SOCY 101: GENERAL SOCIOLOGY
Summer 2014
David Croteau
E-mail: dcroteau@vcu.edu
Online
Virtual office hours: by arrangement
You are responsible for reading, understanding, and following the policies and information described in this
syllabus and in other materials posted on the course’s web page. Take some time to read closely.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will introduce you to the sociological perspective, emphasizing how culture, social
structure, and power can help us better understand ourselves and our constantly changing world. The
primary goals for this course are that you learn to think sociologically, reflect on your learning, and practice
doing real-world sociological analyses both individually and in collaborative groups.
Sociology is about how we create our social world; how the culture, structures, and relations of
power that characterize our world influence who we are and how we live our lives; how societies maintain
some semblance of social order amid constant change; and how some people break out of predictable
routines to help change the world.
You won’t get all the answers by studying sociology but you can get an invaluable set of tools that
allow you to ask important questions about your life, the work you will do, the world in which we live, and
the future that we face.
A SUMMER ONLINE COURSE
1. SUMMER. This is a regular 3-credit course compressed from its usual 16-week format into an 8-week
summer format. That means you can expect to spend twice as much time working on this course as you
would on a course in a typical semester format. Plan accordingly.
2. ONLINE. This course is offered entirely online. Online courses are not for everyone. Because there is
no class time to structure your work and no full-blown lectures to orient you, this course requires that
you be self-motivated in completing the assignments.
a. Web site. We will use Blackboard for grades but most of the main course platform will be a
Wordpress site on Rampages (http://rampages.us/socy101croteau/)
b. Structure. Online courses require that you keep up and regularly check in with assignments and
other students—at least 3 or 4 times a week. Course content will be structured into modules
(two modules a week). Typically, each model will involve doing readings, writing a blog post,
and carrying out a learning group assignment in addition to larger assignments (see below).
c. Learning Groups. The bulk of your work will be done on your own but you will also be doing
some work in small learning groups of 5-6 students. This work will involve completing exercises
based on readings as well as doing a larger final project together.
d. Community. Studying online doesn’t mean studying alone. I hope that our use of blogs,
Twitter, and a discussion forum can help to facilitate an online learning community where we
share ideas and resources, help each other throughout the course, and maybe even have a little
fun while learning.
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon the successful completion of this course, you should be able to:
1. Describe the origins and continuing relevance of sociology as a discipline and perspective.
2. Explain the meaning of a “sociological perspective” and some of its core concepts---especially
culture, structure, and power.
3. Apply a sociological perspective to better understand your own personal experiences and their
connections to larger social forces.
4. Analyze social phenomena sociologically by using sociology’s core concepts and theories.
To reiterate: this course is not about memorizing content details; it is about understanding and being able
to use sociological concepts to better understand aspects of our world. To do this, you will need to engage
with the material and think creatively about how you might apply these ideas to things in which you are
interested. I look forward to seeing what you bring to the class!
WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE COURSE
1. The book, Experience Sociology by David Croteau and William Hoynes (2013), either in a hard-copy
or e-book form.
2. A blog from which to post your writing. (If you don’t have one already, you can set one up at
Rampages.us.)
3. A Twitter account. (Set one up at Twitter.com if you don’t have one.) We’ll use #vcusocy101 to
share announcements and information. You should check this daily.
TECHNOLOGY ISSUES AND GETTING ASSISTANCE
Technology is great, except when it’s not. We are using a number of new platforms and methods in this
class. There will be a learning curve for all of us and problems will arise from time to time; I guarantee it.
What can you do?
1. Be prepared. Take some time to learn how to use the technologies early. Technology issues are not
an excuse for missing deadlines. Last minute issues can be avoided by starting work early.
2. Be patient. Even with preparation, problems will arise. Take a deep breath as we work things out.
3. Be persistent. When difficulties arise, don’t give up. Review instructions, try again, and if you still
have problems get help.
4. Support your classmates: Often classmates can be the easiest and quickest source of assistance.
Ask for help if you need it; helps others if you can. Contact students you know directly or ask
questions using the course’s Twitter hashtag: #vcusocy101
5. Consult VCU assistance: VCU has an IT Help Center (http://www.ts.vcu.edu/helpit.html) that will
help you with many problems you might encounter, including those with Blackboard
(http://ts.vcu.edu/askit/4735.html). It is not opened 24/7; plan accordingly.
6. Instructor assistance. For questions that cannot be answered by consulting the above resources, I
can be reached by email (dcroteau@vcu.edu).
