Sociology 101 - Introduction to Sociology Spring 2002

Dr. Scott Schaffer

Class Meetings:

SOCY 101.00: Mon/Wed/Fri 10am to 1050am, SciTech 211

SOCY 101.01: Mon/Wed/Fri 1pm to 150pm, McComsey 113

Office: Susquehanna House 105

Office Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 1130am to 1230pm or by appointment

Phone: 717/872.3567 Fax: 717/872.3942

Course web site: http://www.millersville.edu/~schaffer/courses/soc101s2002

Email: scott.schaffer@millersville.edu

Course Description:

This is, obviously, an introductory course in sociology. But sociology is much more than you might think it is.

Most people think of sociology as the study of society, or the study of the strange things we all do as a people, or even an easy major or general education course. The first two are true. But sociology is also a way of life - it's a perspective we bring to bear on the world, an attitude of questioning everything around us, and a form of consciousness that motivates us to act in particular kinds of ways. More than that, sociology is a mode of study that ultimately should make us better friends, partners, compatriots, and members of society.

In this class, we'll be doing three things. The first, as any good introductory course should, is to familiarize you with the areas of our lives that sociology touches on and studies. From the ways in which we utilize symbols such as clothing to identify who we are, to collectively determining how we'll understand the world, to analyzing modes of inequality and figuring out how we can overcome it - all these things are matters of sociological interest. We will explore these areas of interest in two ways - through the standard textbook depiction of these kinds of social problems, and through actual sociological articles that explore these issues and their solutions.

The second thing we'll be doing this summer is exploring how sociology plays out in your already-existent understanding of the world. We'll do this by utilizing aspects of popular culture - TV shows, movies, popular music, and novels - to show how a sociological awareness and understanding of the world is not limited to dry, turgid statistical analyses or dense theoretical texts. There are many ways, as we'll see, to think sociologically about the world.

This leads to our third task - developing what's called a "sociological consciousness." This is not just the ability to memorize interesting facts or theoretical ideas about the world; rather, it's the ability to think not just about "social problems" - crime, inequality, and injustice - but about "sociological problems" - normalcy, equality, and justice. It's a way of approaching the world around us that allows us to think about how things are, why things are the way they are, and how things could be different.

This course will be tough - it's intended to warp your mind and make you think differently about the world. But look at it this way - being a sociologist is a bit like being a three-year-old. This course will show you how.

Required Texts:

There are four required texts for this course, available at the Marauder Bookstore or through any online bookstore such as amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com.

David Newman, Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life (3^rd edition) (abbreviated S-Text)

David Newman, Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life - Readings (3^rd edition) (abbreviated S-R)

Steven Dandaneau, Taking It Big: Developing Sociological Consciousness in Postmodern Times (abbreviated TIB)

Robertson Davies, The Rebel Angels

You should make sure to have completed the readings assigned for each class prior to that session. The schedule is listed at the end of the syllabus. There are also two movies you'll be asked to view prior to class sessions; these are available for rental at any video store.

Course Assignments:

There are three types of assignments you'll be asked to complete this semester. You cannot successfully complete this course without pursuing all of them.

Examinations: There will be three examinations for this course - two midterms and a final exam. The midterms will be multiple-choice exams covering the sections of the course discussed to that date; the final exam will be a cumulative multiple-choice and essay exam. These exams are designed to test not only your objective knowledge, but also your critical reasoning skills; therefore, you should not rely only on the course texts for your preparation. I do not offer make-up exams; if you know in advance that you are unable to make it to the exam, we will schedule an alternate assignment. If you just don't show up, you will receive a zero (0) for the exam. Review sheets for the exam will be distributed one week in advance.

Portfolio: You will be asked to keep a kind of portfolio for this course. There will be two elements to this portfolio, discussed later in this syllabus: a weekly set of newspaper articles that deal with issues raised in this course; and your personal reflections on the readings and discussions for this course. The portfolio will be collected three times - once with each exam.

