SOC 101-05 - Lisa Wade, PhD



-6858000Introduction to SociologySOC 101-05Spring Semester 2018Instructor: Dr. Joseph Merry Class meetings: Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:30am-9:45am Classroom: Johns Hall 105 Office Hours:Mondays & Wednesdays 1:00 – 2:00pm, or by appointmentOffice: 106D Johns HallE-mail: joseph.merry@furman.edu Introduction to the CourseSociology challenges us to see our surroundings in a different light. We all have ideas about the way the world works, how people interact, and the role of different societal institutions (family, education, etc.), but these ideas are largely based on our own limited experiences. The sociological perspective encourages us to think more broadly and to see the underlying relationships and structures that motivate human behavior. In this course, we will develop an understanding of how to utilize sociological approaches to understand social institutions and the structure of society itself. I see my role as facilitating an intellectual environment where we can explore a range of explanations for how human societies work. We will confront important questions such as: How are humans tied to their social structures? How does geography influence the human experience? What are the current features of the stratification system in the United States? What are the different social institutions that influence human behavior? Furthermore, I view this course as a collaborative effort. I strive to present new material in an interesting way and to utilize a variety of teaching methods throughout the course, but I rely on the entire class to discuss and work through the course material together. I expect that you will all play an active role in discussions and exercises. Goals: Students learn about the systematic study of human behavior and cognition; of the structure of human societies, cultures, and institutions; and of the processes by which individuals, groups, and societies interact, communicate, and use human, natural, and economic resources. Learning Outcomes: Students describe and evaluate the implications of social categories such as race, gender, class, disability, and sexuality. Students understand the ways in which individual behavior is influenced by broader social structures. Students recognize the role of social diversity in shaping their own attitudes and values regarding appreciation, tolerance, and equality of others. Readings: There is one required textbook for this course: American Hookup. The text is available at the campus bookstore. A full citation is presented below. Please Note: All other course material and required readings are available via the course website on Moodle. Wade, Lisa. 2017. American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus. W.W. Norton & Company.Requirements: Grades will be based on 3 exams, 10 quizzes, group participation, and attendance. Descriptions follow. Exams: The exams will consist of a combination of multiple choice questions and 1 essay question, with the essay question being drawn from a list of possible questions on a study guide handed out one week prior to the exam date. Quizzes: There will be ten quizzes at unannounced times throughout the semester. These are typically given at the very beginning of class and cannot be made up for any reason. If you miss a quiz you miss the points.Group exercises: Each student will be part of a 4-6 person group for the entire semester. Individuals will participate in these groups on a weekly basis. Active participation is mandatory. Attendance: As part of my partnership philosophy, I expect students to make a significant contribution to other students’ learning via class discussion and small group exercises. As a result, attendance is mandatory for all class sessions. All absences are unexcused unless the student obtains written permission from the instructor to miss a class session beforehand.Grading: Exam 1150 pointsExam 2 200 pointsExam 3250 pointsQuizzes200 points (20 each)Group Exercises 200 points (20 each) Total:1000 points Standard Grading Scale (%)A 93 – 100 C+ 77 – 79 A- 90 – 92 C 73 – 76B+ 87 – 89 C- 70 – 72 B 83 – 86 D 61 – 69 B- 80 – 82 E 60 and lower**Rounding Policy for Final Grades: will round up to next whole number only in cases of .7 or above**Section 1: The Sociological Imagination Tues. January 9 – Course IntroductionThurs. January 11 – The Sociological Imagination: Chambliss “The Mundanity of Excellence” Tues. January 16 –The Sociological Imagination, cont. & Structure vs. Agency: Guns, Germs and Steel Prologue (13-25) and Chapter 10Thurs. January 18 – Humans as Social Creatures: Kvisto and Pittman 2001 “Dramaturgical Society”Tues. January 23 – Functionalist Theory: Gans “Uses of the Underclass in America”Thurs. January 25 – Conflict Theory Wright “Class Analysis: Parable of the Shmoo (pages 1-15)” and intro to “Real Utopias”Tues. January 30 – Gathering and Analyzing Data: Best, “Telling the Truth about Damned Lies and Statistics” & Introduction from Wade (pages 7-26)Thurs. February 1 – American Hookup Discussion: Wade (Chapters 1 & 2)Tues. February 6 – Exam 1; In-ClassSection 2: Social Institutions *** Between now and 3/13, make sure to read and take notes on Wade (Chapters 3-7) ***Thurs. February 8 – Meritocracy: McNamee and Miller “The American Dream” & Rivera “Guess Who Doesn’t Fit in at Work”Tues. February 13 – Meritocracy, cont. & Political Economy: Kenworthy “Tax Myths” Thurs. February 15 – Schools: Downey & Gibbs “How Schools Really Matter”Tues. February 20 – Religion: Putnam and Campbell “Religiosity in America: The Historical Backdrop”Thurs. February 22 – Family: Coontz “The Way We Never Were: Defining the Family Crisis”Tues. February 27 – Crime/Criminal Justice System: Chambliss “The Saints and the Roughnecks” and Gunderman “The Incarceration Epidemic”Thurs. March 1 – Power and Social Control, featuring Media: Shearing and Stenning “From the Panopticon to Disney”Tues. March 6 – No Class; Spring Break Thurs. March 8 – No Class; Spring Break Tues. March 13 – American Hookup Discussion: Wade (should have read chapters 3-7 by today)Thurs. March 15 – Exam 2; In-ClassTues. March 20 – In Class Documentary: ‘Food Chains’Section 3: Stratification*** Between now and 4/24, make sure to read and take notes on Wade (Chapters 8 on) ***Thurs. March 22 – Social Class: Lareau “Concerted Cultivation and the Accomplishment of Natural Growth” and Wealth: Shapiro “Wealth” from Pathways MagazineTues. March 27 – Poverty: View “The Raising of America”, Part 1 (link on Moodle) and read Rank “Rethinking American Poverty” Thurs. March 29 – No Class; Professor Merry out of town Tues. April 3 – Gender Socialization: Messner “Barbie Girls versus Sea Monsters” Thurs. April 5 – No Class; Annual Meeting of the Southern Sociological Society. Assignment: Read Epstein “Great Divides: The Cultural, Cognitive, and Social Bases of the Global Subordination of Women” and submit typed response to quiz promptTues. April 10 – No Class; Furman Engaged; View ‘Race: The Power of an Illusion Part 1 (link on Moodle)Thurs. April 12 – Racial Inequalities & The Social Construction of Race: Waters “Optional Ethnicities” & Take the Implicit Association Test (IAT). Go to and choose “Project Implicit Social Attitudes.” Then select ‘Take a Test in the top menu bar and complete the test on “Race IAT”. Then read the Frequently Asked Questions document (). With the FAQ in mind, write a 200-word typed paper (bring this to class—it will count for a quiz) answering the question “Do you think the test tells us something important about race in modern society?”Tues. April 17 – How Race Still Matters: View ‘Race: The Power of an Illusion’ Part 3 & write a 200-word typed paper in response to the directions/prompts about residential segregation using the link provided on Moodle (counts for a quiz grade)Thurs. April 19 – What Do We Do Now? Francis and Bakehorn “On (not) practicing what we preach” & Gladwell “Small Change” Tues. April 24 – American Hookup Discussion & Course Conclusion: Wade (should have read chapters 8 - Conclusion by today)*Thurs. April 26 – Final Exam, begins at 8:30am*Note: Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Please contact the Student Office for Accessibility Resources in the Earle Infirmary (Room 002) to coordinate reasonable accommodations. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY (ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT) Academic Misconduct is defined as: Any activity that tends to compromise the academic integrity of the university, or subvert the educational process. Examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to: Violation of course rules as contained in the course syllabus or other information provided to the student; violation of program regulations as established by departmental committees and made available to students; Knowingly providing or receiving information during examinations such as course examinations and candidacy examinations; or the possession and/or use of unauthorized materials during those examinations;Knowingly providing or using assistance in the laboratory, on field work, or on a course assignment unless such assistance has specifically been authorized; Submitting plagiarized work for an academic requirement. Plagiarism is the representation of another's work or ideas as one's own; it includes the unacknowledged word-for-word use and/or paraphrasing of another person's work, and/or the inappropriate unacknowledged use of another person's ideas; Submitting substantially the same work to satisfy requirements for one course that has been submitted in satisfaction of requirements for another course, without permission of the instructor of the course for which the work is being submitted; Falsification, fabrication, or dishonesty in reporting laboratory and/or research results; Serving as, or enlisting the assistance of a substitute for a student in the taking of examinations; Alteration of grades or marks by the student in an effort to change the earned grade or credit; Alteration of academically-related university forms or records, or unauthorized use of those forms; and Engaging in activities that unfairly place other students at a disadvantage, such as taking, hiding or altering resource material, or manipulating a grading system.Please make sure that you understand what may constitute academic misconduct. I will report all violations. For more information see: If you have any questions about the above policy or what constitutes academic misconduct in this course, please contact me. ................
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