Sociology
Southwest College
Course # and Course Title
CRN65592---Spring 2011
Alief Campus, Hayes Road—Room Number-B128| 9:00 am to 12:00 noon |
Saturdays
3 hour lecture course | 48 hours per semester | 16 weeks
Instructor: Linda DiCindio, M.A.
Instructor Contact Information:
Phone: 713-718-2223, code 30159#
E-mail: linda.dicindio@hccs.edu
Office location and hours
I am available to meet with students either before or after class; you may contact me by
e-mail as well. Please identify yourself as a student when corresponding by e-mail
because I delete any mail unopened if I do not recognize the address.
Course Description:
Sociology 1301 is an “Introduction to the concepts and principles used in the study of
group life, social institutions, and social processes.” (ACGM)
Sociology 1301 is “A survey course which focuses on the nature of human groups in
American and world societies, their social and cultural adaptations, and the impact
which various social processes may have on their social organization and social
change.” Core Curriculum Course. (HCC Catalog)
Prerequisites:
a) Reading: Placement in co-requisite GUST 0342
b) Writing: Placement into ENGL 0310/0349
Course Goal:
By the end of this course you will be able to “Appreciate our socially and culturally
diverse society and world” (HCC Core Sociology Curriculum). This is a survey course
designed to help guide your understanding of Sociology as an academic and scientific
discipline and to see the world around you from a new, different, and previously
unthought-of of perspective.
Student Learning Outcomes:
1. Apply the three major perspectives in Sociology: Conflict, Functionalism, Symbolic
Interactionism.
2. Identify the principles of the social science research process.
3. Evaluate the various aspects of stratification as they affect American society and the
world.
4. Evaluate the various aspects of the institutions of society as they affect American
society and the world.
Learning Objectives
1.1 Appreciate information about the background and history of Sociology.
1.2 Analyze the seminal theorists in Sociology, their theories, and how those theories
translate to the real world.
1.3 Discriminate among and between various critical thinking fallacies.
1.4 Evaluate theories of collective behavior and social movements and how they impact
real people's real lives in the real world.
2.1 Illustrate Sociological experiments as found in a textbook or a peer-reviewed journal
and discuss the study in terms of the scientific method.
2.2 Delineate scientific research methods.
3.1 Evaluate theories of stratification and how they impact real people's real lives in the
real world.
3.2 Evaluate theories of globalization and social change and how they impact real
people's real lives in the real world.
3.3 Evaluate theories of population, urbanization, and environment and how they impact
real people's real lives in the real world.
4.1 Evaluate the major theories of each of the institutions of society.
Core Curriculum Statement
Sociology 1301 is a core curriculum course. It may be used to fulfill the requirements for
a core Social and Behavioral Sciences course OR a core Cross/Multi-Cultural Studies
course.
Course Calendar
I.
Using Your Sociological Imagination
Week One
1/22/11
Review of Syllabus; Ch. 1-Sociological Imagination: An
Introduction.
Ch. 1; Reader: Ch. 2-C.Wright Mills, The Sociological
Imagination, pp.13-18.
Week Two
1/29/11
Ch. 2-Methods pp. 43-50; 56-66;
class exercise-deviance survey
Reader: Ch. 7-Allan M. Brandt, Racism and Research:
The Case of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, pp. 59-72.
1/31/11
Date of Record
Week Three
2/5/11
Ch. 6-Social Control and Deviance
Reader: Ch. 31-William Chambliss, The Saints
and the Roughnecks, pp. 302-315
Review for Exam 1
Week Four
2/12/11
Week Five
2/19/11
Week Six
2/26/11
Week Seven
3/5/11
II.
Ch. 17-Science, the Environment & Society, pp. 690-694.
Computers and the Internet.
Ch. 18- Collective Behavior, Social Movements and Social
Change, pp. 725-730-modernity,
Causes of social change.
Ch. 4-Socialization and the Construction of Reality,
pp. 113-117; 120-142.
Ch. 8-Education, pp. 282-285-Functions of schooling.
Reader: Ch. 11-Erving Goffman, On Face-Work,
pp. 104-114.
Ch. 5-Networks and Organizations, pp. 149-168; 174-182.
Ch. 11-Authority and the State, pp. 414-415-Bureaucracy.
Reader: Ch. 41-George Ritzer, The McDonald’s
System, pp. 399-406.
