Course Syllabus
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SOCY 3300
Social Problems
Dr. Rob Kadel, rob.kadel@ucdenver.edu
CU Denver Course Catalog Description
Social problems are the subject of controversy, such as that surrounding controversy may swirl around definitions (e.g., the social net and the poverty line), around degree of seriousness, about “causes,” and inevitably about solutions. Controversy also centers on the “proper” role of the social theorist and social scientist, observer only or activist as well? While other disciplines study social problems, they are the very heart of the sociology perspective, and the wellspring of sociological inquiry.
Course Learning Outcomes
This course and our text are structured around Bloom's Taxonomy: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating. Each chapter is introduced using this framework. Be sure to read each Module's Objectives in order to understand its specific outcomes.
With that in mind, students who successfully complete the course will be able to:
- Differentiate between personal problems and "social problems”
- Describe problems related to a variety of social issues that may include globalization, urban life, health and income disparities, gender and sexual identities, racial and ethnic inequality, and the environment
- Understand social problems in their economic, political and/or historical contexts
- Critically review sociological research and explore solutions to social problems
- Evaluate differences in solutions to problems involving the topics listed above
- Demonstrate abilities in writing and/or presenting research-based solutions to selected social problems
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in This Course
It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well-served by this course, that students' learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that the students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit. It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender identity, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, and culture. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally, or for other students or student groups.
Important note: Given the sensitive and challenging nature of the material discussed in class, it is imperative that there be an atmosphere of trust and safety in the our discussion forums. It is critical that each class member show respect for all worldviews expressed in class. It is expected that some of the material in this course may evoke strong emotions, so please be respectful of others' emotions and be mindful of your own. Please let me know if something said or done in our discussions, by either myself or other students, is particularly troubling or causes discomfort or offense. While our intention may not be to cause discomfort or offense, the impact of what happens throughout the course is not to be ignored and is something that I consider to be very important and deserving of attention. If and when this occurs, there are several ways to alleviate some of the discomfort or hurt you may experience:
- Discuss the situation privately with me. I'm happy to set up a phone or Zoom call for one-on-one discussions. I am always open to listening to students' experiences and want to work with students to find acceptable ways to process and address the issue.
- Discuss the situation with the class, for example in our Virtual Office or Virtual Café. Chances are there is at least one other student in the class who had a similar response to the material. Discussion enhances the ability for all class participants to have a fuller understanding of context and the impact of course material and class discussions.
- Notify me of the issue through another source such as your academic advisor, a trusted faculty member, or a peer. If for any reason you do not feel comfortable discussing the issue directly with me, I encourage you to seek out another, more comfortable avenue to address the issue.
Any student who has difficulty affording groceries or who lacks a safe and stable place to live and believes this may affect their performance in the course is urged to contact me or visit the Health & Wellness page on Lynx Central. There, you will find many resources, including for food and affordable housing.
In an effort to support individuals who may have been impacted by issues related to sexual misconduct and discrimination, the university established the Office of Equity (OE).The OE’s role is to ensure that students are aware of the broad range of supportive measures and resources available to them both on and off-campus. To this end, the Office of Equity serves the community by receiving reports of misconduct, learning more about the situation, discussing the options available to address the concern, and connecting people with resources. As a faculty member at CU Denver I am designated as a responsible employee. I am required to report disclosures of concerns related to the nondiscrimination policy and Sexual Misconduct, Intimate Partner Abuse and Stalking policy. If you have been impacted by these types of misconduct and have been included in a report to the OE, you are not required to engage with their office. If you would like to contact the office of equity independently, they can be reached at 303-315-2567, or via email at equity@ucdenver.edu, you may also fill out an online report by visiting their website https://www1.ucdenver.edu/offices/equity and then clicking “Submit a concern.”
Course Requirements and Grading
1) "Let's Talk" discussion forum participation in Canvas is required. Most of our Modules in Canvas will include a discussion forum where we will discuss the topic(s) of the week. I will start off each discussion with an overall thread, but you are welcome and encouraged to start new threads about the topic. All discussion comments must be posted by 11:59 P.M. on Sunday of each week (except for the final week's discussion -- see the course schedule). You must post your own response to the original question before you will be able to see and respond to others' posts.
Discussion forum posts are graded according to the following rubric:
| 1 Point | 2 Points | 3 Points |
| Minimal response to the discussion topic and/or no additional posts (responses to others) by author. | Posting responds to the question, but does not stimulate further class discussion. Only one additional post (response to others) by author. | Posting fully addresses the topic and stimulates substantial follow-up. Author has responded to at least two other students' posts with substantive comment. |
A word of caution here: Do NOT use the reports and opinions of radio and TV talk/news hosts to support what you write. It doesn’t matter which end of the political spectrum you look at, most of these folks provide their opinions and put their own spin on the facts. A good rule of thumb is, if the show has a person’s name in it, don’t use it. (And don’t use Internet transcripts of their shows either.) For example, don’t cite “evidence” from Hannity or the Rachel Maddow Show.
