Syllabus
Sociology 101: Principles of Sociology
Section 002
Spring 2006
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Class times: |
Tuesday/Thursday 9:30 AM to 10:45 PM |
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Location: |
SEM 234 |
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Instructor: |
Markus Kemmelmeier, Ph.D. |
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Office: |
304 Mack Social Sciences |
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Phone: |
784-1287 |
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Email: |
WebCT email or markusk@unr.edu (Email is the best way to reach me!) |
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Office hours: |
Thursday 11:45-1:00 or by appointment |
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TA: |
Nick Horning |
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Office: |
305 Mack Social Sciences |
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Phone: |
784-6647 |
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Email: |
horning2@unr.nevada.edu |
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Office hours: |
Tuesday 10:45-12:00 |
Course description and goals
In this class you will learn about a sociological view of the social world around you. We will understand how sociologists think about society and how they try to explain social life in groups and organizations. A particular emphasis will be on understanding everyday life and how even the most personal life experiences are shaped by societal forces that are often invisible to us. At the same time, you will learn about how everyday experiences and behavior are involved in creating and changing the social world in which we live. Finally, you will come to an understanding of how your personal life experience is touched by societal forces.
This is not an easy course, but I hope it will be interesting and exciting for you. It is important that you keep an open mind because looking at (your) life experiences and seeing them in a new light can be quite challenging at times.
Format
This course will primarily rely on lecture, but also include in-class demonstrations and movies. Lectures will not simply repeat what is in the readings, but expand and elaborate on the textbook. Thus it is critical that you keep up with the assigned readings because the exams will cover all materials presented in the readings and the lectures.
Textbook
The following books are available at the ASUN bookshop:
Henslin, James, M. 2005. Sociology: A down-to-earth approach (7th edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. (textbook)
Henslin, James, M. 2005. Life in society: Readings to accompany Sociology: A down-to-earth approach (7th edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. (reader)
Websites
(A) This course uses Web Course Tools (WebCT), an online system that allows you access to various course materials incl. in-class presentations. To get access to WebCT, go to http://webct.unr.edu. If you have used WebCT before, you already have a username and password. If you have never used it, go to http://webct.unr.edu, click on “Student Resources” and then on “Logon Instructions.” There you will find detailed in instructions regarding how to log-on, how to change your password etc. There is also info on how to use the system, but it is pretty self-explanatory.
You should check WebCT regularly as additional course materials will be posted there, including, but not limited to practice exam questions. Further, you will be able to monitor your grades on this website.
(B) Our textbook has a website, http://www.ablongman.com/henslin7e, which offers you various opportunities to learn more about some of the topics covered in the book and in lecture. It also provides you with chapter summaries and study guides. During this course I will occasionally refer to the website and present materials from it. The website will also provide the basis of the extra-credit assignments.
Exams. There will be three exams, each consisting of a combination of multiple choice and short answer questions. The exams mainly test your understanding of the course material and your ability to think critically about it and apply it to new situations. That is, rote memorization is NOT enough to succeed in this course. The exams cover the textbook, readings, material presented during lecturer (e.g., handouts, demonstrations, movies) as well as additional assignments, e.g., web-based activities. The final exam is not cumulative.
Should you be unable to take an exam at the scheduled time for reasons outside of your control, contact me, the instructor, immediately. (Don’t wait! I can be reached by email, by mail, by phone, via the sociology department etc.) You may need to provide proper documentation, where applicable.
Norm violation exercise. This exercise is designed to have you experience the impact of social norms first hand. For this purpose, you will be asked to break a social norm and write about your experience in a brief paper. Because it is important that your norm violation is not illegal or hurtful to anybody, you must get prior approval for the specific norm violation you are planning on writing about. Full details of the paper will be announced on January 31. The assignment is due in class on or before February 21 (hard copies only!). Late policy: For every calendar day that your paper is late, 2 points will be deducted from your grade.
Film analysis. In this assignment you are asked to watch a feature film and analyze it using sociological concepts and theory. The goal is for you to apply what you have learned by viewing a movie through a sociological lens. Details will be announced on March 17 and the assignment is due on or before April 25 in class (hard copies only!). Late policy: For every calendar day that your paper is late, 3 points will be deducted from your grade.
There will be two opportunities for you to earn additional points by working on additional course-related material and answering questions about it. The website mentioned above will provide the basis of the two extra-credit assignments, with details being announced on March 9 and April 13. Note that the extra credit assignments are graded, and that you will receive a score that is congruent with your performance. If you choose to complete any of the two assignments you must turn in Extra Assignment 1 on or before March 28, and Extra Assignment 2 on or before May 2 (hard copies only!). Later submissions will not be accepted.
You must complete all course requirements in order to pass this course. The course as a whole will be graded on the following scale: A (371-400), A- (361-370), B+ (351-360), B (331-350), B- (321-330), C+ (311-320), C (291-310), C- (281-290), D+ (271-280), D (251-270), D- (240-250), and F (below 240 points). Each exam is worth 100 points, the norm violations paper 40 points, and the film analysis paper is worth 60 points. Each of the two extra credit assignments is worth a maximum of 20 points if you choose to complete them.
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Mandatory |
Optional |
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Exam #1 |
100 points |
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Exam #2 |
100 points |
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Exam #3 |
100 points |
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Norm violations assignment |
40 points |
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Film analysis assignment |
60 points |
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Extra credit assignment 1 |
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20 points |
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Extra credit assignment 2 |
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20 points |
Total |
440 points max. (graded based on 400 point scale) |
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Attendance
All material presented in class are exam-relevant, including lectures, movies, demonstrations as well as the content of discussions. Therefore, it is expected that you attend class regularly, but there will be no formal record of your attendance. Thus, if cannot come to class, there is no need to notify me or my teaching assistant. There is one exception though: If you cannot attend class for an extended period of time due to no fault of your own, you are encouraged to contact me in case you need assistance to get up to speed again.
