Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202 Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

Teaching Work and Family Using the Sloan Work and Family Research Network

Stephen SweetIthaca College

Judi CaseyBoston College

2008 National Council on Family Relations

November 6, 2008

8:00-9:15pm

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

About the NetworkAbout the Network

• The Alfred P. Sloan Work and Family Research Network is the premier online destination for information about work and family.  The Network serves a global community interested in work and family research by providing resources and building knowledge. Current, credible, and comprehensive, the Network targets the information needs of academics and researchers, workplace practitioners, state public policy makers, and interested individuals.  It’s the place to find high quality research and reports, easy-to-read summary sheets and briefs, as well as work and family topic pages – all in one location.

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

Curriculum Task Force of the Sloan Work and Family Research Network

• 2005-2007• Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes

– Boston College• Ellen Ernst Kossek

– Michigan State University • Carrie Leana

– University of Pittsburgh• Shelley MacDermid

– Purdue University• Patricia Raskin

– Teachers College at Columbia University

• Mary Secret– Virginia Commonwealth University

• Stephen Sweet– Ithaca College

• 2007-2009• Christopher Morett

– Fordham University• Susan Lambert

– University of Chicago• Lonnie Golden

– Penn State, Abington• Stephen Sweet

– Ithaca College• Margaret Usdansky

– Syracuse University

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

Teaching Considerations….

• Programming - Where does work-family fit in my degree or certification program?

• Curriculum - What content should I teach in my course or workshop?

• Pedagogy - What are the best means of conveying that content and stimulating student thinking?

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

Programmatic Concerns

• Programming – the mechanisms by which work-family is integrated into college, university, and HR architecture.– How frequently are work-family

courses represented in course offerings?

– What departments “own” the territory of teaching work-family?

– What are the strategies of positioning work-family concerns front and center?

Programming of Work-Family In Course Programming of Work-Family In Course OfferingsOfferings

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

Pedagogical Challenges

• Breadth and Scope of Area of Study

– Diversities of families, workers, and workplaces

– Multi-disciplinary perspectives– Wide-ranging methodologies– Vistas of policy initiatives

• Complexity– Linkages between institutions,

history, and policy– Global comparative concerns

• Students’ Limited “Real Life” Experience

– Of family and work roles, demands, resources, and constraints

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1970 1980 1990 2000

socioabs

econlit

psychinfo

historicalabstracts

Tracking Journal Articles on Work-Family: 1970-2000

Source: Pitt-Catsouphes, Ernst Kossek and Sweet. 2005. Work and Family Handbook. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Mahwah, NJ.

Programming and Curricular ChallengesProgramming and Curricular Challenges

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

0 10 20 30 40 50

Sociology

HD & FS

Women Studies

Psychology

Social Work

Anthropology

Econ/Bus.

Legal Studies

History

HR/LR

Nursing

Politics

Component Course

Number of Schools

Where is Work-Family Being Taught?Where is Work-Family Being Taught?

Sweet, Stephen, Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Joshua Mumm, and Judi Casey. 2008. “Teaching Work and Family to Undergraduate Students: Catalyzing Pedagogical, Curricular, and Programmatic Innovations.” Teaching Sociology 36: 58-65

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

0 20 40 60 80 100

Alt. Cultures

Communities

Research Methods

Race/ Ethnicity

History

Demography

Family Leave

Household Work

Workplace Change

International

Gender Inequalitites

Schedules/Balance

Child Care

Business/Economics

Percentage of Syllabi

What Concepts are Emphasized in Work-Family What Concepts are Emphasized in Work-Family Course Syllabi?Course Syllabi?

Sweet, Stephen, Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Joshua Mumm, and Judi Casey. 2008. “Teaching Work and Family to Undergraduate Students: Catalyzing Pedagogical, Curricular, and Programmatic Innovations.” Teaching Sociology 36: 58-65

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

Programming and Curriculum: What do You Teach?

• In what types of courses do you integrate work and family topics?

• What types of readings do you assign?• Is there a resource that you wish was

available for your students, but is not?

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

A Resource for Instruction and Course Design: Syllabi

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

A Resource for Class Activities

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

Activities….

• What are some of your most successful and creative learning activities?

