UNIVERSITY of  MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
Maryland in Europe

  Seminar on Family Violence
UCSP 198/SOCY 398
Warren R. Johnson

Outline. The seminar on violence in the family earns one-credit hour at either the 198 or 398 level. Grades will be based both on class participation and a take-home examination which must be mailed to the instructor's address no later than two weeks after the seminar's end. Those of you who will be writing a 4-5 page paper for upper level credit should mail it along with your test.

Text: THE DARK SIDE OF FAMILIES by Finkelhor, Gellles, Hotaling, and Strauss

Assignments. In your reading of the text and preparation for class you might find it useful to focus on viewing violence in the family from the standpoints of

1. Abuse of power...one spouse over the other, parents over children, children over each other.
2. The legal and medical traditions that have made intervention most difficult
3. A common practice of blaming the victim, both among professionals and helpful friends
4. A tendency to isolate affected families and exaggerate the virtues of "normal" families Grades. Grades will be based on class participation (30 pts), the take home examination (70 pts), and if you are writing a term paper, an additional (100pts). Whether you are taking the class for 198 or 398 credit 90% of all the points equals an A; 80% equal a B; 70% equals a C; 60% a D; 50% or less an F.

Instructor. Mr. Johnson earned his B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Sociology at Northern Illinois University. He lives in Augsburg and has lectured in Sociology for the European Divsion since 1974. Please remember to send your tests and papers (keep copies for yourself ) to Warren R. Johnson, Von Arnim Str. 26, 86157 Augsburg.
 

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In preparing for discussions or while reading The Dark Side of Families
consider these questions
.
Section I--Common features of Family violence
a. Is abuse, abuse of power?
b. What has abuse to do with control?
c. Who is blamed? Why?
d. Does one form of abuse imply another?
.
Section II--Violence against wives
a. What has tradition to do with it?
b. How does self-esteem factor in?
c. Is he violent otherwise?
d. Is there a cycle to battering?

Section III--Articles about violence against wives ask?
a. Why doesn't she leave?
b. Is she provocative?
c. Whose resources?
d. What is misogyny?
.
Section IV--And Children?
a. Abused girls become victims; abused boys aggressors?
b. Who does it? Is there collusion?
c. How do experts react?
d. Are there techniques for surviving abuse?

In preparation of your answers or research papers you might find one or more of these additional books most useful
.
  Battered Wives--Del Martin                                      Child Abuse & Neglect -- Gelles and Lancaster
The Battered Child --Helfer and Kempe                              The Intimate Enemy --Bach and Wyden
The Male Experience --Doyle                                                          Conspiracy of Silence --Butler
The Child & the Family --Belsky                                                         Intimate Strangers --Rubin
Men & Masculinity--Pleck and Sawyer                                                        Women --Freeman
The Longest War --Tavris and Wade                                      Childhood Comes First--Helfer
Sexual Assault of Children and Adolescents--Burgess