Received: from smtp3.erols.com (smtp3.erols.com [205.252.116.103]) by csf.Colorado.EDU (8.7.6/8.7.3/CNS-4.0p) with ESMTP id JAA24039 for ; Fri, 18 Jul 1997 09:41:11 -0600 (MDT) Received: from aiaware (spg-as65s15.erols.com [207.172.51.206]) by smtp3.erols.com (8.8.6/8.8.5) with SMTP id LAA32017 for ; Fri, 18 Jul 1997 11:41:11 -0400 Message-ID: <33CFB7AC.3733@erols.com> Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 11:36:28 -0700 From: "angela j. ware" MIME-Version: 1.0 To: socgrad@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Re: help with course References: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit rmoore@earth.sunlink.net wrote: > > I need help! This semester I am teaching social control and social > problems, two separate courses. I have had this combination before. I find > teaching social control to be rather baffling. It resembles social > problems, I think, a great deal. This is especially true if one uses a text > on deviant behavior. Can anyone out there give advice to help? I want to > make this course interesting. I would also like to use some smaller > non-texts in the course. In the past I have used books on censorship, > sexuality and mental illness. But generally, I am really bored with what I > have used and need to find a new direction. > > Bob Moore > rmoore@mail.sunlink.net Hello Bob, Assuming the social control course is undergrad., I would suggest beginning the course with some readings and discussions of Authority and Obedience. This provides 1) an interesting start for classroom discourse and 2) groundwork for understanding deviance. two books which could be used as "non-texts" on this topic,(and I believe might add some spark) are: Stanley Milgram's classic which I'm sure you are familiar with: "Obedience to Authority." 1974. Very interesting and thought provoking. Many violations of current ethics in the research, but findings are truly astounding (even to Milgram). "Crimes of Obedience." 1989. Kelman & Hamilton. This one is 350 pages, but I bought it for $16.00 (new) a few yrs. ago, so it is inexpensive, and you could pull out chapters that are particularly relevant. It examines the My Lai Massacre and the actions of Lt. Calley (and others) regarding the ability and willingness of soldiers to commit incredible acts of evil -- the sole reason being of course, that they were ordered to. Very chilling reality check on the human animal. Both of these books (and I'm sure there are others) tend to promote discussion on context-based deviance. The line of meaning between the honorable act of duty and the actual behavior, which is dishonorable or deviant in any other context, i.e., when NOT ordered by an authority. This issue of course, is not limited to military roles. Authority and obedience are certainly relevant to social control. This idea might also add some variety to YOUR semester. You are right that social control can overlap with social problems. good luck, angela ware.