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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "SOSC 202"
COURSE NAME: "Introduction to Sociology"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring 2020
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Jenn Lindsay
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TTH 4:30-5:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will introduce students to the basic concepts and practices of the study of society. Students will learn central ideas such as socialization, culture, stratification, institutions, work organization, gender, ethnicity, race and globalization. They will also learn about how sociologists practice their craft reading about studies of current social issues - inequality, changes in family life, social movements and others - and by carrying out small scale out-of-class research assignments.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course covers the major scientific approaches to understanding society, culture and institutions, and the basic methods and perspectives of sociology. We examine the history, development and core concepts of sociology and we then take up important issues in the structure and dynamics of social life: education, culture, religion, class, race and gender, deviance, the family, globalization, migration, religion, media and social change. By the end of the course students will have some initial experience in putting these methods into practice as well. They will be in a position to express their ideas about society—based upon study rather than merely opinion—in writing and orally. They will also be familiar with some electronic databases available to researchers on social issues. Classes will provide a mixture of lectures and group discussion based on contemporary topics and materials. Students are expected to do the required readings in the textbook and additional handouts in preparation for discussion in the following class, and to participate actively in those discussions.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Having taken this course, students will be able to:
1. Describe, interpret and evaluate various aspects of western societies
2. Show awareness of the most significant social transformations and societal processes that characterize contemporary societies;
3. Reflect in a theoretically informed way on society, engaging our own taken for granted beliefs and values;
4. Analyze and identify significant social issues using a broad sociological perspective
5. Conceptualize society via its main institutions
6. Explain and exemplify main sociological concepts such as social class, socialization, social and cultural stratification, deviance, social interaction, gender, race and power.
Discuss sociology’s contribution to the study of modern society and global transformations
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TEXTBOOK:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
| Sociology: introductory readings | Giddens, Anthony and Sutton, Philip | Polity press | 139780745648835 | | | | | |
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments |
| Sociology Matters | Richard Schaefer | McGraw Hill | 0073528250 | | |
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Midterm Exam | A combination of short and long answer questions which will demonstrate students’ ability to identify, understand and critically discuss the concepts learned in the course and to apply them to analyzing specific cases of social problems. | 15 |
| Final Exam | A combination of short and long answer questions which will demonstrate students’ ability to identify, understand and critically discuss the concepts learned in the course and to apply them to analyzing specific cases of social problems. | 25 |
| Weekly Journal Responses | Due to your instructor via Moodle at 10 pm on the night after the last weekly class session (due Friday night for this course). Personal reflections should be at least 250 words in length and focus on AT LEAST one of the week’s assigned readings, and at least one of the films or discussion themes presented in class. The goal here is NOT to summarize the readings/films but to interact with and respond to them. I am looking for genuine personal engagement: show me you are listening and thinking critically. The journals will not be graded individually, but they will each be read carefully and will be graded as a whole. Grammar and writing quality count!
Think of this as a weekly written check-in with me, your course instructor. Tell me what you're thinking about in class, tell me how the reading struck you. Did anything make you angry, or comfort you? What topic this week are you still curious about?
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| Research paper | Students will write a research paper on a topic which interests them and is relevant to the course, based on AT LEAST 3 published sociological studies. The term paper will be graded based upon students’ ability to develop a realistic research question, synthesize and critically analyze the materials used and to present their own original conclusions in a logical, coherent, wellargued and unbiased manner. Students should discuss their chosen topic with the professor as early as possible in the semester and must hand in an outline (providing the research question, hypothesis, main points around which the paper is to be structured and a bibliography). | 20 |
| Fieldwork Observation | The written and oral explanation of out of class research will be graded based upon having carried out the research observation assigned in an efficient manner to be able to answer the questions involved, and on students’ ability to explain what they did, what they found and what conclusions they come to in a logical and coherent fashion. | 15 |
| Attendance and Participation10 | Class participation grading is based upon attendance, regular participation in class discussion, generating good questions or interesting insights to fuel class conversation. | 10 |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
Attendance is mandatory and makes up 10% of your final grade. I will accept a maximum of three absences, after which I will detract 2% of your final grade for each absence. You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
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STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
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SCHEDULE
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COURSE OVERVIEW
Week 1: The Sociological Perspective: Introduction to Major Theorists and Theoretical Paradigms.
