Title: Analyze the effect of social, cultural, economic, and technological trends on work and family.
Course: Family Relations (19259-36) > 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
- mobility issues in today’s society (e.g., immigration, separation from the support of extended family)
- economic factors (e.g., health care, higher education, caring for elderly family members, multiple generations in one home)
- products and services designed or improved in the last 10 years that relate to balancing work and family roles
- advantages and disadvantages of having a dual-earner family
- effects of technology on the family and work balance (e.g., social media, 24/7 demands of work, e-learning).

Process/Skill Questions:

Thinking

- How has the traditional separation of work and family changed in the last 50 years?
- What are the implications of the interconnections of work and home life for families? For society? For the workplace?
- How does the increase in the number 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?
- How does the mobility of families affect the interconnectedness of work and family life?

Communication

- How can families and individuals address trends in the workplace?
- What influences a person's beliefs and attitudes about work and family responsibilities?

Leadership

- What are the effects of technological advancements on families and on society?
- 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 decisions be made about the best way to deal with social, economic, and technological changes?
- How might society influence the way families manage their work and family responsibilities?