Class Participation: Your attendance and participation in class is both expected and encouraged. I hate pure lecture, and I hope that you will take advantage of that fact and engage me and other students in discussion, both inside and outside the classroom. In general, participation for my class is defined as any indication of your commitment to succeeding in the course, which can include attendance in class, participating in discussions, visiting my office hours, emailing questions or comments, and attendance at course-related outside activities.

Grade Breakdown: Please note that all grades for this course are letter grades (with +/- modifiers). I do not grade on a point basis, so there should be no problem with the math.

Exams: 70%

Midterm 1 15%

Midterm 2 20%

Final Exam 35%

Portfolio: 20%

Class Participation: 10%

Class Policies - Attendance, Timeliness, Presentation, and Academic Dishonesty:

Attendance: Your attendance in this course is mandatory, though is not explicitly "worth" anything for your grade (though it does factor into your participation grade). Instead, this course operates with a simple premise: You cannot perform to the best of your abilities if you are not present in the classroom. It is also expected that everyone's contribution to the class discussion will be respected and treated as an argument rather than any kind of personal attack. Your continued presence in the classroom is crucial to your success in this course.

Timeliness: As you know, the tempo of the semester does not allow one to fall behind, and everything in this course builds to the final paper. As such, you are requested and required to submit all assignments and to take all exams at the time and date announced. Except in the event of a sudden, unforeseen, catastrophic and well-documented event (such as your demise), there will be no make-up exams offered. If you know in advance of an exam date that you will be unable to take it at the scheduled time, we can make alternate arrangements for you. However, any other circumstance will be dealt with at my discretion.

Presentation: The work you will undertake in this course requires a certain degree of professionalism and appropriate presentation. In particular, the portfolios should be presented as an organized, coherent, good-looking piece of work. You are required to proofread and spell- and grammar-check any written work submitted during this course. There is no excuse for submitting shoddy work in a time when any decent word processing program can polish your work. Any written work submitted with copious errors that make it difficult to understand what it is you're trying to say will lose one full letter grade automatically; if you receive a second "spelling and grammar" deduction on an assignment, you will receive a zero (0) on that assignment as well as any further assignment submitted in a shoddy manner. Take the five minutes to proofread your work, please.

Academic Dishonesty: Absolutely NO form of academic dishonesty (defined as the use of prohibited materials during an examination, any kind of communication with another person other than the professor or an exam proctor during an examination, the representation of another"s work as your own whether that work was purchased or freely offered) will be tolerated in this course. As it is contrary to both the mission of the university and to Millersville University policies, any act of academic dishonesty will be met with an immediate failure on the assignment at minimum, and referral to Student Affairs for judicial board proceedings at most. Just don't even think about it - it robs us all of the learning experience.

Reading Schedule:

I expect that you will read the selections listed below on the dates listed (save in the event of schedule changes initiated by me). Please come prepared to discuss these materials when they are listed.

M Jan 21: Introduction to the Course - Mechanics

W Jan 23: Introduction to the Course - Themes; Read S-Text, ch.1

F Jan 25: What is Sociology? Read S-R, ch.1; TIB, ch.1

M Jan 28: S-Text, ch.2-3

W Jan 30: S-R, ch.2-3

F Feb 1: TIB, chs.2-3

M Feb 4: S-Text, ch.4

W Feb 6: S-R, ch.4

F Feb 8: Discuss The Matrix in class - please ensure that you have seen the movie prior to this class session

M Feb 11: S-Text, ch.5

W Feb 13: S-R, ch.5

F Feb 15: TIB, ch.4

M Feb 18: S-Text, ch.6

W Feb 20: S-R, ch.6

F Feb 22: Exam review session - your questions will guide this session, so come prepared

M Feb 25: Portfolio Due and Midterm Exam 1 in class

W Feb 27: S-Text, ch.7

F Mar 1: S-R, ch.7

M Mar 4: Discuss South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut in class - please ensure that you have seen the movie prior to this class session

W Mar 6: S-Text, ch.8

F Mar 8: S-R, ch.8

M Mar 11: TIB, ch.8 (skim ch.5)

W Mar 13: S-Text, ch.9

F Mar 15: S-R, ch.9

Mar 18-22: Spring recess - be safe, eh?

