(CRN: 13996) SOCI 215, Fall 2009: Human Service Systems

Larrison 130, MW 3:00-4:22

Carl Milofsky, 204 Coleman Hall; Office Hours: W, 11-12:00

phone: 73468; email: milofsky@bucknell.edu;

Course web: http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/milofsky/HumServSys

This course provides an overview of the system of human service institutions from a perspective that emphasizes their role in democratic, civil society. Human service institutions include, among other things, education, the criminal justice system, health care, religious institutions, employment, the welfare system, and the informal structure of local communities.

The course emphasizes direct exposure and involvement with some of these institutions. There will be a series of focused, short-term field experiences, some required and some that you will choose from a list of choices. The experiences will provide you with rich, intense experiences that relate to important dilemmas confronting democratic society in America.

Democracy or civil society requires a citizenry that is actively involved in the political process, in volunteering, and in monitoring professional institutions that provide human services. One goal of this course is to provide students with a survey of these institutions. Service institutions are problematic in terms of political objectives, in terms of their openness to the public, and in terms of general social policy objectives that our society should pursue.

In addition to giving you exposure to the institutions, our field experiences will help you to think about some of the issues we read about and discuss in class. Should schools or health care institutions be organized socialistically, as a governmental monopoly, or should market competition (and market failure) prevail? Are civil liberties protected by law outmoded in an era of terrorism? Is community valuable as a part of life and a means for taking care of our social and personal needs? Or is it a romantic, outmoded idea poorly suited to the mobility and individuality of modern life? Is religion controlling and exclusive or is it an important vehicle for building community and promoting basic social values?

This is one of the core courses of the Human Services Concentration in Sociology. It is meant to provide the general conceptual framework you need to understand how particular human services work. Our feeling is that one must have intensive field experiences to properly understand human services. Following up on the this semester's field experiences, SOCI/ANTH 201 (Field Methods) offered next semester will provide you with a more in depth experience. SOCI 215 and SOCI/ANTH 201 prepare you for more advanced, intensive field experiences that you can find in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and elsewhere at Bucknell. Some of these advanced courses are SOCI 315, Sociology of Education, SOCI 322, Medical Sociology, SOCI 360, Organizational Theory, SOCI 402, Public Service and Nonprofit Management, and SOCI 418, Social Services in the Community, A Practicum.

Your grade in SOCI 215 will be based on three elements: two kinds of writing assignments and your participation in class.

1. You must respond to 6 questions from among the multiple questions I will make available on Blackboard to guide each day’s class and discussions. These responses replace exams. There will be no formal midterm or final for the course.

This means that as part of the graded assignment you must be ready to express yourself publicly and share your writing with other students in the class. The questions will be available on the web two weeks before the reading is scheduled to be discussed in class. To respond to a question, you must post a response that the whole class can read before class on the day the readings are due to be read. If you respond to a question, you must be prepared to discuss your response and help to lead the class discussion. Look at the responses others have posted before class and respond to them. If you respond to another student’s posting, that still will count as a draft that you can revise and submit at the end of the week.

You may respond on class days to as many questions as you want over the course of the semester (you may find that this is a good way to think about the readings). If you respond to more questions than are required without handing them for a grade, this will count positively towards your participation grade. You also may submit more questions than are required and let the highest grades you receive count as the grades for required questions.

For those responses that you want to count as one of your answers to the six required questions, you will revise what you posted for class. Submit your final copy to milofsky@bucknell.edu via e-mail by the following Sunday midnight. You must complete three questions before Fall Break and three questions after Fall Break. You may only hand in one question a week. If you do not complete work on time you will receive a zero for that assignment. Each question will be worth 8% of your grade and the six questions together will count 48% of your total grade. If you do not complete questions by the time they are required, you will receive a zero for each question not completed.

2. You must participate in four field experiences over the course of the semester and submit a description of each field experience to milofsky@bucknell.edu via e-mail within a week.

a. Certifications

All students in this course must complete the Bucknell Institutional Review Board course on protection of human subjects and show the certificate of completion you receive to the instructor. To access the course go to: http://www.citiprogram.org/default.asp?language=english

If you have completed the IRB course within the last three years your certificate will still be valid but you must still show it to me.

