BYU-Idaho – Department of Home and Family

FAML 300-02 - Marriage

Spring 2020

Instructor: Kevin M. Green, PhD, LMFT, CFLE Class Time: M/W, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
E-mail: greenk@byui.edu Classroom: Remotely via Zoom
Phone: (208) 496-4036 Virtual Office Hours: M/TH 2-3pm; W 9-10 am
(see Canvas)
Teaching Assistant: Janae Young – you18030@byui.edu

REQUIRED COURSE READINGS/MATERIALS

• Doherty. W. (2013). Take Back Your Marriage: Sticking Together in a World That Pulls Us Apart,
Second Edition. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
• Fowers, B. (2000). Beyond the Myth of Marital Happiness. San Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass.
• Gottman, J. (2015). The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, Second Edition. New York,
NY: Harmony Books
• Course readings available in Canvas
• Top Hat. This is a required (free), interactive tool. If you don’t already have one, create a Top Hat account
here: https://www.tophat.com The Top Hat app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. Then
enroll in this course by entering this join code: 219780. Be sure to use your BYU Idaho email to enroll.

OVERALL GOAL FOR THE COURSE

Elder Christofferson taught, “marriage is…as much a part of the plan of happiness as the Fall
and the Atonement.” The overarching purpose of this class is to help us manifest through our
thoughts, words, and deeds the grand importance of marriage in the Father’s Plan. To do this,
we will need to learn how to advocate for marriage in homes and communities.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate competency with communicating in secular and gospel language the basic skills and
principles associated with successful marriages.
2. Determine how to establish and maintain a healthy marriage within a challenging environment.
3. Demonstrate a capacity to locate and synthesize empirical research concerning marriage.
4. Assess marital functioning using theory and gospel principles.
5. Implement learned principles in their interpersonal relationships.

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Your grade will be determined by your performance in the following learning activities:

Participation: Learning includes both preparation and participation and is a course expectation. It is
expected that you will have come to class prepared and ready to participate. You will be assigned to
small groups at the beginning of the semester. Your group will rely upon you heavily. For each
preparation list, you are expected to not only read, but to engage in the material. To help guide you in
this process, you will be required to keep a notebook/journal of all that you are learning regarding
marital research, principles, and other insights after completing each preparation assignment throughout
the semester. You will be expected to share your insights with your group as well. Your final grade will
be based on your overall participation and engagement with the material, your group work, and group
evaluation score.

Attendance Points (25 points): I will take attendance at variable times of class using Top Hat. You
will need to set up a Top Hat account using your BYU Idaho email. If you are in attendance, you will be
able to retrieve the attendance code and report your attendance for the day.

Your group will rely upon you to help them learn the material and assess the case studies. Missing class
or not coming prepared will have a negative impact on your grade and, more importantly, your learning.
Although any absence will negatively affect your grade, you cannot miss more than 4 class periods
and obtain a grade higher than a C. 6 or more absences during the semester will result in a failing
grade. If you have a legitimate reason that may affect your attendance beyond 4, visit with Brother
Green ASAP. These conversations should transpire before any absences occur.

Preparation Points (50 points): You will indicate your preparation on the daily preparation quiz. You
will receive 1 point for reading and completing at least 50% of the preparation material. You will
receive 2 points for reading and completing all of the preparation materials.

Annotated Bibliography (20 points): This is part of your literature review paper assignment and will
require that you document and summarize your research articles in preparation for your literature
review.

Literature Review (185 points): This paper will be a brief literature review on any topic or issue
concerning marriage that you would like to learn about in greater detail (e.g., divorce, cohabitation,
listening, pornography, anger, alcohol, rituals, infidelity, sacrifice, etc.).

• The paper will be typed-written double-spaced and have a minimum of 8 pages including the
cover page, a minimum of 6 full pages of text, and a reference page with at least 12-15
empirical references (besides the books from the course, if you use them as a reference).
The paper should be written using APA Style referencing, including an abstract (please see the
APA resources included in the Course Information folder as well as the OWL Purdue Website
for assistance in formatting your paper in APA). I know it goes without saying, but this paper is
to be your own work.

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 • In addition, any graphs, charts, or pictures/graphics are to be placed in an appendix
following the Reference page and will not count towards the 6 pages of text. Tables and
figures are NOT required.

