Technology, Intimacy and Family Life
Overview
This unit examines aspects of the modern family and it covers a range of topics such as care, responsibility, love and even conflict associated with intimate relations in family lives. The unit provides a current and comprehensive look at the effects of modernity, globalization and technology on couple and family relationships. The unit begins with an overview of change in the notion of family over time before moving on to critical engagement with various theoretical, cross-cultural, political and policy viewpoints about families and relationships to encourage informed and critical engagement in the issues affecting contemporary families.
Requisites
50 credit points
01-November-2026
Unit learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Identify key concepts and theories relevant to modern understanding of families
- Interpret the main trends in family change and continuity in Australia and overseas,in light of relelvant theories and appropriate evidence
- Evaluate the manner in which technological advancements shape personal life in relation to families and sexuality
- Cooperate with and intellectually engage with peers in discussion
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Online Class | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| On-campus Class | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 9.50 | 12 weeks | 114 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analysis | Individual | 45% | 1,2,3 |
| In-Class Presentation | Group | 30% | 1,2,3 |
| Final Semester Test | Individual | 25% | 1,2,3 |
Content
- Impact of globalisation on family labour
- Assisted reproductive technologies and rise of new families
- Technology, chidlren & parenting
- Technology facilitated abuse
- Love and marriage in late modernity
- Distance love and transnational families
- Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Verbal communication
- Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Communicating using different media
- Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Collaboration and negotiation
- Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Teamwork roles and processes
- Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Information literacy
- Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Technical literacy
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.