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SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
COURSE TITLE: SOCG001 UNDERSTANDING SOCIETIES
Term II, Spring 2015
Instructor: Dr. Yang GAO
Office: SOSS Rm. 4064
Office Hours: TBA
Tel: 6808-5459
Email: yanggao@smu.edu.sg
TA: TBA
Email: @socsc.smu.edu.sg
COURSE OVERVIEW
Welcome aboard! Sociology is the systematic and scientific study of the patterns and processes of
human social life. As an introduction to sociology, Understanding Societies aims to help you gain
a sociological perspective in understanding our individual lives as well as social experiences.
Throughout the semester, we will go through major theoretical perspectives and concepts such as
“sociological imagination”, “culture”, “inequality”, “deviance”, “social structure”, “social
change”, etc.; we will discuss different sociological methods of investigating a variety of social
phenomena; and we will practice “doing sociology” by exploring our everyday social world and
the often invisible or taken‐for‐granted social forces that shape it. While this course cannot
exhaust the rich discipline of sociology, my hope is to introduce to you some of the basic
concepts in sociological analysis, some of the fundamental arguments about the constitution of
society and the individuals who comprise it, and some of the substantive themes in various
subfields of sociology.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The ultimate goal of this class is to broaden your approach to society beyond your immediate
personal experiences and to deepen your understanding of how and why your own experiences
may be similar with or different from the experiences of others. With this goal in mind, I have
designed the course to help you reach the following learning objectives:
1. Developing a general understanding of the sociological perspective;
2. Cultivating the ability to apply sociological concepts and theories to understanding the
processes of everyday life;
3. Gaining insight into the relationship between social structures and individual
circumstances;
4. Understanding how society influences individual thoughts, decisions, and actions;
5. Increasing the awareness to question assumptions and challenge stereotypes;
6. Learning to examine our own living experiences using scientifically inquisitive methods;
7. Honing the ability to articulate thoughts about course materials during class discussions
and in written assignments.
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CLASS FORMS
Our class meets once a week for 3 hours. You and I need to work together to make each 3-hour
meeting an effective and enjoyable learning process. This is a seminar style class, which means
my lecture will be concise and our classroom will be an interactive environment. To facilitate a
diverse learning experience, we will engage a wide variety of practices such as class discussions,
small groups, video screening, written reactions, etc. These activities will allow you to work with
and learn from fellow students, to grapple with reading materials on a deeper level, and to apply
abstract concepts and theories to our concrete living experiences.
REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES
Attendance and Participation:
I do not take attendance. But for obvious reasons, I strongly encourage you to make an effort to
attend all class sessions. General courtesy also requires that you arrive to class on time, stay for
the entire class and notify me if you need to leave early, mute and put away your cell phone
before class begins, and refrain from otherwise disruptive behaviors when class is in session.
While there is no penalty for absences, neither will there be make-ups for missed quizzes.
You know the saying “The hardest part is showing up”? Well, not necessarily. In addition to
simply attending the class, you are expected to be attentive and contribute to the class. An
effective classroom environment depends on our collective effort of engaging the class readings. I
will do my best to provide you with interesting and informative course materials, and I expect you
to be active participants and contributors in this class. See below for the specific requirements for
class participation.
Preparation and Pacing:
You are expected to perform college-level work in this class. To do so, I encourage you to:
•
Stay up to date on readings. The first step of good preparation is to keep up with the readings.
This will prepare you to participate fully in class discussion and is crucial for your success in
the course. You are required to complete the assigned readings by the start of each meeting.
•
Be a strong and active reader: take notes as you go on main ideas from the readings; ask
questions about the authors’ assumptions; be attentive, creative, and critical.
•
Review class materials. Spend 15-20 minutes soon after class organizing and reviewing your
notes, highlighting central themes, and jotting down your questions. Trust me, this effort will
pay off in the long run and save you from scrambling before exams.
•
Make the best of university resources such as the library, the Centre for English
Communication (CEC), etc.
•
Take advantage of office hours.
ASSESSMENT & EVALUATION
There are totally 1,000 points possible, see the charts below for detailed information.
1) Quizzes (24%)
Quizzes constitute 24% of your final grade, or 240 of 1,000 points.
Expect 8 pop quizzes, 30 points each, throughout the semester. Each quiz is targeted at the
readings assigned for the week, which means you need to read the materials in order to be
prepared for the quiz. Additionally, you may need knowledge of recurrent and/or central themes
from previous sessions in answering certain questions. A quiz may be of either “objective” or
“subjective” form. An “objective” quiz typically contains multiple choice, true/false, and/or fill-inthe-blank questions, whereas a “subjective” quiz is a short answer question related to the
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readings and topic for the week. I WILL NOT PROVIDE MAKE-UP QUIZZES. If you miss the class
on a day a quiz is given, your grade for the quiz will be “0.”