Class exercise on privacy vs. technology
Building Blocks: Institutions of Society
3/5/11
Week Eight
3/12/11
Week Nine
3/19/11
Week Ten
3/26/11
III.
EXAM #1-Ch. 1, 2, 6 and reader articles
Ch. 3-Culture and Media, pp. 76-88; 95-105.
Reader, Ch. 17-Elizabeth W. Fernea & Robert A. Fernea
A Look Behind the Veil, pp. 164-170.
Ch. 7-The Family; Review for Mid-Term
MID-TERM EXAM-Ch. 1-6, 17, 18; reader articles
Reader: Ch. 39-Arlie Russell Hochschild, The Emotional
Geography of Work and Family Life, pp.-376-389.
Reader: Ch. 38-Carol B. Stack, Domestic Networks,
pp. 371-375.
Spring Break-No Class
Ch.8-Education, pp. 302-317-Inequalities in Schooling
Ch. 9-Religion, pp. 347-351-Religion & the Social
Landscape, pp. 327-334-Theory
Ch.10-Capitalism and the Economy, pp. 382-390.
Changes in Capitalism
Ch. 11-Authority and the State, pp. 408-416
Types of Authority.
Social Divisions and Inequality
Week Eleven
4/2/11
Ch. 14-Stratification, pp. 550-579.
Class exercise on occupational prestige.
Reader: Ch. 24-Barbara Ehrenreich, Nickled and Dimed:
On Not Getting By in America, pp. 228-247.
Week Twelve
4/9/11
PAPER DUE
Ch. 15-Poverty, pp.585-589; 593-612.
Reader: Ch. 26-William Julius Wilson, When Work
Disappears: The World of the New Urban Poor,
pp. 261-266.
Reader: Ch. 25-Herbert J. Gans, Uses of the Underclass
In America, pp. 248-260.
Week Thirteen
4/16/11
EXAM #3-CH. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and reader articles
4/20/11
LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW
4/23/11
Holiday-No Class
Week Fourteen
4/30/11
Ch. 12-Gender, pp. 447-467; 476-483.
Ch. 13-Race
Week Fifteen
5/07/11
Ch. 16-Health and Society, pp. 628-633-Social
Determinants of Health, pp. 647-656-Global
Poverty and Health.
Review for Final; Make-up Exams
Week Sixteen
5/14/11
FINAL EXAM-CH. 7-16; reader articles, 10:00 am
Don’t forget to bring:
A scantron that is not crumbled or wrinkled
A #2 pencil
A good eraser
Do not be late.
5/20/11
Grades available to students @hccs.edu
Instructional Methods
Methods of Instruction may include lecture; various assigned readings from textbooks,
peer-reviewed articles, books, original source seminal texts and other original source
material, films, field trips, etc.
Lecture, discussion, in-class small group activities, in-class writing, use of student
studyspace website.
Assignments
Assignments/Activities: various assigned readings from textbooks, peer-reviewed
articles, books, original source seminal texts and other original source material;
mandatory discussions based on various topics related to the major areas of study;
debates; writing papers including essays, analyses, reviews, research, comparing and
contrasting theories and perspectives; service learning projects; presentations; group
and/or individual projects; portfolios
Written Assignment
Choose one of the following assignments:
1.
When C. Wright Mills discussed the Sociological Imagination, he made a distinction
between “troubles” and “issues.” Select a personal problem with which you are currently
dealing, such as juggling work and school, dealing with drug or alcohol abuse, coping
with racism or sexism, etc.
a.
As C. Wright Mills sees it, how are personal troubles different from public issues?
b. Explain how you are coping with the problem as a personal trouble. This should be
no more than one page of the essay.
c. Consider how the problem is a public issue and explain how sociologists analyze it.
When making your analysis, choose one of the theoretical perspectives: functionalist,
conflict or interactionist and analyze the problem using the perspective that you choose.
Be sure to define and explain the sociological theory that you choose and apply it to your
analysis of how the problem is a public issue.
2.
Watch prime time television and note how the poor are represented. You can use either
television shows or commercials.
a.
Identify the TV shows or commercials you are using.
b.
Note patterns in race, gender, family structure.
c.
How does television frame the cause of poverty? Are the causes personal, cultural,
economic or circumstantial? Are the poor represented as deserving of their
circumstances or victims of situations beyond their control?
d.
