Urban Social Problems
Sociology 2367.02
Wednesdays and Fridays, 11:10 am -12:30 pm
Smith Lab 3094
Instructor:
Email:
Office:
Office Hours:
Emily Shrider
shrider.14@osu.edu
215 Townshend Hall
Wednesdays 1:00-5:00 pm
Course Description
This course is a writing-intensive introduction to urban social problems. Specifically, we will focus on
how the development of the city and the growth of the suburbs have contributed to urban social
problems. We will also examine the strategies used to address these issues.
To accomplish this goal, we will examine American urban areas and their physical and social
organization. We will discuss the history, characteristics, and physical layout of urban areas. We will
also study the complexity and diversity of these areas, their attendant social problems, and current
urban concerns. It is my hope that you leave this class with an understanding that problems common
in urban areas are tied to growth, population flows, and the composition and structure of metropolitan
areas.
GE Statement
Sociology 2367.02 qualifies as a Writing and Communication: Level 2 course, which has three
expected learning outcomes:
1. Through critical analysis, discussion, and writing, students demonstrate the ability to read
carefully and express ideas effectively.
2. Students apply written, oral, and visual communication skills and conventions of academic
discourse to the challenges of a specific discipline.
3. Students access and use information critically and analytically.
Sociology 2367.02 strives to meet these goals through writing instruction, peer-review exercises,
instructor feedback, in-class group activities using data, and research assignments.
Sociology 2367.02 also qualifies as a Social Science: Organizations and Polities course, which also
has three expected learning outcomes:
1. Students understand the theories and methods of social scientific inquiry as they apply to
the study of organizations and polities.
2. Students understand the formation and durability of political, economic, and social
organizing principles and their differences and similarities across contexts.
3. Students comprehend and assess the nature and values of organizations and polities and
their importance in social problem solving and policy making.
Sociology 2367.02 strives to meet these goals through discussion and analysis of the organizational
and political decisions that contributed to urban social problems, and the decisions being made to
resolve those same problems.
Disability Statement
Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should
contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Please contact the Office of Disability Services at
614-292-3307 in room 150 Pomerene Hall to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with
documented disabilities.
Expectations
1. You are expected to follow the university rules on academic misconduct. If I suspect that you
are violating these rules, I am obligated to report this suspicion to the department chair and the
Committee on Academic Misconduct.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY (ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT)
Academic integrity is essential to maintaining an environment that fosters excellence in teaching,
research, and other educational and scholarly activities. Thus, The Ohio State University and the
Committee on Academic Misconduct (COAM) expect that all students have read and understand the
University’s Code of Student Conduct, and that all students will complete all academic and scholarly
assignments with fairness and honesty. Students must recognize that failure to follow the rules and
guidelines established in the University’s Code of Student Conduct and this syllabus may constitute
“Academic Misconduct.”
The Ohio State University’s Code of Student Conduct (Section 3335-23-04) defines academic misconduct
as: “Any activity that tends to compromise the academic integrity of the University, or subvert the
educational process.” Examples of academic misconduct include (but are not limited to) plagiarism,
collusion (unauthorized collaboration), copying the work of another student, and possession of
unauthorized materials during an examination. Ignorance of the University’s Code of Student Conduct is
never considered an “excuse” for academic misconduct, so I recommend that you review the Code of
Student Conduct and, specifically, the sections dealing with academic misconduct.
If I suspect that a student has committed academic misconduct in this course, I am obligated by
University Rules to report my suspicions to the Committee on Academic Misconduct. If COAM
determines that you have violated the University’s Code of Student Conduct (i.e., committed academic
misconduct), the sanctions for the misconduct could include a failing grade in this course and suspension
or dismissal from the University.
If you have any questions about the above policy or what constitutes academic misconduct in this course,
please contact me.
Other sources of information on academic misconduct (integrity) to which you can refer include:
The Committee on Academic Misconduct web pages (oaa.osu.edu/coam/home.html)
Ten Suggestions for Preserving Academic Integrity (oaa.osu.edu/coam/ten-suggestions.html)
Eight Cardinal Rules of Academic Integrity (www.northwestern.edu/uacc/8cards.html)
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2. You are expected to come to class prepared and ready to learn. In order to accomplish this,
you must complete all readings and assignments prior to class. All assignments are due within
the first 5 minutes of class. Any late work will be deducted 5% points a day, up to 25% off.
After that point, no late assignments will be accepted, unless otherwise indicated.
3. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to get the notes from another student. If you miss class
or an assignment for a legitimate, university approved reason, you must inform me beforehand.
Make-ups and unpenalized extensions will only be given if you provide documentation (doctor’s
note, obituary, court summons, etc).
4. You are expected to be polite and respectful of everyone in the class, including yourself. Please
avoid distracting behaviors, such as eating loud or overly odorous food, having side
conversations, allowing your phone to ring, etc.
Required Readings
Alexander, Michelle. 2012. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.
New York: The New Press.
Binelli, Mark. 2012. Detroit City is the Place to Be: The Afterlife of an American Metropolis. New
York: Metropolitan Books.
Massey, Douglas S., and Nancy A. Denton. 1998. American Apartheid: Segregation and the Making
of the Underclass. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Additional readings available on Carmen
Course Requirements
Assignment
Exam 1
Exam 2
Exam 3
Final Paper Proposal
Final Paper Draft
Final Paper
Discussion Questions/Reading Quizzes
Participation/In-class Activities
Total
Points
50
50
50
10
40
100
30
70
400
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Exams
You will take three multiple-choice exams. These exams will test your knowledge and understanding of
the course material. Each exam will have 50 multiple-choice questions. You will receive a study guide
in advance.
