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Course Summary Sociology, the science of society, gives students a perspective and a framework for understanding human social arrangements. This course presents a sociological approach to the study of contemporary "America." Using a sociological perspective to study social life in the United States provides at least three benefits.1 First, it encourages students from the U. S. to "see the strange in the familiar" of their own culture, to take a second look at common things experienced every day. Second, it "depersonalizes the personal" so that aspects of social life may be studied more objectively and relatively free from personal biases or value judgments. Third, it finds "the general in the particular," helping students to discover basic social patterns which organize social life in America, and other societies as well. The first half of the course introduces and explores important sociological principles, concepts, and theories which will be used to analyze U. S. social structure. This knowledge lays an essential foundation for the second half, when students will examine how the social structure shapes human relationships and personalities and also some causes and effects of the rapid social changes which characterize U.S. society today.
Course Objectives 1. To introduce students to sociology as a discipline through exposure to a broad range of sociological issues, principles, and concepts. 2. To identify and discuss some important aspects of contemporary American society, including those of social structure, social interaction, and social change. 3. To encourage students to adopt a "sociological eye"-- that is, to use sociology as a perspective for making sense of the social world around them. Students who apply sociology in this way should gain a deeper, more critical understanding of how U.S. society works and thereby develop a fuller appreciation for other societies. 4. To give students a foundation for more advanced work in sociology.
Course Requirements Instead of a standard textbook, this course will rely on two readers and, during the second half of the course, occasional films. The short weekly readings and films both illustrate course concepts and serve as catalysts for discussion. Therefore, please complete weekly assignments before the material is covered in class. For your convenience, course readings and class films are on reserve at the Lipscomb Library. Beside frequent quizzes over the readings or films, there will be a midterm, course project, and final exam.
1 adapted from John Macionis, Sociology
Texts Required texts: Brezina, Paul B., et al. (eds.), Seeing Society: Perspectives on Social Life Henslin, James M. (ed.), Down to Earth Sociology Additional texts on reserve: Labovitz, Stanford, An Introduction to Sociological Concepts Thio, Alex, Sociology: A Brief Introduction Quizzes Throughout the semester, unannounced quizzes will be given over the weekly readings or films. These short quizzes will address only the material assigned for the current week. Quiz scores will be combined for an average quiz grade; the lowest quiz grade will be dropped. There will be no make-up quizzes; students who give advance notice of an excused absence may do a short homework assignment over the reading material covered by a missed quiz. These homework assignments will be graded as a quiz and are due no later than one week after the day the quiz was originally given.
Course Projects Students select one of four options:
Student Presentations Alone or teamed with a classmate, a student may take responsibility for a presentation to the class about a topic examined in our course. The presentation should summarize the major points from the weekly readings and films, and then should use these and other materials to illustrate key concepts associated with the topic. Those presenting are expected to stimulate class discussion about specific issues raised by the course material. This option requires a brief meeting with the instructor at least two class periods prior to the presentation date.
Weekly Discussion Groups Students may form discussion groups (of four) to further explore subjects or issues raised in class that week. This option requires up to eight additional class meetings held on selected Fridays from 3:00 to 3:50, when students will convene and dismiss themselves. Discussion questions will be formed and distributed to the group prior to each meeting by a facilitator, a responsibility that rotates every meeting. Each group member will need to serve as facilitator only twice during the semester. The other group members will have opportunities to offer responses to the distributed questions and to pose alternative questions for the group. Grades will be earned on a contract basis; an "A" requires complete participation.
Course Projects (cont.)
Academic Journal Students may choose to keep a biweekly journal which records their critical thoughts about ideas or concepts from the course as they relate specifically to some aspect of modern life in the U.S. Each entry must focus on the application of one key concept from class which helps you to understand your topic. Beyond this general requirement, personal experiences, insights, and ideas from this or other courses are welcome as useful tools toward fashioning a concise, well-balanced entry. There will be a trial entry and five graded entries. Entries will be assessed by the following criteria: quality of the application (demonstration of how thoroughly one comprehends chosen concepts); integration of other relevant ideas or insights; creativity; and clarity of expression (argumentation, precision, spelling, grammar, syntax). The journal will earn a comprehensive grade at the end of the semester based on progressive performance -- if the quality of your entries steadily improves over the semester, your project grade will reflect this trend.
Term Paper Students choosing this option are expected to produce an original, 6-8 page paper that critically examines and explores a sociological issue raised by the course. Specifically, the paper must include the application of at least three major sociological concepts discussed in class material. Students may use -- but are not limited to -- topics, readings, and films covered in the course. While students are encouraged to seek guidance or feedback from the instructor at any time during the semester, paper outlines are due at the end of Week 8 and papers are due during the last week of classes. PLEASE NOTE: computer failure is not an excuse for late papers.
