The “Real” Spring 2010 Course Descriptions

Below you will find the “real” Spring semester 2010 course descriptions for the Department of Sociology. Whereas the Course Bulletin has the official, “generic” course description for each course, these course descriptions have been written by the actual professor who will be teaching the course next semester. As a result, they will likely serve as a more accurate representation of what the class will actually be like. The descriptions are in order by couse number.

101 - Introduction to Sociology - Dr. Desire Anastasia

No professor-specific course description currently.

101 - Introduction to Sociology - Dr. Lisa Nunn

Why are men and women so different? (or ARE they?) How do mass media influence our beliefs? Why don’t people who live in the ghetto just get a job? How do strippers and drug dealers justify their “work”? Why do subcultures like Goths act so weird? What does it mean to be deviant? In this course we take up all of these issues and many more. We examine how U.S. society successfully (or unsuccessfully) holds itself together despite being comprised of a multitude of different sub-groups.

We examine social stratification and inequality, in other words: how some sub-groups of society systematically wind up with more positions of power and more social and economic rewards than other sub-groups. We examine processes of socialization, in other words: how members of society learn to share common values and sensibilities—or to reject mainstream values. We interrogate the role that social institutions such as family, religion, politics, education, and so on play in the process of socialization and in the process of stratification. We also discuss how ideologies (widely shared beliefs) structure not only our personal lives, but also structure the opportunities that are available to various sub-groups in society. We look at evidence from contemporary US society, while situating it in a context of historical developments. We end the semester with a discussion of what each one of us can do to change some of the unfair and harmful “norms” in American society.

101 - Introduction to Sociology - Dr. Tom Reifer

This course introduces students to different theoretical and historical approaches to sociology and the basic concepts of the discipline: interaction networks, groups, race-ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, nation, citizenship, status, role, society, behavior patterns, social institutions, social change and social movements. The approach is broadly comparative and global in orientation and focus, with an emphasis on the U.S., and covers politico-military, socioeconomic and cultural processes, as well as social change more generally. Particular attention is paid to issues of power, inequality, war, peace and social and ecological justice, as well as related ethical and moral issues, including of contemporary concern, most especially the global environmental crisis and issues of global power and inequality.

110 - Contemporary Social Issues - Dr. Michelle Camacho

In Contemporary Social Issues we will collectively learn about issues and problems in our social world and how to understand these through a sociological lens. We will critically examine social inequality by learning new concepts, examining data, and having lively discussions about rich material relating individuals and structures in our society. We will examine structural inequality as it relates to poverty, race/gender/class/sexuality, the environment, border issues, and education. We will also explore the basics of how sociological research is conducted.

Our learning objectives:

To identify and think critically about major social problems affecting our society.
To develop a “sociological imagination” by becoming more conscious of larger social structures and how these contribute to the creation of social problems.
To understand how sociologists research social problems, including sociological research ethics.
To be able to interpret data for use in sociological analysis of social problems.
To develop a deeper understanding of issues relating to social inequality and social justice, with particular consideration of race, ethnicity, gender, and social class.

The goal of the class is to be able to document, analyze, and debate ongoing social problems and issues using a sociological framework. You will begin to question your “taken–for–granted” assumptions about everyday life. Adopting a sociological perspective entails looking at the world from a different vantage point than the one you typically use, therefore much of the material presented in this course may challenge your values and beliefs. Whether your ideas ultimately change or remain the same, this course should help you clarify why you believe what you believe, help you understand the implications and consequences of those beliefs and help you to compare your perceptions with empirical studies of the social world.

In addition to our learning objectives (stated above), there are some informal goals:

To emphasize inquiry-based learning.
To contribute to your ability in producing, interpreting and communicating knowledge.
To provide a good foundation for any future sociology courses you may take.
To incorporate active-learning components throughout the semester.