Pedagogy NDiscussions 21Field/Qualitative 10Archival/ Existing Docs. 6Self-Analysis 6Policy Debates/ Analysis 6Writing Activities 6Game-Playing/ Role-Playing 5Content Analysis 5Film/ Video/ Discussions 5Case Studies 5Survey 3Reading Realistic Fiction 2Budget/Time Management 2Various "Other" Group Activities 2Creative Personal Expressions 1Non-Fiction Book Reviews 1Panel Discussions 1Visual Illustrations 1N= 58

Summary of Work-Family Pedagogies Published in Teaching Sociology 1990-2006 and Teaching Work-Family

Sweet, Stephen, Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Joshua Mumm, and Judi Casey. 2008. “Teaching Work and Family to Undergraduate Students: Catalyzing Pedagogical, Curricular, and Programmatic Innovations.” Teaching Sociology 36: 58-65

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

A Resource for Course Components: Work and Family Modules

Modules currently available

1. Overview of Work-Family Issues in the United States

2. Work-Life Issues in the Workplace

3. Work-Family Policy in the United States

4. Surveying the “Best of the Best”: A Seminar Based on Research Articles Nominated for the Rosabeth Moss Kanter Award for Work-Family Research

Modules in development

5. Engaging Students in the Sloan Work and Family Research Network

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

Module: Overview of Work and Family in the United States

Class 1: Fundamental concepts in work and family

Class 2: Historical overview of work-family: Changes from pre-industrial to industrial arrangements

Key Concepts

• Definitions of families

• Diversity of employment and family contexts

• Institutional interfaces, spillover, crossover, conflict, and enhancement

• Multidisciplinary perspectives

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

Module: Surveying the “Best of the Best”

A Seminar Based on Research Articles Nominated for the Rosabeth Moss Kanter Award for Work-Family Research

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

Orienting Work-Family Inquiry: The Work and Family Encyclopedia

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

Using the Work and Family Encyclopedia in Course Designs

• Chris Morett and Lonnie Golden use the Work and Family Encyclopedia as a primary reading in their work-family courses

From Chris Morett’s Syllabus…

Week 12 (April 1 and April 4): Service-learning reflection #3 due 4/4Private and public policies to address work family conflict: America and abroadNowicki. 2003. Family and Medical Leave Act. (W-F Encyclopedia)Pitt-Catsouphes. 2003. Family Friendly Workplace. (W-F Encyclopedia)Kelly. 2006. "Work-Family Policies: The United States in Int’l Perspective."

Week 13 (April 8 and April 11):Work and family later in life: Workers, parents, and spouses

James. 2007. Aging and Work. (W-F Encyclopedia)Logan and Spitze. 1996. “Extending the Family.”

Chris Morett (Fordham University)

Lonnie Golden (Penn State Abington)

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

Blazing Paths: A Source of Comprehensive Understanding

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

A Portal to Work-Family Research: The Literature Database

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

Helping Students Frame Their Research and Analyses

Margaret Usdansky uses topics pages and Literature Database to guide student projects

From Margaret’s syllabus…..

Assignment 1, Identifying and Defining Your Topic and Main Argument: The Topics Pages on the Sloan Work-Family site are a useful source for selecting a topic and formulating a main argument. Take a look at the site before you begin. You are not limited to the topics identified by Sloan but are free to draw on them. To begin, peruse the Topics Pages or other sections of the Sloan web site to come up with ideas for your paper topic. Once you’ve identified a likely topic, search the Sloan data base or other data bases discussed in class to identify two scholarly empirical articles relevant to your topic. Avoid topics for which you have trouble identifying relevant empirical articles as you will ultimately need 10 articles for the completed paper……

Margaret Usdansky (Syracuse University)

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

A Means to Locate Organizational Practices

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

Establishing the Business Case With Students

• Susan Lambert assigns her students to engage in field work, interview workers, and link their analyses to case studies of workplace flexibility presented on the Sloan Work and Family Research Network

Susan Lambert (University of Chicago)

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

Opportunities to Contribute to the Sloan Work and Family Research Network

• Compose - entries for the Sloan Work and Family Encyclopedia

• Submit - syllabi to the Teaching Resources• Share - teaching activities and exercises

through Teaching Resources

Contacts Judi Casey - caseyjt@bc.edu

Stephen Sweet – ssweet@ithaca.edu

Online: www.bc.edu/wfnetwork E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202

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