Course content

During the 19th century, the core family of mother, father and children became the dominant family form in most societies. The transition from agricultural to industrial society can be described as a standardization of the roles within the family. Accordingly, upbringing of children was professionalized and the family became a target group for an emerging supervision and assistance system in the modern welfare states. Simultaneousely, the 'standard model' for the family came under pressure from a changing labor market, a transition from industrial society to knowledge society and from neoliberal deregulation of institutions in society.

In this complex interaction between an increasingly flexible and tenuose working life and looser family structures, welfare measures aimed at families are under pressure. The tendencies of polarization between families economically, socially and culturally increase inequalities in life chances between children and families. Such inequalities have implications for how families manage parenthood and bring up their children. Parenting in the neoliberal knowledge society is demanding. Through various measures of support, regulation and control provided by services such as health care, kindergarden, school and child welfare, parenthood is constructed both internally in the family and externally in relation to other adults and to central institutions in children's lives. Tensions and contradictions exist between various actor's perspectives. In these relationships, children, parents, welfare providers, the state and society negotiate normative values and ideals associated with notions of good childhood and good parenthood.

Learning outcome

Knowledge - the student shall:

• understand advanced theories on children, family and parenthood related to late modernity, neoliberalism, new social conservatism, governmentality and the interaction between family, state and market.
• critically apply relevant theoretical constructs to the rapid social changes occurring in nation state social, economic and institutional contexts
• evaluate the application of different methods and processes in research on the relationships between children and parents, parenthood and family development
• contribute to the development of new knowledge, new theories, methods and/or interpretations in the field of parenting and family life

Skills - the student shall demonstrate the ability to:

• formulate research questions, plan and conduct research on the relationships between children and parents, parenthood and family
• conduct research at a high international level
• critically analyse complex social and academic issues and challenge established knowledge and practice in the field

General competence - The student shall

• be able to identify a range of relevant ethical principles and issues and dilemmas in the relationship between family, market and welfare states in neoliberal societies and to engage in broader debates surrounding their research

Learning methods and activities

Compulsory participation at the seminar. Written paper, 4500-5000 words. The paper should be relevant to your own PhD-project. The course may be changed or cancelled if there are less than 5 students registered, and/or that the department of social work does not have teaching capacity.

Compulsory assignments

• Participation

Required previous knowledge

Master's degree or equivalent