My initial idea was for this course to run for 8 weeks and to cover a different topic every two weeks - so we'd create a task for each topic we're covering. During the course (and preferably early on) I’d like all participants to contribute at least one suggested piece of reading (or viewing or listening) and/or to suggest a new topic by editing this text.

In the comments at the bottom I’ve put some ideas about how this could work as a course so we can talk about it as a group. Comments and other suggestions very very welcome.

If there are still open issues, at the first course meeting we’ll agree exactly how the course will run.

Topic suggestion: Does parenting matter?

Bryan Caplan has received a lot of publicity for his book promoting the idea that parenting has little effect childrens long-term changes of being happy / healthy / successful. This strikes me as pretty unlikely so I'm interested in what the evidence really is (but without going so far as to buy his book).

Caplan on Parenting - http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2011/05/caplan_on_paren.html
Critique of Caplan - http://www.ahaparenting.com/CustomContentRetrieve.aspx?ID=3881572
Twin studies - science or pseudoscience - http://www.springerlink.com/content/v370p8j086067711/

Topic suggestion: Toddlers and television

How do very young children understand television (and material on computers)? I've heard suggestions that you shouldn't expose your children to TV before the age of 2-3 years. What are the precise risks?

Television and very young children - http://abs.sagepub.com/content/48/5/505.short
Television and children - http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/tv.htm