CURRENT SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Sociology 102
Spring Term 2013
Professor:
Gary Reed
Justice Studies Program
Social Science Division
Lewis-Clark State College
Spalding Hall, Room #211
500 8th Ave.
Lewiston, ID 83501-2698
E-mail: gereed@lcsc.edu
Phone: (208) 792-2794
Website:
www.lcsc.edu/gereed
Class Meets:
Monday & Wednesday
3:00PM-4:15PM
Classroom: ACW #136
Office Hours:
Tuesday & Thursday
3:00pm-4:00pm
Wednesday 2:00pm-3:00pm, and
by appointment
Course Description:
Students develop a
sociological frame of reference for understanding some of the complex problems
of our society. Problems examined include poverty, environmental degradation,
racism, sexism, crime, substance abuse, inadequate healthcare, etc. in the
context of American society..
Purpose:
This course is designed to
help students become critical consumers of information concerning the causes,
consequences, and solutions related to current social problems.
Goals:
It is expected that students
will become more adept at utilizing social scientific analysis to analyze social
problems in a critical manner. The
written work and verbal presentations of students should reflect systematic,
logical arguments clearly supported by theory and research. Students will have
opportunities to practice effectively communicating their social science
analysis.
Course
Requirements:
Class
Participation 20%
Exam One
20%
Exam Two
20%
Exam Three
20%
Exam Four
20%
Class
Participation:
Attendance
is expected and active participation is essential for the success of this class.
Students who participate actively derive the most lasting benefits from the
course. Attendance will be taken most days, and at the end of the semester,
students with an attendance record of 90% or better will receive an extra one
percent added to their course grade. Participation includes attending class
meetings and contributing to class discussions.
In order to ensure adequate student discussion, I reserve the right to
call on students to discuss the topics of the day, so please be prepared to
contribute.
Participation also includes short oral reports prepared in small group
discussions on selected issues in the readings (to be assigned in class). The
small groups will consist of three or four students each.
I will assign group members on the day of discussions.
Each group will pick a member to take notes and prepare a short document
with the names of the group members and an outline of the group’s main points.
The document will be turned in at the end of the class and serve as the
basis for the group’s report grade.
I will post questions on our website to be considered approximately one week in
advance.
The reports
will be evaluated on the quality and thoughtfulness of your social scientific
analysis of the assigned material. They will be graded as: excellent, surpassing
expectations (A), good, competent work (B), satisfactory (C), not satisfactory
(D), failing (F).
FIVE (5)
REPORTS WILL BE ASSIGNED. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN THREE (3). YOU MAY
PARTICIPATE IN FIVE REPORTS IF YOU NEED EXTRA CREDIT. The extra credit will be
applied towards your participation grade. An "A" extra credit report adds three
percent to your participation grade, a "B" is worth two percent, and a "C" is
worth one percent.
There will be no make-up reports since you are
allowed to skip two.
Exams:
Four exams
(including the final exam) consisting of essay, multiple-choice, true/false, and
fill-in-the-blanks questions will be administered in class. Study questions will
be available prior to the exams to help you prepare. You may skip one
exam or drop the worst score of exams one, two or three. YOU MAY NOT SKIP THE
FINAL EXAM OR DROP ITS SCORE. Since you may skip an exam, there will be no
make-up exams, except in the case of documented college-sanctioned activities.
Student
Conduct:
Any student with questions remaining as to what constitutes cheating or
plagiarism should consult the instructor in order to avoid any misunderstanding.
If a student is caught cheating, at minimum, he/she will fail the assignment,
the Judicial Affairs Officer
will be notified and the incident recorded.
Moreover, we will be dealing with controversial issues at times and it is
essential that discussions remain constructive and respectful.
Please refrain from gaming, web surfing, texting,
or using your cell phone during class. It is distracting, annoying, and
disrespectful.
Assignment
Grading:
A
³
93%
A-
³
90%
B+
³
87%
B
³
83%
B-
³
80%
C+
³
77%
C
³
73%
C-
³
70%
D+
³
67%
D
³
63%
D-
³
60%
F
³
53%
Readings: (Available at the
Lewis-Clark Bookstore)
Social
Problems
by Eitzen, Stanley; Zinn, Maxine Baca, and Smith, Kelly Eitzen, 12th
Ed. 2011, Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon
ISBN:
978-0-205-78808-8
Topics and Assignments:
(Due to the nature of
academic discussions, the topics listed below will not always correspond to the
days’ discussions.)