2) Group Projects (36%)
You will complete two group projects in this term. Each group assignment is worth 180 points
and together they constitute 36% of your final course grade.
You will be randomly broken into seven small groups via eLearn. Your task, as a group, is to do
two group presentations in two different, preferably not adjacent, weeks. Each presentation is to
be completed within 30 minutes and to be accompanied by a PPT summary and critique of one
or two assigned readings in that particularly week. No presentation will be signed up for during
the first 3 weeks. Instructions to sign up for readings will be available on eLearn by the end of the
second week.
One general rule for all group presentations is that all group members have to speak out. It is up
to you how you do the “division of labor” during preparation and the actual presentation, but I
need to hear everyone talk. I realize this may make some of the students uncomfortable, but
stepping out of your comport zone is part of the learning and growing process. And trust me, the
earlier you begin challenging yourself, the better.1 In addition, I welcome and encourage diverse
and creative presentation forms: you do need to eventually submit, as a group, a PPT that
summarizes the key points and issues your presentation addresses. But, the form of the
presentation needs not be a verbal reiteration of your PPT (that’s kind of boring, no?). For example,
you could design and act out a 10-minute play that illustrates the central concepts, themes,
theories, or debates of your assigned article(s). But make sure you leave enough time to articulate
– verbally – to the class your take-home points. Whatever forms your presentation takes, imagine
you are the professor and ask yourself what you want the rest of us to learn from your
presentation.
*Please note that technological malfunctions such as computer crashes are NOT excuses for late
submissions. Begin your work in time and always back up your files to accommodate such
unpredictable problems. I WILL NOT ACCEPT OR GRADE LATE ASSIGNMENTS.
3) Final Exam (30%)
There will be one in-class final exam, worth 300 points. The exam consists of a combination of
multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer questions. The exam may cover
readings, lectures, class discussions, videos, and other class activities. You cannot pass this course
unless you take this exam.
4) Class Participation (10%)
Your collective participation plays an important role in your learning experience, so make it
count! Being an active participant in this class means asking thought-provoking questions,
responding to my questions and other students’ questions, making pertinent comments, debating
with others respectfully, actively engaged in class activities, etc. Try to come to class with at least
one substantive issue to raise, comment to make, or question to ask. Participation makes up 10%
of your final grade.
1
If you have serious problems with public speaking and have very good reasons to believe that you will likely
puke, faint, suffer from a heart attack, or otherwise endure acute physical discomfort should you speak in front
of the class, talk to me. We will work something out.
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Final Grade Components:
Evaluation
Total Points Possible
Percentage
Participation
100
10
Pop Quizzes (8)
30*8=240
24
Group Projects (2)
Group Presentations: 180*2=360
36
Final Exam
300
30
Final Class Grade
1,000
100
MAIN TEXT AND SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS
v Main Textbook:
• The Sociological Project: Introducing the Sociological Imagination (thereafter TSP), by
Manza, Jeff, et al. Pearson. 2012. ISBN-10: 0205949606 • ISBN-13: 9780205949601
v Some of the Supplemental Readings are from the following 3 books. The books are on reserve
in the library for this class.
• Macionis, John J. and Nijole V. Benokraitis (eds). 2010. Seeing Ourselves: Classic,
Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Readings in Sociology (8 ed). Prentice Hall.
• Sternheimer, Karen (ed). 2010. The Everyday Sociology Reader. W. W. Norton.
• Nehring, Daniel. 2013. Sociology: An Introductory Textbook and Reader. Pearson.
th
COURSE AGENDA
(Subject to change according to class progression)
Week One: Course Introduction
Theme:
o Class intro
Readings:
No readings
Week Two: Sociological Perspectives
Theme:
o Major sociological perspectives
o The sociological imagination
Readings:
• TSP Chapter 1
• Mills, C. Wright. “The Promise.” https://socialsciences.nsula.edu/assets/Site-Files/ThePromise.pdf
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Week Three: Introduction to Sociological Methods
Theme:
o What’s the right question?
o What’s the right method?
o Major sociological methods and challenges
Readings:
• TSP Chapter 2
Week Four: Social Interaction
Theme:
o How do we understand ourselves and our surrounding world – the gist of interactionism
o Self in context
Readings:
• TSP Chapter 3
• Goffman, Erving. 1959. “The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life,” pp. 96 – 101 in
Macionis & Benokraitis. [6p]
• Tannen, Deborah. 1990. “You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation,”
pp. 106 – 110 in Macionis & Benokraitis [5p]
Week Five: Social Structure
Theme:
o The 2 components of social structure
• Why and how do social hierarchies shape our life choices and relationships?
• Why and how do institutions influence social life?
o Connecting the macro with the micro: how is social structure related to social interaction?
