Syllabus
Sociology 101: Principles of Sociology
Section 003
Spring 2005
|
Class times: |
Tuesday/Thursday |
|
|
Location: |
2030 WRB |
|
|
Instructor: |
Markus Kemmelmeier, Ph.D. |
|
Office: |
304 Mack Social Sciences |
|
Phone: |
784-1287 |
|
Email: |
markusk@unr.edu (best way to reach me!) |
|
Office hours: |
Tuesday 1-2:30 or by
appointment |
|
TA: |
Maia Finholm |
|
Office: |
339 Mack Social Sciences |
|
Phone: |
784-6647 |
|
Email: |
|
|
Office hours: |
Wednesday 12-2 |
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:
Lindsey, L. L., & Beach, S. (2004). Sociology (3rd ed.).
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.prenhall.com/lindsey/, 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. Similarly, the CD-ROM that
you should have received with your textbook will help you deepen your knowledge
of the course material. During this course I will occasionally refer to the
website or the CD-ROM and present materials from it. The website and CD-ROM 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, the 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 27. The assignment
is due in class on or before February 17 (hard copies only!). Late policy: For every calendar day that your paper is
late, 3 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 17and the assignment
is due on or before April 21 in class (hard copies only!). Late policy: For every calendar day that your paper is late,
2 points will be deducted from your grade.
There will be two opportunities for you to
earn additional points by answering additional course-related material and
answering questions about it. The website
and CD-ROM mentioned above will provide the basis of the two extra-credit
assignments, with details being announced on March 1 and March 24. 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 15, and Extra Assignment 2 on or
before April 14 (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.
|
|
Mandatory |
Optional |
|
Exam #1 |
100 points |
|
|
Exam #2 |
100 points |
|
|
Exam #3 |
100 points |
|
|
Norm violations assignment |
40 points |
|
|
Film analysis assignment |
60 points |
|
|
Extra credit assignment 1 |
|
20 points |
|
Extra credit assignment 2 |
|
20 points |
Total
|
440 points
max. (graded based
on a 400 point scale) |
|
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/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).
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 Director of Student Judicial Services.
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 Tuesday following class I would like to invite 5 students to
go for a cup of coffee with me in an informal setting.
|
January 18 |
Introduction
to the course: The sociological perspective |
|
|
January 20 |
Film “Quiet rage”
(Instructor at conference) |
|
|
January 25 |
Perspectives in sociology |
Chapter 1 |
|
January 27 |
Social
structure Introduction
norm violations exercise |
Chapter 4 |
|
February 1 |
Social
interaction |
Chapter 6 |
|
February 3 |
Group
dynamics |
Chapter 4 & 6 |
|
February 8 |
Social
research methods Proposals for norm violation due (via email) |
Chapter 2 |
|
February 10 |
Culture |
Chapter 3 |
|
February 15 |
Socialization |
Chapter 5 |
|
February 17 |
Education Norm
violations paper due |
Chapter 16 |
|
February 22 |
Deviance Study
session (time and place TBA) |
Chapter 8 |
|
February 24 |
EXAM #1 |
|
|
March 1 |
The
problem of inequality/ Global stratification Introducing
first extra credit assignment |
Chapter 10 |
|
March 3 |
Social class and inequality
|
Chapter 11 |
|
March 8 |
Social class/Race and
ethnicity |
Chapter 11 & 12 |
|
March 10 |
Race and ethnicity |
Chapter 12 |
|
March 15 |
Sexuality First extra
credit assignment due |
Chapter 7 |
|
March 17 |
Gender
and gender inequality Introduction
film analysis paper |
Chapter 13 |
|
March 22 |
Family |
Chapter 15 |
|
March 24 |
Age
and aging Introducing second extra credit
assignment |
Chapter 14 |
|
March 29 &31 |
SPRING BREAK |
|
|
April 4 |
Study session (time and place TBA) |
|
|
April 5 |
EXAM #2 |
|
|
April 7 |
Medicine
& health care |
Chapter 19 |
|
April 12 |
Bureaucracies
and organizations |
Chapter 21 |
|
April 14 |
Crime
and criminal justice Second
extra credit assignment due |
Chapter 9 |
|
April 19 |
Politics |
Chapter 18 |
|
April 21 |
The economy Film analysis paper due |
Chapter 18 |
|
April 26 |
Religion |
Chapter 17 |
|
April 28 |
Population &
urbanization |
Chapter 22 |
|
May 3 |
Collective
behavior & Social movements Study
session (time and place TBA) |
Chapter 23 |
|
May 5 |
EXAM #3: 7:30 AM – 9:30 AM WRB 2030 |
|