Religion and Society
Sociology 3334/W01; Summer 2010
8-Week Online Course (May 26, 2010 – July 28, 2010)
(prerequisite: SOCI 2201 or ANTH 2201)
NOTE: This is an online course, however, students are required to participate in field
experiential learning activities - attending religious services around the Atlanta area.
Please do not take this course if you do not have access to the Internet; if you do not
have your own transportation; or if you are unable or unwilling to attend
religious/spiritual services of religions different from your own.
Robin C. Crawford, M.A., Instructor of Sociology
Office: SO 5093
Online Consultation Hours: Monday/Wednesday 5 pm – 7 pm; by appointment
Phone: 770-423-6490 ; email: rcrawfor@kennesaw.edu
Please use GeorgiaView Vista email for all course communication.
Course Description:
Examination of religion as a social institution in historical, comparative, and contemporary
terms. World religions and new religious movements are studied as sociocultural processes
involving the need to know, to deal with problems, and to adapt to change.
Overview:
This course provides students with a sociological understanding of religion. We will be looking at
the diversity of religious groups, but the truth or falsity of given religions is not part of this
course. Being a believer or unbeliever is irrelevant to this sociological study of religion. The
sociological view requires objectivity on the part of the observer, and while the insider’s view
must be respected and considered, our focus is sociological and not doctrinal. The interaction
between society and religion is central in our exploration of religion as a cultural phenomenon.
The major part of this course is online at a time that is convenient for you. Course requirements
include weekly online discussions, ungraded and graded tests, an essay, fieldwork, and field
notes. A typical traditional course requires 40 hours of in class instruction with a recommended
additional two to three hours of study and preparation for every hour spent in class. For an
online course, this translates into a recommended 10-15 hours per week of dedicated time to
maximize your learning experience and successfully complete this course. This time includes
participation in weekly discussions, reading the assigned material, writing assignments, study
time, and tests. Time spent traveling to and from the field site and actual time spent at the field
observation site are typically not included in this estimation, as this time will vary with each
student.
This course requires individual fieldwork, which includes visiting religious and spiritual services
that are new to you. For example, if you refuse to visit a gay or lesbian service, a Muslim
service, or a Wiccan event, you do not want to take this course. You must visit at least two
services or events from the list provided. Please check GeorgiaView Vista often to verify that the
service have not been changed. Sometimes the services or events change due to
circumstances beyond my control. Fieldwork will be conducted individually or in groups, but not
as a class. This means you will go to the services you choose to attend on your own or form
your own carpool. Organizing carpools is your responsibility. Fieldwork protocol will be posted
for you to carefully review and follow for all of your trips. A liability waiver form must be signed
and submitted BEFORE you attend your first mandatory meeting. You will not get a grade for
field notes if a signed waiver from you is not on file, no exceptions. You may bring your signed
waiver to the Sociology department or you can fax it to (770) 499-3423.
Syllabus Quiz
You are tasked with completing a syllabus quiz to ensure that you understand online course
requirements. This quiz will be available a week before and a week after the course begins
(May 19th – June 2nd). You are required to take the quiz until you receive a score of 100% to
ensure that you have read and understand the syllabus and requirements above. You will not
receive your grades until you receive a score of 100%.
Due Dates
All assignments are due by midnight on Wednesday. Every Thursday from 9-11 am,
GeorgiaView Vista will be checked for any submitted assignments that are due, discussion
board postings, new emails, and to answer your emailed questions. The instructor will be
available periodically throughout the week updating course materials and checking on the
discussion boards. It is your responsibility to check GeorgiaView Vista at least twice during the
week, specifically on Thursday after 12 noon for any details and updates. Please review the
standard procedure for late tests, field notes and papers (posted below on page 4).
Course Objectives
1. Describe how sociology contributes to a liberal arts understanding of social reality.
2. Describe and apply some basic theories or theoretical orientations in at least one area of
social reality.
3. Define, give examples, and demonstrate the relevance of the following: culture, social
change, socialization, stratification, social structure, institutions, and differentiation by
race/ethnicity, gender, age, and class.
4. Identify underlying assumptions in particular theoretical orientations or arguments.
5. Provide opportunities to engage in field experiential learning activities; a direct experience in
the social environment being studied versus merely thinking about it.
6. Review an area of choice related to religion through an essay writing assignment.
The course objectives are measured through the unit learning objectives using an iterative
model. Learning objectives are learned in the first unit, reinforced and learned more in-depth in
the next unit, and applied in the third unit.
Required Resources and Materials
 Lundskow, George. 2008. The Sociology of Religion: A Substantive and Transdisciplinary
Approach. Los Angeles, CA: Pine Forge Press.
 Instructor Notes and Guidelines (posted on Vista)
Course Technology
 Websites (linked on Vista)
Learner Engagement
Student engagement for this course includes the following:
 Reading the assigned books
 Online activities and assessments
 Conducting fieldwork
 Writing field notes
 Writing an essay
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GRADES: Assessment and Measurement
Points
Exams/Short Papers (two open book exams @ 20 pts. ea.)
Discussions (five @ 2pts. ea.)
Field Notes (two @ 15 pts. ea. each)
Essay (20 pts.)
Total Points
40
10
30
20
100
Grading System: A=90-100; B=80-89; C=70-79; D=60-69 F=below 60
More detailed instructions and grading rubrics will be posted on GeorgiaView Vista.
Discussion Board Postings
There are three discussion boards open to all students in the course; only the student
discussion board is required as part of your final grade.

