Sociology 122
Principles of Sociological Thinking
Spring 2006
Phone 775-8377
Daphne.John@oberlin.edu
Professor Daphne John
Office: 305b King
Office Hours: Mondays 1:30-4:00
Thursdays 1:00-3:30
and by appointment
Course Description
This course is designed to be an introduction to the discipline that will acquaint the student
with sociological concepts, terminology, and methodology. Emphasis will be placed on
understanding society and its component parts in a sociological manner. Readings and discussion
will examine how social institutions affect everyday life. Traditional sociological thought, as well as
more contemporary sociological thinking, are included. Important issues to be addressed include the
relationship between economy and social institutions, social stratification, and gender divisions.
Current sociological literature will be used to both introduce concepts and help students interpret
scholarly writing. Emphasis will be placed on understanding social inequality and the link between
the individual and social structure.
Required Texts
Ferguson, Susan J. 2005. Mapping the Social Landscape: Readings in Sociology. McGraw Hill.
Gaines, Donna. 1998. Teenage Wasteland: Suburbia’s Dead End Kids. University of Chicago Press.
MacLeod, Jay. 1995. Ain’t No Makin’ It: Aspirations and Attainment in a Low-Income
Neighborhood. Westview Press.
Course Requirements
Attendance is REQUIRED, except in cases of illness, emergency or religious reasons. Students are
responsible for all material, regardless of absence. Attendance will be taken daily! Students may
miss 6 classes before a grade deduction penalty will be assessed.
Socialization paper (due by 3.3 IN CLASS)
Mid-term Exam (3.24 IN CLASS)
Census Data Thematic Mapping Exercise (due by 4.19 CLASS)
Inequality paper (due by 5.10 IN CLASS)
Final Exam (May 18)
20%
25%
10%
20%
25%
Extra Credit Assignments will be made available throughout the semester
ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE HANDED IN ON THE DATE THEY ARE DUE. A ONE DAY
GRACE PERIOD WILL BE GRANTED AFTER THE DUE DATE. AFTER THAT, ALL
LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE PENALIZED ONE LETTER GRADE EACH DAY THEY
ARE LATE.
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The instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus during the semester.
Socialization paper: You will be required to choose some status that you have been socialized into
(i.e. college student, athlete, musician, worker, etc.). Using information from your texts and class
discussions, talk about the socialization process, the role requirements of the status, your feelings and
experiences concerning the roles and any role strain or conflict you may have experienced. The paper
must be word-processed, double-spaced and approximately 4-5 pages in length.
Mid-term Exam: This exam will cover all material up to the date of the exam (readings, lectures,
discussion, videos, etc.). The exam will be given in class and will be closed book, closed notes. The
format of the exam will be short essay.
Census Data Thematic Mapping Exercise: In this exercise you will be using American FactFinder to
identify demographic and socioeconomic indicators of particular places in the United States to
generate thematic maps. Brief discussions of these maps are required in this exercise.
Inequality Paper: This paper requires you to find current empirical data on inequality and discuss
these data using the concepts and theories from your readings, class discussions and at least two (2)
scholarly sources. The paper must be word-processed, double-spaced and approximately 4-5 pages in
length.
Final Exam: This exam will cover all material from after the mid-term exam through the last class
period (readings, lectures, discussion, videos, etc.). This exam will be given during the examination
period. The exam is closed notes, closed book with a short essay format.
COURSE OUTLINE
(R=Reserve reading)
2.6
Introduction
2.8-2.10
What is Sociology?
