Title: Analyze ways in which social, economic, and technological changes affect work and family dynamics.
Course: Introduction to Family and Human Services (19001-18) > Section: Balancing Work and Family

Analysis should include

- ways work and family are interconnected or independent
- trends associated with the interconnectedness of work and family
- products and services designed or improved in the last 10 years that relate to how work and family roles are balanced or out of balance
- technological advancements, especially in telecommunications, that have enabled a mobile society (e.g., telecommuting, job sharing)
- technological advancements and the effects on human connectedness
- advantages and disadvantages of having a dual-income family
- influence of government programs/laws on family structure.

Process/Skill Questions:

Thinking

- In what ways are today’s work and family responsibilities interconnected?
- How has the traditional separation of work and family changed in the last 50 years?
- How does the increase of working women affect men’s and women’s roles in the family?
- What are the effects of the feminization of poverty (i.e., an increasing number of women in short-term, low-wage, dead-end jobs) on single-parent families? On the workplace? On society as a whole?

Communication

- How can families and individuals address the effect of trends in the workplace?
- What kinds of things influence a person's beliefs and attitudes about work and family responsibilities?
- How can family members communicate with each other about their beliefs and attitudes toward work and family responsibilities?

Leadership

- What are the positive and negative effects of technological advances for families?
- What leadership skills can help with managing the effects of work on family life and family life on work?
- What leadership skills are helpful in aligning family income with long-term family goals?

Management

- How can families manage social, economic, and technological changes?
- How might society influence the way families manage their work and family responsibilities?