Students working with people under 18, especially those who are incarcerated, must secure state police, Department of Public Welfare, and FBI clearances. This will cost about $60. You can quickly secure clearances if you go to the UPS store across from WalMart or go to the following website for information: http://www.csiu.org/index.cfm?pageid=2375

If you received clearances last year they are still good if you can produce certificates of approval.

b. Field Experience Papers

Field Experience papers must be at least three pages long. A general description of my expectations for these writing assignments are the website at:

http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/milofsky/HumServSys/FieldWriting/FieldWriting.htm

and on Blackboard. In addition, specific instructions and guidelines for each field experience are available on the course web site at:

http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/milofsky/HumServSys/FieldWriting/

A large number of possible experiences are listed. You may propose others.

Each paper will count 8% towards your total grade for a total of 32%. If you fail to complete four field observation experiences and the four related papers, you will receive a zero for each missed assignment.

You must complete three of the four field assignments before midterm grades are due (October 14). We do this because in the past students have been slow about getting around to the field assignments and at the end of the semester have been unable to complete their work. The first field assignment is required (you have choice about which of the others you want to do). The first assignment has you attending a farm auction within the first two weeks of class. Your other field experiences involve choices among the alternative options listed on the course web site. A listing and schedule of field opportunities is available on the course web site at: http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/milofsky/HumServSys/FieldOpps.htm

If you want to do more than one of the field experiences that have scheduled times after October 14, contact Prof. Milofsky. Also contact him if you have made two definite appointments for field visits after October 14 so you can have permission to hand in field papers late.

Some new sites may be added during the semester and students may suggest activities or settings that they would like to experience or might share with others. Early in the term you must select the field experiences you will visit. This is important because some of the sites have room for only a few people and also because students tend to fall behind in visiting settings and then face the possibility that they cannot complete the assignment. Advanced planning is especially important for criminal justice settings where you must be screened for a past police record by having your name and social security number submitted to the State Police, the FBI, and the state child abuse authorities.

Some settings are close to campus so you can walk to them and we may organize car pools for others. However, if you do not have access to a car you will want to register for a university driver's license. All students in class should be certified to drive university vehicles since this also is important for other field research courses. You then may then be able to use a university car to travel to your field experience.

To learn more about Bucknell’s Authorized Driver Program their its web site at: http://my.bucknell.edu/x37612.html . This semester Driver Orientation Classes and tests will be held in the Forum on Monday, September 21 at 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm, and Tuesday, September 22, at 5:00 pm.

3. Participation is a critical part of this course and attendance is required.

Participation means taking part in class discussions, responding to discussion questions on line, attending class regularly, and being responsible about the field assignments you take part in. You may not miss more than three class sessions (unless attendance for a class date is listed as optional in the syllabus) or your grade will be lowered (I take attendance).

Participation in this class has unusual weight because it involves acting responsibly in field settings.

Being responsible with respect to field experiences means showing up at the field site on time, DRESSING CONSERVATIVELY, acting responsibly in the field, being inquisitive and outgoing with field contacts, using common sense, and telling field supervisors if there is something you want or need.

In several of our sessions confidentiality is essential. We will talk about the ethics of observation and how we respect and protect subjects of our research. Do not talk to people outside of class about things you see if you are in a confidential setting. It is a good idea to substitute a fake name for a real name if you describe individuals in your writing. It also is a good idea to slightly change personal details that do not matter (hair color, height, age) to further disguise it if you are talking about particular individuals.

Do not be shy. Be independent and assertive. Be prepared for your field supervisor to ask you to help out—students are often asked to lead discussion groups in our prison visitation, for example. I get feedback from field supervisors.

Understand that we all play a role in creating and preserving field settings for future students. If you are insensitive or disruptive in a setting it may make it impossible for Bucknell students to use that site in the future.

Wearing flip-flops, showing your midriff, wearing revealing or low cut shirts, and wearing T-shirts with slogans that promote drinking or that make questionable sexual jokes are all things students in this class have done that have caused problems in field settings. Sometimes you’ll want to dress up a bit (going to court, going to the hospital) and sometimes you’ll want to dress casually (going to auctions). If you do not know what it means to dress conservatively and in a way that respects your setting, ask.

Try to avoid openly taking notes in the field or being obvious about “studying” people. Also, avoid “clumping” with other students. Go on your own, strike up informal conversations with locals, and ask questions about what is going on. Taking notes and “clumping” not only make people uncomfortable about your presence but makes it difficult for other students who are trying to use the same setting and who will want to strike up relaxed conversations with local people.

