SYG 2010

SOCIAL PROBLEMS

Professor: Chris Girard

Office: DM 335 (348-2594, office hours only) cell phone: 305-244-4668 e-mail: girardc@fiu.edu

Office Hours: 10:00-11:00 Tuesday, Thursday

This course will focus on a variety of social problems from a sociological perspective. Although we will primarily be concerned with social problems in the United States, a number of these problems will be placed in global context. There is one required book for the course:

Sullivan, Thomas J. 2003. Introduction to Social Problems. 6th edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

EXAMINATION AND GRADING SYSTEM: There will be two quizzes, one midterm, and a final examination. Each quiz will count for 1/6 of the final grade, and each exam will count for 1/3 of the final grade. If the student desires, a 10-page paper on a topic to be chosen by the student may be submitted for a fifth grade (each quiz would then count 1/8 toward the final grade and the two exams and paper would each count 1/4 toward the final grade). Students pursuing paper option must submit a rough draft along with final draft (no exceptions!) and must have topic and at least 3 sources approved by the professor in advance. All examinations will be given in class (see scheduled times in this syllabus). Both the midterm and the final exam will consist of 32 multiple-choice questions, except for those students who select to take an essay exam instead. The quizzes will consist of 16 true-false questions.

INTERNET ASSIGNMENT: To further FIU’s information literacy initiative, all students in the class will be required to find three journal articles relevant to a social problem in three different electronic data bases. At least one of the articles must be full-text and one line.

MAKE-UP POLICY: You must make arrangements with me (please call me at home if necessary), before the midterm exam and quizzes, if you need to take a make-up exam. There will be no make-ups for the final exam.

REQUIRED READINGS

Week 1. (Jan. 6,8): Intro., Political and Economic Power (Sullivan Chaps. 1,2)

Week 2. (Jan. 13,15): Homelessness, Poverty, Urbanism (Sullivan Ch. 5, 12).

Weeks 3. (Jan. 20,22) QUIZ #1 Thursday (Jan. 22): Suicide (lecture only); Ageism (Sullivan Ch. 8)

Weeks 4-6. (Jan. 27,29, Feb. 3,5,10,12): Racial/Ethnic Inequality (Sullivan Ch. 6)

Week 7. (Feb. 17): Gender Inequality (Ch. 7)

MIDTERM EXAMINATION: Week 7—Thursday, February 19

Week 8. (Feb. 24,26): Quality of the Educational System (Sullivan Ch. 15)

Week 9. (Mar. 2,4): Substance Abuse (Sullivan Ch. 10)

Week 10. (Mar. 9,11): Criminal Behavior (Sullivan Ch. 9)

Week 11. (Mar. 16,18) QUIZ #2 Thursday Mar. 18 : Family-Related Problems (Sullivan Ch. 3)

Spring Break

Weeks 13-14. (March 30, April 1,6,8): Sexuality, War (Sullivan Ch. 11, 14)

Week 15. (April 13,15): mental illness.

FINAL EXAM: Thursday, April 22 (12:30 P.M.)