Announcements:
 

Course Information:

Meeting Place:  CCED

Meeting Times:  Tuesday 6:00–9:00 pm

Instructor: Dr. Alan Barton

Office: 37 Ward Hall

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:

      Monday:  2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
      Tuesday:  2:00 pm – 6:00 pm 
      Wednesday:  10:00 am – 11:00 am; 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

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

Course Webpage:

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

http://ntweb.deltastate.edu/vp_academic/abarton/SOC422SP07/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:

Books:

The following books are required for SOC 422, SOC 522 and COD 522:
 

Norman Myers and Jennifer Kent. 2004. The New Consumers: The Influence of Affluence on the Environment. Island Press, Washington, DC. ISBN: 1-55963-997-0.

Allen Schnaiberg and Kenneth Alan Gould. 2000. Environment and Society: The Enduring Conflict. The Blackburn Press, Caldwell, NJ.  ISBN: 1-930665-00-8.

James Speth and Peter Haas. 2006. Global Environmental Governance. Island Press, Washington, DC. ISBN: 1-59726-081-9.

Peggy F. Bartlett and Geoffrey W. Chase. 2004. Sustainability on Campus: Stories and Strategies for Change. The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. ISBN: 0-262-52422-8.

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

We will read portions of the following books as well:

Lester R. Brown. 2004. Outgrowing the Earth: The Food Security Challenge in an Age of Falling Water Tables and Rising Temperatures. Earth Policy Institute, Washington, DC. ISBN: 0-393-32725-6. You can either download or purchase the book at http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/Out/Contents.htm.

Daniella Tilbury, Robert B. Stevenson, John Fien, and Danie Schreuder. 2002. Education and Sustainability: Responding to the Global Challenge. IUCN Commission on Education and Communication, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Available at http://www.gse.mq.edu.au/units/sus_dev/ESDBook.pdf.
 

Articles:
 

Buttel, Frederick H. 2002. Environmental sociology and the sociology of natural resources: Institutional histories and intellectual legacies. Society and Natural Resources, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 205–211. Available from the Full Text Electronic Journals in the DSU Library.

Buttel, Frederick H. 1976. Social science and the environment: Competing theories. Social Science Quarterly, Vol. 57, No. 2, pp. 307–323.

Catton, William R., Jr. and Riley E. Dunlap. 1978. Environmental sociology: A new paradigm. The American Sociologist, Vol. 13, pp. 41–49.
 

Chronicle of Higher Education. 2006. Vol. 53, No. 9.

    What is a Sustainable University?, p. 6

    In Search of the Sustainable Campus, by Scott Carlson, p. 7

    Students Call for Action on Campus, by Sara Lipka, p. 11

Available from the Full Text Electronic Journals in the DSU Library.
 

Dunlap, Riley E. and William R. Catton, Jr. 2002. Which function(s) of the environment do we study? A comparison of environmental and natural resource sociology. Society and Natural Resources, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 239–249. Available from the Full Text Electronic Journals in the DSU Library.

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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.

Learning Opportunities: 

Coursework (SOC 422):

If you are taking the course for undergraduate (SOC 422) credit, you must complete the following assignments:

(1) Attendance (10 points)

• You are expected to attend all class sessions
• Because this course meets only once per week, each absence is equivalent to three absences in a MWF course

• See the course policy on absences (no. 3 below)

• Click here for information on grading attendance

(2) Participation in Class Discussions (10 points)

• You are expected to do all of the assigned readings and come to class prepared to discuss them

• 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; however, you should make an effort to participate in all discussions

• 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

(3) Discussant on Readings (30 points)

• You will team up with a graduate student to lead a discussion on three readings over the course of the semester

• Your role as Discussant means that your responsibility is to instigate and lead a discussion on the assigned reading.  You will collaborate with the graduate student to develop a series of questions on the reading, and together you will lead the class discussion with the goal of understanding the sociological concepts presented in the reading and how they apply to natural resources and environmental conditions
• A successful discussion is one in which everyone in the class participates, in which specific topics are raised and analyzed, and in which participants have a better understanding of the reading and how it fits into the broader topics raised in the course

• As discussion leader, you do not have to provide information or expertise; rather, you need to elicit and tie together the expertise of class members