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REQUIREMENTS AND ASSESSMENT
Readings. You are responsible for completing the readings according to the online schedule.
Writing (30%). You will be writing regularly in your blog on a variety of topics. Sometimes I will give
you writing prompts, other times you will be expected to choose a relevant topic.
Discussion (15%). You will take part in a discussion forum about course material. Again, some
discussions will be in response to my prompts, others (I hope) will be generated by you.
Learning Groups (15%). You will complete a series of exercises with your learning group and share
your results with the class.
Autobiography Project (20%). You will be applying a sociological perspective to some aspect of
your own life.
Final Group Project (20%). Your learning group will be producing a final project in which you will
teach about a sociology topic.
To summarize, your grade will be determined as follows:
Blog posts
30%
Discussion participation
15%
Learning Group Exercises
15%
Sociological Autobiography
20%
Final Group Project
20%
Total
100%
Letter grades will be converted from numbers as follows:
A = 90-100
B = 80-89
C=70-79
D=60-69
F=0-59
CLASS POLICIES
Be sure to review the “VCU Policy Reminders” posted on the course Blackboard page. In addition, I have
described the “ground rules” of this course below in some detail. By remaining in this class, you are
agreeing to these basic rules and accepting the consequences for breaking them.
1) Late Work: Late work is not accepted
2) Extra Credit: There will not be any extra credit work for this course.
3) Academic Ethics: A student violates the VCU Honor Pledge and the principles of academic integrity if she
or he gives or accepts aid in carrying out assignments (that are not group projects) or plagiarizing the work
of others. An incident of cheating or plagiarism, at minimum, (1) will, without exception, automatically
result in receiving a zero (“F”) for the assignment in question, and (2) may result in a report being filed with
the Honor Committee. A second incident of plagiarism or cheating by the same student will, without
exception, automatically result in (1) an automatic “F” for the course and (2) a report being filed with the
Honor Committee.
4) Other Basic Expectations: We can best maintain an online environment that is conducive to learning by
following some basic rules of mutual respect. If you cannot abide by these basic expectations, you should
not take this class.
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You can expect ME to be....
PREPARED. I will make a sincere effort to help
you learn the course material by spending enough
time and effort in course preparation to make the
material as understandable and as interesting as I
can. In other words, I will do my homework.
ATTENTIVE AND RESPECTFUL. You can expect me
to give your and your work my close attention. I
will make every effort to respond to you
respectfully and in a polite fashion.
ACCESSIBLE. I will be available via e-mail and, if
needed, will try to accommodate you for
appointments to meet online in virtual office
hours.
I expect YOU to be...
PREPARED. You should make a sincere effort to
learn the course material by being prepared. This
includes reading all the assignments carefully in
advance of our discussing the material. In other
words, do your homework.
ATTENTIVE AND RESPECTFUL. You should give
classmates and their work your close attention.
Disrespect either to me or to other students is
unacceptable. Discussion is highly encouraged
but it should always be done in a civil fashion.
RESOURCEFUL. You must be willing to seek out
additional help if you are having difficulty in this
class. (See "Getting Assistance" above.)
PARTIAL READINGS AND TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF TOPICS
Below you will find a tentative schedule for the semester.
 See the course web site for the full reading list, schedule revisions, and any other announcements.
 Readings should be completed by the beginning of each module.
Readings due:
June 9 (Mon)
Module 1: Logistics, Introduction, and Overview
NOTE: drop/add ends on Tues June 10
Part One: THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
June 12 (Thurs) Module 2: Thinking About Education (and this Course)
June 16 (Mon)
Module 3: Social Change and the Emergence of Sociology
June 19 (Thurs) Module 4: Science and Research
Part Two: SOCIOLOGY’S CORE CONCEPTS
June 23 (Mon)
Module 5: Theory
June 26(Thurs)
Module 6: Culture and Socialization
June 30 (Mon)
Module 7: Structure and Agency
July 3 (Thurs)
Module 8: Power and Inequality
Part Three: THE SOCIAL SELF
July 7 (Mon)
Module 9: Culture, Biology, and the Social Self
July 10 (Thurs)
Module 10: Interaction, Groups, and Organizations
July 14 (Mon)
Module 11: Deviance and Social Control
Part Four: IDENTITY AND INEQUALITY
July 17 (Thurs)
Module 12: Class and Global Inequality
July 21(Mon)
Module 13: Race and Ethnicity
July 24 (Thurs)
Module 14: Gender and Sexuality
Part Five: APPLICATIONS
July 28 (Mon)
Module 15: TBA
July 31 (Thurs)
Last day of the course
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