Class Participation Given the importance of class interaction in learning, students are expected to participate actively in class. An assessment of class performance will be based on the degree to which each student: attends classes regularly; comes prepared to contribute to class discussion by completing prior assignments; contributes to class discussion by making pertinent observations or comments; and, finally, by asking relevant questions of classmates or the instructor. Regular class attendance alone constitutes only minimal participation.
Attendance Policy If possible, advance notice of class absences is appreciated. After two unexcused absences, every additional unexcused absence will lower the course average by one percentage point. Excused absences are: those required by varsity team members for events involving travel, accompanied by a note from the coach; those involving deaths in the immediate family or personal crises, with a note from a Dean's office; those for serious illness, with a note from the campus health center or an attending physician.
Grading The midterm exam, the project, the quiz average, and the final will each count equally (25%) toward your course grade. The grading scale follows: 93 - 100 = A 90 - 92 = A- 87 - 89 = B+ 83 - 86 = B 80 - 82 = B- 77 - 79 = C+ 73 - 76 = C 70 - 72 = C- 67 - 69 = D+ 60 - 66 = D 0 - 59 = F In borderline cases, a student's class participation will determine the course grade.
Course Schedule
I. Introduction to Sociology: Some Principles and Concepts Week 1. Sociology and the Sociological Imagination Readings: #1, #2, #3 Week 2. Paradigms and Theories Readings: #4, #5 II. Social Organization Week 3. Bureaucracy and the American Workplace Readings: #6, #7 Week 4. Informal Peer Groups Readings: #8, #9, #10 III. Social Institutions Week 5. Kinship and the American Family Readings: #11, #12 Week 6. Sport in America Readings: #13, #14 IV. Social Stratification and the U. S. Class Structure Week 7. Education and Inequality Readings: #15, #16 Midterm 3/5 ***SPRING BREAK*** Week 8. Gender and Inequality Readings: #17, #18, #19
V. Society and the Self Week 9. Socialization and Personality Readings: #20, #21 Film: Being There, 3/24, 7 p.m., LG 537 Paper option outlines due, 3/24 Week 10. Deviance and Social Control Readings: #22, #23, #24 Film: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 3/31, 7 p.m., LG 537 VI. Social Change Week 11. De-personalization and Alienation Readings: #25, #26, #27 Week 12. Electronic Media Readings: #28, #29, #30 Film: Network, 4/14, 7 p.m., LG 537 Week 13. The Evolving Concept of Community Readings: #31, #32 Paper option due, 4/21
Week 14. Future Shock: The Pace of Change Readings: #33 ***FINAL EXAMINATION PERIOD***
Readings
#1 P. Berger, "Invitation to Sociology," Ch. 1, DTES #2 C. Wright Mills, "The Promise," Ch. 3, DTES #3 H. Miner, "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema," Ch. 7, DTES #4 H. Gans, "The Uses of Poverty," Ch. 30, DTES #5 M. Gordon, "Assimilation in America: Theory and Reality," Ch. 24, SS #6 R. Moss Kanter, "Men and Women of the Corporation," (reserve) #7 S. Zuboff, "New Worlds of Computer-Mediated Work," Ch. 32, SS #8 D. Tannen, "You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation," Ch. 15, DTES #9 M. Snyder, "Self-Fulfilling Stereotypes," (reserve) #10 P. Swartz and J. Lever, "Fear and Loathing at a College Mixer" (reserve)
#16 J. Kozol, "Savage Inequalities," Ch. 31, DTES #17 B. Ehrenreich and D. English, "Blowing the Whistle on the ' Mommy Track'," Ch. 21, SS #18 S. Katz, "The Importance of Being Beautiful," Ch. 29, DTES #19 R. Freedman, "Beauty Bound" (reserve) #20 B. Thorne and Z. Luria, "Sexuality and Gender in Children's Daily Worlds," Ch. 14, DTES #21 E. Goffman, "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life," Ch. 11, DTES #22 W. J. Chambliss, "The Saints and the Roughnecks," Ch. 24, DTES #23 P. Meyer, "If Hitler Asked You to Electrocute a Stranger, Would You? Probably," Ch. 16, DTES #24 D. Rosenhan, "On Being Sane in Insane Places," Ch. 28, DTES #25 F. Toennies, "Community and Society," Ch. 44, SS #26 G. Ritzer, "The McDonaldization of Society," Ch. 49, SS #27 N. Thompson, "The Mysterious Fall of the Nacirema," Ch. 8, DTES #28 J. Caughey, "Social Relations with Media Figures" (reserve) #29 A. Waldman, "Lonely Hearts, Classy Dreams, Empty Wallets," Ch. 21, DTES #30 N. Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death, Ch. 7, "Now...This" (reserve) #31 A. Vidich and J. Bensman, "Small Town in Mass Society," Ch. 43, DTES #32 H. Bromberg, "Are MUDS Communities? Identity, Belonging, and Conciousness in Virtual Worlds" (reserve) #33 B. Rothman, "Cheap Labor: Sex, Class, Race, and Surrogacy" (reserve) |