Ferguson:
1. Mills: The Promise
2. Gains: Teenage Wasteland EXCERPT
3. Romero: Intersections of Biography and History
4. Schwalbe: Finding Out How the Social World Works
5. Haney, Banks and Zimbardo: Interpersonal Dynamics in a Simulated Prison
6. Kaplan: Not Our Kind of Girl
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Culture
2.13-2.15
Ferguson:
7. Velliquette and Murray: The New Tattoo Subculture
8. Anderson: Code of the Street
9. Kaw: “Opening” Faces: The Politics of Cosmetic Surgery and Asian American
Women
10. Trask: Lovely Hula Hands
2.17-2.20
Socialization
Ferguson:
11. Lorber: “Night to His Day”: The Social Construction of Gender
12. Messner: Boyhood, Organized Sports, and the Construction of Masculinities
13. Granfield: Making it By Faking It: Working Class Students in an Elite Academic
Environment
14. Dyer: Anybody’s Son Will Do
2.22-.2.24
Groups and Social Structure
Ferguson:
15. Adler and Adler: Peer Power: Clique Dynamics Among School Children
16: Sanchez Jankowski: Gang Business: Making Ends Meet
17. Blee: Becoming a Racist: Women in Contemporary Ku Klux Klan and Neo-Nazi
Groups
18. Colvin: Descent into Madness: The New Mexico State Prison Riot
2.27-3.6
Gaines: Teenage Wasteland-- entire text
*** SOCIALIZATION PAPER DUE IN CLASS 3.3 ***
3.8-3.10
Deviance and Social Control
Ferguson:
19. Rosenhan: On Being Sane in Insane Places
20. McLorg: and Taub: Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia: The Development of Deviant
Identities
21. Bourgois: In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio
22. Boswell and Spade: Fraternities and Collegiate Rape Culture: Why are Some
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Fraternities More Dangerous Places for Women?
49: Karp: Illness and Identity
3.13-3.17
Social Inequalities (Class, Gender, Sexuality, Race and Ethnicity)
Ferguson:
23: Davis, Moore and Tumin: Some Principles of Stratification
24. Domhoff: Who Rules America?
25. Oliver and Shapiro: Black Wealth/White Wealth
26: Ehrenreich: Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
48: McGeary: Death Stalks a Continent
3.20-4.5
Ferguson:
27. Risman: Gender as Structure
28. Williams: The Glass Escalator: Hidden Advantages for Men in the “Female”
Professions
29. Espiritu: The Racial Construction of Asian American Women and Men
30. Sadker and Sadker: Failing at Fairness: Hidden Lessons
3.24
MIDTERM EXAM IN CLASS
Ferguson:
31. Omi and Winant: Racial Formations in the United States
32: Lee and Bean: Beyond Black and White: Remaking Race in America
33. Rubin: “Is this a White country or What?”
34. LeDuff: At a Slaughterhouse, Some Things Never Die
Power and Economy
4.7-4.10
Ferguson:
35. Mills: The Power Elite
36. Clawson, Neustadtl and Weller: Dollars and Votes: How Business Campaign
Contributions Subvert Democracy
37. Barlett and Steele: Playing the Political Slots: American Indians and Casinos
38. Marger: The Mass Media as a Power Institution
4.12-4.17
Ferguson:
44. Weber: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
38. Marx and Engels: Manifesto of the Communist Party
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39. Wilson: When Work Disappears: The World of the New Urban Poor
40. Leidner: Over the Counter: McDonald’s
56. Ritzer: The McDonaldization of Society
58. Derber: The Wilding of America: Iraq and the War Against Terrorism
*** Census Data Thematic Mapping Exercise Due IN CLASS 4.19 ***
4.19-4.28 MacLeod, Ain’t No Makin’ It: Aspirations and Attainment in a Low-Income
Neighborhood--entire text
5.1-5.3
Education
Ferguson:
50. Crow Dog and Erdoes: Civilize Them With a Stick
51. Cookson and Persell: Preparing for Power: Cultural Capital and Curricula in
America’s Elite Boarding Schools
52. Ferguson: Bad Boys: Public Schools in the Making of Black Masculinity
5.5-5.8
Family
Ferguson:
53. Stacey: Gay and Lesbian Families are Here
54. Crittenden: The Mommy Tax
55. Hochschild: The Time Bind: When Work Becomes Home and Home Becomes
Work
*** INEQUALITY PAPER DUE IN CLASS 5.10 ***
5.10-5.12
Social Change
57. Kanagy and Kraybill: How Will the Internet Change Society?
59. Etzioni: Community Building: Steps Toward a Good Society
60. Johnson: What Can We Do? Becoming Part of the Solution
5.18
FINAL EXAM (7:00-9:00pm) Location TBA
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