SOC 1620 Unhoused: Homeless in the U.S.

This first-year seminar course provides a sociological exploration of the social issues of housing insecurity and homelessness. We will address questions such as: What causes people to become unhoused? How do we, as a society, think about and respond to homeless populations? What are the consequences of homelessness—and how we respond to homelessness–for individuals, families, and communities? How do people experiencing homelessness manage the difficulties they face? This is a project-based course that uses inquiry-guided learning that relies on peer collaboration and active discussion. Through engagement with course materials and reflection, students will develop a “sociological imagination,” or the ability to see how their own lives and the lives of others are connected to broader social forces using data and evidence.

Credits

4

Cross Listed Courses

None

Prerequisite

None

Corequisite

None

Course Types

Core Curriculum - Society Major - Counts as elective credit for Sociology majors

Offered

• Fall

Notes

Does not count as elective credit towards the Sociology minor, as no more than one course in the minor can be offered at the 1000-level and the introductory course (1000-level) is a minor requirement.

1. Demonstrate ability to analyze human behavior, culture, and institutional processes from a sociological perspective, using homelessness is a guiding topic.
2. Conduct original sociological research by applying social scientific methods to the study of homelessness.
3. Illustrate ability to use sociological theories and concepts to analyze and explain patterns in homelessness and societal responses to it.
4. Make arguments about the human experience using evidence that is appropriate to the discipline of sociology.