE Friday: How I will parent paper
6 Apr Poster Presentations 8 Apr Course wrap up discussion.
14 18 Apr Final Exam @ 9am Chapters 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12 and major themes from the course (readings & lectures)