Formatting Requirements
1. Typed with 1” margins on all sides.
2. Although APA 7th edition provides you options for different fonts, for this class you should use 12-point
Times New Roman font.
3. Double-space your paper. There should not be extra spaces after headings or between paragraphs. You
may need to adjust the default setting on Microsoft Word to ensure this is the case. In addition, do not
attempt to manipulate any of the format features in order to artificially lengthen your paper.
4. Paper is to be left-justified.
5. Do not use bulleted words or phrases as paragraphs in the paper. If you are using a list of concepts, put
them in a single paragraph form.
6. Each paper should have a title page in APA format.
7. Organize your paper with appropriate section headings as necessary. To help organize your paper, you
will want to have an introduction, body, and conclusion.
• In your introduction, you should include a general introduction to your topic and outline the content
of the paper.
• In your body, you should articulate the various findings in an organized way. For example, in a paper
on depression and marriage, you might have the following sections in the body of your paper:
prevalence of depression, effects of depression on an individual in marriage, effects of depression on
a spouse, common marital treatments for depression in marriage.
• The conclusion should do just that: conclude your paper (provide a brief and concluding overview of
the major points of your paper). Also, in your conclusion suggest two additional research questions
that could be examined in the future because you did not find anything about those questions in the
literature.
• Be sure to use headings (see Purdue OWL website (Links to an external site.) for help with headings).

**You will be graded on the quality of writing (for example, flow, grammar, etc.), APA formatting, and how well
you synthesize the research into your paper (for example, how well you tell the story of the data).

Drafts
You are required to submit all drafts as indicated. See the dates in the table below.

1. First draft. (20 points) This draft must be at least 4 pages of written content. Your draft will be peer-reviewed
by members of the class.
2. Second draft. (20 points) This draft must be at least 6 pages of written content. This draft will include any and
all necessary revisions after having your paper reviewed by your peers. This draft will also be peer-reviewed
by your classmates.
3. Final Draft. (100 points) This draft will include any and all necessary revisions after having your paper
reviewed by your peers. It is expected that this draft will meet all of the necessary requirements outlined
above.
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Journal Reflections (20 points/10 each): You keep a note journal during the semester to record your
insights, reactions, and observations to preparation material and assigned readings. You will submit a
small 1-page summary of one of your journal entries at two different points in the semester. Additional
details in Canvas.

Proclamation Application (25 points): This is an assignment where you will be asked to apply
principles from the “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” to marriage in both a religious and a
secular manner. Details in Canvas.

Pornography (10 points): This is a small paper on how pornography impacts marriage.

Nurturing Friendship (50 points): A small write up on nurturing friendship in marriage based on the
readings from the Gottman text. Details in Canvas.

Marital Assessment (50 points): A small write up on your ability to assess a marital case study and
apply skills and concepts we’ve discussed in class.

Bilingual Advocacy (50 points): This is the final project for the course and is a small paper where you
apply your bilingual abilities to assess and discuss marriage in both secular and sacred language.

Late Work Policy:

Procrastination and tardiness are unhealthy and inhibiting habits, both in school and family life.
Therefore, I encourage you to avoid both. Late work might be accepted on a case-by-case basis and will
be penalized 25%. If accepted, late work must be turned in within one week.

Participation and Preparation 50 points

Attendance Points 25 points
Annotated Bibliography 20 points
Literature Review (1st, 2nd and Final drafts) 185 points
Peer Review Drafts 40 points
Journal Reflections (2) 20 points (10/each)
Proclamation Application Assignment 25 points
Pornography Paper 10 points
Nurturing Friendship 50 points
Marital Assessment 50 points
Bilingual Advocacy Final Project 50 points
Total Points 525 (approximately – maybe adjusted for
small quizzes and case study)

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GRADING SCALE
A = 94% - 100% B- = 80% - 83% D+ = 67% - 69%
A- = 90% - 93% C+ = 77% - 79% D = 64% - 66%
B+ = 87% - 89% C = 74% - 76% D- = 60% - 63%
B = 84% - 86% C- = 70% - 73% F = 59% and below

WHAT DOES YOUR GRADE MEAN?

