DeAnza College
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY - Fall 2011
Crystallee R. Crain, MA (PhD Candidate @ the California Institute of Integral Studies)
crystallee.crain@gmail.com Website: www.crystalleecrain.com
(click on Prof Crain link and go to Soc 1 - deanza)
Class Sessions:
02747 | INTRO TO SOCIOLOGY | SOC D001.01 | 2011 Fall De Anza | MTWTh |
08:30 AM - 09:20 AM | CHC
20292 | INTRO TO SOCIOLOGY | SOC D001.02 | 2011 Fall De Anza | MTWTh |
09:30 AM - 10:20 AM | G1
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
The sociological approach to the study of human behavior from a variety of
perspectives. Explore important concepts in sociology, including culture, social
structure, socialization, social institutions, groups, social interaction, social
inequality, collective behavior, and social change in human societies.
REQUIRED READING
Korgen, White & White. Sociologists in
Action. (Pine Forge Press, 2011)
ONLINE ARTICLES
Marx on Capitalism
Weber on Capitalism
Multiculturalism
Lady Gaga Feminism
Ain't I a woman - Sojourner Truth
(1851)
Women's Convention - Ohio
Sociological Imagination
Oppression & Democracy
White Privilege
Defining an Engaged Campus
Glossary of Terms
History and Introduction
Social Theories
Deviance & Crime
Family
Urbanization
OPTIONAL READINGS – These readings can be used for Monthly Journals
Good Jobs, Safe Streets: How Economic Recovery Can Lead to Community Safety in
Oakland. EBASE, 2009
Beinin, J. (2011) Egypt's Workers Rise Up. The Nation.
Kennedy, R. (2010) The Enduring Relevance of Affirmative Action. The American
Prospect.
Peterson, L. (2010) The Forgotten Promise of Obama's Race Speech. The American
Prospect.
Pollin, R. & Thompson, J. (2011) The Betrayal of Public Workers. The Nation.
By the end of the course you should have a
firm understanding of the following:
1. understand the "place" of sociology in the
social sciences and the role it has in a gaining
a fuller understanding of human behavior.
2. describe and compare the major theoretical
perspectives in contemporary sociology.
3. discuss the process of socialization with a
more immediate window on American Society.
4. understand the relevance of language and
its relationship to the social construction of
reality.
5. articulate the differences and connections
between the major concepts of structure and
culture.
6. discuss theories and factors that affect social inequality and how these factors pervade
the major institutions of society, e.g., family, education, the economy, government.
7. discuss the difference between ideology and empirically based theories via
understanding research methods.
8. discuss the social nature of deviance.
9. Learn various methods of campus and community based research and use it as an
integral part of your learning process in the course.
ASSIGNMENTS: TOOLS FOR LEARNING
Final Research Essay: Your final research essays will be about a social issue that interests
the student. Students will need to make each topic relevant to the course, lecturers, or
textbook. In essay format you must answer the following questions: 1) What is the social
issue that interests you? 2) How is this issue relevant to the course materials, lecturers or
textbook? 3) What groups of people are impact by this issue? Describe how these groups
are impacted by using examples from history or current events. 4) What types of social
movements or interest groups are working to change this issue on a local, regional or
national level? 5) What is your opinion on the issue? What needs to be changed and how
should this change come to be?
Other details: 4 - 7 pages long, 11-12 point font, TimesNewRoman, double spaced, APA
Format
Exams: There will be two exams in this course.
The exams will cover material found in our
textbook and other required readings that are
available online. A study guide will be provided
before each exam. The exams will be online and
will be timed. Each student will be responsible to
receive the link from the instructors email or by
coming to our class website and finding the link.
Campus/Community Based Research Activities & Portfolio: At the end of the term each
students will be required to submit ALL of their campus or community based research
results. This should include: 1) notes from interviews and observations with dates, times
and names of individuals talked too or the number of individuals surveyed; 2) List of 3-5
organizations in the community or on campus that address an issue addressed in your
research findings. This list should include contact information (name, address, email,
phone), description of services or activities and website or flyers if available.
