ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY
SOC 422/522; COD 522

 

COURSE SYLLABUS
SPRING 2004
 

Download in pdf format                                       See the photo from the Dahomey Field Trip

Readings

Study Questions

Assignments and Grading

Policies and Expectations

Course Outline

Additional Readings

 

Meeting Place:  204 Kethley Hall

Meeting Times:  Tuesday and Thursday, 4:30–6:00 pm

 

Instructor: Dr. Alan Barton

Office: 201A Kethley

Telephone: (662) 846-4097

E-mail: abarton@deltastate.edu

Webpage:  http://ntweb.deltastate.edu/vp_academic/abarton/

Office Hours:
 

The instructor holds regular office hours at the following times:

        Tuesday and Thursday, 3:00–4:30 pm

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

Webpage:

 

Additional materials and updated course information can be found on the course webpage:

 

http://ntweb.deltastate.edu/vp_academic/abarton/SOC422/SOC422Syllabus.htm

Course Overview:

 

This course introduces students to the disciplines of environmental and natural resources sociology.  The course covers environmental and resource-related issues from a theoretical and policy-oriented approach. Important environmental issues that we will discuss include deforestation, biological diversity, air and water pollution, global warming, and sustainable development.

 

Readings:

 

Allen Schnaiberg and Kenneth Alan Gould. 2000. Environment and Society: The Enduring Conflict. Caldwell, NJ: The Blackburn Press.

 

John McPhee. 1989. The Control of Nature. New York: Farrar, Staus and Giroux.

 

Articles as assigned.

 

The books are available at the university bookstore.  Students should purchase both books or otherwise arrange to complete all of the reading assignments.

Study Questions:
 

Each week, a set of study questions pertaining to the week's topic will be posted on this website. These questions are designed to assist you with the week's reading assignments.  It is recommended that you prepare short answers to these questions to prepare for lectures and discussions.  Questions for the quizzes, the final exam, and writing assignments are frequently drawn from these study questions.

Click on the link for study questions on the readings:

 

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5
Week 6	Week 7	Week 8	Week 9	Week 10
Week 11	Week 12	Week 13	Week 14	Week 15

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Course Organization and Approach:

 

This course uses a participatory, learner-centered, adult education approach.  An adult education approach recognizes that students are responsible for their own learning.  The professor can only provide opportunities to learn, but cannot force students to learn.  Students are expected to work hard in this course, meaning that for every hour of class time, students are expected to spend two to three hours outside of class preparing by doing readings, assignments, studying for quizzes and exams, and thinking about the course material.

 

Students are expected to take responsibility for the success of the course, that is, students should take an active interest not just in the course material, but in the course itself, making it a success for all participants.  Factors such as interest, motivation, creativity, and initiative are important elements in evaluating a student’s performance and assigning a grade.

 

Course material is presented in several formats.  A theoretical framework for understanding the social dimensions of environmental issues is presented in the assigned chapters in the book Environment and Society: The Enduring Conflict by Allen Schnaiberg and Kenneth Alan Gould, and in several assigned articles.  Information on social, political, and scientific dimensions of specific environmental issues is presented in other assigned articles, and in the book The Control of Nature, by John McPhee.  Topical issues are presented in videos and in the student-led discussions on current issues drawn from newspapers and magazines.

 

Assignments and Grading: 

There are a total of 100 points available for the semester.  Your final score is simply the sum of all points earned over the semester.  If you accumulate 90 or more points over the course of the semester, you will get an “A” in the course.  If you accumulate 80 to 89 points, you will get a “B,” for 70 to 79 points you will get a “C,” and for 60 to 69 points will get a “D.”  If you get less than 60 points, your final grade will be an “F.”  Note that you start with zero and earn points; you do not start with 100 and lose points.

 

If you comply with all course requirements and submit all of the assignments satisfactorily and on time, you can expect a “C” in this course.  To receive a higher grade, you must demonstrate a superior grasp of course material and an ability to apply the material in productive ways.  It is also helpful to show an interest in the course material and in learning, and an achievement-based orientation.

 

This table summarizes points for each assignment, detailed in the subsequent pages.

