SOCY 101

SOCY 101.012 INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY SPRING, 2005

Instructor: Dr. Chris Hope

Class Meeting Time and Place: Tuesday,Thursday 1:40-2:55 P. M., 415 Bell

Office Address: 88 Wentworth St. (Office #105).

Office Phone: 953-8185 or 953-5738

E-mail Address: hopec@cofc.edu

Office Hours: Monday 2-4 p.m., Wednesday and Friday, 9:00-10:30 a.m., Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. or by appointment

BOOKS FOR THE COURSE

You will need to purchase two books for use in the course. These are:

1. David Newman, Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life 5^th edition (Pine Forge ).

2. David Newman, Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life (Readings) 5^th edition (Pine Forge ).

You can find used copies of both texts at the College Bookstore and at University Books of Charleston on King Street. The College Bookstore also has new copies (both books bound together at a lower price than if purchased separately).

OBJECTIVES AND ORGANIZATION

Objectives: What To Expect from Sociology

Sociology is a social science which seeks to understand human behavior in groups and gatherings of all sizes, during all historical periods, and in all cultures, but with major emphasis on contemporary societies. Sociologists are interested in those types of human behavior which remain the same generation after generation (for example, how children first learn to interact with other people) and also in those types of human behavior which change over time (for example, how people make a living and what types of organizations they work for). Sociology focuses on drawing connections between different social factors (for example, How does one's culture affect how one explains and reacts to physical pain? How does industrialization affect the number of children people have?) and in making comparisons between people in different social categories (for example, male and female, black and white), different social groups (for example, private prep schools and public high schools), and different countries. Sociologists emphasize that people collectively construct their own social worlds but also that these social worlds, once created, shape individual choices and ways of thinking.

Sociology 101 will introduce you to the major concepts and perspectives of sociology, to the research methods sociologists use, and to some of the findings and subfields of sociology. The course is intended to expose students with many different interests to sociological ways of thinking. It also serves as a foundation course for students planning to take more sociology courses. In scope, the course will concentrate on in-depth understanding of a limited number of sociological topics rather than sampling a comprehensive smorgasbord of them all. In particular, the reading material selected for the course emphasizes the application of sociological ways of thinking to everyday life. Sociology 101 will reveal new things to you about yourself, how you got to be the way you are, and why you act as you do. I hope that the course will teach you to be a better observer and evaluator of group life both now and in the future.

Organization of the Course

The first part of the course (Chapters 1-4 and 9 and assigned readings) will focus on basic concepts to be used throughout the course. We will learn what sociology is, which theoretical perspectives sociologists use, what sociologists mean by "social structure" and "culture" and their various components, and about social research and mass media methods of learning about social reality. The test for this part of the course will be Thursday, February 17 and will be worth 60 pts.

The second part of the course (Chapters 5-8 and assigned reading) will focus on how individuals construct their social worlds. Specific topics include socialization, intimacy and family, impression management, and deviance, and groups. The test for this part of the course will be Tuesday, March 22 and will be worth 60 pts.

The final part of the course (Chapters 10-15 and assigned readings) will deal with several large-scale issues and with how constructed social worlds and categories shape individual choices and ways of thinking. Topics include; social class, gender, and racial inequality; population trends; and social change. The material from this part of the course will be tested for on May 5, the scheduled date of the final exam. This exam will be worth 100 pts. and will include one comprehensive essay question.

Your major responsibilities on a day-to-day basis will be to keep up with the assigned reading and writing and to attend and participate in class. I will take attendance daily during the first few weeks of class as a way of learning names. Whether or not you attend is up to you; I will not drop you from the course for poor attendance. You will be responsible for all material covered in class whether you attend or not. Attending class will be most beneficial to you if you come prepared and on time to every class and stay for the entire period. Walking into class late, leaving class early, walking in and out of class while in session, talking while others are doing so, and packing up books before class ends are all disruptive behaviors which show a lack of respect for others in the class. Rings, beeps, and tunes from electronic devices also disrupt the class; turn them off! I do not typically comment on such behaviors when they occur (feeling that such comment would only further disrupt the class) but I do notice and disapprove of them.

Evaluation

Your final grade for the course will be based on:

1. Two tests (one for each of the first two parts of the course) 60 pts. each

2. A final exam covering the last part of the course and including one comprehensive essay question 100 pts.

3. A writing portfolio with 7 10-pt. entries 70 pts.

4. Participation and attendance 10 pts.

TESTS. Each test will include multiple choice and short answer questions as well as at least one essay question (worth 10-25 pts.). Tests will cover material from the main text, the reader, and from lectures. Test 1 will be given on February 17 and Test 2 on March 22 . The final exam will be given during the scheduled final exam period (Thursday, May 5, 12:00-3:00).