110 - Contemporary Social Issues - Dr. John Joe Schlichtman

In this course, students will consider the contemporary social issues that every city faces. Specifically, they will examine the issues of poverty, development, housing, and education. They will also explore different policies that have been used to address these issues. Finally, students will reflect on how these issues play out in the community. The goals of the course are for students to be able to profile the issues, respect the issues, and connect the issues.

First, students will be better able to profile the urban issues of poverty, development, housing, and education. Students growth in this area will be marked by their reading, discussing, and testing on the course material. This goal is all about the basics: in order to discuss an issue, one must understand the facts about it.

Second, students will better respect the complexity of the issues of poverty, development, housing, and education and of the policies that address them. One way this is achieved is through twelve hours of service-learning in the community. In this component, students choose to serve at one of three sites in San Diego that relate to the issues explored in the course. In addition, three visits by prominent community leaders will enable students to understand the ways in which people are working to address social issues that trouble them. This component of the course takes the "academic" stuff that students learn in class and puts it to the test.

Finally, students will be better equipped to make all kinds of connections between theory and practice, policy and daily life, their own opinions and the body of evidence, economic trends and the individual life trajectories of those who are facing them, etc. Students will make these connections through the process of what we call reflections (a focused consideration of their experiences working in the community). The course has three in-class reflections during the semester during which students meet with their peers serving at the same community site. It also has semester-long blog reflections so that students can continue the conversation with their peers outside of class times.

320 W - U.S. Society - Dr. Judy Liu

Were you “Born in the USA” and still unclear about American culture? Are you new to the USA and want to learn more about this country? Are you just curious about what it means to be “an American”? Then, consider taking U.S. Society. This course examines the basic concepts that shape American identity and culture.

The course begins with an examination of the United States through the eyes of the great French social commentator, Alexis de Tocqueville in his work, Democracy in America. The course then addresses issues of gender, race and ethnicity, and politics.

First, students will analyze basic concepts such as individualism, freedom, equality, community, and political order by critically reading and writing about the course materials.

Second, students will see how these concepts apply to gender, race/ethnicity relationships, and politics in the US.

Finally, students will be able to comprehend the role and position of the US in a global context.

324 - Methods of Social Research - Dr. Belinda Lum

The Methods of Social Research course serves as an overview of research methods utilized in the production of sociological knowledge and scholarly research. The goal of this course is to help students understand how valid claims can be made about the social world, both as sociologists and as members of society. This class differs from your other classes because it focuses less on specific social phenomena, dynamics, or social structures –and instead focuses on the ‘how to’ of research. As such, students will learn a variety of methodological approaches to studying social life, and are expected to employ these tools in the development and execution of their own small research project. Students in this class develop and execute a research project at one of five pre-selected locations. Two projects are based with campus organizations and three projects are based with community based organizations. This class is a requirement for the major.

358 - Political Sociology - Dr. Tom Reifer

This course introduces students to the study of politics and political processes. Topics covered include power, social movements, socio-economic structure, the sate, and social change, with a special emphasis on the role of the law and lawyers in politics, economics, as well as in shaping society and the state. The course is broadly comparative and world-historical in orientation in focus, and examines a host of processes, including working-class formation - including in terms of race, gender and ethnicity - immigration, social power and social movements, from both above and below. Particular attention will be paid to issues of inequality and movements aiming to transform the world in more peace, egalitarian and socially just directions.

368 - Social Deviance - Dr. Erik Fritsvold

This course uses the theoretical and methodological tools of sociology to examine the often contentious process of defining and attempting to control deviant behavior. We will explore the major theoretical perspectives on deviance and apply these theories to various empirical examples: alcohol and drug use, mafia-type organized crime, sexual deviance, street crime, corporate crime and affluent drug dealers.

The goal of the course is to critically evaluate the major theoretical perspectives on crime and deviance that attempt to answer a very important question ––– why do people do crime? Some explanations highlight structural disadvantage, failing school systems and poverty. Other explanations highlight the moral compass, self control and (in)ability of the individual. We will attempt to understand the underlying reasons for criminality in order to inform discussions of public policy.

