SOC-305-01

Westminster College

Mark Rubinfeld

Foster 308

Office phone: 832-2430; Home phone: 364-1228

E-mail: mrubinfeld@westminstercollege.edu

Website: http://people.westminstercollege.edu/faculty/mrubinfeld

Office Hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., and Thurs. 4:00-5:15, and by appointment.

Course Description:

This course explores contemporary issues from a social problems perspective. Focusing on various current issues such as poverty, unemployment, crime, substance abuse, terrorism, racism, discrimination, and sexual inequality, the course utilizes sociological analysis to examine how contemporary issues are defined—and dealt with—in American society.

Required Books (Available at College Bookstore):

Gourevitch, Philip. 1998. We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda. New York: Picador.

Kozol, Jonathan. 1995. Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation. New York: HarperPerennial.

Parillo, Vincent N. 2004. Contemporary Social Problems. Sixth Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Course Objectives:

To learn about contemporary issues from a “social problems” perspective.
To examine different sociological approaches to the study of social problems.
To analyze a number of current social problems including poverty, unemployment, crime, drug abuse, terrorism, racism, and sexual inequality.
To consider how social problems directly and indirectly impact our lives.
To evaluate various social policy attempts to solve social problems.
To improve critical thinking, writing, speaking, and problem-solving skills.

Procedures and Course Outline:

This course utilizes a variety of learning tools including readings, lectures, videotapes, class discussions, field trips, group exercises, and oral presentations. Reading assignments, paper deadlines, and exam dates appear on the attached course outline.

Assignments and Grading:

Final grades will be based on the following: a mid-term (30% of the final grade), a final examination (30% of the final grade), two papers (each worth 15% of the final grade), and a group presentation (10% of the final grade). In addition, you will be responsible for up to three short homework assignments during the course. To pass the course, you must complete all of the course assignments. Final grades will be based on the percentage of total points earned: A (93-100), A- (90-92), B+ (87-89), B (83-86), B- (80-82), C+ (77-79), C (73-76), C- (70-72), D+ (67-69), D (63-66), D- (60-62), and F (below 60).

Mid-term and Final Exam: Both the mid-term and the final exam will include multiple choice, true-false, and short essay questions covering information from the readings, lectures, and class discussions.

Two papers: You will have at least two weeks to complete the two papers, each four-to-six pages long (double-spaced), related to the readings. Late papers will be accepted up to one week late with a ten-point penalty; after one week, no late papers will be accepted. (Note: an absence on the day a paper is due is not a valid reason for missing a deadline. It is your responsibility to find someone to deliver the paper for you, or to fax or e-mail a copy of the paper to me on the due date).

Group Presentation: You will be placed into groups with each group giving a thirty minute presentation on a current social problem.

Up to Three Short Homework Assignments: These will be used to prepare, and facilitate, discussions on the readings. They will require no outside research, just thinking, and reaction, to the readings. They may be handwritten or typewritten, two pages long, and each should take no more than a half an hour-to-an hour to complete. They will be graded, simply, as completed, or not completed.

Class Participation and Attendance:

Class attendance, discussion, and participation are significant components of the classroom experience. As such, any student who misses eight or more classes will not be able to get a grade higher than a “B” for this class; any student who misses twelve or more classes will not be able to get a grade higher than a “C” for this class. Although there is no formal attendance policy for students who miss seven or less classes, do know that a significant number of questions on the midterm and final will focus on class lectures and discussions. Furthermore, since I will be weighing class participation in borderline grading situations, students who regularly attend class and frequently participate in classroom discussions will have an “edge” in achieving a higher, final grade. Finally, I reserve the option of giving quizzes, assigning additional homework, or emending this syllabus as the need arises.

