Professor: John R. Mitrano,
Ph.D.
Class Meetings: TTR 8:00-9:15 a.m.
Office Hours: TTR 11:00-11:30 a.m.; W 12:00-3:00 p.m.; F
4:00-5:00 p.m.
Office Phone: (860) 832-3145
Office Location: Sanford Hall 304
E-Mail Address: MitranoJ@ccsu.edu
REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS
Henslin, J. Social Problems (5th edition) Engelwood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 2000.
Ritzer, G. McDonaldization of Society (New Century ed) Newbury
Park, CA: Pine Forge Press, 2000.
Derber, C. The Wilding of America: How Greed and Violence are
Eroding Our Nation’s Character NY: St. Martin’s Press,
1996.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
When you enter this class the first week, I imagine you do so
because you have a general interest in: 1) social problems in the
U.S.; 2) sociology; 3) getting an elective or distribution
requirement out of the way; or 4) a combination of all three. All
of these are acceptable motives for taking this class. When you
leave this class at the end of this semester, however, I want you
to have: 1) gained a familiarity with the major social problems
of our day; 2) acquired a greater knowledge and understanding of
the interaction among various social problems; 3) acquired a
greater knowledge and understanding of the discipline of
sociology; 4) come to a greater understanding of who you are as a
person; 5) successfully fulfilled a degree requirement.
In attempting to accomplish such feats, we will examine social
problems from several varying perspectives across many different
topics and substantive areas. We will explore several specific
problems in great detail, often examining the cliches and myths
that surround the problems, and attempt to come to a greater
understanding of why such myths exist, discern if there is any
“truth” to them, and debunk those that are false while
simultaneously developing an ability to look at problems in 1990s
America more sociologically (i.e., more critically).
CLASS ENVIRONMENT
In studying social problems, you will find that your
classmates will often consider different problems to be the
“most important” and different policies to be the
“most desirable”. Each person is entitled to his or her
own value decisions about what is most desirable or most
appalling in society; an atmosphere of pluralism will be
maintained in my classroom. No one has all the answers, and no
one answer will solve all the problems. Otherwise, you would not
be enrolled in a course called “Social Problems”. Let
us begin this course, then, with an acknowledgment of the
complexity of many social problems and with an openness to learn
from one another. Even if you disagree with another person, you
may find that he or she can shed new light on a social issue. In
other words, conflict and controversy in this class can be seen
as a sign of a healthy learning environment-- if we use it as
such.
We will study social problems from a sociological perspective.
This requires, at a minimum, accepting two fundamental
assumptions: 1) Individuals are products of their social
environment. Who they are, what they believe, what they strive
for, and how they feel about themselves are all dependent on
others and the society in which we live. We must examine the
structure of society to understand social problems such as power
in America, poverty, racism, sexism, social deviance, problems of
the environment, and substance abuse problems; 2) We will be
adopting, in essence, a critical approach to social problems. We
will attempt to demystify myths, stereotypes, and official dogma.
After we have examined the “facts” as objectively as
possible, the next step for you as a student in this class is to
form your own opinions about social problems and society. The
final step may be for you to do something about these conditions.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & METHODS
OF EVALUATION
In this course, you will have several assignments
that will be used to evaluate your performance and determine an
overall final grade. Each will be explained in greater detail as
the semester progresses; however, they will include the
following:
1) Critical Review of Commercial Film [20%
of your final grade]
In this assignment, you are to choose a movie for a written
review. Whereas film critics tend to review a movie for its
entertainment value, your job in this assignment is to review the
sociological content of the film. In your review, you should
address at least several of the following questions: What social
problem(s) is/are the focus of the film? What are the
consequences or effects of this problem? What social factors
(causes) are involved? What individuals, groups, organizations,
institutions are involved? What values, beliefs, norms, and
issues by whom are involved? What stand and ideology are taken
and by whom? What sociological assumptions fit the problem? What
solutions are proposed in the movie and by whom? What additional
problems do the solutions raise? What other social problems are
linked with your particular social problem? What conclusions can
you draw about the problem? What are your own reactions,
thoughts, feelings in watching the movie?
