SOCI204 Sociology of Deviance; Dr. Azzara
MASSASOIT COMMUNITY COLLEGE
SOCIOLOGY OF DEVIANCE
SOCI 204- E1 (11297)
Fall 2015
INSTRUCTOR:
Lori E. Azzara, Psy. D.
PHONE: (cell) 1-508-930-3553
e-mail: dr.lori.azzara@gmail.com (this goes to my Smart phone and is a
very effective way to reach me immediately; I prefer you use this email
address to contact me – be careful when spelling my name)
Office hours: Since this is an “on-line” course, you will have access to me
via e-mail. If you would like to meet with me “in person” please e-mail
me and we will set up a mutually agreeable time.
ORIENTATION SESSIONS:
There is no “in person” orientation. Everything you need to know can be found either on this
syllabus or the Course Orientation. You can access the course within Canvas. To access the
course go to: http://www.massasoit.mass.edu
Click the MyMassasoit Login logo on the left side of the screen
Enter your MyMassasoit ID and password
Here you should find the Online Course Orientation section (on the right hand side)
If this is your first online class, you will likely benefit from an on campus orientation (Brockton
campus only). The dates and times can be found in the MyMassasoit portal at Massasoit’s web
page (noted above)
Technical Orientation: All students new to online learning at Massasoit are required to sign
onto MyMassasoit and then select the “Online Orientation” section. Again, access to this is
through the Massasoit home page: http://www.massasoit.mass.edu.
This is a general orientation and is not specific to this course but will help you learn to navigate
through the online format.
Course Orientation: All students taking this course (SOCI 204) are expected to complete the
exercise contained in the course orientation. Additionally, you should print the “Online
Orientation” information found under this course heading when you sign onto MyMassasoit and
select this course. Here I will review the syllabus, including criteria for grading, assignments,
Discussions, and testing. You will also be directed to the course’s web page for download of
course materials.
REQUIRED TEXT: Thio, A., Calhoun, T. C., & Conyers, A. (2010).Readings in deviant
behavior, 6th ed.. New York: Allyn & Bacon, Pub. Inc.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will provide an analysis of deviant behaviors, attitudes,
and characteristics, through examination of theories and current research in the field. Attention
will be given to the role that society plays in defining and responding to deviance. While a
variety of topics will be discussed, emphasis will be placed on drug and alcohol abuse, sexual
deviance, mental disorders, organizational deviance, and unconventional beliefs.
PREREQUISITE: Principles of Sociology (SOCI204) or General Psychology (PSYC 101) or
Departmental Approval
TEACHING FORMAT: This is an online course. Therefore, the materials necessary for
learning are located on the Internet (http://massasoit.mass.edu), as well as your text. Students are
SOCI204 Sociology of Deviance; Dr. Azzara
encouraged to actively participate in the Discussions (within MyMassasoit) and contact me if
additional explanation of material is required. I have found that students have a variety of
schedules and finding ONE time for me to be available which meets each student’s needs is
almost impossible. Therefore, if you have a question for me, send me an e-mail from within the
course page. I will respond within 24 hours (often sooner). I typically sign on at least daily,
during the week, and at least once each weekend. I prefer the contact be via e-mail and use of
my personal e-mail address is encouraged (dr.lori.azzara@gmail.com). However, if you need to
reach me immediately, you can call my cell phone (508-930-3553).
The textbook selected provides both recent and historical writings by various authors in
the field of Sociology and Deviant Behavior. I have provided notes on the topics covered and
other topics found in a “traditional” Sociology of Deviance textbook. You are responsible for
the material provided in BOTH the notes and the readings. These are the notes I would typically
give you if this were an “in class” course. Remember, contact me if you require clarification on
concepts.
ATTENDANCE: Although this is an online course, you are expected to complete work by
assigned dates, throughout the semester. Please review the course schedule and make note of
the dates work is due by. Students are expected to participate in Discussions and ask questions,
as needed. Discussions should be completed weekly, with the last possible time to submit
material being when the test they pertain to is turned off. I have made “Practice Tests” available
within the MyMassasoit and you should complete one for each chapter. The course ends on
Friday, December 18, 2015. Tests will be available for only a limited amount of time and
students should consult the course schedule which follows for specific deadlines. YOU MUST
TAKE THE TEST DURING THE ASSIGNED TIME. Discussion postings received after the
date of the test they correspond to will not receive full credit (without prior approval from the
professor). They will receive half (1/2) credit. There are four writing assignments and to receive
full credit you must complete the assignment and submit it online by the due date. Late
assignments will not receive full credit, and will lose 10 points for each part of a week the
assignment is late. Any paper submitted more than 3 weeks late will not receive credit.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Your final grade will be based on three exams (online), Chapter
Discussion Board responses, and four 1-2 page reaction papers based on two of the readings in
the textbook.
