Introduction to Sociology
SOAN 111
This course introduces students to the study of society and what C. Wright Mills called the
sociological imagination: a cognitive framework for locating within socio-historical contexts the
events, relationships, and social phenomena that shape individual lives and collective experience.
Sociology examines a wide range of topics using varied research methods. However, in the next
ten weeks, we’ll narrow our focus to the conceptual foundations of sociology, its theoretical
foundations, and select topics in the study of social inequality. Sociology implores us to embrace
a specific type of critical thinking. The assigned readings are meant to challenge and encourage
you to reexamine your own beliefs and ways of seeing and engaging the social world.
Front cover graphic: http://imgarcade.com/1/sociology-quotes-tumblr/
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Professor:
Office:
Office Phone:
Email:
Office Hours:
Annette Nierobisz
234 Leighton Hall
(507) 222-4114
anierobi@carleton.edu
T: 9:15-10:45 am / W: 3:30-4:30 pm / F: 3:30-4:30 pm
Other times by appointment only
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Introduction to Sociology
Student Learning Outcomes:
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology has specified six student learning outcomes (SLOs) that
we want students to acquire before graduating. In this course, we focus on the following three:
•
Learning how to connect information about historical and contemporary socio-cultural
phenomena.
•
Applying sociological theory to analyze socio-cultural phenomena.
•
Drawing upon your understanding of historical and contemporary socio-cultural phenomena to
engage the world.
Required Course Materials:
Three books are required for this course:
•
Ansari, Aziz. 2015. Modern Romance. New York: Penguin Press.
•
Khan, Shamus Rahman. 2011. Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Paul’s School.
Princeton: Princeton University Press.
•
Schilt, Kristen. 2010. Just One of the Guys? Transgender Men and the Persistence of Gender
Inequality. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Additional reading is available electronically via the course Moodle. Always complete the assigned
readings before class. Read the material closely, take effective notes, determine what is clear to you and
what needs further clarification, and also consider how core ideas can be connected to other readings.
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Course Requirements
Assignments
You will complete four course assignments in total, all of which have been designed to increase your
comprehension of sociology. The first assignment, worth 7.5 points, asks you to write a short paper about
your name. A second assignment, worth 20 points, involves an analysis of your own life from the
perspective of the sociological imagination. The third assignment, worth 12.5 points, asks you to
examine residential racial segregation in the United States and write a paper about your findings. The
final assignment, worth 25 points, asks you to conduct a study of privilege in a public setting in
Northfield and write a paper about your findings. More details about each of these assignments will be
provided in class. Be advised that some assignments are due on non-class days. In these instances, a
printed copy is required in my SOAN mailbox by 5 pm on the due date.
Tests
A 25 point midterm test will be held on October 16. The test will cover material discussed up to and
including the October 14 class. Short-answer and essay questions will be used to assess your
understanding of course material. The October 16 date is firm. Without formal documentation from a
legitimate source (i.e., dean of students), no last-minute special accommodations will be provided for
students who want to reschedule the test.
Participation
You participation, worth 10 points, will be evaluated according to mandatory class attendance,
punctuality, and completion of the assigned readings so that your comments and questions have solid
grounding and advance discussion. Participation also involves listening when others are speaking. Cell
phones and other technology are not welcome in my classroom. You may use your personal computers to
pull up class readings but in-class notes should be taken with paper and pen. If you have a personal
circumstance that merits exception, please see me about it in advance. Students who meet the standards
of class participation at only the most basic level will receive the “default” participation grade of 5 points.
Students who miss more than three classes risk forfeiting their participation grade.
Table 1: Summary of Course Requirements
Course Requirement
Distribution
Date
Due Date*
Assignment 1: What is your name?
Assignment 2: What is your sociological biography?
Assignment 3: Exploring racial residential segregation
Assignment 4: Exploring privilege in Northfield
Mid-term test
Class participation
9/14
9/23
10/23
11/6
10/16
9/14
9/17
10/13
10/28
11/17
10/21
Points
Awarded
7.5
20
12.5
25
25
10
as per
requirements
* No extensions will be provided. Late submissions will have a ½ point deducted for each day late.
Grade range: “A” = 90-100%; “B” = 80-89%; “C” = 70-79%; “D” = 60-69%; “F” <= 59%
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Assistive Services for Students
Accommodations for students with disabilities
Carleton College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities.
Students seeking accommodations should contact the Coordinator of Disability Services, Andy
Christensen, at 222-4464 or anchrist@carleton.edu, to begin the process. Please note I will only respond
to official notification of accommodations before modifying course requirements for students.
Technological resources for students with disabilities
The Assistive Technology program brings together academic and technological resources to complement
student classroom and computing needs, particularly in support of students with physical or learning
disabilities. Accessibility features include text-to-speech (Kurzweil) software, speech-to-text (Dragon)
software, and audio recording Smartpens. For more information, contact aztechs@carleton.edu or
visit go.carleton.edu/aztech.