Jan 21:
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
LCSC Closed
Jan 23:
Introduction to the course
and the nature and meaning of social problems
Reading:
Eitzen et al., chapter 1
Jan 28-30:
Wealth and Power
Reading:
Eitzen et al., chapter 2
Feb 4:
Last day to drop classes
without a W
Feb 4-6:
Threats to the environment – part 1
Reading:
Eitzen et al., chapters 3
Report #1 due Feb 6
Feb 11-13:
Threats to the environment – part 2
Reading: Eitzen et al., chapter 4
EXAM ONE FEBRUARY 13
Feb 18:
President’s Day Vacation
Feb 20:
Demographic changes in the
U.S.
Reading:
Eitzen et al., chapter 5
Feb 25-27:
Poverty
Reading:
Eitzen et al., chapter 7
March 4-6:
Racial and ethnic inequality
Reading:
Eitzen et al., chapter 8
Report #2 due March 6
March 11-13:
Gender Inequality
Reading:
Eitzen et al., chapter 9
EXAM TWO MARCH 13
March 18-20:
Crime and justice - part 1
Reading:
Eitzen et al., chapter 12
Report #3 due March 20
March 25-27:
Crime and justice - part 2
Reading:
Eitzen et al., chapter 12
April 1-5:
Spring Break
April 8-10:
Drugs
Reading:
Eitzen et al., chapter 13
Report #4 due April 10
April 11:
Last day to withdraw
April 15-17:
The economy and work
Reading:
Eitzen et al., chapter 14
EXAM THREE APRIL 17
April 22-24:
The health care system
Reading:
Eitzen et al., chapter 17
April 29-May 1:
National security
Reading:
Eitzen et al., chapter 18
May 6-8:
Solving social problems
Reading:
Eitzen et al., chapter 19
Report #5 due May 8
May 15:
Final Exam/Exam Four
Syllabus Addendum
Consumer Information
In 2008, the federal
government required all post-secondary institutions offering federal financial
aid programs to provide key data to both prospective and current students.
To comply with this requirement, Lewis-Clark State College has developed
a consumer information page, which may be accessed at
http://www.lcsc.edu/studentconsumerinformation/
Disability Accommodations
Students requiring special
accommodations or course adaptations due to a disability and/or a health-related
issue should consult their course instructors and the LCSC Student
Student Rights and
Responsibilities
Students have the
responsibility for knowing their program requirements, course requirements, and
other information associated with their enrollment at LCSC.
Students should review the LCSC General Catalog (http://www.lcsc.edu/catalog/)
and the LCSC Student Handbook (available at
http://www.lcsc.edu/studentservices/contactus.htm) for more information.
Accidents/Student
Insurance
Students participating in
LCSC classes normally must look to their personal health insurance policy
(Student Health Insurance Plan or comparable private coverage) should an
accident occur. In the event of an
accident, please seek medical help, if necessary, and report the incident to
LCSC Security (792-2226). Fieldtrips
or other special student activities may also require students to submit a signed
participation waiver (forms can be obtained from the supporting Division
Office).
Enrollment
Verification/Attendance
Students who are not
actively pursuing their classes may have to repay part or all of their financial
aid awards depending upon the circumstances.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty, which
includes cheating and plagiarism, is not tolerated at LCSC.
Individual faculty members will impose their own policies and sanctions
regarding academic dishonesty.
Students who are accused of being academically dishonest may be referred to the
Dean of
Illegal File Sharing
Students using LCSC’s
computers and/or computer network must comply with the college’s appropriate use
policies and are prohibited from illegally downloading or sharing data files of
any kind. Specific information about
the college’s technology policies and its protocols for combating illegal file
sharing may be found on the Dean of
Diversity Vision
Statement
Regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion,
national origin, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation, you will be
treated and respected as a human being.
http://www.lcsc.edu/culturaldiversity/