SULEIMAN DEMIREL UNIVERSITY
SYLLABUS
Module of Social and Political Knowledge (Sociology)
MDE 152
Spring semester 2022
Lecturer: Kazybekova U.M., Ph.D in Sociology.
e-mail: ulzhan.kazybekova@sdu.edu.kz
Course Description:
This course will introduce you to the discipline of sociology. Sociology, and in turn this class,
examines questions such as: What is the nature of society? And what is the relationship between
society and the individual? This course focuses on how society functions and is organized, and how
society impacts and influences individual motivation, understanding, action, and well-being. Basic
sociological ideas regarding social relations, social interaction, social structure, and social change
are examined. Students are introduced to key issues addressed by contemporary sociologists
including class, race, gender, education, the media and others. Sociology is a social science, and
thus ideas, discussions, and determinations within this field are based upon empirical research, and
thus we will also discuss methods used within the discipline of sociology. The knowledge gained in
this course will aid you in future studies within a variety of fields and careers, and it will encourage
the development of critical thinking about important and timely issues.
In this course, you will learn to think like a sociologist by examining how people “socially
construct reality.” You will begin to hone your “sociological imagination” by examining the social
nature of a number of issues and behaviors, many of which may at first appear to be the results of
“human nature,” or strictly individual motives and personal choices. This is not to say that
sociology is right and other explanations are wrong, or that individual choices don’t matter. Rather,
sociology explains the social contexts in which choices are made, and, sometimes paradoxically,
how individual choices recreate those social contexts (but sometimes challenge or change them).
You are free to ponder and attempt to integrate these explanations with other forms of knowledge
(biology, economics, etc.); but the main goal of this introductory course is to provide the strongest
sociological explanation for many phenomena.
Course Objectives:
Upon successful completion of the course, students will:
- Explain and apply key sociological concepts.
-Identify how the sociological perspective illuminates understanding.
- Discuss specific areas of study and methods used within sociology.
- Synthesize the local and global nature and impacts of social circumstances.
- Critically examine theoretical perspectives and be able to apply them to current issues.
- Evaluate ideas and debates using the sociological perspective.
-Apply the sociological imagination to a variety of contemporary social phenomena.
-Describe the historical development of Sociology as a separate social sciences discipline.
-Distinguish among various research methods.
-Identify, compare, and apply primary sociological perspectives.
Assessment and Grading Policy:
The course grade will be based on the following criteria:
Attendance, participation and contributions to class discussions:
Assignment
Group Project:
20%
40%
40%
Attendance, participation and contributions to class discussions: Students are expected to
participate in class discussion and activities. In order to make the sessions a useful and productive
learning experience, students must read the recommended items before classes and be ready to take
active participation in class discussions. All of these aspects of participation—preparation, speaking
and listening critically, giving and receiving feedback, asking thoughtful questions, and other
activities —will be evaluated by your professor at the end of the semester and contribute to your
overall grade.
Article review: Students will have to choose an academic article (from books, journals) on
sociology topic and write a critical review. Students must write about the essence of the article,
summarize the major arguments made in a reading, briefly state the writer's views about the merits
or demerits of those arguments, explain new terms and concepts, include their critical review of
what it all means, offer their personal assessment of how useful that article might be relevant and
important to the field of sociology, and lay out their reasons for that assessment.
Deadline date for Assignment: 18th of February, 2022 by 5 pm.
Requirements for Assignment: Summary of your ideas, minimum 1000 words, any font type and
size, with the information of full name and surname of the student and the day of the lecture
attending must be e-mailed to Miss Ulzhan: ulzhan.kazybekova@sdu.edu.kz in word or PDF
format. In order to get the full mark for the article review, all the requirements should be
covered, so please read all the requirements carefully.
The article review must be written in English language!!!!!
Those students who missed the deadline, still can submit their article after the official
deadline, thus after 18th of February, 2022, but with 20% of deduction mark. The last date of
the deadline to submit the article review is 1st of May, 2022, after this date no article review
will be accepted.
Group project: Students have to form a group of maximum 10 people and write a research project
on the topics from the lecture topics, that we have taken throughout the course. A project must
include choosing the topic and making a mini research about this topic (by conducting survey,
interview, experiments or any other research tools) and analysis of the taken topics and is
intended to heighten a student’s analytical capabilities: the emphasis will be on summarizing,
analyzing and interpreting the topic in the context of Sociology.
Deadline date for Group Project: 14th of March, 2022 by 5 pm.
Requirement for Group Project: In the format of only PDF document, minimum 10 pages
(including content page, illustrations, references), with minimum 10 references, no word limits, any
font type and size, with the information of full name and surname of the student and the day of the
lecture attending must be e-mailed by 1 person in the group to Miss Ulzhan:
ulzhan.kazybekova@sdu.edu.kz
The group project must be written in English language!!!!!
