Sociology
130: Contemporary Social Problems (3 cr.)
Spring
2003
UW
– Marathon
Instructor: Dr.
Ann Herda-Rapp
Office: 325
North Hall
Office phone: 715/261-6269
E-mail: aherdara@uwc.edu
Meeting time: W
5:00-7:30
Office hours:
T
10:00-11:00
W 4:00-4:45
R
10:00-11:00
or by appointment
Office hours are
set up for you, so please take advantage of them. Sometimes it is hard for me to determine if students are having
difficulties; thus I hope you will
visit during office hours if you have problems or simply want to visit. My door is always open (though perhaps not
literally).
Course Overview, Objectives
and Proficiencies:
This course
explores how society defines social problems and how sociologists study social
problems. We will examine the social
construction of social problems, inquiring as to why some problems are defined
as social problems while others are not and how an issue becomes defined as a
social problem.
Students will
learn the following:
·
To understand and critically analyze the social
construction of social problems.
·
To understand and critically analyze how
claims-makers (social movement organizations, politicians, the media, etc.)
help to construct images of social problems and our understanding of those
problems.
·
To develop critical thinking skills through active
participation with the text, assignments and class discussion.
Over the course of
the semester, students will develop the following proficiencies:
·
mastery of a breadth of knowledge.
·
the ability to analyze, synthesize, evaluate and
interpret data.
·
the ability to distinguish knowledge, values,
beliefs and opinions.
·
the ability to read and listen with comprehension
and critical perception.
Required Texts
The following
materials are required reading for this course. You can purchase both at the bookstore.
(L) Loseke,
Donileen. 1999. Thinking
About Social Problems: An Introduction
to Constructionist Perspectives. NY: Walter de Gruyter.
(CP) Course
packet of journal articles
Course Requirements – The dates and assignments listed below are
subject to change. All due dates are listed on pg. 4.
Total Course
Points = 430
·
Exams
(2) --- Each exam = 100 points
Total
grade = 200 points
Two exams, consisting of
objective (such as multiple choice questions) and short essay components, will
be administered. One exam will be
administered at the halfway point in the semester, while the other will be a
final, comprehensive exam (see Course Outline for dates).
Make-up
exams will be given only in cases of medical or other emergencies, and will
require written documentation from a physician or counselor (the latter in the
case of deaths or other personal tragedies).
There will be no exceptions. If
possible, please notify me before the exam.
·
Social
Problem Research Project ---
Total grade = 170 points
This assignment
consists of three components: 1) the
Analysis of Sources assignment (2-3 pgs.; 20 pts.); 2) a group presentation (50 pts.); 3) a 7-9 pg. final paper (100 pts.). See the description of the project found later in this syllabus.
·
Micro-Essays
(5) --- Total grade =
60 points
To assess your
understanding of the course concepts and strengthen your writing skills, I will
give the class a short essay question --- sometimes at the start of class,
sometimes at the end --- to be completed individually in class. I will administer five such essays over the
course of the semester. These
micro-essays will be unannounced. You will be permitted to use your notes and
course materials to answer the question.
These micro-essays are intended to be micro; you will not write
and I will not read answers longer than ½ page. If you miss a class, you will not be permitted to make up the
missed essay.
Each essay will be graded with the
following grading system: 12 = shows
full understanding of day’s readings and concepts/ideas; 6 = does not explicitly use concepts or
readings assigned, but shows general understanding; 0 = unacceptable: need to work on reading and using
concepts. Should you receive a 6 or a
0, you may elect to re-write your micro-essay to earn back up to half of the points lost on that essay. So, if you originally earned a 6, you might
improve your grade to a 9. And if you
start with a 0, you can improve your grade to a 6. All of this, of course, depends on whether you write a top quality
answer. If you choose to re-write, you
must hand in your re-written essay during the next class after the graded
micro-essays are returned. I also
require that you turn in your first try at the question and, in the revised micro-essay, highlight (with
a highlighter marker) the points that differ from the first attempt.
Grade Scale
The grade scale followed for
this course is that established by the university. The breakdown of points follows:
A = 90%-100% = 387-430 pts.
B = 80%-89% =
344-386 pts
C = 70%-79% =
301-343 pts.
D = 60%-69% =
258-300 pts.
