Sociology 343: Women and Social Action
Angela Block, instructor
e-mail: sociologyrocks@hotmail.com
office phone: 916. 558. 2159
office location: Rodda North 215
Directions for getting to, and navigating the class on-line
Each student in this class has a Los Rios Online account already set up for them. Because this class is only
accessible to those students who are actually registered for the class, security of content, information and posts is
provided. There is absolutely no advantage in lending other students your access code – all of your posts and
communications will be attributed to you, and you will be held accountable for such. For this reason, and for the
matter of class integrity, please DO NOT share your access code with others!!
1. Log onto the Internet. You can do this at home or from a computer on campus.
GET AN E-MAIL ACCOUNT!! If you don’t have one, or want a separate one for this class, get one at GO – MAIL.
This is a free e-mail account that is through Sacramento City College. To get an account, go to the following URL
(internet address): https://go.losrios.edu/ , click on "Request an Account" and follow directions to set up a new
account.
2. Go to the Los Rios Online site. The URL (address) for this is: http://blackboard.losrios.edu (notice that there is
no “www” in the address!!)
3. If you do not know your student identification number, look in the "Login Information" box and click on “Click here
to get it” and follow the directions
4. Click the “Login” button and follow the directions given, then “log in”
5. A screen will come up that will have your name at the top and the course/s that you are taking listed. Click on
Women and Social Action.
6. Once on this site, UPDATE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO INCLUDE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS!! To
do this, click on the "Welcome" tab at the top of the web page (it looks like a file folder tab) and then on the Personal
Information link that is in the box titled "Tools" ( upper left hand corner of the page). When you get to the Personal
Information page, click on “Edit Personal Information.” Fill in first and last name and e-mail address.
** NOTE -- the e-mail address that you list will be where all of your assignments and my communications to you
will be sent -- so make sure to correctly enter your e-mail address and to update it right away if it changes!!
7. If you would like, you can change your password by clicking on the Change Password link inside the "Personal
Information" link. If you do this, be advised to WRITE YOUR PASSWORD DOWN somewhere, as there is no
assistance available for lost passwords!! I recommend that you keep the one that you are assigned as this is a
matter of school record. You may change your password, but do so at your risk!!
8. After having updated your e-mail address, go back to the opening page by clicking on the "Courses" tab at the
top of the page, and then selecting Women and Social Action by clicking on it.
9. Read the announcements by clicking on the Announcements button in the left margin. Next, go to the syllabus
by clicking on the Syllabus button on the left side of the page. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the entire site by
clicking on the various buttons on the left side of the page (Assignments, Websites, etc.). Don’t fear getting lost!!
The worst that could happen is you might have to restart your computer!! 
ALL SCHEDULED CLASS MEETINGS (see syllabus for dates) WILL TAKE PLACE IN room TBA!!
FROM 7 p.m. – 8:20 p.m.
“You must sleep in a car or closed tent
or you might be eaten by a hyena or a
lion.”
sign on camp site in Zimbabwe
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead
Sociology 343: Women and Social Action -- online
SPRING 2008 -- class number 24376
(exam meetings -- 7 p.m. - 8:20 p.m. -- dates specified on syllabus)
Required Text/Materials:
Moving the Mountain: Women Working for Social Change; Cantarow, Ellen. Feminist Press. 1980
Nine Women: Nies, Judith. U.C. Berkeley Press. 2002
Women Across Cultures: a global perspective (2nd edition): Burn, Shawn Meghan. McGraw-Hill Press. 2005
Fight Like A Girl: Seely, Megan. NYU Press. 2006
Class Description:
When thinking about women and social action, people often focus on the advancement of notable women in politics, business, or
the professions. Media portrayals of woman and social action often overstate the successes and failures of women to attain
equality in traditionally male-dominated fields. Social change is often portrayed as the result of the efforts of a few extraordinary
women at the center of power or of extremists on the fringes of society acting in isolation.
Yet for most women the struggle for change does not begin in the boardroom or the courtroom, but in their homes, communities,
places of worship, and workplaces. Though women are challenging gender stereotypes and discrimination in the workplace and
in politics, women are also organizing to reduce poverty, violence, homelessness; to enhance health and reproductive care,
family life, education, and religious experience; and to confront limitations based not only on gender but also on age, class,
disability, ethnicity, race, religion, and sexual orientation.
In this class, we will focus on “ordinary” women who work collectively in diverse social settings towards the goal of empowerment
and social change. Typically the women and men that we will "meet" in this class are committed to people (1) defining their own
problems with attention to commonalties and differences within the group, (2) analyzing the sources of their own problems with
an understanding of systems of power operating in the larger society, and (3) determining courses of action most appropriate for
their own circumstances which will move toward a transformation of these systems of power.
