SOC 101 Syllabus

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY!!! Attend the lecture by Dr. James Cobb on November 8, and prepare a 2-page essay for up to 5 points of extra credit. The points will be added to your final grade in the course. Click here for instructions.

Office Hours:

During Fall Semester, 2007, the professor holds regular office hours at the following times:

The graduate assistant holds regular office hours at the following times:

Monday 9:00–11:00 am
Thursday 10:45 am–12:00 noon

If you cannot make one of these times, contact the instructor to set up an appointment.

Course Web Page:

You can find the most up-to-date information pertaining to the course and the official syllabus on the course web page. Check the web page periodically for changes, announcements, and information about the course. The web page is located at:

http://ntweb.deltastate.edu/vp_academic/abarton/SOC101FA07/SOC101Syllabus.html

Reading and writing are important elements in this course, as they are in the discipline of sociology. The following materials are REQUIRED.

Course Text:

John J. Macionis, 2007, Society: The Basics (Custom DSU Edition), Pearson/Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. ISBN: 0-536-43471-9.

Lisa J. McIntyre, 2006, The Practical Skeptic: Readings in Sociology (Third Edition), McGraw Hill Higher Education, Boston, MA. ISBN: 0-07-288530-0.

The text and reader are available at the campus bookstore. You should purchase the text and reader, or otherwise make arrangements to access the course reading assignments. YOU MUST PURCHASE A WRITING NOTEBOOK.

• Click here for tips on how to study the course readings.

16.9% of Mississippians have a college degree. For the U.S., the figure is 24.4% (Source: U.S. Census, 2000).

When you finish your degree, you will join an elite group. What is your strategy for finishing your degree?

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48

Responsibility:

YOU are responsible for learning the course material and for your progress in the course. You are expected to attend class regularly and complete all of the assignments. You are expected to know all material presented during class sessions, whether you attended the class or not. If you miss a class session, you should check with another student to see what you missed. “I didn’t know” is NEVER a valid excuse. If you don’t know something, it is your job to find out.

Learning Opportunities:

Assigned work is designed to provide you with learning opportunities, and you are responsible for completing all of the assigned work in this course in a timely fashion. All work is due at the time specified; no late assignments will be accepted, and missed assignments generally cannot be made up. If you miss class or an assignment, you are making a choice that prioritizes other activities above the class, and you will receive a grade of zero for any assignment that you fail to turn in.

ALL work that you submit (except in-class work) should be typed/word processed. If you submit a paper with more than one sheet, please attach all sheets with a staple or paper clip BEFORE you bring the assignment to class to turn in. The instructor will NOT ACCEPT work that is handwritten or that has multiple pages that are not attached with a staple or paper clip.

Absences:

You are expected to attend all class sessions and activities. Please make sure that you sign the roll sheet at each class meeting, as this will serve as official documentation of your attendance. If you miss class, you must document your absence, or points will be deducted from your grade (See the information on grading attendance). Please notify the instructor IN ADVANCE if you must miss class. It is in your interest to provide the instructor with written notification (e.g. a note or e-mail) to document any missed classes. It is risky simply to tell the instructor and expect him to remember.

Illnesses and Emergencies: Illnesses and emergencies MUST be documented with a note from a doctor or other professional. You should bring the note to the next class meeting and submit it to the instructor. Illnesses and emergencies pertain only to the student, not to the student’s family, friends or others.

University Activities: If you must miss class for an official university activity, you should make arrangements with the instructor BEFORE the missed class. Appropriate documentation is required.

Making Up Missed Work: If you miss an exam or other assignment due to a documented illness, emergency or official university activity, a make up will be given at the end of the semester. The make-up exam may use a different format, such as an oral exam with the instructor or an essay exam.

You are responsible for all material presented in all classes, even during an excused absence. You should get class notes from another student for all class sessions you miss.

Class Participation:

Class participation is an important element in this course. The purpose of class discussions is to provide you with an opportunity to practice thinking skills in a safe environment. In discussions, you are encouraged to explore ideas presented in the readings and lectures, to think about and apply concepts, and to develop arguments and evaluate evidence.

If you repeatedly engage in disruptive behaviors during class discussions, you will be asked to leave the classroom.

If you are asked to leave the classroom for disruptive or disrespectful behavior, you cannot make up any work that you miss as a result.

Electronic Devices (Cell Phones, Pagers, etc.):

Please make sure that all cell phones, pagers, and similar electronic devices are turned off during class time. If your phone or pager repeatedly interrupts class, you will be asked to leave the classroom.

DO NOT bring cell phones or other portable communication devices to class during exams or in-class assignments. If the instructor sees a cell phone or other device during an exam or in-class assignment, you will receive a grade of zero on the exam or assignment, and you will be asked to leave the classroom.

