Sociology of the Family
Instructor: Sandra Woodside, M.S. Ed.
E-mail:
Website:
Office Phone:
Office:
Office Hours:
woodsides@mjc.edu
http://woodsides.faculty.mjc.edu
575-6123
Founder s Hall 160N
Monday 11:30-12:30; 12:30-1:30
Thursday 4:00-5:00
Wednesday 11:30-12:30; 12:30-1:30
SPRING 2013
Williams, B.K., Sawyer, S.C. and Wahlstrom, CM. (2009). Marriages, families, and
intimate relationships: A practical introduction. (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA.:
Allyn & Bacon.
Optional: MySocLab (available with text bought through MJC bookstore)
Friendly Tip! This course requires a research paper. Organization and time management,
plus a healthy dose of personal commitment to your education, will serve you well in this
process.
I. INTRODUCTION
Welcome to this course on the sociology of the family (called, fondly, in the past, Marriage and
the Family). During the course of this semester, we will be examining one of the most basic,
universal social institutions. We all come from a family, and most of us (approximately 95%)
will spend a portion of our adult lives in a marital-type relationship. It is my goal to examine,
from a sociological perspective, the reality of marriages and families. Consequently, we will not
only be looking at the way “it should be,” according to some, but also the way “it really is.” As
such, we may explore themes or topics with which you may be personally uncomfortable. Rest
assured that exposure to alternative realities is not a prescription for having to participate in
them, but, hopefully, by examining the wide variety of choices people make, we may better
appreciate their choice as well as our own. Additionally, by exposing ourselves to such a wide
range of possibilities, we may stumble on information that can improve the quality of the
relationships we develop.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
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Sociology of the Family
Instructor: Sandra Woodside, M.S. Ed.
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Identify and apply the sociological perspective to the study of intimate relationships and
families.
Recognize the diversity (cross-culturally, historically, and currently within the United
States) contained within the institution of the family.
Demonstrate knowledge of and the ability to critically analyze topics related to intimate
relationships and family life.
II. GRADING
Exams:
70% of final grade (points will vary depending on length): You
will be taking three exams over the course of the semester. Exams
are based on reading your textbook and understanding the
material.
Research Paper
30% Written Presentation: Grading for research papers is
stringent. This is a complex skill that is graded to a set of
standards outlined in the grading rubric that will be provided to
you. Research writing standards are predicated upon the standards
of the discipline and critical thinking.
You will be graded against the standards of critical thinking which
focus on the logic, precision and clarity of your writing. The
mechanics of writing impact those three primary standards. If you
do not know how to effectively write a paragraph, your logic is
profoundly impacted. What constitutes an “A” paper in English
101 will not necessarily net you and “A” from the perspective of
writing within the discipline of Sociology. Papers will be
submitted to turnitin.com
NOTE: Having read the syllabus and choosing to remain in class constitutes your
permission to have your papers retained and monitored by turnitin.com for the express
purposes of monitoring for plagiarism.
You will be given feedback on your class standing as we go through the semester. This will
enable you to make informed decisions about your remaining in the class and receiving a final
grade.
III. CLASS EXPECTATIONS/POLICIES
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Sociology of the Family
Instructor: Sandra Woodside, M.S. Ed.
1) Students are expected to attend class regularly. Classroom activities are an integral part of
your educational experience. You have a responsibility to yourself and the education of your
fellow classmates. Class attendance will be monitored.
The law now requires we track attendance in order to monitor those who are receiving financial
aid. Non-attendance for those individuals reaps a consequence of having to pay back monies
received. The by-product of this policy is that all individuals are caught in this net. Nonattendance of four consecutive class periods results in being dropped from the class. However, a
total of four missed classes during the course of the semester will net the same result.
2) Adds/Drops
a) It is your responsibility to withdraw from the class if you do not wish to
complete it. Of course, as stated in the previous section on attendance, I will initiate a
withdrawal you miss four classes, it is primarily your responsibility to initiate this
action if you know you don’t want to finish the class. Please contact MJC Admissions
and Records for further details on policies regarding adding and withdrawing from
courses. College deadlines for adding, withdrawing, or filing for Credit/No Credit can
be found in the MJC Schedule of Classes or by contacting Admissions.
b) I will initiate an instructor drop for the following reasons:
i.
Attendance during the first two weeks of the semester is essentital: You have
a responsibility to show up, even though you are officially enrolled, in order for
instructors to accommodate students who wish to add. Failure to show indicates
you have no interest in maintaining your seat in the class. I will give your seat to a
wait-listed student who has demonstrated their commitment and you will lose
your seat.
3) Class participation is expected. You must determine what you want from your educational
experience. Class discussion and interaction with the instructor and fellow students is a
valuable way to digest ideas and explore their relevance to your personal life.
4) Reading your textbook and handouts prior to coming to class is a requirement. Being
prepared in this way facilitates our ability to participate in class discussion, get more from
lectures, and better retain information for testing purposes.
5) You must take all assigned exams. Failure to participate in all exams will result in a
failing grade on the Exam portion of your final grade. A 70% “F” grade will have a
profound effect on your final grade. Be advised and plan accordingly.