You should make every effort to take the tests with your class on the date scheduled. I will allow students who miss regularly scheduled tests for reasons of documented illness, last minute emergencies, or absences related to college activities to make up the test by answering 3 essay questions covering the test they missed during the final exam period.

WRITING PORTFOLIO. Each of you will keep a writing portfolio in which you make seven entries over the course of the semester. Topics will be drawn primarily from articles in the reader and appear on the reading/writing schedule for each part of the course. Entries should be kept separately from your class notes in a thin folder. You should bring your up-to-date portfolio to class with you every Thursday beginning January 20. I will call for (on random basis) seven or eight portfolios each Thursday between January 20 until April 14; each student's portfolio will be called for at least three times during the semester. When your portfolio is called for, you should hand in all entries due up to that point in the semester. All students will hand in their completed portfolio on April 14. Failure to hand in a portfolio when it is called for will result in a deduction of 3 pts.from the final portfolio grade. Missing entries (e.g. you are supposed to have three entries and have only two) will result in a reduction of 2 pts, from the final portfolio grade and you will be expected to have the missing entries in the portfolio by the time of the final pickup. Portfolios must be submitted in class (not in my mailbox, my office, or via fax or e-mail) when called for.

I will assign the entries for each part of the course when we begin that course segment. Entries will most often involve reacting to, reflecting on, and or applying readings assigned from the reader in light of your own experiences. The major reason for the portfolio is to encourage you to reflect on the course in a somewhat structured way. Research indicates that writing down your thoughts and ideas is an important part of organizing, learning, and retaining new information. Reading the portfolio entries will help me assess how well you are comprehending course material and provide a way for me to get to know you a little better. Some of the entries will be used as the starting point for small group discussions.

Thus, the main purpose of the portfolio is to aid in learning, not to provide a grade. Nonetheless, we operate within a constructed social world in which grades are very important; therefore, 70 pts. (about 23%) of your grade for the course will come from your writing portfolio. Each entry will be worth a maximum of 10 pts. To get the full 10 points, the entry will need to be a thoughtful, sufficiently long (at least 1 page) well-written response to the question(s) asked and ready in your portfolio when I call for it. Entries that are too short, don't address the questions asked, show poor knowledge of the reading, or are handed in late will receive fewer than ten points.

PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE. Ten points of your grade will come from participation/attendance. On certain days, you will have in-class work to do: small group tasks, video analysis, etc., If you are in class that day, you get an attendance point; if you’re not, you don’t. Note that the random portfolio collection policy means that if you are not present on the days I ask for your portfolio, your portfolio grade will be affected. In addition, you will be responsible for all material covered in class whether you attend or not. Attending class will be most beneficial to you if you come prepared and on time to every class and stay for the entire period. Whether or not you attend is up to you; I will not drop you from the course for poor attendance.

FINAL GRADE. Your final grade will be determined by adding together the points you've earned on each test, your writing portfolio grade, and your attendance/participation points. I will be glad to discuss your grades with you, provide studying help, and answer questions about course material anytime prior to the final exam. I do not accept pleas concerning final grades. I will use the following scale in determining final grades:

A= 300-270 pts. (100%-90%) C= 230-210 pts. (76%-70%)

B+=269-261 pts. (89%-87%) D= 209-180 pts. (69%-60%)

B= 260-240 pts. (86%-80%) F= 179 pts. and below

C+=239-231 pts. (79%-77%) (

You can keep track of your grades during the semester using the grid on the next page.

Item	Points Possible	Your Points
Test 1	60
Test 2	60
Portfolio Entry 1	10
Portfolio Entry 2	10
Portfolio Entry 3	10
Portfolio Entry 4	10
Portfolio Entry 5	10
Portfolio Entry 6	10
Portfolio Entry 7	10
Participation/Attendance	10
Final Exam	100
Total Points	300

SPECIAL NOTE

Every semester, there are a few students who have personal, family, or health difficulties that interfere with their schoolwork. If this should happen to you, please let me know so that together we can work out what's best for you in terms of the course. Most students who fail this course are those who simply disappear from it without seeing me or without going through a formal withdrawal process (the withdrawal date for spring semester is February 23). Don't let it happen to you!