Strengthening Marriage And Family:
Proclamation
Principles And Scholarship
FAMLF 100, Sec 4 | Fall 2003 | 2:00-2:50 MWF, 230 SWKT
Instructor: Teaching
Assistant:
Tamara Gilliland, MS, CFLE Katherine (“KT”) Kaupert
tamara_gilliland@byu.edu kbk8@email.byu.edu
Office: 370 SWKT, 422-3719 Office: 370 SWKT, 422-3719
Office Hours: MW 3-4 Office Hours: MWF, 11-2
Home Phone: 736-9924 Home Phone: 423-1869
(Please no home calls after 10 or on Sundays)
Course Readings:
The Family: A Proclamation to the World
Answering the Call: What Can I Do Now to Strengthen Marriages and Families?
(available at SFL Office, 300 SWKT)
Selected articles (available on Blackboard)
Course Purpose and Learning
Objectives
Welcome! We look forward to getting acquainted with you and having an excellent time together through the semester. According to previous students, this course will be one of the most enjoyable, inspiring, stimulating, and rewarding educational experiences you will have at BYU. It will also be a challenging one.
The Family: A Proclamation to the World is the foundational document of the School of Family Life. When the School of Family Life was created, September 10, 1998, President Boyd K. Packer called for BYU faculty to produce textbooks and courses on family that would: (1) be worthy of a great university (rigorous, excellent, challenging); (2) be filled with moral and spiritual truths in full harmony with the restored gospel; (3) help students be good spouses and parents.
Both the
text and classroom instruction in FAMLF 100 attempt to fulfill this apostolic
charge. The SFL faculty believe that students need a course focusing on
doctrines and principles of marriage and family life as presented in the
Proclamation along with scholarship that supports Proclamation principles. The
following purpose and learning objectives were carefully formulated by the
Family Proclamation Course Development Committee and will be the focus of
readings, lectures, in-class activities, assignments, and exams:
The purpose of this course is to make The Family: A Proclamation to the World live in the hearts and minds of students. In an environment of faith and scholarship, students will engage in a careful study of this inspired document. This course will explore principles from the Family Proclamation, in conjunction with support from relevant scholarly research, to:
1. help students strengthen their understanding and testimony of the principles of the restored gospel pertaining to marriage and family life.
2. help students move forward with faith in applying principles from revealed truth and supportive scholarship to strengthen their marriage and family relationships.
3.
prepare students to share and defend principles
of successful marriage and family life with others.
To fulfill each of these objectives throughout the course, students will:
1. Strengthen Understanding and Testimony
A. strengthen their understanding of the revealed doctrines, principles, and practices of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that pertain to happy and successful marriage and family relationships.
B.
increase their testimonies of the sanctity and importance of
marriage and family in Heavenly Father’s plan for the eternal destiny of His
beloved children.
C. enhance
their spiritual awareness and academic skills in order to help weigh scholarly
and contemporary ideas about marriage and family and use both faith and
scholarship to “hold fast that which is good” (1Thess. 5:21).
2. Move
Forward With Faith
A. gain confidence in their ability to establish their own eternal marriages and families.
B.
apply principles from revealed truth and supportive
scholarship to maintain and strengthen their marriages, families, extended
families, and communities.
3. Share
and Defend Principles
A. assist others who desire understanding about applying principles of successful marriage and family life.
B.
respectfully and confidently articulate and defend
principles, practices, and policies that support and strengthen marriages and
families using the language of both scholarship and faith.
Philosophy and Expectations
Please understand the following about my approach to teaching this course:
A. I believe that, as BYU students, you are bright and capable of excellent thinking and work—you will be evaluated on assignments and exams accordingly.
B. I believe that you have great insights and experiences that will contribute much our learning together in class—I hope you will be willing to share them so that we all may be “edified and rejoice together” (see D&C 50:22).
C. I believe that the Spirit is the ultimate teacher of all truth—I encourage you to be prayerful and thoughtful in how you approach your reading, discussing, and writing.
D. I consider class time very important and expect that you come prepared and on time. We will begin each day with prayer and may make announcements or revise class procedures, so you will not want to miss the first of class.
E. I assume that you have access to and know how to use email and the internet. Email communication and Blackboard will be a significant part of this course—I expect you to use these tools regularly.
F. I feel that where much is expected much should be given in support. My TA and I will do our best to facilitate your learning and support you in your work. We invite feedback from you anytime on your experience, and hope you will let us know how we can best help you throughout the semester. If you have any frustrations or concerns related to the course, please don’t hesitate to talk with us.