Monthly Journals: Each student will be required to submit monthly journals as indicated
on the syllabus. These journals will be summaries and analysis of a reading that the
student chooses. The reading should be from the class website, the textbook, articles or
videos assigned in class. (1 page single spaced)
Participation: This may include in class reflections, active note taking and reading,
participation in class activities, discussion and debates. Remember that attending the
class regularly is important in order to pass the class with a successful grade.
GRADING SCALE
Final Research Essay 20% (1) research essay - 200 points
Exam 20% (2) 2 exams - 200 points (100 each)
Campus/Community Based Research Activities & Portfolio 30% - 400 points total
(200 class session, 200 portfolio)(this includes the class session data collection in the
community or on campus and the final portfolio)
Monthly Journals - 10 % 100 points
Participation 20% - 200 points
TOTAL: 1100 POINTS
CLASS SCHEDULE
WEEK 1
September
26- 29th
Monday
Tuesday
Lecture
What is sociology?
Syllabus Review and Review of
Assignments and Class Design
Campus/Community Based
Research: What is the most
pressing social issue in your
community? (Students) - survey
Wednesday
What’s the Promise? How can
we use that promise to
understand the world around
us?
Thursday
Campus/Community Based
Research: What is the most
pressing social issue in your
community? (faculty) interviews
WEEK 2
October 3 –
6th
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Reading
Defining the Engaged
Campus/Community –
online
History & Introduction
- online
C. Wright Mills – The
Promise /Sociological
Imagination - online
Joseph “Sociological
Promise and Potential
Through Praxis” (4)
“Using Sociology for
College Success” (32)
Homework Due
Complete Online
Pre-test by the end
of the week
Compile results and
notes from CBR and
start organizing
your portfolio – You
will need a folder!
Lecture
Reading
Using our experiences as tools for
change
Campus/Community Based
Research: What would motivate you
to take action in your community? survey
What’s the role of individuals in
society? What’s the role of the
government?
Campus/Community Based
Research: Do you think the United
States should have free health care?
Why or Why not? - survey
Wittner “Stand Up & Speak
Out” (9)
Nack “From Damaged Goods
to Empowered Patients”
(17)
Social Theories – online
Homewo
rk Due
WEEK 3
October 10
– 13th
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Lecture
Reading
Why is our society the way it is
today? What belief systems are
more predominant than others?
What are the consequences of
those beliefs?
Campus/Community Based
Research: How have the bank
bailouts impacted the nation
since 2008? - interview family
members or friends
Capitalism and it’s discontents
Social Theories - online
Homework Due
Marx on Capitalism online
Thursday
Campus/Community Based
Weber on Capitalism Research: Who should be
online
responsible for creating a better
society, the government or the
people? Why? – interview 3-5
fellow students in the class and
document their responses with
their first and last name
WEEK 4
October 17
– 20th
Monday
Lecture
Reading
Homework
Due
Place & Space: Where we live
impacts our access to resources in
society.
Campus/Community Based
Research: What stereotypes are you
familiar with? How have they
impacted your view of people? Ask
people to give examples. - interviews
Film & Reflection
Glass “An Idea
Approach to Change
(29)
Urbanization
Monthly
Journal Due InClass
Campus/Community Based
Research: Do you think we have an
issue with poverty in this country?
Why or Why not? - interview
Wakin “Socialization,
Stereotypes, and
Homelessness” (71)
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Urbanization
WEEK 5
October 24
– 27th
Monday
Lecture
Tuesday
Campus/Community Based
Research: What should the U.S.
do about immigration into the
United States? - survey
Connecting current events to
sociological concepts
Wednesday
Reading
Empathy & Apathy in our
Society
Complete online
Exam by Midnight
(October 24)
Dolgon “Excerpt from
“The Diary of a Mad
Social Scientist” (56)
Glossary of terms –
online (review up to
20 terms)
Thursday
Campus/Community Based
Research: Is there segregation
among different racial and
cultural groups on Campus?
Write down what you observe
at three different areas on
Campus. (1 page single spaced)
- Observation
WEEK 6
October 31
– Nov 3
Monday
Lecture
Reading
Black Panther Party/ The Role
of Self Determination in A
Police State
Tuesday
Campus/Community Based
Research: How do you keep
yourself safe from violence? –
interview’s with family
members or friends
White Collar Crime vs
Gangsters? What’s the
difference?
