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Sociology 302 (Section 002)
Contemporary
Social Problems
Fall, 2008
(Syllabus/Contract)
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 Go to Homepage
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 Course
Notes and Materials
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 Course Schedule
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Instructor: Dr. John S.
Mahoney
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Class Meets:
Monday, Wednesday 4:00-5:15 PM
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Office: 923
W. Franklin St. (Scherer Hall) Room 414
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Classroom: Cabell B-41
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Phone:
804-828-6515
e-mail: jmahoney@vcu.edu
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Office Hours:
Monday/Wednesday 9:30-10:30 AM; Tuesday/Thursday 1:00 - 2:30PM (or by appointment)
Fridays (by appointment)
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Web Site: http://www.people.vcu.edu/~jmahoney/index.htm
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Required Text:
(Available at the Virginia
Book Company, corner of West Franklin and
Shafer Streets and the VCU Book Store. You may also want to check the
VCU Student Government Sponsored Book Exchange web page at http://www.vcusga.com/. Be careful to
compare prices and make sure that you get the right edition.)
Macionis, John J. Social
Problems (3nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008
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Overview:
What are the things that trouble you the
most about the United
States, today? Can any thing be done to resolve them? Are your private concerns shared by enough
people in this country to be considered public issues? If so, we have the key ingredients of what
may prove to be a social problem. Sociology emerged in the 19th century
during a time of social turmoil in the west when the industrial revolution
was in full swing. Prior to this time,
the pace of social change was very slow.
But in the 1800s, a revolution in agriculture and the way goods were
produced through manufacturing created an urban population explosion that
brought with it extreme poverty, crime, pollution and what some considered to
be moral decay. Thus, sociology’s
concern with social problems is as old as the discipline, itself. This course examines modern public issues
in the United States that have broad-based popular concern.
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Course Objectives:
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Examine, from a
sociological perspective, modern social issues that have wide-spread public
concern
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Provide the
most accurate facts possible on social conditions commonly regarded as social
problems
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Illustrate the
complexity of social problems by addressing the consequences of actions
proposed to fix them
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Course Requirements:
There will be two tests (each counting
20 percent of the course grade) and a final examination which will comprise
30 percent. Each will cover material
discussed in class and the reading assignments. Tests will contain both an “objective”
section comprised of multiple choice, true/false, or fill-in-the-blank
questions. The final examination is
cumulative. You will also be assigned
two short writing assignments. I will
provide you with a selection of topics.
They generally require that you research the topic and write a brief
summary to present in class—(minimum of 3, maximum of 5; double-spaced- type
written pages). During the semester,
you may be asked to present your topic to the class for discussion and
evaluation. These short assignments
will be worth 15 percent of your course grade. Class participation counts the remaining 15
percent of your course grade.
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Class Attendance and Participation:
Class attendance is required. Students with five or more unexcused cuts
will be dropped from the course roll at my discretion. Out of courtesy to others in the class,
please arrive on time. Whenever
possible, I want to be informed in advance if you will miss class and will
excuse absences due to serious health problems, or other important
reasons. Please turn off all beepers
and cell phones before entering the class.
I strongly encourage you to be active
class participants. The issues
addressed in this course (and more specifically, the solutions proposed for
them) are very controversial. There is
substantial disagreement, as you will see, on what actions should be taken to
solve each of the problems we will discuss.
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Make-up Tests:
Normally, I do not give make-up tests,
but students with valid excuses who cannot take any of the tests on the days
scheduled will be given a make-up test under the following conditions: The excuse must be valid—e.g. serious
illness, death in the family, participation in a university-sponsored event,
etc. Unless there’s an emergency, I
want you to request a make-up test in advance. University policy requires that make-up
tests be given as close to the scheduled test date as possible.
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Academic Integrity Policy:
I expect all students to abide by VCU's Honor Code, which means simply, that all the work
that you do for this course (and the university as a whole) must be your
own. Do not cheat and do not tolerate
those who do! Class participants who
violate the honor code can be dismissed from this course. This especially applies to plagiarism. The work that you do on the short
assignments must be your own and all source material that you use
must be properly cited.
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Americans With Disabilities (ADA) Accommodation
Policy:
If you have a disability which is
covered under the ADA
and you wish an accommodation relative to this class, please discuss this
with me within the first two weeks of class.
This informal discussion must be followed up with a formal request, in
writing. Together we will find the
right accommodation. Assistance in the
form of accommodation ideas, can also be obtained
through VCU's Office of Disability Support Services
(Ms. Joyce Knight (jbknight@vcu.edu),
coordinator) University Student Commons, Suite 102
Mailing address: PO Box 842500, Richmond VA 23284-2500. (828‑2253).
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Security-- What to Know and Do To Be Prepared for Emergencies at VCU:
1. Sign up to receive VCU text
messaging alerts (http://www.vcu.edu/alert/notify).
Keep your information up-to-date.
2. Know the safe evacuation route from each of your classrooms. Emergency
evacuation routes are posted in on-campus classrooms.
3. Listen for and follow instructions from VCU or other designated
authorities.
