Description

COURSE DESCRIPTION
A brief introduction to the family as an institution and a focus on preparing the individual for marriage and family life by emphasizing mate selection, adjustment, family member status and role, socialization process, social control, change of family structure, and social class and mobility aspects. A Christian perspective on marriage and the family is emphasized. Sociological and psychological literature and perspectives are also reviewed.

 COURSE GOALS
A. Although marriage is often described as a universal human condition, logic and experience indicate that marriage is not for everyone. During the course, the students are expected to
evaluate their marriageability.
B. It is the intent of the instructor that each student not only acquire the basic factual and attitudinal data relevant to the course, but also formulate a personal opinion on each of the
topics presented.
C. Two Christians, both following Christ and in obedience to Him, may sometimes find themselves on opposite sides of a question, since Christ deals with his children not only as a
body but as individuals as well. Thus each student is expected to learn how to differ with someone else while respecting that other person’s motives and points of view.
D. Life is obviously lived one heartbeat at a time. Thus it is the hope of the instructor that each student will learn to translate lifetime commitments into day-by-day behaviors.
LEARNING OUTCOME
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to do the following:
A. Evaluate their own maturity and readiness for marriage.
B. Evaluate their own style of relating to significant others in special one-to-one relationships.
C. Plan a budget and write their philosophical and practical justification for that budget.
D. Develop a strategy for building family cohesion and strength through appropriate involvement and support.
E. Utilize appropriate methods of conflict resolution and decision-making.
F. Develop a meaningful spiritual focus for a family, presumably their families.