South Lake Campus, Clermont, Florida
Social Problems
Course/CRN: / SYG 2010 20379 2:00 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. MW Bldg. 2-309SYG 2010 20380 12:30 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. TR Bldg. 2-309
SYG 2010 20381 6:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. T Bldg. 2-309
Course Title: / Social Problems
Course Description: / An exploration of American contemporary social problems with an emphasis upon the involvement of the individual, family, and community. Topics such as crime and delinquency, racial problems, dependency and poverty, religious conflicts, and urban and rural communities are analyzed in the light of factual data.
Term: / Spring 2013
January 7, 2013 to April 22, 2013
Instructor: / Joette D. Naftel, M.S.
Contact Information: / Office: South Lake Campus
Bldg. 2; Room 234
Email:
Phone: (352) 536-2154
Important Message: / All students are required to use LakerMail for official college email communications. See the college webpage for instructions on activating LakerMail.
Office Hours: / Office hours are by appointment during the following time periods:
Monday and Wednesday: 10:30 am - 11:00 am
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Tuesday: 9:00 am - 9:30 am
2:00 pm - 6:30 pm
9:15 pm - 9:45 pm
Thursday: 9:00 am - 9:30 am
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Credit: / Three (3) semester hours.
Prerequisites: / Successful completion of all college preparatory composition and reading courses indicated through placement testing.
Methodology: / The information base for this course comes from class lectures, class
discussions, the text, the social problem group presentations, and
viewing true story movies in popular culture. Thinking independently
and listening with respect to the views of others are also an essential
part of learning in this course.
Reading Material: / Kornblum, William/Julian, Joseph (2009). Social Problems, thirteenth edition. Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Academic Integrity:
Any student cheating on an exam or plagiarizing a paper will receive an automatic 0 for that assignment. An exam is worth two letter grades and the writing assignment is equal to one letter grade. / The successful functioning of the academic community demands honesty, which is the basis of respect for both ideas and persons. In the academic community, there is an ongoing assumption of academic integrity at all levels. There is the expectation that work will be independently thoughtful and responsible as to its sources of information and inspiration. Honesty is an appropriate consideration in other ways as well, including but not limited to the responsible use of library resources, responsible conduct in examinations, and the responsible use of the Internet. (See college catalog for complete statement)
Course Objectives: / 1. Offer the students a framework from which Social Problems can be
viewed and analyzed from a local, national and global perspective.
2. The course content will help to dispel myths and provide factual
information.
3. Consequences of ideologies and social policies will be discussed.
4. Topics that are controversial will foster critical thinking and will
elicit problem-solving within the classroom setting.
Student Learning Outcomes &
Competencies: / Students will learn the three different sociological perspectives on
social problems; they will understand the natural history of social
problems. Students will practice different methods of formulating and
evaluating existing social problems which impact the family,
individuals and society as a whole. The nature of harmony,
consensus, controversy, conflict and general differences will be
viewed from various sociological perspectives. Class discussions will
be directed towards current social issues such as:
1. Economic Recession (Social Inequality, Poverty, and Homelessness)
2. Educational Concerns (Salaries/Tenure/FCAT Scores)
3. Environmental Issues (Air/Water/Land/Atmosphere)
4. National Health Care and Universal Health Coverage
5. Deviance and Social Control (Prison System Goals in our country
and sanctions in other countries – crime rates)
6. War and Terrorism (Local/National/Global/Security Measures of
Personal Freedom Violated?)
Privacy Policy (FERPA): / The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of a student’s education records. In order for your information to be released, a form must be signed and in your records located in the Admissions/Registrar’s Office.
Attendance /
Withdrawal Policies:
Ten (10) points are deducted for each absence. Two late or leaving early marks equals 1 absence. / Mastery of course material requires regular attendance in class.
Departmental policy requires satisfactory attendance on the part of
all students. Failure to comply with attendance policies can result in
a lower course grade or withdrawal from the course.
If you wish to withdraw from the course, you must go to the
Admissions Office and complete the formal course withdrawal form
by Friday, March 22, 2013.
If you do not complete the course and do not formally withdraw, you will receive a grade of “F”.
Technology & Online Computer
Access Requirements: / The group project (see below) requires that each student within the group conducts research and finds resources for solutions to their specific group’s problem via the internet, journals, and periodicals found within the library resources
.
Movie/Sociological Concept Papers:
1. Cite and explain how a specific scene from the movie illustrates your chosen concept.
2. Each explanation should be approximately a paragraph.
3. For each day a paper is late, 10% will be deducted from the total score of the paper. After 4 days papers will not be accepted.
