Family Studies
Anne Forrest Prim, Holland Hall 512
507-786-3127
prim1@stolaf.edu
wp.stolaf.edu/socialwork
Department of Social Work and Family Studies
Overview of the Concentration
The well-being of individuals, couples, and families is a national and global concern. Family studies is an integrative field that synthesizes knowledge from many liberal arts disciplines, particularly economics, political science, psychology, social work, and sociology.
The Social Work and Family Studies Department offers a concentration in family studies.
Intended Learning Outcomes for the Concentration
Recommendations for Graduate Study
The concentration in family studies is designed to enable students to learn about families in both theory and practice; it is a course of study that can enhance student learning in any major. This concentration prepares students entering careers with families including marriage and family therapy, education, and ministry, or to family practice in law, medicine, nursing, social work, or public policy. Students who intend to go directly to graduate school in family social science or related fields should also consider enrollment in a statistics course and a research methods course in social work, psychology, or sociology/anthropology.
Requirements for the Concentration
Recommended preparation: introductory courses in social sciences, biology, and statistics
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required department courses 1 | ||
| FAMST 132 | Introduction to Family Studies | 1.00 |
| FAMST 242 | Family Relationships | 1.00 |
| FAMST 391 | Senior Seminar: Special Topics | 1.00 |
| Electives | ||
| Select two of the following electives: 2 | 2.00 | |
| Personal Finance | ||
| Topics in Economic Analysis (Only when taught as 'Gender Economics') | ||
| Asian American Literature | ||
| Family, Faith and Values | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Storytelling, Healing and Family in Aboriginal and Maori Cultures | ||
| First-Year Seminar (Only when taught as FYS 120 'Relationships in Young Adulthood') | ||
| Topical Seminar (Only when taught as HIST 188 'Sisters Under the Swastika') | ||
| Care of the Childbearing Family | ||
| Developmental Psychology | ||
| Parenting and Child Development in Diverse Families | ||
| Issues in Psychology (Only when taught as 'Close Relationships Across the Lifespan' or 'Intimate Relationships') | ||
| Introduction to Race and Ethnic Studies | ||
| Topical Seminar (Only when taught as 'Race, Gender, and Sexuality') | ||
| Sociology of Dying, Death, and Bereavement | ||
| Families, Marriage, & Relationships | ||
| Family and Gender Roles in Spain: 1900 to Present | ||
| Experiential component (see below) | ||
| Total Credits | 5 | |
- 1
These required courses provide a core of knowledge that is essential to thinking systematically about families as social systems and family as a social institution and its interactions within the larger social context.
- 2
At least one elective must be outside the Department of Social Work and Family Studies. These courses allow students to tailor their further knowledge about families to fit a specific application area or to integrate with their chosen majors. Elective courses not on this list may be counted with prior approval of the program director.
Experiential component with families
This requirement is usually an academic, credit-bearing experience completed during the senior year (including the previous summer.) It is designed to ensure that concentrators participate in an experience that applies basic family knowledge (theories, frameworks, concepts) to real families in a setting beyond the classroom. It must be approved by a faculty member in the Department of Social Work and Family Studies prior to enrollment and entered into the Department Google Doc. The experience and concomitant learning is presented as a graded assignment for a public audience in the senior seminar FAMST 391. Through the experience, students demonstrate attainment of intended learning outcomes for family studies. Watch for an email each semester from the program director with a Google Form to fill in your plans for completion.
Guidelines for the experiential component:
Includes approximately 40 hours devoted to direct experience with families (more than one family);
- A family interaction is considered having contact, even if it is at a pick-up or drop-off from an after-school program or camp, with more than one member of a family;
- Can be domestic or international experience;
- Can be a volunteer activity that is not graded;
- If for credit, can be taken either graded or Pass/No Pass (P/N); and
- Must be approved by a faculty member in the Department of Social Work and Family Studies prior to enrollment.
The experience may be:
- A project in a senior year course; or
- Work with families in a social work practicum or nursing clinical; or
- An independent research project with family interaction (FAMST 394); or
- An internship with a family serving agency (quarter-, half-, or full-credit FAMST 294); or
- A summer experience prior to senior year that involves direct experience with families.
FAMST 132: Introduction to Family Studies
Students examine American families through the life cycle in relation to personal and professional life, with the major emphasis on communication and commitment in interpersonal relationships. Students study courtship, marriage, adjustment to parenthood, and aging through engaging evidence-based research, case studies, and theoretical frameworks. They examine stressors that affect families such as family violence, divorce, grief and loss, and socioeconomic challenges. This course takes an interdisciplinary approach; students have opportunity for a broad range of individualized study. Offered each semester.
OLE Core Requirement: Social Science.
