***SYLLABUS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME DURING SEMESTER***
Social Problems and Social Justice
Soc 110
Section 04
Spring 2015
Instructor: Steven Panageotou
Email: spanageo@vols.utk.edu
Course Meets:
HSS 205
MWF 11:15-12:05
Office:
241 Greve Hall
Office Hours:
By appointment
Course Description
This class focuses on the themes of social justice and the issues that affect the
creation of a socially just society. But what is social justice? When and where do we
find social justice in modern society? In attempting to answer these questions, it
becomes immediately clear that social justice is a rather elusive concept and even
more rare worldly occurrence. What is much more tangible and evident in modern
society is social injustice. This class seeks to understand social justice by first
bringing to light the complex issues of social injustice that can be readily seen in
various dimensions of modern social life. Sociology, by theorizing about modern
society, is uniquely situated as the prime discipline to understand these issues as
they are inherently social in nature and cannot be separated from this context. In
this class we will explore the forces within society that create the conditions for
social injustice. We will examine current events that are happening everyday in
modern society and how social justice is or is not being actualized. And finally, we
will explore movements and theories that seek to bring about a more socially just
world. Throughout this class, the complexity and difficulty in actually realizing
social justice will become apparent. Once we come to terms with this unfortunate
fact, we can begin to speak of what it would take to realize a more socially just world.
In addition to the overall emphasis of social justice, this class has a unique
focus. This class is part of a larger network of classes who are participating in the
American Sociological Association’s Constitutional Convention. The theme of this
project is: revising the U.S. Constitution (and more specifically the Bill of Rights) to
guarantee social justice. Although clearly a daunting task, our area of concern will
be to understand basic income as a human right and a foundation for social justice.
At the end of the semester, we will have created an amendment that would revise
the U.S. Constitution to guarantee a basic income to every person.
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***SYLLABUS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME DURING SEMESTER***
Learning Objectives
-To familiarize students with the foundations of social justice theory
-To examine current events with the intention of isolating social justice issues
-To teach students to apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills
-To introduce students to theories of basic income and the issues surrounding its
implementation
-To create an amendment to the Bill of Rights that enshrines basic income as
guaranteed human right
Students with Disabilities
Students who have a disability that requires accommodation(s) should make an
appointment with the Office of Disability Services (974-6087) to discuss their
specific needs. I would also recommend that you notify me of your situation so that
I can make the necessary arrangements.
Intellectual Integrity & Academic Honesty:
As a student attending the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, you signed an Honor
Statement on your application, which reads:
An essential feature of The University of Tennessee is a commitment to maintaining an
atmosphere of intellectual integrity and academic honesty. As a student of the
University, I pledge that I will neither knowingly give nor receive any inappropriate
assistance in academic work, thus affirming my own personal commitment to honor
and integrity.
Therefore, I will not tolerate cheating or plagiarism in this class. According to UTK’s
student handbook HILLTOPICS:
Plagiarism is using the intellectual property or product of someone else without giving
proper credit. The undocumented use of someone else’s words or ideas in any medium
of communication (unless such information is recognized as common knowledge) is a
serious offense, subject to disciplinary action that may include failure in a course
and/or dismissal from the university.
If you have any question as to what constitutes plagiarism, please contact me and/or
refer to your Student Handbook for more details (see:
http://dos.utk.edu/files/hilltopics_10_11.pdf). We will be completing many writing
assignments, so please be cautious and smart about what you turn in. And note
that I read all turned in assignments meticulously. If and when caught
cheating or plagiarizing, you will receive a ZERO (0) for the assignment and
possible failure of this course.
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***SYLLABUS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME DURING SEMESTER***
Text and Course Material
You will be required to purchase the following texts:
Frey, Scott R. 2014. Reading in Social Justice, 2nd edition. University of Tennessee
Department of Sociology
Dahl, Robert. 2002. How Democratic is the American Constitution?, 2nd edition. Yale
University Press.
Other readings will be posted online and can be found in the following books:
Perrin, Andrew J. 2014. American Democracy. Malden, MA: Polity Press.
