A study of contemporary American and global social problems, with emphasis on the sociological theories and scientific research methods. Topics include poverty, unemployment, global economic inequality, racism, gender inequality, health care issues, crime, war, violence, terrorism, environmental degradation and the concentration of political and economic power. A critical evaluation of policies and programs for social betterment is also presented. (C-ID SOCI 115) (CSU/UC)Â (AA/AS-D, CSU-D, IGETC-4)