2) "Check your knowledge” quizzes will be administered through Canvas each Module throughout the semester. The quizzes will be a combination of multiple choice, true/false, and other types of questions totaling 10 points each (except for a few that are 20 points each), and of course, they will be open-book. Please bear in mind, though, that the questions may reference information that I provide in my own lecture notes or videocasts, so the book will not provide all the answers. Quiz questions will not include information from the discussion forums. Student collaboration on the quizzes is forbidden. Your answers must be your own. All quiz responses must be posted by 11:59 P.M. on Sunday of each week (except for the final Module's quiz -- see the course schedule for the exact date).
3) Three Papers/Video Presentations Answering Questions of Importance in the Social Problems At the end of Modules 6, 10, and 15, you will be required to submit a Paper to Canvas OR to present a video in Canvas (or attach an external video file to the Assignment page).
Note: You can decide which type of assignment you'd like to submit over the course and change as you like. In other words, you could submit a paper for one assignment, a video for the next, and another paper for the third.
- Papers must be at least 1,250 words long (that's the equivalent of about 5 pages of double-spaced text in a word processing document). Pick an available topic (from the list provided in each Module) that is of interest to you, and write about 1,250 words to answer it. Full credit will be given for responses that apply scientific and evidence-based proposals for solving problems. (HINT: Use information from our readings, my lecture notes, and external scholarly sources to craft your proposal. Proposals based on idealism, relative morality, or religious ideology will not receive full credit.) The rubric below shows how these will be graded. Each Essay is worth a maximum of 50 points.
- Video presentations can be recorded directly in Canvas, or you can use the software/Webware of your choice (YouTube, iMovie, etc.). Videos should be between five (5) and six (6) minutes long. Pick an available topic (from the list provided in each Module) that is of interest to you, and create a 5 - 6 minute video to answer it. These should be as polished as any essay you would write, so practice what you want to say before creating your video and edit as necessary. (HINT: Similar to the above, use information from our readings, my lecture notes, and even external scholarly sources to craft your video proposal. Proposals based on idealism, relative morality, or religious ideology will not receive full credit.) The rubric below shows how these will be graded. Each Presentation is worth a maximum of 50 points.
Each essay or presentation will be graded according to the following rubric:
Grading
| Let's Talk Discussion Forums | 30% |
| Check Your Knowledge Quizzes | 35% |
| Essays/Presentations | 35% |
Your final grade is determined on a scale from 1 to 100 as follows:
| A | 93 - 100% |
| A- | 91 - 92.99% |
| B+ | 89 - 90.99% |
| B | 83 - 88.99% |
| B- | 81 - 82.99% |
| C+ | 79 - 80.99% |
| C | 73 - 78.99% |
| C- | 71 - 72.99% |
| D | 61 - 70.99% |
| F | Below 61 |
Course & College Policies
1) Policy on Late Work: I will accept late work, however 10% will be deducted from your grade for EACH DAY that your work is turned in late. So, keep in mind, for example, that submitting a response to a discussion forum after the 9th late day is pointless. In such cases, you would lose 10 days X 10% per day = 100%. In other words, upon the 10th day that a discussion forum post, quiz, or essay is late, you will receive a zero.
A note on discussion forum posts: Both your substantive post and at least one response to another student's post must be completed by the due date. If your substantive post is submitted late, you will receive a the deduction for late work as described above. (Otherwise, a student would be able to post "I agree" before the due date and then make a substantive post after the due date, claiming that he/she had their work done on time.)
2)Academic Disonesty will not be tolerated. See the College Policies and Grading sections of the syllabus for more information.
Plagiarism of any kind will result in a failing grade and a report of the specific offense to the dean.
Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas as if they were your own, whether spoken or in writing. Providing a quotation from another author is not plagiarism as long as you provide the correct citation (author’s name, publication information, and page number). However, keep quotes to a minimum and keep them short. Do not quote, for example, an entire 7-sentence paragraph; if your reader wants to read an original quote, he or she can look it up. In such a situation, please summarize the information provided by another author. AND, when you summarize, you still must provide the correct citation of where the information came from.
3) Disability Resources and Services: For the visually impaired, eCollege is designed to interact with most major screen-reader applications.
Students with disabilities who want academic accommodations must register with Disability Resources and Services (DRS), 177 Arts Building, 303-556-3450, TTY 303-556-4766, FAX 303-556-2074. DRS require students to provide current and adequate documentation of their disabilities. Once a student has registered DRS will review the documentation and assess the student’s request for academic accommodations. DRS will then provide the student with a letter indicating which academic accommodations have been approved. Please provide me with a copy of the DRS letter; I will be happy to provide the approved accommodations.
