Chapter 14 Projects

Project Assignment

Purpose

In this chapter, we learned about different types of marriages and families. The purpose of this project is to help you gain a better understanding of the different types of families that exist in the United States today.

Directions

Part 1

Separate into groups of three or four. Once in your groups, discuss how each of you define family. During this time, your instructor will assign your group a specific type of family to research. Some types of families that can be assigned are family of procreation, family of orientation, single-family household, nuclear family, same-sex household, polygamous family, and blended family.

After you have been assigned a family to research, each person in your group will start researching the details. Here are some questions to consider while you research:

• Who are the members of the family?

• Is the cultural sanctioning of this type of family relatively new or has it been publicly acknowledged for a long time? Discuss.

• How do economic status, race/ethnicity, and/or gender intersect in this type of family?

• How is this type of family generally received by the surrounding community? Discuss.

Compile all the group members' research into a single presentation. Use images, videos, music, or other types of media to create a more engaging presentation.

Part 2

After the groups have completed their research and created their presentations, each group member will choose a family member that is part of the group's assigned type of family to research on their own. During the group presentation, be prepared to share how norms and status influence how this person experiences family.

Part 3

Each group will present their research, and each group member will share about their chosen family member.

Part 4

Individually or in your original groups, write a few paragraphs about what you learned from the presentations. As you write, think about the following questions:

• How does each type of family align with your original thoughts about what a family is?

• Did anything about the different types of families surprise you?

• How is your family different from or similar to each type of family?

• What is an advantage of each type of family?

• What is a disadvantage of each type of family?

• Are there unique norms related to each type of family? Discuss.

• How does each type of family relate to and interact with American culture and norms?

Materials

Access to sources on different types of families and family norms; presentation software

Checklist

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Writing Assignment

Purpose

In this chapter, we learned about marriages and the different types of marriages that exist today. The purpose of this writing assignment is to gain a deeper understanding of the differences between modern arranged marriages and love marriages.

Directions

You will examine arranged marriages and love marriages in the modern world. First, you will choose a society where arranged marriages are the norm and a society where love marriages are the norm. Before you begin writing, the societies you choose must be approved by your instructor.

Next, research the differences in how the two societies view and practice marriage and how these practices are experienced by the people living there.

Finally, write a three- to four-page paper (using APA style) that addresses the following prompts:

• Summarize the two different types of marriage.

• How long have the two types been practiced?

• What are the unique historical and socioeconomic factors that influence each society's culture?

• Discuss the main types of marriages that exist in each society and how they came to be.

• What are the rituals and customs surrounding each type of marriage?

• What are the benefits of each type of marriage? Discuss.

• What are the disadvantages of each type of marriage? Discuss.

• How is each society's view of marriage different from or similar to the view of marriage that you hold?

Remember to proofread your paper and cite all sources.

Materials

Access to sources of the two types of marriage; a word processing software

Checklist