4. Hand-written papers will not be accepted for any reason.
5. All papers must be typed, double-spaced, and follow the correct format.
6. Identical papers from different students will automatically receive a 0 for both students.
7. Students are responsible for maintaining a copy of each of their papers until the end of the semester. / Movie/Sociological Concept Papers:
We will view six true-story movies that encompass the corresponding social problems:
1. Economy – Unemployment/Poverty/Social Stratification/Homelessness
2. Education – Tracking/Family Involvement/Values
3. Environment – Corporate Responsibility/Ignorance/Impact on Society/Animals
4. Health Care – Inequality in Assess to Health Care/Health Insurance Impact
5. Deviance and Social Control – What are sanctions/how are they enforced and
what are some stats on minority groups/crime/recidivism/frequency of crime)
6. War and Terrorism – Family/Environment/Societies/Religion/Economy
Your assignment is to relate each movie to 5 concepts from the appropriate chapters of your textbook. You may use more than one scene from the movie to demonstrate each concept. This paper must be typed, double-spaced and follow the guidelines listed below:
Name
SYG 2010 – Fall 2012
Movie: Charlie Wilson’s War
Chapter #: Title of the chapter
1. Concept: type out the definition of concept
· Describe a scene from the movie which illustrates this concept and how it demonstrates the concept.
2. Concept: type out the definition of the concept
· Describe a scene from the movie which illustrates this concept and how it demonstrates the concept.
3. Concept: type out the definition of the concept
· Describe a scene from the movie which illustrates this concept and how it demonstrates the concept.
Social Problem Group Project
Hints/Tips:
1. Utilize several pictures use bulleted words
2. Divide the project into sections
3. Four or more students per group.
4. Develop target dates for each section to be completed
5. Utilize youtube videos to illustrate your points. / Each Social Problems Group will utilize the following format in a power point presentation to illustrate their findings:
Section I The Social Problem (utilize several pictures/graphs/charts)
a. Local
b. National
c. Global
Section II Public Opinion (use the questionnaire or personal interview technique
and canvass at least 50 people.) Illustrate the survey results by
graphs.
a. Is it considered a problem and if so, how?
b. What are some solutions to this problem?
Section III Viable Solutions (utilize several pictures/graphs/charts)
a. Local (as an individual and as a community)
b. National
c. Globally
Methods of Evaluation / Your grade is based on your participation and attendance in class, a weekly current even class discussion, your movie/concept papers, a group project that covers a social problem and utilizes a power point presentation regarding the problem and viable solutions. Format, Content, Organization, Spelling and Grammar will be used to score your papers and the group project. Any type of scholastic dishonesty is prohibited and will result in a grade of “F” for the course.
Assessment & Grading: / Grading Components % Points Earned
Movie/Sociological Concepts Papers 300 points
Movie 1 50 ______Economy Pursuit of Happyness
Movie 2 50 ______Education The Ron Clark Story
Movie 3 50 ______Environment Erin Brockovich
Movie 4 50 ______Health Care Patch Adams
Movie 5 50 ______Deviance/Social Control Coach Carter
Movie 6 50 ______War and Terrorism Charlie Wilson’s War
Group Social Problem Presentation 100 points
(Including Questionnaire/Survey and Group Current Event Discussion Input)
Group PPT Grade 100 ______
Final Exam 300 ______
Attendance 300 ______(Includes points for your preparation and
participation in the weekly current event class
discussions)
Total Points 1000 ______
Grading Scale:
900 – 1000 A
800 – 899 B
700 – 799 C
600 – 699 D
Below 599 F
Important Information for
Students With Disabilities: / Any student with a documented disability who requires assistance or academic accommodations should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities immediately to discuss eligibility. The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) is located on the Leesburg Campus, but arrangements can be made to meet with a student on any campus. An appointment can be made by calling 352-365-3574 and specific information about the OSD and potential services can be found at www.lssc.edu, then go to “Quick Links” and click on Disability Services.
Syllabus Disclaimer: / Information contained in this syllabus is, to the best knowledge of this instructor, considered correct and complete when distributed to the student. The instructor reserves the right, acting within policies and procedures of Lake-Sumter Community College, to make necessary changes in course content or instructional techniques without prior notice or obligation to the student.
Course Content / Calendar: / It is each student’s responsibility to follow the schedule and to turn in assignments on the date required. Late assignments will be deducted points.