Your grade should reflect the grade description below. If, while assessing and calculating final grades, it is
deemed that your grade in Canvas does not reflect the grade description from the University, I reserve the right to
make a grade change based on the criteria below:
“A” represents outstanding understanding, application, and integration of subject material and extensive
evidence of original thinking, skillful use of concepts, and ability to analyze and solve complex problems.
Demonstrates diligent application of Learning Model principles, including initiative in serving other students.
“B” represents considerable/significant understanding, application, and incorporation of the material that would
prepare a student to be successful in next level courses, graduate school, or employment. The student participates
in the Learning Model as applied in the course.
“C” represents sufficient understanding of subject matter. The student demonstrates minimal initiative to be
prepared for class. Sequenced courses could be attempted, but mastering new materials might prove challenging.
The student participates only marginally in the Learning Model.
“D” represents poor performance and initiative to learn, understand, and apply course materials. Retaking a
course or remediation may be necessary to prepare for additional instruction in this subject matter.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

Integrity & Honor Code: Above all else, students are expected to maintain integrity. Dishonesty of any
kind undermines what we are trying to accomplish at BYU-Idaho and will not be tolerated. Dishonesty
will affect your grade. Students in violation of the honor code (i.e., proper dress and grooming) will be
dismissed from class until standards are met.

Preventing Sexual Misconduct Syllabus Statement: BYU-Idaho prohibits sex discrimination against
any participant in its education programs or activities. Prohibited sex discrimination includes incidents of
sexual harassment (including sexual violence), dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and
stalking (collectively “sexual misconduct”).

As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment for my students
and for the campus as a whole. University policy requires that I report all incidents of sexual misconduct
that come to my attention. If you encounter sexual misconduct, please contact the Title IX Coordinator at
titleix@byui.edu or 208-496-9200. Additional information about sexual misconduct and available
resources can be found at www.byui.edu/titleix.

Disability Services Syllabus Statement: BYU-Idaho does not discriminate against persons with
disabilities in providing its educational and administrative services and programs, and follows applicable
federal and state law. This policy extends to the University’s electronic and information technologies
(EIT).
Students with qualifying disabilities should contact the Disability Services Office at
disabilityservices@byui.edu or 208-496-9210. Additional information about Disability Services resources
can be found at http://www.byui.edu/disabilities.

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 FAML 300 Spring 2020 Schedule
The calendar below is a tentative outline for the semester and is subject to changes. All prep lists will be posted to Canvas.
DATE TOPIC TO BE COVERED
W1 Mon - April 20 Course Overview & Introductions
W1 Wed - April 22 Marriage is Essential: Doctrines, Principles, Applications
W2 Mon - April 27 Advocacy for Marriage
W2 Wed - April 29 Marital Myths
W3 Mon - May 4 History of Marriage
W3 Wed - May 6 Literature Review: Learning the Steps
Topic Selection – Due May 9th
W4 Mon - May 11 Marital Trends and Research: Why Marriage Matters
W4 Wed - May 13 Marriage and the Law: Redefinition of Marriage
Annotated Bibliography – Due May 16th
W5 Mon - May 18 Peer Review of 1st Draft of Literature Review in Groups
W5 Wed - May 20 Consumer Marriage – Doherty
First Draft – Due May 23rd by 11:30 PM
W6 Mon – May 25 MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY – NO CLASS
W6 Wed – May 27 Establishing Boundaries (time, kids, family, friends, foes) - Doherty
Second Draft – Due May 30th by 11:30 PM
W7 Mon – Jun 1 Intentional Marriage (Rituals) - Doherty
W7 Wed – Jun 3 Divorce
W8 Mon – Jun 8 Premarital Patterns and Family of Origin (FOO)
W8 Wed - Jun 10 Financial Issues and Principles
FINAL draft of Lit Review – Due June 13th by 11:30 PM
W9 Mon - Jun 15 Communication in Marriage: Gottman
W9 Wed - Jun 17 Nurturing Friendship and Coping with Conflict: Gottman
Nurturing Relationships Paper – Due June 20th by 11:30 PM
W10 Mon - Jun 22 Assessing Marriage and Marital Behavior: RAM and other models
W10 Wed - Jun 24 Mate Selection
W11 Mon - Jun 29 Healthy Sexual Intimacy in Marriage
Marital Assessment Paper – Due July 6th by 11:30 PM
W11 Wed - July 1 Challenges in Marital Intimacy
W12 Mon - July 6 Pornography and Other Addictions
W12 Wed - July 8 Anger
Pornography Paper – Due July 11th by 11:30 PM
W13 Mon - July 13 Transition to Parenthood
W13 Wed - July 15 Conclusion: Fighting Back
Bilingual Advocacy Final Paper due July 18th by 11:30 PM – upload to Canvas