Syllabus
Sociology 101: Principles of Sociology
Section 3
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Class times: |
Tuesday/Thursday 11 AM to 12:15 PM |
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Location: |
2030 WRB |
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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: |
markusk@unr.edu (preferred) |
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Office hours: |
Monday 11-12, Thursday 2-3 or by appointment |
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TA: |
Susan Emerson |
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Office: |
342 Mack Social Sciences |
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Phone: |
784-6647 |
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Email: |
Nativemama2001@yahoo.com |
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Office hours: |
Tuesday 12:30-1:30 |
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 book is available at the ASUN bookshop:
Henslin, James, M. 2003. Sociology: A down-to-earth approach (6th edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Websites
(A) This course uses Web Course Tools (WebCT), an online system that allows you access to additional course material, e.g. study guides etc. It also permits you to track your grades in this course. 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, study guides, practice exam questions. Further, you will be able to monitor your grades on this website.
(B) Together with your textbook you should have received a CD-ROM linking you to the textbook website www.ablongman.com/henslin6e . This website contains supplemental material and exercises that elaborate on the content of this course. During this course I will occasionally refer to the website or present materials from it.
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, the material presented during lecturer (e.g., handouts, demonstrations, movies) including as well as additional assignments, e.g., web-based activities. The final exam (Exam #3) is not cumulative.
Should you be unable to write the exam at the scheduled time for reasons outside of your control, contact me immediately and provide proper documentation, where applicable.
Writing assignment. You will be expected to write a 10-12 page paper for this course that focuses on the application of sociological research and theory to your world, e.g., a sociological analysis of your hometown. This paper will require you to do some degree of research, including literature search, online research (e.g., looking up data in the U.S. Census) or “on the ground” research (e.g., involving legwork). Details concerning this assignment will be posted on WebCT and discussed in class.
You must complete all course requirements in order to pass this course. Exams and assignments will be graded on the following scale: A (93-100) A- (90-92), B+ (87-89), B (83-86), B- (80-82), C+ (77-79), C (73-76), C- (70-72), D+ (67-69), D (63-66), D- (60-62), and F (below 60). The three exams and the writing assignment will count equally toward your final course grade:
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Exam #1 |
25% |
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Exam #2 |
25% |
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Exam #3 |
25% |
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Writing assignment |
25% |
Total |
100% |
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 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/artsci/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).
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 [http://www.unr.edu/stsv/acdispol.html]. Any student engaging in academic dishonesty in this course will receive a 0 on the exam/assignment in question. In more severe cases, e.g., extensive plagiarism of other people’s work, the case may be turned over for prosecution by the proper university authorities (see University of Nevada Catalog).
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.
Meet the instructor
For me as an instructor, one of downsides of teaching a large lecture class is that I do not get to meet many of the 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 20 |
Introduction to the course: The sociological perspective |
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January 22 |
Perspectives in sociology |
Chapter 1 |
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January 27 |
Social structure and social interaction |
Chapter 4 |
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January 29 |
Social structure and social interaction |
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February 3 |
Group dynamics |
Chapter 6 pp. 164-183 |
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February 5 |
Social research methods |
Chapter 5 |
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February 10 |
Culture |
Chapter 2 |
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February 12 |
Culture/socialization |
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February 17 |
Socialization |
Chapter 3 |
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February 19 |
Education |
Chapter 17 |
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February 24 |
EXAM #1 |
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February 26 |
The problem of inequality/ Global stratification |
Chapter 6 pp. 157-163 Chapter 9 |
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March 2 |
Social class and inequality |
Chapter 10 |
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March 4 |
Race and ethnicity |
Chapter 12 |
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March 9 |
Race and ethnicity |
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March 11 |
Sex and gender inequality |
Chapter 11 |
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March 16 & 18 |
SPRING BREAK |
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March 23 |
Age and aging |
Chapter 13 |
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March 25 |
Medicine |
Chapter 19 |
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March 30 |
Family |
Chapter 16 |
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April 1 |
Work |
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April 6 |
EXAM #2 |
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April 8 |
Bureaucracy and organizations |
Chapter 7 |
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April 13 |
The economy |
Chapter 14 |
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April 15 |
Politics |
Chapter 15 |
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April 20 |
Deviance and social control |
Chapter 8 |
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April 22 |
Deviance – WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE |
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April 27 |
Population, urbanization |
Chapter 20 |
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April 29 |
Collective behavior |
Chapter 21 |
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May 4 |
Social change |
Chapter 22 pp. 665-680 |
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May 6 |
EXAM #3 |
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