Readings include an anthology by Henry Pontell that presents a series of cornerstone articles in the field of social deviance. We will also read a six-year ethnographic investigation of affluent drug dealers in Southern California conducted by myself and Rafik Mohamed entitled Dorm Room Dealers: Drugs and the Privileges of Race and Class.

Viva Social Deviance.

369 - Sexualities - Dr. Teresa Elston

In this course we will examine sexualities from a sociological perspective. We will look at how sexuality is socially constructed and will pay particular attention to the historical evolution of sexuality and changes in sexual identities and practices. We will approach the topic of sexuality like other subjects in sociology by asking questions about and discussing what we think we know and then finding out so much more. During the semester we will examine many of the theories, concepts, research methodologies, and practices of sexuality in our culture and around the world. The course will consist of lectures, documentaries, historical and contemporary writings, and small group discussions.

370 - Sociology of Education - Dr. Lisa Nunn

What is the purpose of schools? Is it to train workers for the workforce? (if so, why don’t all students get equal training in the same fields?) Is it to provide all members of society a basic set of knowledge and skills? (if so, why do some classes read Shakespeare and others read Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul?) In this class we take up the question of the purpose of schools. A second main issue we investigate is inequality in educational attainment. How does it happen that some public schools are “good” schools and other schools are “bad” schools? Why is it that “bad” schools so often serve poorer families and families who are ethnoracial minorities? How does going to a “bad” school limit a child’s future opportunities to get into college and get a “good” job? A third main issue we focus on is advantage and disadvantage in school success. Is it fair for wealthy parents to pass on advantages to their kids—does that ruin our cultural ideas about education that everyone has an equal chance to succeed if they try hard enough? Why are there more males in higher education fields of science and math while there are more women in nursing and education? How do teachers perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes and harmful ethnoracial stereotypes—even if they don’t even know they are doing it?

In our readings and discussions we interrogate who reaps the benefits of education and who gets left behind and how the way that schools are organized and structured plays a role in the process. We try to lift away some of the taken-for-granted assumptions we have about the way schooling is organized and structured in the United States. Many aspects of school (such as curriculum tracks) seem natural to us. The goal of a sociological perspective is to question: What's so natural about that? and What are alternative ways that school could be structured instead? Thinking of alternative possibilities helps us to see who is advantaged and who is disadvantaged by the existing structure. It also helps us to remember that the existing structure is not the natural or right way that school should be structured. It is simply the existing way that school is structured.

472 - Law and Society - Dr. Erik Fritsvold

This course examines the mutually constitutive nature of the law and society; how the law impacts and is impacted by other social structures in society. As sociologists, we will rely on classical and contemporary socio-legal theory in a critical analysis of the law, legal reasoning and legal institutions. Of paramount interest will be the role of law in promoting and challenging inequality and social change.

493 and 498 - Field Experience and Internship - Dr. Judy Liu

Are you a second-semester Junior or Senior-status student interested in applying the knowledge you have learned in your Sociology classes? Then consider taking a Field Experience (Sociology 493) or an Internship (Sociology 498).

The differences between Field Experience and Internship are that Internships are grade-based and can count towards fulfilling a requirement in the Sociology major/minor while the Field Experience is ONLY PASS/FAIL but will still provide a student with the upper-division units needed towards the 48 upper-division for graduation. Students may take Field Experience as one, two, or three units, with each unit carrying a 40 hour semester requirement, i.e., 1 unit = 40 hours; 2 units = 80 hours; 3 units = 120 hours. In addition to completing the hours, both require keeping a learning journal, meeting regularly with the faculty supervisor, and giving a final presentation. In addition to the aforementioned requirements, those enrolled in the Internship must write a research paper.

In both courses, students will observe social interactions in their sites, analyze and reflect upon their observations by connecting what they are encountering with sociological concepts and theories they have learned in their Sociology classes. These opportunities offer an excellent way of learning about a potential profession. Students are strongly advised to select a site in the semester prior to enrolling in either course as many sites require security clearances. Consent from the faculty supervisor is required prior to registration for both courses.