F = under 60% =
257 or less
[+ and – grades will be assigned
for the highest & lowest point values in each grade category]
Miscellaneous
Notes
Paper format: Your final paper and Analysis of Sources
should use a standard format: typed,
double-spaced, 12 pt. font, 1 inch margins on all sides. Consult the last page of this syllabus
(“Citing Sources”) for citation format.
Please do not use plastic report covers --- they are awkward, produce
waste in the manufacturing process, and are not recyclable. Simply staple the paper in the top left
corner.
Academic integrity: Plagiarism in/of papers will not be
tolerated. Students who plagiarize
either by copying a paper or using sources improperly (i.e., using the author’s
words without citation) may receive a 0 for the assignment. Severe infractions may result in an F for
the course.
Language: As a sociologist, I believe language is
tremendously powerful in defining a situation or group of people. With that in mind, I ask that students
refrain from referring to adult women (over 18 years of age) as “girls”; rather, they are “women”. And likewise, adult men are “men”, not “boys”.
Absences: While micro-essays are, in part, a measure
of attendance, attendance does not figure into the grade explicitly. This is not to suggest that attendance and
participation in class are not crucial.
Participation will make the ideas accessible and will foster a positive
learning environment. And, without
attending regularly and keeping up with the readings, you will simply be
lost. We cover too much material—material
often not introduced in the readings—to miss class. Knowing this, students who miss class are taking a risk. Students should know that
it is their responsibility to access
the missed material (though not from the instructor) on their own. Such
responsibility for one’s own learning is the cornerstone of a university
education.
Course readings: This course is reading intensive, not
necessarily in the amount of reading but in the importance of the course
readings: our discussions, your essays,
your paper, and course exams will all require an in-depth understanding of the
readings. If you do not do the
readings, all of the above will suffer.
You should know from the beginning, then, that I have this expectation
of you. If you cannot meet that
expectation, you should consider a different course.
Students with special needs: Students for whom English is a second
language and students with documented learning disabilities should see the
instructor at the start of the semester to discuss accommodations.
Cell phones: please turn them off when entering
class. Should it go off during class,
please have the courtesy to shut it off immediately; do not answer it in the classroom!
Course Outline and Schedule
The assigned
readings will be discussed on the day they are posted unless otherwise stated
in class. Note that there are days when
no readings are assigned; this should
NOT lead one to conclude that we do not have class that day! You should come to class having read the
assigned readings and fully prepared to discuss them. I suggest you outline each reading --- detailing the reading’s
thesis and its main points --- as you read.
This schedule of readings and assignments is subject to change
at the instructor’s discretion.
|
Date |
Topic |
Assignment |
|
1/22 |
Intro. to course
and the study of social problems |
|
|
1/29 |
Theoretical Perspectives
on Social Problems |
Ch. 1 (L) |
|
2/5 |
(cont’d) Discuss Social Problems Research Project |
It is VERY
important that you attend this class. |
|
2/12 |
Constructing
Social Problems |
Ch. 2 (L) “Deviance in the
welfare state” by Gusfield (CP) – focus on first half |
|
2/19 |
The Arenas of
Discourse The Life Cycle
of a Social Problem |
1. “The
Rise and Fall of Social Problems” by Hilgartner and Bosk (CP) 2. “The
Emergence of Premenstrual Syndrome as a Social Problem” by Rittenhouse (CP) “Up and Down
with Ecology” by Downs (CP) |
|
2/26 |
Claims-Making
Strategies Constructing
Solutions and Everyday Life |
Chapters 3 &
4 (L) “Down on the
Farm” by Kunkel (CP) Chapters 5 &
6 (L) Analysis of Sources due at start of class |
|
3/5 |
Exam 1 |
|
|
3/12 |
Primary
Claims-Makers: 1. The
Social Problems Industry/Experts 2. Social
Movement Organizations |
“The Discovery
of Hyperkinesis” by Conrad (CP) “From Sex as Sin
to Sex as Work” by Jenness (CP) |
|
3/19 |
No class –
Spring break |
|
|
3/26 |
Secondary
Claims-Makers: 1. The
Mass Media |
“Network News as
Secondary Claims” by Best (CP) “Media Images”
by Gamson et al. (CP) – focus on first half |
|
4/2 |
(cont’d) |
1. “From
Incidents to Instances” by Best (CP) 2. “My
Problem and How I Solved It” by Berns (CP) |
|
4/9 |
2.
