Social Problems

University of ConnecticutStamford, CT
Sociology 1251-Z81
Spring 2015

Class Location:
Class Time:
Instructor:
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Skype:
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Office Hours:
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Dwtn215
Monday, 2:35 5:15 pm
Mr. Greg Mills
gregory.mills@uconn.edu
gregory.j.mills
3.78
Monday, 12:30-2:30pm, or via Skype
HuskyCT

***
Course Goals for General Education Requirements
SOC 1251 fulfills a requirement of General Education Content Area Two: Social Sciences. Its goals are to help
students:
1. Acquire awareness of the era and society. This course provides a systematic overview of the contemporary
social institutions that influence everybody's everyday life, providing students with a greater appreciation of the
forces that shape their social world. American society is also examined in historical and comparative
perspective, further increasing students' awareness of the distinctive and university features of our society. This
also contributes to the next point:
2. Acquire consciousness of the diversity of human culture and experience. The comparative and historical
approach to the institutions and roles of contemporary American society makes students aware of society
variability, and also explains systematically what accounts for the variability among societies. Both #1 and #2
contribute to:
3. Acquire critical judgment. Logical and perceptive reasoning requires an awareness and understanding of
one's assumptions and premises. In the social realm, this entails an ability to appreciate the distinctiveness of
one's roles and experiences, take their effects into account, and consider one's social arrangements that one has
not directly encountered.

Course Description
This course focuses on incredibly important challenges that we face here in American society, but that are also
faced in most societies across the globe and throughout history. For example, how should we as a society go
about educating our citizens? How important is it to us that everyone have a decent shot at making it? To

what extent should we go to ensure that this happens? And what should we do about generational poverty, if
anything? And finally, how does the U.S. handle these challenges compared to other countries in the world?
This course is designed for you to step outside your comfort zone, forget what you think you know about being
conservative, liberal, Democrat, or Republican, and examine things in an analytical way.

The Elastic Clause

A calendar is included below which should be used to guide your preparation for class. I expect to follow the
calendar as closely as possible. However, it is only a guideline. I reserve the option to revise it as necessary to
facilitate that I deem to be the best coverage of course material. I will make every effort to inform you of these
changes as they arise.

Required Text

American Society: How it Really Works; Wright and Rogers

ISBN 978-0393930672
Available in the UConn-Stamford bookstore, and other places, too.

Calculating your final grade (rounded to nearest whole number, 93.5 ->94, 93.4 ->93)
A
AB+
B
BC+

= 94-100
= 90-93
= 87-89
= 84-86
= 80-83
= 77-79

C
CD+
D
DF

= 74-76
= 70-73
= 67-69
= 64-66
= 60-63
= <60

Course Requirements/Grading

Participation and Quick-writes

Video Journal
Presentation
Three Exams
o 1st Mid-term
o 2nd Mid-term
o Final Exam
TOTAL

Extra Credit

10 points
5 points
10 points
25 points
25 points
25 points
100 points

Extra Credit opportunities may arise during the semester in the form of cultural or sociological events. In this
event, students will be required to prove attendance and write a single-page analytical write-up of the event
which connects back to the material discussed in class in some way. Extra credit events will add a point to the
participation and quick-writes section. There is a maximum of 2 extra credit points per student.

How do I do well in this course?

In order to do well in this course, it is imperative that you:
1. Attend all class sessions
2. Take detailed notes during class (obtain notes of missed classes from classmates)
3. The lectures will generally follow the outline of the book, but I will not cover everything in the
book, nor will everything I cover be in the book. I would say pay closer attention to the
lectures/discussions, and use the book to help reinforce the general concepts. You are not expected
to memorize the small details in the book.
4. Study in groups. The classic image of the solitary student studying and learning things via lamp oil is
a myth. Humans learn best from each other, in groups.
5. Exchange emails with at least one other student in the class in case of absence
6. Keep in touch with the instructor to see how you are doing, and get feedback!

Questions about course grades

Any questions about grades or any other related course content should be immediately addressed with the
instructor. However, grades will only be altered if there is a technical/instructors mistake with the grading;
please do not attempt to negotiate grades.

Participation & Quick-writes

At the beginning or ending of a class session, about once per week, students will be asked to submit a quickwrite, which will involve writing briefly for about five or ten minutes over a specific topic of general
knowledge or a topic that we will have already covered in class. This will also serve as an attendance record.
Quick-writes are not able to be remade for any unexcused reason.
Excused absences include: death of an immediate family member, doctors note, and university excused events
(i.e. athletic events in which you are participating). It is the students responsibility to obtain any materials gone
over in class from a classmate, so it is in your best interest to exchange emails with at least one other person
from the course. Participation will count for 10 percent of the total grade.

Exams
Over the course of the semester, there will be three exams taken in class. Tests will be in multiple choice
format, with some short answer. Tests cannot be retaken for any unexcused reason. Each exam will count for
25 percent of the total grade.

