This document's address is http://www.unc.edu/~kurzman/Soc68.htm. Updated September 25, 2003.
Click here for class themes, readings, service sites, service teams, class list.

Class meetings:

224 Venable Hall, Tues., Thurs., 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Click here for the class list.

Instructors:

Professor Charles Kurzman
Telephone: 962-1241. E-mail: kurzman@unc.edu
Office hours: 227 Hamilton Hall, Tues., Thurs., 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.; or by appointment

Teaching assistant Berhane Araia
Telephone: 843-6466. E-mail: berhane@email.unc.edu
Office hours: 165 Hamilton Hall, Tues., Thurs. 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.; or by appointment

Course goals:

Sociology 68 is the keystone course for the new minor in Social and Economic Justice (SEJ), housed in the UNC-CH Sociology Department. For more information on the minor, contact Administrative Coordinator Shea Farrell, 966-3794, 214 Hamilton Hall, or the minor's Graduate Assistant, Natalia Deeb-Sossa.

The goals of this course are:

1) To introduce students to a variety of theories of social and economic justice.
2) To introduce students to a variety of movements for social and economic justice.
3) To involve students in the appraisal of proposals for social and economic justice.
4) To motivate students to pursue their own ideals of social and economic justice.

1) That social and economic justice is a good thing.
2) That social and economic justice has not yet been achieved in the world.
3) That studying social and economic justice will further the moral education of students and teachers.
4) That students should participate actively in their own, and their classmates', education, by helping to construct the course, present course material in class, and engage in classroom discussion.

To achieve these goals, the instructors aspire to:

1) Be as respectful, helpful, and clear as possible in our communications with students.
2) Arrange the course in a logical fashion linked to the course goals.
3) Select readings and assignments that average approximately 7.5 hours of work per week outside of class.
4) Work with students to develop the "focus movements" portion of the course.
5) Return submitted material in one week or less with constructive comments and fair grades.

To achieve the course goals, students are asked to do the following:

1) Attend all class sessions, beginning promptly at 11:00 a.m., fully prepared to engage actively and respectfully in class discussions, with cell phones turned off. (28 points total, minus 1 point per unexcused absence or lateness; students whose cell phones ring will be asked to leave class for the rest of the day.)
2) Read all assigned material and reflect on it. (Ungraded.)
3) Turn in all written assignments promptly via e-mail. (16 points total for 6 short assignments; 40 points total for 2 longer assignments.)
4) Select and complete a 10-week community service assignment of 3 hours per week. (Incomplete hours subtracted from attendance grade, 1 point/hour.)
5) Keep a written journal of your service experiences. (Ungraded.)
6) Work with a student team and the instructors to develop a "focus movement" class, including selecting assignments and leading class discussion. (Ungraded.)
7) Work with a student team and the instructors to develop a "service-site" class, including selecting assignments and leading class discussion. (Ungraded.)
8) Complete a final exam, in a format to be decided by the class. (16 points.)
9) Comply with the University's Honor Code. (Ungraded unless you fail to comply!)

1) Attendance. We have 28 class sessions scheduled, and you are expected to attend them all, on time. Whether this course is a success or not depends in large part on students' willingness to come to class prepared for serious discussion. I want to emphasize that this discussion must be civil and respectful, as I expect that the class will disagree about issues that are weighty and personal. You are expected to remain attentive throughout class and to take notes on class discussion (this material will be eligible for inclusion on the final exam). Please bring to each class the relevant reading material and a notebook containing this syllabus, your class notes and assignments from the entire semester -- you will need to refer to these during class discussions. If you are unable to make it to class, please contact me prior to the class and explain, and I will make the judgment about excused absences. Each unexcused absence costs 1 point, up to a total of 28 points. Students are responsible for all class material that they miss.

2) Reading and reflection. Read and think about all assigned material. I have ordered two books for purchase:

• Barbara Ehrenreich, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America (New York: Henry Holt, 2001)
• Saul D. Alinsky, Rules for Radicals (New York: Vintage Books, [1971] 1989)

3) Written assignments. All written assignments (except Assignment 2) are to be turned in via e-mail to berhane@email.unc.edu by 10 a.m. on the date they are due. Please do not submit e-mail attachments in Word or any other format, since these are a pain to open in large numbers -- instead, paste your written work directly into the body of the e-mail message. Assignment 2 is to be turned in at class in hard-copy.

• Assignment 1, due September 4: Service-site selection form. (1 point)
• Assignment 2, due September 18: Service-site agreement form. (3 points)
• Assignment 3, due two weeks before your focus-movement class: Focus reading proposals. (3 points)
• Assignment 4, due one week before your focus-movement class: Focus discussion outline. (3 points)
• Assignment 5, due two weeks before your service-site class: Service-site reading proposals. (3 points)
• Assignment 6, due one week before your service-site class: Service-site discussion outline. (3 points)
• Assignment 7, due November 13: Focus movement paper. (20 points)
• Assignment 8, due December 4: Service-learning paper. (20 points)

5) Service Journal. After each service stint, please take a few moments to sit down and write out a one-page Service Reflection Journal entry. After each stint of community service, please sit down and take 10-20 minutes to answer the following questions in about one page (this assignment can be handwritten):

• The date and time.
• What? That is, what happened during your service experience this time?
• So what? That is, what was your reaction to your service, or how did it affect you?
• Now what? That is, what do you plan to do about the issues that you have identified?

6) Focus Movement Classes. Beginning in mid-October, we turn the course over to you, the students. Nine class sessions are devoted to the study and discussion of particular justice movements of your choosing, in relation to the broader themes of the course. Each session will be led by a team of students who will consult with the instructors in selecting reading assignments for the whole class and structuring the class period in a productive way. Students will choose up teams in class on September 21. Two weeks before the team's class, each team member will submit a short paper (Assignment 3) nominating three readings, summarizing each reading in a short paragraph, and explaining why these readings might be particularly appropriate. The team will then meet with the instructors to decide on readings for the class. One week before the class session, team members will each submit a short paper (Assignment 4) suggesting ways of structuring the session, and the team will meet again with the insructors to decide on a structure for the session.

7) Service-Site Classes. The final five classes will be devoted to class presentations and discussions of the students' service sites, in relation to the broader themes of the course. As with the focus movement classes, these sessions will be preceded by meetings to decide readings and the structure of the session (Assignments 5 and 6).

8) Final Exam. The final exam, worth 16 points, will cover the entire semester's material, including reading assignments, class discussions, and service experiences -- and the student's ability to integrate these materials in serious and creative ways. Prior to Thanksgiving, students will decide on the format of the final exam (how many essays, how many short-answers, take-home or in-class, etc.).

Those of you keeping score will notice that these points add up to 100:

• Attendance: 28 points
• 6 short assignments: 16 points
• 2 long assignments: 40 points
• Final exam: 16 points