Library
Ask a librarian for help with your research in this class. You can drop by the library’s Research/IT desk to
ask any question you have, at any point in your process. Librarians help students find and evaluate
articles, books, websites, statistics, data, and government documents; they can also show you how to cite
your sources. For more information on hours and librarians, visit the Gould Library website
at go.carleton.edu/library.
Time management, test preparation, and study skills
Residential Life Area Directors are trained to work with you to improve your time management and
academic skills. Their goals are to heighten awareness of your personal strengths and skills and to offer
different ways you can approach your academic work so you're more efficient and effective. Meetings are
by appointment; you simply need to email one of them to arrange a visit. For more details and resources,
visit the Academic Skills Coaching website.
Writing assistance
The Writing Center, located in 4th Libe, has peer writing consultants who can work with you during any
stage of the writing process, from brainstorming to final proofreading. Hours and more information can
be found on the writing center website. You can reserve specific times for conferences by using their
online appointment system. Walk-ins are welcome although writers with appointments have priority.
Writing assistance for students whose first language is not English
If you are a second language writer and believe you might benefit from working individually with a
writing consultant, email Renata Fitzpatrick, Multilingual Writing Coordinator, call her at x5998, or stop
by her office in 420D 4th Libe. She can arrange once- or twice-a-week meetings between you and a
specific writing consultant throughout the term.
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Course Outline
1. The Conceptual Foundations of Sociology
9/14
What is this course about?
Wade, Lisa. 2012. “Is the Sky Blue?” Sociological Images, December 28, 2012
(moodle).
Berger, Peter. 1963. “Sociology as an Individual Pastime.” Pp. 1-24 in Invitation to
Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective. Garden City, New York: Anchor Books (moodle).
Ø Assignment 1 distributed: What is your name?
9/16
What’s in a name?
Lieberson, Stanley. 2000. “Tastes: Why do They Become what They Become?” Pp. 130 in A Matter of Taste. New Haven: Yale University Press (moodle).
9/18,21
What is sociology?
9/18:
Ansari, Aziz. 2015. Modern Romance. Just read: Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 3
9/21:
Ansari, Aziz. 2015. Modern Romance. Just read: Chapter 2, Chapter 5, Chapter 6
9/23
The sociological imagination
Ansari, Aziz. 2015. Modern Romance. Just read: Chapter 7, Conclusion
C. Wright Mills. 1959. “The Promise.” Pp. 3-24 in The Sociological Imagination.
London: Oxford University Press (moodle).
Ø Assignment 2 distributed: What is your sociological biography?
9/25
Ethical issues in sociological research
Goffman, Alice. 2014. “Prologue,” “Preface,” “Introduction,” and “Methodological
Appendix A” of On the Run: Fugitive Life in an American City. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press (moodle).
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2. The Theoretical Foundations of Sociology
9/28
The birth of sociology
Lemert, Charles. 2013. “Modernity’s Classical Age: 1848-1919.” Pp. 19-27 in Social
Theory: The Multicultural, Global, and Classic Readings, 5th Ed. Boulder, CO:
Westview Press (moodle).
Sears, Alan and James Cairns. 2010. “An Interesting Idea, in Theory.” Pp. 1-29 in A
Good Book, in Theory: Making Sense Through Inquiry. Toronto: University of Toronto
Press (moodle).
9/30-10/2
Karl Marx on capitalist society
9/30
Marx, Karl and Friedrich Engels. 1888/1985. Chapter 1 “Bourgeois and Proletarians”
and Chapter 2 “Proletarians and Communists.” Pp. 79-105 in The Communist Manifesto.
London: Penguin Books (moodle).
10/2
Marx, Karl. 1887/1987. “The So-Called Primitive Accumulation,” “Expropriation of the
Agricultural Population from the Land,” and “Bloody Legislation against the
Expropriated, From the End of the 15th Century. Forcing Down of Wages by Acts of
Parliament.” Pp. 667-693 in Capital. New York: International Publishers (moodle).
Fuller, Alexandra. 2012. “In the Shadow of Wounded Knee.” National Geographic
Magazine. August 2012 issue (moodle).
10/5
Capital in the 21st century
Piketty, Thomas. 2014. Chapter 8 “Two Worlds” and Chapter 9 “Inequality of Labor
Income.” Pp. 271-335 in Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Cambridge, MA: The
Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (moodle).
5
10/7
Max Weber on the causes and consequences of rationalization in modern society
Parkin, Frank. 1986. “Chapter 1. Methods and Procedures.” Pp. 17-39 in Max Weber.
London: Routledge (moodle).
Weber, Max. 1905/2013 “The Spirit of Capitalism and the Iron Cage.” Pp. 79-82 in
Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural, Global, and Classic Readings, 5th
Ed. Boulder, CO: Westview Press (moodle).
Weber, Max. 1909/2013 “Bureaucratic Machine” Pp. 83-87 in Charles Lemert (ed.)
Social Theory: The Multicultural, Global, and Classic Readings, 5th Ed. Boulder, CO:
Westview Press (moodle).
