Towson University



Dr. Whitney Garcia410-704-4534????wgarcia@towson.edu?LA 3342? description: This is a freshman level course introducing students to the discipline of Sociology. No prior familiarity with Sociology is assumed. Students are given the opportunity to acquire and use the basic tools, concepts, and perspectives of the discipline. The fundamental subject matter of sociology is familiar to you because you are a social creature living in the social world. The goal of the course is to foster a new way of seeing yourself and the world in which you live.Required Texts:The Big Picture, Jon Witt McGraw Hill, 2007 The New York Times (or other major newspaper) Additional readings are posted on the course website.Your final course grade is based on 100 points, which will come from one of the following grading options: Option 1: Exams onlyExamsAttendanceParticipationExtra credit projectExam 1: 30 ptsExam 2: 35 ptsFX Exam: 40 pts(includes 5 pts extra credit)0-2 absences =no deduction3 + absences=10 pts. deducted from final grade for this & each additional absenceup to 10 points extra credit(available only for students with 2 or fewer absences)0-5 points(available only for students with 2 or fewer absences)Option 2: Writing & ExamsExams WritingAttendanceParticipationExtra credit projectExam 1: 20 ptsExam 2: 25 ptsFX Exam: 30 pts(includes 5 points built in extra credit2 out of 4 possible assignments 15 pts each2 or fewer absences required3+ absences= change to exam only option &10 pts. deducted from final grade for this & each additional absenceup to 10 points extra credit(available only for students with 2 or fewer absences)0-5 points(available only for students with 2 or fewer absences)Students opting for the writing option may go back to the exam only option, but students selecting the exam only option may not change to the writing option. No credit is given for written work already submitted if a student moves from option 2 to option 1.Exams: Exams will be based on assigned readings, lecture, other presentations, and in class work.? You are allowed, indeed you are encouraged, to bring a 5x8 index card with word-processed or handwritten notes to each exam. The note cards must be your original work and will be submitted with your exam. We will discuss the cards in more detail in class.Written work:? Written work will be discussed in detail when it is assigned. Each assignment will average five typed pages of analysis in addition to other materials, if required. There will be four writing assignments posted. Students taking the combined writing and exam option will need to complete two of these. End of semester extra credit assignment: An extra credit writing assignment will be given at the end of the semester. Students taking both the exam only and the writing options may submit this assignment for up to five points on their overall course grade. Attendance: Attendance is expected; I have never found it to be optional at any job. You will not get points for attendance and absenteeism affects 1) your grading option and 2) your final course grade points, both of which are outlined in the chart above. I will not be differentiating between excused and unexcused absences. If you have a true emergency that will be affecting your attendance for two weeks or more, please speak with me as soon as possible. Partial attendance: This is a once a week class and there will be a 15 minute break. I will take attendance during both the first and second halves of the class. If you are absent for either half of the class, this will count as a full absence.Late arrivals and early departures: You have a 10 minute grace period for arriving late to class. If you have an ongoing problem which will affect your ability to get to class on time, please speak to me after class on the first day and, if you will be continuing in this course, submit the problem to me in writing by the second class period. If you need to leave early one or two days, please just let me know. Students are expected to stay until the end of class.Participation While attendance is expected, participation is hoped for and generously rewarded with a possibility of up to ten course points, or a whole letter grade elevation. Participation will be rewarded only if it is consistent, informed, respectful and relevant. Typically about 5% of students receive full participation points and contribute to virtually every class discussion and do so in a manner which demonstrates that they have read the assigned material and are actively engaged in listening in class. I also give partial participation points to a few additional students who may have started their active engagement in the class more slowly. Obviously, students cannot participate if they are absent and these points are, therefore, linked to attendance. As well, if you text in class or in any other way fail to adhere to classroom policies, you will not be eligible for participation points, regardless of the verbal contributions you make.Classroom policies:Name Tents: I will be distributing card stock the first day for you to use to make a name tent so that I have a chance to learn at least a few of the 90 names. Please always bring the name tent to class and put it up at your seat.Electronic devices: I have no desire to police or parent students. However, past experience has shown that many students do not monitor their own behavior well and thus, we come to this. Unless you have a form from disability services that specifies the use of a laptop, you will not be able to use one. If you have such a form, please speak with me immediately after the first class. Phones must be put in closed knapsacks or purses for the entire class period. Phones may not be kept on desks, in laps, in pockets, etc. even if your intention is to look something up that relates to the class. If you have an emergency and must keep your phone on, please speak with me before class.In and out: The suddenly increasing traffic in and out of the classroom is a relatively new issue. It is distracting to have people walking in and out in the middle of class and students often let the doors slam behind them on the way out and on the way back in. If you have a health problem that requires leaving and returning to the classroom on a regular basis, please speak with me at the end of the first class and you may leave and return as needed. If this is not the case, students are expected to remain in the classroom during the entire class period and leave only during the break. We will have a 15 minute break in the middle of class for you to use the facilities and check phone messages.Napping: If you are so tired that you cannot stay awake and must close your eyes and/or rest your head on the desk, please go home and go to bed. Your attendance will not count anyway, so you might as well be comfortable somewhere else. The classroom is part of your professional socialization and you will not retain any professional job for long if you fall asleep in a meeting. Academic integrity and other policies: Please see full syllabus and/or the link on the web page. A brief description of the writing projects and the end of semester extra credit assignment.Writing option projects:Select 2-each is worth up to 15 points.Social Media & the Presentation of Self: A Classical Symbolic Interactionist Analysis of Life in Facebook.One can argue that social media has introduced new and challenging elements in the presentation of self which are ripe for called a dramaturgical analysis. You will watch and summarize a brief video and analyze it using Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical concepts.A Conversation Across Generations about Work, Family, Community, and the Scarce Resource of Time.You will interview a person over the age of 50 to learn about the social changes he or she has experienced. You will create questions to guide the interview and discuss your findings. Your questions and analysis will draw on the work of Emile Durkheim, Robert Putnam, & Arlie Hochschild to explore the topics of work, family, community, and time use. Content Analysis of AdvertisementsYou will select ten advertisements about a selected type of product. These can be TV commercials (many are available online) or print advertisements. You will create a list of items to compare across the content, such as the sociodemographic characteristics of the people used in the ads, the TV shows or magazines in which the ads appear, , what imagery is used, etc. You will then analyze your results, drawing on course concepts, the work of Sut Jhally, and other theorists relevant to your topic.Unplugged You will put yourself on a technology fast for 48 hours, keeping a paper diary of your day, your thoughts, etc. for the 24 hours before the fast begins, for the 48 hours spent unplugged, and for the 24 hours after you plug in again. You will go without electronic technological devices—phone, computer, etc. for any personal use (work related usage is exempt). You will then review your diary entries and write a reflective essay and, using course concepts, prepare an analysis of what you learned about your culture.End of semesterExtra Credit ProjectIn this project, you will select three counties at different levels of GDP. For each, you will look up demographic information, such as infant mortality rates and life expectancy, and you will use an online website to create population pyramids for each country. Based on the information you gather and information from class and from readings, you will propose social policy priorities for each county and suggest possible policy interventions. ................
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