Using a comparative approach, this course offers a preliminary examination of several
sociological perspectives on families, emphasizing current changes and trends, institutional
characteristics, and research conducted in Canada on various aspects of families. The course
focusses on families in Canada, incorporating multidimensional analyses and discussions of
cross-cultural world views (including indigenous world views) as they relate to the family and
historical elements in Canadian society. This course also includes reflections on families in a
global context.