Bailey and Potter, CPA

Social Problems


Masai women attending a meeting
Fall 2007

SOCIAL PROBLEMS 211-001/002
Yossef Ben-Meir, Instructor

Course Description:

Students of this course will gain understanding of the causes of social problems and develop practical skills to help address them. Social problems that will be covered in the course include poverty, racial and gender inequalities, international conflict (especially in regards to Western nations and the Muslim world), environmental degradation, ineffective education, addiction, and crime.

Course Objectives:

  1. To analyze theoretical explanations of the causes of the social problems covered in the course.
  2. To apply and experience consensus building methods (that are part of the “participatory” paradigm) which help mobilize communities to address the social problems that are of most concern to them.
  3. To begin to address as a class the top priority for social change that the class together determines.
    “If you want to know reality, you must try to change it” (Volken et al, 1982)

Teaching Philosophy:

An effective educational experience requires dialogue among students, with the instructor catalyzing and facilitating discussion. This teaching method 1) draws out the wide range perspectives in the class and furthers understanding of the subject and 2) builds relationships among class members based on mutual understanding. Honest dialogue will maximize our educational experience.

Syllabus

Discussion Topics:

Participatory Development and Social Change

Community Mapping Activity

Options Assessment Chart

Globalization

Ethnic Relations

Gender

Course Schedule & Reading List:

Week 1 August 20-24 Introduction and participatory activities for social change (film)
Week 2 August 27-31 Continue participatory activities
  • Chambers, Robert (2002) Participatory Workshops: A Sourcebook of 21 Sets of Ideas and Activities, London: Earthscan, pp. 3-39.
  • [OPTIONAL] Pretty, Jules, and Scoones, Ian (1995) “Institutionalizing Adaptive Planning and Local-level Concerns: Looking to the Future,” in N. Nelson and S. Wright (editors) Power and Participatory Development, London: ITDG, pp. 157-169.
Week 3 September 4-7 Conclude participatory activities and discussion
  • Chambers, Robert (1991) “Shortcut and Participatory Methods for Gaining Social Information for Projects,” in M. Cernea’s (editor) Putting People First: Sociological Variables in Rural Development, Washington, DC: The World Bank, pp. 515-537.
  • Assignment: Describe (on a page in your journal statement) a participatory community activity that helps draw out socio-economic and/or environmental information from the participants and better enables them to plan their own development.
Week 4 September 10-14 Globalization and the international dependency system (film)
  • Greider, William (1997) One World, Ready or Not: The Manic Logic of Global Capitalism, New York: Touchstone, pp. 11-26.
  • [OPTIONAL] Stiglitz, Joseph (2003) Globalization and Its Discontents, New York, Norton, pp. 214-240.
  • Quote readings on international dependency (available on course website)
Week 5 September 17–21 Building an “Alliance of Civilizations” - An analysis of the Western-Muslim divide
Week 6 September 24-28 Racial inequality (film)
  • Rothenberg, Paula (editor) (2002) White Privilege: Essential Readings on the Other Side of Racism, New York: Worth Publishers, pp. 97-101 and 121-135
Week 7 October 1-5 Racial inequality
  • Quote readings on “race” and ethnicity (available on course website)
Week 8 October 8-10 Gender inequality (film)
  • Connelly, Patricia et al (2000) “Feminism and Development: Theoretical Perspectives,” in J. Parpart et al (editors) Theoretical Perspectives on Gender and Development, Ottawa: IDRC, pp. 51-76.
  • Young, Kate (1997) “Gender and Development,” in N. Visvanthan et al (editors) The Women, Gender and Development Reader, London: Zed Books, pp. 51-54.
Week 9 October 15-19 Gender inequality
Week 10 October 22-26 Environmental degradation
Week 11 October 29- November 2 Addiction (film and guest speaker)
Week 12 November 5-9 Addiction
Week 13 November 12-16 Crime (guest speakers)
Week 14 November 19-21 Crime
Week 15 November 26-30 Education (guest speakers)
Week 16 December 3-7 Education

Final Exam and Paper Preparations

211.001 12/11 T/TH 10:00 – 12:00
211.002 12/12 M/W 5:30 – 7:30

Volunteer for a Community

Non-profit Organizations that Need Volunteers

Instructor's contact information:

Yossef Ben-Meir

Department of Sociology, Room 1057

University of New Mexico
MSC05 3080
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
email: soc101@unm.edu
Tel. (505) 277-0470 / Fax. (505) 277-8805