G. I
understand that life is full of surprises and flexibility is essential to
survival. I hope you will patient with any adjustments or changes we may make
in the plan for the semester. We will likewise try to be understanding and
helpful should personal or family situations catch you off-guard during our
time together. Just come talk with us.
Evaluation and Grading
|
|
Points Possible |
Percent of Grade |
|
Engagement Points |
1 survey + 42 classes + 47 readings = 90 |
18% |
|
Exams (3) |
3 x 60 = 180 |
36% |
|
Application Experiences (4) |
4 x 45 = 180 |
36% |
|
Final Project |
50 |
10% |
|
(Extra Credit) |
(1 survey + 14 readings = 15) |
(+3%) |
|
Total |
500 |
100% |
To encourage you to get the most out of the text and class experience, you can earn points for being a conscientious student, preparing for class by reading and pondering material ahead of time, and contributing during class discussions and activities. Doing well with this will also lead to doing better on the assignments and exams. You will earn one point by completing a student information survey found on Blackboard. You will record the rest of your points on your Engagement Point Record and turn it in on the last day of class. (The BYU Honor Code is operative here.) Please evaluate your engagement points and give yourself a score soon after every class period—don’t try to recall your scores days later or on the last day of class. As you evaluate yourself, please use these guidelines:
reading – 1 point for each required reading you complete before class. If you just skimmed it or read only part of it, give yourself partial credit. If you didn’t read before class at all, you can make up to half the point by finishing the reading before the exam covering that material.
class contribution – 1 point for each class period you attend and contribute to. Contributing means to engage intellectually and spiritually in class discussion/activities and generally remain attentive in class. This may include involvement in class discussion, sharing a personal experience related to the topic of the day, talking before or after class to classmates, myself or my TA about your reactions to course material, keeping a journal of insights/application notes (i.e., things you personally learned and your own thoughts on how you could benefit from and apply them), etc.
Exams [see planned course schedule for dates]
We will have three midterm exams. They will be given in the Testing Center on-line using the Blackboard assessment system. Each exam will consist of both multiple-choice questions and brief essay questions and will cover only topics included in the sections specified (they are not comprehensive). The purpose of these exams is for you to learn specific course material thoroughly, especially material that is good to have embedded in your long-term memory. Since we will be covering so much material in each section, I will provide you review guides to focus your preparation for each exam. Even with these review guides, however, students usually say these tests are hard, so prepare well.
Application Experiences [individual due dates noted]
To assist you with understanding and applying principles we have studied in your personal life, you will do four assignments involving a practical experience with the topics we cover. These experiences are generally due by 5 pm one week after we complete the section in class. The more effort you give to each experience, the more you will gain both personally and academically. You must do the experience for section VII and pick any three experiences from the remaining sections to fulfill the requirements.
[note: Feel free to propose an alternative experience for any section if you think of something that would help you personally apply the topics we cover better. Alternatives must be approved before you do the experience.]
i. morality in the media [ due 9/19 ]
Find in the media
an example of each of the four false philosophies discussed in Chapter 26.
These could be found in just one example (e.g., a television show) or in four
separate examples (e.g., a music video, newspaper advertisement, movie, web
site). Find media examples that deal with marriage and family issues, and if
possible, try to find one non-example (a message that actually supports
Proclamation values/principles). Write a 4-page essay analyzing how each of
these philosophies are depicted and used. The purpose of this activity is to
sensitize you to underlying messages in our media-saturated society, and help
you better interpret them. You will usually find a stark contrast between these
media messages and the principles of the Proclamation and the restored gospel.
|
morality in the media evaluation criteria |
points |
|
format and
writing : Paper should be 4
pages typed, 12-point font, double spaced with 1” margins and stapled.
Writing should be clear, concise, and error free. |
10 |
|
description:
Briefly describe these media example(s) so that the reader has a pretty clear
picture of what you saw or heard. . (Include copies of media material where
possible.) |
10 |
|
analysis: Analyze the worldly philosophies depicted or
suggested in these media examples. How are they depicted? Are they subtle or
bold? How effective are the messages? How do they challenge Proclamation
principles? (If you find a positive example, how does it reinforce
Proclamation principles?) |
20 |
|
personal
application: How has this helped you
be more sensitive and aware of media messages? What can you do to be more
media literate and media savvy? |
5 |
|
total |
45 |
ii.
engaged sibling letter [ due 10/6 ]
This assignment is designed to help you understand how the elements in the chapters on marriage can be applied to people’s lives, and to aid you in practically applying the knowledge you have gained. Think about one of your siblings and suppose he or she just got engaged or is close to it. (If a sibling won’t do, think of a close friend.) Suppose he or she wrote you a letter to tell you about the engagement, and to ask for your advice. Write a 4-page letter back to your sibling, using the information in the chapters dealing with marriage (e.g. Chapters 2--5) giving him/her sound, gospel- and research-based advice for his/her upcoming marriage.
engaged sibling letter evaluation criteria |
points |
|
format and
writing : Letter should be 4 pages typed, 12-point
font, double spaced with 1” margins and stapled. Writing tone may be personal/informal,
but should be clear, concise, and error free. |
10 |
|
engagement advice:
Provide advice for his/her engagement. What things should he/she and his/her
fiancé be doing right now to prepare for marriage? What should they discuss
or make decisions about? |
15 |
|
early marriage
advice: Provide advice for the first
year after they are married as they establish themselves as a couple. What
practices should they establish right away? How can they build and maintain a
couple identity and traditions? What specific things can they do to develop a
strong, healthy marriage over time and what are some of the benefits that
will likely come as a result. (You don’t need to answer all these
questions—focus on what you feel is most important.) |
20 |
|
total |
45 |
iii.
parenting interview [ due 10/22 ]
Interview one of your parents about his or her experiences and feelings on parenting. Videotape or record on an audio tape the interview if possible, or interview him/her by email or regular mail and keep all of the correspondence. Ask your parent to describe his/her own parenting experience and personal parenting style/philosophies in general terms. Try to discover his/her feelings regarding parenting and what kind of parent he/she considers him/herself. Ask other questions you feel prompted to. You will not turn in the interview information, but use direct quotes from the interview in your write-up. Using information from the parenting chapters in the text, analyze your parent’s answers and address what aspects of his/her behaviors/philosophies you wish to mirror, and those you do not. Describe how you intend to do this. The purpose of this assignment is to make you think about ways you will choose to follow your parent’s example in your own child-rearing practices or to go a different direction—to help you be more “intentional” in your own family.
|
parenting interview evaluation criteria |
points |
|
format and
writing : Paper should be 4
pages typed, 12-point font, double spaced with 1” margins and stapled.
Writing should be clear, concise, and error free. |
10 |
|
interveiw summary: State
who you interviewed and the interview circumstances. Summarize what you
learned. How does your parent feel about the work of parenting? What does
he/she feel most strongly about? How does he/she see him/herself as a parent?
|
10 |
|
analysis: Interpret what you learned, connecting it to
course material and the Proclamation. Which of the parenting styles in the
book does your parent most exemplify? How do his/her feelings about parenting
affect how he/she actually parents? What circumstances affected his/her
parenting (e.g. health or marital status)? Does his/her idea of him/herself
as a parent match up with how you see him/her as a parent? (You may
illustrate your points with some of your childhood experiences as well as
quotes from the interview. You don’t need to answer all these questions—focus
on what you feel is most important.) |
15 |
|
personal
application and plan: Apply what you
learned to your own life. Which aspects of your parent’s behaviors do you
wish to emulate or discontinue in your own family? What are your (future)
goals as a parent? How will you become the parent you want to be? Are
there characteristics or skills you wish you have as a parent that you could
begin developing now? |
10 |
|
total |
45 |
v.
defending the sanctity of life dialogue
[ due 10/31 ]
Create an imaginary dialogue between yourself and a friend, colleague, co-worker, etc., on a topic related to the sanctity of life and our procreative powers, such as abortion, fertility, or homosexual behavior. Using course and text material, defend the principles taught in the Family Proclamation on this topic. Assume that this person has a different belief than you or is just "going with the flow" of cultural opinion, although he or she is open to and respectful of your beliefs. Be clear and unapologetic about your spiritual beliefs, but concentrate on articulating a defense in terms that he or she will be open to—logic and research. This will be excellent practice for the real-life defending experiences you may have. (Note: Your written structure should be flowing dialogue form; the evaluation criteria below describe elements that should be present throughout the piece, not structural sections for formatting.)
|
sanctity of life dialogue evaluation criteria |
points |
|
format and
writing : Dialogue must be 4 pages typed, 12-point
font, double spaced with 1” margins and stapled. Writing tone may be somewhat
informal as it will represent real dialogue, but should be clear, concise,
and error free. |
10 |
|
the other
position: Clearly state the arguments your friend/colleague
makes that are not fully aligned with Proclamation principles. Don’t set up
easy arguments so you can blow them away—make them real issues that require
serious response. (You only need to focus on a couple related key arguments.) |
10 |
|
secular defence: Articulate your response to your friend’s position
effectively with logic and research support, where it is available from
course materials and discussion. Be respectful of opposite views, but build a
strong argument in favor of Proclamation principles. |
15 |
|
spiritual
foundation: Although you should use
logic, reasoning and research to defend the Proclamation position, be clear
and unapologetic about your personal values, too. Articulate the spiritual
foundation on which your beliefs rest, expressing them simply, respectfully
and in a positive tone your colleague can appreciate. |
10 |
|
total |
45 |
iv.
