Syllabus

Course Objectives

This course is intended to introduce you to the field of sociology and the sociological perspective and provide you with the theoretical and analytical tools to examine and critique the social environments of the United States and global cultures.

You will be expected to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the following:

  • The sociological perspective and how it can be used to examine U.S. and global social problems, including the environment, health care, war, and terrorism.
  • The three primary theoretical approaches of sociology and how they study and understand social problems, social inequalities, and social institutions.
  • The global perspective and related concepts of cultural relativism and ethnocentrism.
  • Social inequalities in U.S. society and how race, gender, sexuality, and class are socially constructed.
  • Major U.S. social institutions, including education, the family, the economy, and politics.

Required Materials

Textbooks

Kendall, Diana. 2007. Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 4th edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Ehrenreich, Barbara. 2001. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Films

Bowling for Columbine, directed by Michael Moore, 2003.
The Panama Deception, directed by Barbara Trent, 1993.
One film chosen from the recommended list for the Course Paper assignment.

Online Readings

Articles are available online through the KU Libraries website and book excerpts are provided in your digital coursepack. For instructions on how to access these readings, click on E-Readings.

Introduction

Both textbooks introduce social problems in the United States from a sociological perspective. Kendall's text examines them from a macrosociological perspective that is used to define and understand such issues as social inequalities, problems within social institutions, and global social problems. Kendall also describes how different sociologists view the causes of and solutions to these problems as well as the debates between social scientists and between political groups.

Ehrenreich's text, on the other hand, provides a microsociological perspective on social problems and is based on her ethnological research on working in America in the late 1990s. Although Ehrenreich is not a sociologist, her methods and analysis show the effects of various social problems (including poverty, sexism, and racism) on real people in their everyday lives. She also examines how social interaction defines, reinforces, and challenges mainstream conceptualizations of social problems in the United States today.

Throughout this course you will be required to use critical thinking. You should not take what you read at face value but instead use logic and evidence to question the readings and your own understandings of social problems. Critical thinking requires that we move beyond everyday assumptions about the world and instead examine cultural values to better understand social problems. You may want to think about the following questions: What is the author arguing? What evidence does he or she present to support his or her arguments? What other conclusions can we make based on the arguments? What didn't the author address? Do I agree with the author? Why or why not? When reading about social problems, students often find that their own cultural values and norms—as well as basic understanding—are challenged by the theories and evidence presented. Rather than be offended, you must remember that multiple perspectives on social problems allow all of us a much deeper and broader understanding of them.

Course Organization

Defining social problems in the United States is an arduous and controversial task and requires focusing on a few key areas to provide a more in-depth look. The course is divided into three sections that deal with (1) social inequalities that affect individuals and groups within the United States, (2) social problems within social institutions in the United States, (3) global social problems that face both the United States and countries around the world. Each section contains four to five lessons, one to two writing assignments, and one supervised exam.

Reading/Viewing Assignments

Each lesson contains a list of learning objectives, a reading assignment from the texts, and a discussion of important points. Several lessons have additional online readings. Lessons 1 and 11 require you to watch a film. The learning objectives and discussion are meant to give you a clear idea of what you need to master before moving on to the next lesson. They will also help you on your writing assignments and exam questions. The discussions are intended to provide the background on social problems that you would get in a formal lecture if you were taking the course on campus. The objectives provide a map to the readings. The exam questions will cover specific details in both the readings and the lesson introductions, so to succeed in this course you need to read carefully and remember details.

I am available by email and will be happy to answer any questions you have over the readings or other course materials. I am here to help you understand this challenging subject. I am also happy to provide you with references for future readings on any of the course topics.

Study Questions

A companion website for the Kendall textbook published by Allyn and Bacon has a number of study aids, including 25 multiple-choice questions and ten true-false questions for each chapter. These questions are electronically graded, so you can see your results immediately after you click on "Submit Answers for Grading." Explanations are given for incorrect answers.

You are not required to submit your results to me, but you should complete the questions for each assigned chapter. Taking the quizzes is an excellent way to review each chapter and to prepare for the exams.

A link to the Allyn and Bacon website is provided in each lesson.

Writing Assignments

You are required to complete five short writing assignments and one longer course paper. The five writing assignments require two- to four-page summaries and responses to the assigned readings, films, and discussions. One requires Internet research. Specific guidelines for each assignment are found in the lessons. The longer course paper, due after the last lesson, is a five- to ten-page reaction paper to a film that deals with a particular social problem. A list of recommended films and instructions for writing the paper are found in the Course Paper section. Below are some general guidelines that should be followed for both the short writing assignments and the course paper.

