Course Syllabus

Global Social Problems

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Course Description

This course examines contemporary problems in a global context such as poverty, social inequality, crime, religious and ethnic conflict, resource availability, population pressure and the spread of infectious diseases. Attention will be given to the current state of social institutions and the nature of social change while exploring how social problems are defined and perceived by various groups as matters of public and global concern. This course will integrate many social themes and will critically analyze attempts to resolve problems using the methodologies of social science and a range of theoretical perspectives.

Essential Objectives

1. Describe how social problems are defined and socially constructed, identifying the roles of culture, ideology, technology and the media in influencing the perception of certain social issues and providing these with national, transnational and global significance.
2. Discuss the scope and causes of social problems facing the world today, examining the history and genesis of social divisions, inequality, oppression, and how systems have created and sustained these.
3. Analyze how different power structures influence the way specific problems are construed and addressed and how groups who articulate a particular social problem impact the response and resources that may be allocated to it.
4. Evaluate remedies for social problems considering existing policies and the role of political, environmental, and academic rhetoric, as well as the role of grassroots social movements and international campaigns.
5. Differentiate between functionalist, conflict, feminist and interactionist theories of social behavior and control and how these are employed to interpret social problems.
6. Demonstrate how demographic and statistical research is used to understand and respond to social stressors and change both locally and globally.
7. Create a final project which investigates a significant global social problem, applying the concepts, theories, and methods that social and behavioral scientists employ, including case studies, surveys, and existing data, distinguishing between scientific fact and popular opinion surrounding this issue.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations.

Spring 2024 textbook details will be available on 2023-11-06. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Methods

This course will meet in person at the Winooski CCV site. Assignments, requirements, and expectations will be posted each week in Canvas by the beginning of the course week on Tuesday and are due the following Monday evening by 11:59pm. The instructor will review the general requirements and expectations during or slightly prior to the first week of class. The instructor will utilize a variety of presentation methods including powerpoint presentations, videos, articles, readings, instructor facilitated online discussions and some other internet based activities as well.

Evaluation Criteria:
	Students will be evaluated through online assessments, assignments, discussion forums and exams. Students will be evaluated in correspondence with the rubric for online discussion forum assignments and response paper assignments that is posted in week one on Canvas. Each week, students will be required to complete a discussion forum activity or a two to three page response paper assignment (or a quiz or exam). We will have three to four exams throughout the course of the semester. The exams will be also completed online and are open note and open book. The course will work on a point system. Response paper assignments and discussion forum posts will be worth a total of 50 points each. Exams will be worth 100 points each. There will be one optional extra credit assignment during the course of the semester that can only help students' grades if they choose to complete it. All assignments will be weighted the same except for the extra credit assignment. Students who do not complete the optional extra credit assignment will not be penalized.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Students are required to complete the assignments on time and participate in weekly discussion forum activities.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Late work can be handed in within one week of the due date for partial credit.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity