Social Problems

Hello Welcome to Social Problems

Welcome to undergraduate Social Problems class. This website was created to support the course and our Lincoln canvas website. I have posted information on some of your readings and assignments. This site gives you a snapshot of what we are going to cover in class. I just pulled out some points from what we will cover each week. We will examine several social problems in detail and we will cover how the various sociological theorist discuss those problems.

The complete class information is posted to our CANVAS course site. This will be available to you in the beginning of the semester. Everything we will cover and all the assignments are not posted here. This website is intended to give you a head start on the course readings. This site also gives you some information on your class assignments. (The full details of all assignments are also posted to canvas.) You can start thinking about the assignments and get a head start on pulling your ideas together. Yes, you can work on the assignments early, but nothing can be submitted until the semester starts. Before you submit anything make sure that you have reviewed the instructions posted to canvas, there may be additional information not posted here.

Message from Dr. Squires

My Story

Hello everyone. I am looking forward to working with you this term. This class includes undergraduate sociology students and others in related majors. You will get a lot from class even if you have not had any previous exposure to Sociological theories or social problems. So don't worry, you will be able to pick up the information. I have been teaching many years, and I work hard to develop courses that foster deep learning and retention of information. You have a diverse set of small projects. (I promise you will actually like doing them.)

In terms of training, I am a Rural Sociologist, and my areas of concentration are theory, social psychology, race relations and community development. I am also Visual Sociologist, and this means that I have an interest in how people use and communicate through images or different types of media. I have scoured the superhighway for some of the most informative videos on Sociological theories. I guarantee that the videos selected will help you retain or understand the course information.

I encourage you to talk to me at anytime during the semester. I am here to help you and I would like to have as much interaction with you as possible during the course of this class. Some of the topics covered in class will be controversial however it is my commitment to you that this class will be a safe environment for learning including the expression of new ideas and comments. The only prerequisite for the class is an "Open Mind" and the agreement to show respect for others during discussions.

Class Meetings & Attendance Info

This is an asynchronous class, but you do have University attendance requirements. Your attendance will be calculated based on your weekly course logins & participations. We can see when you log in and what you work on weekly. I posted a screen shot of a records page below.

In addition to seeing all your grades, we can actually see your weekly activity. So, if you try to post something and have problems the effort will be recorded. If you don't participate and log into the class we can see that also.

We can also see how many times you tried to communicate with your professors.

Zoom Sessions

I will hold zoom brown bag lunch sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon. Logging into these sessions counts as your attendance for the week. During these sessions I will review the lectures and readings for the topic.

How Can I Help You?

I used AI to help develop this website. Things like ChatGPT are very useful for organizing info into categories and creating timelines. So the charts and illustrations were all created with ChatGPT. Please see the AI policy & usage. There I explain how AI programs can be used in the class.

I may kill you in the future, but right now...

We will talk about the problems that come with new and diverse technology. A major concern is that this technology will lead to the downfall of humanity. The AI Policy page tells you how this technology can be used in this class. The last lecture on AI talk about the social problems we are seeing today related to this technology.

Academic Calendar - Fall 2026

Fall Semester 2026

August 10-11: Fall Faculty and Staff Institute
August 13-15: Advisement and registration for all students. All tuition and fees due and payable at the time of registration.
August 16: Final day to pay tuition/fees for Fall 2026 1st 8-week and 16-week courses in full, or to set up a satisfactory payment plan to avoid risk of classes being deactivated.
August 16-21: Late registration fee assessed.
August 17: First day of classes.
August 17-21: Drop-Add Week for students already registered for current semester (16wk) or 1st eight-week classes; registration for 2nd 8-week classes continues.
August 21: Last day to add classes for 1st 8-week and 16-week sessions. Final business day to drop a 1st 8-week or 16-week class without financial/academic obligations.
September 1: Parking permits required on all vehicles parked in the LU parking lots.
September 3: Fall Convocation.
September 7: Labor Day (University closed for holiday).
September 8: “X” and “I” grades due in the Office of the Registrar.
September 16: Last day for candidates to file for degrees for fall semester graduation.
September 21: Last day to drop classes or withdraw from the University for the 1st 8-week session.
September 29: Last day to file for comprehensive examinations and/or portfolios for Master’s and specialist degree candidates.
October 9: Midterm grades posted by 12 noon.
October 10: 1st 8-week classes end.
October 12: First day of Fall 2nd 8-week classes. Final grades posted for the 1st 8-week session by 12 noon.
October 13: Last day to register for the 2nd 8-week session. All tuition and fees due and payable for 2nd 8-week session.
October 16: Final day to drop 2nd 8-week class without financial/academic obligations.
October 19-23: Assessment Week: Major Field Exams, General Education Test, and student surveys.
October 22: Comprehensive examinations for Master’s degree candidates (1:00 PM to 5:00 PM CST).
October 28: Advanced registration for Spring 2026 semester begins. All tuition and fees due and payable at the time of registration.
November 11: Veteran’s Day (University closed for holiday).
November 20: Last day to withdraw from a course for the 2nd 8-week and/or 16-week sessions.
November 23-27: Thanksgiving Break (no classes).
November 26-27: Thanksgiving (University closed).
November 30: Classes resume.
December 4: Fall 2026 classwork ends.
December 7-11: Fall 2026 Final Examinations.
December 14: Final grades posted by 12 noon.

