SOC 200 - Housing is a Human Right (SYS) (1)

Housing is a human right, yet many people struggle to maintain stable housing. This course provides a sociological examination of the places in which we live, how we are housed, and what it is like to live without a place to call home. This course will focus on the issues of housing instability and homlessness as we explore the ways in which these social problems are shaped by public policy, economics, gender, race, and family relations. Taking an intersectional approach, we’ll consider controversies surrounding ‘the American dream’ such as segregation, overcrowding, affordability, urbanization/suburbanization, accessibility, and alternative housing and investigate the ways in which social inequalities have impacted the current housing situation in the US. Throughout the course we will engage in community based research with a local homeless service agency to assist them in breaking the cycle of homelessness in the Cedar Rapids area. Only open to sophomores.
(Sophomore Year Seminar (SYS)) (Social Science)