(Thompson, Northeastern Illinois University, 1997)
Specific Objectives: By the end of the term, each student will be able to:
 identify the impact and consequences of gender role expectations have on women's lives;
 recognize how gender inequality intersects with other social systems such as age, class, disability, ethnicity, race, religion
and sexual orientation;
 analyze and evaluate the goals and methods of particular social actions that are consistent with an empowerment model of
social change;
 examine the strengths and challenges of a variety of leadership styles;
 demonstrate development of a sociological imagination with respect to the conceptualization and understanding of several
types of social action.
This course is offered online. Students must have access to a computer and the Internet and have basic computer literacy.
Coursework can be done from a computer in the Instructional Media/Learning Assistance Center (first floor of the Learning
Resource Center), from the Learning Resources Open Access Computer Lab (located in the Business building, room 153), or
from home if the student has access to the Internet via a private Internet Service Provider. Once registered, students should plan
on attending the orientation meeting noted in the SCC schedule of classes or contacting the instructor via e-mail
(sociologyrocks@hotmail.com) .
Course Prerequisites:
There are no required prerequisites for this course. Eligibility for English 300 is suggested as useful, but is not
required. Additionally, HCD 320 (Human Career Development 320), "Skills for Online Student Success" is also
suggested.
"The voyage is not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."
Marcel Proust
syllabus, page 1
Assessment (grading  )
Your grade for this class will be determined by your semester average based on the following criteria:
1. Discussion boards: 0 or 5 points per discussion board (60 points total). NOTE: a minimum of 40 points from
discussion board participation is required to pass this class without penalty!! Thirty points or fewer will result in
failing the class. Don’t disappear from the discussion boards!!
2. Review / analysis of three campus or community events (speakers, rallies, action meetings, etc.): 10 points each
(30 points total).
3. Community action project: 30 points.
4. Exams: 60 points each (180 points total). NOTE: these will take place ON CAMPUS -- in room TBA from 7 p.m. 8:20 p.m. on specific Monday evenings (dates to be given at orientation meeting).
Grade scale: Average -- all points accumulated divided by total points assigned (300)
90% - 100% = A
80% - 89% = B
70% – 79% = C
60% - 69% = D
0 – 59% = F
Discussion Boards
There will be 12 discussion board assignments to be completed during the course of the semester. There will be
approximately 15 discussion boards offered during the semester. This means that you may skip one occasionally
and still have the opportunity to receive credit for a total of 12 discussion boards. Discussion boards are essentially
the same as attending class; as such, your participation on these boards is considered a very important part of
completing this class!!
You must accumulate a minimum of 40 points from discussion board participation in order to receive credit for this
course without grade penalty; NO exceptions. A failing grade will be given if 30 discussion board points or less
are completed during the semester.
More important information about discussion boards!!….
“Contribute” means to post a carefully considered answer to the question/s presented AND to respond to at least
one other student’s comments. A "carefully considered" contribution is NOT a one line response, like "Yeah, I agree
with you," or "I'm not really sure what I think....," or repeating or paraphrasing another student's post!! THINK!!
Contributions must be unique, in your own words, and have substance!! This is a class about social action!! Take
ownership for your participation in this class and make it meaningful!! This will undoubtedly enhance your
experience, as well as every one else's, in the class!! Also -- your posts must be on different days (at least
24 hours apart). Plan on logging in to this class at least three times a week!!
As stated -- the Discussion Boards are where the class interaction and discussion take place; they cannot be missed
any more than sessions of a face to face class. If your response is underdeveloped or off topic (this should not be a
problem if you take the assignment seriously) you will not receive credit for that week's board.
Do I Read Every Post?
In theory, yes, though I may miss some and I will not respond to every single comment -- any more than I would in a
face to face class; a teacher who butted in between every single student interaction would be a poor class facilitator. I
expect to be active on the discussion boards however -- meaning you should see my name popping up fairly often.
If you wish me to respond specifically to your post, address me by name in the subject line and I will respond as soon
as I am able. I expect to respond to board posts two to three times a week, so you shouldn't have to wait any longer
to get your question answered than in a traditional class. Again, I prefer that you ask questions on the various
discussion boards (including the Questions discussion board) first so that others who might have the same question
can see answers submitted. Of course, as in a face to face class, students may respond to each other's questions.
syllabus, page 2
Discussion board expectations and (n)etiquette
1. You are expected to log into this class at least three times per week. Any less and you are likely to get behind or
miss important information, assignments and/or posts to the discussion boards.
