UNC Pembroke Course

Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice

SOC 2090 Social Problems in Modern Society (Sections 002 & 400)

Instructor: Dr. Fran Fuller Semester: Spring, 2009

Time: Section 002 MWF 9am-9:50am Rm 233 Sampson

Section 400 Thurs 6-9pm Evening at Sandhills

Office Hours: M 10:00-10:30am; 3:30-4:00pm; T, Th 10:30-11:30 am
SAMP Rm 208, & by Appointment Call 733-5317. Monday Make-up Classes: 4pm Social Problems; 5pm Social Research.

Section 400 Thurs 6-9pm Evening at Sandhills

Office Hours: M 10:00-10:30am; 3:30-4:00pm; T, Th 10:30-11:30 am
SAMP Rm 208, & by Appointment Call 733-5317. Monday Make-up Classes: 4pm Social Problems; 5pm Social Research. ">

Description

NOTE: This course outline was prepared for the semester opening Spring, 2009, and additional revisions may be made. Changes after Jan 5, 2008, will be discussed in class before they are made. F. Fuller.December 30, 2008

From the UNCP Catalog :
SOC 2090. Social Problems in Modern Society
Social costs of organized social life. Problems in families, work groups, local communities, and modern nations. Sociology of mental disorders, suicide, drug abuse, alcoholism, etc. Poverty and violence. Credit, 3 semester hours.

Class focus for the semester: SOC 2090 Sections 002 and 400, Spring ’09 (CRN 20238 & CRN 21926) follow the constructionist perspective among sociologists, where social problems are examined as societal conditions which are defined and responded to as troublesome by members of the society. Students learn to analyze social issues and conditions in terms of the social problem process (Best, 2008), which is the progression of troubling issues through claimsmaking to policy outcomes, and includes media coverage, public reaction, policy making and the work of individuals tasked formally and informally with the solutions to identified social problems (social workers, police, teachers, preachers, health care providers, political activists, parents, members of the armed services, financiers, bankers, merchants, lawyers, publishers, researchers, politicians, and drug dealers, to name a few). Cross-cultural (i.e. international) comparisons underscore the broad applicability of the analytical model.

Class methods for the semester: SOC 2090 Sections 002 and 004, Spring ’09 (CRN 20238 & CRN 21926) are face-to-face classes. Section 002 meets fifty minutes, three times per week for the sixteen week semester, plus a two & one-half hour final exam period in week seventeen. Section 400 meets 450 minutes once a week, plus exam night. Class attendance is required. Class activities include lecture, in-class discussion, scenario games, “friendly quizzes,” and student presentations. Class preparation and follow-up, through reading the assigned text, through World Wide Web exploration and through online Blackboard participation is expected. Because so many issues have risen to social problem status in modern society, cooperative group work is assigned to “spread the workload” across many problems of interest, but no grades are given as “group grades.” All grading is for individual accomplishment.

Goals

To provide an academic foundation class for students meeting the UNC Pembroke General Education requirement, for students studying a core course in the sociology major, the minor, and the social studies concentration in teacher education, as well as for students meeting University General Elective requirements, with the following student outcome objectives:

Objectives

o As a consequence of their studies, students will immediately see social problems as social interactions rather than social conditions.

o Students will be able to identify roles and stages in the construction of social problems around social issues and see themselves in pertinent roles.

o Students will be able to discuss the ethical ramifications to social problems and social interventions rationally, logically, factually, and without losing their cool.

o Students will be familiar with the natural history (Best, 2008) of social problems they identify as current and pertinent to their lives.

o For any social problem, students will be practiced in shifting from a local focus to an international focus, gaining cross-cultural awareness as a matter of habit.

o Each student will increase proficiency in oral, written and electronic communication and the group processing of information.

o Each student will automatically note personal shifts from objectivity to subjectivity in analysis.

o Each student will demonstrate command of the analytical concepts and techniques through a number of feedback and evaluation mechanisms, including: (1) face-to-face class discussion, (2) written interaction on Blackboard discussion board postings, (3) student presentations and through (4) an objective final exam.

General Education Objectives

SOC 2090 Sections 002 and 400 Social Problems Spring ’09 (CRN 20238 & 21926) meet UNC Pembroke General Education requirements for Section II.B.5: Academic Content & Skills, Social Science Division, Sociology, and the course qualifies as a General Education Social Science elective. The semester presentation of the course supports these General Education goals in particular:

o After their experiences in the course, students will be able to apply social construction theory to the analysis of significant American and world economic, cultural, political, and social phenomena and trends.

o The students will understand they are exercising critical thinking skills when, in the future, they distinguish between facts and opinions, judgments and inferences, inductive and deductive arguments, and reliable and invalid sources of information.

o Students will know how to collaborate with others using technology tools, specifically Blackboard as an electronic classroom environment and the electronic resources of the Mary Livermore Library.

o Students will be prepared for life long learning, equipped with an analytical perspective that accounts for the changing nature of society and work: they will be able to cope with change through self-education.

o Students will see that, in the end, social problems are issues of values and ethics. They will be able to analyze and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different perspectives on an ethical issue as it develops into a social problem with attendant solutions. They will be able to consciously take not only a "position" on an issue, and defend it with logical arguments, but they will be able to take a conscious role in the construction of solutions in social interaction.

