Instructor: Eva
Brown (evabrown@adams.edu)
Office Hours: MW 11:00am
-12:00noon
TTh 9:30am -10:30am
Tues. 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Phone: 587-8129
(personal office); Room 314 ES Building
587-7771 (Sociology main office); Room 329
ES Building
Required text:
Sociology: The Basics.
John J. Macionis, 2004.
Prentice-Hall.
Course Statement:
Sociology
is the study of the social structures and processes that exist over and above
individuals. These structures and
processes shape the context and experience of individuals – constraining and
restricting us while simultaneously providing the order and stability needed
for survival and self development. This
paradox, the state of being an individual yet always a social creature, is
sociology’s key concern. We will explore
how sociology can help us to understand ourselves and the worlds in which we
live by providing insight into the social construction of both self and society. (borrowed from Dr.
Thomas G. McGowan)
I. Course Description:
The
social world is often taken for granted or reduced to explanations that stem
from conventional wisdom and personal experience. This course is designed to encourage students
to develop social scientific frameworks for analyzing the social world in a
context that transcends conventional wisdom and personal experience. The major question is “What are the social
forces, operating in society and often beyond the control of individuals,
that shape individual behaviors and societal changes?” Topics include culture, socialization, social
and economic inequalities, social structure, organizational behavior, social
groups, deviance, and social institutions (family, religion, education, and
political economy)
.
This course
will provide an introduction to concepts, methods, and theoretical perspectives
in sociology. In addition to the basic
principles of sociological reasoning, the focus will be on critical thinking,
analysis, evaluation, synthesis and application of sociological knowledge and
processes. Emphasis will be on the
importance of group life and major social institutions and the impact they have
on human populations in
1.
Provide
students with the tools of basic social scientific inquiry:
a.
Define
basic social scientific concepts pertaining to life in society
b.
Analyze
the social world from different scientific perspectives (functionalism,
conflict theory, and interactionism)
c.
Identify
various social forces impacting society and social life
d.
Interpret
social scientific data regarding human interactions, group processes, and
societal needs
e.
Describe
the ways in which inequities by gender, race, and class impact our social world
2.
Give
students a basic working knowledge of social institutions, including historical
and contemporary functions and dysfunctions
3.
Provide
students with a unique tool – the sociological imagination (the ability to move
conceptually from the personal to the societal to the global level)
4.
Acquaint
students with the diversity across race, class, gender, religion,
ethnicity/nationality and values found in the
5.
To
convey an understanding of the sociological perspective, based on systematic
study rather than “common sense”
6.
Develop
a sense of cultural relativism and an appreciation of other socio-cultural
systems
7.
Awareness
of the crucial importance of social locations and statuses, such as social
class, age, gender, ethnicity, religion, marital status, place of residence,
and educational attainment, in determining our life chances and life choices,
how we think, and what we do
8.
Identifying
the persistent sources of strain and patterns of conflict at the interpersonal
level and among groups, regions, and nations
9.
To
show how behavior and self image are shaped by the process of socialization
10.
Tracing
the ways in which social problems are identified, perceived, and resolved
11.
Demonstrating
the effects of historical events on various institutional decisions
12.
Discovering
how sociological research can influence policy decisions
13.
To
help students distinguish personal troubles from public issues and the
relationship between the two
14.
To
show how to interpret and use social science data
15.
Illustrating
how to analyze what is in order to
evaluate what might or ought to be
16.
To
teach students not to over-generalize from personal experience, and how to
apply the sociological perspective to everyday life
17.
Helping
students develop a healthy skepticism regarding over-simplified explanations of
human behavior (including sociological ones)
III.
Class Goals:
Through lecture
and textbook material we should become familiar with the structural,
collective, and cultural aspects of social life. We will explore the regularities, variations,
and interdependencies among the following:
1)
demographic
and ecological patterns of human populations
2)
social
psychological phenomena such as group interaction patterns and interaction of
personality and society in the process of socialization over the life course
3)
cultural
phenomena such as values, beliefs, norms, and ideologies that tend to regulate
and legitimate social behavior
4)
structural
relations arising in social interaction, for example, the patterns of rules
which constitute the political structure, economic arena, government systems,
religious and family spheres, and other major social institutions
5)
collective
behavior in groups, organizations, and institutions
6)
familiarity
with cross-cultural and multicultural principles, concepts, and theories which
illustrate the ways of life that combine to form American culture and society
7)
recognizing
the influence that race, class, gender and ethnicity have in social life
8)
understanding
that society and the groups to which you belong become part of your
consciousness and influence everything you do
9)
recognizing
that “common sense” information we are taught to depend on comes up short when
compared to the knowledge and findings of social science
Our concerns as
a class are threefold: a) to examine the
patterns of social life that persist, b) to pursue the dynamics of social
change which create new social forms, and c) to learn the skills necessary to
locate oneself in the social world and become more aware of the impact of
social forces on personal lives.
