BOOK TITLE: Families As They Really Are, 2nd edition Publisher: W. W. NortoTopics: Forming Families ...

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BOOK TITLE: Families As They Really Are, 2nd edition Publisher: W. W. NortoTopics: Forming Families & Finding Intimacy Read: Risman Chapters 13, 14, 17, 18 & CCF (Council of Contemporary Families): Nack Watch: TWiT Netcast Network – Gender Equality & Family Need Choose one of these reading prompts to respond to (there are multiple parts to each reading prompt, you must answer all parts).  1. How is the story of dual-earner couples also a story of gender? What about social class? Davis and Owen conclude by stating that dual-earner couples are the norm in the United States and encourage us to think about how we can help these couples lead more balanced, satisfied, and healthier lives. What suggestions might you have for policy makers as to how we could create a better environment for dual-earner couples and their families?   2. Schwartz argues that there is a “culture of fear” surrounding sex and sexuality. She writes using points and counterpoints. In doing this, how does she show fear of sex and how does she show lack of fear of sex? Schwartz concludes with a discussion of the mixed signals that society, specifically the media, sends us as individuals. For example, she states that while advertisers sell things using sexual innuendo during prime-time television, it is not OK for these same time slots to include advertisements for condoms. Can you think of other examples of where you’ve seen these same mixed signals within society? How does Schwartz suggest that we begin to get past these mixed signals or sexual double standards that exist within society?  3. Nack discusses “disclosures” of STD status. What does she advise about “the conversation”—by intimate partners and by parents? What kinds of personal and interpersonal problems do STDs produce? What does Nack conclude can help reduce those problems? What is novel about the way Nack uses personal information? Do you think this is a positive or a negative?