SOCI 1301
Spring 2008
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
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Required Texts: Eitzen and Zinn, In Conflict and Order
Charon, J; 10 Questions.
My office is in SAC 1321. Office Hours will be before class from _______ The phone number in my office is 223-9224. My email address: scotts@mail.austincc.edu.
Sociology Web Site: www.austin.cc.tx.us/socdept/
Purpose of the Course:
This course is meant to provide you with a general background in the field of sociology.
General Course Objectives:
The Student will be able to discuss topics relevant to Sociology, including
institutional causes for behavior
the ways in which structures influence beliefs and behaviors
the ways in which social structures impose social control
the ways in which the economy, government, religion, media, family, and educational institutions function as part of the social class system
the ways in which the social class system influences an individualıs life chances
the ways in which population movements influence social institutions
the ways in which urbanization and the environment influence social patterns of settlement and thought
The student will be able to use sociological terminology to discuss these topics
The student will be able to identify theories of society, and apply social theories to explain why social events occur
The student will be able to understand how her/his role in society influences her/his own beliefs and behaviors
The student will be able to discuss current events issues in terms of their sociological causes
Overview of the Course Topics
The course is divided into 4 units.
Unit 1 deals with the ways social groups influence our values, beliefs, and behaviors. Some of this may be unnerving to some people, because much of what we think and do is caused by the groups in which we are socialized. In addition, social power, and those people who control social power, has an enormous influence on how we perceive the world and how we behave.
Unit 2 examines what we call the social construction of reality. Here we investigate the concepts of deviance and crime, and spend some time talking about the ways our mass media create our realities. Once again, social power is a very important variable in explaining why we think what we do.
Unit 3 examines the inequalities in our society, focusing on economic and political inequality. The causes and effects of economic inequality are investigated in detail. The social class system is used to understand how we are stratified into unequal classes, and thus have unequal chances for success, in our society. The political system has a big influence on the class system, and one chapter focuses on how our governmental structure benefits the rich and powerful more than any other class.
Unit 4 examines the way that our society creates minority and majority groups, and how membership in such groups influence the life chances of each of us. Ethnic and gender minorities are the main focus, and the family is investigated as one of the main social units that provides different amounts of resources for these groups, and teaches us how to behave as individuals within these groups.
The course will have a mix of short lecture, group discussion of readings, and class discussion of readings and contemporary social issues.
GRADING SYSTEM:
There will be a unit exam at the end of each unit. There are 4 exams. Your grade is the average of your exam scores:
A- 90 or better
B- 80
C- 70
D- 60
F- less than 60
Test Dates:
1:
2:
3:
4:
There is no extra
credit. Your grade is the average
of your four test scores.
Missing Tests: The only valid excuses for missing a test is if you are too sick to take it that day, a member of your immediate family dies, or if you have some kind of mechanical failure on the way to school. Thatıs it. You are not excused for any other reason. In order to take a make-up test you must present me with a written verification of your illness (requires Doctorıs note), the death (requires copy of Death Certificate) or breakdown (requires copy of invoice to fix the car). Once you present me with one of these valid written excuses, I will give you the makeup.
Makeup Tests: Makeup tests are essay tests - you will have to write 2 essays, each worth 50 points, each about 2 pages long.
Attendance Policy:
I do not take attendance.
You are responsible for your own success in this course. If for some reason you choose not to come to class, I will not withdraw you. Withdrawing from the course is your responsibility.
You will only be given an ³I² for Incomplete if you have taken the first 3 tests and are unable for medical reasons to take the last one.
If I find that you have cheated on a test, I will turn over your test and my evidence to the Dean of Students. I will assign a grade of 0 points to that test, and the Dean will help to decide if you will be given credit for the course.