1st Mid-term:February 23
2nd Mid-term: March 30
Final Exam: May 4

Video Journal
An integral part of this course is a 6-part documentary video series. These videos are quite diverse in both style
and content. Some are academic in character, mainly involving experts explaining various themes. Others
revolve around historical events, showing extensive footage of various real life happenings. The videos will be
treated like readings: they are a required part of the course with an associated written assignment (see below)
and there will be questions on the exams about them.
Students will keep a video journal in which they write a brief comment after viewing each video linking some
aspects of the video with issues discussed in class and in the readings. These comments should be 200-500
words, but no more. The central point is to show that you watched the video and have given some thought to its
connection to the themes and ideas of the course. The video journal will be worth 5 percent of the total
grade.

Presentations
During the semester, each student will be required to make part of a presentation (10 minutes per 2-person
group) that extends the readings or class videos in some way. Students may use Power Point, Prezi, or some
other formal presentation format, or you may speak from memory or a few notecards. Presentations can be
divvied up in any way amongst the 2-person group. A sign-up sheet will be posted via HuskyCT, and each
student must sign-up individually, by February 2. Students will be graded on quality, creativity, and delivery.
The presentation will count towards 10 percent of your final grade.

Behavior Etiquette in the Classroom

Disrespect will not be condoned or tolerated. We will discuss some controversial topics in this course, and there
are bound to be disagreements. Disagreements are acceptable, but there is a way to disagree with someones
opinion in a respectful way without being insulting or rude (although the media might not provide a good
example). Keep in mind that you are entitled to an opinion, but its better to be backed up with empirical
evidence. Either way, if a student repeatedly acts in a disrespectful or inappropriate manner, I will ask him or
her to leave.
Statement on electronicsif you intend to use a laptop or some other device to take notes, please fill out the
contract online that you will not be using the device for any other purpose in class (facebook, email, chatting,
youtube, etc.). If a student breaks this contract, they will not be permitted to continue using the device in class.

Academic Integrity

Cheating, plagiarizing, and/or the selling of notes or recordings of our class sessions are not permitted. These
activities are assaults on academic integrity and property rights, and engaging in them will result in either a
failure on the assignment or exam, or a failure in the course. The instructor reserves the right to submit
assignments to the automated plagiarism detection service, Turnitin.com, which compares students written
work with a huge database of journal articles, web articles, and previously submitted papers. If you are not sure
what plagiarism is, the UCONN library website provides a great
resource: http://www.lib.uconn.edu/instruction/PlagFac.htm#1

Religious Observances
If you anticipate being absent from class due to a religious observance, please notify the instructor at the
beginning of the semester.

Accommodations
Students in need of academic accommodations for a disability are to consult with the office of Services for
Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate accommodations. Please note that it is the students
responsibility to set up these accommodations, and these must be done in 2 weeks advance to any test.

Weekly Outline
Date

Readings

Topics, Video Assignments

Week 1 (1/26)
Week 2 (2/2)

JUNO!!
Brief introduction to class; syllabus;

Week 3 (2/9)

JUNO!!
Syllabus; Wright & Rogers, Ch.
1
Wright & Rogers, Ch. 2-3

Week 4 (2/16)

Wright & Rogers, Ch. 4-6

Week 5 (2/23)

Wright & Rogers, Ch. 8-9

Week 6 (3/2)
Week 7 (3/9)

Wright & Rogers, Ch. 10;

First Mid-Term
Wright & Rogers, Ch. 12-13

Week 8 (3/16)
Week 9 (3/23)

SPRING BREAK; NO CLASS

Wright & Rogers, Ch. 14-15

What kind of society is the U.S.?;

The Capitalist Market (How its
supposed to work); The U.S. Civilian
Conservation Corps
The Capitalist Market (How it tends
to work); The Environment;
Transportation
Health-Care; High Road Capitalism;
Is Wal-Mart Good for America?
(2004)
Fairness and Inequality; First MidTerm
Poverty and Inequality; Ending
Poverty in America; Two American
Families (2013)
SPRING BREAK; NO CLASS
Race; Gender; Kids on Race (CNN
2012) & True Colors (ABC News
1991)

Week 10 (3/30)
Week 11 (4/6)
Week 12 (4/13)

Second Mid-Term
Conference (TBA)
Wright & Rogers, Ch. 16-17

Week 13 (4/20)
Week 14 (4/27)

Wright & Rogers, Ch. 18-19

Wright & Rogers, Ch. 20-21

Second Mid-Term
Conference (TBA)
How democracy works; Voting and
Elections; Let the Fire Burn (2013)
Taxes; The media
The military; Labor unions; Why We
Fight (2005)

Final Exam is preliminarily scheduled for:

Monday, May 4, 3:30 5:30 PM