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INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY
SOCIOLOGY 1010 20
Bountiful Campus
Spring 2009
_______________________________________________________
Instructor:
Class:
Office Hours:
Liliana Gardner
Office:
435 BEH S
E-Mail:
[email protected]
6:00 am- 8:45 pm Tuesday, Bountiful rm 102
before class or e-mail for an appointment.
The Practical Skeptic: Core Concepts in Sociology by Lisa J.
McIntyre, McGraw-Hill.
Text:
Class Objectives:
The first, and most important, objective of this class is to enhance your understanding of
how societal forces influence your life. We live in a society made up of a culture (values,
beliefs, norms, and language) and a social structure (positions and roles). Both of these
are powerful influences in your life. In addition, your behavior is influenced by
membership in a variety of groups. Hopefully studying culture, social structure, and
group processes will give you a greater capacity to see the social world through the lens
of the “sociological imagination.”
A second objective of this class is to expose you to an overview of several substantive
areas in sociology. Sociologists usually specialize in specific areas and this class will
introduce you to the major areas of sociological study. We will work at these two
objectives throughout the semester. Each section will make a contribution to both.
Learning Activities:
Reading: During the semester we will read four books in addition to the textbook.
Gappers of Frip is available on the class webct site and the others are available in the
bookstore. Each student is expected to read the chapter(s) and readings and be prepared
to discuss the material in class. We will be somewhat flexible with the schedule to allow
for greater discussions. This material is vital to your understanding of social processes so
please be diligent in your reading.
We will start with George Saunder’s The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip a clever story
that gives insight into how sociologists view the world. Born to Buy by Juliet B. Schor
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will provide many examples of our contemporary consumerism culture and highlight the
disadvantages of socialization within that culture. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
discusses many of the structural consequences of the fast food industry in the United
States. Nickel and Dimed is a book written by a journalist about working in the new
service economy. It will feature aspects of inequality, social class, and social
stratification up close and personal in everyday life.
1) George Sanders. 2000. The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip. Ny: NY. Villard.
2) Schor, Juliet B. 2005. Born to Buy: the Commercialized Child and the new Consumer Culture.
NY: NY. Scribner.
3) Schlosser, Eric. 2001. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Boston:
MA. Houghton Mifflin.
4) Ehrenreich Barbara. 2001. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America.
NY: NY. Metropolitan Books.
5) McIntyre, Lisa J. 2005. The Practical Skeptic : Core Concepts in Sociology.
NY: NY McGraw-Hill-Humanities. (TEXT BOOK)
Writing: Includes the critiques and the chapter summaries.
The Critiques: You will be required to write a 1 PAGE double spaced (it must not
exceed this length or points will be docked) critique of each of the books. The papers
must be in 12cpi, Times New Roman font, have 1 inch margins all the way
around, and use ASA – American Sociological Association–style. There is an ASA style
guide on webct. Use it to learn proper ASA formatting. Each paper will consist of three
parts: 1) you will identify the primary thesis (thesis statement) of the reading – what is
the main issue/concept the author wants you to walk away with 2) a summary of the
primary findings and how they were derived – the author’s methods, theories, data,
evidence, etc. and how well he/she did in presenting them; and 3) YOUR PERSONAL
CRITICAL EVALUATION AND APPLICATION of the piece – tell me how
well the author met their objective in convincing you of their thesis, giving me a trail of
your logic, then, give me an application of the sociological concepts from the reading.
This is where you tie in with other ideas, readings, experience, lectures, and concepts
from the class. I want to know how this information can be applied. Tell me what you
got out of the reading and why. “I liked it” or “I didn’t like it” or “It was sad” will not be
acceptable. These must be scholarly evaluations that intellectually apply the concepts.
These critiques must be handed in at the beginning of class. You may also email it as an
attachment file to me at least ½ hour before class on the day it is due. You will be graded
on the consistency of your logic, your ability to argue your point, and on the mechanics
of language, spelling and grammar.
Chapter Summaries: Chapter summaries will include: 1) a summary of main points
covered in each of the chapters assigned and 2) relevant examples showing applications
of concepts in the chapters.