In order to get the full mark for the group project, all the requirements should be covered, so
please read all the requirements carefully.
Those students who missed the deadline, still can submit their group project after the official
deadline, thus after 14th of March, 2022, but with 20% of deduction mark. The last date of the
deadline to submit the group project is 1st of May, 2022, after this date no group project will
be accepted.
Academic policy of the course in the context of university moral and ethical values.
Academic Behavior Rules:
1. Compulsory attendance of the lectures, the impermissibility of being late, no possibilities of
collecting points for the missed classes.
2. Class participation is often contingent upon having done the preparation. Reading the assigned
material and completing the assigned exercises demonstrates planning ahead and an investment in
the work of the course. It is also essential for informed classroom discussion.
3. The classroom is a laboratory for the building of professional skills and competencies. Students
are expected to move outside their comfort zone and take risks on behalf of strengthening this
important competency. Students are also expected to listen respectfully to their classmates and
instructor and to engage in respectful conversations even when values, perspectives and beliefs are
different.
4. Home assignments are distributed throughout the semester, as shown in the syllabus of the
discipline. Deadlines and requirements for each assignment must be respected. The violation
of submission deadlines leads to the deduction of points.
5. All assignments must be completed and presented within a specified time. In emergency cases
(illness, emergencies, accidents and etc.) according to the Academic Policy of the University
deadlines for assignment completion can be prolonged. Also, the activity and attendance of
students during the class will be considered when grading.
Academic values:
Academic honesty and integrity: independent performance of assignments; inadmissibility of
plagiarism, forgery, cheating at all stages of the knowledge control, and disrespectful attitude
towards lecturer. Students are also expected to listen respectfully to their classmates and instructor
and to engage in respectful conversations even when values, perspectives and beliefs are different.
It is obligatory to be tolerant and to respect other people's opinions in classroom. Plagiarism and
other forms of cheating are not allowed. In an unlikely case of falsifying any information, using
cribs or cheating, student will receive a «F» grade.
Students are welcome to contact the lecturer at any time by email for questions or seek an advice on
the implementation of assignments, group project, as well as for more information on the studied
material and all other emerging issues during the course.
Required texts and reading materials:
Doda. Z. (2005). Introduction to Sociology. Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative, The Carter
Center, the Ethiopia Ministry of Health, and the Ethiopia Ministry of Education.
OpenStax College. (2013). Introduction to Sociology. Rice University.
Additional Readings:
Abercrombie, Nicholas, Stephen Hill, and Bryan S. Turner. 2000. The Penguin Dictionary of
Sociology. London: Penguin.
Bauman, Z, and May, T. 2001. Thinking Sociologically. Malden, USA: Wiley-Blackwell.
Berger, P. L. 1966. Invitation to Sociology. Great Britain: Penguin Books.
Beteille, A. 2009. Sociology: Essays in Approach and Method. Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Bilton, T. et al. 2002. Introductory Sociology. New York: Palgrave.
Durkheim, Emile. 1984. The Division of Labour in Society. Basingstoke: Macmillan.
Highmore, B. 2002. The Everyday Life Reader. London: Routledge.
Irving, John Scott. 2007. Fifty Key Sociologists: The Formative Theorists. New York: Routledge
Mills, C. Wright. 2000 [1959]. The Sociological Imagination. 40th ed. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Scott, S. 2009. Making Sense of Everyday Life. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Turner, J. 2003. The Structure of Sociological Theory. 7 th ed. Belmont, CA:
Thompson/Wadsworth.
Course content- Curriculum Plan
Weeks
Topics
Activity
1
Lecture 1. An Introduction to Sociology
Lecture materials and class discussions
2
Lecture 2. Sociological Research
Lecture materials and class discussions
3
Lecture 3. Culture
Lecture materials and class discussions
4
Lecture 4. Society and Social Interaction
Lecture materials and class discussions
5
Lecture 5. Socialization
Lecture materials and class discussions
6
Lecture 6. Groups and Organization
Lecture materials and class discussions
7
Lecture 7. Media and Technology
Lecture materials and class discussions
8
Lecture 8. Global Inequality
Lecture materials and class discussions
9
Lecture 9. Race and Ethnicity
Lecture materials and class discussions
10
Lecture 10. Gender
Lecture materials and class discussions
11
Lecture 11. Marriage and Family
Lecture materials and class discussions
12
Lecture 12. Education
Lecture materials and class discussions
13
Lecture 13. Social Stratification
Lecture materials and class discussions
14
Lecture 14. Social Mobility
Lecture materials and class discussions
15
Lecture 15. Social Movements and Social
Change
Lecture materials and class discussions