Cairns, James and Alan Sears. 2012. The Democratic Imagination: Envisioning
Popular Power in the 21st Century. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Reich, Robert. 2012. Beyond Outrage: What Has Gone Wrong with Our Economy and
Our Democracy, and How to Fix It. New York: Vintage.
Amenta, Edwin, Kate Nash, and Alan Scott, eds. 2012. The Wiley-Blackwell
Companion to Political Sociology. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.
Raventós, Daniel. 2007. Basic Income: The Material Conditions of Freedom. Ann
Arbor, MI: Pluto Press.
Sheahen, Allan. 2012. Basic Income Guarantee: Your Right to Economic Security. New
York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Widerquist, Karl, Jose A. Noguera, Yannick Vanderborght, and Jurgen De Wispelaere.
2013. Basic Income: An Anthology of Contemporary Research. Wiley-Blackwell
Publishers.
Grading
Total possible points (before any extra credit) for the course =
 Close Reading Interrogations
100
 Constitutional Analysis Project
50
 Amendment Project
50
 Final Exam
100
 Attendance
50
 Total
350
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***SYLLABUS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME DURING SEMESTER***
Grading and Evaluation
1. Close Reading Interrogations: 10 points each (10 x 10 = 100 points total)
-Due each Friday
(Remember this date)
You are required to turn in close readings once a week, every week for the
semester. On the top of each interrogation write your name, week
number/interrogation number, and readings assigned that week (single-spaced,
top left corner). Beneath that you must write 1-1.5 pages (350-500 words) on
the week’s readings. Discuss the overall argument and main themes of the
readings. Be sure to address each reading individually and in comparison with
each other. If you decide to include quotes, no quote should be longer than two
or three sentences. Also, you should not use more than three quotes per
interrogation. You will be graded according to your ability to discern key
arguments and themes within the readings, compare readings, and grammar.
Please print out your interrogation and turn it into me by Friday of each week.
Make sure your papers are stapled. I will not accept late interrogations after the
week has passed. If you will not be in class on Friday, turn in the interrogation
earlier in the week.
2. Constitutional Analysis Activity: 50 points (1 document per group)
-Due March 23
In groups of 4, you will choose a social injustice that in some way connects to the
material in class we have been discussing (examples will be given in class). Your
group will turn in a document that addresses the following questions:
-What is the issue? (1 page)
-Why is it a social injustice (connect to readings we have discussed)? (2 pages) --How is it affected by the constitutional system or electoral structure of the
United States government AND/OR corporations and capitalism? (3 pages)
-What, if anything, do you want to do about it and why? (1 page)
You will be graded on how well you answer each of these questions. The paper
should present a clear argument, should be concise and to the point, should use
correct grammar, and should meet the required page lengths. Please cite
references in a way that I can identify the source. Each individual member will
also submit a short (about half-page) reflection on the contribution you made
and the contribution of the other members of your group.
**Bring computer and references for activity days
3. Amendment to U.S. Constitution (Bill of Rights): 50 points (1 document per
group)
-Due TBA
In groups of 3, you will be required to make an argument for why basic income
should be guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution as a human right. Each group will
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***SYLLABUS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME DURING SEMESTER***
turn in a 5 page document discussing the social injustice of inequality and
poverty, the idea of basic income, and why basic income should be a human right
enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Identify sources. **Bring computer for
activity day
4.
Final Exam: 100 points
Exam will be multiple choice and short answer and will cover the main themes
from the readings and lectures.
5. Attendance: Attendance is mandatory, and I take roll at the beginning of class.
Everyone is allowed three absences throughout the semester with no penalty.
Absences will be excused for valid reasons (death in the family, athletic
competition, doctor’s appointment…) but proof is needed. BE WARNED: if you
miss more than three classes, you will lose all 50 points of attendance from your
grade. If you do not miss more than 3 unexcused classes, then you are awarded
the full 50 points of credit. Attendance is all or nothing.
6. Extra Credit: I will give an extra credit assignment. The details will be
announced later in the semester.
**All papers must be 12 pt. font, Times New Roman, 1” margins all around,
double-spaced. Failure to comply may result in deductions.
Grading Scale
Percentage
94-100
90-93
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
0-59
Course Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
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***SYLLABUS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME DURING SEMESTER***
Late Work
Assignments that are turned in late will lose 10% of their final grade for every day
that they are late (weekends count as two days). No late or make-up exams will be
allowed without prior approval from me (that means approval from me prior to the
exam date).