Do you agree or disagree with how television frames the causes of poverty?
Whether you agree or disagree, be sure to support your answer with information
from the class, text or reader.
3.
Health is often determined by race, class and where one lives rather than life style
choices such as refraining from smoking, exercising and eating right. Houston has
been designated as the nation’s “Fattest City” for the last four out of five years. This was
determined by the number of “health indicators” such as the number of gyms, sidewalks,
hike and bike trails, sporting goods stores, grocery stores to get fresh produce and the
like. “Health detractors” were the lack of sidewalks or safe playgrounds for children, the
number of fast food outlets, liquor stores and lack of access to fresh produce.
a.
Examine your own zip code or use the school zip code which is 77082. Use the U.S.
Census bureau website to get demographic values such as the race, gender, age,
annual income and occupation categories for the zip code. You can use the internet to
access information about the median value of homes or crime rates for your zip code
as well. Be sure to identify which zip code you are using.
b.
Take a walk or drive around your neighborhood to identify the number of health
indicators vs. health detractors in the area.
c.
Using the information you gathered, do you think the number of health indicators or
health detractors is based on demographic values such as race or social class?
Whether you answer yes or no, be such to qualify your answer with information from the
text, reader and the class. The Moving to Opportunity Study in Ch. 14 provides useful
information. Other useful websites include the PBS website or New York Times website.
4. Choose any ONE of the reader articles from Readings for Sociology, that were NOT
assigned during the semester.
a.
Give a brief summary of the article, identifying the author’s main points.
b.
Do you agree or disagree with the author? Why or why not? Be sure to
support your answer with information from class, the text or other reader articles.
When giving your critique, use one of the sociological perspectives, functionalist,
conflict or interactionist. Be sure to define and explain which perspective you are
using and apply it to your analysis.
Develop a 2 to 3 page-typed essay. Hand-written papers will not be accepted. Be sure to
answer all of the questions. Identify all outside sources used, including Internet sources, in a
works cited page at the end of the paper. Papers should be double spaced with a one-inch
margin all around. Font size should be between 10 and 14 points. The papers should be
stapled with one staple in the upper left hand corner. Please do not use any plastic covers or
other bindings. Points will be taken off for lateness, spelling errors, grammatical errors, not
answering all questions, papers shorter than two pages or longer than three pages. Be sure to
have an introduction and a conclusion to your paper. Papers must be IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
If papers are not in your own words, you will receive an F in the paper. You will not receive an
opportunity to redo the paper. Papers must be written in American Standard English, no slang
or text expressions such as U for you. This paper is due 4/9/11. Late papers will not be
accepted. Being absent the day the paper is due is not an excuse for lateness. You may e-mail
the paper to me or leave it with the front desk. The administrative staff will deliver it to my
mailbox with the date stamped on it. It is worth 20% of your grade. If you e-mail the paper, be
sure to bring a hard copy to class. This grade will not be dropped. If you do not hand in a
paper on or before the due date, the grade will be averaged in as a 0, which may cause a
failing grade in the class. You may turn your paper in early to insure that it will not be late and
to insure that you will not receive an F in the course for lack of a paper. Please feel free to
consult with me to discuss to your paper and answer any questions you may have. You may
turn in a rough draft to be sure that you are on the right track, but this draft must be turned in at
least one month prior to the due date.
Small Group Activities and In-Class Writing Assignments
There will be a total of ten small group activities and in-class writing assignments, worth
10 points each, for a total of 100 points, worth 20% of your grade. Some of these
activities and writing assignments will be random, unscheduled throughout the
semester. You must be present to complete the group activity or assignment and they
CANNOT be made-up.
Conley provides a student website http://www.wwnorton.com/studyspace with chapter
summaries and practice tests which will be e-mailed to the instructor. If you complete ALL of
the practice tests for the chapters covered during the semester, get at least 80% and they are
submitted before the last day of class on 5/7/11, you will receive 10 points which may be
substituted for ONE missed class participation exercise or in-class paper assignment. Please
note you may make up only ONE missed exercise and all of the practice tests must be
completed before the deadline, no exceptions. It is best if you do this as the chapters are
assigned, not all at once on 5/7 at the last minute.
Five-Minute, Half Page Paper
Students will have five minutes (and only five minutes) to answer a question posed that
will reflect the current topic discussed in class that day. You will have five minutes to
write one or two paragraphs answering the question. You may use your notes, but must
use your own words.