4) Writing Styles and Standards: You have elected to participate in this course online. However, that does NOT mean that this is a typical online environment (like facebook, MySpace, or Twitter). This is an academic course, and academic standards are expected in your writing and course communication. I do NOT want to see any speech-2-txt (speech to text) in any writing here. In other words, U R not alwed to rite as if U were txting ur BFF from ur phone. (You are not allowed to write as if you were texting your best friend forever from your phone.) Write like you would with any academic assignment. That means fully articulated real words, spelled correctly, sentences that start with capital letters and end with correct punctuation.
If you have problems with your grammar, syntax, organization, or style when writing, please visit the Writing Center in North Classroom 4014 or visit their Web site at http://writingcenter.ucdenver.edu.
Let me be very clear on this: It is your (the student's) responsibility to be familiar with the dates and policies below, including the CLAS policy on academic honesty. I will tolerate NO PLAGIARISM in this course. And I mean it!
CLAS Policies
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The following policies, procedures, and deadlines pertain to all students taking courses in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). They are aligned with the Official University Academic Calendar found on the Registrar’s website. Schedule Verification It is each student’s responsibility to verify that their official registration and schedule of courses is correct in UCDAccess (not Canvas) before courses begin and by the university census date. Failure to verify schedule accuracy is not sufficient reason to justify late adds. Access to a course through Canvas is not evidence of official enrollment. Students must activate and regularly check their official CU Denver email account for university related messages. Note: Canvas is not the location to access your CU Denver email account. Log into http://www.ucdenver.edu/email/Pages/login.aspx Administrative Drops Students may be administratively dropped if they do not meet the pre- and/or co-requisites for a course as detailed in the UCDAccess registration system. Students may also be administratively dropped from a course if the course syllabus articulates attendance expectations prior to census date and they do not meet those attendance expectations. Please note: this procedure does not apply to all courses and students should not rely upon it; if students plan to no longer complete a course, they are responsible to drop or withdraw from the course. Late Adds and Late Withdrawals Late adds (i.e., adding a course after census date) require a written petition, verifiable documentation, and dean’s approval via CLAS Advising. Late withdrawals (i.e., withdrawing from one or more full-semester courses after the withdrawal deadline) require a written petition and Schedule Adjustment Form. If late-withdrawing from individual courses, instructor signatures are required. If late-withdrawing from the entire semester, instructor signatures are not required. Contact CLAS Advising (NC 1030 – 303-315-7100) for more information on late adds and late withdrawals. Co-Requisites and Drops/Withdrawals Students dropping a course with co-requisite(s) before or by census date must drop the course and co-requisite(s). After census date, students withdrawing from a course with co-requisite(s) before or by the withdrawal deadline must withdraw from the course and co-requisite(s). After the withdrawal deadline, until the late withdrawal deadline, students may be able to withdraw from a course or co-requisite(s) based on instructor permission and approval of a Late Withdrawal Petition. Waitlists The Office of the Registrar notifies students via their CU Denver email account if they are added to a course from a waitlist. Students will have access to Canvas when they are on a waitlist, but this does not indicate that the student is officially enrolled or guaranteed a seat in the course. If a student is not enrolled in a course after waitlists are purged, instructor permission is required for the student to enroll in the course. The student must complete an Instructor Permission to Enroll Form and bring it to the CLAS Advising Office (NC 1030) or have their instructor email it to clasinstructorpermission@ucdenver.edu by census date in order to enroll in the course. |
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The Academic Calendar can be found at https://www.ucdenver.edu/student/registration-planning/academic-calendars |
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Additional information CLAS resources and procedures can be found at: https://clas.ucdenver.edu/faculty-staff/sites/default/files/attached-files/student_services_and_calendar.pdf
Required Course Readings
There is one required text book for the course, plus some additional readings that will be posted in Canvas. The book is:
Macionis, John J. (2020). Social Problems (eighth edition). Boston: Pearson.
Edition: 8 (Yes, only the 8th Edition can be used in this course.)
You can rent the text online at https://www.vitalsource.com/referral?term=9780135247105
This text is available ONLY as an e-book. You can read it with your computer, phone, or tablet. Follow the link above to purchase it and get started.
Course Schedule
| Module 1 | Introduction to Social Problems
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| Module 2 | The Economy, Politics, and Economic Inequality
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| Module 3 | Racial and Ethnic Inequality
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| Module 4 | Gender Inequality
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| Module 5 | Sexuality and Inequality
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| Module 6 | Family Life, Aging, and Inequality
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| Module 7 | Education
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| Module 8 | Crime, Violence, and Criminal Justice
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| Module 9 | Alcohol and Other Drugs:
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| Module 10 |
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| Module 11 | Physical and Mental Health
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| Module 12 | Work and the Workplace
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| Module 13 | Social Media, Technology, and the Environment
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| Module 14 | Population and Global inequality
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| Module 15 | War and Terrorism:
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Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
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