Course Description: This advanced common curriculum course focuses on sociological approaches to understanding and resolving many of the most pressing social problems facing our global and national societies. Readings, lectures, and films expose students to a variety of perspectives on issues such as poverty, inequality, and homelessness; racism, sexism, and homophobia; Third World underdevelopment and environmental crises; education, crime, and health care.
Course Materials: The following required text is available at the Loyola Bookstore:
Amanda Konradi and Martha Schmidt, Reading Between the Lines: Toward an Understanding of Current Social Problems. Second Edition. Mayfield Publishing Co., 2001.
Attendance Policy: Regular attendance and active participation are expected. Each student is allowed to miss 3 classes without penalty. For each additional absence, one point will be deducted from your final score. (For example, if you earn a total of 85 out of the possible 100 points of course work and you have 4 absences, your final score will be 84.)
Make-up Exams and Late Work Policy: Make-up exams will not be given and late work will not be accepted unless the student has made timely, prior arrangements with the instructor.
Assignments and Computation of Final Grade: You can earn a total of 100 points in this class, which are distributed as follows among the required assignments:
Two, 1,200-word essays @ 20 points = 40 points
Group Research Presentation = 10 points
10 Quizzes @ 2 points = 20 points
Mid-Term Exam (in class) = 15 points
Final Exam (in class) = 15 points
Grading Scale* 90-100=A 70-74=C
85-89=B+ 65-69=D+
80-84=B 60-64=D
75-79=C+ <60 =F
*Note regarding participation: Active and thoughtful participation in class discussions is an important part of the learning experience for everyone in the class. Your participation will be taken into account in determining your final grade. Specifically, in cases where a student’s grade is borderline between one letter grade and the next (e.g., a score of 79 is just short of a B), the instructor may award the student the higher grade if that student has a strong record of participation in class discussions.
Note to Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities who wish to receive accommodations in this class should contact Disability Services at 865-2990 as soon as possible so that warranted accommodations can be implemented in a timely fashion. Disability Services are located in the Academic Enrichment Center, Monroe Hall 405.
Course Outline
M 1/13 Introduction to Class
W 1/15- Sociological Perspectives on Social Problems
F 1/17 Required Reading:
1. Konradi and Schmidt, “General Introduction” (pp. 1-12)
2. Konradi and Schmidt, “Thinking About Social Problems” (pp. 13-17)
M 1/20 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday—no class
W 1/22- Sociological Perspectives, cont.
F 1/24 Required Reading:
1. C. Wright Mills, “The Sociological Imagination” (pp. 18-23)
2. P. Collins, “Toward a New Vision: Race, Class, and Gender as Categories of Analysis and Connection” (pp. 23-35)
3. J. Gamson, “Why I Love Trash” (pp. 35-44)
4. C. Heimer and L. Staffen, “Why We Need a Sociology of Responsibility” (pp. 44-56)
Assign Essay # 1 and Group Presentations
Quiz # 1 on Friday 1/24
M 1/27- Capitalism and Global Inequality
F 1/31 Required Reading:
1. Konradi and Schmidt, Introduction to Part II, “Power, the Economy, and Class” (pp. 57-59)
2. W. Grieder, “One World, Ready or Not: The Manic Logic of Global Capitalism” (pp. 60-70)
3. J. Isbister, “A World of Poverty” (pp. 101-107)
4. G. Ritzer, “Enchanting and Disenchanted World: Revolutionizing the Means of Consumption” (pp. 71-81)
5. C. Bowden, “I Wanna Dance with the Strawberry Girl” (pp. 81-87)
Film: The Global Assembly Line
Quiz # 2 on Friday 1/31
M 2/3- The U.S. Economy and the American Working Class
F 2/7 Required Reading:
1. D. Barlett and J. Steele, “Corporate Welfare” (pp. 87-97)
2. J. Rifkin, “Requiem for the Working Class” (pp. 286-298)
3. B. Ehrenreich, “Nickel-and-Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America” (pp. 298-314)
Quiz # 3 on Friday 2/7
M 2/10- Poverty in the U.S.
