SOCI 1306 Contemporary Social Problems Spring 2018 (SOCI 1306§0002 CRN 59955—Social Problems—Second Start—Online Only SOCI 1306§0002 CRN 59955—Social Problems—Second Start—Online Only)

Instructor: Ruth Dunn

HCCS Policy Statement—Course Description: SOCI 1306 is an inquiry into selected current social problems with specific reference to their original development and suggested solutions. HCCS Policy Statement—Core Curriculum Statement: Sociology 1306 is a core curriculum course. It may be used to fulfill the requirements for a core Social and Behavioral Sciences course. This is a writing intensive course. This course transfers to some public universities as a Writing Intensive Course. This means students should be prepared to do a lot of writing! Outside writing assignments constitute 65% of the course grade, required in class participation is worth 35% of the course grade. The weekly required in-class discussions over the Required Readings are mandatory. They cannot be made up. If you miss a class, you will receive a zero for that discussion for that day. HCCS Policy Statement—Prerequisites: Must be placed into college-level reading (or take GUST 0342 as a co-requisite) and be placed into college-level writing (or take ENGL 0310/0349 as a co-requisite). HCCS Policy Statement—Student Learning Outcomes (SLO): By the end of this course you will be able to: SLO 1. Identify the sociological perspectives that are used to analyze social problems. SLO 2. Apply the three major theoretical perspectives to the analysis a social problem. SLO 3. Evaluate the four most common methods of researching social problems. SLO 4. Examine the role of the basic institutions in the creation of social problems.   HCCS Policy Statement—Course Objectives: SOCI 1306 Social Problems Application of sociological principles and theoretical perspectives to major social problems in contemporary society such as inequality, crime and violence, substance abuse, environmental issues, deviance, or family problems. (from Lower Division Course Guide Manual of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board) Approval Number 45.1101.52 25 maximum SCH per student 3 maximum SCH per course 3 maximum contact hours per course 48 Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this course, students will: 1. Describe how the sociological imagination can be used to explain the emergence and implications of contemporary social problems. 2. Explain the nature of social problems from at least one sociological perspective, e.g., critical, functional, interpretive, etc. 3. Identify multidimensional aspects of social problems including the global, political, economic, and cultural dimensions of social problems. 4. Discuss how “solutions” to social problems are often contentious due to diverse values in society. 5. Describe how the proposed “solutions” to a social problem, including social policies, may bring rise to other social problems. HCC Statement: Core Curriculum Core Curriculum Skills and Assessment: Sociology 1306 is a core curriculum course. It may be used to fulfill the requirements for a core Social and Behavioral Sciences course OR a core Cross/Multi-Cultural Studies course. Please click here to go to the HCC Catalog. Given the rapid evolution of necessary knowledge and skills and the need to take into account global, national, state, and local cultures, the core curriculum must ensure that students will develop the essential knowledge and skills they need to be successful in college, in a career, in their communities, and in life. Through the Texas Core Curriculum, students will gain a foundation of knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world, develop principles of personal and social responsibility for living in a diverse world, and advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for all learning. Students enrolled in this core curriculum course will complete several assignments designed to cultivate the following core objectives: • Critical Thinking Skills—to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information • Communication Skills—to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication • Empirical and Quantitative Skills—to include the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions • Social Responsibility—to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.   These objectives will be assessed as follows: • Critical Thinking: Nearly all the work in this course will require critical thinking about the societal topics that we address. Your critical thinking skills will be assessed through the written work that you submit and being able to conduct an informed discussion of the required readings. • Communication: Nearly all the work in this course will also require that you be able to communicate well in writing. Your communication skills will be assessed primarily through the written work you submit and class participation. • Empirical and Quantitative: You will be required to answer questions from the required readings that assesses your empirical and quantitative skills. Furthermore, you will be expected to critically assess various research projects and comprehend various quantitative facts. • Social Responsibility: This entire course, reading and class material, is largely focused on social responsibility as an element of Sociology, and the understanding that we are interconnected social beings.