analysis of family process [ due 11/21
]
Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your family of origin from the standpoint of the Proclamation principles covered in Section IV. (Or, if you have a family of procreation, you may choose to write about your current family.) Obviously, you cannot cover all nine principles. Choose a distinct set of maybe two principles that seem related in your family. Choose a set that will allow you to explore both strengths and weaknesses. This process is intended not only to help you examine your family’s application of these principles, but also to consider ways you might improve, either now or in your future family.
analysis of family process evaluation criteria |
points |
|
format and
writing : Paper should be 4
pages typed, 12-point font, double spaced with 1” margins and stapled.
Writing should be clear, concise, and error free. |
10 |
|
description:
Briefly describe your family in relation to the set of principles you
selected. How principles applied (or not applied) in your family’s processes?
Provide brief but effective illustrations or stories. |
10 |
|
analysis: Analyze your family’s application of these
principles in terms of strengths and weaknesses, drawing from course
materials. |
15 |
|
personal
application and plan: Describe your
personal plan to apply what you’ve learned about this set of principles
through the course and this analysis. What characteristics and processes do
you hope to preserve in your family of procreation? What do you want to
change or improve, either in your family of origin or procreation? |
10 |
|
total |
45 |
vi.
family crucibles analysis [due 12/5 ]
This activity is designed to help you understand that adversity in family life is a part of every person’s experience and an important element of personal and spiritual growth. It is also intended to help you gain knowledge and skills from the experiences of others close to you so that you can more fully prepare yourselves to develop a crucible perspective as described in Chapter 24. Interview an older member of your family with whom you are close, such as an older sibling, parent, or grandparent, about his/her experiences with adversity in family life. (An older person is more likely to have had several experiences with these crucibles and greater hindsight regarding their personal and spiritual effects.) Ask him/her to describe the crucible that had the greatest impact on his life and what effects it had on him personally, soon after the event and later. Describe what you learn and how you will use this information in your own life, using information from the course to enrich your analysis.
|
family crucibles analysis evaluation criteria |
points |
|
format and writing :
Paper should
be 4 pages typed, 12-point font, double spaced with 1” margins and stapled.
Writing should be clear, concise, and error free. |
10 |
|
description:
Briefly describe the crucible event your family member experienced, honoring
his/her privacy. (You may need to describe the experience in general terms
without a great deal of specifics.) |
10 |
|
analysis: Describe in detail how this person developed a
crucible perspective (not a coping or crisis perspective.) How did it affect
his/her personal and spiritual growth, relationship with others, views on
life or religious beliefs? How did he/she deal with it during/soon after
versus later? |
15 |
|
personal
application: Describe how you will use
what you’ve gained from this analysis and the course in your own life to
strengthen yourself and your family. What did you learn from this person that
you can apply to yourself? How has your attitude about family adversity
changed as a result of this activity? How has this helped you develop your
own crucible perspective? |
10 |
|
total |
45 |
vii.
“promote those measures” effort [ due
12/8 ]
This is an activity to help you answer the call of the Proclamation to actively do something to maintain and strengthen marriage and family. It is designed to help you see the ways you can combine your unique gifts and fire with the knowledge you’ve gained to help others right now and throughout your life. You may do this activity on your own, or team up with others. Determine your own immediate and long-term plan of action for being involved in marriage- and family-strengthening efforts, including how you might want to narrow your focus (see pages 13 and 42 of Answering the Call). Then find or create an actual project or effort you can complete or join that fits your interests and abilities. Spend at least 3 hours during the semester on this effort and be prepared to share your experience with the class, either in an oral or written report.
|
“promote those measures” effort evaluation criteria |
points |
|
focus description: Regardless of whether you work alone or with others, you will need to submit a written description of your personal action plan. This can be as brief as a single page, but must include the following: Who do you want to
focus on strengthening (couples, parents, singles, etc.)? |
15 |
|
actual effort: Spend
at least 3 hours doing something, anything to strengthen marriage and family.
