Syllabus: Social Problems (Sociology 2)

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4th Term: WS 3:15 - 4:45 PM
Instructor: Lt. Nathaniel Fick

Enrollment is open to anyone, but assumes a secondary school level of knowledge. Completion of a Sociology 1/Introduction to Sociology course (On the island or elsewhere) is recommended but not required.

Lacking an office, Nate will be available for questions in the Compound rec room Wednesday and Saturday evenings from 5-8 PM. Private tutoring is available upon request. A copy of this syllabus is permanently posted in the classroom.

Attendance Policy: Attendance will not be taken, but students are expected to attend all classes to receive the full benefit of the course. Additionally, please try to keep up with the required reading as we go so that you may substantively contribute to in-class discussions and debates, which are critical to successful completion of the class.

Course Description: Daily news reports direct much of our attention to social problems such as crime, inequality, and poverty. Yet rarely are these reports accompanied by a discussion of the systematic causes of these problems. More often we become witness to an endless stream of media coverage reporting seemingly isolated incidents and events, in a sensationalized manner. Seldom are we informed of the process by which some events or behaviors come to be defined as social problems, or the decision-making process by which some social problems are selected for coverage, while others are ignored. The purpose of this course is to subject a selection of social problems, as well as the coverage of those problems, to a sociological analysis. We will attempt to answer questions such as, “How does a social problem become defined as such?” “What are the causes of various social problems?” Throughout the course we will explore solutions to these social problems and ask, “What can be done?” directing some of our attention to those organizations, individuals, programs and policies that have implemented constructive responses to issues of public concern.

Course Outline:

Part I: Social Construction of Social Problems
- Social Construction and Theoretical Explanations
- The Media

Part II: Inequality: The Reality of Life in America
- Racial and Economic Inequality

(Exam)

Part III: Inequality, Poverty and Family Structure
- Experiencing Poverty: Single Mothers
- Poverty in the Media
- Experiencing Poverty: Nonresident Fathers

Part IV: Spatial Inequality and Poverty
- Rural Poverty and Inequality

(Exam)

Part V: Recognizing and “Solving” Social Problems
- Social Construction of “Problems”
- Social Problems: Evaluating U.S. Society
- Applied Research, Social Programs and Policy
- Social Problems, Politics, and the Nature of Media

(Final Exam)



Note: This syllabus is lifted almost entirely from the real Dartmouth Sociology 2 syllabus, .pdf available here, as this is the course Nate would have taken his Freshman year.