M Mar 25: S-Text, ch.10

W Mar 27: S-R, ch.10

F Mar 29: TIB, ch.9 (skim ch.6)

M Apr 1: S-Text, ch.11

W Apr 3: S-R, ch.11

F Apr 5: Exam review session - your questions will guide this session, so please come prepared

M Apr 8: Portfolio Due and Midterm Exam 2 in class

W Apr 10: S-Text, ch.12

F Apr 12: S-R, ch.12

M Apr 15: S-Text, ch.13

W Apr 17: S-R, ch.13

F Apr 19: S-Text, ch.14

M Apr 22: S-R, ch.14

W Apr 24: Rebel Angels, first half

F Apr 26: Rebel Angels, second half

M Apr 29: S-Text, ch.15

W May 1: S-R, ch.15; TIB, ch.10 and Epilogue (skim ch.7)

F May 3: Exam review session - your questions will guide this session, so please come prepared

101.00 - W May 8, 245pm to 445pm: Portfolio Due and Final Examination

101.01 - F May 10, 1015am to 1215pm: Portfolio Due and Final Examination

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Portfolio Assignments

The portfolio is intended to do a number of things for you during the semester, including:

• Provide you with an opportunity to compare how the US and other societies deal with the same kinds of problems or issues;
• Give you the chance to engage in the critical analysis of "pop culture" examples of a sociological mindset;
• Offer you a space to get credit for preparing for the exams in this course;
• Provide you with a way to obtain credit for attending certain lectures offered during the semester;
• And give you a space with which you can reflect on the materials and topics we discuss in class.

This is, in other words, a way of writing in this course without the pressures of a paper assignment.

Requirements:

There are three mandatory elements of this portfolio.

Cross-cultural critique: Each week, you will be required to find two newspaper articles on the Web discussing the topics at hand during that week. One of these newspaper articles is to be from an American-based national newspaper; the other will be from a foreign national newspaper. Acceptable newspapers will be listed below; others may be accepted on my approval.

You are asked, in 1-2 pages, to do three things:

1. Summarize each article in one paragraph for each article;

2. Discuss the particular sociological issues each article talks about and how they talk about them (good/bad, beneficial/detrimental, abused/properly used, etc.);

3. Evaluate each article as to its veracity or truthfulness, the political perspective it's coming from, whether the evidence they present is used appropriately, and anything else you think important.

These articles are to be collected during every week, including weeks in which an exam is to appear. Your write-ups will be evaluated on a letter-grade basis, based on your discussion of all three elements of the write-up and the thoughtfulness and accuracy of that discussion.

Analysis of "pop culture" materials: You will be asked to write a 1-2pp response to a question posed about each of the "pop culture" materials used in this course - The Matrix, South Park, and The Rebel Angels. Questions will be handed out during the class session prior to our discussion of these materials; they are to be included in the portfolio when you submit it at the exam. Your analyses will be evaluated on a letter-grade basis.

Journal: You are required to take some time to reflect on course readings and discussions each week. You must put at least one entry per week into your portfolio. What you write there is up to you; it can include thoughts on the readings, thoughts on the class discussions, realizations you have because of this course, or even extra notes on the readings. I just ask that you take some time to think about what you're doing in class, what we're talking about, and why. Journal entries will be evaluated on an A or F basis; if they're there and thoughtful, they get an A; if not...

Submission of Portfolios:

Your portfolios will be submitted three times - once with each exam. All entries - newspaper critiques, analyses, and journal entries - must be typed and proofread, and they, along with all newspaper articles, should be bound together in some way - stapled, with a plastic binder, or in a folder. Do not submit them in a spiral-bound or three-ring notebook.