Student Discussion Board: I will post five discussion questions in June, which will
correspond to your assigned readings (one posted each week on Tuesday – 1st, 8th, 15th,
22nd, and 29th – and due on the following Wednesday by midnight). You are required to post
a substantial answer to each question that reflects your reading and understanding of the
text. You may also post questions and/or responses and comments to other student
postings. Once the week is over, I will count the postings for a discussion grade for that
week. If your discussion is substantial (more than an, “I agree” and reflects analysis and/or
depth of thought) you get the full 2 points. You are encouraged to continue to post for that
week’s discussion but it will not count towards your grade.

“Ask the Professor” Board: If you have any questions related to the course (all students
can benefit from the answer), the assignments or other course-related questions, please
post them here. If an email is sent with a question related to the entire class, it will be copied
and posted on this discussion board.

Carpooling Board: Students may form teams or carpools using this discussion board. It is
the student’s responsibility to arrange carpools. Carpools and teams are NOT required. This
discussion board is available for your convenience.
Exams
Both exams will be open-book and submitted in essay format. Please submit everything online
through GeorgiaView Vista email as an attachment. It is your responsibility to make sure your
paper arrives on time and is readable; otherwise, it will be considered late. You will then have
48 hours to re-send the paper. The questions may come from the text book and posted journal
articles. Exam papers will be graded based on content, sociological concepts, evidence of your
understanding of the issues, sentence structure, spelling and grammar.




Use 1” margins, 12-pont font, and double space.
Include your name on the first page.
Use Vista email - remember to attach your, which should be saved with either a .doc or .docx
extension.
It is your responsibility to make sure that your document is readable; unreadable documents will be
considered late. You will then have 48 hours to resend the assignment with 10% deducted per day
late.
Participant Observation and Field notes
You are required to attend two religious services or events selected from a list of
services/events that will be provided. Please choose events early once they are posted so you
have time to complete your two mandatory religious fieldwork trips and field notes. The
instructor will attend the events with an asterisk (*). You will take notes according to guidelines
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and a template that will be provided. Please do not write your notes during the service, as it
draws unnecessary attention and is a distraction to those in attendance. It is preferable to take
your notes immediately after you leave the service, but notes should be written as soon as
possible. Examples of good field notes will be provided for your review.
Field notes are due on the scheduled due date (always a Wednesday) BY MIDNIGHT. Field
notes should be sent using the Vista “Assignments” tool (see directions below). It is your
responsibility to make sure your notes/paper arrives on time and is readable using the
suggested format (Word format with a .doc or .docx extension). You may conduct your
fieldwork at any time, but you may submit only one set of field notes each week. Multiple field
notes will not be accepted in a given week. After two sets of field notes have been graded for
you, no more field notes will be graded (i.e. you cannot continue to send more than two sets of
field notes to increase or adjust your grade).




Use 1” margins, 12-pont font, and double space.
Include your name on the first page.
Use the Vista “Assignments” tool - remember to attach your assignment by clicking the “Add
Attachments” box. A dialog box will appear, on the left side click the second option, “My Computer,”
find your saved document, which should be saved with either a .doc or .docx extension, click on it, hit
either open or OK, and it should now be visible on your “Edit Submission: Field Observation” page.
You can add comments if you like, then click “Submit.”
It is your responsibility to make sure that your document is readable; unreadable documents will be
considered late. You will then have 48 hours to resend the assignment with 10% deducted per day
late.
Final Essay
You will write an essay on a religion of your choice using sociological perspectives and following
the provided guidelines. Your essay should be sent using the Vista “Assignments” tool (see
directions below). It is your responsibility to make sure your that your essay arrives on time and
is readable using the suggested format (Word format with a .doc or .docx extension).