Student-Student and Student-Faculty Relationship:

All students must be respectful of other students. This means no talking while other students are talking or trying to listen. It also means showing up to class on time so as not to disrupt the class with late arrivals. Once class begins, no chatting, no reading outside materials, and no sleeping in class. If you must eat, make sure it is a “quiet” food. Also, turn off your cell phones. In other words, act appropriately for a college class; if your actions create a distraction, you will be asked to leave. In accordance with college policies, any acts of cheating or plagiarism will be penalized to the severest extent. My office hours are listed at the beginning of this syllabus. At any time, feel free to meet with me to discuss readings, lectures, assignments, or other matters relevant to this course. If you cannot meet with me during my scheduled office hours, I am also available by appointment. It is especially important for you to see me early in the semester if you are having difficulties with the course. Do not wait till the end of the semester when there is little I can do to help you out. Finally, feel free to meet with me if you would like to learn more about sociology, including pursuing it as a major or minor, or incorporating its application into papers and assignments from your other classes.

Group Presentations

Due to time constraints, there are a number of chapters from the text that will not be covered in lectures nor assigned to everyone for reading. In order to give you a “glimpse” into the content of these chapters, we will use group presentations that will: 1) allow us to cover more material than we could normally cover through lectures and readings, 2) provide you with a greater variety of viewpoints, and 3) afford you the opportunity to experience working on a group project that includes public speaking.

Midway through the semester, we will form groups with each group being responsible for reporting on one of the unassigned chapters in the textbook. Each group will have 30 minutes to report to the class on the chapter, and 5 minutes for a question and answer period. The group should not try to cover all of the material in the chapter but focus, instead, on the most pertinent point (or points), serving as the “instructor for the day,” and emphasizing what it thinks the students should learn.

Each member of the group must participate in the oral presentation. All students in the group will receive the same grade. On the day of the group presentation, each group must submit an outline of its presentation and what each individual member will be covering. The final exam may include several questions stemming from the presentations so it is important that students not presenting on a given day listen attentively. It has been my experience that the best presentations are those that involve the following:

Solid preparation: All group members should be equally prepared for the presentation. This usually necessitates a clear delineation of member roles in preparing for and conducting the presentation. In addition, many of the best presentations involve outside research or activity. For example, one group arranged a class visit to a city jail and, serving as tour guides, provided students with a firsthand account of prison conditions and attempts at prison reform. Another group used part of its presentation to put on a skit dealing with AIDS awareness and then, utilizing handouts and poster boards, provided details of the AIDS epidemic in the United States and other parts of the world, as well as some of the various programs and policies in place to deal with the problem. Still another group went around campus interviewing males and females about their attitudes on sexual harassment, videotaped the interviews, and showed the videotape as part of their presentation. The bottom line is that the format is up to each group. There are only two limitations: that the presentation lasts no more than 30 minutes, and that the presentation is tied to a current social problem.

Class activity and/or handouts: Having the class take an active role in at least part of the presentation (through handouts, posters, transparencies, games, videos, or any other audio or visual aids that the group deems useful) often results in better class attention and discussions. In presenting your material, strive to be informative, engaging, and creative. Try to think of different ways of involving the class into your presentation so they stay interested.

Introduction of the panel members: You can make the group presentation more personal by introducing yourselves at the beginning of your presentation. This helps to lessen the “intimidation factor”, and to create an atmosphere more conducive to audience participation. Furthermore, try not to forget to establish eye contact with members of the audience, and to smile from time to time. If you can, also try to avoid reading from your notes or cue cards.

Careful time budgeting: Use your time wisely. Thirty minutes is not very long for a presentation. While you should be prepared to use the entire 30 minutes for your presentation, this does not mean that you should try to cram as much information or activities as possible into your presentation. It is better to cover two well-developed points about a topic than to zip through ten confused and disjointed points.

Expectations about audience participation: Of course you will do the best you can to encourage participation and discussion from the class. However, the burden of responsibility is not entirely yours. The rest of the class is also responsible for ensuring that the group presentations are an engaging and rewarding experience for everyone involved. This entails: 1) listening attentively (showing respect for speakers), 2) taking part in the discussion and/or activity, and 3) preparing at least one question or comment to share with the class during the question and answer period.

