JEFFERSON COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
SOC101
GENERAL SOCIOLOGY
3 Credit Hours
Prepared by:
Brenda N. Bauch, M.S.S.
Revised Date: January 2007
by
Brenda N. Bauch
Arts & Science Education
Dr. Mindy Selsor, Dean
SOC101 General Sociology
1.
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Prerequisite: None
3 semester hours credit
General Sociology deals with the scientific study of group behavior. General Sociology
will partially meet the Social and Behavioral Science requirement for the Associate of
Arts degree. (F,S,Su)
II.
COURSE GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Sociology is a good place to begin preparing for the future because it directs our attention
to social change, while at the same time it incorporates the elements from the past that
define and structure our world. Social change and all of its conflicts and problems has
been the great driving force in sociology from its beginnings. It is the goal of this course
to give students some perspective and intellectual equipment to think critically about
social change and the social structures in which it takes place. The course is designed to
put students in society - in groups, institutions, communities, and social situations - and to
let them see how sociologists interpret them. We are all social creatures, all linked to one
another, and all responsible for the world in which we live. General Sociology enables
the student to see the world in ways that they perhaps have not seen it before and will
come to understand how society and the individual work together to shape both the
present and the future.
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
A.
Define Sociology and briefly explain the sociological imagination and point out
the difference between personal troubles and social conditions.
B.
Explain the major sociological perspectives and how they are applied to the units
of this course.
C.
Briefly explain the basic research processes and methods used in sociological
research.
D.
Explain and apply the basic concept used in analyzing cultures of other countries
in comparison to the American culture.
E.
Briefly explain the meaning and implications of socialization as the process of
“creating the person in society.”
F.
Briefly explain the fundamental concepts and terms that sociologists use in
studying the social structure of a complex industrial/technological society.
III.
G.
Briefly describe various types of groups from couples to corporations.
H.
Briefly explain social control and the perspectives used to define and explain the
concept of deviancy.
I.
Briefly explain the central concepts of stratification: Class, Caste, Ascribed vs.
achieved status and social mobility.
J.
Briefly explain the three major theories of global stratification and the
consequences of global stratification
K.
Briefly explain how race, ethnicity, gender and age produce distinct patterns of
inequality.
L.
Briefly explain how the major sociological perspectives can be used to study the
social institutions of family, religion and education.
M.
Explain the demographic concepts used to study population change at all levels.
N.
Briefly explain how collective behavior and social movements are important
sources of social change in society.
COURSE OUTLINE
A.
Sociological Perspectives and Sociological Research
1.
The definition of Sociology
2.
The nature and meaning of the sociological imagination
a.
Personal troubles
b.
Social conditions
3.
The development of sociological theory
a.
Historical development of Sociology
b.
Major sociological perspectives
4.
Basic research process and methods
a.
Developing a research question
b.
The tools of sociological research
B.
The Characteristics of Culture
1.
The elements of culture
a.
Language
b.
Norms
c.
Beliefs
d.
Values
2.
3.
4.
Cultural Diversity
a.
Dominant culture
b.
Subculture
c.
Counterculture
d.
Ethnocentrism
e.
The Globalization of Culture
(1) Comparatives of cultures of other countries
Theoretical Perspectives on Culture
Cultural Change
C.
Socialization “Creating the Persons in Society”
1.
Elements of the socialization process
a.
The key to our humanity
b.
Understanding socialization
2.
Sociological theories of socialization
a.
Psychoanalytic Theory
b.
Object Relations Theory
c.
Social Learning Theory
d.
The three major perspectives
3.
Agents of socialization
4.
Socialization across the life course
5.
Resocialization
D.
Interactions from Couples to Corporations
1.
Social interactions defined using microanalysis and macroanalysis
a.
Statuses
b.
Roles
c.
Social mobility
2.
Analytical theories about social interaction
a.
Social Construction of Reality
b.
Ethnomethodology
c.
Dramaturgy
d.
The three major perspectives
3.
Diversity in social interaction
a.
Nonverbal communication
b.
Interpersonal attraction and the formation of pairs
4.