Politicians |
“The Crack
Attack” by Reinarman and Levine (CP) |
|
4/16 |
Researching
Objective Conditions and Subjective Worries |
Begin group
presentations of Social Problems Research Project, continued through last
class. |
|
4/23 |
(cont’d) |
|
|
4/30 |
(cont’d) |
|
|
5/7 |
(cont’d) Course Wrap-Up Distribute review
sheet for comprehensive final exam |
Ch. 8 (L) |
|
5/14 |
Final
Exam, 6:00-8:00 p.m. |
|
Social
Problem Research Project
Overview:
Keeping in mind that there are
different sides to every social problem—stemming from different moralities and
views of a problem’s prevalence, causes and solutions—you will research a
current social problem and will analyze 1) who the claims-makers are, 2) what
they are claiming and with what validity, 3) how they are claiming it, and 4)
the solutions they offer (and how those solutions are tied to how the
claims-makers frame the problem). Your task is to pivot around the problem,
showing all sides, by analyzing the claims-makers, their claims, and solutions
to the problem. As individuals, you
will research your chosen social problem (or at least one of your top choices),
present part of your analysis as a member of a group of individuals researching
the same topic, and write a final paper that focuses on the four parts listed
above.
Each of the components of this
project is described below.
The Analysis of
Sources assignment (20 pts.):
After you have been assigned a social problem to
research (from your top choices), you should begin your research immediately by
going
to the library and searching for magazine AND newspaper articles on
your social problem. Look for a range
of sources from the general market—such as news magazines like Time and Newsweek—to the special market—such as women’s magazines, sporting
magazines, car magazines, religious magazines, etc.
This assignment gives you a running start on the
final paper because it requires you to get an early start on the research and
to start thinking about and analyzing your sources. For the assignment, you will pick two articles and compare and contrast the articles, explaining
similarities and differences. Do NOT
talk about one article, then go to the other one. Instead, you should be discussing both at once. Think about the following questions when
reading the articles and writing up your analysis:
·
What claims are being made? By what claims-makers? Are they primary or secondary
claims-makers? Why? Again, use specific
examples to illustrate claims and claims-makers.
·
Assess the quality of evidence in the
articles. Are real-life examples
(perhaps atrocity tales) used? Are
statistics used? Do the articles say
where the statistics came from? Is
there enough information provided to assess the credibility of the claims? Are the statistics specific or do they seem
vague (or have gaps)? For example, they may use only percentages without
showing raw numbers. This can make a
problem appear bigger than it is.
·
Finally, consider the effect of this claims-making
by the author and the claims-makers cited in each article. How does all of this affect the reader? That is, how does each claim and the way it
is presented affect how the audience views the problem, its causes, its
magnitude, its solutions, how we should dedicate our resources (our time, our
money), and who the victims and villains are?
Your analysis will be 2 and ½ to 3 and ½ pages long
and will include a separate Works Cited
page (list the articles and any other sources). You must also be sure to quote and cite correctly within your
analysis (see the “Citing Sources” page at the end of this syllabus). You will also need to turn in a copy of each
article with your analysis. Failure to
meet any of these requirements will result in a grade of 0 pts.
Group
Presentation:
Each of you will be part of a group researching a
shared problem. This does not mean,
however, that you must do the research together, nor that your grade is
dependent on your group members’ performance.
Rather, you will be individual researchers whose only obligation to the
group is to come together on one day and coordinate a group presentation. Each group member will be responsible for a
class presentation on one area of the problem.
I will assign one person to analyze and present on the claims-makers. I will assign another person to present the
claims and critically assess them.
Another group member will analyze the claims-making strategies. And a fourth person will present
claims-makers’ solutions to the problem.
The “group” part of this group presentation, really comes in
coordinating the flow of the presentation, sharing sources (where you feel
comfortable doing so), and (sometimes) creating handouts for the class.