 

Assignment	SOC 422	SOC 522
Attendance/Class Participation	20	20
Quizzes	15	15
Writing Assignments	15	15
Discussion Leader, Current Topics	20	10
Paper & Discussion Leader, Research Papers	N/A	20
Final Exam	20	10
Discretionary	10	10
Total	100	100

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Assignments, SOC 422:

 

All students taking the course for undergraduate (SOC 422) credit must complete the following assignments:

 

(1) Reading, attendance and participation in class discussions (20 points)

• You are expected to do all of the assigned readings and attend all class sessions

• You are expected to engage in classroom discussions, reflecting on the topic and readings

• The quality of contributions to class discussions is more important than the quantity of contributions

• Participation in class discussions is not graded based on whether it is “right” or “wrong;” rather, you are expected to engage the material critically, and demonstrate an understanding and ability to apply the course material in productive ways

 

(2) Quizzes (15 points)

• You will take four in-class quizzes during the semester

• Quizzes consist of short answer questions (multiple choice, true-false, fill-in-the-blank, matching terms, etc.)

• The first quiz covers the course material presented since the beginning of the semester, including readings, lectures, films, and discussions; subsequent quizzes cover material since the previous quiz

• Each quiz is worth 5 points; the lowest grade will be dropped at the end of the semester

 

(3) Writing assignments (15 points)

• You will prepare and submit four two-page papers on assigned topics pertaining to the videos and/or field trips

• The papers should be typed, 10 or 12 point font, 1 inch margins, double spaced

      • Each writing assignment is worth 5 points; the lowest grade will be dropped at the end of the semester
• For out-of-class assignments, students are expected to do their own work – see the policy on plagiarism and cheating, this policy will be enforced with no exceptions; for more information, see the Delta State Library's guide to plagiarism prevention
• Click here for tips on writing papers for this course

• Click here for Soc 422 writing assignments

 

(4) Discussion leader on current topics (20 points)

• You will lead two 15 minute discussions on topics of current interest pertaining to the environment or natural resources management

• You should select your topic from a current newspaper or magazine, and should submit the article to the professor one week before their discussion with a list of discussion questions

• You should prepare and give a short presentation on the article to the class, focusing on the social and policy dimensions of the environmental issues

• You should then facilitate a class discussion on the topic, encouraging participation by all members of the class; your responsibility in this exercise is not to act as “expert” or “judge;” rather, you are to get other students talking about the topic, mediate the contributions of other students to keep the discussion focused, and guide the discussion to ensure that the social and policy issues are covered
• Click here for guidelines on leading a discussion

• Click here for a schedule of current topics discussion leaders

 

(5) Final Exam (20 points)

      • You MUST take the final exam, at a time to be arranged

      • The final exam is comprehensive, and consists of short answer and essay questions

 

(6) Discretionary (10 points)

      • The instructor will evaluate each student’s performance based on factors such as the motivation, interest, and improvement the student demonstrates

 
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Assignments, SOC 522:

 

All students taking the course for graduate (SOC 522) credit must complete the following assignments:

 

(1) Reading, attendance and participation in class discussions (20 points)

• You are expected to do all of the assigned readings and attend all class sessions

• You are expected to engage in classroom discussions, reflecting on the topic and readings

• The quality of contributions to class discussions is more important than the quantity of contributions

• Participation in class discussions is not graded based on whether it is “right” or “wrong;” rather, you are expected to engage the material critically, and demonstrate an understanding and ability to apply the course material in productive ways

 

(2) Quizzes (15 points)

• You will take four in-class quizzes during the semester

• Quizzes consist of short answer questions (multiple choice, true-false, fill-in-the-blank, etc.)

• The first quiz covers the course material presented since the beginning of the semester, including readings, lectures, films, and discussions; subsequent quizzes cover material since the previous quiz

• Each quiz is worth 5 points; the lowest grade will be dropped at the end of the semester

 

(3) Writing assignments (15 points)

• You will prepare and submit four two-page papers on assigned topics pertaining to the videos and/or field trips

• The papers should be typed, 10 or 12 point font, 1 inch margins, double spaced

      • Each writing assignment is worth 5 points; the lowest grade will be dropped

      • For out-of-class assignments, students are expected to do their own work – see the policy on plagiarism and cheating, this policy will be enforced with no exceptions; for more information, see the Delta State Library's guide to plagiarism prevention
• Click here for tips on writing papers for this course

