SOCIOL 3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Student Loan
Week 1 | Tuesday 01.08.2019
The origin of social problems lie outside of individuals even though the effects and manfiestiations of
such problems are reflected in the behavior of individuals during the course of daily life
Sociology 3 will help you develop your sociological imagination
- To allow you to see the link between personal troubles of local milieu and public issues of social
structure
- After examining how sociologists define, study, interpret social problems, this course will then
focus on specific social problems as well as their causes and consequences
- Will also consider possible interventions and solutions
- Help you develop critical sociological thinking skills
Social issues include: student loan debt, unemployment, poverty, substance use/abuse, etc …
The course material will challenge you to reconsider and re-think some of your values and beliefs, to
clarify why you believe what you believe = sign of intellectual growth = good!
Learning outcomes:
1. Understand how sociologists define and construct social problems
2. Become familiar with prevalence of major social problems
3. Understand how sociologists research social problems
4. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of competing explanations of social problems,
including focusing on the individual, community, cultural, and socioeconomic levels of
explanation
5. Understand the causes and consequences of social problems
6. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of interventions/solutions that are aimed at alleviating
social problems
7. Understand the role of theory in studying, analyzing, and solving social problems
8. Develop your ability to write and apply critical sociological thinking to your own writing
9. Gain an increased understanding of and appreciation for sociological concepts in understanding
social life
Course Outline
Week 1: Intro to the Course
Week 2: Social problem construction
Week 3: Student loan debt
Week 4: Income and wealth inequality
Week 5: Poverty
Week 6: Homelessness
Week 7: Substance use and addiction
Week 8: Policing and incarceration
Week 9: Unemployment and discrimination
Week 10: Political polarization, wrap up and review
Document Summary
The origin of social problems lie outside of individuals even though the effects and manfiestiations of such problems are reflected in the behavior of individuals during the course of daily life. Sociology 3 will help you develop your sociological imagination. To allow you to see the link between personal troubles of local milieu and public issues of social structure. After examining how sociologists define, study, interpret social problems, this course will then focus on specific social problems as well as their causes and consequences. Will also consider possible interventions and solutions. Help you develop critical sociological thinking skills. Social issues include: student loan debt, unemployment, poverty, substance use/abuse, etc . The course material will challenge you to reconsider and re-think some of your values and beliefs, to clarify why you believe what you believe = sign of intellectual growth = good!
