Syllabus: Dip Soc

Programme details for the Diploma in Sociology

Courses Presented in This Programme

The Dip. Soc includes the following compulsory courses:

• Social Problems
• Aging in Society
• Social Psychology

Duration of the Programme

This programme has a minimum learning duration of eight months before the qualification certificate can be issued. The maximum learning duration is normally two years.

Prerequisites

Completion of the Cert Soc or having been granted the status of a Cert Soc qualification through the process of recognition of prior earning (RPL), as confirmed by the CU Senate.

Single courses may be enrolled for to complete other qualifications. In such cases the student must consider that the courses were planned and selected sequentially by CU to serve as foundational knowledge for the more advanced courses.

Social Problems

Credits: 22

Synopsis. This popular social problems course, with a critical, conflict perspective, has been combined with a free, online source of relevant and timely articles on social problems from leading journals, popular magazines, and the New York Times.

Outline. The following aspects are reflected in this course:

• I. THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS.
  • The Sociological Approach to Social Problems. The History of Social Problems Theory. Toward a Definition of Social Problems. Types of Social Problems. Social Structure as the Basic Unit of Analysis. Organization of the Book.
  • Wealth and Power: The Bias of the System. Capitalism and Socialism. The U.S. Economy: The Concentration of Corporate Wealth. The Political System: The Links Between Wealth and Power. The Bias of the Political System.
• II. PROBLEMS OF PEOPLE, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND LOCATION.
  • World Population and Global Inequality. World Population Growth. Poverty. Priorities of Third World Nations: Military Security or Economic Security? U.S. Relations with the Third World.
  • Threats to the Environment. Worldwide Environmental Problems. Global Environmental Crises. Sources of U.S. Environmental Problems. Solutions to the Environmental Crises. International Implications of Environmental Problems.
  • Demographic Changes in the United States: The Browning and Graying of Society. A Profile of the United States Population. The New Immigration and the Changing Racial Landscape. Immigration and the Changing Racial Landscape. The Aging Society. Problems of an Aging Society. Responses by the Elderly: Human Agency.
  • Urban Problems in the United States. The Mugging of U.S. Cities. The Declining Quality of Urban Life. Urban Policy: Rebuilding U.S. Cities. American Cities at the Beginning of a New Century.
• III. PROBLEMS OF INEQUALITY.
  • Poverty. The Extent of Poverty. Myths About Poverty. The Costs of Poverty. The Causes of Poverty. The Elimination of Poverty.
  • Racial and Ethnic Inequality. How to Think About Racial and Ethnic Inequality. Racial and Ethnic Minorities. Explanations of Racial and Ethnic Inequality. Discrimination Against African Americans and Latinos: Continuity and Change. Contemporary Trends and Issues in U.S. Racial and Ethnic Relations. Racial Policies at the Turn of the Century.
  • Gender Inequality. The Differentiation and Ranking of Women and Men. Learning Gender. Reinforcing Male Dominance. Structured Gender Inequality. The Costs and Consequences of Sexism. Fighting the System.
  • Sexual Orientation. Social Deviance. The Gay and Lesbian Community: An Overview. Discrimination. Fighting the System: Human Agency.
  • Disability and Ableism. Definitions. People with Disabilities as a Minority Group. Issues of Gender, Sexual Behavior, and Fertility. Agency. Conclusion.
• IV. SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND INDIVIDUAL DEVIANCE.
  • Crime and Justice. Crime in Society. The Unjust System of Justice. The Unjust Imposition of the Label “Criminal”.
  • Drugs. Drugs in Society. The Politics of Drugs. U. S. Official Policy: A War on Drugs. Alternatives.
• V. INSTITUTIONAL PROBLEMS.
  • Work. The Problems of Work. The Structural Transformation of the Economy. Age of Discontinuity. The Changing Economy, Demography, and the Future of Work. The Transformation of the Economy and the Bifurcation of the United States.
  • Families. The Mythical Family in the United States. Families in Contemporary U.S. Society: The Family in Capitalism. Stratification and Family Life: Unequal Life Chances. Parents and Children. Divorce. Violence in U.S. Families.
  • Education. The Characteristics of Education in the United States. Education and Inequality. Possibilities for Promoting Equality of Opportunity. Restructuring Society.
  • Health and Health Care Delivery. Unequal Access to Health Care. The Changing Social Organization of Health Care Delivery. Toward a Better Health Care System: Some Alternatives.
  • National Security in the 21st Century. The U. S. Defense Establishment. Terrorism.
• VI. SOLUTIONS
  • A Progressive Plan to Solve Society's Social Problems. Social Problems and Social Policy. Sociology, Social Problems, and Social Change. Progressive Principles to Guide Public Policy. Is a Progressive Social Policy Possible? Human Agency: Social Change from the Bottom Up.

Aging in Society

Credits: 21

Synopsis. A comprehensive, interdisciplinary introduction to the rapidly growing field of gerontology, this course provides the biological, psychological, and sociological aspects of aging.

• Emphasizes diversity (gender, race, ethnicity and culture).
• Includes new perspectives such as humanistic and feminist gerontology and new issues such as Alzheimers and depression.
• New info on the professionalization of gerontology.

Outline. The following aspects are reflected in this course:

• I. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF AGING.
  First the Good News … the Myths of Aging. The Study of Aging. The Demography of Aging.
• II. BIOMEDICAL ASPECTS OF AGING.
  What Are the Results of Aging? Why Do People Become Old? Health Status of the Elderly.
• III. AGING IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE.
  Psychological Aspects of Aging. Social Aspects of Aging. Sociological Theories of Aging.
• IV. THE AGED AND SOCIETY.
  Aging and Family Life. The Economics of Aging. Work, Retirement and Leisure. The Politics of Aging. Religion and Aging.
• V. SPECIAL ISSUES IN AGING.
  Racial and Ethnic Aging. Living Environments of the Elderly. Long-Term Care Health Policy and Aging. Death and Dying

Social Psychology

Credits: 22

Synopsis. This Social Psychology course has motivated students to take social psychology out of the classroom and into their lives. It has now been combined with a free, online source of relevant and timely articles on social psychology.

With a research approach, it provides many opportunities for students to go beyond the course content and learn more about social psychology from articles in leading social science journals, popular magazines, and the New York Times.

Outline. The following aspects are reflected in this course:

• The Field of Social Psychology: How We Think About and Interact with Others
• Social Perception: Understanding Others
• Social Cognition: Thinking About the Social World
• Attitudes: Evaluating the Social World
• Aspects of Social Identity: Self and Gender
• Prejudice: Its Causes, Effects, and Cures
• Interpersonal Attraction: Initial Contact, Liking, Becoming Acquainted
• Close Relationships: Family, Friends, Lovers, and Spouses
• Social Influence: Changing Others' Behavior
• Prosocial Behavior: Helping Others
• Aggression: Its Nature, Causes, and Control
• Groups and Individuals: The Consequences of Belonging
• Social Psychology in Action: Applications to Law, Medicine, and Organizations

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