2. You can log into our class any time you like. You do NOT need to log in at a certain time, BUT there are very
specific DUE DATES for assignments that will be celebrated!! I recommend that you set a regular schedule for
yourself to “attend” this class as you would any other. This may assist you in staying current in your work and
assignments in this class.
3. It is perfectly fine for your discussion board posts to be informally worded and similar to the way that you would
speak in class. While you will not be graded on spelling and grammar per se, your posts and communications
must be intelligible!! Errors often affect clarity!! You may find it helpful to write some of your posts in a word
processing program (i.e. Microsoft Word), spell check them, and then copy and paste them onto the discussion
board. And please DO NOT WRITE IN ALL CAPITALS!! IT MAKES IT SEEM THAT YOU ARE SHOUTING -AND IS VERY DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET!! NO CREDIT WILL BE GIVEN FOR POSTS THAT ARE IN ALL
CAPITALS!!
4. NO OFFENSIVE SLANG, PUT – DOWNS, GRATUITOUS SWEARING OR HATEFUL SPEECH WILL BE
TOLERATED!! As in any class, it is imperative that the learning environment remain supportive and respectful.
With that said, please think about what you write in the same way you would do so in a classroom. If your mother
wouldn’t approve, it’s unlikely that I will either  .
Course Policies:
1. Late Work: Yes!! You can submit your work on time!! To encourage this, I will not accept late papers except
under the most extreme circumstances. Discussion board participation may not be "made up." Once the
discussion board closes (the specific date/time will be noted on each board), it is closed for the purpose of credit!!
2. Original work-Very Important Section!!
Here's the bottom line: if you do not present original work you will receive an F. Period. This means on the
discussion boards, on written papers, class project and exams. Here's more on this deal -- since you must take two
graded face to face midterms and a final exam that will include a written sections, AND since you will be writing on
the discussion boards every week; if your board posts show one author's voice, strengths and weaknesses, but your
submitted essays another (though I realize, of course, that you have more time and your essays are likely to be better
edited) it will likely cause me to suspect the originality of your work. You may be asked to prove that you wrote the
work/s in question. If determined that you did not write the assignment, you will receive zero points for that
assignment, which will effectively lower your grade in the class, possibly significantly.
IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING OR MAY CONSIDER SUBMITTING WORK WHICH IS NOT ONE HUNDRED
PERCENT YOUR OWN, DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS.
Cheating is a violation of trust between teacher and student, and I have absolutely no tolerance for it. Most students
who cheat are falling behind or not making a “C” grade; if you feel tempted to cheat, talk to me about getting help first.
syllabus, page 3
AN IMPORTANT NOTE AB OUT ONLINE LE ARNING!!
Learning online is not easier. In fact, it is often more challenging. Students who succeed in the online
community tend to be self-disciplined (because there is less enforced structure); driven in some way
(because learning over the internet provides less immediate social motivation); in simplest terms,
successful students tend to be academically mature. They also tend to be comfortable with technology and
with the internet as a communication medium.
If you think this will be easy, if you are looking for a less time-consuming learning method, or if you fear
occasional frustration; if you don't know how to send an attachment or use a word processor, you should
NOT take this class online!! It is very unlikely that you will succeed.
For those of you who decide that this medium will work for you, I expect this semester will be filled with
growth. I am convinced you can learn as much online as face to face if you apply yourself. Being a
sociology class, it is imperative that we have interaction. The last thing we need is more isolation!! The
discussions in this class will include differing opinions and perspectives that will serve as great catalysts of
discussion. You will not be alone in this class!! This class is a genuine virtual community. I am present in
it, as is each of you. We will work together. In fact, for many of us, this class is a step into the outside
world, an intellectual and socializing journey beyond our homes or our jobs, places where ideas may not be
exchanged as freely. And it uses an exciting medium of delivery, one that is proving key in new attempts to
organize and effect social change.
How To Reach Me
Communicating with me is not hard, even though we may only see each other face-to-face four times. The
Question Discussion board is a good place to start (please signal me that you have a question by putting
my name in the subject box). You can also leave a message on my voicemail at 916-558-2159, or my
email at sociologyrocks@hotmail.com. When e-mailing me it is IMPERATIVE that you write the following
in the “subject” space: Soc. 343 online followed by what you are sending, i.e. question, assignment #, etc.
Because I will be teaching at least six classes this semester and will be sorting my e-mail by subject line, following
this procedure will help ensure that I receive your work on time, or can respond to your question in a timely fashion!!
Technical Assistance
For technical assistance with the Los Rios Online system, e-mail your question to the following
e-mail address: scconline@go.losrios.edu
Topic and reading schedule will be given at the orientation meeting on January 28 (7 p.m. – 8:20 p.m. room
to be announced).
syllabus, page 4