Sociology 101 - Bowling Green State University



SOC 1010: Principles of Sociology

Fall 2013

Instructor: XXX Class time: 4:30-5:45 MW

Office: 227 Williams Hall Class location: 223 Olscamp Hall

Email: XXX@bgsu.edu

Office hours: 1:30-3:20 F, and by appointment

Course Description

How can we understand human behavior? Sociologists maintain that our behavior is largely a function of our social world, the context in which we live. Our experiences with others shape our own thoughts and actions. In this course, we will cultivate what C. Wright Mills termed our “sociological imagination,” that is, the ability to identify the connections between our personal experiences and our social milieu. To introduce you to the ways in which sociologists study social interactions and social organization, we will focus on the theoretical and conceptual frameworks developed by sociologists as well as the empirical strategies sociologists use in their research. We will also cover sociological terminology as it forms the basis of the discipline and is necessary for subsequent course work in the field. Throughout the semester, we will emphasize the role of sociology in enhancing our understanding of the world around us.

Course Objectives

This introductory sociology course is designed with several student learning outcomes in mind:

• To gain a general knowledge of the history, basic concepts, and theories of sociology.

• To introduce you to the diverse ways in which sociologists gather, interpret, and evaluate data.

• To apply a sociological imagination to various areas of social life.

• To develop and articulate sociologically informed opinions and arguments concerning social and behavioral phenomena and critically assess sociological arguments.

These student learning outcomes will be assessed by exams and writing assignments described in the syllabus.

Learning Outcomes

SOC 1010 is a BG Perspective course. We will be working toward the following learning outcomes.

• You will learn how to identify issues and problems and to formulate and frame these in ways that contribute to their solution*

• You will learn how theory is applied to events to produce knowledge.*

• You will be able to examine the nature of decision making in society from the perspectives of the social sciences and how values impact on that decision-making.*

• You will be able to construct and present an argument, identifying the evidence that supports it and the reasoning process by which a conclusion is reached.

• You will be able to articulate the bases of evidence in this discipline, how they are used, and the assumptions on which they rest.*

*The achievement of the BGP learning outcomes will be assessed using a standardized set of multiple choice questions.

Text and Materials

• There is a required textbook for this course: Ferris, K., and Stein, J. (2012). The Real World: Introduction to Sociology, 3rd ed. New York: W. W. Norton.

• Explore the “Everyday Sociology blog”

• A schedule of required readings and topics covered, as well as additional readings, are available on Canvas under Modules.

• Lecture outlines will be provided for the course to help you structure your note-taking. These will be located under Modules > Readings on Canvas.

o These lecture outlines are not a substitute for attending class and taking notes. Students should not expect to merely come to class and copy down what is in a PowerPoint presentation or written on the board.

o Each lecture outline will have words or concepts listed in all capital letters. It is your responsibility to write down the definitions of these words/concepts from the textbook.

o I will pace parts of the lecture assuming that students have access to the information in the lecture outlines. Additionally, some information for class discussions and activities may be included in the lecture outlines.

Class Format (Instructional Strategies)

We will engage in a variety of activities throughout the semester including: interactive lecture, small group and class discussion, and other in-class activities, including response to films and other media. Your active participation on a regular basis is expected and necessary for you to benefit from these activities and develop an understanding of the course material.

Course Requirements and Learning Activities

The course requirements listed below assess the attainment of student learning outcomes. Because students learn in many different ways, and knowledge and comprehension are demonstrated in different ways, there are a variety of ways in which I assess student learning outcomes.

• Exams: There are three exams in this class. Exams cover materials from the lectures, readings, and any class discussions and activities. Failure to take an exam will result in a zero. Make-up exams will be given at my discretion and will only be given to students who have received prior permission to miss the scheduled exam or in case of documented emergencies. Make-up exams may be in a format that is different from the original exam. This make-up allowance does not apply to the final exam. You are expected to take the final on the regularly scheduled day and time. Do not schedule travel or other events that conflict with the final exam.

• Readings: Readings are listed in the Class Schedule and are posted on Canvas under Modules > Readings (as either links to web pages or PDFs). Students are expected to read assigned materials before the classes in which they are covered.

o Lectures and discussions are intended to supplement and expand upon the readings, not to repeat them. To do well in the course, you will need to be familiar with the material presented in both the readings and the class; one will not substitute for the other. However, because the classroom material does often expand or elaborate on issues raised in the readings, it is essential to keep up with the readings. If you have not, lectures and discussions may be difficult to follow

o For some readings, you will be provided with a hyperlink on Canvas. If you get an error when you click on the hyperlink, do the following to access the reading:

▪ Right-click on the link for the reading.

▪ Click on “Open in New Window” OR click on “Copy Shortcut” then click in your web browser’s address bar and paste (this will paste the web address for the reading).

o You are not required to print out the readings and bring them to class, but you should be prepared to discuss the readings in class.

• Assignments: Two assignments will be given during the semester as a way to practice and apply the material covered in lecture and readings. For complete information, see the Assignment Sheets provided.

o Late assignments will be accepted with a 10% penalty for each day late (including weekends and non-class days).

o Assignments must be completed in Microsoft Word and submitted on Canvas (unless otherwise noted). Save a copy of all assignments until the end of the semester in a place where you can access the assignment again (i.e., NOT on a computer in a computer lab where it will get deleted).

o Assignments will be posted under on Canvas under Modules > Assignments.

o Please see the Help Document under the Syllabus link on Canvas for more information.

• Online Quizzes: Online quizzes will be given about weekly (see class schedule) to encourage students to keep up with the weekly readings and to give students the opportunity to practice applying the concepts and review the materials that have been covered in class and in readings.

o Quizzes will be posted on Canvas under Modules > Quizzes each Friday by 8am. (They will typically be posted earlier than this, but they will be posted by Friday at 8am at the latest.) They must be completed by the following Monday at 4pm, unless otherwise noted.

o Quizzes will cover the week’s readings for the week that each quiz is due. Quizzes may also contain review questions over the materials previously covered. For example, the Week 3 Quiz is due Monday of Week 3. It will cover the readings that are listed for Week 3 of the syllabus and possible review questions from previous weeks’ materials.

o No late quizzes may be taken. If, for some reason, you will be unable to take a quiz, you must make arrangements with me prior to the time that it is due.

o Though I will frequently make class announcements about these quizzes, I will not email or post consistent reminders about them. Please be sure to make note of these quizzes so that you do not forget to take them.

o There are 13 quizzes. I will drop each student’s lowest quiz score, so students will have a total of 12 quizzes that are worth 2.5 points each.

o Please see the Help Document under the Syllabus link on Canvas for more information.

Grading

The grade distribution is the following:

Exam 1 60 points

Exam 2 60 points

Exam 3 60 points

Assignments 50 points

Online Quizzes 30 points

260 points

Calculating Your Grade: At the end of the semester, I will take the number of points you have earned and divide by 260. I will multiply this by 100 to get a percentage. If your score ends in .5 or higher, I will round up to the next percentage point.

Grading Scale

90% – 100% A

80% – 89% B

70% – 79% C

60% – 69% D

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