Be as creative as you like. This can be something informal or formal. Find
ideas in the text or publication or come talk to one of us. On your honor,
include a statement that you fulfilled (or only partially fulfilled) this requirement
with your signature on the written focus description you submit. |
25 |
|
report: We will
spend the last two class days on this topic section (and the semester!)
hearing what people have done for this activity. The purpose of this is both
to share ideas about how to answer the call, and to give you experience in
speaking to a large group (something you may be called on to do as you share
and defend Proclamation principles throughout your life…) Because we cannot
get through everyone in only two class periods, names will be randomly drawn
for 2-5 minute oral reports during class. If you do not get the opportunity
to report in class you must submit a written 1-2 page report before the
final. If you work as a group, the report can be done as a group. All reports
should include: a description of the what you did, what (if anything you know
of) came of it, how you felt about it, and what you learned in the process. |
15 |
|
total |
45 |
Final
Project [due 12/18 by 2 pm ]
You may
choose between the following two final project options. They are both designed
to help you take your work and experiences from over the course of the semester
with you as you continue fulfilling the course objectives and carry the spirit
of the Proclamation on through your life. Start on your project early and
keep up on it throughout the semester.
a.
drawing specific inspiration
This project (inspired by Essay A) focuses on the first two objectives of the course, to increase your personal understanding and application of Proclamation principles. It has two parts, memorizing the Family Proclamation and keeping a journal of specific inspirations you gain through the semester.
|
memorize the proclamation: Over the course of
the semester, work on memorizing the Family Proclamation so that you can
recite it at will. This is a
challenging task but can be very rewarding and often produces good learning
as your attention is drawn to each word and phrase. To complete this part, you will need to come to the office and
write or recite the Proclamation to my TA or me from memory. You can
come anytime before the last week of class. To evaluate this, we will take
the number of mistakes and divide it by 609 (the number of words in the
Proclamation); the resulting percentage will be multiplied by 30 (the
total possible points) to yield a point score. (The vast majority of students
get above 95% correct.) |
30 |
|
journal: Over the course of
the semester, keep a log or journal of specific inspirations that come to you
on topics from the Proclamation, and specific thoughts you have about things
you can or intend to do to apply Proclamation principles and these
inspirations in your family life. It can be handwritten or typed and will not
be read word for word, but must represent a full semester’s worth of sincere
thoughts. |
20 |
|
total |
50 |
b. share and defend kit
This project focuses on the third objectives of the course, to prepare you to share and defend principles of successful marriages and families with others. It consists of developing a collection of material you can reference throughout your life, both for your own family and as you help others.
|
content: Over the course of the semester, gather some of the following for each of the seven main sections we cover. An outline of key points
from chapters and readings (you may want page #s). |
40 |
|
foramt: Neatly organize the
materials you have gathered into a nice binder or file in a useful and
well-ordered way. Materials should be
typed and easy to read/find however you set up your organization.
(Procrastination caution: Do not wait until the end of the semester to
organize/type things—work on this as we cover each section so you will not be
overwhelmed at finals time!) |
10 |
|
total |
50 |
Extra Credit [due 12/10 ]
In addition to the assigned readings, for many of the class periods there are optional readings you can complete for extra-credit. For each optional reading you complete, you may receive one extra-credit point (up to 14 total points). You may get credit for these readings anytime up to the exam covering that material. Also, you can earn one additional extra-credit point (for a total of 15 points) by completing a final course evaluation survey through Blackboard by the last day of class. Record your extra-credit points on your engagement point record as you earn them.
While all students sign the honor code, there are still specific skills most students need to master over time in order to correctly cite sources, especially in this new age of the internet; as well as deal with the stress and strain of college life without resorting to cheating. Please know that as your instructors we are alert instances of cheating on exams or plagiarizing on papers. See http://www.byu.edu/honorcode for specific examples of intentional, inadvertent plagiarism, and fabrication, or falsification. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds. The act is intended to eliminate sex discrimination in education. Title IX covers discrimination in programs, admissions, activities, and student-to-student sexual harassment. BYU’s policy against sexual harassment extends not only to employees of the university but to students as well. If you encounter unlawful sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, please talk to me or contact the Equal Employment Office at 378-5895 or 367-5689 (24-hours), or contact the Honor Code Office at 378-2847. BYU is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere which reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have any disability which may impair your ability to complete this course successfully, please contact the Services for Students with Disabilities Office (378-2767). Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with the student and instructor by the SSD office. If you need assistance or if you feel you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability, you may seek resolution through established grievance policy and procedures. Contact the Equal Employment Office at 378-5895, D-282 ASB.
Planned Course
Schedule
[subject to change]