Need help with my Social Science question – I’m studying for my class.

Introduction

In this unit, we will focus on the causes and consequences of separation, divorce and remarriage and look at the some of the issues with aging family members. Specifically, we will study boomerang issues and family caregiving, causes and consequences of divorce, remarriage and issues involving blended families. The family life course development theory will also be discussed.

ULOs

Upon completing the module, students will be able to:

1. Evaluate the causes and consequences of separation, divorce and remarriage
2. Evaluate the issues with aging family members
3. Apply the family life course development framework to family
4. Apply knowledge to everyday lives and their own lives

Directions

After reading the articles assigned for the week in your Ferguson text, fully answer the questions asked on each article. Each unit, you are required to post to ALL discussion prompts but only one peer post per unit is required. You must post first before you will see other classmate’s postings.

Topic 1: “When the nest doesn’t empty”

Why are so many nests not emptying? What social forces are contributing to adult children needing care from their parents for more years than in the past? What are the pros and cons of boomerang children? Would you allow your adult children to move back in with you or have you experienced this on either end? Explain. How can boomerang children serve as a fountain of youth for the aging parent?

Topic 2: “My Mother’s hip: Lessons from the world of eldercare”

Who should care for elderly parents? Why is the daughter usually the caretaker? What types of pressures to care takers endure? What are your thoughts on the lack of US policy here? In such a rich nation, why do we not have good solutions yet for people living longer? Please include your experiences (if any here).

Topic 3: “Remarriage and stepfamilies: Strategic sites for family scholarship in the 21st century”

What is meant by the “incompletely institutionalized” status of stepfamilies? The author states that more wealthy tend to stay married than do the poor. What are the reasons for this? What does the demography of stepfamilies look like? Why might stepfamilies matter for children?

Topic 4: “The stuff at Mom’s house and the stuff at Dad’s house: The material consumption of divorce for adolescents”

The author utilized a symbolic interactionist approach to examine how children’s stories can be told by looking at the objects and consumption of them in their bedrooms. How does a child’s identity change during divorce? How does the consumption of material culture help them construct an identity? Explain how a child’s bedroom decorating symbolic of attachment, belonging and identity? What are your overall thoughts on the reading? Do you agree or disagree? Explain.

Topic 5: Apply any of the readings above to your own life.