Tests (3 tests @ 100 pts each)
Discussion questions
(13 units, maximum points each unit set is 10)
Papers (4 @ 50 points each)
300 points
130 points
200 points
630 points
Your final grade is based on the number of “Points” you earn. At the end of the semester, the
maximum number of points you can earn is 630. Your final grade is based on the following:
A
586-630
C+
485-503
A567-585
C
460-484
B+
548-566
C441-459
D378-396
B
523-547
D+
422-440
F
Below 378
B504-522
D
397-421
SOCI204 Sociology of Deviance; Dr. Azzara
GRADING: Grading is per published college policy
A = 93+
4.0
B- = 80 - 82
2.7
A- = 90 - 92
3.7
C+ = 77 - 79
2.3
B+ = 87 - 89
3.3
C = 73 - 76
2.0
B = 83 - 86
3.0
C- = 70 - 72
1.7
D+ = 67 - 69
D = 63 - 66
D- = 60 - 62
F = below 60
1.3
1.0
0.7
0.0
WRITING ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Written assignments should be typed, double spaced, and in an acceptable font (Times
New Roman, Arial, or Courier; 12). Papers are expected to be 1 – 2 pages in length (longer
papers do not receive better grades). To maintain this format, you want to “attach” them to the
assignment within the course page. If you do not know how to do this, seek help during a
college orientation seminar.
2. Attention to spelling and grammar are crucial. Part of your grade will depend on your
ability to clearly and effectively communicate information. Text messaging language and other
slang is not appropriate for these writing assignments.
3. These assignments are NOT creative writing assignments. Provide me with the
necessary information, in a clear, concise way. DO NOT write a review of the article. Rather,
I am looking for your “reaction” to what you have read. Tell me what you agree and disagree
with and why. The more you can pull in from the sociological theories presented, the better.
There is a grade rubric provided on MyMassasoit, along with a summary of APA writing
guidelines, based on the most recent APA writing manual.
4. I will mail the papers, graded, back to you within 1 week of their due date. (You must
provide me with your U.S. Postal address as part of the orientation assignment).
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
(Students who are Differently Abled) Massasoit Community College is committed to
non-discrimination of persons with disabilities, as specified in Chapter 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973.
Students in need of classroom or testing accommodations are encouraged to
contact Disability Services at the beginning of each semester; Andrea Henry at x-1805; Julie
McNeil-Kenerson at x-1424 or Cathy Brogna at x-1425, as soon as possible, in order to ensure
that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.”
COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon successful completion of this course, students should be (able
to):
- Identify and understand the major definitions of deviance and the scientific basis of the
Sociological approach in studying Deviance in our society
- Familiarized with major research developments and techniques in the field of deviance
studies.
- Familiarized with the major theoretical frameworks from which deviance is analyzed and
studied in our society.
- Critically examine the major forms of personal deviance with focus on current formal and
informal responses and practices. Special attention will be given to the following,
non-exhaustive forms; drug and alcohol abuse, sexual deviance, mental disorders,
organizational deviance, and unconventional beliefs.
- Understand and be able to appreciate how social context impacts the experiences and
responses to addressing deviance in our society.
SOCI204 Sociology of Deviance; Dr. Azzara
COURSE OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course, students should have a
firm grasp on the following topics: Definition of deviance, as well as explain and interpret its
occurrence. Identify the concrete characteristics of various deviance's including juvenile
delinquency, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual perversions and mental illness. Identify and explain
the leading theories and sociological orientations of deviant behavior: anomie, control, labeling,
conflict, and learning.