F 2/14 Required Reading:
1. Konradi and Schmidt, Introduction to Part III, “Poverty” (pp. 98-100)
2. W. J. Wilson, “Ghetto-Related Behavior and the Structure of Opportunity” (pp. 108-116)
3. R. Sidel, “The Enemy Within” (pp. 116-124)
4. E. Edin and L. Lein, “Making Ends Meet on a Welfare Check” (pp. 124-134)
Film: Down and Out in America
Quiz # 4 on Friday 2/14
Essay # 1 due Friday 2/14
M 2/17- Racial and Ethnic Inequality
F 2/21 Required Reading:
1. Konradi and Schmidt, Introduction to Part IV, “Race” (pp. 135-140)
2. M. Omi and H. Winant, “Racial Formation” (pp. 141-153)
3. J. Li, Exploring Asian Americans: The Myth of the ‘Model Minority’ and the Reality of Their Lives” (pp. 154-163)
4. G. Chang, “Undocumented Latinas: The New ‘Employable Mothers’” (pp. 164-177)
5. D. Wellman and H. Pinderhughes, “Portraits of White Racism” (pp. 198-214)
Quiz # 5 on Friday 2/21
Hand out Mid-Term Study Guide
M 2/24 Mid-Term Exam (covers all readings, lectures, and films thus far)
W 2/26- Gender, Sexuality and Inequality
F 2/28 Required Readings:
1. Konradi and Schmidt, Introduction to Party V “Gender” (pp. 215-220)
2. B. Risman, “Gender As Structure” (pp. 221-229)
3. G. Steinem, “Supremacy Crimes” (pp. 229-232)
4. J. Lorber, “Embattled Terrain” (pp. 232-245)
5. D. McEachern, M. Van Winkle, S. Steiner, “Domestic Violence Among the Navajo: A Legacy of Colonization” (pp. 245-254)
6. S. Coltrane, “Family Man: Fatherhood, Housework, and Gender Equity” (pp. 254-270)
7. D. Britton and C. Williams, “’Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue’: Military Policy and the Construction of Heterosexual Masculinity” (pp. 270-281)
M 3/3-W 3/5 Mardi Gras Holidays—No Class
F 3/7- Gender, Sexuality, and Inequality, continued
M 3/10 Required Readings: same as W 2/26-F 2/28 above.
M 3/17 Required Reading:
1. Konradi and Schmidt, Introduction to Part VII, “Family” (pp. 343-347)
2. E. L. Kain, “The Myth of Family Decline” (pp. 348-354)
3. L. B. Rubin, “Families on the Fault Line: America’s Working Class Speaks About the Family, the Economy, Race, and Ethnicity” (pp. 355-363)
4. K. Luker, “Dubious Conceptions: The Politics of Teenage Pregnancy” (pp. 364-371)
5. N. A. Naples, “Activist Mothering, Community Caretaking, and Civic Work” (pp. 372-381)
6. J. Stacey, “Gay and Lesbian Families Are Here” (pp. 382-393)
Assign Essay # 2
Quiz # 6 on Monday 3/17
W 3/19- Education
M 3/24 Required readings:
1. Konradi and Schmidt, Introduction to Part VIII, “Education” (pp. 393-396)
2. D.C. Berliner, and B.J. Biddle, “The Manufactured Crisis: Myths, Fraud, and the Attack on America’s Public Schools” (pp. 397-401)
3. J. Kozol, “Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools” (pp. 409-414)
4. M. Sadker and D. Sadker, “Missing in Interaction” (pp. 415-424)
5. J. Feagin, H. Vera, and N. Imani, “Confronting White Students: The Whiteness of University Spaces” (pp. 425-437)
6. S. Manning, “How Corporations Are Buying Their Way into America’s Schools” (pp. 438-443)
W 3/26-F 3/28 No class: Time for research groups to work together (take advantage of this time to coordinate your group project!)
M 3/31- Crime and the Criminal Justice System
F 4/4 Required Reading:
1. Konradi and Schmidt, Introduction to Part IX, “The Criminal Justice System” (pp. 444-448)
2. S. Donzinger, “Crime and Policy” (pp. 449-466)
3. B. Yeoman, “Steel Town Lockdown” (pp. 467-474)
4. E. Szockyj and N. Frank, “Corporate Victimization of Women” (pp. 474-487)
5. J. Lamberth, “DWB Is Not a Crime: The Numbers Show that Policy Unfairly and Unconstitutionally Pull Over More Cars Driven by Blacks” (pp. 488-491)
6. C. Hemmens, K. Strom, E. Schlegel, “Gender Bias in the Courts” (pp. 492-502)
F 4/11 Required reading:
1. Konradi and Schmidt, Introduction to Part X, “Illness and Health Care” (pp. 503-506)
2. R. Hanneman, “Your Money or Your Life: Access to Medical Care as a Social Problem” (pp. 507-512)
3. K. Silverstein, “Millions for Viagra, Pennies for Diseases of the Poor” (pp. 512-518)
4. J. Shenk, “An Old City Seeks a New Model” (pp. 526-530)
5. D. Chambliss, “The Patient as Object” (pp. 530-539)
Quiz # 9 on Friday 4/11
Essay # 2 due on Friday 4/11
M 4/14-M 4/21: EASTER HOLIDAYS—NO CLASS
W 4/23- Inequality, Economic Development, and the Environment
M 4/28 Required Reading:
1. Konradi and Schmidt, Introduction to Part XI, “The Environment, Technology, and Population” (pp. 540-543)
2. J. B. Foster, “’Let Them Eat Pollution’: Capitalism and the World Environment” (pp. 544-548)
3. V. Kuletz, “Mapping the Nuclear Landscape” (pp. 549-556)
4. R. Bullard, “Environmental Blackmail in Minority Communities” (pp. 557-567)
5. P. Hawken, “Natural Capitalism” (pp. 567-576)
W 4/30, F 5/2, M 5/5, and W 5/7: Group Research Presentations (and Course Evaluation on the last day)
Hand out study guide for Final Exam
SATURDAY 5/10: FINAL EXAMINATION, 11:30-1:30 P.M.