SO 200: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
Spring 2007
TTh 10:50 – 12:05
Jamie Roth
Telephone: 303.458.4912 (my office) or 303.458.4915 (Sociology desk)
E-mail: jroth@regis.edu
Web site: http://academic.regis.edu/jroth
Office hours in Loyola Hall, room 24:
Monday, 10:30 – 12:00
Tuesday, 1:45 – 3:00
Wednesday, 10:30 – 12:00, 2:00 – 3:00
And by arrangement any weekday
ACCOMMODATIONS for LEARNING DISABILITIES: If you have a documented disability
requiring academic adjustments for this class, please contact the Office of Disability Services
(303.458.4941, disability@regis.edu). That office will review your documentation with you and
help determine appropriate, reasonable accommodations. Make an appointment early in the
semester with Disability Services and be sure to meet with me before any relevant course
requirements take effect. Accommodations are not provided retroactively and adequate leadtime is required.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course introduces students to sociological perspectives, terms,
concepts, research, and theories, through the study of social groups, social interaction, culture,
institutions, and social processes.
READINGS: The following book should be purchased:
Anthony Giddens, Mitchell Duneier, and Richard P. Appelbaum (2006). Essentials of
Sociology
Additional short readings may be assigned during the semester.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Expectations: It is expected that each student will keep up with reading assignments (see
COURSE OUTLINE, page 4) and complete the exams and written work as specified below. The
reading assignments and written work should take 2 to 4 hours per week to complete adequately.
Occasionally, the readings may take longer to study thoroughly, but there will also be weeks
with shorter assignments.
Please observe appropriate classroom etiquette. Do not come late to class. Do not leave the
room while the class is in session. Do not begin packing up books before the class has come to
SO 200. INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
SYLLABUS Spring 2007
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an end. (Doing so shows disrespect for the lecturer and other students participating in
discussion.) Argue strongly for your position during discussions, but do not use language that
would be offensive to other members of the class.
SO 200. INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
SYLLABUS Spring 2007
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Attendance: All students are expected to attend every scheduled class period. It is understood,
of course, that there will be occasions when attendance is not possible or desirable, as in the case
of illness (especially when the illness is contagious), family or friendship crises, or universityrelated obligations. But every effort should be made to attend every scheduled meeting of the
class.
(Note: In the course outline, page 4, there is not a reading assignment for every scheduled class, but
the class will meet even if there is not an assignment.)
Dialogue is an essential part of education. Dialogue involves attentive listening as well as
speaking. Neither can happen if the student is not present. Participating vocally in class
discussion is strongly encouraged. Some students do not like to speak in classroom settings,
and no one will be graded down or otherwise penalized for not doing so, but everyone can be
present to listen attentively. Students who sleep in class or appear to be sleeping will be counted
absent on the days they do.
Furthermore, classes will be used to present information not contained in the readings as well as
to clarify and elaborate on issues raised in the readings. Therefore, chronic absence from class
means that, for all intents and purposes, the student has not actually taken the course, even if
she/he has read all of the assignments.
Attendance will be taken into account when final grades are computed according to the following
scale:
0-2 absences: final grade boosted 1/3 grade (e.g., A- to A, C+ to B-).
3-5 absences: no change in final grade.
6-8 absences: final grade reduced 1/3 grade (e.g., A- to B+, C+ to C).
9-10 absences: final grade reduced 1 full grade (e.g., B to C).
11 or more absences: final grade of F regardless of performance on tests and papers.
NOTE: I do not use the grades D+ or D-. A student who has gotten a grade of C+ on the basis of
exams and writing assignments, but missed 9-10 classes, will have her or his grade reduced to a
D. A student who has gotten a grade of C- on the basis of exams and writing assignments, but
has missed 9-10 classes, will have her or his grade reduced to an F.
All absences, even for illness and university-related activities, count the same, unless there are
extraordinary extenuating circumstances. It would therefore not be wise to miss class unless it is
absolutely necessary. If you accumulate 4 absences for ski trips, to meet someone at the airport,
to leave early for or return late from holidays, for hangovers, etc., and then must leave campus
and miss two classes in order to attend to important matters or become too ill to attend class, you
will lose 1/3 grade at the end of the semester.
Because of the importance of class attendance, and since there are no writing assignments that do
not take place in class, there will be NO INCOMPLETES in this course.
SO 200. INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
SYLLABUS Spring 2007
4
Exams: There will be three exams, including the final. They are scheduled in the Course
Outline (page 4). Each exam will constitute 25% of each student’s grade: the three together
make up three-fourths of each student’s grade. The final (or third) exam is cumulative; it covers
material from the entire course.
Most of each exam will be in the form of multiple-choice and true-false questions. There will
also be one essay question on each exam.