IV.
Attendance:
It is my
expectation that you will have regular attendance, be on time, and be prepared
for class. Your attendance is a vital
factor in class discussion and provides a fundamental means of integrating and
organizing the material presented in text, lecture, and through other sources.
It is your
responsibility to ensure that you have signed the roll for the day. Do not interrupt class to do so. Arrange to sign the roll immediately
following the class for which you arrived late.
Information
missed may have direct consequences on your grade. It is your responsibility to obtain any
information missed as the result of absences.
It is impossible to give you a
personal lecture on material missed.
Find a colleague who can help you in this area.
Regardless of
where I am in lecture, you should proceed in your reading according to the
course calendar unless notified otherwise by me. Thus,
missing a class may cause you to miss reading assignments and other
modifications in course requirements.
If you require
course adaptations or accommodations because of documented disability, if you
have emergency information to share with me, or if you need particular
arrangements in the case of the building being evacuated, please make an appointment
with me as soon as possible. My office
location and hours are listed on the first page of the syllabus.
Cell phones and
beepers going off during class are rude and inconsiderate, so make certain that
all such items are cut off before class begins.
You must have an
V.
Examinations:
There are four (4) exams graded on a 100 point scale. The format for these exams is multiple choice
and short answer essays. Material on the
exams includes information from lecture, class discussion, text, handouts, and
any other sources brought to the class. See
the grading scale section below for the number of points that constitute an A,
B, C, etc.
Exams will be
given during the first hour of class, so you will have from
(See course
calendar for exact date of make-up exams.)
VI.
Extra Credit:
In the event
that the class as a whole does poorly on an exam, I will offer the opportunity
for a written extra credit assignment.
There is no guarantee that extra credit will be assigned, it depends on
the class performance on the exams. Any
extra credit will be assigned on the day that I return the graded exams. You will have until the start of lecture of
the next class period to complete the extra credit. Thus, if you miss an exam, you miss that
extra credit opportunity. And if you
miss the day in which I hand back the graded exams, you will miss the extra
credit that I assign.
As mentioned
above in the section on attendance, you are responsible for material
missed. It is your responsibility to
find out if there is extra credit and the requirements for the extra
credit. And be certain you consult a
colleague who has accurate information concerning the extra credit
assignment. I will not accept late extra credit assignments. NO EXCEPTIONS!!!
An extra credit assignment is late if it
is turned in after I have begun lecturing in the class on the day it is
due. I will not accept late extra credit
assignments.
The basic format
for the writing assignments is:
-
Typed
-
Double-spaced
-
1
inch margins
-
12
point font
-
Times
New Roman font (this is it)
-
No
cover page
-
No
binders or folders; just staple in the top left corner
Any other
specific requirements of the extra credit will be discussed in class on the day
it is assigned.
VII.
Grading Scale:
A = 360 – 400 Exam
#1 = 100 points
B = 320 – 359 Exam
#2 = 100 points
C = 280 – 319 Exam
#3 = 100 points
D = 240 – 279 Exam
#4 = 100 points
F = Below 240 Total = 400 points
VIII. Course Calendar:
Jan. 10 Introduction to the Course; Concepts
& Terminology
Chapter 1: Sociology:
Perspective/Theory/Method
Jan. 17 Chapter 1 (cont.)
& Chapter 2: Culture
Jan. 24 Chapter 3:
Socialization: From Infancy to Old Age
Jan. 31 Chapter 4: Social
Interaction in Everyday Life
Feb. 7 Exam #1
Chapter
5: Groups and Organizations
Feb. 14 Chapter 5 (cont.)
& Chapter 6: Deviance
Feb. 21 Chapter 7:
Sexuality
Feb. 28 Chapter 8: Social
Stratification
Mar.
7 Exam #2
Introduction
to Inequality
Chapter 10: Gender Stratification
Mar. 14 Chapter 11: Race
and Ethnicity
Mar. 21 Chapter 12:
Economics and Politics
Mar. 28 Chapter 13: Family
Apr.
4 Exam #3
Apr. 11 Chapter 13:
Religion
Chapter 14: Education
Apr. 18 Chapter 14:
Medicine
Chapter 15: Population, Urbanization,
& Environment
Apr. 25 Chapter 15 (cont.)
Make-up
Exams!
May 2 Exam #4 – Final Exam (
Note: This syllabus is “tentative” and “subject to
change” in order to meet the needs of specific situations that might arise in
the course of the semester.