Social Institutions and Social structure
a.
Mechanical and Organic Solidarity
b.
Gemeinschaft and Sesellschaft
5.
Types of Societies
a.
Industrial
b.
Technological / Informational
c.
A global view
E.
Formal Organizations and Bureaucracies
1.
Types of groups
a.
Primary groups and Secondary Groups
b.
Social Influence
c.
Types of organizations
d.
Bureaucracy
2.
Diversity in organizations
3.
The Major theoretical perspectives applied
F.
Global Stratification
1.
First, Second and Third Worlds
2.
Consequences of Global Stratification
3.
Theories of Global Stratification
a.
Modernization Theory
b.
Dependency Theory
c.
World Systems Theory
4.
World poverty
5.
The future of global stratification
G.
Deviance and Social Control
1.
Defining Deviance
a.
Sociological perspectives
b.
Psychological explanations
2.
Elements of Social Control
3.
Forms of Deviance
4.
Crime and Criminal Justice
a.
The Criminal Justice System
b.
Types of crime
c.
Race, class, gender and crime
5.
Deviance in global perspective
H.
Inequalities of Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Age
1.
Race and ethnicity
2.
Racial stereotypes
3.
Prejudice, discrimination and racism
4.
Sociological theories of prejudice and racism
5.
Diverse groups with diverse histories
a.
Immigration patterns
b.
Citizenship
c.
Specific groups examined
6.
Defining sex and gender
a.
The social construction of gender
b.
Theories of gender
c.
Gender and social change
7.
Attaining racial and ethnic, gender and age equality
I.
Social Institutions
1.
Family
a.
Defining the family
b.
Comparing kinship systems
c.
Extended and nuclear families
2.
Sociological perspective theories and families
3.
Diversity among contemporary American families
4.
Marriage and divorce
5.
Families and social problems
a.
Family violence
b.
Elder care and elder abuse
c.
Teen pregnancy
6.
Change in family and society
a.
Global changes
b.
The graying of America
c.
Families and social policy
7.
Education and Work
a.
Sociological perspective theories of education
b.
Economy and Society
c.
Theoretical perspectives on Work
d.
Characteristics of the labor force
8.
Government and Health Care
a.
Government: power and politics in a diverse society
b.
Health care in the United States
c.
Theoretical perspectives on health care
9.
Religion
a.
Forms of religion
b.
Sociological theories of religion
c.
Globalization: world religions and religious diversity
d.
The impact of religion
J.
Population, Urbanism and the Environment
1.
Demography and the U.S. Census
2.
Theories of population growth
3.
Urbanism
4.
Ecology and the environment
K.
Social Change and Social Movements
1.
Theories of social change
2.
The social consequences of modernization
3.
Sources of social change
4.
Collective behavior and social movements
IV.
UNIT OBJECTIVES
A.
B.
C.
D.
Appreciate the discipline of sociology and to grasp the sociological perspective and
the nature and meaning of the sociological imagination.
1.
Appreciate the context and development of sociological theory.
2.
Appreciate and apply the major theoretical frameworks of
functionalism, conflict theory and symbolic-interaction theory.
3.
Identify and appreciate the advantages of the major tools and methods of
sociological research.
Define culture and grasp the shared characteristics and influences of all cultures.
1.
Use the major theoretical perspectives in the study of cultures and the
sources of cultural change.
2.
Identify the characteristics of subcultures and countercultures and their
relations to the dominant culture.
Understand the socialization process as social control as a balance of conformity
and individual adaptation, and as a lifelong process.
1.
Understand and apply the major theories of socialization.
2.
Identify the influence of socialization agencies.
3.
Identify the key tasks of socialization across the life cycle
Understand society as a system of social interaction.
1.
Understand society as a system of social interaction
2.
Examine social organization through groups, statuses, and roles.\
3.
Distinguish between the six types of societies
E.
Define social stratification and recognize the three major stratification systems.
1.
Distinguish between the functionalist and conflict theories perspectives on
inequality
2.
Define the class structure of the United States, its layers, sources of class
conflict and distribution of wealth and income.
F.