4. Know where to go for additional emergency information (http://www.vcu.edu/alert).
5. Know the emergency phone number for the VCU Police (828-1234). Report suspicious activities and objects.
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Short Writing
Assignments:
There
are two writing assignments are intended to make you research a controversial
social issue, articulate an opinion on that issue, and to write a clear,
concise statement that presents and supports that opinion with references. You will do this with a minimum of 3 and a
maximum of 5 type-written pages—12 pt font, and double-spaced. Please set your margins to 1” all around
the page. Proof read your
work—I stop reading at the 5th typographical or grammatical error
and grade your paper at that point. I
do not accept late papers except in extraordinary circumstances. Your research should include data available
from published reports and/or the written opinions of noted authorities on
the subject. Logical argument is
important.
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Important
Dates:
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Monday, September 1
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University Closed To
Observe Holiday
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Monday, September 29
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First Test
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Wednesday, October 8
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First Writing Assignment
Due
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October 16-17
(Thursday/Friday)
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Reading Days (No Classes)
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Friday, October 31
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Last Day To Drop Course
With A Grade Of “W”
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Monday, November 3
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Second Test
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Monday, November 24
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Second Writing Assignment
Due
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November 27-30
(Thursday/Sunday)
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Thanksgiving Break (Break
Begins at 4:00PM on Nov 26th).
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Wednesday, December 3
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Last Class (All VCU classes
end on Saturday, December 6th)
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Monday, December 8
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Final Exam: 4:00 – 6:50 PM
Cabell B-41
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Course Outline and Reading Schedule
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Date
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Topic
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Reading
Assignment
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Part 1:
Introduction; Social Problems and Sociology; Globalism
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August 25 – Sept. 3
(No class,
Sept. 1st)
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Studying Social Problems:
Introduction to the Course: Defining
Social Problems; Social Research; Perspectives on Social
Problems—Functionalism, Conflict Theory, Interactionism; Social Policy
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Chapter 1, pp.
1 – 27
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September 8-17
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Population
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Malthusian Theory;
Demographic transition; World population trends; World Systems Theory; Politics of Population; world population and poverty;
immigration to the U.S.; the graying of America
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Chapter 16, pp. 430 - 457
(Population)
Chapter 15, pp. 407 - 417 – 65
(Problems
of today’s Cities)
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Technology and
the Environment:
Human ecology; Environmental decay; Pollution—social
and environmental consequences; Theoretical perspectives; Politics and
the environment
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Chapter 17, pp. 458 - 481
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September 22-24
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War and
Terrorism:
The social and economic costs of war;
Terrorism in the 21st Century; Theoretical
and political views
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Chapter 18, pp. 482 - 507
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*** Monday, September 29th; FIRST
TEST***
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Part 2: Problems of Inequality in the United States;
Deviance, Crime, and Violence
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Dimensions of Inequality
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October 1 –
October 15
October 8th
– First Writing Assignment Due
October 16-17
Reading Days
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Poverty and
Wealth:
Wealth and Poverty in the U.S.
Problems of poverty?
Social welfare—and the working poor
Theories of Poverty
Political Perspectives
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Chapter
2, pp. 28 - 57
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Racial and
Ethnic Inequality:
Race in the U.S., definitions;
Prejudice, Discrimination, Racism;
Historical patterns;
Theoretical perspectives;
Political perspectives
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Chapter
3, pp. 58 - 91
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Gender Inequality:
Sex vs. Gender
Institutionalized sexism
Gender
stratification
Theoretical
perspectives
Gender Politics
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Chapter
4, pp. 92 - 121
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Aging and
Inequality:
The graying of America;
Problems of aging;
Theoretical perspectives;
Political views
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Chapter 5, pp.
122 - 147
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Deviance, Crime and Violence
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October 20 – 29
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Crime and Criminal Justice:
Crime vs. Deviance
Crime statistics and types of crime;
The criminal justice system;
Theories of crime;
The politics of crime;
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Chapter 6, pp.
148 - 179
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Violence:
Defining violence;
Extent of violence;
Social dimensions of violence;
Explanations of violence;
Political views of violence
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Chapter 7, pp.
180-205
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*** Monday, November 3rd; SECOND
TEST***
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Part 3: Sexuality and Family; Health; Problems in
Social Institutions
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November 5 – November 12
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Sexuality:
Definitions;
Sexual deviance;
Contemporary issues;
Theoretical perspectives;
Politics and Sexuality;
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Chapter 8, pp.
206-235
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Family Life:
Definitions;
Marriage;
Problems of Family Life
Theoretical analysis;
Political views;
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Chapter 13, pp. 350-375
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Drug Abuse and Health
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November 17 – November 19
November 22-25 Thanksgiving
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Alcohol and Other Drugs:
Social costs of abusing legal and illegal drugs; Sociological perspectives; Social class and drug use; Alcoholism in the U.S.; Other drugs;
Theoretical and political perspectives;
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Chapter 9, pp.
236-265
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Physical and
Mental Health:
Defining health; National health care systems; Mental health; Theoretical perspectives; Politics of
health care;
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Chapter 10, pp. 266-295
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Part 4: Problems of U. S. Social Institutions
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November 24 - 26
November 24th—Second
Writing Assignment Due
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Economy and
Politics:
Economic systems; Corporate power
Politics
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Chapter 11, pp. 296-321
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Work and the
Workplace
Work and the economy
Labor unions
Technology and the work place
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Chapter 12, pp. 322-349
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December 1 – 3
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Education:
Educational inequality in the U.S.
Functional illiteracy;
U.S.
School System;
Tracking; Mainstreaming
Theoretical perspectives; Politics of Education
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Chapter 14, pp. 376-403
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***Final
Exam, Monday December 8th 4 – 6:50PM Cabell B-41***
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