Sociology
Service Learning Internship
Seminar
Sociology 286
University of Vermont
Spring 2013
Instructor:
Email:
Phone:
Office Hours:
Office:
Class time:
Class location:
Professor Alice Fothergill
Alice.Fothergill@uvm.edu
802-656-2127
Tuesdays, 1:30-2:30 pm
Department of Sociology
31 South Prospect Street (Benedict House), Room 102
Tuesdays, 11:30 am – 12:45 pm
Sociology Department Seminar Room
Course book (required):
The Engaged Sociologist: Connecting the Classroom to the Community. 2010. Third Edition. By
Kathleen Odell Korgen and Jonathan M. White. Los Angeles: Sage/Pine Forge Press.
ISBN-10:1412979498 | ISBN-13:978-1412979498
Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. 2011. Second Edition. By Robert M. Emerson, Rachel I.
Fretz, and Linda L. Shaw. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN-10:0226206831 | ISBN13:978-0226206837.
* You will also be reading journal articles and books for your own research projects – this list of
books will be developed during the semester.
Course Prerequisites
Twelve hours of sociology including at least one 200-level course in substantive area relevant to
field placement, or departmental permission.
Course Description:
This course is designed to give undergraduate students an opportunity to participate in a servicelearning internship. In these internships, students will learn experientially and will gain
knowledge about the role of service in creating social change and strengthening communities.
The student will gain first hand experience with a particular issue and in a local agency, and will
discover the challenges and rewards of human service work. In addition, the student will attend
a seminar with other students working as interns so that as a group they can analyze their
experiences and place their new knowledge and experiences in a larger social context,
understanding their service work from a sociological perspective. Finally, the students will
research and write a paper on a topic directly related to their internship.
Course Format:
This seminar is unique. It is designed so that students have some structure and academic
component to an individual internship in the community. Students will work 10-15 hours a week
during the 15-week semester in a local, off-campus, non-profit agency or organization. The
seminar will meet approximately 12 times during the semester (once a week). Students will
work independently on a research project related to their internship placement. Students are
expected to attend and participate in the Tuesday seminars during the semester and to keep in
regular contact with the professor during the 15-week semester. Students in sociology cannot
receive sociology credit for internships unless they are enrolled in this course.
Annotated Bibliography
Each student is required to write an annotated bibliography of at least 6 scholarly sources, which
could include journal articles, edited volumes, or full length books. The purpose of the annotated
bibliography is to familiarize the student with the research done in the area of the student’s
internship. The sources in the annotated bibliography will be the basis for the research paper.
Annotated Bibliography – Due Tuesday, February 26th
Research Paper:
There is one research paper required for this seminar. The topic of the 15-20 page paper will be
directly related to the student’s internship placement. Specific requirements for the papers will
be handed out in class. You will be graded for grammar, clarity, organization, etc. so if you need
help with the writing, I strongly encourage you to visit the UVM Writing Center (call 656-4075
to make an appointment).
Research Paper – Due Tuesday, May 7th
Research Presentation
Each student will make an oral presentation to the class that integrates their experiences in their
service-learning internship and their independent research on a topic directly related to the
internship placement. More specific guidelines on the presentations will be handed out in the
seminar.
Internship Field Notes
Students are expected to keep detailed field notes of their experiences in their internships. These
field notes are collected every Tuesday in class. Also, the field notes will provide examples,
insights, and details for the final research paper. Field notes should be written after each and
every session at the internship. More on how to write fieldnotes will be discussed in class.
Course Grading:
Grades will be based on the following components of the seminar: (1) your presentation to the
class, (2) your annotated bibliography, (3) your research paper, (4) your in-class performance,
(5) your attendance in the weekly seminars, (6) your weekly fieldnotes, and (7) your
performance in your internship (fulfilling the organization’s requirements for the internship,
meeting your goals, being responsible, and taking initiative).
Grade Breakdown:
Your final grade will be calculated using the following grade breakdown:
Presentation
Annotated Bibliography
Fieldnotes
Research Paper
Performance in your internship
In class performance
Attendance
20%
5%
10%
25%
20%
15%
5%
Total
100%
Internship Contract
Each student will have an internship contract that they will fill out and have their internship
supervisor sign. It is very important that the student approach the internship as if it was a place
of paid employment. For example, the student should be on time, dress appropriately, call in if
they are sick, meet goals set by their supervisor, and act professionally in the internship setting.
It is important that all information about individuals (clients, residents, etc.) remain confidential.
Religious Holidays
The following is the University of Vermont’s policy on religious holidays: Students have the
right to practice the religion of their choice. Each semester students should submit in writing to
their instructors by the end of the second full week of classes their documented religious holiday
schedule for the semester. Faculty must permit students who miss work for the purpose of
religious observance to make up this work.