Course Materials

Textbook(s)

Best, Joel. 2008. Social Problems (New York: W.W. Norton). ISBN 0-393-92877-2 (paperback) REQUIRED.

Paul, Richard and Linda Elder. The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts & Tools. Dillon Beach, CA: The Foundation for Critical Thinking. REQUIRED.

Other

1/2" three ring notebook
glue stick
at least ONE plain manila file folder, 3 or 4 are better
needle and thread (any color)

Course Resource Links

Schedule

Grading Policy

General. Assignment due dates are announced in advance. There are no points-off penalties for late work while semester classes are in session. Grade F (zero) is earned by any assignment turned in later than the end of the Last Day of Class, unless arrangements are made for an incomplete.

Grade equivalents (the transformation of "the 100% correct" scale to letter grades and quality points) show on the scale below called "Final Grades."

Some grades count for more than others. In the section below called "Grade Components," weights are percentages given for each grade component. You may have many grades making up a grade component, as in class participation, for instance. Or you may have only one grade carrying the full "weight" of that component, as in final exam, for instance. The points (out of 100% total points representing Percent Correct for the semester) show for each grade in your Blackboard gradebook. That gradebook reports your grades to you as they are recorded. Only the instructor can see (or change!) all the student grades.

ADDITONALLY, PLEASE NOTE: The University supports a variety of accommodations to the needs of students with disabilities. The policy reads, in part: In post-secondary settings, it is the student's responsibility to request accommodations, if desired. It is important to remember that not every student with a disability needs accommodation. It is equally important to remember that even though two individuals may have the same disability, they may not need the same accommodation. Disability Support Services, UNC Pembroke. Please contact Dr. Fuller with questions and concerns about this and any other aspects of evaluation and grading.

Grades will be posted on Blackboard as they are earned. Students are responsible for contacting the instructor if they believe a mistake has been made in the grading or the reporting of the grade. Final grades are posted to BraveWeb for the official record.

For your information, any final grade can be challenged. See the Undergraduate Grade Appeal Process policy from the Faculty Handbook contained in full, below. This policy is also found in the Student Handbook.

Grade Components

Name	Weight
Weekly Class Exercises & Assignments	60%
Presentations	15%
Final Exam Exercise (8 AM Wed, Apr 29, '09)	25%

Final Grades

A:	92-100 (4.0QP)	B+:	87-89 (3.3QP)	C+:	77-79 (2.3QP)	D+:	67-69 (1.3QP)	F:	0-59 (0QP)
A-:	90-91 (3.7QP)	B:	82-86 (3.0QP)	C:	72-76 (2.0QP)	D:	62.66 (1.0QP)
		B-:	80-81 (2.7QP)	C-:	70-71 (1.7QP)	D-:	60-61 (.7QP)

Attendance Policy

Class attendance and participation is expected. Points will be subtracted from your final grade for class time missed: 2 points per fifty minute class time equivalent. This policy will be relaxed if you suffer an extended illness of your own.

Proof of Studies: Students are expected to spend a minimum of two hours outside of class in preparation for each meeting of the class. Students may spend study time reading, taking reading notes, preparing class assignment, on-line with Blackboard or with directed websearches (confirmed with websearch logs), reworking and expanding classnotes, preparing flashcards to study important vocabulary, reviewing class "friendly quizzes," or in communication with each other. Students can document their studies with a personal journal recording the time and date, their activity, and citation notations. Points for class absences may be restored when selected journal entries and study output are formally presented to the class and intructor contact time is made up in scheduled make-up class days, generally on Monday afternoons. Proof of studies is, by definition, documentation offered that studies occurred outside the scheduled classtime. Proof of absence (i.e. documentation of excuses for absences) is not needed and will be rejected.

Procedure to re-gain points lost due to class absences for any reason: In a timely manner present (i.e., within a week of your return to class) offer Proof of Studies specific to the days missed, preferably on the topics covered in class and in a format suitable for sharing with classmates who missed your class presence. Formats may include oral reports, essays, vocabulary flashcards, chapter exercises, powerpoint presentations, handouts shared electronically or on paper. Material presented should be substantial enough to demonstrate at least two, if not three hours, of your work so as to be proof of your studies in lieu of class attendance for any reason. Proof of studies will always be presented in class for open class inspection. Documentation will include a daily journal of how you spent your time devoted to your studies for this class. The grades are awarded individually, on the basis of the components for grade recorded above. In other words, your proof of studies journal is not part of your grade. It is your documentation offered in lieu of your presence in class.

The class will be graded on the basis of the components for grade recorded above. In other words, your proof of studies journal is not part of your grade. Your classnotes, on the other hand, ARE a component of your grade.