• You should plan on leading the discussion for 25 minutes

• Click here for a schedule of discussion leaders and discussants

• Click here for guidelines on leading a discussion

(4) Discussion Questions (15 points)

• As you plan your discussion, you should create a list of discussion questions that you can ask about the reading

• Type these questions up and submit them at the time you lead the discussion

• Your questions can form the basis of the discussion, but you do not have to follow your list of questions exactly if the discussion goes in other directions
• Your list should consist of at least 6 primary questions, with 1 or 2 follow-up/probe questions for each
 

• Click here for guidelines on leading a discussion

(5) Course Project (35 points)

• You will collaborate with other students on a course project, with the goal of developing a Plan of Action to create a sustainable campus at Delta State

• You will write an individual paper, contribute to a group paper, and contribute to a group presentation of your findings.  The presentation is scheduled for May 1, and the paper is due at the same time

• The paper (including participation in data collection and other group activities) is worth 25 points, and the presentation is worth 10 points

• See the link below for more information on completing the course project

• Click here for more information on the course project
• Click here for the course project groups and topics
• Click here for an IRB letter and consent form
• Click here for the IRB criteria for informed consent
• Click here to visit the DSU IRB webpage

(6) Critical Engagement (± 10 points)

• A total of 10 points may be added or subtracted from your final grade to reflect the degree of engagement in the course that you exhibit

• Engaged students demonstrate qualities such as motivation, extra effort, interest in the course material, improvement over the course of the semester and leadership.
• Lack of engagement is manifested by frequent absences, talking with others or dozing off in class, lack of interest in the course material, lack of preparation, and lack of participation in course activities.
 

Calculating Your Grade (SOC 422):
 

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.

Coursework (SOC 522):

If you are taking the course for graduate (SOC 522) credit, you must complete the following assignments:

(1) Attendance (10 points)

• You are expected to attend all class sessions
• Because this course meets only once per week, each absence is equivalent to three absences in a MWF course

• See the course policy on absences (no. 3 below)

• Click here for information on grading attendance

(2) Participation in Class Discussions (10 points)

• You are expected to do all of the assigned readings and come to class prepared to discuss them

• 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; however, you should make an effort to participate in all discussions

• 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

(3) Discussion Leader on Readings (30 points)

• You will team up with an undergraduate student to lead a discussion on two readings over the course of the semester

• You will have a total of 40 minutes for each discussion

• You should prepare and give a short presentation on the reading to the class, focusing on the social dimensions of the environmental issues.  Your presentation should NOT last more than 15 minutes

• You and your partner 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 along with the undergraduate student, guide the discussion to ensure that the social and environmental issues are covered

• Click here for a schedule of discussion leaders and discussants

• Click here for guidelines on leading a discussion

(4) Presentation Summary (15 points)

• You should prepare a short (1 page) summary of each reading for which you serve as Discussion Leader

• Your summary should highlight and analyze the most salient points in the reading

• Each summary is due at the beginning of the discussion

(5) Course Project (35 points)

• You will collaborate with other students on a course project, with the goal of developing a Plan of Action to create a sustainable campus at Delta State

• You will write an individual paper, contribute to a group paper, and contribute to a group presentation of your findings.  The presentation is scheduled for May 1, and the paper is due at the same time

• The paper (including participation in data collection and other group activities) is worth 25 points, and the presentation is worth 10 points

• See the link below for more information on completing the course project

• Click here for more information on the course project
• Click here for the course project groups and topics
• Click here for an IRB letter and consent form
• Click here for the IRB criteria for informed consent
• Click here to visit the DSU IRB webpage

 (6) Critical Engagement (± 10 points)

• A total of 10 points may be added or subtracted from your final grade to reflect the degree of engagement in the course that you exhibit

• Engaged students demonstrate qualities such as motivation, extra effort, interest in the course material, improvement over the course of the semester and leadership.
• Lack of engagement is manifested by frequent absences, talking with others or dozing off in class, lack of interest in the course material, lack of preparation, and lack of participation in course activities.
 

Calculating Your Grade (SOC 522):
 

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 92 or more points over the course of the semester, you will get an “A” in the course.  If you accumulate 84 to 91 points, you will get a “B,” for 76 to 83 points you will get a “C,” and for 68 to 75 points will get a “D.”  If you get less than 68 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.

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 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 one; 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.

     • Click here for information on grading attendance.

(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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