SOC 308: SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Pearl Harbor, Bldg. 679, Fri, 5:30-9:40pm
Fred Magdalena, Ph.D.
Adjunct Faculty, Chaminade University
[email protected] or [email protected]
Tel (808) 944-6263 (eve) or 956-6086 (day)
URL: http://www.geocities.com/fred_magdalenaCourse Description:
Though a negative concept, the study of social problems is exciting. It lets us explore the world to see varieties of conditions which people agree to call as "social problems," those undesirable stuffs that threaten quality of life and cherished values. It is equally interesting to find out what modalities of action are employed to address these social problems. Using sociological concepts, we shall examine everyday occurrences that come to be defined as "social problems" and thereby have a better understanding of their existence and solution.
Sociologically, social problems are "social constructions," meaning, they come about not so much as they have objective existence as they are perceived and defined by people. Thus, a major part of the task in this course is to find out how social problems are constructed, and what factors affect the process of construction. The course will provide basic ideas and methodologies of analyzing social problems, trace their interconnectedness, and see the changing nature of people's definitions of a situation.
This course shall focus on four major types of social problems -
- problems of deviance and crimes, including (a) drug and alcohol use/ abuse, (b) mental illness, (c) sexuality related problems
- problems of social inequality and conflict, including (a) age and gender inequalities and their associated problems, (b) race and ethnic tensions, (c) poverty and (d) homelessness
- problems of human progress and associated social changes, including (a) environmental degradation, (b) global warming, (c) dehumanization, etc.
- problems generated by globalization, including (a) consumerism, (b) wars and conflicts (terrorism)
Objectives:
- To acquaint students with the prevalent social problems in the United States and other parts of the world
- To provide a sense of how social problems arise, perceived and are socially constructed
- To understand how social problems adversely affect the well-being of people in various societies, and know what actions have been taken to address these problems
- To appreciate the sociological tools and techniques of presenting and analyzing social problems
Textbook:
Kronblum, William and Joseph Julian, Social Problems, 11th ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2004
The text is also available online in abbreviated form at www.prenhall.com/kornblum . Click on Social Problems 11/e or Social Problems 10/e . At the end of each chapter, the authors also suggest other resources from the internet that may be consulted to enrich the content and discussion in the text. Additional online materials are also listed here for supplemental readings.
Method:
The course uses a combination of lectures, readings, examinations and class reports. The major requirements are these: (1) Two 1-2 hr class examinations at the middle and end of the semester(40%); (2) One term paper (20%); (3) Two oral reports/reaction papers based on a topic not yet discussed or else a chapter in the text approved by instructor (20%); (4)Interest/active participation in class and at least 70% attendance (meaning, 3 excused absences) in class sessions (20%). A student who incurs more than 70% of the class sessions may be dropped or given a failing mark.
Aside from being indicated in the syllabus, other activities and requirements are announced in class. Those who miss them may visit my URL (http://www.geocities.com/fred_magdalena) for these announcements and other important postings. Occasionally, I will also post some materials here for you to download. For example, this syllabus may be accessed and printed directly from the internet using this address: http://www.geocities.com/fred_magdalena/soc308-syl-04.html.
The term paper is a written work based on an instructor-approved topic 8-15 pages in length. It may or may not be derived from the oral class report; if it is, make sure to incorporate more ideas with proper documentation in the bibliography. The term paper is different from the reaction paper, the latter being a 3-6 page critical analysis of a social problem (also approved by instructor), which is also reported orally in class. Writing a paper follows a standard style, such as the APA (http://www.docstyles.com/apacrib.htm) or ASA ( http://www.calstatela.edu/library/bi/rsalina/asa.styleguide.html) style manual or some other standard styles. For the oral class presentation, each student will be given the opportunity to select a topic or chapter from the reading and discuss it before the class for 15-30 minutes (depending on number of class presenters), with the presenter providing every class member a 1-2 page abstract. Group papers are not allowed. Finally, you should be able to attend at least seven out of ten class sessions in order to make the grade. For absences to be excused, a written justification must be given before incurring one, or by sending me an email within 3 days after it is incurred. If, for any reason, you are unable to come during the mid-term and final examinations, please inform me well ahead of time.
Lectures & Summaries:
Some of the lectures by the instructor, summaries or outlines are provided elsewhere in the webpage. See postings under Notices
.Grading:
Grading is determined as follows: Two examinations (40%); one term/major paper to be submitted at the last meeting during the semester (20%); oral reports & reaction papers (20%); class attendance - (10 points are deducted for each absence) - and interest/active participation in class (20%). Grades are calculated from your weighted scores as follows:
91-100% = A (Excellent)
81-90% = B
71-80% = C
61-70% = D (Passing)
60 & below = Fail
Important dates to Remember
July 30 - 1st, reaction paper due (in hard copy, email not accepted)
Aug 13 - Mid-term exam
August 27 - 2nd, Reaction paper due (in hard copy, email not accepted)
September 10 - Term paper (in hard copy, email not accepted); Final examClass Session and Timetable
The following topics and schedules are tentative and may change at a particular circumstance. The topics follow the order of chapters as listed in your text, with some online materials to enrich class discussion. You would have to open the syllabus directly from the web ( http://www.geocities.com/fred_magdalena/soc308-syl-04.html) and click on the online materials to access them.
July 9 - Introduction, overview and sociological perspectives of social problems; Doing research on social problems; see W. Kornblum's Social Problems 11/e or Social Problems 10/e
July 16 - Health-related problems; Alcohol, drug use; Deviant and criminal behaviors; see Statistics related to Overweight and Obesity (U.S.)", Obesity Trends, and United States Crime Rates 1960 - 2000
July 23 - Poverty amid affluence and related social ills; also see Paul Sullins, "Poverty in America 2000"; "Understanding Poverty in America"
July 30 - Racism, prejudice & discrimination; see "Why They Hate us, Racism, Bigotry and Abuse,"; "Racism in Modern America "; "No More White Racism in America;" First Reaction Paper due
August 6 - Gender and Sexuality; Aging; see Freedom to marry; "Dehumanization of Women (in Pakistan)"; Aging in America", by MSNBC; also see "Aging in the United States"," by the U.S. Census; Aging in America
August 13 - Changing family; see Various topics on the family in America, by Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society; Divorce Rates (U.S.); Mid-term examination
August 20 - Problems of education; Work and the economy; see "Poverty is major problem for US public schools"; "NO: Immigrants have enriched American culture and enhanced our influence in the world"
August 27 - Urban problems; Population; see "The Children of Immigrant America"; "Urban Sprawl Changes Landscape"; US Popclock Projection" ; "World Popclock Projection" ; "Is there a Population Problem?" ; "The Problem of Too Many Souls and What We can do about it"; "What is the Population Myth?" ; Second Reaction Paper due
September 3 - Technology and Environment; Globalization, war and terrorism; see End of Globalization?"; "Why the Future does not need us" ; Mind the Gap: The Digital Divide as the Civil Rights Issue of the New Millennium"; "Global Environment"(Global Warming); "Islamist Terrorism in Southeast Asia"
September 10 - Winding up session; final examination; submission of term paper and all other requirements. Each day of failure to submit the requirements or take the final examination will mean a deduction of 10% from the final grade.