| SOCIOLOGY 108: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY SYLLABUS, SPRING 2003 SOC 108, Sections 1-8 3 Semester Hours Teaching Assistants: Suzanne Stoelting, 4338 Faner Hall, suzannestoelting@hotmail.com Required Textbook: Tischler, Henry L., Introduction to Sociology, seventh edition, Harcourt 2002. Course Format: Lecture and discussion. Students will attend two lectures per week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, in Wham 105, as well as one discussion section, which will be held on Friday at an assigned time and place. The methods of presentation, in addition to lecture and discussion, may include videos, chalkboard or overhead projection, and/or guest lectures. Course Objectives: By the end of the semester, students will be able to (a) demonstrate knowledge of basic sociological concepts about social processes (e.g., socialization, deviance, social control, or stratification) and social institutions (e.g., the family, religion, or the state); (b) summarize several basic theoretical approaches used in sociology; (c) apply these concepts and theories to contemporary events or personal experience; and (d) demonstrate on examinations and in writing assignments a knowledge of cultural, class, religious, and other differences within and between societies, as well as scientifically-grounded ways to account for these differences. Course Description: Sociology 108 explores some of the ways in which social scientists explain human behavior. In contrast to psychology, for example, sociology shows how social processes and structures and the collective experience of groups shape how people live, think, and believe. In contrast to journalism, to give another example, sociology uses the methods of science to ask and answer questions about the nature of social life. Among some of the characteristic questions to be answered are: What makes some people wealthy and some poor, and how does this mold peoples’ lives and views of one another? How are adult roles developed, and how are children brought up to occupy them? In what way do conflicts develop between societies or groups within a society and in what ways are these conflicts managed? How do societies come to designate some behavior as “deviant,” and what are the consequences of these deviant designations? By grappling with questions such as these, students should develop an appreciation for the differences between groups and an appreciation for the complexities of social life. Course Requirements: There will be three tests and one final exam given, any of which may be objective (multiple choice, for example) or subjective (essay) or both. Tests may include material from the textbook as well as from the lecture. (There are practice tests in the back of the textbook, which can only help.) The final exam, which may be comprehensive, will be weighted the same as the three tests; this means there will be four test grades, worth 100 points each, out of a possible 600 points total. There will be no makeup tests, except at the discretion of the instructor. If a makeup is permitted, it will be an essay exam scheduled at the convenience of the TA, but must be completed within one calendar week of the test date. Additionally, there will be two papers assigned by the TA in the discussion section. These papers will be worth 50 points each. Another 100 points will be allocated by the TA based on criteria outlined in the discussion section syllabus. Grading: As noted, there will be four test grades worth 100 points each and each TA will allocate another 200 points based on outside writing assignments and any other criteria outlined in the discussion section syllabus, for a total of 600 points. The grading scale will be as follows: A = 550+, B = 450+, C = 350+, D = 250+. Attendance and Participation: No attendance will be taken in lecture, and there will be little opportunity for participation there, however, see the discussion section syllabus for information about the expectations there. 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. A good style manual such as the Little Brown Handbook or the Holt Handbook can help, as can the English Department’s Writing Center (second floor of Faner Hall), which provides free help in developing college writing skills. Plagiarism of any sort may lead to a zero for a particular grade, or it may even result in the failure of the course or dismissal from the university.
1/20/03 Holiday. No class. 1/27/03 Ch. 2 Doing Sociology 2/3/03 Ch. 3 Culture 2/10/03 Ch. 4 Socialization & Development 2/17/03 Test 1 (Ch. 1-4) 2/24/03 Ch. 6 Deviant Behavior & Social Control 3/3/03 Ch. 7 Social Stratification & Social Class 3/10/03 Spring break. No class. 3/17/03 Ch. 8 Racial & Ethnic Minorities 3/24/03 Test 2 (Ch. 5-8) 3/31/03 Ch. 9 4/14/03 Ch. 10 4/21/03 Test 3 (Ch. 9-11) 4/28/03 Ch. 13 Political & Economic Systems Final exam to be announced. The instructor reserves the right to make changes in this syllabus if the need should arise. These changes will be announced in lecture. |