Assistance
If you require any particular arrangements, e.g., due to a learning disability, please inform me immediately. It is your responsibility to seek assistance when you are having difficulty understanding the course material. Please ask questions during class if the material is unclear or see me during office hours (or set up an appointment) to receive assistance outside of class. I want to help you, but I can only do so if you first let me know that you are having problems. Thus, don’t wait until the end of the semester, when there is little, if anything, that I can do to help you out. Keep in mind that you should contact me as soon as an issue emerges, as you cannot necessarily expect to receive assistance on the day of the exam/on the due date of an assignment.
Writing assistance
An important part of your college education is that you hone your writing skills. And, as for any kind of learning process, feedback is crucially important if you want to get better. In order for you to improve your writing assignments, I recommend that you visit the UNR Writing Center http://www.unr.edu/cla/wc/. There you will find people ready to give you helpful feedback. You really should take advantage of this service. Keep in mind that the best writers always listen to the feedback of others and revise their texts accordingly. (I always do).
Emergencies
If there is an emergency that does not allow you to complete assignments or take exams, contact me as soon as possible. For example, should a family emergency require that you leave town, be sure to contact me before you leave, not afterwards.
Disputes
In the unlikely case that there is a disagreement between the instructor and a student concerning any part of this course, including grading, and the conflict cannot be resolved in a conference between student and instructor, it is the student’s obligation to follow the grievance/appeal procedures as outlined in the University of Nevada Catalog.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty (e.g., cheating on exams, plagiarism) is a serious offense. All work that you submit in this class must be your own. Each student is responsible for being familiar with UNR's policies on academic dishonesty, available at http://www.unr.edu/stsv/acdispol.html.
Any student engaging in academic dishonesty in this course will receive an F on the exam/assignment. In more severe cases, e.g., extensive or repeated plagiarism of other people’s work, the course grade will be set to F. All severe cases of plagiarism will be turned over for prosecution by the proper university authorities.
What is plagiarism? The most blatant form of plagiarism is to incorporate another author’s written work into one’s own without indicating them as such (i.e. without citing the original author). Milder (but still nontrivial) forms of plagiarism include using another person’s text, but only slightly editing grammar and vocabulary. The web offers a number of great resources on the subject of plagiarism, e.g., http://libweb.uoregon.edu/guides/plagiarism/students/.
How to avoid plagiarism? The easiest way is to follow a “closed book” policy: When writing a paper, focus on what and how you want to say something, not on the language another author used. That is, when you have read a relevant paper, book or website, put it aside or close it before you write your own text.
Meet the instructor
For me as an instructor, one of downsides of teaching a larger lecture class is that I do not necessarily get to meet all students who are taking this course, nor will I be able to remember all the names. To fight anonymity, every Thursday following class I would like to invite 5 students to go for a cup of coffee with me in an informal setting.
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January 24 |
Introduction to the course: The sociological perspective |
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January 26 |
Perspectives in sociology |
Chapter 1/Reading 1 |
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January 31 |
Social structure Introduction norm violations exercise |
Chapter 4/Reading 4 |
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February 2 |
Social interaction |
Chapter 4 |
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February 7 |
Film “Quiet rage” & Group dynamics |
Chapter 6/ Zimbardo (WebCT) |
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February 9 |
Group Dynamics & Networks
Proposals for norm violation due (via email) |
Chapter 6/Reading 6 |
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February 14 |
Social research methods |
Chapter 5/Reading 5 |
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February 16 |
Culture |
Chapter 2/Reading 2 |
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February 21 |
Culture/Socialization Norm violations paper due |
Chapter 3 |
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February 23 |
Socialization |
Chapter 3/Reading 3 |
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February 27 |
Study session (time and place TBA) |
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February 28 |
EXAM #1 |
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March 2 |
Bureaucracies and organizations |
Chapter 7/Reading 14 |
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March 7 |
Deviance |
Chapter 8/Reading 8 |
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March 9 |
The problem of inequality/ Global stratification Introducing first extra credit assignment |
Chapter 9/Reading 9 |
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March 14 |
Social class and inequality |
Chapter 10/Reading 10 |
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March 16 |
Social class/Race and ethnicity |
Chapter 12 |
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March 21 & 23 |
**** SPRING BREAK **** |
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March 28 |
Race and ethnicity First extra credit assignment due |
Chapter 12/Reading 12 |
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March 30 |
Sex and sexuality Introduction film analysis paper |
Chapter 11/Reading 23 |
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April 4 |
Gender and gender inequality |
Chapter 11/Reading 11 |
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April 6 |
Age and aging
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Chapter 13/Reading 13 |
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April 10 |
Study session (time and place TBA) |
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April 11 |
EXAM #2 |
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April 13 |
Family Introducing second extra credit assignment |
Chapter 16/Reading 16 |
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April 18 |
Education |
Chapter 17/Reading 17 |
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April 20 |
Medicine & health care
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Chapter 19/Reading 19 |
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April 25 |
Politics Film analysis paper due |
Chapter 15/Reading 15 |
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April 27 |
The economy |
Chapter 14 |
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May 2 |
Population & urbanization Second extra credit assignment due |
Chapter 20/Reading 21 |
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May 4 |
Collective behavior & Social movements |
Chapter 21/Reading 21 |
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May 9 |
Sociology and Social Psychology of Terrorism |
Chapter 21/TBA |
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May 11 |
Study session (time and place TBA) |
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May 12 |
EXAM #3: 7:30 AM – 9:30 AM SEM 234 |
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