Readings:
• TSP Chapter 4 (EXCLUDING pp. 92 – 96: “Demography and Social Hierarchies”)
• Messner, Michael A. “Boyhood, Organized Sports and the Construction of Masculinities,”
pp. 72 – 82 in Macionis & Benokraitis.
Week Six: Culture, Media, and Communication (I)
Theme:
o What is culture?
o Culture that unites – collective identity
o Culture that divides – cultural consumption in relation to class, status, and social
differentiation
Readings:
• TSP Chapter 5 (Modules 1, 2, & 3)
• Kim, Youna. 2011. “Diasporic Nationalism and the Media: Asian Women on the Move”
International Journal of Cultural Studies 14 (2): 133-151. [19p]
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•
Johnston, Josee & Shyon Baumann. 2010. “Class and Its Absence,” pp. 173 – 201 in
Foodies: Democracy and Distinction in the Gourmet Foodscape, by Johnston, Josee &
Shyon Baumann. Routledge. [29p]
Week Seven: Culture, Media, and Communication (II)
Theme:
o Production of culture
o Media and democracy
Readings:
• TSP Chapter 5 (Modules 4 & 5)
• Klinenberg, Eric. 2008. “Spotlighting Disaster” Pp.7-31 from Social Problems: Readings,
edited by Silver, Ira. Norton. [25p]
• Xiao, Qiang. 2011. “The Rise of Online Public Opinion and Its Political Impact” Pp. 202224 in Changing Media, Changing China, edited by Shirk, Susan L. Oxford University
Press. [23p]
Week Eight: Recess
Week Nine: Modernity and Urban Life
Theme:
o Modernization
o Urbanization and urbanism
Readings:
• TSP Chapter 8 (ONLY Module 3: pp. 210 – 213)
• Elliott, A. and Lemert, C. 2006. The New Individualism, pp. 79 – 83 & 91 – 96. Abingdon:
Routledge. [13p]
• Wirth, Louis. 1938. “Urbanism as a Way of Life,” pp. 402 – 407 in Macionis & Benokraitis
[6p]
• Simmel, Georg. 1950. “The Metropolis and Mental Life,” pp. 392 – 397 in Macionis &
Benokraitis [6p]
Week Ten: Organizations and Work
Theme:
o Rationalization and bureaucracy
o Work
Readings:
• TSP Chapter 7 (Module 2 [ONLY pp. 178 – 180]; Modules 3, 4, 5 [ONLY until pp. 191])
• Weber, Max. 1946 [1922], “Bureaucracy,” pp. 84 – 86 in Sternheimer. [3p]
• Ritzer, George “An Introduction to McDonaldization,” pp. 318 – 324 in Nehring. [7p]
• Leidner, Robin. 1999. “Emotional Labor in Service Work” The ANNALS of the American
Academy of Political and Social Science 561: 81-95. [15p]
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Week Eleven: Sex, Gender, & Sexuality; Relationships and marriage
Theme:
o Sex vs gender: a social constructionist approach
o Gender inequality
o Relationships and marriage
Readings:
• TSP Chapter 11 (Modules 1, 2, & 4); Chapter 13 (ONLY Module 3)
• Peplau, Letitia Anne and Susan Miller Campbell. 1989. “The Balance of Power in Dating.”
in Women: A Feminist Perspective, 4e, edited by Freeman, Jo. Mayfield Publishing Co. [8p]
Week Twelve: Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration
Theme:
o Race vs ethnicity
o The social construction of race and ethnicity
o Why do people move?
Readings:
• TSP Chapter 10 (Modules 1, 2, & 3); Chapter 12 (Module 1: ONLY pp. 322 – 324 [before
“The Basic Structure of Immigration Policy in the United States”]; Module 2)
• Kim, Minjeong. 2013. “Missing Romance” Contexts 12 (1): 54-56 [3p]
• Kim, Youna. 2010. “Female Individualization?: Transnational Mobility and Media
Consumption of Asian Women” Media, Culture & Society 32 (1): 25-43 [19p]
Week Thirteen: Deviance, Crime, and Social Control
Theme:
o Social norms and the definition of deviance
o Power and social control
Readings:
• TSP Chapter 16 (ONLY pp. 442 – 456 [before “From Deviance in the Streets to Deviance
in the Suites: White-Collar Crime”])
• Rosenhan, David L. 1973. “On Being Sane in Insane Places,” pp. 144 – 156 in Macionis &
Benokraitis. [13p]
• Anderson, Elijah. 1999. “The Code of the Streets,” pp. 157 – 166 in Macionis &
Benokraitis. [10p]
Week Fourteen: Revision Week
Week Fifteen: Final Exam – Best of luck!
Note: This course outline and various aspects of it are subject to change. I will make an
announcement to the class prior to any change.
END
© Prof. Yang GAO