Updated:((April(4,(2020( SOC 1: Introduction to Sociology Dr. Jacob Avery Office location: SSPA 4109 Office hours: Fridays noon-2pm (Canvas Chat) Email: averyj@uci.edu Tauhid Bin Kashem Teaching Assistant Office hours: Wednesdays and Thursdays, Noon-12:50pm (Zoom) tbinkash@uci.edu Jeffrey Coon Teaching Assistant Office hours: Wednesdays 3-3:50pm, Thursdays 3-3:50pm (Canvas Chat) Jcoon1@uci.edu Robin Brooks Ishler Teaching Assistant Office hours: Mondays 1-2:50pm (Canvas Chat) rishler@uci.edu Noemi Linares-Ramirez Teaching Assistant Office hours: Tuesdays 1-2:50pm (Canvas Chat and Zoom) linaresr@uci.edu Spencer Paine Teaching Assistant Office hours: Tuesdays 5-5:50pm, Wednesdays 4-4:50pm (Canvas Chat) spaine@uci.edu Let us return once more to the image of the puppet theater…we see the puppets dancing on their miniature stage, moving up and down as the strings pull them around, following the prescribed course of their various little parts. We learn to understand the logic of this theater and we find ourselves in its motions…for a moment we see ourselves as puppets indeed. But then we grasp a decisive difference between the puppet theater and our own drama. Unlike the puppets, we have the possibility of stopping our movements, looking up and perceiving the machinery by which we have been moved. In this act lies the first step towards freedom. And in this same act we find the conclusive justification of sociology. -- Peter Berger, Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective ! 1! Updated:((April(4,(2020( What is sociology? What makes sociology different from social work, psychology, economics, political science, or journalism? Why does learning to think like a sociologist matter? How will thinking like a sociologist add value to my overall educational experience at UCI? Those are some questions you might be asking yourself. That is normal. If you could perfectly answer such questions, you would have little need to take this course. This introductory course will arm you with knowledge of the fundamentals of sociology, and it will also expose you to the ways professional sociologists think about society. We have limited time to plow through this course, so I cannot promise to provide a sweeping overview of the history and contemporary practice of sociology. But what I do promise is to introduce you to central debates that organize sociological thought. And I hope you do your part by exercising your sense of curiosity (both inside and outside the classroom) about the social world around you. When you finish this course, you will ask more sophisticated questions about how society does (and does not) work than when you began the course. You will also cultivate your sociological eye and sociological imaginations. And your writing will improve. Looking forward to that point, it is hard to imagine better learning outcomes. This course (Sociology 1) satisfies a general education requirement for the Bachelor’s Degree at UCI. UCI is committed to the values of a liberal education. One component of that commitment is the requirement that all undergraduates complete a set of general education (GE) requirements. General education courses introduce students to a range of ideas and intellectual activities that provide both scope and balance to a university degree beyond the study of a specific major. The general education requirements are intended to help undergraduates place the specialized study undertaken in the major within a broader context. GE courses are designed to cultivate skills, knowledge, and understandings that will make students effective contributors to society and the world. Shared Responsibilities Teaching and learning are reciprocal parts of an interactive process. It is my responsibility to come prepared to class, share information with you in an intelligible manner, direct you to resources which help you fulfill your tasks, provide you with opportunities to meet outside of class, ensure that the classroom is a place where we are free to respectfully acknowledge and express our differences, answer your questions, stimulate creative thought, facilitate discussions, evaluate your progress, and return your work in a timely fashion. It is your responsibility to also come prepared to class, ask questions, participate in class discussions, think critically, apply the concepts you will learn in class, be respectful of me and others in the classroom, and finish your assignments on time. If either one of us fails to live up to these standards, this interaction will break down and education becomes more difficult. To maximize your learning, I expect that you will have the reading completed before class, you will attend class, and you will inform me when you are having difficulty meeting your obligations. Last, I value your comments regarding the development of the course. If you are particularly pleased or dissatisfied with some aspect of this class, I encourage you to speak with me. ! 