SOCY 2031—Social Problems

Sociology 2031—Global Social Problems

HUMN 1B80, 12:30-1:45 pm

Tuesdays and Thursdays

Spring 2006

http://ucsu.colorado.edu/~carpentt

“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.”

---Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

“And the freedom of the press is meaningless if nobody asks a question.”

---Ani DiFranco, “Serpentine” (2003)

“And if I tell you that it is the greatest good for a human being to have discussions every day about virtue and the other things you hear me talking about, examining myself and others, and that the unexamined life is not livable for a human being, you will be even less persuaded.” ---Socrates (469-399 B.C.), while on trial for impiety and corruption of the youth

“Human beings do not so much flee from being tricked as from being harmed by being tricked. Even on this level they do not hate deception but rather the damaging, inimical consequences of certain species of deception. Truth, too, is only desired by human beings in a similarly limited sense. They desire the pleasant, life-preserving consequences of truth; they are indifferent to pure knowledge if it has no consequences, but they are actually hostile towards truths which may be harmful and destructive.”

---Friedrich Nietzsche, “On Truth and Lying in a Non-Moral Sense” (1873)

“Forget all you know…or think you know.”

--High Aldwin, from the movie Willow (1988)

Instructor: Tim Carpenter

E-mail: Timothy.Carpenter@colorado.edu

Phone: (c) (303) 859-0349 (please call before midnight)

Office hours:

Ketchum 8 (in the basement)

Tuesdays, 2-4

…and by appointment

Mailbox: Ketchum 220

Required Text:

Rothenberg, Paul S. (ed.). 2005. Beyond Borders: Thinking Critically about Global Issues. New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Course Description:

Ethnocentrism…Colonialism…Genocide…Patriarchy…Poverty…Structural violence… The global economy…Globalization…

What are these phenomena? What are their historical (political, social, and economic) origins? What are the contemporary implications? If we take each on its own, it would be easy to define and conceptualize each singularly and to place all of them into a box for later consideration. But what do we do when all of these concepts seem to be inextricably linked throughout history and even into the present day? If we examine one, we cannot fully know its significance without examining the others, and, eventually, we find ourselves submerged in a sort of intellectual chaos.

While deciphering this chaos is a massive undertaking, the goal of this course is to start down that path of understanding. Through the text, media analysis, movies, and music, we will see a more complete picture than has been presented to us through conventional education and news outlets. In addition, we will examine how the United States and the experience of being a United States citizen affect our perceptions of these phenomena, their effects, and their resolutions. This is where we will begin our sociological journey—examining how the pieces of the social world fit into place with one another. We will see how—in the terms of C. Wright Mills—history and personal biography are in play with one another to produce the world we know or think we know. We will examine how and why those in the United States are very often far removed from anything other than a limited understanding of the international world, paying special attention to the issues of apathy, media exposure, and international control of both the market and culture.

In the simplest sense, sociology is the examination of the relationship between the individual and society. But the simple is rarely so simple. In order to understand the complex relationships and their respective intricacies, this course seeks to view the world as an interconnected system, the understanding of which depends on the careful consideration of the specific histories of each race, country, or region under scrutiny. Through the course of the semester, we will see why the previously mentioned phenomena represent—at least from one perspective—significant social problems affecting large numbers of human beings, and we will also examine potential venues for social redemption and social change.

Grading Criteria:

Attendance 10%

Hotel Rwanda paper (due 2/28) 15%

Media analysis assignments (5 x 5%) 25%

Assignments 20%

Reading responses 15%

Final paper (due 5/6 by 1:00 pm) 15%

Late assignments drop a letter grade per late day. Emailed assignments (unless stated otherwise) will not be accepted.

Note:

As a fellow human being, I realize that sometimes life happens—we cannot always plan the events in our days. As such, if a situation arises that prevents you from handing in something on time, please contact me. I am happy to make exceptions on a case-by-case basis, so long as the situation warrants such consideration. However, receiving such an exception requires that you discuss your situation with me immediately.

Additional Readings:

Some additional readings will be assigned throughout the course. Many of these will be available from Norlin Library’s E-Reserve website. These files are in PDF format (Adobe Reader Required).

To access these readings, follow these instructions:

1. Go to http://libraries.colorado.edu

2. Click on 'Course Reserves' then click on 'Reserve Lists by Instructor'

3. Type my last name 'Carpenter' then 'Search'.

4. Click the appropriate reading. You will be prompted to type in your username and Identikey password. If you do not yet have this, you must contact ITS to get it.

5. The articles may be read online, printed, or saved to disk.

Email List Subscription Instructions:

I will utilize an email list for class communications. Your first assignment (worth 5 points) is to subscribe to this list by class time on Tuesday, January 24^th.

To subscribe to this list, address messages to listproc@lists.Colorado.EDU with a blank subject line and the contents of the message being (remember that the <>s in all commands just mean 'put your stuff here' so don't include them):

subscribe carpentersocy <full name>

FOR EXAMPLE: subscribe carpentersocy Timothy Loren Carpenter

Expectations:

1. Rule #1: TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONES. This means they need to be either powered down, on silent, or on vibrate. Your only other option is to leave the thing at home.

2. Attendance is MANDATORY. You must attend class to receive full credit in the course. See exceptions below.

3. Respect each other. Disagreement is inevitable, but please remember to act with tact and civility. Insensitive remarks and behavior can and will have a detrimental effect on your grade.

4. In order to participate fully in class (either by active listening or participation), you MUST complete the readings before class.

5. You are responsible for EVERYTHING said in class, whether you attend class or not.

6. Please be punctual and remain seated until the class is dismissed.

7. Please check email every day or so, as I will occasionally send additional information and/or news articles appropriate to the content of the course.

Honor Code:

The University of Colorado has adopted a student Honor Code. You must read the Honor Code and know your responsibilities as mandated by it. You can find more information regarding this policy at http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/.

Statement Regarding Religious Holidays that Conflict with University Courses:

If you have religious obligations that conflict in any way with classes or exams, please read the statement on Academic Integrity at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html. If a religious observance will prevent you from attending my class at any time during the semester, you MUST contact me about this within the first THREE WEEKS OF CLASS. If you do not contact me by this time, your absence(s) will not be excused.

Disability Statement:

If you need special accommodations due to any specific physical, psychiatric, or learning disabilities, please let me know immediately. I will do as much as possible to appropriately meet your needs. You will need to provide documentation of your disability to the Disability Services Office in Willard 322 (ph. 303.492.8671).

Schedule (for now):

January 17^th—Course introduction

January 19^th

C. Wright Mills, “The Promise” (from The Sociological Imagination)

Afterword (p. 603-605) of Beyond Borders

January 24^th

January 26^th