Campus/Community Based
Research: Do you think
American society is violent?
Why or Why not? - survey
Guarino – Ghezzi
“Dangerous Behaviors?
Police Encounters
With Juvenile Gang
Offenders” (82)
Deviance & Crime –
online
Wednesday
Thursday
Homework Due
Deviance & Crime –
online
Homework Due
WEEK 7
November
7 – 10th
Monday
Lecture
Reading
Not In Our Town – How have
communities responded to hate
crimes?
Levin “Reducing Hate
and Prejudice in
Campus: A Sociologists
Contributions” (90)
Tuesday
Campus/Community Based
Research: Do you think racism
still exists? Why or Why not? interviews
Exploring the concept of
Difference
Wednesday
Homework Due
Thursday
Campus/Community Based
Research: Write down common
language that you hear among
students on campus? What are
they saying and who are they
saying it too? What is the
meaning of what students are
communicating? What is the
impact of their use of language?
- observation
WEEK 8
November
14- 17th
Monday
Lecture
Reading
Homework Due
Diversity, Identity and Society
Multiculturalism
– online
Monthly Journal
Due In-Class
Tuesday
Campus/Community Based Research:
How does inequality impact society?
What do you think needs to happen in
order to change it? How has inequality
affected your life? – interview
Systemic Oppression and Institutional
Barriers with Society
Oppression &
Democracy –
online
Wednesday
Thursday
Hanson “Thinking Like
a Researcher” (95)
Campus/Community Based Research:
What’s the role of the government in the
United States? – interview
WEEK 9
November
21 – 24th
Monday
Lecture
Reading
Problem Solving Exercise
The Basics of
Organizing - online
Tuesday
Family – online
Wednesday
Campus/Community Based Research:
Register people to vote on campus or in
your community (5 people) Write a ½
page summary of your experience.
Where did you go to register
individuals? Were people responsive?
What types of conversations ensued
during the process of registering people
to participate in that level of politics?
NO CLASS
Thursday
NO CLASS
WEEK 10
November
28 – Dec 1
Monday
Lecture
Reading
Homework
Due
Write a letter to the editor about the
impact of education in your life.
Arthur “Change the
World – Start a School”
(107)
Complete
Online 2nd
Exam by
Midnight
TONIGHT
(Nov 28)!
Tuesday
Campus/Community Based Research:
Do you think children are raised to be
homophobic? Why or Why not? survey
Law, Order and Social Control: What’s
the role of the constitution in our
society?
Ain’t I A Woman – online
Lady Gaga Feminism –
online
Wednesday
Homewor
k Due
Flores – Gonzales &
Rodriguez – Muniz
“Youth Culture, Identity,
and Resistance”
Participatory Action
Research in Puerto
Rican Barrio” (64)
Reading on White
Privilege – online
Vitale “The Politics of
Protest Policing” (99)
Thursday
Campus/Community Based Research:
What does it mean to be a feminist
and why? - interviews
WEEK 11
December
5 – 8th
Monday
Lecture
Reading
Homework
Due
The Culture of Fear in American
Society
Benford “A Campus Gun
Free Zone Movements”
(220)
Monthly
Journal Due
In-Class
Tuesday
Campus/Community Based Research:
If you could create a new law, what
would it be? - survey
Historical and Contemporary
Examples of Collective Behavior
Wednesday
Meyers – Lipton “Policy
Service – Learning:
Fulfilling the promise of
sociology” (111)
Thursday
Campus/Community Based Research:
For your final day of data collection
have a conversation a friend or
someone else who is close to you
about their life story and how they
feel different aspects of society have
impacted them. After your
conversation write a reflection on the
experience. This will count as your
results.
WEEK 12
December
12 – 15th
Monday
Lecture
Reading
Homework Due
Film in class: TBD
Apa formatting
guidelines – see
class website or
google “APA
formatting”
Complete all research
results in a portfolio –
Bring Final Portfolio
with all the
requirements in class
TODAY!
Tuesday
No class lecture, library visits –
finish final research essay
Wednesday
No class lecture, library visits –
finish final research essay
Thursday
No class lecture, library visits –
finish final research essay
Final Research Essay
due by email!
craincrystallee@fhda.ed
u