Sociology 108, Section 01 3 Semester hours

9:00 am to 9:50 am, MWF, 105 Wham

Instructor: Catherine Field

Office: 4338 Faner Hall

Office Hours: MWF 10 am to 12 noon or by appointment

Phone: 453-3891

Email: fieldhughes@earthlink.net

Teaching assistants: Donna Marie Storey and Michael Tones.

Required Textbook: Tischler, Henry L., Introduction to Sociology, Seventh edition, Harcourt 2002

Course Format: Lecture, possibly with some discussion. The method of presentation, in addition to lecture, may include videos, chalkboard and overheads, and guest presentations.

Course Objectives: Students will be able to (a) demonstrate knowledge of basic sociological concepts about social processes (e.g., socialization, deviance, social control, and stratification by class, gender, and race) and social institutions (e.g., the family, religion, and the state; (b) summarize theoretical or explanatory arguments in sociology; (c) apply these arguments to contemporary events or personal experience; and (d) display knowledge of cultural, class, religious, and other differences within and between societies.

Course Description: Sociology 108 explores some of the ways social scientists explain human behavior. In contrast to psychology, sociology shows how the structures and collective experience of groups influence how people live. Among characteristic questions to be answered are: Why are some people wealthy and others poor, and how does this mold their lives and their views of one another? How are adult roles developed, and how are children brought up to occupy them? Why do conflicts develop between groups within a society and how can they be managed? Why do societies designate some behavior as “deviant,” and how are the individuals recruited into deviant patterns of behavior? By grappling with these questions, students should develop an appreciation of differences between groups and of the complexities of social life.

Course Requirements: There will be four section tests, which may be either objective (multiple choice, for example) or subjective (essay) or both. Please bring a pencil to every test. Tests may include material from the textbook as well as from the lecture. There will also be a final exam, which will be objective and comprehensive. There will be no makeup for tests except as approved by the instructor for good and documentable reasons on a case-by-case basis. If a test absence should be unavoidable, please contact your teaching assistant as soon as possible, and no later than the test day itself. There will be no makeup for the final exam.

There will also be two short papers due, between three (3) and five (5) pages, on topics to be assigned. The due dates are given in the syllabus. These assignments must be typed, using 10 or 12-point font, double-spaced, with standard margins. The ASR or MLA format is recommended. (A good style manual such as the Little Brown Handbook or Rinehart Guide to Grammar and Usage can help.)

Any outside writing assignment will be accepted late only with the instructor’s permission, and for good reason. Contact your teaching assistant as soon as it is known that the assignment may be late. No late work will be accepted after the last day of class.

Any essay questions on tests will be judged for the quality of the argument and the assigned papers will be judged for both the quality of the argument and the quality of the writing. The English Department’s Writing Center (second floor of Faner) can help develop college writing skills. At the instructor’s discretion, and for good reason, rewrites of assigned papers previously turned in may be allowed.

Grading: Each of the tests and papers will be worth approximately 14% of your grade, with one caution— while tests can be missed, the papers are not optional and both must be turned in on or before the last day of class on May 3.

Attendance & Participation: Attendance will not be taken in this class, however it should be noted that any material presented in lecture may appear on a test. Additionally, any announcements concerning syllabus changes will be made during the lecture. When attending lecture, students are expected to arrive on time, remain until class is ended, join in class discussion when so invited by the instructor, maintain a respectful manner with everyone in the class, and refrain from distracting personal conversations.

Plagiarism: It is expected that all work submitted by the student (whether papers or tests) is his or her original work. Careful attention must be paid to documenting sources that reflect the writings and ideas of other people. Again, any good style manual can be an invaluable guide to citing sources. Plagiarism may result in the failure of the course or even dismissal from the university.

1/14/02 Introduction 3/25/02 Ch. 9 Gender Stratification

1/16/02 Ch. 1 The Sociological Perspective 3/27/02 Ch. 9

1/18/02 Ch. 1 3/29/02 Ch. 9

1/21/02 No class. Martin Luther King holiday. 4/1/02 TEST

1/23/02 Ch. 2 Doing Sociology 4/3/02 Ch. 10 Marriage & Alternatives

1/25/02 Ch. 2 4/5/02 Ch. 10

1/28/02 Ch. 2 4/8/02 Ch. 11 Religion

1/30/02 TEST 4/10/02 Ch. 12 Education

2/1/02 Ch. 3 Culture 4/12/02 Ch. 13 Political & Economic Systems

2/4/02 Ch. 3 4/15/02 Ch. 13

2/6/02 Ch. 3 4/17/02 TEST

2/8/02 Ch. 4 Socialization & Development 4/19/02 Ch. 14 Population & Demography

2/11/02 Ch. 4 PAPER 1 DUE 4/22/02 Ch. 15 Urban Society

2/13/02 Ch. 4 4/24/02 Ch. 16 Health & Aging

2/15/02 Ch. 5 Social Interaction & Groups 4/26/02 Ch. 17 Collective Behavior

2/18/02 Ch. 5 4/29/02 Ch. 17

2/20/02 Ch. 5 5/1/02 Ch. 18 Social Change

2/22/02 Ch. 6 Deviant Behavior & Social Control 5/3/02 Ch. 18

2/25/02 Ch. 6 FINAL TO BE ANNOUNCED

2/27/02 Ch. 6

3/1/02 TEST

3/4/02 Ch. 7 Social Stratification & Social Class

3/6/02 Ch. 7

3/8/02 Ch. 7

Spring Break

3/18/02 Ch. 8 Racial & Ethnic Minorities

3/20/02 Ch. 8

3/22/02 Ch. 8 PAPER 2 DUE

The instructor reserves the right to make changes in this syllabus if the need should arise. These changes will be announced in class. The test and paper due dates will not change.