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In this class, we will examine changes in family/household behaviors and relationships from a demographic perspective. We will investigate how culture, economics, and population characteristics can shape family structures, how the role of families has changed in recent decades, and how families are important in people’s lives. We will study diverse familial forms in the U.S. as well as those in the international context. We will study important (and measurable) events in people’s family lives, such as cohabitation, marriage, divorce, and childbearing. We will study how family roles are changing for fathers, mothers, and grandparents. We will also learn about the health implications of various familial relationships. We will use demographic tools and data to compare families across time periods, across social groups, and (to some extent) across countries. You will be doing your own quantitative analyses. You will develop your skills at interpreting and critiquing demographic data that researchers use to support their arguments about the family. You will also develop your skills at making your own accurate and compelling arguments using demographic data.