Download SOC101/2101: Introduction to Sociology

SOC101/2101: Introduction to Sociology
(Tuesdays, 2:30pm – 4:30pm at MB G07)
“The fascination of sociology lies in the fact that its perspective makes us see in a new light
the very world in which we have lived all our lives.”
-- Peter Berger, Invitation to Sociology
Instructor:
Professor Esra BURAK HO
Office: WYL319
Office Hours: Wednesdays and Thursdays 10:30am – 12:30pm, and by appointment
Email: [email protected]
Tutors:
Ms. CHAN Sharon
Office Hours: Mondays 12:30pm – 2:30pm, Tuesdays 2:30pm – 4pm and 4:30pm – 5pm, and by
appointment
Email: [email protected]
Mr. LEUNG Ho Man, Leo
Office Hours: Wednesdays 12:00pm – 2:00pm and Fridays 12:30pm – 2:30pm
Email: [email protected]
Mr. WONG Kin Fung
Office Hours: Wednesdays 12:30pm – 2:30pm and Thursdays 12:00pm to 2:00pm
Email: [email protected]
Course Overview
Welcome to Introduction to Sociology! This course will provide you with an introduction to the
sociological perspective and an overview of a variety of topics that sociologists study. We will read and
discuss both classical and contemporary works in sociology. We will also touch on sociological
methodology including some of the qualitative and quantitative methods commonly used in social
research.
Required Reading
There is one required text for this course and it is available at the Lingnan bookshop. A copy of it will
also be on reserve at the library.
 Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach, Pearson New International Edition 11/E by James M.
Henslin
 Short excerpts from other sources will be provided and are listed below.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon completing this course, you will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Describe major sociological concepts and theories
Explain the effects of social forces in peoples’ lives
Read and understand basic sociological texts
Demonstrate a sociological understanding for the causes and consequences of class, race, gender
inequality in society
5. Become familiar with a variety of methods that sociologists use in conducting research
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Assessment and Measurement of Learning Outcomes
Assessment
Final Exam
Midterm Exam
Parent-Interview Project
In-Lecture Prompts
In-Tutorial Participation
%
Learning Outcome(s) Assessed
40%
20%
20%
10%
10%
LO 1-5
LO 1-5
LO 1-5
LO 1-5
LO 1-5
Final Exam
The Final exam will be cumulative (it will include all material covered in the course since the beginning)
and it will be closed-book.
Midterm Exam
The Midterm exam will be in class and closed book, and it will cover all material up to the exam date.
Parent-Interview Project
For this project, you will conduct an interview with your parent/guardian about his or her education and
work history and write a paper (5-7 double-spaced pages, Times New Roman 12-font) discussing what
you learn from him or her along with your sociological interpretation of their story.
In-Lecture Prompts
You will be asked to write short responses to prompts in class. There will be five in-lecture prompts and
each of these five responses will count toward 2% of your final grade for a total of 10%. There will be
no make-ups for these.
If you have to miss a class, you should contact a classmate to ask them what you have missed. To be able
to do so, record the contact information of two classmates here:
Name ______________________________________
Email ______________________________________
Phone ______________________________________
Name ______________________________________
Email ______________________________________
Phone ______________________________________
In-Tutorial Participation
Please come prepared to each class having done the readings and exercises for that day and ready to
discuss the material. Your participation grade depends not only on your attendance but also on your
engagement and participation.
Late Work Policy
The assignment due dates are listed on the syllabus, so, please abide by these deadlines. I understand that
sometimes unforeseen circumstances may make it impossible for you to complete an assignment on
time. If you think that you cannot turn in an assignment by its due date, send me an email 24 hours
BEFORE it is due with an explanation of why you cannot complete the assignment on time and we can
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discuss your options. If you don’t email me to explain your circumstances, then, your late assignment
will be penalized (for example, A to A- or B+ to B) for each day that it is late. There will be no
exceptions to these rules.
Students with Disabilities
If you need accommodation due to a disability please contact me as soon as possible to make
arrangements.
Academic Integrity
I take academic integrity very seriously. I expect you to abide by Lingnan University`s Honor Code so
please familiarize yourself with it here: http://www.ln.edu.hk/info-for/students/orientation/academicintegrity. If you are unsure at any time about whether and how a source should be cited, ask me. Please
use the ASA citation style when citing sources. It can be found here:
http://www.asanet.org/students/Quick%20Style%20guide.pdf.
Course Content
1. The Sociological Perspective
2. Culture and Socialization
3. Social Structure and Social Interaction
4. How Sociologists do Research
5. Society and Social Networks
6. Deviance and Social Control
7. Stratification and Social Class
8. Sociology of Sex and Gender
9. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
10. Sociology of the Family
11. Sociology of Education
12. Collective Action and Social Change
13. Conclusion
Please note that the class schedule below may be updated based on the needs of the class. Make sure to
follow class announcements for any possible changes.