Your review should be 4-6 pages long. In the review, please
include the title of the movie and the year the movie was
released. Some possible suggestions include:
Roger and Me
The Big One
Buffalo 66
Natural Born Killers
The Ice Storm
Kids
Trainspotting
Sling Blade
Menace II Society
The Firm
Leaving Las Vegas
Boogie Nights
2) Midterm Exam [30% of your final
grade]
For the midterm, you will be responsible for all material covered
in class and in your Henslin readings up until the day of the
exam. The exam will consist of a series of multiple choice
questions and will be the only test or exam you will encounter in
this class. The test is an opportunity for you to demonstrate
your comprehension of concepts covered up to this point in the
course.
3) Social Problem Editorial [10% of your
final grade]
For this assignment, you are to first select a particular social
problem. Then, you are to write and submit an editorial-style
letter to either a public official or a local newspaper on the
particular issue that you consider to be a social problem
(Maximum of 3 pages long). (Note: I will hand out an example of
an editorial-style letter to each of you later in the course). On
the day this is due, you will bring in a stamped envelope
adressed to whom you are sending it. An automatic “A”
for this assignment will be awarded to those students who get
their letters published or who get a thoughtful response back
from their state representative or Congress-people.
4) Book Review Questions [30% of your
final grade]
For this assignment, you will be required to select and answer a
sub-set of several questions from a larger series of questions
that will allow you to demonstrate your comprehension of the
books The Wilding of America and McDonaldization of Society. Both
Charles Derber and George Ritzer cite more fundamental,
macro-level underlying causes for many of the social problems we
have today. These questions require you to understand the heart
of their arguments.
5) Group Project and In-Class
Presentation [10% of your final grade]
Students who share an interest in a particular social problem
that we do not cover in class will be grouped together to study
that problem in-depth and present to the class their findings.
The groups are encouraged to gather data first-hand, though you
will probably utilize primarily library and classroom materials.
Each group must have their topics approved by me before venturing
off to gather information. Although this is a group presentation,
you will also be graded on your individual component of the
presentation. For grading purposes, 67% of your grade is based on
individual performance, with the remaining 33% based on the
group’s overall grade. You will not have to hand in a paper
for this assignment. Rather, you will be graded on how
comprehensive, accurate, and creative you and your group members
are in presenting to and teaching your fellow classmates. You can
rely on notes, note cards, etc. to prepare your presentation.
Questions the group might address include:
What, exactly, is the problem?
What is its history or background?
What are the consequences or effects of this problem?
What social factors (causes) are involved?
What individuals, groups, organizations, institutions are
involved?
What values, beliefs, norms, and issues by whom are involved?
What stand and ideology are taken and by whom?
What sociological assumptions fit the problem?
What solutions are proposed and by whom?
What solutions have been tried already?
What additional problems do the solutions raise?
What other social problems are linked with your particular social
problem?
What conclusions can you draw about the problem?
What are your own reactions, thoughts, feelings now that you have
analyzed the problem?
For the presentation aspect of this, each group will prepare a
20-25 minute presentation (I would like 2 groups a day to have
the opportunity to present to the class). Each group member is
expected to present orally to the class in some capacity or
another. Again, I encourage you to utilize a variety of methods
to present the information you have gathered (e.g., visual aids,
handouts, slides, videotape, etc.). ATTENDANCE BY OTHER CLASS
MEMBERS IS MANDATORY!
A NOTE ON ATTENDANCE
Attendance on a regular basis and participation in class
discussions is expected. In terms of attendance, it is to your
benefit to show up to class regularly and resist any urge you may
have to “blow off” a class or two. Often, I will be
introducing material that is not covered in any of your assigned
readings, yet such material will be instrumental in your ability
to successfully fulfill the other course requirements. Please be
aware that the readings and lectures for this course are
complementary, not redundant. Thus, it is imperative that you
keep up to date on assigned readings.
