SOC 110: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
(Summer 2006)
May 30-June 29, 2006
Professor: John
R. Mitrano, Ph.D.
Class
Meetings: MTWR
7:45 pm
Office
Hours: By
appointment
Office
Phone: (860)
832-3145
Office
Location: DiLoreto Hall 2nd
Floor (208008)
E-Mail
Address: mitranoj@ccsu.edu
REQUIRED
COURSE MATERIALS
1) R. Brym
and J. Lie Sociology: Your
Compass for a New World-- Brief Edition ISBN
0-534-64350-7 (Thomson/Wadsworth,
2006)
COURSE
DESCRIPTION:
When you
enter this class the first week, I imagine you do so for a variety of
reasons. Some of you may have
never heard of sociology and are curious about it. Others may be interested in majoring in sociology and desire
an overview of the field. Still
others may need to complete this course in order to enroll in upper-level
sociology courses. Finally, there
are some of you who are taking the course only because you need to get one of
your electives out of the way. All
of these are acceptable motives for taking this class. When you leave this class at the
end of this semester, however, I want you to have: 1) gained a familiarity with
the discipline of sociology; 2)
acquired a greater knowledge and understanding of the interaction between the
individual and society; 3) come to a greater understanding of who you are as a
person and the beliefs you hold; and 4) successfully fulfilled a degree
requirement.
This course
is intended to provide an introduction to the discipline of sociology. The goal of sociology is to enable
people to come to a greater understanding of how institutions are structured,
how they function, how individuals relate to institutions and groups, and how
institutions shape individuals. We will focus on a
broad range of theoretical positions and research findings concerning the
social institutions that make up society, their development, their effects on
people, and how they are thought of and studied by sociologists. We will adopt a critical stance toward
these institutions and what we supposedly ÒknowÓ about them.
This course
is also designed to acquaint each of you with 1) what sociologists have done in
the past; 2) what sociologists are currently involved in; 3) how sociologists
perceive the social world; 4) how you can better understand your own social
world; 5) the rudimentary theoretical and research skills to more fully
appreciate your social surroundings or ÒmilieuÓ; and 6) information regarding
careers in sociology and the social services areas.
In essence,
my goal is to impart upon you what sociologist C. Wright Mills called Òthe
sociological imaginationÓ (i.e., to help you to understand human behavior
within its social context and grasp the influence of history on
biography). In other words, this
course is intended to help each of you gain an appreciation and understanding
of the social influences on peoplesÕ lives: how culture affects peoplesÕ behavior, ideas, attitudes, and
other orientations.
In this
course, we will embark upon a journey in which we will be constantly learning
and applying a set of ideas (concepts and theories) in a variety of ways in an
historical context. Like any
journey, we often start with plans and directions, but sometimes we stray and
pursue avenues of particular interest.
Think of this syllabus as a roadmap for the semester, but keep in mind
we might occasionally, as the poet Robert Frost wrote, Òtake the road less
traveled.Ó
CLASS
ENVIRONMENT
In studying
social behavior and institutions, you will find at times that your classmates
differ from you in what they consider to be the Òmost importantÓ or ÒbestÓ
theories and concepts for explaining or coming to an understanding of such
phenomena. Each person is entitled
to his or her own value decisions about what is the ÒbestÓ explanation for a
particular phenomenon; an atmosphere of pluralism will be maintained in my
classroom. No one has all the
answers, and no one answer will explain all social phenomena. So let us begin this course, then, with
an acknowledgment of the complexity of social relationships, interactions, and
institutions and with an openness to learn from one another. Even if you disagree with another
person, you may find that he or she can shed new light on a particular social
issue or phenomenon. In other
words, conflict and controversy in this class can be seen as a sign of a
healthy learning environment-- if we use it as such.
As you will
learn throughout the course, individuals are products of their social
environment. Who they are, what
they believe, what they strive for, and how they feel about themselves and
certain issues are all dependent on significant others and the
culture/environment in which they live.