Assessments
Methods of Assessment/Evaluation: Essays, internet searches with concomitant
essays; in-class debates; in-class discussions; oral and written peer-reviewed article
reviews and discussions; oral and written book reviews and discussions; reading and
then writing about seminal texts and theories and original source material; research
papers; quizzes which may include: definitions, matching, multiple choice, true/false,
short answer, brief essay; lists; service learning projects; presentations; group and/or
individual projects; portfolios; other methods as may be determined by individual
instructors.
Four exams will be given, each worth 20% of the final grade. They will be multiplechoice, short-answer and essay exams. The mid-term will cover Ch. 1-6, 17, 18 and
readings. The final is NOT cumulative, but will cover Ch. 7-16 and readings. The final
will be multiple-choice only. There will be a 5 point extra credit question at the end of
each exam with the exception of the final. A paper is also required, worth 20% of the
final grade. Details about the paper are included in the syllabus. Class participation
which includes attendance, participation in class discussions and activities, and in-class
writing assignments is encouraged and is considered as part of your grade. Conley
provides a student website http://www.wwnorton.com/studyspace with chapter
summaries and practice tests which will be e-mailed to the instructor. This will count as
class participation as well. Students who complete the practice tests tend to get better
grades on the exams. If you complete ALL of the practice tests for the chapters covered
during the semester, get at least 80% and they are submitted before the last day of class
on 5/7/11, you will receive 10 points which may be substituted for one missed class
participation exercise or in-class paper assignment. Please note you may make up only
ONE missed exercise and all of the practice tests must be completed before the
deadline, no exceptions. It is best if you do this as the chapters are assigned, not all at
once on 12/8 at the last minute. In-Class writing assignments and group activities are
worth 20% of your grade. Students are expected to be prepared for class; that is having
read the assigned material, having pencils, scantrons and paper for tests, etc. Routinely
coming late to class or leaving early is disruptive and will adversely affect your grade. If
you have a job, family or other commitments during the scheduled class time do
not take this class. Students are expected to take exams when scheduled. Make-up
exams are discouraged. There will be a 10 point penalty for make-up exams; the
highest score you can receive on a make-up exam is 90%. If you take more than one
make-up exam you cannot receive an “A” in this class.
Exam #1 = 20%
Mid-term = 20%
Exam #3 = 20%
Class writing = 20%
Final = 20%
Paper = 20%
A = 90 to 100%
B = 80 to 89%
C = 70 to 79%
D = 60 to 69%
F = 59 and below
The lowest grade will be dropped, with the exception of the mid-term exam, final exam,
and paper, which will NOT be dropped. If you do not turn in a paper on or before the
due date, you will receive a 0 for the assignment which may result in a failing grade for
the course.
Instructional Materials
Textbook title, author, publisher, publication date, ISBN.
Text: Conley, Dalton, You May Ask Yourself, An Introduction To Thinking Like A
Sociologist, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 2008. ISBN 978-0-393-92760-3.
Reader: Readings for Sociology, Fifth Edition, Edited by Garth Massey, W.W. Norton &
Company, New York, 2006. ISBN 978-0-393-92700-9.
Please note that there are two different texts used for SOCI 1301, be sure to buy the
correct text and reader for this class as listed above.
Be sure to buy a package of scantrons for the exams. The HCC bookstore is only open
in the evening the first week of class. It is not open during the late evening hours after
the first week and you will not be able to buy scantrons the day of the exams. Scan
trons are not sold at the front desk.
Student resources
http://www.wwnorton.com/studyspace
http://everydaysociologyblog.com
HCC Policy Statement: ADA
“Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision,
hearing, etc) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the
appropriate HCC Disability Support Service (DSS) Counselor at the beginning of each
semester. Faculty is authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the
Disability Support Services Office.
“Students who are requesting special testing accommodations must first contact the
appropriate (most convenient) DSS office for assistance:
“Disability Support Services Offices:
System: 713.718.5165
Central: 713.718.6164 – also for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services and
Students Outside of the HCC District service areas.
Northwest: 713.718.5422
Northeast: 713.718.8420
Southeast: 713.718.7218
Southwest: 713.718.7909
“After student accommodation letters have been approved by the DSS office and
submitted to DE Counseling for processing, students will receive an email confirmation
informing them of the Instructional Support Specialist assigned to their professor.”