With that said, however, I do not have a formal policy on
attendance in my classes. I assume that because students are
paying several hundred dollars per course, they want to attend
and get their money’s worth. I also reason that at this
stage in life, we are all adults and know best how to manage our
time. Some of you work several jobs to pay for college and there
are demands on your time on that front. Others have familial
obligations and need to put in time there. Still others commute
from great distances and getting to New Britain periodically
becomes problematic. Finally, there are those students who take
course overloads and feel that their time is best spent preparing
for other courses.
Some students find this freedom rather liberating; others are
discouraged by such an “open” policy. Like most things
in life, there are those who abuse the system. But guess what? In
my time here at CCSU, I have noticed a rather interesting trend
when I calculate final grades. Those who miss class frequently
tend to be the students who earn Cs, Ds, and Fs. Those who rarely
miss class tend to be the students who earned As and Bs. Is this
mere coincidence, or is there a causal relationship between
attendance and academic performance? I suppose we may find the
answer to that question this semester. I just offer this little
observation as “food for thought” to each of you.
A NOTE ON CLASS PARTICIPATION
In terms of participation, I expect and encourage each of you to
ask questions in class and offer relevant comments/criticisms if
a topic is of particular interest to you. Each of you has unique
insights that may aid your fellow classmates in coming to a
greater understanding of a particular theory. So, please, do not
hesitate to speak up in class. I have found that it is easier for
students to participate in class discussions and that students
get more out of the lectures when they have read the assigned
reading material before class begins. This brings us to the next
requirement: class readings and writing assignments.
A NOTE ON THE AMOUNT OF READING AND
WRITING
Warning: This class will require intensive reading and writing.
As for the amount of reading, it will average about 75 pages a
week. Some weeks will be more; others less. Nonetheless, you
should set aside approximately 8 hours of reading a week. While
this is not a large amount in terms of length, you will find that
the reading is loaded with jargon and terms that you have never
seen before. I encourage you to look up words you do not know in
the glossary at the end of the text, or in the boxes in the
margins of each chapter. Naturally, class attendance will take up
some of your time, as will the several assignments you are
required to complete. As you will note in looking over the
requirements, I emphasize writing in all of the assignments to be
graded. I am a firm believer that students need to sharpen their
writing skills while in college. Life after college is not a
series of multiple choice exams or true-false quizzes. It makes
no difference what career path you follow after college, be it
law school, business school, graduate school, or straight into
the job market. Professional schools and employers alike are
looking for people who can communicate effectively, and writing
is among the most important forms of communication. Thus, the
heavy emphasis.
A NOTE ON WRITING AND PLAGIARISM
I expect that the papers/reviews/projects you turn in to me
reflect college level writing skills. What does this mean? 1)
There will be no spelling errors. All of you have access to
computers at the Marcus White Annex. As these computers have word
processing and spell checker programs, there is absolutely no
excuse to misspell a word. For those of you who insist upon
relying on typewriters, you will have to resort to old-fashioned
proofreading. Even those with computers should proofread their
papers before turning them in or have a friend proofread them. 2)
There will be few grammatical errors. Again, many computers have
grammar checker programs installed. If you don’t have access
to a computer with such programs, I suggest The Little, Brown
Handbook or the Chicago Manual of Style as grammar references.
They are available at bookstores and in the library. 3) The
papers/reviews/projects will be well-organized and cohesive. If
you know your writing is not as good as it should be, please use
one of the academic resource centers on campus, especially The
Writing Center (Willard Room #305; Phone: 832-2765). That is why
they are there.
As for plagiarism or other forms of cheating, they will simply
not be tolerated. Familiarize yourself with the policy here at
C.C.S.U. by taking a look at The Student Handbook. I would rather
you hand in a paper/review/project with too many footnotes and
references than one in which you do not cite your sources. Any
person guilty of plagiarism will immediately receive an F for the
paper/review/project and the matter will be brought to the
attention of the Dean of Student Academic Affairs for further
action. So please, don’t even think it... I have caught
several students before. It was not a pleasant experience for me,
and you can be sure it was not a pleasant for the students.
A NOTE ON DEADLINES AND EXCUSES
As for deadlines to turn in class assignments, I am rather
inflexible and take a “hard line” stance regarding when
assignments will be turned in to me. On the syllabus, you will
note days marked when assignments are due. On those days, the
assignments will be collected at the beginning of class. If a
student turns in an assignment at the end of the day after I have
left, it will be considered a day late. If a student turns in an
assignment the next day, it will be considered a day late.
