Hours: 10-11 on Mon., Wed., and Fri. and 1-3 on Mon.             

 

 

To me, sociology is the most challenging and rewarding discipline in the university.  It seeks to identify the forces and practices that link each of us to the lives of others and to the culture and the society in which we live.

 

Sociology encompasses all aspects of human experience.  Its subject matter ranges from the very large, such as the development of capitalist-industrial society, or the organization of the world economy, to the very small, such as the rules that operate during a brief conversation with a stranger while waiting for a bus.  Sociology is both a logical analysis of social relations and an impassioned effort to think with vision and understanding.  It passes through an indefinite line between science and art, and in some ways is the meeting ground between them.  It is a science in the sense that some sociologists attempt to analyze social reality using rigorous scientific techniques.  It is an art in the sense that others strive for a depth of understanding that plays with the problems of perspective.  Human reality, after all, is not independent of what people think it is, or, what people think they think it is.

 

Sociology is kept from being hopelessly fragmented by the consistency of its perspective. This course is about that perspective.  Our primary, organizing theme is that each of us as individuals are largely products of society, just as society is largely a product of individual activity.

 

In addition to providing an introduction to the practices and perspective of sociology, this First-Year Experience (FYE) course will also serve as an introduction to the university and campus life.  Over the semester, you will learn about the institutional structure of the university, and be introduced to many of the facilities and resources available to you at CCSU.  We will also discuss how to develop academic skills (reading, writing, studying, note taking, analyzing, and time management) and the types of things you can do to make your experience more enjoyable and successful.   

 

The connection between the sociological and the FYE portions of the course could not be more direct.  The common tasks are to identify the forces and practices that link you to the university, and the university to American society, and to place American society in historical perspective.  Throughout the semester, you will be working individually and in groups to produce a variety of what I am calling "sociological maps."  Geographic maps, with which we are all familiar, are representational depictions that locate places in space. Sociological maps seek to locate people in a social and cultural context.  Thus, my hope and intent is that you learn sociology by reflecting on and analyzing the relationship between yourself, the university and the larger world.

 

Sociology is not for everybody.  It requires questioning the assumptions that we often unthinkingly use to understand who we are and our place in the order of things.  I hope and intend that at the end of the course, you have a sense of the range and depth of sociology, have greater insight into the forces that operate in groups and societies (especially American society), and have a greater ability to question and to think critically about social reality.

 

Over the first few weeks in the course we will focus on some of the fundamental concepts in the discipline, and concentrate on the ways each of us as individuals are linked and tied to the culture and society in which we live.  The second part of the course will focus on some of the larger processes and structures in American society. 

 

 

 

Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life, Fifth Edition, David M.

Newman  (Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Pine Forge Press, 2004).

 

A set of readings that are available electronically is also required.

 

 

 

Students are required to attend class, participate in class discussion, complete all of the assigned readings, and complete all written work on time.

 

Your course grade will be based on your accumulation of total points at the end of the semester.

 

A   185 or more           B+       172-179           C+       148-155           D+       124-131          

A-  180-184                B          164-171           C         140-147           D         116-123

                                    B-        156-163           C-        132-139           D         118-115

 

You may earn points by taking the three quizzes (25 points each), the final exam (0 to 50 points), completing up to 11 short writing assignments (15 points each), completing up to 2 moderate length papers (30 points each), and/or completing up to 13 short paragraph-length summaries of the readings (2 points each).   A few points might also be earned through in-class activities.

 

At the beginning of the semester, you will be given $120 (in play money).  You will also receive $2 every time you come to class (You will receive $82 if you attend every class).  You spend the money when you complete assignments or take a quiz.  By the end of the semester, you want to have spent all your money and earned one point for each dollar you have spent.  For example, if you decide to complete a short writing assignment, then you will need to give me $15.  I will assign a grade between 0 and 15, and that will be the number of points you can earn on the assignment.   If you decide to take a quiz, it will cost you $25, and you will earn somewhere between 0 and 25 on the quiz.  You could, for instance, get an A in this class and not take a single quiz, as there are many opportunities for you to spend your money.  You will, however, need to complete at least some of the writing assignments to receive a good grade. To earn a high grade, you want to try to earn a point for every dollar you spend.   

 

I will provide “refunds.”  If after reviewing your grade on a quiz or an assignment, you can elect not to keep the grade, and I will return the money to you that you can spend on other assignments.  