2! Updated:((April(4,(2020( Requirements and policies Listen to all audio lectures and review PowerPoint slides. Spring 2020 will be an interesting quarter. Coronavirus has re-shaped our academic activities for this term. The course will be executed remotely. Please refer to our Canvas site for all course materials. Do the readings. Complete all readings before the class for which they are assigned. If you do not take time to absorb the weekly readings, you will not get most out of this class. *Weekly readings and lecture topics are subject to change* If readings and lecture topics do change, I will update the syllabus on Canvas. Therefore, it pays to pay attention to our course website on Canvas. Check your email. Quite regularly, I use email to post additional readings, and to make announcements and changes related to the course. Thus, it is good practice to check your email at least once per day. Check the syllabus. Before raising concerns with your TAs or I, check the syllabus first. *Some course requirements laid out in the syllabus are subject to change. Therefore, it is good practice to regularly check the most recent version of the syllabus on EEE to keep up-to-date on what is expected of you* Consult your TAs. They are an excellent resource. You have a question related to the course. Chances are, your TA knows the answer. You have a problem related to the course. Chances are, your TA can help you with it. Spend at least 3 hours writing up the weekly assignment. Instead of viewing written work as a product of your thoughts, use writing as a way to uncover what you know. This takes time. Once you complete a draft, try rewriting it. There’s always ways to edit your writing in order to produce better, more readable prose. Put forth extra effort and you will be rewarded. Do not plagiarize or cheat. It is the most disrespectful thing you can do in an academic environment. If you are caught plagiarizing or cheating, you will receive a zero (F-) on that assignment. If you are unsure what constitutes plagiarism or cheating, consult the UCI policy on academic honesty: http://www.editor.uci.edu/11-12/appx/appx.2.htm. Disability services. At the University of California, Irvine, providing equal opportunities for students with disabilities is a campus-wide responsibility and commitment. Disabilities include, but are not limited to, orthopedic, visual, hearing, learning, chronic health and psychological disabilities. UCI demonstrates its core values of individual growth and development and civility and diversity by recognizing students with disabilities as an important part of its student body. ! 3! Updated:((April(4,(2020( Writing assignments This is a writing intensive course. In large part, your grade depends on the quality of written work you submit. There will be seven (7) writing assignments throughout the quarter. These assignments are an opportunity to highlight confusing ideas, disagree or agree with the readings and other course material, and help shape what we talk about during lectures and discussion sections. Beginning April 3, I will discuss the details of that week’s assignment. The weekly assignments are due the following Friday, 9am. So that means when I assign something on April 3, it is due April 10 (9am). And when I assign something on January 10, it is due April 17 (9am). No make-ups or extensions will be issued. Writing assignments should be written up in a word processing document and submitted to Canvas by 9am on Fridays. In the upper left hand corner of the Word document, please write (1) your first and last name; (2) student ID #; (3) the course title (SOC 1); (4) the date; and (5) the word count. Please follow those instructions carefully. Failure to do so can result in a grade reduction. Late papers: One letter grade reduction per day late. If you turn in the assignment at 9:01am on Friday, then that is one day late. No credit will be issued for the writing assignment if you turn it in after Sunday, 9am. In such a case, you will receive a zero. Grading Your final course grade will be calculated in the following way: 3 Writing assignments (College for All, Norms, Theory) (30%) -! -! Each writing assignment is worth 10% of overall grade There will be assignment-specific grading rubrics. The teaching assistants and I will make periodic announcements about writing issues and grading. 