10/9
Rationalization in the 20th and 21st centuries
Chrisman, Sarah A. 2015. “I love the Victorian era. So I decided to live in it.” Vox
online, September 9, 2015.
Ritzer, George. 2004. “McDonalidization and Its Precursors.” Pp. 24-42 in The
McDonaldization of Society. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press (moodle).
10/12
Emile Durkheim on social solidarity in modern society
Thompson, Kenneth. 1988. “Chapter 2. Life and Intellectual Background.” Pp. 27-47 in
Emile Durkheim. London: Routledge (moodle).
Durkheim, Emile. 1893/2013. “Mechanical and Organic Solidarity.” Pp. 57-59 in Charles
Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural, Global, and Classic Readings, 5th Ed.
Boulder, CO: Westview Press (moodle).
10/14
Social solidarity in the late 20th and 21st centuries
Durkheim, E. 1983. “Crime and punishment.” Pp. 59-75 in S. Lukes and A. Scull (eds.)
Durkheim and the Law. New York: St. Martin’s Press (moodle).
Pager, D. 2003. “The Mark of a Criminal Record.” American Journal of Sociology 108:
937-975 (moodle).
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10/16
George Herbert Mead on socialization in modern society
Berger, Peter and Thomas Luckman. 1966/2013. “Society as a Human Product.” Pp. 291295 in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural, Global, and Classic
Readings, 5th Ed. Boulder, CO: Westview Press (moodle).
Mead, George Herbert. 1929/2010. “The Self, the I, and the Me.” Pp. 224-229 in
Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural, Global, and Classic Readings, 4th
Ed. Boulder, CO: Westview Press (moodle).
Wilkins, Amy C. 2012. “Becoming Black Women: Intimate Stories and Intersectional
Identities.” Social Psychology Quarterly 75:173-196 (moodle).
10/19
MIDTERM BREAK
10/21
Midterm test
3. Inequality and Identity
10/23-10/28
Race in American society
10/23
Moya, Paula M.L. and Hazel Rose Markus. 2010. “Doing Race: An Introduction.” Pp. 1102 in Hazel Rose Markus and Paula M.L. Moya (eds.), Doing Race: 21 Essays for the
21st Century. Just read pages 1-62 (moodle).
Ø Assignment 3 distributed: Exploring racial residential segregation
10/26
Moya, Paula M.L. and Hazel Rose Markus. 2010. “Doing Race: An Introduction.” Pp. 1102 in Hazel Rose Markus and Paula M.L. Moya (eds.), Doing Race: 21 Essays for the
21st Century. Just read pages 62-102 (moodle).
McIntosh, Peggy. 2008. “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” Pp. 123127 in Paula S. Rothenberg (ed.). White Privilege: Essential Readings on the Other Side
of Racism. New York: Worth Publishers (moodle).
10/28
Massey, Douglas and Nancy A. Denton. 1993. “The Missing Link.” Pp. 1-16 in American
Apartheid. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press (moodle).
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Massey, Douglas and Nancy A. Denton. 1993. “The Construction of the Ghetto.” Pp.1759 in American Apartheid. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press (moodle).
10/30-11/6
Gender and sexuality
10/30
Schilt, Kristin. 2010. Just One of the Guys. Just read: Introduction and Methodological
Appendix.
Roy, William G. “Gender.” Pp. 110 – 155 in Making Societies: The Historical
Construction of our World. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press (moodle).
11/2
Schilt, Kristin. 2010. Just One of the Guys. Just read: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2
11/4
Schilt, Kristin. 2010. Just One of the Guys. Just read: Chapter 3 and Chapter 5
11/6
Schilt, Kristin. 2010. Just One of the Guys. Just read: Chapter 6 and Chapter 7
Ø Assignment 4: Exploring privilege in Northfield
11/9-11/16
Privilege
11/9
Khan, Shamus Rahman. 2011. Privilege. Just read: Introduction, Chapter 1 and
Methodological and Theoretical Reflections
Walsh, David. 2012. “Doing Ethnography.” Pp. 245-262 in Clive Seale (ed.),
Researching Society and Culture, 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications
(moodle).
11/11
Khan, Shamus Rahman. 2011. Privilege. Just read: Introduction, Chapter 2
11/13
Khan, Shamus Rahman. 2011. Privilege. Just read: Introduction, Chapter 3 and Chapter 4
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Bourdieu, Pierre. 1974/2010. “Structures, Habitus, Practices.” Pp. 444-449 in Charles
Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural, Global, and Classic Readings, 4th Ed.
Boulder, CO: Westview Press (moodle).
Goffman, Erving. 1956/2013. “Presentation of Self.” Pp. 255-257 in Charles Lemert
(ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural, Global, and Classic Readings, 5th Ed. Boulder,
CO: Westview Press (moodle).
11/16
Khan, Shamus Rahman. 2011. Privilege. Just read: Chapter 5 and Conclusion.
11/18
Lessons learned about self and society
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