• Click here for Soc 522/COD 522 writing assignments
 

(4) Discussion leader on current topics (10 points)

• You will lead one 15 minute discussion on a topic of current interest pertaining to the environment or natural resources management

• You should select your topic from a current newspaper or magazine, and should submit the article to the professor one week before their discussion with a list of discussion questions

• You should prepare and give a short presentation on the article to the class, focusing on the social and policy dimensions of the environmental issues

• You should then facilitate a class discussion on the topic, encouraging participation by all members of the class; your responsibility in this exercise is not to act as “expert” or “judge;” rather, you are to get other students talking about the topic, mediate the contributions of other students to keep the discussion focused, and guide the discussion to ensure that the social and policy issues are covered 

• Click here for guidelines on leading a discussion

• Click here for a schedule of current topics discussion leaders
 

(5) Paper/discussion leader on research papers (20 points)

• You will select one of the research papers assigned for class reading and prepare a 5-page essay in which you discuss the environmental and social issues raised in the paper

• You will lead a 30 minute discussion on the day the research paper is assigned, teaching the class about the paper and relating the material to the course topic

      • Click here for a schedule of discussion leaders on research papers
 

 (5) Final Exam (10 points)

      • You MUST take the final exam, at a time to be arranged

      • The final exam is comprehensive, and consists of short answer and essay questions

 

(6) Discretionary (10 points)

      • The instructor will evaluate each student’s performance based on factors such as the motivation, interest, and improvement the student demonstrates

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Policies and Expectations:

 

(1)  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.

 

(2)  Missed assignments CANNOT be made up

      • It is assumed that if you miss class or an assignment, you are making a choice that prioritizes other activities above the class.  For this reason, none of the assignments or coursework can be made up.

      • Assignments are due at the time specified; no late assignments will be accepted.

      • If you miss a quiz or writing assignment, you will receive a grade of zero for that assignment.  In the first instance, this will count as your lowest grade and will be dropped.  Subsequent instances will be scored as zero.

      • If you must miss a presentation or other in-class activity, it is up to you to arrange to trade with another student before the event.  Please notify the instructor of such changes.

 

(3)  Illnesses and emergencies MUST be documented

      • If you must miss a class due to illness or another personal emergency, notify the instructor BEFORE the missed class period either by e-mail or telephone.

      • If you cannot notify the instructor in advance, bring a note from a doctor or other professional to the next class meeting.

      • Illnesses and emergencies pertain only to the student, not to the student’s family, friends or others.

      • 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.

      • Notified absences (i.e. you notify the instructor before the event) count as one-half absence.  Excused absences (i.e. you bring a note from a doctor or other professional) will not count against you for the first two; after that, each excused absence counts as one-half absence.

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

      • It is in your interest to provide the instructor with written notification (e.g. note or e-mail) or documentation for any missed class.  It is risky to simply tell the instructor and expect him to remember.

 

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

 

(5)  Class discussion is an important element in this course

      • The purpose of the discussion 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.

      • You must demonstrate appropriate respect the opinions and ideas of other students.  If you repeatedly show disrespect for other students, 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 talk out of turn, you will be asked to leave the classroom.

      • It is acceptable (and encouraged) to disagree with the perspectives of other students, but you should phrase this to show disagreement with the idea or opinion, not with the person presenting the idea or opinion.

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

      • Any work missed by a student that was asked to leave the classroom cannot be made up under any circumstances.

 

(6)  You are expected to comply with all academic standards and ethics as defined in the DSU Bulletin and Handbook

      • You are expected to do their own work in this course.  Plagiarism and other forms of cheating will NOT be tolerated.

      • Click here if you are unsure what constitutes plagiarism.  The DSU Library's "Plagiarism Prevention: A Guide for Students" is also a good resource.  If it is still unclear, see the instructor.  IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO UNDERSTAND THESE GUIDELINES.  If at some point in the semester you are suspected of committing plagiarism, pleas of “I didn’t know what plagiarism was” will not be accepted.

      • The sanctions for plagiarism are outlined on the web page linked above.  Make sure you are aware of these BEFORE you submit any work in this class.

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