In-class Writing Assignments: Approximately 12 times during the semester, class will begin
with a five-minute quiz over readings assigned for that day. The purpose of these “spot checks”
is to encourage prompt and careful reading of all assignments.
These quizzes will be graded as follows:
Exceptionally clear, thorough and accurate: 2 points.
Correct and adequate:
1 point.
Inadequate or not present:
0.
Students who are not present at the time the questions are presented will have no opportunity to
take the quiz. (In other words, come to class on time.)
Together, the in-class writing assignments will constitute 25% of your final grade. That grade
will then be adjusted according to your attendance record.
Out-of-class Writing Opportunities: Three or four times during the semester, you will have the
opportunity to attend lectures and films, observe social behavior, or read and reflect on a topic,
and submit short (1, 2, or 3 page) reports on what you observe, hear, read, and think. These
assignments will be evaluated in the same manner as in-class writing assignments.
For example, SPEAK, a student environmental organization, is sponsoring a series of three films
and discussions during the semester. The first is scheduled for Monday, February 19, at 7:00
p.m. in the Science Amphitheater. If you attend any of these three films and stay for the
discussion, you can write a two-or-three-page report and receive credit for it.
There might be other opportunities for extra credit, depending upon relevant lectures, films, and
discussions at Regis or in Denver this semester.
These writing opportunities actually amount to extra credit and can be used to make up for
missed spot checks or to improve on your test scores. They cannot, however, make up for class
absences.
SO 200. INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
SYLLABUS Spring 2007
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COURSE OUTLINE
The following outline is tentative. Changes may be made as the semester progresses for various reasons,
such as bad weather. Nevertheless, unless adjustments are explicitly made in class, students should have
read the assignments by the date indicated.
Class meets every Tuesday and Thursday when Regis is in session even if no assignment appears in the
course schedule.
“ESSENTIALS” refers to the text for this course, named in full on page 1.
DAY
DATE
READING ASSIGNMENT
TOPIC
Thurs.
Jan. 18
ESSENTIALS, ch. 1, pp. 3-19
The Sociological Perspective
Tues.
Jan. 23
ESSENTIALS, ch. 1, pp. 19-34
Sociological Research
Thurs.
Jan. 25
ESSENTIALS, ch. 2
Culture and Society
Tues.
Jan. 30
ESSENTIALS, ch. 3
Socialization
Thurs.
Feb. 1
ESSENTIALS, ch. 4
Social Interaction
Tues.
Feb. 6
ESSENTIALS, ch. 5
Groups, Networks, and Organizations
Thurs.
Feb. 8
ESSENTIALS, ch. 6
Deviance and Crime
Tues.
Feb. 13
Thurs.
Feb. 15
>>> FIRST EXAM <<<
Tues.
Feb. 20
ESSENTIALS, ch. 7, pp. 158-172
Social Stratification and Class
Thurs.
Feb. 22
ESSENTIALS, ch. 7, pp. 172-193
Inequality and Poverty
Tues.
Feb. 27
ESSENTIALS, ch. 8, pp. 194-206
Global Inequality
Thurs.
Mar. 1
ESSENTIALS, ch. 8, pp. 207-220
The World System & World Poverty
March 3-11
Review
MID-SEMESTER BREAK: HAVE A GREAT TIME!
Tues.
Mar. 13
ESSENTIALS, ch. 9
Gender Inequality
Thurs.
Mar. 15
ESSENTIALS, ch. 10
Ethnicity & Race
Thurs.
Mar. 22
ESSENTIALS, ch. 11
Families & Intimate Relationships
Tues.
Mar. 27
Thurs.
Mar. 29
Review
>>> SECOND EXAM <<<
SO 200. INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
SYLLABUS Spring 2007
Tues.
April 3
ESSENTIALS, ch. 12, pp. 309-321
Education
Thurs.
April 5
ESSENTIALS, ch. 12, pp. 321-339
Religion
Tues.
April 10
ESSENTIALS, ch. 13, pp. 341-357
Politics
Thurs.
April 12
ESSENTIALS, ch. 13, pp. 357-377
The Economy
Tues.
April 17
ESSENTIALS, ch. 15
Urbanization & the Environment
Thurs.
April 19
ESSENTIALS, ch. 16, pp. 446-457
Social Movements
Tues.
April 24
ESSENTIALS, ch. 16, pp. 457-476
Globalization
Thurs.
April 26
Tues.
May 1
6
Review
>>> FINAL EXAM <<< 8:00 a.m.
NOTE: All you need to bring to class for the exams are a couple of pens or pencils. Paper will be
provided. Once you have entered the room to take the exam, YOU MAY NOT LEAVE UNTIL YOU
HAVE FINISHED THE EXAM, so bring handkerchiefs for runny noses and take care of everything else
before you arrive.
DO NOT plan to leave early at the end of the semester. Exams will be given only at the time they
are scheduled.