Nonetheless, we will attempt to demystify myths, stereotypes, and
official dogma. After we have
examined the ÒfactsÓ as objectively as possible, the next step for you as a
student in this class is to form your own opinions about social relations and
structures. The final step may be
for you to do something about these patterns of interaction and institutions.
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS AND METHODS OF EVALUATION
In this
course, you will have several assignments that will be used to evaluate your
performance and determine an overall final grade. Each will be explained in greater detail as the semester
progresses; however, they will include the following:
1) Journal
Assignment (30% of your final grade)
In this
assignment, you are required to answer in a thoughtful, intelligent, reflective
manner the attached questions I have prepared. The majority of the questions require you to apply the concepts
and theories discussed in class (as well as those introduced in your readings)
to your own life experiences. How
well you understand, apply, and reflect upon these concepts in your writing
will be the basis of your grade.
The journals will be collected and graded at the end of the
semester. Answers must be
typed!
2) Midterm
Exam [30% of your final grade]
For the
midterm, you will be responsible for all material covered in class lectures and
readings in the first half of the course.
The exam will consist of a series of multiple choice questions.
3) Final Exam [30% of your final grade]
For the
final, you will be responsible for all material covered in class lectures and
readings in the second half of the course. The exam will consist of a series of multiple choice
questions.
4) Class Participation [10% of your final grade]
I expect that
each of you will attend class on a regular basis and contribute to class
discussion and debate. Failure to
do so may affect your final grade accordingly, as will exemplary contribution.
A NOTE
ON ATTENDANCE
Attendance on
a regular basis and participation in class discussions is expected. In terms of attendance, it is to your
benefit to show up to class regularly and resist any urge you may have to Òblow
offÓ a class or two. Often, I will
be introducing material that is not covered in any of your assigned readings,
yet such material will be instrumental in your ability to successfully fulfill
the other course requirements.
Please be aware that the readings and lectures for this course are
complementary, not redundant.
Thus, it is imperative that you keep up to date on assigned readings.
With that
said, however, I do not have a formal policy on attendance in my classes. I assume that because students are
paying several hundred dollars per course, they want to attend and get their
moneyÕs worth. I also reason that
at this stage in life, we are all adults and know best how to manage our time. Some of you work several jobs to pay
for college and there are demands on your time on that front. Others have familial obligations and
need to put in time there. Still
others commute from great distances and getting to New Britain periodically
becomes problematic.
Some students
find this freedom rather liberating; others are discouraged by such an ÒopenÓ
policy. Like most things in life,
there are those who abuse the system.
But guess what? In my time
here at CCSU, I have noticed a rather interesting trend when I calculate final
grades. Those who miss class
frequently tend to be the students who earn Cs, Ds, and Fs. Those who rarely miss class tend to be
the students who earned As and Bs.
Is this mere coincidence, or is there a causal relationship between
attendance and academic performance?
I suppose we may find the answer to that question this semester. I just offer this little observation as
Òfood for thoughtÓ to each of you.
A NOTE
ON CLASS PARTICIPATION
In terms of
participation, I expect and encourage each of you to ask questions in class and
offer relevant comments/criticisms if a topic is of particular interest to
you. Each of you has unique
insights that may aid your fellow classmates in coming to a greater
understanding of a particular theory.
So, please, do not hesitate to speak up in class. I have found that it is easier for
students to participate in class discussions and that students get more out of
the lectures when they have read the assigned reading material before class begins. This brings us to the next
requirement: class readings and
writing assignments.
A NOTE
ON THE AMOUNT OF READING AND WRITING
Warning: This class will require intensive
reading and writing. As for the amount of reading, it will
average about 100 pages a week.
Some weeks will be more; others less. Nonetheless, you should set aside approximately 8 hours of
reading a week. While this is not
a large amount in terms of length, you will find that the reading is loaded
with jargon and terms that you have never seen before. I encourage you to look up words you do
not know in the glossary at the end of each chapter, or in the boxes in the
margins of each chapter.