COURSE OUTLINE:
The schedule typically reflects a Monday through Sunday week! (1st and last week of class are
the exceptions)
DATE
CHAPTER/TOPIC
Week 1: September 8 – 13, 2015
Introduction
Part One: Defining and Researching Deviance
Images of Deviance
Defining Deviancy Down
Assignment: Read pp. 1-17. Make sure you print and read my notes which
correspond to this material (found under the Assignment section of the course
webpage)
Post Discussion responses to Part 1
**Make sure you have completed the Orientation Assignment [sending me your
mailing address (snail mail NOT email), along with telling me about yourself and
why you are taking the class – see Canvas].
Week 2: September 14 - 20, 2015
Part Two: Positivist Theories
Strain Theory
Differential Association Theory
Control Theory
Shaming Theory
Assignment: Read pp. 19-41. Make sure you print and read my notes which
correspond to this material (found under the Assignment section of the course
web page)
Post Discussion responses to Part 2
Week 3: September 21 – 27, 2015
Part Three: Constructionist Theories
Labeling Theory
Phenomenological Theory
Conflict Theory
Feminist Theory
Assignment: Read pp. 42-55. Make sure you print and read my notes which
correspond to this material (found under the Assignment section of the course
webpage).
Post Discussion responses to Part 3
***
Prepare for Test 1 on the Theories of Deviance (Part 1 – 3)
SOCI204 Sociology of Deviance; Dr. Azzara
Week 4: September 28 – October 4, 2015
Finish Part Three
****
Test 1 will be available from noontime on Wednesday September 30th
through 9 pm on Friday, October 2nd . Please plan accordingly!
Your Discussions for Units 1 – 3 MUST be posted by the time the test is turned
off to receive any credit (1/2 credit if you didn’t do them the week they were
assigned).
Part Four: Physical Violence
What Drives the Libyan Suicide Bombers in Iraq)
Writing Assignment 1: Read pp. 59 – 66. Write a “Reaction Paper” on this reading
The Writing Assignment is due no later than Monday, 10/5/15 at 9 pm.
Make sure you print and read my notes which correspond to this material
(found under the Assignment section of the course webpage).
Week 5: October 5 - October 11, 2015
**
Writing Assignment 1 due by Monday, October 5, 2015 at 9 pm.
Part Four: Physical Violence con’t
Serial Murder: Popular Myths and Empirical Realities
What Triggers School Shootings?
“I Hope Someone Murders Your Mother!” Extreme Support for the Death
Penalty
Assignment: Read pp. 67 – 87. Make sure you print and read my notes which
correspond to this material (found under the Assignment section on the course
webpage).
Post Discussion responses to Part 4
Week 6: October 12 - 18, 2015
10/12/15
Columbus Day
Part Five: Intimate Violence
Tortured and Battered
Intimate Stalking: Characteristics and Consequences
Child-to-Mother Violence
How Child Molesters Explain Their Deviance
Assignment: Read pp.89 – 113. Make sure you print and read my notes which
correspond to this material (found under the Assignment section on the course
webpage)
Post Discussion responses to Part 5
Writing Assignment 2: Read pp. 94 - 97. Write a “Reaction Paper” on this reading.
The Writing Assignment is due no later than Saturday, 10/24/15 at 9 pm
Week 7: October 19 – 25, 2015
***Reminder, Writing Assignment #2 due by 9 pm on 10/24/15
Part Six: Self-Destructive Deviance
The Desire for Death
Self-Injurers: A “Lonely Crowd”
Being Sane in Insane Places
The Emergence of Hyperactive Adults as Abnormal
SOCI204 Sociology of Deviance; Dr. Azzara
Assignment: Read pp. 115 – 144. Make sure you print and read my notes which
correspond to this material (found under the Assignment section on the course
webpage).
Post Discussion responses to Part 6
Week 8: October 26 – November 1, 2015
Part Six: con’t (finish any material you didn’t complete from last week)
Part Seven: Victims of Stigma
Managing the Stigma of Personal Bankruptcy
The Stigma of Obesity
What is it like to be a Rural Lesbian?
You’re not Retarded, You’re Just Wise
Assignment: Read pp. 145 – 179. Make sure you print and read my notes which
correspond to this material (found under the Assignment section on the course
webpage).
Post Discussion responses to Part 7
Week 9: November 2 - 8, 2015
Part Seven: con’t (finish any material you didn’t complete from last week)
Part Ten: Internet Deviance
Show Me the Money: Online Mistresses and Slaves
Online Dating: “I’m Dysfunctional, You’re Dysfunctional”
Online Boys: Male-for-Male Internet Escorts
Cyberbullying: Offenders and Victims
Assignment: Read pp. 237 - 270. Make sure you print and read my notes which
correspond to this material (found under the Assignment section on the course
webpage).