You are encouraged to explore how your particular
social problem has been constructed over time by researching articles and
claims-making over the past 5, 10 or even 20 years. For instance, date rape has moved through different constructions
over the past 15. First it was framed
as an epidemic, particularly on college campuses. A few years later, however, the media turned to a hype frame,
calling the epidemic they had publicized simply a matter of hype and false
accusations.
Two groups will present during each class period,
though we all need to remain open to the possibility that some sessions
(because we are all SO involved) will go long.
Consequently, some groups’ presentations may be pushed back or may start
one day and continue into the next. No
one will have to present earlier than expected.
Each member of the group will prepare a 5-10 minute
presentation; your presentation may not go longer than 10 minutes. After each person presents, it is entirely likely (even probable)
that the other group members will have additional information (through their
own research of the problem) to offer.
In fact, I expect that the other group members will have additional info.
to offer, building on their group member’s presentation. So, we will take a few minutes of class time
after each presenter to bring in additional information and to ask
questions.
So that your audience has something tangible to
wrap their brains around, each presenter is responsible for constructing a
one-page handout using the following guidelines: the person presenting on claims-makers will provide a list of
claims-makers; the person presenting claims and assessing them will list a
range of claims on their handout. This
might include statistics, statements, images, etc. The person responsible for analyzing the claims will provide
examples of claims-making strategies (for instance, an atrocity tale) on their
handout. Finally, the person responsible
for presenting solutions should list them.
All handouts should identify the source (the magazine article, website,
etc.) of the information provided in the handout. If you give me a copy of the handout in the class
period preceding your presentation, I will make enough copies for the
class. If you cannot get the copy to me
by that time, you are responsible for making copies for the 35 class
members.
Here are some questions to be considered by
presenters, depending on the component they are assigned. These same questions, however, will be
addressed by each person in their individual final papers:
1.
Claims-makers:
·
Who are the claims-makers? Give examples.
·
Are they primary or secondary claims-makers?
·
Do they draw on a particular social position, a
personal closeness to the problem (for example, a victim of sexual abuse who
speaks from the authority of that position)?
·
Are they affiliated with organizations? Which organizations? What are the organizations about?
·
Are they members of the troubled persons industry? Does this industry benefit in any way? If so, how?
2.
Claims and Assessment of Claims:
·
What are the claims-makers claiming about the
objective conditions (prevalence, victims, causes, villains, etc.) of the
problem? Give examples of claims. What is the quality of evidence offered by
the claims-makers? Is there enough information provided to assess credibility?
Is the information biased or vague?
Explain.
·
How do the claims-makers explain the problem, that is, why it exists?
·
Do they tend to use the objective theories
(functionalist theory or conflict theory) for social problems to describe or
explain the problem?
·
What kind of problem do they suggest this SP
is? That is, at its root, what is this
problem about? How is it a problem of
morals? Is it a medical problem? A criminal problem? A resource inequality (that is, some have
resources and power and other do not) problem?
3.
Analysis of Claims-Making Strategies:
·
Were the claims/frames expanded at any time by the claims-makers? If so, in what way and why?
·
How do they attempt to convince the reader of the
problem’s magnitude or urgency? Through
statistics? Through atrocity tales? Why
are those strategies employed by the claims-makers? Give examples.
·
What images do claims-makers present to illustrate
or give a face to the problem (for example, the image of a welfare mother or a
crack baby or an alcoholic)? Give
examples. As a consumer of that image,
how does the image construct the problem for the audience? That is, discuss
the consequences of that image (of that construction).
4.
Solutions:
·
What solutions do specific claims-makers suggest?
·
How do those solutions relate to or extend from the
way the claims-maker framed the problem?
Keep in mind, the solution must fit with the framing or explanation of
the problem. For example, if a problem
is defined as a medical problem (with medical causes), the solution should also
be medical in nature.
·
Are the solutions directed at only part of the
problem? Why that part?
·
Does anyone benefit from the plan laid out to solve
or address the problem?
One overarching question that all group members
should consider: how are the
claims-maker’s claims geared toward the audience? That is, how does the claims-maker make this problem relevant to
the particular magazine audience? Keep
in mind that magazine editors know the demographics (age, sex, income,
religion, race, etc.) of their audience.
The Final Paper:
Your final paper will be an individual effort in
which you bring together the four parts.
