Effective: 2022-03-31

Course Description

The course outline below was developed as part of a statewide standardization process.

General Course Purpose

SOC 268 is a course for students whose college and career paths require an awareness of the construction of social problems and how different groups are impacted by these problems. Emphasis will be placed on how social problems are constructed, defined, understood, and arbitrated. To achieve this, the following questions will be asked and deliberated: What is a social problem? Who defines social problems? Why do some social problems receive so much attention, while others are ignored? What impact does time and place have on defining and addressing social problems? In general, students will develop a broader understanding of the discourse of social problems through the following learning outcomes: Defining Social Problems, Understanding Social Problems, and Solutions to Social Problems.

Course Objectives

• Critical Thinking
• Evaluate evidence carefully and apply reasoning to make sense of complex issues as they relate to the understanding of social problems.
• Use theoretical models to help explain the construction of social problems.
• Communication
• Demonstrate the ability to develop, convey, and exchange ideas in writing, as appropriate to a given context and audience.
• Defining Social Problems/What are Social Problems
• Discuss the process behind identifying how an issue becomes identified as a social problem.
• Understanding Social Problems
• Explain how social problems are understood in public discourse.
• Describe how social problems are experienced and understood differently by different groups in a society.
• Dealing with Social Problems
• Discuss how the public and major social institutions address social problems

Major Topics to be Included

• Defining Social Problems/What are Social Problems
• Understanding Social Problems
• Dealing with Social Problems