The Board of Curators approves the academic calendar, which was last revised on February 25, 2025.

IMPORTANT SOCIAL PROBLEMS COURSE INFORMATION

This is a reminder about the nature of social change. “Social change refers to the transformation of cultural values, social institutions, behaviors, and norms over time.” The world is shifting rapidly. From pandemics to wars, at this point in history, we cannot reliably predict how events will unfold. If anything significant occurs, please stay updated through Campus news, and I will post any relevant information in the course announcements.

How to Navigate the Website

This website provides an overview of your SA303 Social Problems course syllabus and class topics. The website contains general information on the readings, lectures, videos, assignments and discussion questions required weekly. I have tried to make this website as easy as possible to navigate. It provides a general guide of things we will cover. This website does not cover everything or all the topics we will touch on during the semester. This website is designed to help you get a head start on some of the readings and assignments. Please review the full syllabus in Canvas when the semester begins.

I have structured this informational website to model your LU Canvas site. All the readings, videos and lectures are posted and clickable, however there may be additional readings not featured here. This website supports but does not replace your canvas class page. You will still have to post your assignments and discussions to the course canvas page. This website allows you to look at some semester's requirements at one time. This website also allows me to draw your attention to some issues that we may not be able to explore in depth during the semester.

Yes, before the official class you can explore the course readings. The online textbooks are also posted here. Having the information gives you an opportunity to examine the readings at a more leisurely pace. You can also draft your submissions for the assignments or develop you plan for what you plan to submit during the semester.

Privacy: Remember this is a private course site, and no information can be shared or posted without permission. Lectures are not posted here. Lectures will be available once the semester starts. Everything in this class is used for educational purposes only.

Discussion Questions: The course discussion questions consist of a general question for you to answer and you have to respond to one other student's post. You can ask questions of other students, suggest things for them to consider, or recommend readings or videos. Your responses to each other can be informal. Your discussion grade will be based on your answers to the general question. The post word count depends on the specific discussion question. Remember this is not twitter, so no one or two sentences discussion posts will be accepted.

Once the semester begins, please open and read the syllabus, it will have the full details on the structure and requirements for the class.

Website Page Descriptions

Welcome Page
AI and Technology Policy = This page contains information on acceptable technology and AI usage in the class.
Course Readings = This page contains direct links to your course textbooks, as well as a few support reading materials and resources for the course
Topic #1 = Introduction to Social Problems
Topic #2 = Food - What the hell are we eating?
Topic #3 = Environment - Don't crap where you eat.
Topic #4 = War, what is it good for... absolutely nothing!
Topic #5 = Media, we don't talk anymore.
Topic #6 = Healthcare, I've fallen and I can't get up!
Topic #7 = Race, racism hurts everyone!
Topic #8 = Gender inequality, sugar and spice and everything nice.
Topic #9 = Sexuality
Topic #10 = Violence, violence is as American as apple pie.
Topic #11 = Family
Topic #12 = Poverty, you will own nothing and be happy
Topic #13 = Drugs, they were all high.
Topic #14 = AI IS going to kill you?

The site navigation menu is located at the bottom of each page in the quick links section.

Social Problem in Real Life (IRL) Students Not Reading & Illiteracy

How well do you read? How were you taught to read? How often do you read? Do you understand what you read? After reading a book can you tell someone about the story? Do you enjoy reading?

Are we now creating two classes one literate and the other illiterate

Whole Language is a method of teaching reading that focuses on understanding whole words, sentences, and stories instead of first teaching the individual sounds that letters make.

Critics argue that Whole Language instruction may contribute to several social problems:

Lower reading proficiency: Some students struggle to develop strong decoding and word-recognition skills without explicit phonics instruction.
Educational inequality: Students from disadvantaged backgrounds may be affected more because they may have fewer literacy supports outside school.
Achievement gaps: Weak early reading skills can contribute to differences in academic performance across socioeconomic and demographic groups.
Reduced academic success: Students who struggle with reading often have more difficulty in subjects such as science, history, and mathematics, where reading comprehension is essential.
Economic consequences: Lower literacy is associated with reduced employment opportunities, lower lifetime earnings, and decreased workforce productivity.
Civic participation: Limited literacy can make it more difficult for individuals to evaluate information, engage in informed decision-making, and participate fully in civic life.

Quick Links

Remember this website represents a snapshot of your Fall 2026 Social problems class. The full course information is posted to canvas and will be available in the Fall semester. If you want to get a headstart on your readings and assignments this website will help you.

Your site navigation menu is at the bottom of each page.