Happy first day of classes to my fellow students and happy job-hunting to those of you who recently graduated and find yourself a few months away from having to pay back all those student loans you took. I’m so sorry and I don’t look forward to joining you in a year and a half.

I’m all set for today’s classes, which start at 11:30 a.m. and end at 5:20 p.m. Monday’s are my long days, but being the first day we should all get out relatively early. Except for that damn Spanish class, which I know will keep me there the entire time. Me gusta español pero no me gusta estudiar español en universidad. Necesito estudiar mucho. Soy muy triste.

I’ve already gotten my first assignment, thanks to the Internet and WebCT. I opened the Sociology of Marriage textbooks and began reading the first chapter in Diversity in Families. Dealing with the images, ideals, and myths surrounding the institution of the family, the first chapter is introductory. We all know the stereotypical family portrayed by Mother Culture: white, middle class, father as provider/protector, mother as wife/homemaker, and two-to-three beautifully behaved children. Some of us grew up in such realities, but the majority of us know family as something different.

The authors remind me that as a sociologist I am trained to be objective — I must realize that not everybody grew up like I did (single parent until age 9, working class, etc.) and I must remain open and be prepared to critique not only the institutions of marriage and the family, but also of society in general. I don’t know how I’ll survive with all this having to be critical stuff.

I think this text will provide useful information, but I have to get over the way the authors are trying to take it easy on newcomers to critical theory. I have decided to totally ignore the hand-holding, as the feminist perspective is given its due spotlight. FINALLY! Of course, I’ll also need to ignore the fact this course is cross-listed under women’s studies, but hey! It’s a sociology course that takes the feminist perspective as valid!

Here’s to hoping it will be a kickass Monday.

Theoretically Related Posts:

• No Related Post