If you must have a cell phone or pager (e.g. if you are a volunteer fireman or emergency responder), you MUST make arrangements with the instructor in advance.

Academic Honesty:

You are expected to comply with all academic standards and ethics as defined in the DSU Bulletin and Handbook. You are expected to do your own work in this course. Plagiarism, fraud and other forms of cheating will NOT be tolerated.

You should be fully aware of the Course Policy on Plagiarism and Cheating. If you are suspected of cheating in this course, your case will be assigned to the Division of Social Sciences Academic Honesty and Ethics Committee. The minimum sanction for a first offense will be a 10 point deduction or a zero on the assignment, whichever is greater. Repeat offenses will result in stiffer sanctions, including dismissal from the course with a grade of "F." In addition, a report will be filed with the Chair of the Division of Social Sciences, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and DSU's Vice President for Academic Affairs.

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO UNDERSTAND THESE GUIDELINES. Make sure you know what constitutes plagiarism and cheating BEFORE turning in any assignments. Once you turn in an assignment, you are representing it as your own work. If you are suspected of committing plagiarism, pleas of “I didn’t know what plagiarism was” will not be accepted.

If you are not sure what constitutes plagiarism, see the DSU Library's "Plagiarism Prevention: A Guide for Students." The Course Policy on Plagiarism and Cheating also outlines examples of plagiarism. If it is still unclear, see the instructor.

Special Accommodations:

Appropriate accommodations will be made for students with medical problems or diagnosed disabilities. Have Dr. Richard Houston at Reily Student Health Center (846-4690) contact the course instructor to make arrangements.

An international study of 13-year-olds ... found that Koreans ranked first in mathematics and Americans last. When asked if they thought they were "good at mathematics," only 23 percent of the Korean youngsters said "yes" − compared to 68 percent of American 13-year-olds. The American educational dogma that students should "feel good about themselves" was a success in its own terms − though not in any other terms.

The following exercises are assigned to assist you in learning the principles of sociology:

Your grade in this course is based upon your performance in the course. That is, your grade will reflect what you do.

Computing Your Grade:

Your final grade in the course will be calculated as follows:

Course Outline:

Week	Date	Topic	Reading	Assignment
1	*Introduction to Sociology*
1	Thu. 8/16	Course Introduction Review Syllabus; Course Policies and Expectations The Sociological Perspective; Sociological Themes	None
2	*Social Research*
	Tue. 8/21	The Scientific Method and Methods of Social Science Research Methods Chart Sociological Paradigms Paradigms Table	Macionis Text Ch. 1, pp. 1–37
	Thu. 8/23	Readings on the Sociological Perspective	McIntyre Reader Ch. 1, The Promise (Mills), pp. 1–6 Ch. 3, Hernando Washington (McIntyre), pp. 18–27	Discussion Questions Due
3	*Culture*
	Tue. 8/28	Culture	Macionis Text Ch. 2, pp. 39–67
	Thu. 8/30	Readings on Culture	McIntyre Reader Ch. 11, Rule Enforcement without Visible Means (Caplow), pp. 85–93 Ch. 12, Code of the Streets (Anderson), pp. 94–102	Discussion Questions Due
4	*Socialization*
	Tue. 9/4	Socialization	Macionis Text Ch. 3, pp. 69–93
	Thu. 9/6	Readings on Socialization	McIntyre Reader Ch. 24, Anybody's Son Will Do (Dyer), pp. 212–223 Ch. 25, Suspended Identity (Schmid & Jones), pp. 224–235	Discussion Questions Due

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Week	Date	Topic	Reading	Assignment
5	*Social Interaction and Social Structure*
	Tue. 9/11	Social Interaction and Social Structure Social Structure Chart	Macionis Text Ch. 4, pp. 69–93
	Thu. 9/13	Readings on Social Interaction	McIntyre Reader Ch. 7, If Hitler Asked You... (Meyer), pp. 58–68 Ch. 14, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (Goffman), pp. 117–125	Discussion Questions Due
6	Deviance and Social Control
	Tue. 9/18	Deviance and Social Control	Macionis Text Ch. 7, pp. 173–203
	Thu. 9/20	Readings on Deviance and Social Control	McIntyre Reader Ch. 28, The Saints and the Roughnecks (Chambliss), pp. 255–266 Ch. 32, Denying the Guilty Mind (Benson), pp. 294–302	Discussion Questions Due
7	*Groups, Organizations and Social Control*
	Tue. 9/25	Organizations and Social Control Formal Organizations and Bureaucracies Groups & Organizations Chart	Macionis Text Ch. 5, pp. 119–143
	Thu. 9/27	Reading on Groups & Organizations Review for Midterm Exam	McIntyre Reader Ch. 29, On Being Sane in Insane Places (Rosenhan), pp. 267–274	Discussion Questions Due Review for Midterm Exam
8	*Social Institutions*
	Tue. 10/2	Social Institutions Midterm Exam	None	Midterm Exam
	Thu. 10/4	Readings on Family as a Social Institution	McIntyre Reader Ch. 22, The Nurture and Admonition of the Lord (Ammerman), pp. 186–199 Ch. 23, New Families (Cowan & Cowan), pp. 200–211	Discussion Questions Due