What are the penalties for turning in late assignments? For each
day an assignment is late, a half a letter grade will be
deducted. So, if you turn in a paper that was an “A”
but it was a day late, you would receive an “A-”. If
that same “A” paper was two days late, it would become
a “B+”. Keep in mind that when I say a “day”,
I mean a 24 hour period. Though the class meets on Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays, a paper that is due on Monday but turned
in to me on Wednesday will be considered two days late, not one
day late. Hence, a paper that was worth an “A” if
turned in on time that Monday would be reduced to a
“B+” if turned in on Wednesday. There will be no
exceptions and this policy is non-negotiable!
In my years of teaching, I have noticed a propensity for
grandmothers to die tragically right before papers are due. I
have noticed a propensity for cars to break down the day of
exams. I have noticed a propensity for students to become
violently ill with the flu the day projects are to be turned in.
I have noticed a propensity for computer hard drives to
“crash” just as students were finishing typing the
references section of their 10 page papers. Please do not insult
me... and show some self-respect and dignity! If you cannot get
the papers in on time, quietly accept the reduction in grade and
move on. I will not dwell on it, nor should you.
A NOTE TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES/
MEDICAL CONDITIONS
If you need course adaptations or accomodations because of a
disability, if you have emergency medical information to share
with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building
must be evacuated, please see me during my office hours as soon
as possible.
TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE
If you examine the outline, you will note we have approximately
27 class meetings.
Week One Introduction
Sept. 4 Theories and Methods in the Study of Social
Problems I
Henslin: Chapter 1 How Sociologists View Social Problems
Henslin: Chapter 2 Interpreting Social Problems: Aging
(3 perspectives: Functionalism, Symbolic Interactionism, Conflict
Theory)
Week Two Theories and Methods in the Study
of Social Problems II
Sept. 11 Problems Related to Sexuality I & II
Henslin: Chapter 3 Sexual Deviance
Week Three Alcohol and Drug Abuse I, II,
& III
Sept. 18 Henslin: Chapter 4 Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Week Four Alcohol and Drug Abuse I, II,
& III
Sept. 25 Henslin: Chapter 4 Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Week Five Violence in Society I, II, &
III
Oct. 2 Henslin: Chapter 5 Violence: Rape and Murder
[MOVIE REVIEW DUE Thur. Oct. 5]
Week Six Crime and Criminal Justice I &
II
Oct. 9 Henslin: Chapter 6 Crime and Criminal Justice
[FIELD TRIP: Hartford Correctional Thur. Oct. 12]
Week Seven Economic Problems I & II
Oct. 16 Henslin: Chapter 7 Economic Problems
Derber: All
Week Eight Economic Problems III & IV
Oct. 23 Henslin: Chapter 7 Economic Problems
Derber: All
[MIDTERM Thurs. Oct. 26]
Week Nine Racial and Ethnic Relations I
& II
Oct. 30 Henslin: Chapter 8 Race and Ethnic Relations
[Should Start Reading Ritzer Book Now]
Week Ten Racial and Ethnic Relations III
Nov. 6 Sexual Discrimination I & II
Henslin: Chapter 9 Sexual Discrimination
[EDITORIAL LETTER DUE Thurs. Nov. 9]
Week Eleven Sexual Discrimination III
Nov. 13
Week Twelve McDonalidization and Wilding in
America
Nov. 20 Ritzer and Derber Books
[Thanksgiving No Class Nov. 23]
Week Thirteen McDonalidization and Wilding
in America
Nov. 27 Ritzer and Derber Books
[BOOK REVIEW QUESTIONS DUE Thurs. Nov. 30]
REMAINING TOPICS FROM WHICH STUDENT GROUPS WILL CHOOSE TO
PRESENT: Politics, Education, Religion, Family, Medicine,
Collective Behavior and Social Movements, Inequalities of Age,
Population, Technology and the Environment
Week Fourteen Class Presentations
Dec. 4
Week Fifteen Class Presentations
Dec. 11