Do not choose a field site if you think it will be upsetting to you. Some of our field experiences are intense and involve unusual experiences. Do not be a hero or feel that you are expected to get involved in situations you find scary or worrisome. If you are in a setting and become uncomfortable, leave or let people know. Be careful about experimenting and testing your limits by trying out a field setting. This sometimes happens when a student has had a prior experience related to a setting and thinks it might be constructive to try experiencing the setting through this class. If this applies to you, PLEASE TALK TO THE PROFESSOR BEFORE GOING TO THE FIELD SETTING. I don’t like surprises.

To summarize, grades will be determined as follows:

6 class discussion question responses @8% each, 48% total

4 field observations and writeups @8% each 32% total

Participation 20% total

Most of the readings for this course are on Blackboard. Some of the library readings have links to the Library Database, JSTOR. If you cannot get that link to work, contact the professor since I have electronic copies of the articles. One book has been ordered and is in the bookstore:

Albert Hunter and Carl Milofsky, Pragmatic Liberalism. Constructing a Civil Society (New York: Palgrave, MacMillan 2007)---Listed as H&M in the Course Schedule.

Class Schedule

Aug 26 Introduction and overview.

Saturday, August 29, September 5, or September 12

Students must find, select, and attend an auction during one of these three weeks (some auctions are held during the week). Check auction web site at: http://www.auctionzip.com/ and check the course web site for information about doing this auction assignment at: http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/milofsky/HumServSys/auctions/. You may also find auctions by picking up hand bills around town or reading the local paper (The Daily Item) which generally only advertises auctions on Thursday you have to buy the paper on that day. The Daily Item may include smaller auctions than the auction web site. Plan to spend at least two hours at the auction.

Aug 30 Is there a crisis in human services?

**Read** H&M, Prologue and Ch 1, "Malaise", pp ix-14.

**Optional, on Blackboard**: D. Leonhardt, “Fat Tax. Should Overweight People Pay More for Health Insurance?” New York Times Magazine 8/16/09: 9-10

and D. Zinczenko, “Don’t Blame the Eater.” Pp. 139-141 in Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, They Say, I Say, pp. 1-14 (New York: WW Norton 2006).

Sept 2 The right to safety; whose safety? (Milofsky will be in London. Video will be shown by a TA.) If you post discussion comments and ask for a response, Milofsky will provide comments.

View in class the video What I Want My Words to Do to You. Video available on reserve, call number: PS508.P7 W53 2003

**Read** H&M, Chapter 2, "Rights", pp 15-28

and on Blackboard: Kent Roach, “Four Models of the Criminal Process.” The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vol. 89, No. 2 (Winter, 1999), pp. 671-716

and L. N. Friedman, “The Crime Victim Movement at Its First Decade.” Public Administration Review > Vol. 45, Special Issue: Law and Public Affairs (Nov., 1985), pp. 790-794.

Sept 7 Crime and the humanity of criminals.

Visit from Dan Clark, high school principal at the North Central Secure Treatment Unit. The main focus of discussion will be confidentiality in writing about this setting and safety issues when visiting in prisons. However, we also will talk to Dan about his rehabilitation philosophy and the contrast with the penal philosophy that he opposes.

**Read** On Blackboard C. Milofsky and J.A. Schneider, “Ethics, Risk, and Some Emotional Components of Field Research,” Ch. 8 in The Field Notes Manual. Doing Field Research in Sociology and Anthropology. (Lewisburg, PA: Bucknell University, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, 2006),

and E. Rotman “Do Criminal Offenders Have a Constitutional Right to Rehabilitation?” The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (1973-) > Vol. 77, No. 4 (Winter, 1986), pp. 1023-1068

Sept 9 Collective safety and the rights of individuals who are suspects and perhaps guilty. Class visit from Union County District Justice Leo Armbruster.

**Read** On Blackboard, A.S. Blumberg, "The Practice of Law as a Con Game", pp 185-208 in Robert G. Culbertson and Ralph A. Weisheit (Eds.), Order Under Law. Readings in Criminal Justice, 5th edition. (Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press 1997)

and John Irwin, "Managing Rabble". Pp. 1-17 in The Jail. Managing the Underclass in American Society. (Berkeley: University of California Press 1985).

