Social Problems (202-0-20)
Instructors
Monica Prasad
Monica Prasad's areas of interest are political sociology, economic sociology, and comparative historical sociology. She has written three award-winning books using comparative and historical methods to examine the political economy of the United States and Europe, including the history and divergent trajectories of welfare states, the rise of “neoliberalism,” and the origins of distinct patterns of economic growth in different countries and their consequences for redistribution.
Her scholarship has received the Fulbright award, the National Science Foundation Early Career Development Award, the Guggenheim Fellowship, and several other grants and awards.
Meeting Info
Tech Institute Lecture Room 2: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
How do you change the world? How do people try to address the social problems they see around them, and why are some of these efforts successful and others less so? How should you, as a student and a citizen, spend your time if you want to bring about change? In this course students will receive an overview of some issues that are currently defined as social problems in the U.S. and in the world, and will spend time thinking about the sociological roles through which people try to bring about social change (activist; non-profit leader; politician; writer; technocrat) and the conditions under which they may be successful. We will also try to solve, as a class, one particular problem at Northwestern, the problem of access to college in America.
Learning Objectives
(1) Overview of social problems in the U.S. and the world
(2) Understanding of how people attempt to solve social problems
(3) Understanding of why some attempts are more and less successful at some times
(4) Practical experience in attempting to solve a social problem
Teaching Method
Lecture, Group Work, Discussion
Evaluation Method
Presentation, paper, exam
Class Materials (Required)
All materials for this course will be made available on Canvas - no purchase necessary.
Class Attributes
Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area