3 Writing assignments (Class, Race, Gender) (45%) -! -! Each writing assignment is worth 15% of overall grade There will be assignment-specific grading rubrics. The teaching assistants and I will make periodic announcements about writing issues and grading. Final Paper (25%) -! You will submit this during week 10 Course meetings and readings March 30, April 1, 3 SOCIOLOGY AND COMMON SENSE -! Ross, “Anti Social Debts” -! Yee, “Degree by Default” -! Austin, “The Indentured Generation” ! 4! Updated:((April(4,(2020( April 6, 8, 10 NORMS, SANCTIONS -! Berger, “Sociology as an Individual Pastime” -! Garfinkel, “Studies of Routine Grounds for Everyday Activities” *Essay #1 Due, 9am, Friday, April 10th. April 13, 15, 17 CLASSICAL THEORISTS AND THEIR IDEAS -! Durkheim, “What Makes Sociology Different” -! Weber, “The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” *Essay #2 Due, 9am, Friday, April 17th. April 20, 22, 24 CLASSICAL THEORISTS AND THEIR IDEAS -! Simmel, “The Metropolis and Mental Life” -! Wright, “Sociological Marxism” April 27, 29 and May 1 BASIC DEBATE: CHOICE VS. CONSTRAINT -! Anderson, “The Code of the Streets” -! Liebow, “Men and Jobs” -! Snow and Anderson, “Street People” *Essay #3 Due, 9am, Friday, May 1st. May 4, 6, 8 SOCIAL CLASS -! Wright, “Foundations of Class Analysis” -! Transcripts from documentary, People Like Us: Social Class in America -! Hanauer, “The Pitchforks are Coming” May 11, 13, 15 RACE MATTERS -! Blumer, “Race Prejudice as a Sense of Group Position” -! Bonilla-Silva, “Rethinking Racism: Toward a Structural Interpretation” -! Crosley-Corcoran, “Explaining White Privilege to a Broke White Person” *Essay #4, Social Class, Due, 9am, Friday, May 15th. May 18, 20, 22 DOING GENDER -! Lorber, “Night to His Day” -! West and Zimmerman, “Doing Gender” *Essay #5, Race Matters, Due, 9am, Friday, May 22nd. May 27, 29 IDENTITY AND INTERSECTIONALITY -! Choo and Ferree, “Practicing Intersectionality in Sociological Research” -! Crenshaw, “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex” *Essay #6, Doing Gender, Due, 9am, Friday, May 27th. ! 5! Updated:((April(4,(2020( June 1, 3, 5 THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION -! Selections from C. Wright Mills’ The Sociological Imagination *Final Paper Due, 5pm, Friday, June 5th. * * * INTRO TO SOCIOLOGY GRADING RUBRIC Category D C B 40 pts Did not demonstrate any critical thinking. Demonstrates weak critical thinking with few to no observations. Demonstrates some critical thinking with weak observations. Demonstrates good critical thinking with good observations but lacks supporting details or balance. Demonstrates excellent critical thinking with excellent observation and original thought. Sociological Development (incorporate at least one source from lecture, articles, or discussion) Does not draw any conclusions and/or does not incorporate source material. Severely lacks development in conclusion and demonstrates weak understanding of source material. Draws an incomprehensive conclusion and demonstrates some understanding of source material. Draws decent conclusions from observations and demonstrates a good understanding of source material. Draws solid conclusions from observations and demonstrates strong understanding of material. Does not have organization and is not readable. Severely lacks organization. Numerous errors in grammar/spelling frequently detract from readability. Somewhat organized with errors sometimes detracting from readability and arguments. Well organized with few errors in grammar/spelling and usually conveys arguments clearly. Very well organized with no errors in grammar/spelling and consistently conveys arguments clearly. Critical thinking (analysis/argumentation) F 40 pts Organization & Clarity 20 pts A *All assignments will be due on Fridays at 9am. *Late Policy: Assignments turned in late will receive one letter grade reduction per day late. If you turn in the assignment at 9:01am on Friday, then that is one day late. If you turn in the assignment at 9:01am on Saturday, then that is two days late. No credit will be issued for the writing assignment if you turn it in after Sunday, 9am. In such a case, you will receive a zero. ! 6!
