Sociology 498: Homelessness

Class meetings

We will meet as a seminar with primary emphasis on group discussion. Discussions will be based closely on the readings and the study questions on the web. Successful discussions depend on two factors: preparation and openness.

Preparation. Discussion topics are assigned for each class. Each discussion has a major theme and a few minor variations. Study questions for each book will highlight the main issues in the readings and should also raise some questions about their validity. If you have not done the reading and thought about the questions before class, don't come. It is not fair to freeload off the work of others. Moreover, you will be a drag on our discussion.

Openness. Good discussions depend on getting a variety of viewpoints out for consideration. If we all agree, it seems reassuring but ultimately is boring. So it's important that we all feel free to raise issues and points of view that may not be popular at first. Sometimes, it may be necessary to play a "devil's advocate" role to confront ideas that seem acceptable but need more thorough examination. I will probably do some of this myself, especially in the beginning, but I expect others to be able to develop this role also. Learn to value differences of opinion -- not because all opinions are equally valid, but because new points of view force us to re-examine our own ideas and put them on a sounder basis.