CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION
Basic sociology principles
as they apply to culture, personality, group structures, and major
social institutions.
Office Hours: by appointment
Course
Content and Scope
This
introductory course will be divided into four units:
Unit
1: The Sociological Perspective
The intent of this unit is to provide students with an understanding of
sociology's uses, unique focus on everyday life, and relationship to other
social sciences, theoretical grounding, and ways sociologists go about
doing research (Chapters 1, 2)
Unit
2: The Social Framework
The concepts of culture, social structure, the process of socialization,
groups, formal organizations, deviance and attempts to promote conformity
are explored. Role, position, and status in society are discussed with
a focus on the problems related to role strain and role failure. Social
deviation from society's expectation is examined. (Chapters 3, 4, 6, 7)
Unit
3: Social Differentiation and Inequality
This unit explores social stratification, inequality among racial &
ethnic minorities, human sexuality, and age inequality. Social power and
social interactions resulting from social class and social mobility are
examined in depth. (Chapters 10, 11, 12)
Unit
4: Social Institutions
The intent of this unit is to present students with a critical analysis
of the existing social institutions; the family, educational system, and
religion. The focus is to critically analyze their functions and problems
in society by utilizing three major sociological perspectives; functionalism,
symbolic interactionism, and conflict. (Chapters 13, 14, 15)
To demonstrate an understanding of:
Student will:
1. How scientific method applies to the study of human social interactions.
As measured by:
* Write about, explore and analyze sociological research.
* Exams.
* Reading assignments.
* Mastery Assignments
* Class Conference
2. How human behavior is learned behavior and socially determined.
* Examine and discuss sociological explanations of human behavior.
* Identify factors, which influence personality.
* Review theories that explain the socialization process.
* Exams.
* Reading assignments
* Mastery Assignments
3. The various group structures, dynamics and process.
* Distinguish between various group sizes and definitions.
* Exams
* Reading assignments
* Mastery assignments
4. The concept of social institutions and their functions and problems.
* Examine and analyze the family, the educational system, political institutions,
and religion.
* Exams.
* Mastery assignments
* Writing assignments
* Reading assignments
5. Race and ethnicity, human sexuality, and poverty in relation to social
inequality.
* Converse on issues of race and ethnicity, social inequality, sexism
and poverty explored in class.
* Examine and analyze questions of stereotypes, prejudice, and multicultural
controversies.
* Reading assignments
* Exams
* Mastery Assignments
* On-line discussions.
6. The realities of social class and social mobility.
* Comprehend and identify social factors responsible for promoting social
class and social mobility.
* Reading assignments
* Mastery assignments
* Exams
* On-line discussions
7. The three major sociological perspectives: functionalism, symbolic
interactionism, and conflict.
* Write and discuss in class how each sociological perspective contributes
to the theoretical understand of society and institutions.
* Exams
* Mastery assignments
* Reading assignments
* On-line discussion.
*
Course Requirements
There are three major requirements for the successful completion of this
course: completing work on time, receiving passing grades on exams and
writing assignments, and reading all assigned work. In order to receive
a passing grade all work must be done. An incomplete will not be granted.
I. Mastery Assignments: When writing your responses please include your
name and date, and name of class on the actual assignment. Not writing
your name on the document will constitute an incomplete assignment. THEREFORE,
YOU WILL NOT GET CREDIT FOR THE ASSINGMENT. Please remember when sending
an email to also include your full name, this will help me know who is
sending me the e-mail. This assignment should be send via email to the
professor and it should be two-pages in length.
Please look at the course outline for due dates. Review rubric for writing
assignments. The rubric will be utilized to grade your mastery assignments.
II. Exams: There will be four exams. The exams must be typed and
submitted via e-mail to the professor as an attachment.
The exams are to be done individually. Late exams will not be accepted.
Students will receive an F on late exams. Please plan ahead you are in
college and you are expected to complete work on time. PLEASE SEND THE
EXAMS AS AN ATTACHMENT. If you are not sure how to send an attachment
please ask. Review the essay rubric because it will be used by the instructor
to grade unit exams.
III. Discussion board/class conference: The professor will post weekly
questions and topic discussion on the discussion board. It is very important
that you post your initial response and then post your response to other
students by the due dates. I have provided you with due dates so that
you can plan ahead. Students not posting their initial response and response
to other students by the due date will not be able to do so because the
learning unit will not be available after that date. PLEASE PLAN AHEAD.
Remember that this is a major part of your grade (30 percent of your grade).