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Sociology of the Family
Instructor: Sandra Woodside, M.S. Ed.
a) Students are expected to take the exam on the scheduled class date at the scheduled time,
including the final exam. However, I understand that there are extenuating circumstances
which may, occasionally, prevent you from so doing. In the event that you are unable to take
the exam, you must notify me prior to the exam date. After the fact notifications will not
be honored. You are only allowed to make up one of the first two exams.
The final exam must be taken on the scheduled date at the scheduled time. DO NOT
COME LATE - YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO TAKE THE EXAM! My time is
every bit as valuable as yours. As adults, you are expected to manage your time
appropriately and be responsible for basic social standards – you won’t keep a job for very
long if you simply wander in whenever you feel like it. . .why should this be any different?
There are no makeups or early testing for this exam. You have four months to make sure
your schedule is cleared. If you already have plans that you cannot change, then this is not
the class/section for you.
Your best method of notification is to contact me by phone and leave a detailed
message. If I have not received a phone message from you prior to class, you will not be
allowed to make up the exam. I will check my phone messages 10 minutes prior to the start
of class. I will create a list of those allowed to take make-up exams. If your name is not on
the list you cannot take the exam.
6) Cell Phones and Pagers
a) Turn off your cell phone when you enter class. If you have some type of emergency
that requires you be available by phone at all times, let me know prior to the
beginning of the class session. Otherwise, set pagers and phones to vibrate, or turn
them off!
a) The business of the day is Sociology, not text messaging. I’m not sure when we, as a
society, decided we could not live without each other for more than five minutes, but
if talking to your friends electronically seems more valuable than being focused on
what is happening in class, don’t waste my time and yours by taking up space a more
dedicated student could use. . .The first time you will be asked to put your phone
away. The second time, you will be given a student disruption form and asked to
leave class. You will not be allowed to return until you have seen the Division Dean
7) Cheating and Plagiarism
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Sociology of the Family
Instructor: Sandra Woodside, M.S. Ed.
a) Cheating and plagiarism constitute misconduct, according to the Student Code of
Conduct. Students are subject to college discipline, which may include failing the
assignment, failing the course, or being expelled from the college.
i.
Cheating: Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials,
information, or study aids in any academic exercise; misrepresenting or nonreporting of pertinent information in all forms of work submitted for credit.
ii.
Plagiarism: The deliberate adoption or reproduction of ideas, words or statements
of another person as one’s own, without acknowledgment. This includes all group
work and written assignments.
b) If you are caught cheating on exams or assignments or plagiarizing, you will fail
the specific assignment. Your name is also submitted to the Division Dean and
the Vice President of Student Services. You will be called into an interview with
the Vice President of Student Services and your behavior will be tracked.
Repeated incidents of cheating and plagiarism in your college career can result
in expulsion from the college.
c) Other students are not permitted to hand in your work for you.
i.
You must be present to win. You are expected to be in class to process your paper
with the group. Work submitted under my office door, or handed in and then you
leave, is not considered officially submitted-in other words, you receive zero
credit. So-make a decision now. You are committed to your education and wish to
seriously participate in it, or you are not and should seriously consider dropping
the class.
8) Disruptive/Disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated.
a) This is college, not high school (or, in some cases junior high or even elementary
school). No student has the right to interfere with the educational pursuit of another
student. Students will be removed from class for disruptive behavior and not
allowed to return until they have met with the Division Dean.
b) If you arrive late to class, please be respectful to the instructor and your fellow
students. Enter the classroom and take a seat close to the door. Do not walk in front of
the instructor, or guest speakers if we have any.
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Sociology of the Family
Instructor: Sandra Woodside, M.S. Ed.
c) All activities during class should be focused on the pursuit of course objectives. All
discussion should be focused on asking and answering questions about the topic of
the day. Keep your discussions civil, even when you strongly disagree.
If you are having sidebar conversations that interfere with the instructor’s ability to
lecture and your fellow students’ ability to hear, you will be asked once to curb your
enthusiasm. The second notice will be removal from class with a disruptive student
form. This is the form that requires you to visit with the Dean prior to being allowed
to return to class. Please notice how much time and energy is wasted in having to
“police” student behavior.
Bullying or threatening fellow students or the instructor will not be tolerated. Any
display of bullying behavior will result in immediate dismissal from class. You will
be asked to leave and if you refuse, security will be called.
d) Homework for other classes should be done at home or on your breaks. If work for
other classes is more important to you than participating in this class, then do not
come to class. . . it is disrespectful to me and to your fellow students to take up
space and time and not contribute to what is going on in class. If I see you doing
homework for another class, you will be asked to leave class since your time in class
is obviously not important to you.
As the saying goes, this is not a dress rehearsal. Your education – all of it – is preparing you
for your place in society. I assume you are here because you hope to find a career and/or a
job that pays more than minimum wage. Education, at the college level, is a privilege, not
a right. It’s not free and there are limits to the number of times you can cycle through the
system.
Now - let’s focus on doing Sociology and having some fun!
Note: This Syllabus and the Course Map are subject to change at the discretion of the Instructor.
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