Student Conduct & Honor Code

Students will read and adhere to The UNCP Student Honor Code. This should be a direct link to The Student Honor Code .

After reading the Honor Code, please email fran.fuller@uncp.edu to let me know whether or not you have (1) read the Honor Code, (2) have any questions about any part of it, and (3) agree or disagree with any portions of it.

Our academic honor code applies, in its entirety, to all aspects of the course. See UNC Pembroke Catalog, p. 47. In the online pdf version, scroll down to page 47. The code concludes with advice to instructors: "Students have the responsibility to know and observe the UNCP Academic Honor Code" (p. 50).

Other Information

Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments is requested to speak directly to Disability Support Services and the instructor, as early in the semester (preferably within the first week) as possible. ACCOMODATIONS PROCESS LINK. .

All discussions with Disability Support Services will remain confidential. Please contact Disability Support Services, UNC Pembroke, DF Lowry Building, or call 910-521-6695.

This web-based publication is available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact Disability Support Services, DF Lowry Building, Room 197, or call 521-6695.

Contact Information

Office Tel (no voice mail taken): 910-521-6473.
University Mailing Address: Dr. Fran Fuller, UNC-P, Box 1510, Pembroke NC 28372

Name change alert! Dr. Fuller was Dr. Haga until her marriage December 16, 2001 to Fred Fuller. The Fullers reside in Pembroke, North Carolina. Dr. Fuller can be reached at your convenience at 910-733-5317.

UNDERGRADUATE GRADE APPEAL PROCESS

4-3. 13. Abbreviated from the UNC Pembroke Faculty Handbook : Undergraduate students may appeal a final course grade. The appeal process must be initiated by the student within thirty (30) calender days after the first day of class of the regular semester following the award of the grade. The appeal process is summarized below.

Step 1
An undergraduate student who wishes to appeal a final course grade must first attempt to resolve the matter by meeting with the instructor involved....

Step 2
If a student fails to reach a satisfactory solution in consultation with the instructor, or if it is impractical to consult with the instructor, the student should seek the assistance of the Faculty Conciliator within fifteen (15) calendar days of the meeting with the instructor or within thirty (30) calendar days after the first day of class of the semester following the award of the grade. The Faculty Conciliator's role is to advise, guide, and document the student's progress through the Appeal Process....

Step 3
Within five (5) calendar days of the initial meeting with the student, the Conciliator must arrange a meeting with the student, the instructor, and the chair of the department.... If the student is still dissatisfied after this meeting, such student may then elect to file a formal appeal within fifteen (15) calendar days of the meeting.

Step 4
To file a formal appeal, the student must submit a written appeal statement to the Conciliator who will forward it to the Chairperson of the Campus Hearing Board. The written appeal must be specific, relevant, and concise, explaining precisely the student's justification for the grade appeal. The burden of proof will be on the student...

Step 5
The Campus Hearing Board has authority to screen out frivolous or unsubstantiated claims. The Chairperson will notify the Conciliator, the faculty member, the student and the departmental chair (or Vice Chancellor) in writing, explaining why the committee found a student claim sufficient or insufficient and, in the event of a sufficient claim, of the date of the appeal hearing.

Step 6
The chairperson of the Campus Hearing Board shall convene a meeting of the board at least once a semester, unless no sufficient appeals are forthcoming. In a closed hearing, the student shall produce documents and other relevant evidence to substantiate his or her claims. The student may address only those issues that are described in the appeal statement.... The Board shall issue its decision within seven (7) calendar days of the hearing.

Step 7
Once the Campus Hearing Board reaches its decision, the following persons will be notified in writing about the findings of the Board: the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the chair in the appropriate department, the faculty member, the Conciliator, and the student.

If the Board finds the original course grade to be inappropriate, the Board will recommend that the faculty member recalculate the grade and make the appropriate change in Registrar's Office within five (5) calendar days. Should the faculty member be unwilling or unable to do so, the Board will recalculate the grade and make the change in the Registrar's Office. The resulting grade is final and may not be further appealed.

Other Information

Policy (Fuller) in Regard to Classroom and Personal Security: Issues concerning current events and matters touching on classroom safety and personal security are always part of a curriculum in Sociology and Criminal Justice. These matters and any pertinent classroom procedures will be handled as they arise. Pertinent procedures will be announced in class discussion. Students are encouraged to remember that classroom procedures vary widely in the University setting and students, as adults responsible for their own safety and security, are free to enter and leave the classroom as their personal needs dictate.

Instructor: Dr. Fran Fuller	Semester: Spring, 2009
	Time: Section 002 MWF 9am-9:50am Rm 233 Sampson Section 400 Thurs 6-9pm Evening at Sandhills Office Hours: M 10:00-10:30am; 3:30-4:00pm; T, Th 10:30-11:30 am SAMP Rm 208, & by Appointment Call 733-5317. Monday Make-up Classes: 4pm Social Problems; 5pm Social Research.