Social Issues

Curriculum Guideline

Effective Date:
Course
Discontinued
No
Course Code
SOCI 1155
Descriptive
Social Issues
Department
Sociology
Faculty
Humanities & Social Sciences
Credits
3.00
Start Date
End Term
202420
PLAR
No
Semester Length
15 Weeks
Max Class Size
35
Contact Hours

Lecture: 4 hours/week

or

Hybrid: 2 hours/week in class and 2 hours/week online

or

Fully online

Method(s) Of Instruction
Lecture
Online
Hybrid
Learning Activities

The course will employ a variety of instructional methods to accomplish its objectives, including some of the following:  lectures, audio visual materials (including overheads, films), small group discussions, oral presentations (discussion seminars) and specialist guest speakers.

Course Description
This course introduces students to the concepts, methods, and theories of sociology through the examination of social problems. It examines the social conditions and processes related to defining, responding to, and resolving social problems. Social problems to be examined range from personal to institutional issues and include historical as well as contemporary examples.
Course Content
  1. Introduction
    • Private Troubles and Public Issues
    • Approaches to Studying Social Problems
  2. Sociological Perspectives on Social Problems
  3. The History of Social Problems
    • Definition
    • Moral panics
    • Mobilization
    • Politicization
    • Reaction and Response
    • Policy Implementation and Treatment
  4. Social stratification, class, and poverty
  5. Gendered inequality
  6. Racialized inequality
  7. Sex and sexualities
  8. Discussion of two or more of the following topic areas:
    • Substance use and misuse
    • Crime and inequality
    • Social issues for contemporary families
    • Work and workplace issues
    • Health and healthcare issues
    • The environment and sustainability
    • Globalization and social issues
    • Colonialism and neocolonialism
    • War and terrorism
Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of the course, the successful student will be able to:

  1. Identify the major social problems evident in contemporary Canadian society, including both microproblems involving interpersonal relations as well as macroproblems involving structural factors and change.
  2. Discuss the actors, interests, and processes by which social factors are constructed as social problems.
  3. Describe the primary theoretical perspectives used by sociologists in approaching social problems.
  4. Distinguish between and evaluate the effectiveness of micro, meso, and macro level responses to social problems.
  5. Understand and explain the ways in which structural factors such as age, class, sexuality, race, and gender are related to social inequality and social issues.
  6. Describe the social, political and economic contexts of social inequality, with an emphasis on poverty, and explain the ways in which these are socially constructed.
  7. Apply a range of theoretical perspectives to interpret social problems associated with gender, race and ethnicity.
  8. Discuss the ways in which formal institutions, especially the family, formal organizations and the workplace have become redefined in terms of power, violence, diversity and technology.
  9. Discuss the ways in which the mass media have become involved in the social construction of social problems.
  10. Explain the global dimension of social problems, both as sources of Canadian social issues and in terms of the linkages and precedents they provide in interpreting domestic issues.
  11. Evaluate the role of the state/government in addressing social problems.
  12. Evaluate contemporary social policy in terms of its effectiveness in addressing social problems.
  13. Understand and evaluate social movement responses to social problems.
  14. Critically evaluate social problems in terms of the organization and structure of contemporary Canadian society.

 

Means of Assessment

 

     

Evaluation will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Evaluation Policy. The instructor will provide a written course outline with specific criteria during the first week of classes.

An example of a possible evaluation scheme would be:

Midterm exam

 25%

Essay assignment 

 25%

Essay outline

   5%

Final exam

 25%

Short written assignment            

 10%

Participation

 10%

Total

100%

Students may conduct research with human participants as part of their coursework in this class. Instructors for the course are responsible for ensuring that student research projects comply with College policies on ethical conduct for research involving humans.

Textbook Materials

Textbooks will be reviewed and updated periodically. Examples of textbooks that may be used for this course include:

  • Tepperman, L and Curtis, J. (most recent edition). Social Problems: A Canadian Perspective. Toronto, ON: Oxford University Press.
  • Mooney, L.A. et al (most recent edition). Understanding Social Problems. Scarborough, ON: Nelson Education Canada.

 

Which Prerequisite

SOCI 2000 LEVEL COURSES