A reminder that WebCT generates a report that allows me to see who is
visiting the website which also include the number of visits, the dates
and minutes/hours spent on each learning unit. Please pay attention to
the rubric at the end of this syllabus because it provides the method
used by the instructor to grade your discussion board assignment.
Grading Policy
Participation on Discussion Board/Class Conference 30 %
Mastery Assignments (4 assignments) 30 %
Unit Exams (4 exams) 40 %
Total 100%
Required Textbook
Thompson, William E. & Joseph V. Hickey (2004) Society in Focus (5Th):
Introduction to Sociology. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.
Active and Collaborating Learning
This course will require active learning throughout the semester to a
greater extent than most students are used to. Active learning entails
learning by doing and by participating. No one will be able to successfully
complete this course by simply scanning the assigned readings. Weekly
participation on discussion board is imperative to the success of this
course. Please pay close attention to due dates because late work will
be accepted.
This
introductory course will be divided into four units:
Unit
1: The Sociological Perspective
The
intent of this unit is to provide students with an understanding of
sociology's uses, unique focus on everyday life, relationship to other
social sciences, theoretical grounding, and ways sociologists go about
doing research (Chapters 1,2)
Unit
2: The Social Framework
The
concepts of culture, social structure, the process of socialization,
groups, formal organizations, deviance and attempts to promote conformity
are explored. Role, position, and status in society are discussed
with a focus on the problems related to role strain and role failure.
Social deviation from society's expectation is examined. (Chapters
3,4,6,7)
Unit
3: Social Differentiation and Inequality
This
unit explores social stratification, inequality among racial &
ethnic minorities, human sexuality, and age inequality. Social power
and social interactions resulting from social class and social mobility
are examined in depth. (Chapters 8,10,11,12)
Unit
4: Social Institutions
The
intent of this unit is to present students with a critical analysis
of the existing social institutions; the family, educational system,
and religion. The focus is to critically analyze their functions and
problems in society by utilizing three major sociological perspectives
(functionalism, symbolic interactionism, and conflict). (Chapters
13,14,15)
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
To
demonstrate an understanding of:
1.
How scientific method applies to the study of human social interactions.
2. How human behavior is learned behavior and socially determined.
3. The various group structures, dynamics and process.
4. The concept of social institutions and their functions and problems.
5. Race and ethnicity, human sexuality, and poverty in relation to
social inequality.
6. The realities of social class and social mobility.
7. The three major sociological perspectives:
functionalism, symbolic interactionism, and conflict.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The
student will:
1.
Write about, explore and analyze sociological research.
2. Examine and discuss sociological explanations of human behavior.
3. Identify factors, which influence personality.
4. Review theories that explain the socialization process.
5. Distinguish between various group sizes and definitions.
6. Examine and analyze the family, the educational system, political
institutions, and religion.
7. Converse on issues of race and ethnicity, social inequality, sexism
and poverty explored in class.
8. Examine and analyze questions of stereotypes, prejudice, and multicultural
controversies.
9. Comprehend and identify social factors responsible for promoting
social class and social mobility.
10. Write and discuss in class how each sociological perspective contributes
to the theoretical understand of society and institutions.
ASSESSMENT
METHODS
As
measured by:
3-page
research analysis paper
Class activities
Class discussions
Exams
Group project
Reading assignments
Research article analysis
Small group discussions
Writing assignments
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS
There are four major requirements for the successful completion of this
course: completing work on time, participating actively and thoughtfully
in on-line discussions, and receiving passing grades on exams
and papers.
On a 400 point system (400 points are a perfect 100% grade),
the grading will break down as follows:
Participation
in on-line discussions 100 points
4
exams @ 50 points each 200
points
Paper/Internet
Assignment 100
points
Total
400
points
Please
note that all work must be completed in order to receive a grade.
PAPER/INTERNET ASSIGNMENT
Choose
one of the topics covered during this course and find three (3)
web sites on the Internet and evaluate them. Your paper should first identify
the topic and then the web site evaluations.
E.g.
Topic: Gender socialization
1.
First Web site evaluation
2. Second Web site evaluation
3. Etc.
Follow
the evaluation guide that proceeds in doing your report.
CITING
WEB SOURCES:
In order to check sources of information and review the material you find
on the web it is necessary to be able to find those sites and to identify
them properly. Use the format provided below to cite the documents you
find on the web.
When
citing a web page, the author of the document should be given, and the
title of the page should be easily identified. The URL (Uniform Resource
Locator) address tells us where to find this document on the Web. It is
provided in place of the information of the publisher. The date the article
was created should also be provided and the date you visited the site.