Outside Activities: You will need to attend 9 outside activities relating to
concepts covered in class and in the text including films, cultural events,
research presentations, etc. During the last day of class you will hand in a
journal about each event. Details about the requirements for these activities
as well as instructions for writing about these assignments are on webct.
Assessments: There will be one mid-term examination and a final examination. Both
exams will be in class exams. The final is comprehensive, but will focus primarily on the
material covered since the midterm. The examinations will include multiple-choice
questions taken partly from the test manual prepared for the text and partly from the
material presented in class. There will also be short essay questions on each exam taken
from the material presented in class and the readings.
Grading:
Your grade will be determined by your performance on the two examinations, the reading
critiques, and the chapter summaries. Assignments should be handed in on or before the
day they are due.
Points. The two examinations will each be worth 100 points. The critiques will each
be worth 20 points for a total of 80 points. The chapter summaries will be worth 10
points each. The journal will be worth a total of 90 points with entries about each
individual activity worth 10.
Examinations
Critiques
Chapter Summaries
Journal
Total
200 points
80 points
50
90
420 points
The final calculated points correspond to letter grades as follows:
93-100
90-92
88-89
82-87
80-81
78-79
70-77
62-69
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A
AB+
B
BC+
C
D
F
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Extra Credit:
You may read The Soul of Black Folks by W.E.B. DuBois and write a critique about the
book. The extra credit critique will be worth a maximum of 10 points. Extra credit is
due before the final exam.
Webct. Announcements will occasionally be posted on webct.
CLASS SCHEDULE
TBA
In order to create a participatory & civil atmosphere for class meetings,
my expectations for you are:
To prevent disruptions by turning off mobile phones & other electronic devices, and
putting away extraneous reading materials. Use of laptop computers in class is not
allowed without permission of the instructor.
To arrive to class on time, and on a regular basis. It will be impossible to do well in
this course without attending regularly (please inform me if you have universityrelated responsibilities, or a medical, family or other emergency that prevents your
attendance).
To complete the assigned readings.
To participate in classroom activities—as an active listener, active participant, and
active, respectful, and collaborative member of learning groups.
To complete--on time--the required writing assignments. Except in the case of
extraordinary personal hardship, late assignments will result in the loss of the 30
points credited to those who turn their assignments in on time.
To show courtesy & respect (e.g., by listening, not speaking out of turn, refraining
from personal attacks, etc) to other members of the class during all classroom
activities.
To follow the University of Utah code for student conduct (see below).
_________________________________________________________
Students’ Rights and Responsibilities: In order to maintain a positive, civil environment for
learning I expect that all students will strive to meet the goals described in the University of
Utah’s Student Code, which states “the mission of the University of Utah is to educate the
individual and to discover, refine and disseminate knowledge. The University supports the
intellectual, personal, social and ethical development of members of the University community.
These goals can best be achieved in an open and supportive environment that encourages
reasoned discourse, honesty, and respect for the rights of all individuals. Students at the
University of Utah are encouraged to exercise personal responsibility and self-discipline and
engage in the rigors of discovery and scholarship.” Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an educational program or activity
that receives federal funds. The act is intended to eliminate sex discrimination in education.
Title IX covers discrimination in programs, admissions, activities, and student-to-student sexual
harassment.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access
to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need
accommodations in the class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the Center for
Disability Services (CDS), 162 Olpin Union Building, 581-5020 (V/TDD). CDS will work with
you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. All written information in
this course can be made available in alternative format with prior notification to the Center for
Disability Services.
Following the Student Code, I adopt a zero-tolerance policy for academic misconduct in this
course. “Academic misconduct,” according to the University of Utah Student Code, “includes,
but is not limited to, cheating, misrepresenting one's work, inappropriately collaborating,
plagiarism, and fabrication or falsification of information…It also includes facilitating academic
misconduct by intentionally helping or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic
misconduct.” For detailed definitions and possible academic sanctions please see:
http://www.admin.utah.edu/ppmanual/8/8-10.html.
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