Post Discussion responses to Part 10
***
Prepare for Test 2 on Parts 4 through 7 and Part 10.
Week 10: November 9 – 15, 2015
11/11/15
Veterans’ Day
Part Ten: (finish any material you didn’t complete from last week)
***
Test 2 will be available from noontime on Thursday,
November 12, 2015 until 9 pm on Saturday. November 14 2015.
Part Eight: Heterosexual Deviance
The Globalization of Sex Tourism
Flawed Theory and Method in Studies of Prostitution
Exotic Dancers: “Where am I going to Stop?”
“Everyone Knows Who the Sluts Are:” How Young Women Get Around
the Stigma
Assignment: Read pp. 181 – 210. Make sure you print and read my notes which
correspond to this material (found under the Assignment section on the course
webpage).
Post Discussion responses to Part 8
Week 11: November 16 – 22, 2015
Part Eight: finish any material you didn’t complete from last week
SOCI204 Sociology of Deviance; Dr. Azzara
Writing Assignment #3: Read pp. 183 – 192. Write a “Reaction Paper” on the reading.
The Writing Assignment is due no later than Saturday, 11/21/15 at 9 pm.
Part Nine: Drug Use
Binge Drinking on College Campus
“Hey, Don’t Blame Me….Blame the Booze”
Oxycontin: A Prescription for Disaster
Damn, It Feels Good to be a Gangsta: Selling Drugs on Campus
Assignment: Read pp. 211 – 235. Make sure you print and read my notes which
correspond to this material (found under the Assignment section on the course
webpage).
Post Discussion responses to Part 9
Week 12: November 23 – 29, 2015
(I realize this week involves the Thanksgiving Holiday and I certainly want you to enjoy time
with your family and friends, but I must schedule class work during this time, so please plan
accordingly)
Part Eleven: Privileged Deviance
Criminal Telemarketing: A Profession On the Line
The Neutralization of Professional Deviance Among Veterinarians
Societal Causes of Political Corruption
Enron: Organizational Rituals as Deviance
Assignment: Read pp. 271 – 294. Make sure you print and read my notes which
correspond to this material. (found under the Assignment section on the course
webpage).
Post Discussion responses to Part 11
Week 13: November 30 – December 6, 2015
Part Twelve: Underprivileged Deviance
Shoplifters: “The Devil Made Me Do It”
Burglary: The Offender’s Perspective
The Immediate Experiences of Carjacking
The Good Thing about Workplace Deviance
***
Assignment: Read pp.295 – 318. Make sure you print and read my notes which
correspond to this material (found under the Assignment section on the course
webpage).
Post Discussion responses to Part 12
Writing Assignment #4: Pick any reading from the course you have not already done a
Reaction Paper on and write a Reaction Paper on it. (You could even pick a
reading from the remaining 2 weeks and read ahead). Make sure you introduce the
reading at the beginning of the paper, so I know which article you have chosen
(write an introductory paragraph with 4 to 5 sentences). Due no later than
Wednesday 12/9/2015 at 9 pm.
Week 14: December 7 - 13, 2015
The Writing Assignment is due no later than Wednesday, 12/9/15 at 9 pm.
Part Thirteen: Controlling Deviance
What It’s Like to be Known as a Sex Offender
Responses to Workplace Bullying
Eating for Two: How Pregnant Women Neutralize Nutritional Deviance
SOCI204 Sociology of Deviance; Dr. Azzara
A New Way of Fighting the War on Drugs
Assignment: Read pp. 319 – 348. Make sure you print and read my notes which
correspond to this material (found under the Assignment section on the course
webpage).
Post Discussion responses to Part 13
***Prepare for Test 3 on the Parts 8, 9, 11-13.
Week 15: December 14 – 18, 2015
Test 3 will be available from noontime on Wednesday, December 16, 2015
until 9 pm on Friday, December 18, 2015.
Note: All work must be received by Friday, December 18, 2015 by 9 pm to receive credit (unless
you have prior approval of Dr. Azzara). I anticipate posting grades by Tuesday, December 22,
2015 – which means they might be visible by Wednesday 12/23/15. However, you can calculate
your final grade by adding your total points, since that will be your final grade.