Discussion Questions and Reading Quizzes
We will read three books and have a day of discussion for each one. Prior to the class discussion, you
will be required to submit 5 discussion questions to a Carmen dropbox. We will then use a selection
of these questions for our class discussion. These questions are due by 10:00 am the day of the
discussion. You will also take a reading quiz over each of these books. The questions for the quiz
come from the reading guides posted on Carmen. Together, the discussion questions and reading
quizzes are worth a total of 30 points.
Participation and In-Class Activities
This course will involve a great deal of discussion and class participation. You will receive points for
participating in certain activities and discussions through the course of the semester. For example, you
will receive points for participating in the “Fixing the City” activity and the writing workshop. You will
also receive points for participating in other activities not listed on the syllabus. Some of these activities
will be announced in advance, but others will be a surprise. I will let you know when activities count
toward your participation, both in class and in the Carmen gradebook.
Although daily attendance will not affect your final course grade directly, you have a better chance of
getting all the participation points if you always attend class. Plus, attending the lectures and doing the
reading will help you learn the material better, which could positively affect your exam scores.
Final Paper
For this 7-9 page paper, you will explore a historical issue related to a US city. This can be an issue
related to a natural disaster, a well-known riot, a criminal case, or a factory closing, for example. The
only requirements are that it deals with a US city and that it connects in some way to the class material.
You will complete this paper in steps. First, you will hand in a proposal outlining the city and the topic
you have selected. You will have to demonstrate that your historical issue actually relates to a city,
beyond that it took place in one. Second, you will hand in a draft of the first 4-6 pages of your paper for
me to review. Third, we will have an in-class writing workshop where you will exchange the full version
of your final paper with other students in the class. You will then have one week to revise your paper
before you submit it to Carmen.
**Part of your grade for the in-class writing exercise will depend on whether or not your paper is
complete at the time of the writing workshop. If your paper is missing sections, has no citations, shows
no signs of proofreading, or misses the page limit, you will not receive full credit.
More detailed assignment instructions are available on Carmen.
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Course Schedule
Part 1- Setting the Scene: How Spatial Issues Lead to Social Problems
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 28
Wednesday, September 2
Friday, September 4
Wednesday, September 9
Friday, September 11
Introduction to the Course
Birth and Development of Cities/The
Structure of the Metropolitan Area
Segregation
Read: Selections from The
Geography of Transport
Systems
Proposal Due (9/9)
Read: Seitles, “The
Perpetuation of Racial
Segregation in America”
(for 9/4)
Read: Massey and Denton,
American Apartheid (for
9/11)
Watch: "The Crisis of
Credit Visualized"
Wednesday, September 16
Friday, September 18
Subprime Lending
Wednesday, September 23
Exam #1
Watch: “Bill Moyers
Journal: Mortgage
Meltdown”
Part 2- The City's Problems
Friday, September 25
Wednesday, September 30
Friday, October 2
Read: Kelling and Wilson,
“Broken Windows” and
Elijah Anderson, “Code of
the Street” (for 9/25)
Crime
Read: The New Jim Crow
(for October 2)
Wednesday, October 7
Friday, October 9
Wednesday, October 14
Friday, October 16
Wednesday, October 21
Public Housing and The Pruitt-Igoe Myth
Read: Stoloff, "A Brief
History of Public Housing"
Read: Kneebone, “The
Growth and Spread of
Concentrated Poverty”
Poverty
Fall Break, No Classes
Exam #2
Part 3- Modern Issues
Friday, October 23
Wednesday, October 28
Gentrification
Friday, October 30
Wednesday, November 4
Riots
Watch: Columbus
Neighborhoods
Documentaries
Submit: Final Paper Draft
(10/30)
Read: Kerner Commission
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Friday, November 6
Wednesday, November 11
Deindustrialization
Veteran’s Day—No Classes
Read: “The Incredible
Shrinking City” (for 11/13)
Friday, November 13
Wednesday, November 18
Friday, November 20
Deindustrialization
Wednesday, November 25
Friday, November 27
Thanksgiving Break—No Classes
Wednesday, December 2
Writing Workshop
Friday, December 4
Read: Friedhoff, Wial, and
Wolman, “The
Consequences of
Metropolitan
Manufacturing Decline”
Read: Binelli, Detroit City is
the Place to Be (for 11/18)
Bring 1 STAPLED copy of
your final paper
Urbanized
Wednesday, December 9
Fixing the City Activity
Thursday, December 17
Final Exam- 12:00pm -1:45pm
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Final Paper Due to
Dropbox (12/9)
Reading Links
Selections from Chapter 6- Urban Transportation, in The Geography of Transport Systems, J-P Rodrigue, et al.
http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/burgess.html
http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/sectornuclei.html
The Crisis of Credit Visualized
http://vimeo.com/3261363
Bill Moyers Journal- Mortgage Meltdown
http://video.pbs.org/video/1629461202/
Kelling and Wilson—“Broken Windows: The Police and Neighborhood Safety”
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/03/broken-windows/4465/
Anderson- “The Code of the Streets”
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1994/05/the-code-of-the-streets/306601/
Kneebone- “The Growth and Spread of Concentrated Poverty, 2000 to 2008-2012”
http://www.brookings.edu/research/interactives/2014/concentrated-poverty#/M10420
Columbus Neighborhoods: The Short North
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn9UNZFc2_A
Columbus Neighborhoods: The German Village
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrRgPFbEAkg
Columbus Neighborhoods: Olde Towne East
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KW7mq1dz5I
The Incredible Shrinking City
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/03/28/the-incredible-shrinking-city
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