Download File - Matthew Grace

Sociology 100: Introduction to Sociology
Section #: 5369
Fall 2013
Tuesday/Thursday—9:30-10:45 am
Ballantine Hall 103
Instructor: Matt Grace
E-mail: [email protected]
Office: Schuessler Institute for Social Research 212 (office hours will not be held here)
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 11 am -12 pm at the IMU Starbucks (or by appointment)
Mailbox: Ballantine Hall 744 (7th fl. Sociology office; box under “Grace”). The Sociology office is
open M-F 8 am – 4 pm.
Course Description:
Sociology provides a distinct lens through which to view the social world. The overall aim of
this course is to introduce you to a way of looking at the world—a sociological perspective or
framework—with which to ask critical questions about society and the possibility of social
change. As a broad survey of the field, in this course we will begin by learning the variety of
theories and methods used by sociologists. Next, we will use these tools to explore a range of
topics including culture, education, race, class, gender, family, health and other important social
issues. Using a variety of media, readings, class discussions, lectures, and interactive activities,
we will expand our critical thinking and analytic skills in order to examine and challenge our
assumptions about individuals, society, and ourselves.
Course Objectives:
1. To read, write, and think sociologically.
2. To think critically, creating your own informed perspectives on social structure and
human agency, with the capability to support your arguments.
3. To discern the patterns, rules and logic that undergird a social system and the
consequences of these for those who are part of such systems
4. To learn basic sociological concepts and how to use them in everyday life, introducing
ideas that will be elaborated on in additional sociology courses.
Course Requirements:
Required Texts
Essentials of Sociology (4th Ed.), by Giddens, Anthony, Mitchell Duneier, Richard
Appelbaum, and Deborah Carr.
W. W. Norton & Company.
ISBN: 978-0-393-91883-0
The book is available at the IU bookstore.
Readings
Readings will come from the required textbook or will be posted on oncourse
(https://oncourse.iu.edu/) under the “Resources” tab at least one week prior to the day they
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are due. You will usually be assigned about 40-60 pages of reading per week. You are expected
to complete all assigned readings before class (i.e. be ready to discuss the readings on the day
they are listed in the syllabus). This will prepare you for class discussion and enable you to fully
engage in the concepts and get the most out of this class. Completion of the assigned readings
and participation in class discussions are important to your success in the class.
Classroom Discussion
Classroom discussion will be a crucial component of this course. The best way to prepare
for class discussion is to complete all of the required reading and writing assignments prior to
the day they are due.
Graded Requirements:
Attendance
Attendance is required, as we will cover information in the lectures that is not in the
assigned readings. Starting in Week 2, a sign-in sheet will be passed around during each class. If
you fail to sign your name, this will count as an absence. Although attendance is required, I
understand that you may face legitimate reasons for absences over the course of the semester
(such as illness or family emergency). Therefore, you may miss up to five classes without
penalty (you do not need to provide excuses for these absences). After that, each absence will
result in a 3% (30 pts.) deduction from your final grade. Even if you have a note from a doctor,
a family emergency, or any other excuse, each absence beyond the five freebies will lead to a
3% (30 pts.) reduction in your final grade. Use your absences wisely. Exceptions apply only to
university-sanctioned events such as religious holidays (which must be discussed in advance with
the instructor). If you are absent, you are still responsible for the assigned material and any
information given out in class. My notes (including the lecture slides) are not available under any
circumstances. Signing the attendance sheet for a classmate, or any other form of academic
dishonesty regarding the attendance policy, will be reported to the university and will result in a
3% (30 pts.) reduction in your final grade.
Writing assignments: 20% (200 points)
On Thursday of each week I will provide a prompt for a written assignment due at the start
of class the following Thursday (e.g. on Thursday, 8/29 I will provide the prompt for Week 2,
which will be due the following Thursday, 9/5). During exam weeks, I will give the reading
prompt for the following week on Tuesday. These prompts may include the application of
concepts learned in the textbook readings or in lecture to the week’s substantive reading / a
current event; reflections on your personal experiences through a sociological lens; or more
focused questions on specific readings. You are required to complete 8 reading responses over
the course of the semester. 3 responses must be completed prior to Exam 1 (10/3), 4
responses must be completed between Exam 1 and Exam 2 (11/14), and 1 response must be
completed between Exam 2 and the final week of class (12/12).
