Houston Community College
COURSE SYLLABUS
CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL PROBLEMS
SOCI 1306 CRN# 22244
FALL 2013
PINEMONT CAMPUS Room# B110
FALL 2013 - 16 WEEKS
TUESDAY & THURSDAY @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Mrs. E. Kelly-Molo
281-440-8932 (PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE)
molo_e@yahoo.com or ellamees.kellymolo@hccs.edu
OFFICE HOURS: AFTER CLASS AND BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
MATERIALS NEEDED
 One Blank CD/RW
 Active e-mail address
 USB Drive
nd
 TEXT: Social Problems 2 Edition (ISBN 0-13-189187-1)
 AUTHOR: John J. Macionis
PUBLISHER: Pearson- Prentice Hall (www.prenhall.com/macionis)
CLASS RULES
 All cellular phones and pagers must be turned off or put on vibration before entering class.
 Assignments must be turned in: typed & stapled. No late assignments will be accepted.
 If you are absent, you are accountable for the materials missed.
 No children allowed.
STATEMENT OF REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to
arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office at the respective college at the
beginning of each semester. Faculty is authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability
Support Services Office.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will stimulate thinking about the stat of our world as well as actions toward making it a better place.
Core Curriculum course –Credits: 3 (3 lectures)
Prerequisite(s): College level reading (or take GUST 0342 as a co-requisite)
ENG 1301 (or take ENGL 0310/0349 as a co-requisite).
COURSE OBJECTIVES
 The primary purpose of this course is to explore the diversity of American culture and other societies.
 Students will be introduced to the sociological perspectives and a wide variety of concepts. Sociologist use to describe
human behavior.
 This course will assist students as they explore some of the major changes underway in America and throughout the
world. It will also enable students to focus on current events, sociological theories, research methods and appeased
nature of the discipline.
 Students will be able to differentiate between Sociology and other Social Sciences and know the basic Social
institutions of Society.
 Students will be able to use their sociological imagination. They will also gain an understanding of how the social
situation shapes our private lives.
SOCI 1306
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Evaluation points are on a basis as follows:
TESTS
30%
Website Assignments 20%
Quizzes
15%
Group Presentation
15%
Movie Critique
20%
Total Points
100%
GRADING SYSTEM
 All regularly scheduled examinations will be weighted equally.
 Oral and written reports are equivalent to an examination in weight.
 All assigned examinations and written reports will be averaged to determine final course grade.
 Make-up for TEST only, not quizzes.
GRADING SCALE
90 –100
80 – 89
70 – 79
60 – 69
59 and below
A
B
C
D
F
ATTENDANCE AND WITHDRAWAL POLICIES
The State of Texas has begun to impose penalties on students who drop courses excessively. For example, if you repeat
the same course more than twice, you have to pay extra tuition. Beginning in Fall 2007, the Texas Legislature passed a
law limiting first time entering freshmen to no more than SIX total course withdrawals throughout their educational
career in obtaining a certificate and/or degree.
Students are responsible for withdrawing themselves from class if they are unable to complete course requirements.
Failure to do so will result in an “F” rather than a “W” grade. Students who are chronically disruptive during class may be
withdrawn by the instructor’s initiative.
“A grade of “I” (incomplete) will be considered only for students who have completed at least 75% of this course. Only
students who are unable to complete the class because of some extraordinary circumstance(s) may receive an “I”. Any
student receiving an “I” in this course has until the end of following semester (except summer) to complete the
assignments missed. If the coursework is not completed the grade becomes an “F” regardless of your class average. In all
cases, regardless of circumstances, the instructor reserves the right to refuse to award an “I”.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Cheating in any form will result in a grade of “F” on the exam or project in question and may result in automatic failure of
the course.
HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE MISSION STATEMENT
The Houston Community College is an open admission, public institution of higher education offering associate degrees,
certificates, academic preparation, workforce training, and lifelong learning opportunities that prepare individuals in our
diverse communities for life and work in an increasingly international and technological society.
****************** Teachers can modify the syllabus at any time. ****************
SOCI 1306
TENATIVE SCHEDULE
SOCI 1306 Contemporary Social Problems
Tuesday/Thursday FALL 2013
Week 1
08/27/13
Chapter 1 Studying & Social Problems
Introduction/Republican Convention www.rnc.org
Week 2
09/03/13
Chapter 2 Poverty & Wealth
Learning Activity
Week 3
09/10/13
Chapter 3 Racial & Ethnic Inequality
QUIZ
Media Assignment/ Survey/ Open Panel discussion on race and ethnic inequality
Week 4
09/17/13
Chapter 13 Family Life
TEST/Homework Internet Assignment www.savethechildren.org
www.frc.org
Week 5
09/24/13
Chapter 14 Education
Create your own brochure/Include your Institutions of Sociology
www.proliteracy.org/www.publicagenda.org/specials/www.NCES.ed.gov
Week 6
10/01/13
Chapter 11 Economy & Politics
QUIZ/Prepare for Group Presentations
www.census.gov/datamap
Week 7
10/08/13
Chapter 5 Aging & Inequality
Interview an elderly person
www.seniornet.org/www.aoa.gov/www.nho.org/www.aarp.org
Week 8
10/15/13
Chapter 8 Sexuality
Project/Resource reading-Fight Against Hunger
www.gay.com
Week 9
10/22/13
Chapter 10 Physical & Mental Health
QUIZ/Identify a social service in your community
Assignment-search by subject www.drweil.com
Week 10
10/29/13
Chapter 17 Technology & The Environment
Giving your time, services to others/Concerns for the Environment
Trash bag Activity
Week 11
11/05/13
Chapter 16 Population & Global Inequality
TEST/Assignment/www.undp.org
Week 12
11/12/13
Chapter 9 Alcohol & Other Drugs
www.thesociologypage.com/www.oneworld.net
SOCI 1306
Week 13
11/19/13
Chapter 15 Urban Life
Quiz/Movie Critique/www.urban.org
Week 14
11/26/13
Chapter 18 War & Terrorism
Website Assignment/Resource Reading
Week 15
12/03/13
Chapter 18 War & Terrorism
All make up & Extra credit assignments are due
Week 16
12/10/13
FINAL EXAM
THURSDAY
SOCI 1306