Judi Kessler
Office: Wallace Hall
3
Email:
jkessler@monm.edu
Phone: 457-2165
Office Hrs: TTh, 1:00-2:30, & by appt.
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
Spring 2008
Please review the on-line
version of this syllabus weekly for any additions, deletions, or other
modifications
http://personal.monm.edu/jkessler/
This course provides an introduction and overview to the discipline of sociology, the study of human society and human relationships. Sociology is a fascinating field. In this class you will learn a lot about yourself, the groups and communities to which you belong, and the society in which you live, as well as the 95% of the world you have yet to experience. Most importantly, you will be challenged to think about yourself, your social environments, and life beyond college, in new ways.
Students who successfully complete this course will:
Be familiar with the
foundations of sociology, the foundations of social life, and the sociological
perspective
Understand why and how individuals conform to and deviate from society’s
established norms
Understand society’s hierarchies/inequalities of race, ethnicity, gender, and
class
Display increased competency in writing in-class essay exams
Display improvement in analytical and mechanical writing skills
Required Readings:
Sociology, 12th
Edition
John J. Macionis
2008: Prentice Hall
Handouts
– to be distributed in class
Your grade will be
calculated as follows:
First
Exam 20%
Second Exam 20%
Third Exam 20%
Writing Assignments (3) 24%
Turnitin New User Instructions
In-class participation (including
4 unannounced quizzes) and
Attendance 16%
Students must complete all assignments in order to be eligible to pass this course.
Exam materials will include lectures, discussions, readings, and videos. All exams will be essay format. In-class work, including discussion participation and quizzes, will assess your comprehension of the assigned readings. The take-home writing assignments will be discussed in detail early in the semester. All writing assignments will be submitted a) to me in hard copy and b) to turnitin.com.
Students are expected to come to class prepared for lecture, discussion, and questions. This means that a) readings will be completed no later than the first class meeting of the week for which they are assigned, b) students will show up on time for class, and c) students will engage the materials by taking good notes, asking relevant questions and actively and regularly participating in class discussions. Students who fail to follow these guidelines will receive little or no credit for participation.
Students are expected to show up every day for class. If you must miss a class session, please notify me in advance via email or voicemail. If you are absent, please check with a classmate for class notes and any missed announcements. Your attendance grade will be calculated at the end of the semester. 90% attendance or better will result in full credit for attendance; less than 75% attendance will result in no credit; 75-89% will earn you partial credit. Poor attendance will negatively impact your participation and in-class work grades.
Students are expected to submit all assignments on time and take all exams as scheduled. Late submissions will have points deducted for each day late. If you find yourself unable to complete an assignment on time, I encourage you to meet with me to discuss an extension of the due date. Special arrangements for writing exams (for example, make-up exams) will be at the discretion of the instructor and will only be considered with prior notification by the student. Students who do not show for an exam without notifying the instructor beforehand will receive zero points and no make-up opportunity.
Students who doze off or sleep in class will be asked, and expected, to leave. Please let me know if you are taking medication that causes drowsiness. Please do not hesitate to leave class temporarily if you find yourself dozing off.
Special Needs:
Students with
special needs should contact the Student Affairs Office and arrange to meet
briefly with the professor during the first week of class.
Academic
Integrity:
All writing
assignments will be submitted to “turnitin.com” for plagiarism analysis.
Students found to have engaged in any form of academic dishonesty will fail the
course. Violations subject to the dishonesty charge
include, but are not limited, to:
1) Cheating on tests, assignments, attendance, etc.
2) Plagiarism, i.e., using words or ideas of another without giving appropriate
credit
3) Improper collaboration between students – for example, not doing one’s own
work on outside assignments
Audibles on all personal electronic devices are to be turned off in class
Reading and Assignment Schedule
(subject to modification)
Week 1 (1/14-1/18)
Read C1: The Sociological Perspective
Week 2
(1/21-1/25)
C1
C2: Sociological
Investigation
Week 3
(1/28-2/1)
C3: Culture
Week 4 (2/4-2/8)
Continue
with C3
C4: Society
Week 5 (2/11-2/15)
Continue
with C4
C5: Socialization
Week 6 (2/18-2/22)
First Exam, Monday, 2/18 - Study
Guide
Continue with C5
C7: Groups and Organizations (pp163-173)
Week 7 (2/25-29)
"Quiet Rage" (in class)
C9: Deviance
First Writing Assignment due March 5th - instructions
Week 8
(3/3-3/7)
continue with C9
Week 9 –
Spring Break
Week 10 (3/17-3/20) (no classes, 3/21)
finish discussing C9
begin reading C8: Sexuality
Week 11 (3/25-3/28) (no classes, 3/24)
”Road Warriors: The Biker Brotherhood” (in class)
Week 12
(3/31-4/4)
C8: Sexuality
Begin reading C10: Social Stratification
Second Writing Assignment due April 2nd - instructions
Week 13 (4/7-4/11)
Continue with C10
Begin reading C11: Social Class in the United States
Second Exam, Monday, 4/7 - study guide
Week 14 (4/14-4/18)
Finish C11
“People like us: social class in America” (in class)
C12: Global Stratification/C13: Gender Stratification
Week 15 (4/21-4/25)
Finish C12/13
Third Writing Assignment (from "Sick Societies" handout) – due Friday, 5/2
Week 16 (4/28-5/2)
C14: Race & Ethnicity
Week 17 (5/5-5/7) (May 7 is the last day of classes)
Finish C14
Third Exam – Sunday, May 11th, 1:00pm, HT210 - study guide