Course Overview
New for 2021! Earn three college credits online in three weeks! Students will be enrolled in SOC 200: Sociology of the Environment. This is a regularized special topics undergraduate course delivered through both synchronous and asynchronous based instruction, group and individual project work, and homework. In this course, we will examine the ways in which our contemporary society depends on natural resources from around the world and the ways that social institutions create environmental problems and attempt to solve them.
This course is open to Syracuse University undergraduates.
Course Objectives
Upon completing the course, students will be able to:
- Identify, describe, and apply key sociological concepts.
- Identify and describe conditions of environmental social issues.
- Identify and apply selected sociological theories to real world situations (on the environment and social processes/institutions).
- Identify and apply sociological inquiry in the form of a course long focus on a specific environmental issue and present findings in a conference style presentation.
- Develop communication skills in various forms utilizing one’s informed judgment on sociological concepts, theories, and applications appropriate for discussing environmental issues, conditions, and potential solutions.
Course Information
Course Prefix and Number: SOC 200
Eligibility: Students must be of rising high school junior, or senior status – or a 2021 high school graduate.
Credit: 3 credits
Grading: A-F
Cost: $2,985
Program rates are subject to change and will be approved by the board of trustees. Discounts and scholarships are also available.
Program Information
Summer College Online: Explore college life before stepping foot on campus! High school students can enroll in a college-level course, pursue their academic interests, and meet likeminded students in daily virtual events and activities.
“I loved my experience attending Syracuse University Summer College Online! Although it was online, the experience was still fun and involving. They made it feel like we were still doing it in person! The teacher and the students were very kind and supportive, making it a very developing environment.”
— Natalee B., Summer College Online Student, 2020
Course Dates and Details
| Program | Course Dates | Synchronous Class Time (Eastern Time) | Credit/Noncredit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer College Online | 3-Week Session II: August 9 – August 27, 2021 | MTWThF 3PM – 4:30PM | 3 Credits | Closed |
Course Requirements
Technology Requirements
- Laptop or desktop computer with a webcam and mouse
- Reliable internet access
- A space conducive to taking an online class (without distractions)
Required Supplies
Students should budget for required textbooks and supplies. A supply and textbook listing will be sent to students before the start of the program.
Online Student Expectations
Students will engage in daily lectures, group work and individual assignments from different perspectives on how we interact with the environment, change it, are affected by it, and perceive and discuss those issues. While environmental issues such as degradation and climate change are urgent, the social aspect of how we deal with such issues individually and societally are a fundamental step in understand problems and potential solutions. Students are expected to produce a course-long investigation into a specific environmental issue of their choosing with group members under the guidance of the professor. Students will learn more about the condition of the issue, impacts on the environment and society, discussion around that issue, and present a potential solution. This experience allows students to be able to critique how environmental issues are perceived and presented by various stakeholders, look at how social needs affect environmental issues, inspire an appreciation of the art of research, and practice communication skills (i.e. soft skills).
Typical Day
Tentative Schedule
Students must attend live synchronous online sessions Monday – Friday, 3:00pm – 4:30pm EDT.
When class is over, and on weekends, students can look forward to various Summer College virtual activities to meet and connect with other students across the world. Check out our Virtual Campus Experience page for more information!
Virtual End Event
Students will have a virtual end event where they display their group research project presentations. This event will be online and open so others (parents, families, friends) can watch presentations and interact with presenters during the question and answer period.
Faculty Bios
Selene Cammer-Bechtold
Selene Cammer-Bechtold is finishing up her doctorate in sociology. Her research areas are education, especially education reform, rural studies, how social needs and desires impact rhetoric around the environment, and inequality. She has presented her work at national conferences in sociology and rural studies. Her current research project is on the decisions parents make to have their children take the required New York State mandated exams in English Language Arts and Mathematics or to not have their children take these exams, often called opting out. She has taught a variety of classes including sociological research methods, sociology of education, issues on American citizenship, sociological problems, and is looking forward to returning to Summer College.