Sept 14 Multiplexity as community.

View video in class: A Country Auction: The Paul V. Leitzel Estate Sale. HF5477.U52 C69 1984

**Read** H&M, Chapter 3, “Why Help?”, pp 29-50,

and on Blackboard J.A. Barnes, (1954), "Class and committees in a Norwegian island parish," Human Relations 7: 39-58.

Sept 16 Why help? What is community, anyway? 4 models: network density; ecology; trusting relationships; exchange.

Viewing community as an ecological phenomenon.

Discuss auction field experiences.

**Read** On Blackboard: J. Jacobs, “The uses of sidewalks: Safety”. Pp 29-54 in The Death and Life of Great American Cities. (New York: Vintage 1961) and

E. Klinenberg, “Race, place, and vulnerability: Urban neighborhoods and the ecology of support”, Ch. 2, pp 79-128 in E. Klinenberg, Heat Wave (Chicago: University of Chicago Press 202).

**Writing** All auction field experience papers should be in by today.

Sept 21 Community as relational and political: social capital.

**Read** On Blackboard: J.A. Schneider, “Small nonprofits and civil society: Civic engagement and civil society.” Pp. 74-88 in R.A. Cnaan and C. Milofsky (eds.), The Handbook of Community Movements and Local Organizations. (New York: Springer 2007) and

R.D. Putnam "Bowling Alone: Democracy in America at Century's End", Journal of Democracy 6 (1): 65-79 (Jan 1995).

Sept 23 The problem: the community of limited liability vs. the gift relationship.

**Read** On Blackboard: Janowitz, M. and D. Street (1978). “Changing social order of the metropolitan area.” Pp. 90-132 in D. Street and Associates, Handbook of Contemporary Urban Life San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,

and Richard Titmuss, “The Gift,” Ch. 5, pp. 70-89, and “Economic Man: Social Man,” Ch. 12, pp. 195-208 in R.M. Titmuss, The Gift Relationship (New York: Vintage 1972).

Sept 28 Three ideological models of policy intervention: radical, liberal, and conservative.

**Read** ON ERES: Gordon, David "Editor's Introduction", pp 1-15 in David Gordon (ed.), Problems in Political Economy: An Urban Perspective, 2nd Ed. (Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath & Co., 1977).

Sept 30 The Economic Model and the conservative approach

**Read** H&M, Chapter 4, “The Conservative View: Markets, Inequality, and Social Efficiency,” pp. 51-70.

Oct 5 Schools: Bureaucracy and market monopoly vs. protecting the weakest.

**Read** On Blackboard: Kozol, Jonathon, "The Savage Inequalities of Education in New York", Ch3, pp 83-132 in Savage Inequalities. Children in America's Schools. (New York: Harper Collins 1992)

J.E. Chubb and T.M. Moe, “The root of the problem”, ch 1, pp 1-25 in Politics, Markets, and America’s Schools (Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution 1990) and

P. Tough, “A teachable moment.” New York Times Magazine, August 17, 2008: 30-37, 46, 50-51.

Oct 7 Social Capital and Schooling

**Read** On Blackboard: Coleman, J.S. (1988). “Social capital and the creation of human capital.” American Journal of Sociology 94 (Supplement): S95-S120.

and A.S. Bryk, V. E. Lee, and P. B. Holland, Ch. 1, "The Tradition of Catholic Schools", pp. 15-54 in Catholic Schools and the Common Good. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press 1993)

Oct 12 Fall Break

Oct 14 Faith-Based Social Change Programs

**Read** On Blackboard: Noah Feldman, “A Church-State Solution”, pp 28-33, 50, 52-53, New York Times Magazine, July 3, 2005, and Arthur E. Farnsley II, Rising Expectations. Urban Congregations, Welfare Reform, and Civic Life, Chs. 1 & 2, pp. 1-32 (Bloomington and Indianapolis: University of Indiana Press 2003).

Oct 19 The radical approach

**Read** H&M, Chapter 5, “Class Conflict and the Radical View of the Common Good”, pp. 71-86.

Oct 21 Radical action

**Read** On Blackboard: Stanley Aronowitz, "Against the liberal state. ACT-UP and the emergence of postmodern politics." Pp 125-144 in The Death and Rebirth of American Radicalism (New York: Routledge 1996).

and Saul Alinsky, “What is a radical?”, pp. 3-23 in Reveille for Radicals (New York: Vintage 1942/1969).