HCC Policy Statement: Academic Honesty
“Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and
collusion.
Cheating on a test includes:
Copying from another student’s test paper.
Using, during a test, materials not authorized by the person giving the test.
Collaborating with another student during a test without authorization.
Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or in
part the contents of an unadministered test.
Substituting for another student, or permitting another student to substitute for
one’s self, to take a test.
Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered.
‘Plagiarism’ means the appropriation of another’s work and the unacknowledged
incorporation of that work in one’s written work for credit.
‘Collusion’ means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing work
offered for credit.” (HCC Core Sociology Curriculum.)
HCC Policy Statement: Class Attendance
The following statements appear in the College catalog regarding class attendance:
“Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Students are responsible for
material covered during their absences, and it is the student’s responsibility to consult
with instructors for makeup assignments. Class attendance is checked daily by
instructors. Although it is the responsibility of the student to drop a course for nonattendance, the instructor has the authority to drop a student for excessive absences. A
student may be dropped from a course for absenteeism after the student has
accumulated absences in excess of 12.5 percent of the hours of instruction (including
lecture and laboratory time). For example: For a three credit-hour lecture class meeting
three hours per week (48 hours of instruction), a student may be dropped after six hours
of absences. For a four credit-hour lecture/lab course meeting six hours per week (96
hours of instruction), a student may be dropped after 12 hours of absences. Certain
departments or programs may be governed by accrediting or certification standards that
require more stringent attendance policies. NOTE: IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
THE STUDENT TO WITHDRAW OFFICIALLY FROM A COURSE. Administrative drops
are at the discretion of the instructor. Failure of a student to withdraw officially could
result in the student receiving a grade of "F" in the course. For the deadline for course
withdrawal, check the current course Schedule of Courses.”
HCC Policy Statement: Course Withdrawal
To help students avoid having to drop/withdraw from any class, HCC has instituted an
Early Alert process by which your professor may “alert” you and HCCS counselors that
you might fail a class because of excessive absences and/or poor academic
performance. Contact your professor regarding your academic performance or a
counselor to learn about what, if any, HCC interventions might be available to assist
you—online tutoring, child care, financial aid, job placement, etc.—to stay in class and
improve your academic performance.
In order to withdraw from a class, you MUST contact your professor and
this must be done PRIOR to the withdrawal deadline to receive a “W” on your
transcript. If you do not withdraw before the deadline, you will receive the grade that
you have earned by the end of the semester. Zeros averaged in for required
assignments/tests not submitted will lower your semester average significantly, most
likely resulting in a failing grade (“F”). If you do not feel comfortable contacting your
professor to withdraw, you may contact a counselor. However, please do not contact
both a counselor and your professor to request a withdrawal; either one is sufficient.
Error! Reference source not found. Classes of other duration (mini-term, flexentry, 8-weeks, etc.) may have different final withdrawal deadlines. Please visit the
online registration calendars or contact the HCC Registrar’s Office to determine class
withdrawal deadlines.
“Remember to allow a 24-hour response time when communicating via
email and/or telephone with a professor and/or counselor. Do not submit a
request to discuss withdrawal options less than a day before the deadline. If you
do not withdraw before the deadline, you will receive the grade that you are making in
the class as your final grade.
The following statements appear in the HCCS Student Handbook regarding
withdrawal from a course:
Be certain you understand HCC policies about dropping a course. It is your
responsibility to withdraw officially from a class and prevent an “F” from
appearing on your transcript. When considering withdrawal from a course,
remember that:
No grade is given and your transcript reflects no record of the course if you
withdraw before the Official Date of Record. [Please see the HCCS Official
Academic Calendar which can be found by clicking on this link].
A “W” (indicating withdrawal) appears on your transcript if you drop a course after
the Official Date of Record and before the final deadline. [Please see the HCCS
Official Academic Calendar which can be found by clicking on this link].
The final deadline to drop a course is four weeks before fall or spring semester
finals and one week before summer semester exams. [Please see the HCCS
Official Academic Calendar which can be found by clicking on this link.]
There are three ways to withdraw from a course:
Complete an official withdrawal form available at any campus.