FAMST 230: Family, Faith and Values
In this course students examine and connect faith beliefs & practices, family relationships and values that are lived out in community. Students study family rituals and values from several global religions. Students learn how rituals and values are modeled and taught in the family and examine how spiritual practices and religious beliefs can be both sources of support and stress to families. Students explore and articulate their own stories related to family, faith and values. Offered periodically in January Term.
OLE Core Requirement: Religion, Faith and Values.
FAMST 242: Family Relationships
Students explore how family relationships are influenced by social, historical, and political contexts. Drawing on a range of disciplinary contexts and research, this course underscores the ways family relationships are constructed, sustained and challenged in society, with emphasis on theories and practice of family communication. Students draw on the relational dynamics studied in the introductory family studies course to transition to elaborating on the complexities of family functioning in U.S. society and beyond. Offered each semester.
FAMST 253: Human Sexuality
This course explores the varied dimensions of human sexuality as they affect and are affected by past and present human relationships. Sexual problems and issues are examined for the development of a value framework and for the enrichment of family life. The course emphasizes critical thinking skills applied to current issues in human sexuality (e.g. gay marriage, race and gender issues, sexual violence). Students examine issues in contemporary research and ethics in sexuality. Also counts toward gender and sexuality studies major and concentration.
OLE Core Requirement: Social Science.
FAMST 260: Storytelling, Healing and Family in Aboriginal and Maori Cultures
This course immerses students in the narrative, storytelling culture of Indigenous Australian and New Zealand peoples, the Aboriginal and Maori cultures. Students gain an understanding of the history of these peoples, their family culture, and storytelling as a healing and powerful force. Students study Narrative Family Therapy and learn to articulate the parallels between it and Aboriginal and Maori culture. Students also learn to apply this theory to their own lived experience.
Prerequisite: One of the following: FAMST 132, FAMST 242, SWRK 120, SWRK 122, SWRK 221, PSYCH 125, SOAN 121, SOAN 128, SOAN 260, SOAN 262, SOAN 264, RACE 121, RACE 252.
OLE Core Requirement: Social Science; OLE Experience in Practice.
FAMST 294: Academic Internship
FAMST 298: Independent Study
Independent work is guided by a faculty member. Students need to have the necessary background, including appropriate coursework, before an independent project is approved. A student may not substitute an IS/IR course for a course regularly offered in a department or program. IS/IR culminates in at least one product (a paper, laboratory report, work of art, etc.). Normally, the student and faculty instructor are expected to meet at least once a week. See catalog for more information under registration and course enrollment.
Prerequisites: at least second-year standing; at least 2 relevant courses for 298 (IS); approval from the faculty instructor, the academic advisor, and the department chair or program director.
FAMST 391: Senior Seminar: Special Topics
This required capstone seminar explores current research and the integration of key foundation disciplines in the study of families. Students explore special topics through readings assignments and lecture material.
Prerequisites: FAMST 132 and FAMST 242. Students can take FAMST 242 and FAMST 391 concurrently with permission of program director or FAMST 391 instructor.
OLE Core Requirement: OLE Experience in Practice.
FAMST 394: Academic Internship
FAMST 396: Directed Undergraduate Research
This course provides a comprehensive research opportunity, including an introduction to relevant background material, technical instruction, identification of a meaningful project, and data collection. The topic is determined by the faculty member in charge of the course and may relate to their research interests. Offered based on department decision. May be offered as a 1.00 credit course or .50 credit course. Does not count toward family studies concentration.
Prerequisite: determined by individual instructor.
FAMST 398: Independent Research
Independent work is guided by a faculty member. Students need to have the necessary background, including appropriate coursework, before an independent project is approved. A student may not substitute an IS/IR course for a course regularly offered in a department or program. IS/IR culminates in at least one product (a paper, laboratory report, work of art, etc.). Normally, the student and faculty instructor are expected to meet at least once a week. See catalog for more information under registration and course enrollment.
Prerequisites: at least second-year standing; at least 5 relevant courses for 398 (IR); approval from the faculty instructor, the academic advisor, and the department chair or program director.
Program Director , 2026-2027
Erica Kanewischer
Associate Professor of Practice of Social Work and Family Studies
Gwendolyn (Wendy) Anderson
Associate Professor of Social Work and Family Studies
Kate Barton
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Social Work and Family Studies
Kimberly Doran
Visiting Assistant Professor of Social Work and Family Studies
Hillary Lamberty
Visiting Assistant Professor of Social Work and Family Studies; Social Work Field Coordinator
Jessica Simpson
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Social Work and Family Studies
Susan E. Smalling (on leave 2026-27)
Professor of Social Work and Family Studies; Director of Faculty Community Belonging
anti-oppressive research and practice; indigenous populations; family and child welfare