Week/Day/Dates / Topic / Modality / Assignments and Due Dates
Week 1
Jan.7 -10 / MT Welcome, Introduction and General Overview
WR Student Introductions
Drop/Add January 7 -> January 14 / Instructor Intro
Student Intros
“Introduce a Buddy”
Week 2
Jan. 14 ->17 / MT Syllabus Quiz, Three Theoretical Perspectives;
Six Sociological Institutions
WR Discussion and Sample PPTs
Group Formations by Social Issue and Dates / Lecture
Group Formation
Week 3
Jan. 21 –24 / M College Closed ~ Martin Luther King Day
T Movie #1 Economy
WR Movie #1 Economy / Movie Observation
Pursuit of Happyness
Week 4
Jan. 28 ->31 / M Movie #1 Economy (for MW section)
T Group Issues Current Events Discussion (for TR & T)
Discussion of Movie and Issues/Resolution
WR Economy Issues Presentation / Class Discussion
Group Presentation / MT Movie Concept Paper #1
Pursuit of Happyness
Week 5
Feb. 4 –7 / MT Movie #2 Education
WR Movie #2 Education / Movie Observation
The Ron Clark Story
Week 6
Feb.11 –14 / MT Group Issues Current Events Discussion
Discussion of Movie and Issues/Resolution
WR Educational Issues Presentation / Class Discussion
Group Presentation / MT Movie Concept Paper #2
The Ron Clark Story
Week 7
Feb. 18 ->21 / MT Movie #3 Environmental Issues
WR Movie #3 Environmental Issues / Movie Observation
Erin Brockovich
Week 8
Feb.25 ->28 / MT Group Issues Current Events Discussion
Discussion of Movie and Issues/Resolution
WR Environmental Issues Presentation / Class Discussion
Group Presentation / MT Movie Concept Paper #3
Erin Brockovich
Week 9
Mar. 4->7 / MT College Closed ~ Spring Break
WR College Closed ~ Spring Break
Week 10
Mar. 11->14 / MT Movie #4 Health Care Issues
WR Movie #4 Health Care Issues / Movie Observation
Patch Adams
Week 11
Mar. 18->21 / MT Group Issues Current Events Discussion
Discussion of Movie and Issues/Resolution
WR Health Issues Presentation
Last date to withdraw from classes – March 22, Friday / Class Discussion
Group Presentation / MT Movie Concept Paper #4
Patch Adams
Week 12
Mar. 25->28 / MT Movie #5 Deviance and Social Control
WR Movie #5 Deviance and Social Control / Movie Observation
Coach Carter
Week 13
Apr. 1->4 / MT Group Issues Current Events Discussion
Discussion of Movie and Issues/Resolution
WR Health Care Issues Presentation / Class Discussion
Group Presentation / MT Movie Concept Paper #5
Coach Carter
Week 14
Apr. 8->11 / MT Movie #6 War and Terrorism Issues
WR Movie #6 War and Terrorism Issues / Movie Observation
Charlie Wilson’s War
Week 15
Apr. 15->18 / MT War and Terrorism Issues Presentation
WR Concept Exam / Group Presentation / MT Movie Concept Paper #6
Charlie Wilson’s War
Concept Exam
Week 16
Apr. 22->25 / M Make-ups and Student Consultations
TWR Final Exams
May 2nd / Grades Available via LOIS
Classroom Rules & Policies: / Student’s Copy
Rules of Respect
I will show respect to the instructor and the other students at all times.
I will arrive to class on time.
I will bring a pen and notebook to class.
I will be prepared to discuss the assigned topics.
I will proof read my written assignments.
I will not cheat or plagiarize.
I will turn off all electronic items such as cell phone, blackberry, laptop, and calculator (this means even turning off the vibrating signals).
I will not text on a cell phone during class.
I have read and understand the Syllabus and the course calendar for SOCIAL PROBLEMS (SYG 2010), Joette Naftel, Instructor. I agree with and accept requirements of the course as stated.
Please print:
______
Last Name, First Name (what you liked to be called)
______
Telephone (Prefer Cell Phone)
______
E-Mail Address
______
Major
______
Occupation
______
Hobby or Activity
______
Signature and Date
In return I will provide an environment conducive to learning sociology as well as fostering intelligent and lively debates. I will endeavor to meet each of your learning styles through a variety of teaching styles. I will also arrive to class on time, let you out of class on time, and be available to help you during office hours.
Joette D. Naftel January 7,2013
Signature and Date
Violence Statement
/ Lake-Sumter State College has a policy of zero tolerance for violence as stated in College Board Rule 2.17. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with Board Rule 2.17.
The Basics Introduction to Sociology