Write a letter stating your request to withdrawal. The effective date of your
withdrawal is the post marked date of your letter:
Office of Student Records
Houston Community College System
P. O. Box 667517
Houston, TX 77266-7517
Fax a letter of withdrawal to Registrar’s office: 713-718-2111.
http://www.hccs.edu/hcc/System%20Home/Departments/Student_Handbook/academic
_info.pdf
HCC Policy Statement: Course Repeat Fee
“NOTICE: Students who repeat a course for a third or more times may soon face
significant tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and
universities. Please ask your instructor / counselor about opportunities for tutoring/other
assistance prior to considering course withdrawal or if you are not receiving passing
grades.”
Course Withdrawals-First Time Freshman Students-Fall 2007 and Later Under Section
51.907 of the Texas Education Code
“an institution of higher education may not permit a student to drop more than six
courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of
higher education.” This statute was enacted by the State of Texas in the Spring 2007
and applies to students who enroll in a public institution of higher education as a firsttime freshman in fall 2007 or later. Any course that a student drops is counted toward
the six-course limit if “(1) the student was able to drop the course without receiving a
grade or incurring an academic penalty; (2) the student’s transcript indicates or will
indicate that the student was enrolled in the course; and (3) the student is not dropping
the course in order to withdraw form [sic] the institution.” High school students enrolled
in HCC Dual Credit and Early College are waived from this requirement until they
graduate from high school.
All college-level courses dropped after the official day of record are included in the sixcourse limit unless the student demonstrates to an appropriate college official that one
of the following events occurred to the student during the semester or summer session:
A severe illness or other debilitating condition that affects the student's
ability to satisfactorily complete [sic] the course.
The student's responsibility for the care of a sick, injured, or needy person
if the provision of that care affects the student's ability to satisfactorily
complete [sic] the course.
The death of a person who is considered to be a member of the student's
family or who is otherwise considered to have a sufficiently close
relationship to the student that the person's death is considered to be a
showing of good cause.
The active duty service as a member of the Texas National Guard or the
armed forces of the United States of either the student or a person who is
considered to be a member of the student's family and such active duty
interferes with the student's ability to satisfactorily complete [sic] the
course.
General Course Information 1-47 Front section 09-11.inddrev.indd 41 11/30/09 8.
http://www.hccs.edu/hccs/future-students/catalog.
Classroom Behavior
It is our shared responsibility to develop and maintain a positive learning environment
for everyone. You are expected to act as adults in class. Please refrain from offensive
or abusive language during class. The college classroom is a safe place to express
ideas, some of which may differ from your own personal belief system. Please be
respectful of other’s ideas and refrain from personal attacks. It is your responsibility to
read and understand the syllabus, complete the reading assignments and be prepared
for class. Do not e-mail me when you missed a class, asking what we covered. The
topics are listed in the course calendar and class notes are provided in the ERC. I
cannot review an entire class in an e-mail. Do not come to class under the influence of
alcohol or other drugs. Do not sleep in class. Please listen as classmates speak, do
not engage in side conversations as others are speaking. The content of class room
discussions may be incorporated in the exams. No use of cell phones during class,
they must be kept on vibrate or silent. I recognize that some of you are parents and
most of you work which may necessitate that you answer the phone, on occasion. If you
must answer, please get up quietly and leave the room, do not answer the phone in the
class. Absolutely no use of cell phones or any electronic devices during exams. You
may not leave the room during the exam. Please use the restroom, get water, tissues,
arrange for rides, etc prior to the start of the exam. NO use of text messaging during
class and no use of camera phones during class. Lap tops are to be used for notetaking only, no web-surfing, social networking, etc during class time.
Use of Camera and/or Recording Devices
Use of recording devices, including camera phones and tape recorders, is prohibited in
classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and other locations where instruction, tutoring,
or testing occurs. Students with disabilities who need to use a recording device as a
reasonable accommodation should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities for
information regarding reasonable accommodations.
Instructor Requirements
It is my responsibility to provide a clear grading policy, class learning objectives and
atmosphere conducive to learning. I believe that education is the path to success and
growth as an individual and student. You are the future of our society, even those of
you who are embarking on second careers! We have a multicultural, diverse student
body at HCC which is a wonderful opportunity to learn about ourselves and the world.
Class participation is a vital part of the learning experience. The more students are
engaged in class, the more they enjoy the learning experience and the better their
understanding of the material. This translates into better grades.
Program/Discipline Requirements
The following is to be taught at every Sociology 1301 course at HCC.