Each reading response will be worth a total of 25 points and will be graded as a ✔+, a ✔, a
✔-, or an ✗. Responses that fully answer the reading prompt, reflect thoughtful analysis, and
have only minor grammatical errors will receive a ✔+ (25 pts.). Responses that indicate a basic
understanding of the readings and concepts covered in class, but either fail to fully answer the
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question or fully engage with the reading material will receive a ✔ (21 pts.). Responses that
demonstrate a superficial understanding of the readings or fail to answer the prompt will
receive a ✔- (17 pts.). A response that suggests you did not read for the week, that fails to
answer the prompt, and that has glaring grammatical errors will receive an ✗ (13 pts.). Each
response should be roughly 2-3 paragraphs in length (~300-400 words), single spaced, use
Times New Roman with size 12-font, and have 1-inch margins. Hardcopies of your responses
are due to me at the start of class on the day they are due.
Success requires that you plan ahead. At the start of the semester you should map out
which weeks you plan to submit a writing response. Reading the majority of the assigned
material over the weekend, taking notes, and starting your response prior to Wednesday
evening are recommended. A concise, but well-thought response is better than a longer,
rambling response. Late submissions of written assignments will not be accepted.
Exams: 80% (800 points)
Three exams will be given over the course of the semester. The first exam will take place
on Thursday October 3rd, the second exam on Thursday November 14th, and the
final exam will be on Tuesday December 17th, from 10:15 am-12:15 pm. The first and
second exams will each be worth 300 points, or 30% of your course grade, and the final exam
will be worth 200 points, or 20% of your final grade. Each exam will be comprised of some
combination of multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, and essay questions.
Although the second exam and the final exam are not cumulative, a number of concepts
covered early in the course will be crucial for your understanding of the material throughout
the class. We will briefly re-examine these concepts prior to the later exams.
Grading
The final course grade will be computed from the following:
• Attendance
• Writing assignments 20%—200 points
• Exam 1 (Thursday, Oct. 3rd) 30%—300 points
• Exam 2 (Thursday, Nov. 14th) 30%—300 points
• Final Exam (Tuesday, Dec. 17th, 10:15 am-12:15 pm) 20%—200 points
• Total 100%—1000 points
The grading scale for final grades is as follows:
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
97-100%
93-96%
90-92%
87-89%
83-86%
80-82%
77-79%
(970-1000 points)
(930-969 points)
(900-929 points)
(870-899 points)
(830-869 points)
(800-829 points)
(770-799 points)
C
CD+
D
DF
73-76%
70-72%
67-69%
63-66%
60-62%
≤ 59%
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(730-769 points)
(700-729 points)
(670-699 points)
(630-669 points)
(600-629 points)
(599 points or less)
Course Policies and Expectations
Academic Integrity
Academic misconduct in the form of academic dishonestly, which includes but is not limited
to: plagiarism, sharing, copying, or cheating on any of the exams or assignments. In accordance
with the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct, misconduct
will result in a failing grade for the course, suspension, or in some cases expulsion. For more
information, please see: http://www.iu.edu/~code/code/responsibilities/academic/. Classroom Etiquette
We will be discussing a variety of sensitive social issues in this class, including race, class,
gender, sexuality, religion, and politics. Each person comes to class with a unique background
and perspective; I encourage students to draw on that perspective when discussing sociological
issues in class. Please keep in mind that sharing opinions and experiences is a valuable but
sometimes uncomfortable experience, and everyone must make the commitment to create an
atmosphere of respect for each person’s contribution. Please be as respectful and open-minded
as possible when listening to viewpoints different from your own. If you disagree, criticize the
evidence that supports a stance, or the negative implications of a viewpoint, but do not criticize
the person who holds that view. A lack of courtesy will not be tolerated in this class.
Cell Phones and Laptops
Laptops typically will not be permitted in class. If you have a disability, a medical condition,
or another compelling reason that requires you to use a laptop, you must make arrangements
with me during the first week of class. Cell phones must be put on silent (not vibrate) during
class. If child/parent care requires that you have your phone on during class, you should let me
know about this during the first week of class. Do not text during class.
Communication
E-mail is the best way to get in contact with me outside of class time or office hours. Please
e-mail me directly at [email protected]. Include “S100” in the subject line of all emails. I
check my e-mail regularly during the week and on weekends. If I do not respond within 2 days,
please e-mail me again. Do not e-mail me through the oncourse messaging system. Scheduled
office hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 11am-12pm at the IMU Starbucks. I encourage all
students to come to office hours with any questions about course materials, readings, exams,
etc. If you cannot make the scheduled office hours, see me after class or e-mail me so we can
schedule a time to meet.
Oncourse
All of your supplemental readings, grades, assignments, and other course materials will be
posted on the course website on oncourse. Additionally, I will send course updates,
announcements, etc through oncourse and indiana.edu e-mail accounts. It is your responsibility
to regularly check oncourse and e-mail.