Student Responsibilities
1. Come to Class Prepared. This means do the assigned readings and
interrogations. You will be expected to take part in the class through discussion
and attendance.
2. Be prepared to meet with group on activity days
3. Check email & Blackboard regularly for class announcements.
4. Follow Class Etiquette guidelines.
Class Etiquette
Class meetings will be organized on a lecture/discussion basis, with questions,
comments, and discussion encouraged during all class meetings. The lecture and
discussion will be related to the readings so please do them so that you will be able
to take part. This material is about you and your life, so take the readings and other
material and relate them to your daily life. This will make the material much more
interesting for both you and the rest of us.
Much of the material that we will cover is controversial and/or politically-charged.
This may evoke strong opinions (this is a good thing). Because of this, you are
required to be respectful of both your fellow students and me. This means that you
should not talk over others when they are trying to speak, make rude, demeaning,
degrading, or threatening comments, use racial or sexual slurs, or engage in
activities that are distracting to others. Any student who disrupts the classroom
environment will be given one warning and then, if a second incidence of disruption
occurs, will be asked to leave the class for that day.
Note: The use of cell-phones and computers during class will not be permitted (no
phone calls, no text messaging, etc.). Please silence or turn your cell phone off
before the start of class.
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***SYLLABUS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME DURING SEMESTER***
Course Schedule
The Course Schedule is subject to change (and invariably will do so) depending on
how the semester progresses. Anytime that is does, I will notify you through email, a
blackboard announcement, and verbally in class. I will also revise this syllabus to
reflect any schedule changes and post the revised syllabus on blackboard.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
7-Jan
9-Jan
12-Jan
14-Jan
16-Jan
19-Jan
21-Jan
23-Jan
26-Jan
28-Jan
30-Jan
2-Feb
4-Feb
6-Feb
9-Feb
11-Feb
13-Feb
16-Feb
18-Feb
20-Feb
23-Feb
25-Feb
27-Feb
2-Mar
4-Mar
6-Mar
9-Mar
Syllabus
Theory of Social Justice
Social Justice and Civil Society
Marx
NO CLASS
NO CLASS
Marx
21st century capitalism
Movie
The American Democratic
Republic
---Democracy
---------------SNOW DAY
Media
----Human Rights
Constitutional Systems
Voting and Electoral College
Constitutional System
Performance
Changing Constitution?
Activity Day
---
11-Mar Intro to Basic Income
13-Mar
7
Rawls SJR 1.1
Persell SJR 1.2
SJR 2.1
SJR 2.1
Hacker and Pierson SJR 2.4
Park Avenue
Dahl Ch. 1 and 2 (p. 1-28)
Perrin Ch. 1 (p. 12-42)
Cairns and Sears Ch. 1 and 2
Reich Part 1 "The Rigged
Game"
Perrin Ch. 5
----Nash on Human Rights
Dahl Ch. 3
Dahl Ch. 4
Dahl Ch. 5
Dahl Ch. 7
----Raventos Ch. 1
***SYLLABUS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME DURING SEMESTER***
Basic Income
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
16-Mar
18-Mar
20-Mar
23-Mar
25-Mar
27-Mar
30-Mar
1-Apr
3-Apr
6-Apr
8-Apr
Widerquist et al.
"Introduction"
NO CLASS
NO CLASS
NO CLASS
Rawls and Basic Income
The Psych Aspects
NO CLASS
A View from the Right
A View from the Left
NO CLASS
Poverty and Jobs
Poverty and Jobs
10-Apr Welfare
13-Apr Activity Day
15-Apr
17-Apr
20-Apr
22-Apr
24-Apr
30-Apr
Financing
NO CLASS
NO CLASS
TBA
Activity Day
FINAL: 10:15-12:15
8
Raventos Ch. 2 (p. 32-37)
Fromm
Friedman Ch. 2 and 55
Howard Ch. 10
Raventos Ch. 5
Sheahan Ch. 5
Raventos Ch. 6
Revising U.S. Constitution
Sheahan Ch. 13
Raventos Ch. 8
Revising U.S. Constitution