Use 1” margins, 12-pont font, and double space.
Include your name on the first page.
Use the Vista “Assignments” tool - remember to attach your assignment by clicking the “Add
Attachments” box. A dialog box will appear, on the left side click the second option, “My Computer,”
find your saved document, which should be saved with either a .doc or .docx extension, click on it, hit
either open or OK, and it should now be visible on your “Edit Submission: Essay” page. You can add
comments if you like, then click “Submit.”
It is your responsibility to make sure that your document is readable; unreadable documents will be
considered late. You will then have 48 hours to resend the assignment with 10% deducted per day
late.
The Reading Schedule (page 6) shows the due dates for reading and discussion assignments,
exam dates, field assignments/notes and essay due date.
Late Papers: 10% will be deducted for each day late regardless of excuse for late exams or
field notes. Note: Late final essays without official documentation of illness or other emergency
will not be accepted. Official documentation and a hard copy of the late paper MUST be turned
in at the Sociology office. Please do not email your excuse or papers. The email with excuses or
late papers will be deleted.
Please refer to The Writing Center if you need assistance with your writing.
The Writing Center
Room 242 Humanities
(770) 423-6380
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http://www.kennesaw.edu/english/WritingCenter/index.shtml
The Writing Center is more than a free service available to all members of the university
community; it is a place where anyone who writes—those who love it, those who struggle with it,
and everyone in between—can come for help to improve his/her writing skills. In fact, that is the
goal of the Writing Center: to produce not just better writing but better writers. The Writing
Center is also a welcoming place—they have coffee, comfy chairs, and a computer lab for
general use. Their tutors (faculty and students) are friendly and eager to sit down and discuss
any aspect of your writing with you.
Netiquette Rules:
 Avoid writing messages in all capital letters. THIS IS GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD AS
SHOUTING.
 Be careful what you put in writing. Even if you are writing an e-mail message to one
person, assume that anyone could read it. Though you may send an e-mail to a single
person, it is very easy to forward your message to hundreds or thousands of people.
 Grammar and spelling matter. Online courses demand the same standard of academic
communication and use of grammar as face-to-face courses.
 Never use profanity in any area of an online course. The transcripts of online course
bulletin boards, e-mail, and chat sessions are savable.
 When responding to messages, only use "Reply to All" when you really intend to reply to
all.
 Avoid unkindly public criticism of others. Publicly criticizing others in an inappropriate
way is known as "flaming."
 Use sarcasm cautiously. In the absence of nonverbal cues such as facial expressions
and voice inflections, the context for your sarcasm may be lost, and your message may
thus be misinterpreted.
http://www.distancelearning.org/howtosucceed.html
Academic Integrity Statement: Every KSU student is responsible for upholding the provisions
of the Student Code of Conduct, as published in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs.
Section II of the Student Code of Conduct addresses the University's policy on academic
honesty, including provisions regarding plagiarism and cheating, unauthorized access to
University materials, misrepresentation/falsification of University records or academic work,
malicious removal, retention, or destruction of library materials, malicious/intentional misuse of
computer facilities and/or services, and misuse of student identification cards. Incidents of
alleged academic misconduct will be handles through the established procedures of the
University Judiciary Program, which includes either an "informal" resolution by a faculty
member, resulting in a grade adjustment, or a formal hearing procedure, which may subject a
student to the Code of Conduct's minimum one semester suspension requirement.
Disability Clause: Kennesaw State University provides support for students with disabilities. It
is the student’s responsibility to identify himself/herself as an individual with a disability. A
qualified individual in the area of the identified disability must provide the documentation of the
disability. This documentation must show how the disability creates a significant impact on the
individual’s academic performance; it should include suggested accommodations that are
reasonable to provide in an academic setting. For more information on KSU’s institutional
policies for disability services visit:
http://www.kennesaw.edu/stu_dev/dsss/policies.html
Please email professor privately for all personal hardships.
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Reading and Assignment Due Date Schedule
Week’s Theme
Reading Assignment/Course Assignment
Theory
Lundskow Text Chapter 1
June 2nd
Discussion 1
June 2nd
Lundskow Text Chapter 2
June 9th
Discussion 2
June 9th
Lundskow Text Chapters 3 and 4
June 16th
Discussion 3
June 16th
Exam 1 - (Chapters 1-4)
June 16th
Lundskow Text Chapters 5 and 6
June 23rd
Discussion 4
June 23rd
Lundskow Text Chapters 7 and 8
June 30th
Discussion 5
June 30th
Exam 2 – (Chapters 5-8)
June 30th
A Sociological History of
Religion
Superstition and the
Supernatural; and Religious
Adaptation
Religious Intolerance and
Aggression; and Evil
Cults and Emergent Religion
Religion and the Forces of
Globalization; and Religion
Beyond Religion
Lundskow Text Chapters 9 and 10
Reading/Assignment/Exam
Due Date
Read in preparation
for your final essay.
Field Notes 1
July 7th
Field Notes 2
July 14th
Final Essay
July 21st
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