 

Except for the final, the “costs” of the quizzes and assignments are not negotiable,.  The final will consist of 50 multiple choice questions worth 1 point each.  If you only have $37 left, you can complete the first 37 questions and receive 1 point for each correct answer.  

 

The quizzes will also be comprised of multiple-choice or objective-type questions worth 1 point each.

 

All written work must be typed.  Handwritten work will be returned ungraded and if a subsequent typed version is submitted, a late charge will be assessed.

 

Nearly every Friday beginning on September 9^th, I will hand out a short writing assignment (two-to-three typed pages). The assignments may consist of an essay question or “a mapping assignment.” You will have a week to complete it.  On each assignment, you may earn up to 15 points.  I will accept late assignments, but lateness will cost you – there will be an additional $2 charge if the assignment is handed in within a week, and a $5 charge if it is handed in more than a week late. 

 

The grades on the assignments are as follows:

            15 pts. -- superb work, completed with energy and insight ( A+ work)

            13-14 pts. -- very good work, better than competent, but not quite inspired

(A/A- work)

            11-12 pts. – good, solid work, but there room for improvement (B+/B/B-)

            10 pts. -- some problems, but still passing (C work)

            9 pts. -- major problems, a marginal passing grade

8 pts. or less – poor or incomplete work -- a failing grade

 

More information on the moderate-length papers (5 to 6 pages) will be provided in class.  These will be valued at $30.

 

For each of the research articles on the syllabus, you may write a brief – one paragraph, 3-to-6 sentences – synopsis of the article, which identifies the main point and the corresponding evidence.  These will cost you $2 and will be graded with a √+,√, or √-.  Those that receive a √+ or a √  will receive 2 points; one point for a √-.  These short paragraphs will not be accepted late.  

 

If you are absent without a verifiable excuse, you will receive the two dollars for attending the class.  Unless it is otherwise not possible, I will only issue the two dollars if advanced notification of the absence is provided.  Please call me at 832-2979 or e-mail me at adairs@ccsu.edu, if you cannot attend class.  There may also be opportunities to earn additional dollars to spend on the assignments by attending campus events and programs.  More information on this will be provided in class.

 

Plagiarism, cheating, and academic misconduct will not be tolerated, and will likely result in failure of the course.      

 

Students who need course adaptations or accommodations because of documented disability, or who have emergency medical needs, or who need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated should see me as soon as possible. 

 

 

 

This is a tentative schedule.  If there are to be any revisions I will let you know in class.  The dates on the left refer to the time when we begin new chapters and topics. 

 

Date    Topic                                                               Readings and Exam Dates

 

8/29     Welcome

Introduction to the Course

 

8/31     The Sociological Imagination                             Newman: Chapter 1

         and the Discipline

 

9/7       Social Structure/Basic Concepts                       Newman: Chapter 2

                                                                                    Read and view the slide show at ww.prisonexp.org

                                                                                    “My Lai Massacre”                                                       

 

9/19     Social Construction of Reality               Newman: Chapter 3 and 4

Culture, History and Society                             “The Truth About the First Thanksgiving

                                                                        “Narrating the Nation”

 

9/26     Quiz 1

 

9/28     The Self and Socialization                                Newman: Chapter 5

                                                                                    “Night to His Day”

                                                                                                  

10/3     Social Interaction                                              Newman: Chapter 6

                                                                                    “The Sounds of Silence”

                                                                                    “Leaving Home for College”

 

10/10   Deviance                                                          Newman: Chapter 7

                                                                                    “Saints and the Roughnecks”

                                                                                    “In Search of Respect”

 

10/19   Quiz 2

 

10/21   Groups and Families                                         Newman: Chapter 8

                                                                                   

10/24   Organizations and Institutions                Newman: Chapter 9

                                                                                    “Adopted by all the Clubs”

 

10/31   Class, Power and Inequality                              Newman: Chapters 10

                                                                                    “Who Rules America”

 

11/11   Race and Ethnicity                                            Newman: Chapter 11

                                                                                    “American Apartheid”

 

11/21   Quiz 3

 

11/28   Gender                                                             Newman: Chapter 12

                                                                                    “The Glass Escalator”

 

12/7     Review/Final Thoughts/Evaluations

 

Final exam will be given during the scheduled time.