Paper Guidelines: Technical Aspects

  • All papers must be typed, New Times Roman, 12pt. font, and double spaced. Use one-inch margins on all sides.
  • The first page should include your full name, course title, writing assignment number, the question you are addressing, and the date.
  • Please submit all assignments as a Word document attached to an email message.
  • Do not submit the second paper until I have returned the first one with comments. You do not have to wait to submit subsequent assignments.
  • Please follow the email instructions for each assignment.

Paper Guidelines: Content

  • Each paper should include an introduction and a clear thesis statement that identifies the issues you will address. You also should provide a conclusion that readdresses your thesis and summarizes your arguments.
  • You must present evidence from the readings and course discussions to support your arguments. Using quotations from the readings is fine, but make sure that they are good quotes and that you explain what they mean in your own words.
  • When citing material from the course in your short papers, you do not need to use a formal citation format. However, if you are using quotes from the texts, or paraphrases, you do need to provide the author of the text and page number. For example (Kendall, p. 54) or (Ehrenreich, p. 65).
  • When citing outside material, you should provide a formal citation in a "works cited" list or bibliography. You may use any professional format. (See the Course Paper section for examples.)
  • Use your arguments to support a conclusion. Make sure that your ideas and arguments are organized clearly and logically.
  • I suggest you outline your ideas and your summary of the reading (or other assignment) before you write your first draft. You want to make sure that your arguments are clear and concise and that you stay on topic.
  • Edit your written assignments carefully. Excessive grammatical errors, typos, and spelling errors will reduce your grade. Provide clear transitions between topics and avoid redundant statements.

Supervised Exams

You are required to complete three exams, each of which covers one section of the course, that is, exam 1 covers section 1, exam 2 covers section 2, and the final exam covers section 3. Each exam contains a combination of multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay questions. The multiple-choice questions cover details from the readings and the lesson discussions. The short-answer questions and essays cover more general themes from the readings. To prepare for the exams, review the learning objectives and study questions in each lesson.

You will have three hours to complete each exam. You may not use any aids. If a computer is available at the Lawrence test site, you may word-process your answers.

For instructions on how to apply to take an exam, go to Examinations at the Independent Study website. Please follow these instructions:

  • Do not apply to take Exam 1 until you have submitted writing assignments 1 and 2.
  • Do not apply to take Exam 2 until you have taken Exam 1 and submitted writing assignments 3 and 4.
  • Do not apply to take the final exam until you have taken Exam 2 and submitted writing assignment 5 and the course paper.

Grading

Your course grade will be determined by the following:

  • five written papers 40% (each paper worth 8%)
  • one course paper 15%
  • three exams 45% (each exam worth 15%)

The grading scale is standard:

  • 89.5–100% = A
  • 79.5–89.4% = B
  • 69.5–79.4% = C
  • 59.5–69.4% = D
  • Below 59.4% = F

You must pass the final exam to pass the course; the grading formula is only applied to those who pass the final exam.

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct will not be permitted. The following are examples of misconduct that will result in failure for this course:

  • Cheating: Using any unauthorized notes or information, including unauthorized communication of information. For example, having someone other than the instructor help you answer exam questions or write papers.
  • Fabrication and falsification: Altering or inventing information or citations. For example, referring to a book or article that does not actually exist or writing about something that you did not really observe, but claim to have observed.
  • Plagiarism: Presenting someone else's works or work as your own. Plagiarism applies to material taken from a book, article, or the Internet, or to material taken from another person without properly citing your sources. Paraphrasing another writer (without a citation), substituting words or rearranging sentences from the work of another also constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism is easily detected with databases and search engines. Plagiarism is academic misconduct and is a violation of rules and regulations of the University of Kansas.

Penalties for academic misconduct range from failure of the assignment to expulsion from the University. In this course, academic misconduct will result in an F for that assignment, and any additional misconduct will result in failure of the course and possible further penalties. Cheating on an exam will result in failure in the course regardless of the current status of your grade. If academic misconduct is discovered after you complete the course, your instructor may reexamine your work and will notify you of the proposed penalty. If you disagree with a charge of academic misconduct, you may request a review by KU Continuing Education.

The KU Writing Center provides guidance on academic integrity, incorporating and properly citing reference sources, and how to avoid plagiarism.