Week 2: Contemporary Perspectives in Sociology
Week 3: Research methods; Culture
Week 4: Socialization and Symbolic Interactionism
Week 5: Social Structure, Modernity and Formal Organizations
Week 6: Deviance
Week 7: MIDTERM EXAM
Week 8: Social Class and Inequality
Week 9: Family
Week 10: Race and Ethnicity
Week 11: Gender
Week 12: Fieldwork presentations
Week 13: Religion
Week 14: Social Change and Conclusions
Week 15: FINAL EXAM
SCHEDULE
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Session
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Session Focus
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Reading Assignment
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Recommended Additional Reading and Additional Assignments
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WK 1A Jan 21
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Intro: What is sociology? The Sociological Imagination
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Ch 2: The Scope of Sociology / Anthony Giddens
Ch 1: What is Sociology For? / Richard Jenkins
Ch 3: Private Troubles, Public issues / C WrightMills
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Schaefer p.1-7
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WK 1B Jan 23
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Origins and early development of Sociology
Weekly journal response due at 10pm.
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Ch4: Human History as Class Conflict / Karl Marx
Ch 19: The Spirit of Capitalism / Max Weber
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Schaefer p. 813
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WK 2A Jan 27
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Contemporary Perspectives Part 1
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Ch 5: From Mechanical to Organic Solidarity / Emile Durkheim
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Schaefer p. 1420
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WK 2B Jan 29
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Contemporary Perspectives Part 2
Weekly journal response due at 10pm.
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WK 3A Feb 3
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Sociological research methods and ethics
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Ch 9: Quantitative versus Qualitative Methods? / Alan Bryman
Ch 11: Researching Individual Lives /Barbara Merrill & Linden Wes
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Schaefer p. 2035
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WK 3B Feb 5
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Culture
Weekly journal response due at 10pm.
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Schaefer p. 3753
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WK 4A Feb 10
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Socialization Part 1
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Schaefer p. 5461
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WK 4B Feb 12
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Socialization Part 2
Weekly journal response due at 10pm.
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Ch 34: Presenting the self in everyday life Ervin Goffman
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Schaefer p. 6271
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WK 5A Feb 18
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Society, Social Structure and Social Interaction
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Ch 24: What is Social Stratification? / Wendy Bottero
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Schaefer p. 7282
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WK 5B Feb 20
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Groups and Organizations
Weekly journal response due at 10pm.
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Schaefer p. 8295
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WK 6A Feb 25
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Deviance, Crime and Social Control Part 1
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Ch 44: The Normality of Deviance / Emile Durkheim
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Schaefer p. 96112
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WK 6B Feb 27
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Deviance, Crime and Social Control Part 2
Weekly journal response due at 10pm.
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Ch 46: The Birth of the Prison M. Foucault
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Schaefer p. 113124
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WK 7A March 3
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Mid-term review
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WK 7B March 5
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MIDTERM EXAM
No weekly journal response due this week.
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WK 8A March 17
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Class and Inequality Part 1
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Ch 27: The Rise, Fall and Rise of Social Class/ Rosemary Crompton
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Schaefer p. 125146
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WK 8B March 19
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Class and Inequality Part 2
Weekly journal response due at 10pm.
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Schaefer p. 147161
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WK 9A March 24
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TBD
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WK 9B March 26
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Family
Weekly journal response due at 10pm.
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Ch 29. Life Cycle or Life Course? / Stephen Hunt
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Schaefer p. 210-216
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WK 10A March 31
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Race and Ethnicity Part 1
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Ch 36: Hollywood's Misrepresentation of Arabs / Jack G. Shaheen
Typecast as a terrorist / Riz Ahmed
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Schaefer p. 162176
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WK 10B April 2
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Race and Ethnicity Part 2
Deadline for research paper outlines.
Weekly journal response due at 10pm.
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Ch 26: P. Hill Collins intersecting inequalities
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Schaefer p.176186
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WK 11A April 7
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Sex, Gender and Inequality Part 1
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Ch. 25: Woman The Second Sex? / Simone De Beauvoir
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Schaefer p.187197
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WK 11B April 9
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Sex, Gender and Inequality Part 2
Weekly journal response due at 10pm.
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Ch 35: Throwing lIke a Girl / Iris Marion Young
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Schaefer p. 198-204
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WK 12 A April 14
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Students submit/present fieldwork observations
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WK 12 B April 16
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TBD
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WK 13 A April 21
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Religion
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Ch 20: The Essence of Religion / Emile Durkheim
Marx, Karl—from Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Law
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Schaefer p. 220-230
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WK 13B April 23
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Religion part 2
Weekly journal response due at 10pm.
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Ammerman, Nancy T.—Religious Identities and Religious Institutions
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Schaefer p. 274-279
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WK 14A April 28
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Social Change
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Ch 38: Building Virtual Communities / Howard Rheingold
Ch 37: The Internet Galaxy / James Slevin
RECOMMENDED: Meyer Tarrow / social movement society?
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Schaefer p. 296317
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WK 14B April 30
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Conclusions and Review
Final papers/projects due.
Weekly journal response due at 10pm.
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Final Exams week
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