Oct 26 The Social Class Gradient of Disease

**Film** We will watch the first segment (it’s a four-hour series) of Unnatural Causes. Is Inequality Making Us Sick? The segment is titled, “In Sickness and in Wealth.” RA448.4 .U53 2008.

**Read** On Blackboard: S. Leonard Syme and Lisa F. Berkman, “Social Class, Susceptibility, and Sickness,” pp 24-30 in Peter Conrad (ed.), The Sociology of Health and Illness, 8th ed. (New York: Worth Publishers, 2009).

Oct 28 The radical analysis: Health care and welfare.

**Read** On Blackboard: Howard Waitzkin, " Technology, Health Costs, and the Structure of Private Profit." Ch 4, pp 89-110 in The Second Sickness. Contradictions of Capitalist Health Care (New York: Free Press 1983)

and M. Mahar, “Preface.” Pp. xiii-xxi in Money Driven Medicine (NY: Harper/Collins 2006)

Nov 2 Corporate medicine.

**Read** On Blackboard M. Mahar, “The Road to Corporate Medicine.” Pp. 1-29 in Money Driven Medicine (NY: Harper/Collins 2006).

Nov 4 Maldistribution of health care costs and quality

**Read** On Blackboard Gawande, Atul, “The Cost Conundrum.” New Yorker, 6/1/09: 1-11.

and Sack, K. and Herszenhorn, D.M., “Texas Hospital Flexing Muscle in Health Fight.” New York Times 6/30/09: A1.

and A. Gawande, D. Berwick, E. Fisher, and M. McClellan, “10 Steps to Better Health Care.” New York Times: A27.

Nov 6 (Fri) Money Driven Medicine, Film and Panel, Olin Auditorium, 7 pm

Or

Nov 7 (Sat) Money Driven Medicine, Film and Panel with the producer, Campus Theater (time T.B.A.)

For either session, **Read** On Blackboard, M. Mahar, “When More Care Is Not Better Care,” pp. 156-197 in Money Driven Medicine (NY: Harper/Collins 2006).

Nov 9 The liberal approach

**Read** H&M, Chapter 6, “The Constructive Chaos of Pluralism”, pp 87-112.

Nov 11 The policy process and the complexity of reform.

**Read** On Blackboard: C. E. Lindblom, The Policy-Making Process, Chs. 1 & 2 (Engelwood Cliffs, NY: Prentice Hall 1968) and

L. Belkin , “The school-lunch test”, New York Times Magazine, pp 30-35, 48, 52, 54-55, August 20, 2006.

Nov 16 Institutions as venues for social action

**Read** H&M, Chapter 7, “Institutions, Social Policy, and the Death of the Old Social Science,” pp. 113-136.

Nov 18 No class. This class is replaced by the Money Driven Medicine film and panel that student must attend on either November 6 or November 7.

Nov 23 Organ Transplantation.

**Read** On Blackboard: Michael Finkel, "Complications" NY Times Magazine, May 27, 2001, pp 26-33, 40, 52, and 59;

Gretchen Reynolds, “Will Any Organ Do? New York Times Magazine, July 10, 2005: 36-41 and

Rebecca Skloot, “Taking the Least of You.” New York Times Magazine, 4/16/06: 38-45, 75, 79, 81.

Nov 25 Thanksgiving Break

Nov 30 The Morality of Social Policy

**Read** H&M, Chapter 8, “Moral Policy”, pp.; 137-158.

and On Blackboard: Lisa Belkin, "The High Cost of Living", New York Times Magazine, 1/31/93: 31.

Dec 2 Trust, social capital, and development.

**Read** On Blackboard: Cunningham, G. (2008). “Stimulating Asset Based Community Development: Lessons from Five Communities in Ethiopia.” Pp. 263-297 in A. Mathie and G. Cunningham (eds.), From Citizens to Clients. Communities Changing the Course of Their Own Development.Bourton on Dunsmore, Rugby, Warwickshire, UK: Practical Action Publishing, Intermediate Publications, Ltd.

Dec 7 Leadership, community, and civil society

**Read** H&M Ch. 9

Dec 11 All assignments are due by 5 pm on this Friday.