It is due one week after your group’s presentation. It should answer the above questions and
consist of the following four section
headings, in addition to an introduction that provides a road map of the
paper and a conclusion that wraps up the paper: 1) claims-makers, 2) claims and
assessment of claims, 3) analysis of claims-making strategies, 4)
solutions.
Your paper should be 7-9 pages in length and should
follow the paper formatting requirements laid out in the syllabus. Your paper should also include a Works Cited
page (see the “Citing Sources” page at the end of this syllabus for the format
required) in which you list all of the sources cited in your paper. There are some expectations and restrictions
on sources, however:
·
The minimum
number of sources expected (as citations in the text AND in your Works
Cited page) is 8.
·
I expect to see at least 6 magazine or newspaper articles cited in your paper.
·
You may use no
more than 3 internet sites. While
internet sites should not be trusted as valid sources for peer-reviewed, valid
research, they are a forum in which the public discusses and learns about
social problems. So, such sites are
important examples of that public discourse.
·
You may use no
more than 3 books.
·
You may not
use journal articles, primarily because they are not read by the general
public (these are research-oriented
journals published by academic institutions;
they are not read by the general public). Scholarly journals are published four times a year by academic
institutions, have no advertising, and begin with an abstract. If you need help in determining if something
is a popular periodical (a magazine) or a scholarly periodical (a journal) ask
me or the reference librarian, Todd Roll.
·
You may borrow from me and use no more than one Social Problems textbook. Like your other sources, it must be cited
within your paper and your Works Cited page.
While you may share sources among your group and
you may also build on the ideas/concepts introduced by a group member during
their presentation, you may not rely on their analysis or their
writing. I will watch closely to be
sure there are significant differences between the individual group members’
papers.
Turn
in two copies of this paper. I will
keep one for my records.
Grade Components:
·
Analysis
of Sources—20 pts.
3 pgs. + Works Cited pg.,
due on 10/15; Papers are due at the start of the class period.
Anything after that will be considered late and will NOT be accepted
(you receive 0 pts. for the assignment).
·
Group
Presentation—50 pts.
Individual grades (there
are no group grades) will be based on the following questions:
1.
Did the presenter meet the pre-presentation
requirements (i.e., readings and handouts to class)?
2.
Did the presenter clearly present the material in a
way accessible to the class?
3.
Did the presenter analyze the Social Problem using
the tools of constructionist theory?
Here I mean did you use the terms, concepts, and questions of analysis
that constructionists use?
Those who do not present
will earn 0 pts. for this assignment.
·
Final
Paper—100 pts.
7-9 pgs. + Works Cited
pg., due one week (7 days) after the group presentation. The quick due date takes as its assumption
that you have done the bulk of your research and written the majority of the
paper by the date of your group presentation.
Papers
are due at the start of the class
period. Anything after that will be
considered late and will lose 5 points for every business day late.
So that you know, up front, what I expect to see in
your final paper, I provide the following checklist.
An “A” paper …
… uses the complex
language of constructionism and applies concepts of the course, showing a
fluency with constructionist theory.
… illustrates the depth
and range of claims-making and, through discussing them, shows how the claims of various claims-makers relate
to each other.
=>
creates a dialogue between claims-makers/claims.
… analyzes the
claims-making strategies by applying concepts and critiquing (and dissecting) the claims.
… appropriately cites a
wide variety and more than the required number of sources in the text and in the Works Cited page.
A “B” paper …
…
presents the concepts of the course and uses the course language.
…
shows the depth and range of claims-makers and their claims.
…
assesses the claims and analyzes the claims-making strategies by citing course
concepts, but perhaps lacking
depth of analysis.
…
appropriately cites a wide variety and more than the minimum number of sources
in the text and in the Works
Cited page.
A “C” paper …
…
only minimally or superficially uses the language or concepts of the course.
…
presents a portion of the claims-makers and claims but does not show the range
and not with the necessary
depth.
…
introduces the claims but does not assess them critically; does not analyze the
claims- making strategies with
depth.
…
appropriately cites but not broadly, or
…
uses a range and the minimum number of sources but does not cite appropriately
in the text and/or Works Cited page.
A “D” paper …
…
does not consistently use the language or concepts of the course.
…
offers a glimpse at the claims-making (the claims-makers and what they do or
say) but without the depth and
range required.