A NOTE
ON WRITING AND PLAGIARISM
I expect that
the journal you turn in to me reflects college-level writing skills. What does this mean? 1) There will be no spelling errors. All of you have access to computers
that have word processing and spell checker programs, there is absolutely no
excuse to misspell a word. For
those of you who insist upon relying on typewriters, you will have to resort to
old-fashioned proofreading. Even
those with computers should proofread their papers before turning them in or
have a friend proofread them. 2) There will be few grammatical errors. Again, many computers have grammar
checker programs installed. If you
donÕt have access to a computer with such programs, I suggest The Little,
Brown Handbook or the Chicago Manual of Style
as grammar references. They
are available at bookstores and in the library. 3) The journal will be well-organized and cohesive. If you know your writing is not as good
as it should be, please use one of the academic resource centers on campus,
especially The Writing Center (Willard Room #305; Phone: 832-2765). That is why they are there.
As for
plagiarism or other forms of cheating, they will simply not be tolerated. Familiarize yourself with the policy
here at C.C.S.U. Any person guilty of plagiarism will immediately receive an F
for the journal and the matter will be brought to the attention of the Office
of Student Academic Affairs for further action. So please, donÕt even think it... I have caught several
students before. It was not a
pleasant experience for me, and you can be sure it was not a pleasant for the
students.
A NOTE
ON DEADLINES AND EXCUSES
As for
deadlines to turn in class assignments, I am rather inflexible and take a Òhard
lineÓ stance regarding when assignments will be turned in to me.
In my years
of teaching, I have noticed a propensity for grandmothers to die tragically
right before papers are due. I have
noticed a propensity for cars to break down the day of exams. I have noticed a propensity for
students to become violently ill with the flu the day projects are to be turned
in. I have noticed a propensity
for computer hard drives to ÒcrashÓ just as students were finishing typing
their papers. Please do not
insult me... and show some self-respect and dignity! If you cannot get the papers in on time, quietly accept the
reduction in grade and move on. I
will not dwell on it, nor should you.
A NOTE TO STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES/ MEDICAL CONDITIONS
If you need
course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have
emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special
arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please see me during my
office hours as soon as possible.
TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE
Week One The
Sociological Perspective
Brym
& Lie: Chapter 1
Culture
Brym
& Lie: Chapter 2
Week Two Socialization
Brym
& Lie: Chapter 3
Social
Structure and Social Interaction
Brym
& Lie: Chapter 4
Week Three Networks,
Groups, and Formal Organizations
Brym
& Lie: Chapter 5
Deviance
and Social Control
Brym
& Lie: Chapter 6
Social
Stratification and Globalization
Brym
& Lie: Chapters 7 and 8
[Midterm]
Week Four Social
Stratification and Globalization
Brym
& Lie: Chapters 7 and 8
Inequalities
of Gender
Brym
& Lie: Chapter 10
Inequalities
of Race and Ethnicity
Brym
& Lie: Chapter 9
Week Five Politics,
Work, and the Economy
Brym
& Lie: Chapter 13
[Final Exam and Journal both due on
last day of class]
Note: I
have to attend 2 conferences during this time, but we will discuss alternate
class meeting options.
INFORMATION SHEET AND COURSE
CONTRACT
I ask that
you now provide some background information that will enable me to get to know
each of you a little better. The
information will also enable me to get in contact with you if the need arises. I also ask that you indicate that you
have read the syllabus fully and understand the rules and expectations of your
performance in my classroom.
Student
Name:
Current/School
Address:
Permanent/Home
Address:
Phone
Number:
College or
University You Attend:
Age:
Class
Status:
Intended/Current
Major:
Intended/Current
Minor:
Reason(s)
for Taking this Course:
I have read
the syllabus for SOC110 INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY fully. I understand the course rules and expectations and agree to
abide by those rules. I understand
the consequences if I break the rules and will accept them.
Signature
_____________________________