Grading: As previously mentioned, each member in the group receives the same grade. The grades for the group presentations will be based on the following criteria: 1) substance or content, 2) creativity and resourcefulness (use of materials, exercises, activities, etc.), and 3) form and style (articulation, length, organization, preparedness, etc.). If the group is having a problem with one or more of its members (e.g., not coming to preparatory meetings, showing no interest in the project, not doing his or her share of the work), first, try to work it out with the member or members. If the problem persists, however, let me know about it as early as possible. If the group consensus is that one or more members of the group are not participating to the satisfaction of the group, the non-participating member or members will not get credit for the assignment, and receive a zero for their group presentation grade. This ensures: a) that the group is not penalized for the lack of preparation of any of its members, and b) that no group member or members receive credit for the work that others are doing.

Having fun: Education does not always have to be a chore. In addition to learning new material, this is an opportunity to develop public speaking skills, gain self-confidence, make new friends, and have some fun. This is your time to teach and to reach. Go for it!

COURSE OUTLINE

Week	Topic	Assignments
1	Introduction to Contemporary Issues and Social Problems	No assignments
2	Definitions and Perspectives	Monday August 28 Contemporary Social Problems, Chapter 1, The Sociology of Social Problems, pp. 1-28
3	Definitions and Perspectives	Wednesday September 6 Amazing Grace, Chapters 1 and 2.
4	City Life and Urban Issues (and) Race and Ethnic Relations	Monday September 11 Contemporary Social Problems, Chapter 4, Housing and Urbanization, pp. 91-118 Wednesday September 13 Contemporary Social Problems, Chapter 8, Race and Ethnic Relations, pp. 225-254 (and) Amazing Grace, Chapter 3 and 4
5	Race and Ethnic Relations (and) Poverty and Social Class	Monday September 18 Contemporary Social Problems, Chapter 6, Poverty and Social Class, pp. 155-189 Wednesday September 20 Amazing Grace, Chapter 5, 6, and Epilogue
6	Poverty and Social Class (and) Alcohol and Drug Abuse	Monday September 27 Contemporary Social Problems, Chapter 13, Alcohol and Drug Abuse, pp. 387-422
7	Crime and Violence and Midterm Exam Review	Monday October 2 Contemporary Social Problems, Chapter 9, Crime and Violence, pp. 239-273. Wednesday October 4 *FIRST PAPER *
8	Midterm Exam (and) Globalization, Global Inequality, and World Conflicts	Monday October 9 *MIDTERM EXAM* (Covering Chapters 1, 4, 8, 6, 13, and 9, and all of Amazing Grace) Wednesday October 11 We Wish To Inform You, pp. 1-43
9	Globalization, Global Inequality, and World Conflicts	Monday October 16 We Wish to Inform You, pp. 47-109 Wednesday October 18 We Wish to Inform You, pp. 110-171 Due: Wednesday October 18 *Top Three Choices—Group Presentations*
10	Globalization, Global Inequality, and World Conflicts	Monday October 23 We Wish to Inform You, pp. 177-275 Wednesday October 25 We Wish to Inform You, 277-353
11	Alienation, Anomie, and Postmodern Perspectives	Monday October 30 Contemporary Social Problems, “Chapter 2, The Individual in Modern Society, pp. 29-54
12	Sexual Behavior (and) G Gender Inequality	Monday November 6 Contemporary Social Problems, Chapter 14, Sexual Behavior, pp. 423-429
13	Gender Inequality	Monday November 13 Contemporary Social Problems, Chapter 7, Gender Inequality and Heterosexism, pp. 191-224 Due: Monday November 13 *SECOND PAPER*
14	Group Presentations (and) Thanksgiving Break	Monday November 20 Group Presentations. Wednesday November 22 Thanksgiving Break—Happy Thanksgiving!
15	Group Presentations	Monday November 27 Group Presentations Wednesday November 29 Group Presentations
16	Last Class	Monday December 4 Leftover Group Presentations, Group Presentation Grades and Feedback, Final Exam Review, Class Wrap-Up, Student Course Evaluations *FINAL EXAM* (covering text chapters 2, 14, and 7, and all of We Wish to Inform You) is scheduled for Wednesday December 6 from 2:00-3:50 p.m.