The Foundations: Background and History, Overview, Perspectives and Paradigms.
The Research Process.
The Building Blocks: Culture, Socialization, Social Interaction and Social Structure,
Social Groups and Bureacracies, Deviance.
Stratification. General Stratification-an Overview (Instructors must pick 3 out of the 5
topics listed below; instructors may incorporate material from one module into another).
World/Global Stratification; Race and Ethnicity; Sex or Gender; Age; disability
The Institutions of Society (Instructors must pick 3 out of the 6 topics listed below.
instructors may incorporate material from one module into another): The Family (may
include marriage and human sexuality), Education, Religion, Law/Politics/Government,
Medicine (may include issues of health and disease), Media.
Social Change/Social Movements. (Instructors may choose to include some but not all
of the sections in this module or may chose to incorporate material from one module
into another): Collective Behavior and Social Movements, Ecological processes,
Environment, Globalization and Development, Modernity, Populations, Revolutions,
Technology, Terrorism, Urbanization.
Grading
Your instructor will conduct quizzes, exams, and assessments that you can use to
determine how successful you are at achieving the course learning outcomes (mastery
of course content and skills) outlined in the syllabus. If you find you are not mastering
the material and skills, you are encouraged to reflect on how you study and prepare for
each class. Your instructor welcomes a dialogue on what you discover and may be able
to assist you in finding resources on campus that will improve your performance.
Houston Community College’s standard grading system, which will be used in this
class, is: 100-90=A, 89-80=B, 79-70=C, 69-60=D, 59-0=F.
Assignment and Test Percentages
Types of Assignment
Number of each type of assignment
Percentage of total grade per assignment
Number of tests/exams/quizzes
Percentage of total grade per test/exam/quiz
Exam #1 = 20%
Mid-term = 20%
Exam #3 = 20%
Final = 20%
Paper = 20%
Small group activities & in-class essays, 10 @ 10 points each for a total of 100 points =
20%
The lowest grade will be dropped, with the exception of the mid-term exam, final exam,
and paper which will NOT be dropped.
If you do not turn in a paper before or on the due date, you will get a grade of 0
for the paper, which may result in a failing grade. If you take more than one
make-up exam, you cannot get an A in the class.
Linda DiCindio’s Attendance Policy
There is a positive correlation between student attendance and scholastic achievement.
Students are expected to attend class regularly. Attendance will be taken at each class.
Students are responsible for material covered during their absence. Attendance and
participation are considered as part of your grade. Routinely coming late to class or
leaving early is disruptive to the class and will adversely affect your grade. If you have
job, family or other commitments during the scheduled class time, do not take this class.
If you will be absent for an extended period of time (more than one week) due to illness,
work or family commitments, please keep me informed by e-mail. If you never attend
class prior to the date of record, 1/31/11, the school may administratively drop you. Do
not ask me to reinstate you into class if you have never attended prior to the
official date of record.
Linda DiCindio’s Withdrawal Policy
There has been a change in the HCC withdrawal policy. Instructors are no longer
allowed to assign a W at the end of the semester. You are adults and as such it is your
responsibility to withdraw from class if you are making a failing grade. If you do plan to
drop the course, please be sure to officially drop by the due date. If you attend class
after the official drop date of 4/21/11, you cannot receive a "W"; I must give you a grade.
Although the official drop date is 4/21/11, my drop date is 4/16/11. Do not ask me to
drop you after 4/16/11, you must see a counselor after this time and do this yourself. If
you have missed exams or are making failing grades in the class or have not completed
a paper, it is your responsibility to drop the class. If your grades are running below 50%
on the first two exams, you cannot pass this class. If you do not complete a paper and
turn it in on the due date, you will not pass this class. I will not drop students unless you
speak with me prior to 4/16/11. If I do drop you, it will be for poor performance or
excessive absences. If you are an international student, withdrawing from a class may
affect the status of your student visa. If you abandon the class, do not expect me to
drop you, you need to do this yourself.
Remember, it is YOUR responsibility to withdraw from class prior to the due date.
Inclement Weather Class Cancellations
In case of inclement weather such as hurricanes, snow or flooding, check the school
website at http://www.hccs.edu or local news stations for information about school
closings. In the event of school closing, read the assigned chapter and readings. If an
exam was scheduled on that date, it will be given on the next class day, unless there
was a major city wide disaster such as a hurricane.