POLS 103: Introduction to Sociology (POLS)
Fall 2014
Instructor: Bezen Balamir Coşkun
Class Hours: Mondays 9.00-11.50
Class: 302
Office/Phone: Rektörlük Binası 416 / 2116796
Office Hours:Thursday afternoons
E-mail: bezencoskun@zirve.edu.tr
wiki adress:
http://wiki.zirve.edu.tr/groups/economicsandadministrativesciences/wiki/a23bf/POLS_103_So
ciology__Bezen_Balamir_Cokun.html
Course Description
This course provides a broad overview of sociology and how it applies to everyday life. Major
theoretical perspectives and concepts are presented, including sociological imagination, culture,
deviance, inequality, social change, and social structure. Students also explore the influence of
social class and social institutions, such as churches, education, healthcare, government, economy,
and environment. The family as a social structure is also examined
Learning Outcomes and Skills
After completing this course, you will be able to:
• View people’s behavior from a sociological perspective, discover your own sociological
imagination, and apply it to a variety of social problems and situations.
• Discuss the development of sociology as a science and differentiate it from the other social
sciences.
• List at least five sociologists and their major contributions to the field.
• Explain the elements of a culture and how culture is different from society.
• Explain the seven steps of the scientific research process and recognize appropriate research
procedures in an experiment or an article describing research.
• Explain the relationships between social structure, social stratification, and the consequences
of social status.
• Describe how inequality and other social factors contribute to social change.
• Summarize the relationship between socialization and the family.
Course Requirements
• Students are expected to do assigned readings, watch weekly podcasts/videos and be ready before
the class.
• Students are required to take 5 quizzes
• Each student is required to do 4 field assignments and present one of them at the end of the
semester
• Guidelines for the assignments will be circulated early in the semester.
1. Attendance (5% of the final grade will come from participation over 70%)
2. Presentations (5%)
3. Quizzes - 5 ordinary quizzes and 1 movie quiz (50%)
4. Field assignments (%40)
Late Policy
Late work will not be accepted. Assignments submitted after the submission deadline
will be given a grade of zero.
Reading Guidelines
Students are required to read assigned readings beforehand. Required reading materials will be
uploaded in course wiki as PDF format one week prior to the lectures. Other reference books are
available in Library or bookstores.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week 1. General introduction to the course, Review of Course Policies and Requirements,
Introduction (22 September)
Course syllabus, reading lists and course schedules will be given to students.
Week 2. Sociological Perspective & Development of Sociology (29 September)
Week 3. (6 October) NO LECTURE - Bayram Holiday
Week 4. Culture (16 October)
Movie: The Gods Must Be Crazy
Week 5. Youth Culture and Mass Market Norms (23 October)
Movie: The Merchant of Cool - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/
Week 6. Culture and Society (30 October)
Movie Quiz
Week 7. Socialization (3 November)
Quiz 1
Week 8. Social Structure (10 November)
Quiz 2
Week 9. Social Institutions and Family (17 November)
Quiz 3
Week 10. Deviance (24 November)
Quiz 4
Week 11. Social Stratification (1 December)
Quiz 5
Week 12. Social Inequality (8 December)
Week 13. Student Presentations (15 December)
Week 14. Student Presentations (22 December)