Mr. J. McCallum
JMcCallum@Ellingtonschools.net
Contemporary Issues / Sociology
Contemporary issues
Contemporary issues will be overview course pertaining to issues, events and topics that recently or currently have had an impact on the world. Issues, events and topics of discussions, debate, are derived from an international, national, and local perspective. Contemporary Issues will incorporate themes on urbanization, population, family, gender issues, education, ethnicity, race, religion, culture, groups/ organizations.
Goals of the Class:
Upon completion of this course students should be able to:
1. Recognize the important issues in the United States and world affairs.
2. Understand their rights and responsibilities as well-informed and educated citizens.
3. Use analytical and critical thinking skills, along with thinking for themselves.
4. Distinguish the difference between fact and opinion.
5. Compare and contrast events, situations, or points of view
6. Identify cause and effect when interpreting the relationship between events.
7. Take a stand by identifying an issue, deciding what they think about it, and persuasively express their position based on specific information.
8. Demonstrate their comprehension of technology through research using
the Internet, primary sources and secondary sources.
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Sociology
Sociology is comprehensive studies of human society and social interaction. Groups rather than individualism are the central focus of this course. The basics of sociology will be looked at which include its origins and founders along with the sociological perspective and investigation. Contemporary society will be studied with emphasis on culture, groups/ organizations, race and ethnicity, sex and gender, the family, education, and population/ urbanization.
Goals of the Class:
Upon completion of this course students should be able to:
1. Understand the purpose, methods, vocabulary, and contributions of sociology.
2. Know how sociology views humans and human behavior.
3. Know what sociology seeks to accomplish and how it differs from similar social sciences. (Anthropology, psychology, philosophy, history, economics, and political science).
4. Comprehend, utilize, and apply basic sociology vocabulary and knowledge of sociology in oral discussions and written papers.
5. Understand the concepts relating to sociology.
6. Understand how social structure (culture) and group behavior impacts individuals and society.
7. Identify Values, Norms, and Cultural Shifts.
8. Recognize change agents within society (technology, multiculturalism, birthrate and age demographics, globalization and global society).
9. Apply Knowledge and concepts of sociology to the world today
10. Identify institutions that are part of social structure and explain their purpose(family, court system, mass media, politics, and religion).
11. Assess major problems of American Society.
12. Identify major sociological problems in American society (poverty, crime,prejudice, changing values, minority relations).
13. Identify possible causes of problems in American society.
