Sociology 216CC - Cults, Conspir., Moral Panics

Using case studies such as the Eugenics Movement,;Jonestown, and the Kennedy Assassination, this;course will examine how distrust of the;government, originally motivated by logical;concerns, has transformed the way people think;about power in the postmodern era. The class will;explore the difference between rational;questioning of authority and blind distrust that;leads to questionable claims. Through topics such;as the War on Drugs, this class shows how the;powerful are able to use biases and public fears;to carry out their own, often counterproductive,;measures. These case studies have issues like;race and class at their core. We will examine how;certain social issues have managed to endure.

Prereq: SOCI-123.