Each submission of the portfolios should contain the appropriate number of elements, as listed below:

Midterm 1: 4 sets of newspaper articles; analysis of The Matrix; 5 journal entries.

Midterm 2: 5 sets of newspaper articles, analysis of South Park; 5 journal entries.

Final Exam: 4 sets of newspaper articles; analysis of The Rebel Angels; 4 journal entries.

Please note that you cannot make up missing entries from the previous submission; in other words, if you only submit 3 sets of newspaper articles with the first exam, you can't submit 6 with the second. I will only evaluate those materials for each segment of the course. back

"Extra Credit" :

As I'm sure you've discovered by now, Millersville University has a wide variety of lectures, seminars, and symposia on campus each week. As a way of inspiring you to take advantage of these resources, I will offer "extra credit" for your attendance and evaluation of these lectures.

In order to receive this credit, you must attend the lecture, and then in 1-2pp, summarize the lecture and write up your response to it - ideas you had because of it, things you agreed or disagreed with, and how you see the speaker's ideas as being relevant to what we're discussing in this course.

You may earn up to 1/3 of a letter grade on the final course grade by attending these lectures. All responses must be submitted with the portfolio that comes in with the next exam (so a lecture on Feb 15 must have its response submitted by Feb 25). Submitting responses to 3 lectures will earn you 1/3 letter grade. There are no fractions awarded, so it's either 1/3 letter grade for 3 or nothing.

Lectures and other campus events are listed on the MU web site; if you have questions about whether or not an event is appropriate or relevant to this course, please check with me prior to attending the event.

Course Evaluation Criteria:

I know that on occasion, it's difficult to figure out what a professor expects of you in order to pass the course or to receive a particular grade. In order to assuage that concern, here is the set of expectations I have of you during this semester; please note that they are not listed in order of importance:

• Consistent attendance in class sessions, with you having read the materials, come prepared to discuss the materials, and come prepared to pose any questions that you have, either verbally or as a "blind question";
• Attendance in my office hours whenever you have a question or need help in understanding the materials or issues under discussion;
• Thoughtful reflection on the course materials and issues in your journals;
• The diligent pursuit of all assignments, with you committed to doing your best work on each one;
• Your presence in exams as they are scheduled and your preparedness for each exam to the best of your ability;
• And, overall, your commitment to doing your best work in every class session and assignment.

I know that you have other courses, wage-earning, and other responsibilities that you have to attend to, and I am sympathetic to the various pulls on your time. However, you should note that I take very seriously what you do in this course, and I expect that your continued presence in this course will mean that you too take that seriously. If you're not interested in the course, don't attend. Presuming that you do take your work in here seriously, and you do your best to meet the expectations as listed above, you will pass the course. Failure to attend to your responsibilities in this course will result in your failure in this class.

A final note:

I know that this is an introductory course and that you might expect that it will be easy. It won't. Sociology as a discipline and as a way of knowing and understanding the world is all about messing with your preconceived notions of how the world operates, why it operates in that way, and the possibilities for changing the ways in which the world works. This course, my lectures, our discussions, and the exams and writing assignments are all geared to helping you develop your own understanding of how the world functions and why.

Your success (and of course, your grade) in this course is ultimately dependent on two things. First, it's dependent on your willingness to engage with the materials and issues discussed in the class and to allow your own notions and understandings of the world to be challenged, deconstructed, and potentially changed. There is no room for thoughtless recitation of what others have told you in this course. Second, it is dependent on your willingness to commit yourself to doing the work here. You are always in part responsible for how any class session goes; if you leave my class thinking it was horrible, seriously reflect on what you did there that day. You must meet me halfway in this course. If you think that simply attending lectures or reading the course materials will give you 'all the answers,' you're wrong. My motto: I'm here to give you the spoon; I'm not here to feed you with it. Taking that seriously will make this an enjoyable semester for all of us.

I look forward to an excellent and challenging semester. I hope you do too.