LECTURE SCHEDULE
Date
Topic and Readings
Week 1 2-Sep
Introduction to the course
CH1 The Sociological Perspective
Excerpt from Peter L. Berger Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective
Week 2
9-Sep
No Class today (the day following Mid-Autumn Festival)
Week 3
16-Sep
Excerpt from C. Wright Mills The Sociological Imagination
CH2 Culture
CH3 Socialization
Week 4
23-Sep
CH4 Social Structure and Social Interaction
Émile Durkheim. “The Division of Labor in Society” Chapter 16 in Social
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Stratification: Class, Race, and Gender in Sociological Perspective. 2008.
David Grusky (Ed.) Westview Press.
Week 5
30-Sep
CH5 How Sociologists Do Research
Van Maanen, John, Jesper B Sørensen and Terence R Mitchell. 2007.
The Interplay Between Theory and Method. Academy of Management Review
32(4):1145-54.
Week 6
7-Oct
CH6 Societies to Social Networks
CH8 Deviance and Social Control
McPherson, Miller, Lynn Smith-Lovin and James M Cook. 2001.
Birds of a Feather: Homophily in Social Networks. Annual Review of
Sociology 27:415-44.
Week 7
14-Oct
In-Class Midterm Exam
Week 8
21-Oct
CH9 Global Stratification
Alan B. Krueger. “Inequality: Too much of a good thing” Chapter 6 in Social
Stratification: Class,
Race, and Gender in Sociological Perspective. 2008. David Grusky (Ed.)
Westview Press.
Neckerman K., Torche F. 2007. “Inequality: Causes and Consequences.”
Annual Review of Sociology 33:335–57.
Week 9
28-Oct
CH10 Social Class
Karl Marx. “Alienation and Social Classes” Chapter 9 in Social Stratification:
Class, Race, and
Gender in Sociological Perspective. 2008. David Grusky (Ed.) Westview Press.
Barbara Ehrenreich. “Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting by in America”
Chapter 35 in Social Stratification.
Week 10
4-Nov
CH11 Sex and Gender
Ridgeway, Cecilia. 2009. “Framed before we know it: How Gender Shapes
Social Relations.” Gender and Society 23 (2)145-160.
Week 11
11-Nov
CH12 Race and Ethnicity
Complete one Implicit Association Test related to Race and Ethnicity at
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/takeatest.html.
Note: you should take this test in the language that you are most comfortable
with. For example, the test is available in Chinese.
(e.g. Race IAT; Asian American IAT; Arab-Muslim IAT; Skin-tone IAT)
Excerpt from Global Woman by Barbara Ehrenreich and Arlie Russell
Hochschild
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Week 12
18-Nov
CH16 Marriage and Family
Excerpt from Michael J. Rosenfeld The Age of Independence
Parent-Interview Project Paper Hard Copy Due in Class today.
Week 13
25-Nov
CH17 Education
Excerpt from Annette Lareau Unequal Childhoods
Week 14
2-Dec
CH21 Collective Behavior and Social Movements
CH22 Social Change and the Environment
TUTORIAL SCHEDULE
Week 1
No tutorial this week
Week 2
Library Information Literacy Workshop
Week 3
Introductions, Icebreaker
Write a short essay (1-2 pages) on how you have been shaped by society
Write a short response to the following exercise in Henslin CH1
Thinking Critically about Chapter 1 #1
Week 4
Write a short response (1-2 pages) to the following prompt:
What are the stereotypes of men and women? What are your thoughts about these
stereotypes?
Week 5
Watch an interview with a celebrity of your choice on YouTube. Pay attention to the
questions that the interviewer asks and how she/he asks them.
Write about your thoughts on the interview and how the interview could be improved.
Examples:
Oprah interviews JK Rowling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv1O6JJMC5o
Interview with Sheryl Sandberg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ45Y1R9x9M
Week 6
Write a short response to the following exercises in Henslin CH6
Thinking Critically about Chapter 6 #3
Write a short response to the following exercises in Henslin CH8
Thinking Critically about Chapter 8 #2
Week 7
Prepare 6-8 interview questions on a topic that interests you.
You will use this short interview guide to conduct a mock interview with a classmate to
practice your interviewing skills.
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Week 8
Write a short response to the following exercises in Henslin CH9
Thinking Critically about Chapter 9 #2
Week 9
Write a short response to the following exercises in Henslin CH10
Thinking Critically about Chapter 10 #2
Read “People Like Us? Social Status, Social Inequality and Perceptions of Public Rental
Housing” by Ray Forrest and Ying Wu
Bring two discussion questions to class based on this article.
Week 10
Write a short response to the following exercises in Henslin CH11
Thinking Critically about Chapter 11 #1
Week 11
Write a short response to the following exercises in Henslin CH12 (Note: Before doing so,
discuss the prompt with at least 2 family members or friends)
Thinking Critically about Chapter 12 #1
Read The Myth of Multiculturalism in ‘Asia's world city’: Incomprehensive Policies
for Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong by Kam-Yee Law and Kim-Ming Lee
Bring two discussion questions to class based on this article.
Week 12
Student Presentations of Parent-Interview Projects
In a short presentation, you will talk about what you have learned from your
parent/guardian, their advice to you for your career, and your sociological interpretation of
their story.
Week 13
Student Presentations of Parent-Interview Projects
Week 14
Student Presentations of Parent-Interview Projects
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