Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This course meets general education and diversity requirements.
 

Upon successful completion students should be able to:
1. Apply sociological and multicultural perspectives to social issues and movements.
2. Examine the impacts of social changes and actions on people and social structures.
3. Assess historical and current organized responses to social problems, utilizing sociological theories and multidisciplinary research.
4. Appreciate the diversity of organized social responses to social issues and discover different ways to engage in society.

The SAC leaves specific assessment strategies to the instructor, but assumes that a variety of formative assessments will be used to test student learning throughout the term, including worksheets, quizzes or exams. The SAC also encourages the integration of the following kinds of tasks into the course to assess student achievement of course outcomes in a more comprehensive and holistic manner:

1. Short analytical or application papers on specific concepts, themes, and issues
2. Term or research papers, using a variety of research strategies
3. Oral presentations
4. Group research, analysis, and presentation projects
5. Class participation in full-class discussions and small groups or teams.
6. Response papers or journals reflecting on life experiences, events, perspectives of lecturers, and social phenomena.
7. Service-learning tasks or participant observation in a social movement or group working on relevant social issues
8. Student-instructor conferences
9. Portfolios
10. Video projects
11. Oral histories and interviews

1. Sociological and multidisciplinary approaches and perspectives related to the study of global issues and movements and related processes of social change
2. Social science research and methods appropriate to the study of social change and social movements
3. Cultural issues relevant to the study of social issues and movements, with particular attention to multiculturalism and diversity
4. Social stratification and systems of inequality-including social class, wealth and poverty, race and ethnicity, gender and age-with respect to the social issues studied
5. Social structure and organizational issues with respect to the issues and movements studied
6. The interface of the major social institutions and social change with respect to the issues and movements studied, from a multidisciplinary perspective

Competencies and Skills

1. Apply sociological and multidisciplinary approaches and perspectives to the social issues, change, and movements studied
2. Write and communicate orally in a clear, organized, and effective manner
3. Think critically about the issues and movements and analyze complex social realities
4. Use varied and effective research techniques and strategies
5. Develop and refine group process skills, which may include listening, brainstorming, communicating, negotiating, or cooperating on shared tasks
6. Develop ability to listen to and empathize with diverse perspectives and experiences
7. Observe and/or participate in social movements and groups related to the issues studied.
8. Integrate course work with current events and trends through examination of popular and news media on the issues and movements studied

Approved Texts The SAC must approve texts selected as appropriate to the social issues and movements studied.