Week	Date	Topic	Reading	Assignment
9	*Traditional Institutions: Family and Religion*
	Tue. 10/9	Family and Religion	Macionis Text Ch. 13, pp. 371–407
	Thu. 10/11	Readings on Education as a Social Institution	McIntyre Reader Ch. 20, Hidden Lessons (Sadker & Sadker), pp. 166–176 Ch. 21, Elite Boarding Schools (Cookson & Persell), pp. 177–185	Discussion Questions Due
10	*Modern Institutions: Education and Economics*
	Tue. 10/16	Education and Economics	Macionis Text Ch. 14, pp. 409–427 Ch. 12, pp. 333–350
	Thu. 10/18	FALL BREAK
11	Social Stratification
	Tue. 10/23	Social Groups and Stratification	Macionis Text Ch. 8, pp. 205–241
	Thu. 10/25	Readings on Social Stratification	McIntyre Reader Ch. 33, The Land of Opportunity (Loewen), pp. 303–312 Ch. 34, Some Principles of Stratification (Tumin), pp. 313–320	Discussion Questions Due
12	Stratification by Gender
	Tue. 10/30	Gender	Macionis Text Ch. 10, pp. 271–297
	Thu. 11/1	Readings on Gender Stratification	McIntyre Reader Ch. 13, Separating the Men from the Girls (Messner et al.), pp. 103–116 Ch. 16, Marked (Tannen), pp. 131–137	Discussion Questions Due

Week	Date	Topic	Reading	Assignment
13	*Stratification by Race and Ethnicity*
	Tue. 11/6	Race and Ethnicity	Macionis Text Ch. 11, pp. 299–331
	Thu. 11/8	Readings on Race and Ethnicity	McIntyre Reader Ch. 37, Racism (Feagin), pp. 342–355 Ch. 39, The Model Minority Myth (Leung), pp. 364–368	Discussion Questions Due
14	*Global Stratification*
	Tue. 11/13	Globalization Social Change Chart Fortune Global 500	Macionis Text Ch. 9, pp. 243–269
	Thu. 11/15	Readings on the Global Workplace	McIntyre Reader Ch. 10, The Young, the Rich and the Famous (Natadecha-Sponsel), pp. 79–84 Ch. 35, Nickel and Dimed (Ehrenreich), pp. 321–338	Discussion Questions Due
	*Thanksgiving*
	Tue. 11/20	THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
	Thu. 11/22	THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
15	*Social Change: Population and Environment*
	Tue. 11/27	Population and Environment Population Change in the Mississippi Delta	Macionis Text Ch. 15, pp. 449–479
	Thu. 11/29	Reading on the Sociological Imagination	McIntyre Reader Ch. 2, How History and Sociology Can Help Today's Families (Coontz), pp. 7–17	Discussion Questions Due Review for Final Exam
Exam Week	*Final Exam*
Exam Week	Wed. 12/5	FINAL EXAM		3:00 pm 231 Kethley Hall

Section	Days	Time	Place
2	Tuesdays and Thursdays	9:25–10:40 am	231 Kethley Hall

Professor: Dr. Alan Barton
Office: 214 Kethley Hall
Telephone: (662) 846-4097
E-mail: abarton@deltastate.edu Webpage: http://ntweb.deltastate.edu/vp_academic/abarton

Social structure	Relationships	Social stratification
Roles	Culture	Social class
Statuses	Values	Legitimate authority
Social institutions	Norms	Race and Ethnicity
Human agency	Symbols	Gender
Social control	Social research	Socialization
Deviance	Social paradigms	Social change

	• You must demonstrate appropriate respect for the opinions and ideas of other students during class discussions. It is acceptable (and encouraged) to disagree with the perspectives of other students or the instructor, but you should phrase this to show disagreement with the idea or opinion, not with the person presenting the idea or opinion. If you repeatedly show disrespect for other class members, you will be asked to leave the classroom.
	• Class discussions are NOT a time to chat with other students about topics not related to the course. Talking privately with other students while the rest of the class is trying to carry on a discussion is disruptive, bothersome, and disrespectful to other students and to the professor. If you repeatedly speak when you do not have the floor, you will be asked to leave the classroom.
	• Class is NOT a time to catch up on your sleep. If you are not prepared to stay awake and participate in class discussions and other activities, you should not come to class. If you continually fall asleep during class sessions, you will be asked to leave the classroom.

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