494 - Global Urban Sustainability - Dr. Daniela Carpano-Rahman

More than half of the world’s population lives in cities, and almost one billion people live in slums without access to basic services such as water supply and sanitation. Sixteen out of the 21 largest urban agglomerations are located in developing countries. Even though many city dwellers live in poverty, the “ecological footprint” of megacities is much larger than their geographical territory. Cities are the key factor behind the phenomenon of global warming, consuming 75% of the global energy and producing 80% of greenhouse emissions. Concentration of poverty is also conducive to segregation and violence, and most cities experience a polarization of their populations into affluent and poor neighborhoods.

The first part of this course examines the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of the urban explosion. Key questions: What are the “push-pull” factors from country to cities? How do individual consumption patterns, political and personal choices affect the quality of life and migration patterns of others in distant lands? Are cities sustainable environments? The second part of the course offers a comparative view of sustainable strategies, both at the grassroots and at the government level. Key questions: What is the national government’s role in urbanization? What are the local responses to globalization and urbanization? How do people mobilize to create healthy human ecosystems and livable communities?

494 - Social Psychology - Dr. Teresa Elston

This course is designed to introduce you to key elements of social psychology with an emphasis on sociological social psychology. Social psychology has been defined as the study of social influence and interaction of individuals and groups. The main focus will be on the individual, identity, and society. Key topics will include socialization, personality development, communication, and conformity. We will also look at symbolic interactionism, a theory that argues that human action and interaction are the result of the meanings that individuals attach to them. The course will consist of lectures, documentaries, small group discussions, and a photography project.

494 - The Death Penalty - Dr. Rudolph Gerber

This three-credit course offers an objective look at the American death penalty from colonial times to the present. The approach includes legislative (statutes), judicial (cases and procedure) and social science data (empirical studies) addressing the following : (1) death penalty history and practices from colonial days to the present, with attention to executing and non-executing states and regions; (2) human rights standards in the Vienna and European Human Rights Conventions, plus decisions of the International Court of Justice on American death penalty practices; (3) whether to interpret the Eighth Amendment literally or as an “evolving” document, coupled with the relevance, if any, of foreign law; (4) whether crime deterrence requirements are met, with a focus on rational choice theory and recent economic studies claiming a deterrence effect; (5) the retributive argument for the death penalty, based on religious and secular “eye for an eye” theories; (6) leading U.S. Supreme Court cases in the last 30 years reflecting that court’s concern over 8th (pain) and 14th amendment (due process) issues; (7) innocent people on death rows—how can this happen?; (8) DNA in capital cases; (9) mental disabilities of killers; (10) the appellate process—what it involves, why it takes so long and results in many reversals; and (11) evaluation of the pro and con death penalty arguments.

The course requires a midterm, a final, and a choice between a class presentation or 12-page term paper. The textbook is Bedau and Cassell, Debating the Death Penalty (Oxford, 2004); used paperback copies can be found for under $10 at Amazon.com. Videos on some actual cases will be shown and discussed. All views of the death penalty are welcome; rather than an effort to “convert,” the course seeks to give objective data supporting or weakening each position. The instructor is a former practitioner and appellate judge in death penalty cases.

494 - Applied Action Research - Dr. Belinda Lum

The core organizing principle of this class is that research should reflect the voices, beliefs, and values of a community. Furthermore, research should address the needs of the people we 'study'. Students in this class will work in teams at preselected community based organizations in Linda Vista or with one of two campus based units. Students will work hands-on with members of the USD and Linda Vista communities on important social issues that impact students or Linda Vista residents' daily lives. Over the course of the semester students will learn techniques for facilitation, community based project planning, organization, and engagement. The goal is to provide students with an opportunity to either learn or hone skill sets that will assist them in the working world after graduation. Additionally, the project that each team completes will help the organizations with their work and strategic plans.

Prerequisites: Completion of Sociology 324 or Ethnic Studies 300. Enrollment is by permission of instructor

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