Special Needs
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), IU seeks to provide
“reasonable accommodation” for qualified individuals with documented disabilities. It is the
student’s responsibility to inform the instructor and to contact the Disability Student Service
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Office (855-7578; http://studentaffairs.iub.edu/dss/) about any special learning/study needs
relating to a documented disability.
Make-Up Exams
Make-up exams will not be given unless it is an extreme or unusual circumstance (which
MUST be documented). If that is the case, you must contact me prior to the class period.
Make-up exams will be modified to reflect the extra time that you have to prepare for the test.
Tentative Course Schedule
“Giddens” refers to your textbook Essentials of Sociology. “Oncourse” refers to readings posted
to the Oncourse website for this course. Readings are to be completed before class on the day
they are listed.
PART 1: The Sociological Perspective and Social Inequality
Week 1:
Tu, 8/27
Introduction to the Sociological Perspective
None
Th, 8/29
Giddens (p. 4-6)
Oncourse: Mills, The Promise
Week 2:
Tu, 9/3
Sociological Theory and Research Methods
Giddens (p. 10-23, 107-120)
Th, 9/5
Giddens (p. 23-37)
Oncourse: Raskoff, Stand By Our Man
Oncourse: Becker, Geer, Hughes, and Strauss, Boys in White
Week 3:
Tu, 9/10
Stratification and Social Class
Giddens (p. 199-230)
Th, 9/12
Oncourse: Chambliss, The Saints and the Roughnecks
Oncourse: Mantsios, Class in America
Week 4:
Tu, 9/17
Race
Giddens (p. 298-325)
Th, 9/19
Oncourse: Bonilla-Silva, Racism Without Racists
Week 5:
Tu, 9/24
Gender
Giddens (p. 263-272)
Oncourse: Lorber, Night to His Day
Th, 9/26
Giddens (p. 273-293)
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Week 6:
Tu, 10/1
Sexuality
Giddens (p. 459-467)
Oncourse: Pascoe, Dude You’re a Fag?
Th, 10/3
**EXAM 1**
PART 2: Social Institutions
Week 7:
Tu, 10/8
Socialization, Groups, and Social Networks
Giddens (p. 75-88)
Oncourse: Simmel, Group Expansion and the Development of Individuality
Th, 10/10
Giddens (p. 134-149, 157-9)
Oncourse: DiTomaso, How Social Networks Drive Black Unemployment
Week 8:
Tu, 10/15
Family
Giddens (p. 331-340)
Th, 10/17
Giddens (p. 341-359)
Oncourse: Taking Sides, Should Same-Sex Marriages be Legally Recognized?
Week 9:
Tu, 10/22
Education
Giddens (p. 365-377)
Th, 10/24
Oncourse: Arum & Roksa, Academically Adrift
Week 10:
Tu, 10/29
Deviance, Social Control, and the State
Giddens (p. 165-176)
Th, 10/31
Giddens (p. 177-195)
Oncourse: Metzl, The Protest Psychosis
Week 11:
Tu, 11/5
Religion and Politics
Giddens (p. 377-391)
Th, 11/7
Giddens (p. 396-410)
Oncourse: Marx, From Contributions to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Law
Oncourse: Johnstone, The Cult
Week 12:
Tu, 11/12
Capitalism, the Economy, and Globalization
Giddens (p. 415-432)
Oncourse: Mills, The Power Elite
Th, 11/14
**EXAM 2**
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Part 3: Macro and Meso Forces
Week 13:
Tu, 11/19
Culture
Giddens (p. 42-60)
Th, 11/21
Oncourse: Boswell & Spade, Fraternities and Collegiate Rape Culture
Oncourse: Anderson, The Code of the Streets
Week 14:
Tu, 11/26
**Thanksgiving Break- NO CLASS**
Th, 11/28
**Thanksgiving Break- NO CLASS**
Week 15:
Tu, 12/3
Medicine, Health, and Illness
Giddens (p. 437-458)
Th, 12/5
Screams, Slaps, and Love (Autism treatment in the 1960s)
Week 16:
Tu, 12/10
Population Dynamics, Collective Action, and Social Change
Giddens (p. 471-498)
Th, 12/12
Giddens (p. 417-426)
Oncourse: Johnson, Haenfler, & Jones, Creating A More Just and Sustainable World
****FINAL EXAM: Tuesday, December 17th, 10:15 am-12:15 pm,
Ballantine Hall 103**** YOU MUST TAKE THE EXAM ON THE DAY IT IS
SCHEDULED. PLEASE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO TRAVEL HOME AFTER
THE EXAM.
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