Understand the structure of global stratification and systems for defining global
stratification.
1.
Distinguish between first, second, and third world countries.
2.
Apply and assess the three major theories of global stratification.
3.
Identify conditions that distinguish the newly industrializing countries from
those that are not.
G.
Distinguish sociological from psychological perspectives on deviance.
1.
Differentiate between the three major perspectives on deviance.
a.
Durkheim’s approach to deviance
b.
Merton’s structural strain theory
c.
Social control theory
d.
Differential association theory
2.
Distinguish types of crime and appreciate different societal perceptions of
and reactions to them.
3.
4.
Appreciate how treatment within the criminal justice system is
significantly related to patterns of race, gender and class inequality.
Recognize and appreciate the major trends and features of deviance in the
global perspective.
H.
Understand the socially constructed concepts of ethnicity, race, minority, and
dominant groups.
1.
Grasp the dynamics of prejudice and ethnocentrism and how both are
promoted through socialization.
2.
Identify how discrimination is found in social institutions.
3.
Appreciate the diverse experiences and histories of racial and ethnic groups
in the United States.
4.
Evaluate the major perspectives on the patterns of racial and ethnic
relations in the United States.
I.
Define sex and gender and appreciate the relative influence of biology and culture
on gender identity.
1.
Identify the ways in which sexuality is shaped by social influences.
2.
Appreciate the interplay of race and gender in gender and sexual
identity.
3.
Compare the major frameworks for explaining gender inequality.
J.
Aging in Global Perspective
1.
The social construction of aging
2.
The graying of America
3.
4.
The major perspectives on the inequalities of age
Death and dying
K.
Define family from the sociological perspectives and compare kinship systems,
including extended and nuclear families.
1.
Appreciate the diversity among contemporary American families and the
particular challenges confronting each family form.
2.
Identify the major features of US marriage and divorce patterns.
3.
Marriage and family in the sociological theoretical perspectives.
4.
Appreciate changes in family life worldwide resulting from global
economic and demographic influences
L.
Identify the functions of education in the U.S. as well as the societal conflicts
reflected in the American educational and economic systems.
1.
Grasp the relationships among education, occupation, income and social
mobility.
2.
Identify the major economic systems and the structure of the global
economy.
3.
Describe the dynamic of power in the workplace related to the glass ceiling,
sexual harassment, gay and lesbian experience and disabilities.
V.
VI.
M.
Describe the major features of healthcare, health, and sickness in America, taking
race, class and gender into account.
1.
Apply the three major theoretical perspectives to an analysis of
healthcare.
2.
Describe the major dimensions and causes of the healthcare crisis in
America and the proposals to address it.
N.
Understand how sociologists define and study religion.
1.
Appreciate diverse forms of religion.
2.
Apply and assess the three major sociological theories of religion.
3.
Understand the role of religion in social change.
O.
Understand major demographic issues related to the U.S. Census
1.
Identify and interpret the three basic demographic processes in the
context of diversity.
2.
Understand and assess the theories of population growth locally and
globally.
3.
Identify the major concerns of ecological demography and its utility in
environmental policy.
P.
Define social change and social movements by describing their major
characteristics.
1.
Apply and assess the major theories of social and global change.
2.
Identify the broad types of social movements.
3.
Appreciate the effects of globalization and diversity on social change.
METHOD(S) OF INSTRUCTION
A.
Lectures
B.
Class Discussions
C.
Textbook Readings
D.
Audio Visuals
E.
Class assignments
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK(S)
Andersen, Margaret L., Taylor, Howard F., Sociology: The Essentials, Wadsworth,
Thomson Learning, Inc. Belmon, CA. Current Edition.
VII.
REQUIRED MATERIALS (STUDENT)
Textbook
VIII.
IX.
SUPPLEMENTAL REFERENCES
A.
Sociological Journals
B.
Internet Interactions
C.
Classroom Handouts
METHOD(S) OF EVALUATION (SUTDENT)
A.
In Class Exams
B.
On-line Exams
C.
Outside-of-class projects and writing assignments
D.
Class Attendance and Class Participation