Overview

This course introduces students to the ideas and perspectives of sociology, which is the study of social interaction and of the culture and structure of society.  We will examine sociological theories and of methods of research, and we will read and critically assess the works of several contemporary sociologists.  The course will raise questions that are important both for their sociological interest and for their relevance to everyday life: 

• What do we mean when we talk about "community" and "society"? 
• What are the major sources of order and disorder in our everyday lives? 
• How do we develop our own identities as individuals in the context of the groups and communities in which we live?
• How do inequalities of gender, race, ethnicity, and class affect our actions and distort our perceptions of self and other, and how can such problems be overcome? 
• How are our lives affected by society-wide and worldwide economic trends, and is there anything we can or should do about it?

Course Objectives

1. To become familiar with the kinds of questions sociologists ask, as well as the research methods they use for seeking answers to these questions and the theories they use for interpreting their findings. 
2. To understand how social structure and culture make human actions and interactions possible but limit the options for rapid change.
3. To understand the perspectives sociologists use in analyzing the major institutions of contemporary societies, such as family, education, the economy, and government. 
4. To examine, using sociological perspectives, important issues and controversies in contemporary societies, especially issues relating to inequality and diversity.
5. To turn a sociological lens on one’s own experiences and trajectory through life.
6. To improve skills in writing, critical thinking, oral presentation, and class discussion. 

Course Design

Because some of the most important things to be learned in this class can come from listening and talking to other students, the class is designed to promote discussion and exchange.  Most class meetings will intersperse some lecture with small-group and large-group discussions.  Many classes will feature games or simulations or presentations or videos—a variety of activities designed to encourage active participation and engagement.  I expect everyone to contribute to discussion, so you will need to read and think carefully about the assignments before every class.  I also expect people to listen to each other, which takes patience, a sense of humor, and mutual respect.

Working in small groups is a particularly useful experience in sociology class, since sociologists often give close attention to group behavior.  I will be setting up “participatory sociology groups” of four or five students each, and these groups will receive a variety of assignments as the class progresses. The main responsibility of the groups will be to help each other in preparing for class and assimilating the course materials by exchanging ideas about our readings and class activities.  Groups will also be given specific assignments, such as doing informal fieldwork by observing unfamiliar social settings.  Additionally, each group will be expected to plan and give a class presentation and discussion at some point during the semester. 

One of my objectives in this course is to help students improve their writing.  If you are concerned about the adequacy of your writing, feel free to schedule an office appointment to discuss your papers with me as you are working on them.  I also encourage you to use the Writing Lab for advice on writing.  Because I have found that students can learn a great deal by revising their papers, my standard policy is to allow students to turn in a second draft of any paper with a grade below an A-, and I will average the grades for the two drafts.  In order to take advantage of this revision policy, you must schedule an office appointment with me to discuss the paper, and the revised draft must be turned in within two weeks of the date that the first draft of the paper is returned to you.

Another course objective is to help students improve their skills in making oral presentations and leading discussions.  At least once in the semester, you will be asked to act as “expert for a day” by serving in class as presenter and discussion leader for one of the assigned readings from the Ferguson book.

Words to the Wise

1. In this course, as in every course you take, you must abide by the college’s rules on honesty in academic work, outlined in the Student Handbook, which require each student to "acknowledge explicitly any expressions, ideas, or observations that are not his or her own."  If you are unsure of your obligations about acknowledging sources, please see me.
2. In addition to acknowledging sources, academic protocol demands that you include a written note of thanks to the people who help you in producing academic work. Specifically, I require that every paper contain a footnote or appended paragraph acknowledging any assistance of any kind that you received in producing the paper, including any advice you got from the professor or a Writing Lab staff member, or any help or advice from another student.  In the case of cooperatively produced work, you must include a note that indicates who produced which part of the product.
3. For citations of sources in papers, I will accept any commonly used footnote or reference style, but I strongly recommend that you use the American Sociological Association reference style, described in detail on a page in the course web site. 
4. Your work must be turned in on time.  The only circumstances under which I will accept late work are if you have contacted me to ask for an extension before the due date, and even if an extension has been granted the late work will be subject to a grade penalty.
5. Class attendance is essential.  I will keep track of attendance, and if I don’t see you in class and don’t get a note from the Health Center that you are ill, I will be contacting you for an explanation.  Class attendance and participation will be among the factors I consider in assigning a final grade.
6. The instructor reserves the right to make adjustments in reading assignments or other assignments in response to contingencies that arise as the semester goes along.  It is your responsibility to stay abreast of any changes in assignments.  Any changes in assignments will be posted on the course web site.

Course Requirements

1. TWO SHORT ESSAYS (30 percent) These short papers (2-3 pages each) will require students to analyze material selected from the books and articles we read and then to relate these sociological ideas to “real life.” 
2. MID-SEMESTER EXAM or LONGER ESSAY (20 percent) Students will have the option of taking an hour exam in class or writing a medium length paper (4-6 pages).
3. FINAL EXAMINATION (25 percent) This comprehensive exam will be given in class, with some essay questions provided in advance.
4. PARTICIPATORY SOCIOLOGY GROUP (PSG) PROJECTS (25 percent) This set of assignments will focus on the work to be done by your PSG of four or five students.  These will be out-of-class discussion groups, and group grades will depend in part on the relevance and liveliness of your exchanges, to be determined from your own documentation of the discussions.  Other grades will depend on the group's performance in field-study projects and class presentations. The point of the PSG projects will be for students to reflect on and creatively apply ideas from our readings and class discussions.  Individuals will also have the option of keeping a personal journal for the class, so that your grade for this set of assignments need not depend entirely on the work of your PSG.  Of the 25 percent of the course grade allocated to these assignments, up to 10 percent may be based on individual work, including your class attendance and participation.  At the end of the semester, you will turn in a self-evaluation of your contributions to the PSG projects and your class participation in general.

Required Books

Erikson, Kai. 1976. Everything in its Path: Destruction of Community in the Buffalo Creek Flood. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Ferguson, Susan J., ed. 2004. Mapping the Social Landscape: Readings in Sociology. Fourth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Lois, Jennifer. 2003. Heroic Efforts: The Emotional Culture of Search and Rescue Missions. New York: New York University Press.

Lopez, Nancy. 2003. Hopeful Girls, Troubled Boys: Race and Gender Disparity in Urban Education. New York: Routledge.

Ritzer, George.  2004. The Globalization of Nothing. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge.

Daily Topics and Assigned Readings

NOTE:  Assignments from the Ferguson reader list the chapter numbers for the Fourth Edition.  Chapter numbers for the Third Edition, if different from the Fourth Edition, are listed in parentheses.  The readings marked with an asterisk (*) are not available in the Third Edition, but copies of the Fourth Edition will be on reserve in Burling Library.