Disabilities
If you have a disability and need some classroom accommodation, please go to the Student
disability office (ACCESS) on campus (656-7753). Then please bring the documentation from
that office to the professor in the first few weeks of the course so accommodations can be made.
Email
Occasionally course material and announcements will be relayed to students over the UVM
student email accounts. Make sure to check your accounts on a regular basis to find out any
important information.
Changes in the Syllabus
It is possible that there will be changes made in the syllabus during the course of the semester.
Students are responsible for any syllabus changes that are announced in class.
Classroom Code of conduct: (Taken from the UVM Catalogue):
Faculty and students will at all times conduct themselves in a manner that serves to maintain,
promote, and enhance the high quality academic environment befitting the University of
Vermont. To this end, it is expected that all members of the learning community will adhere to
the following guidelines:
1. Faculty and students will attend all regularly scheduled classes, except for those
occasions warranting an excused absence under the University Attendance Policy (e.g.,
religious, athletic, and medical).
2. Students and faculty will arrive prepared for class and on time, and they will remain in
class until the class is dismissed.
3. Faculty and students will treat all members of the learning community with respect.
Toward this end, they will promote academic discourse and the free exchange of ideas by
listening with civil attention to comments made by all individuals.
4. Students and faculty will maintain an appropriate academic climate by refraining from all
actions that disrupt the learning environment (e.g., making noise, ostentatiously not
paying attention, and leaving and reentering the classroom inappropriately). No texting.
The instructor has the right to alter the student’s grade if he or she does not abide by this UVM
classroom code of conduct.
Sociology 286
COURSE SCHEDULE
Spring 2013
Tuesday, January 15th
 Course Overview
 Student interviews in pairs and introductions
 Update on internship placements
 Review course syllabus
 Activity: Write “My expectations for my internship”
Tuesday, January 22nd
 Discussion of Chapter 1 (Korgen and White): “The Sociological Perspective and the
Connections Among Sociology, Democracy, and Civic Engagement”
 Discussion of (Emerson et al.) Chapter 1, “Fieldnotes in Ethnographic Research” and
Chapter 2, “In the Field: Participating, Observing, and Jotting Notes”
 Activity: Read and respond to “Charity Display? I never felt like the face of poverty—
until I met my benefactor.” By Charmie Gholson
 Update on internships
 Turn in internship contract and first set of fieldnotes
Tuesday, January 29th
 Discussion of Chapter 2 (Korgen and White): “Founders and Foundations of Sociology:
Theory” and Chapter 3 (Emerson et al.), “Writing Fieldnotes I: At the Desk: Creating
Scenes on a Page,” and Chapter 4 “Writing Fieldnotes II: Multiple Purposes and Stylistic
Options”
 Update on internship placements
 Turn in fieldnotes
 Meet in small groups
Tuesday, February 5th
 Discuss Korgen and White, Chapter 3: “How Do We Know What We Think We Know?”
 Discuss Emerson et al., Chapter 5, “Pursuing Members’ Meanings”
 Update on internships
 Turn in fieldnotes
Tuesday, February 12th
 Library Instruction Session with Librarian Scott Schaffer
 Meet in the reference conference room
 Meet with the social science librarian and learn how to find recent, scholarly articles on
your research topic
 Turn in fieldnotes
Tuesday, February 19th
 Discuss Korgen and White, Chapter 4: “Creating Civic Engagement Versus Creating
Apathy: Culture”
 Discuss Emerson et al., Chapter 6, “Processing Fieldnotes: Coding and Memoing”
 Discussion of rewards and challenges of first month as interns
 Internship updates
 Turn in fieldnotes
Tuesday, February 26th
 Turn in annotated bibliography
 Turn in fieldnotes
 Review expectations for presentations and papers
 Internship updates
March 5th
 UVM Spring Break, no classes
 Make sure to make arrangements with your internship supervisor for this week if you
cannot be there
Tuesday, March 12th
 Discuss Korgen and White, Chapter 5
 Discuss Emerson et al., Chapter 7 “Writing Ethnography”
 Turn in fieldnotes
Tuesday, March 19th
 Student presentations
 Turn in fieldnotes
Tuesday, March 26th
 Student presentations
 Turn in fieldnotes
Tuesday, April 2nd
 Student Presentations
 Turn in fieldnotes
Tuesday, April 9th
 Student Presentations
 Turn in fieldnotes
Tuesday, April 16th
 Student Presentations
 Turn in fieldnotes
Tuesday, April 23rd
 Student Presentations
 Turn in fieldnotes
Tuesday, April 30th
 Student Presentations
 Internship evaluation forms due
 Turn in last set of fieldnotes
Tuesday, May 7th
 Our last class period will be held during our final exam period, 1:30-4:15 pm
 Research Papers due