Example
below:
| Author |
Date
Created |
Title |
Title
of Web Page |
| Burka,
Lauren |
1993 |
A
Hypertext History of the Multi-User Dimensions |
MUD
History |
| URL |
Date
Visited |
| http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/lpb/mud-history.html |
(Jan.
18, 2000) |
The example above is in boxes to indicate where the information should
go on an actual citation. A web citation looks like a book citation.
Burka, Lauren, 1993, A Hypertext History of the Multi-User Dimensions,
Mud History.
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/lpb/mud-history.html,
(January 18, 2000)
EVALUATION
Not all information on the Web is equally valuable and reliable, it is
important to have a set of criteria by which you can assess each Web site
you find. Below is a series of questions that you will answer for each
Web site you include in your paper.
A. Search Engine and Description: (e.g. Infoseek, MSN). Describe
the web site. What does it contain? Does it contain graphs, charts,
text, citations, or links?
B.
Evaluation: Answer the questions below:
1. Source
and authority: Who wrote, created and/or published the information?
What are their credentials? Is contact information provided? Are they
affiliated with an established institution? Can information be verified
through bibliographies or footnotes? Are sources acknowledged?
2. Scope
and content: What is the scope or content? How well odes it cover
the topic. Is this resource comprehensive, brief or complicated? Is
it original material or a secondary resource? Is the form of the presentation
supportive or confusing?
3. Purpose
and relevance: Is the information intended to inform, explain or persuade?
What is the author's or producer's point of view or perspective? What
is the degree of subjectivity or bias? What audience is being targeted,
general, specialized or partisan? Did you find the material useful
in understanding the topic you were researching?
4. Currency
and time: When was the web page created? How current or up-to-date
is the information. Is the site regularly revised? Is the information
provided on your topic timely and valid?
C.
Comments: Your assessment of the web site as source of information
about the topic you have chosen. Provide information that will enable
you or someone else to evaluate the site. What did you learn about the
web site? What did you learn doing this assignment?
The evaluation should be 3 pages long. The paper should be doubled-spaced
and typed. Paper documents submitted must be stapled or placed in a binder
in order for it to be accepted for grading. All work should be submitted
electronically.
ACTIVE AND COLLABORATING LEARNING
This course
will require active learning throughout the semester to a greater extent
than most students are used to. Active learning entails learning by doing
and by participating. No one will be able to successfully complete this
course by simply scanning the assigned readings. Students are encouraged
to work with other students in their discussion group to study and to
complete course requirements.
COURSE OUTLINE
WELCOME
TO SOCIOLOGY
Send Professor
Email with your personal information. Please include your name, home
address and phone number.
Read Thompson
and Hickey Chapter 1
LEARNING UNIT 1: Discovering
Sociology
Read Learning
Unit 1
*Thompson and Hickey Chapter 1
LEARNING
UNIT 2: Social Research
Read Learning
Unit 2
*Thompson and Hickey Chapter 2
LEARNING
UNIT 3: Culture
Read Learning
Unit 3
*Thompson and Hickey Chapter 3
*EXAM 1 - Chapters 1 & 2
LEARNING
UNIT 4: Socialization
Read Learning
Unit 4.
*Thompson and Hickey Chapter 4
LEARNING
UNIT 5: Groups and Organizations
Read Learning
Unit 5
*Thompson and Hickey Chapter 6
LEARNING
UNIT 6: Deviance
Read Learning
Unit 6
*Thompson and Hickey Chapter 7
LEARNING
UNIT 7: Social Inequality
Read Learning
Unit 7
*Thompson and Hickey Chapter 8
*EXAM 2 - Chapters 3,4,6 & 7
LEARNING
UNIT 8: Race and Ethnicity
Read Learning
Unit 8
*Thompson and Hickey Chapter 10
*Rosa Lee to completion
LEARNING
UNIT 9: Sex and Gender
Read Learning
Unit 9
*Thompson and Hickey Chapter 11
LEARNING
UNIT 10: Age and the Elderly
Read Learning
Unit 10
*Thompson and Hickey Chapter 12
LEARNING
UNIT 11: Family
Read Learning
Unit 11
*Thompson and Hickey Chapter 13
*EXAM 3 - Chapters 8, 10, 11, 12
LEARNING
UNIT 12: Education
Read
Learning Unit 12
*Thompson and Hickey Chapter 14
LEARNING
UNIT 13: Religion
Read Learning
Unit 13
*Thompson and Hickey
Chapter 15
FINAL
EXAM
*EXAM
4 - Chapters 13, 14 & 15
