Department of Sociology
SOC 210E: Critical Thinking about Social Issues
Spring 2011
Professor Cheryl Laz
Office:
Sociology Dept (120 Bedford St. Portland)
Phone:
780-4101 (office, voice mail), 780-4100 (Sociology main office)
E-Mail:
cherlaz@usm.maine.edu
Office Hours: in Portland (SOC Dept), Tuesday and Thursday 12-1, and by appointment
in Gorham (300 Bailey), Tuesday and Thursday 8:30-9:30, and by appointment
Course Objectives
▸
to learn when and how to ask the questions which form the core of critical thinking
▸
to answer the questions which form the core of critical thinking, including the ability to
evaluate evidence and the willingness and ability to search for missing information
▸
to develop the ability to evaluate arguments
▸
to acquire a desire to apply critical thinking skills in listening, reading, and writing in a variety
of contexts
▸
to gain an appreciation of diverse perspectives on social issues and to develop a more critical
and open mind on issues
▸
to improve writing skills and develop skills in applying critical thinking to your own writing
▸
to gain an increased understanding of and appreciation for sociological concepts, theories
and methods
Overview
This course is intended to help you learn to think critically and, ultimately, sociologically. It was
developed with the explicit aim of preparing you for advanced courses in sociology, but also with
the grander goal of preparing you to be an active thinker and learner outside of the discipline and
the university. This is first and foremost a skills development course. Critical thinking is similar to
many other skills (horseback riding, pitching, playing piano, knitting). As with these other skills, I
can coach, give demonstrations, explain the logic, make suggestions, offer pointers. But, in the end,
learning will take your active involvement. Just as I can’t ride, pitch, play, or knit for you, I can’t
think critically for you.
There are other ways that learning to think critically is similar to learning other skills. Becoming
good at it requires practice, practice, and more practice. A lot of this course will be practice. The
aim of regular, systematic practice is to make the skill habitual, natural even. I hope this course
will be like riding/pitching/playing/knitting in yet another way: it will be useful and fun. Perhaps
the objectives of the course make it sound daunting. It WILL be a lot of work. But there is no
reason why it needs to be dull.
This semester we will focus on the issue of food. I have selected a variety of readings to introduce
you to some issues involving agriculture, food production and eating. Early in the semester, you
will choose a more specific question related to these topics to research.
Writing Intensive Designation
In ENG 100, you were introduced to the conventions of academic writing at the college level.
Writing intensive courses such as this one will give you added experience and training in learning to
write with confidence and excellence. Specifically, you can expect this course to help you achieve
excellence in writing by
•
emphasizing the relationship between reading and the development of writing excellence
•
using writing as a mode of inquiry (writing to learn) and as a medium for the expression of
critical thinking
•
identifying and articulating the skills of writing excellence through ongoing classroom
discussion, through specific feedback on your written work, and through revision
•
providing a variety of types of writing through which to practice these skills
•
helping you to identify rhetorical approaches that are appropriate and effective for your
purpose and audience
•
helping you to develop the ability to assess your own writing skills as they evolve at the
university
Required Materials (available at USM Bookstores in both Gorham and Portland)
▸
▸
▸
M. Neil Browne and Stuart M. Keeley. 2010. Asking the Right Questions, 9th ed. Prentice Hall.
Diana Hacker. 2007. A Writer's Reference, 7th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins.
Michael Pollan. 2006. The Omnivore’s Dilemma. New York: Penguin Press.
I do not require but strongly recommend the purchase of a good dictionary, if you don't already own
one. For a major purchase--a big hardcover dictionary--you can't do better than the American
Heritage Dictionary. The usage essays are an excellent resource for getting at the subtle distinctions
between closely related words. You may also consider a smaller paperback dictionary--one that you
can carry with you at all times and USE every time you sit down to read or write. You should also
allocate money for printing required materials from Blackboard and for printing your assignments.
Course Requirements
Your grade will be based on a total of 425 points distributed as follows:
Journal and daily workbook assignments
150 points
Essay 1
100 points
Essay 2
150 points
Attendance, Participation and Engagement
25 points
Class Attendance, Participation, and Preparation are required. While not everyone will be
equally vocal in class discussion, everyone is expected to be an active participant both in class
discussions and in group work. Put another way, one can be an active participant without talking a
lot. Preparation means that I expect you to read and think about the readings and assignments
before class begins. Since much of class time will involve collaborative group activities, a lack of
preparation on your part will have a negative effect on your classmates. Preparation also includes
written but ungraded work which I will periodically assign.
The Journal is the cornerstone of your written work.
You must use a 8 1/2 x 11 inch, 3-ring
binder. I will make binders available to you or you can provide your own. The journal consists of
three parts, described below.
Part I of the Journal will consist of in-class notes, group exercises, handouts, and other
materials. It will also contain semi-structured writing (i.e. short written responses to questions
posed in class). The questions and your written answers will facilitate class discussion and small
group work, help clarify ideas, and provide you with opportunities to actively learn course material
and practice critical thinking skills.
Part II of the Journal will consist of your responses to specific workbook assignments. You will
submit an assignment for roughly one half of our class meetings. This part of the journal is where
you will get your most sustained practice. Workbook-like assignments will require practice with the
basic critical thinking skills and will provide opportunities for structured responses to the assigned
readings. Exercises in Part II of the Journal will be collected daily and assessed (but not graded). I
will give you feedback on how you are doing, catch problems we should be dealing with in class, and
check to see that you are completing the assignments. These assignments must be submitted in
class on the day they are due and must be typed/word-processed.
Part III of the Journal will consist of your consistent and conscientious reflections. You are
required to make at least one 15-minute entry every week (a total of 14 entries). The purposes of
this section of the journal are to encourage informal writing, to provide me with feedback and
insight into how you are thinking about course materials and issues, and to give you an opportunity
to step back and reflect on and use what you are learning.
Each entry must be dated. You should write for at least 15 minutes without stopping; longer
entries are better than short ones to more fully develop your ideas. Don't worry about grammar or
producing polished writing. I will collect your entries from Part III at several points during the
semester. What should you write about? Begin your reflective writing by thinking of some topic,
project, problem or concern that interests you and then do a focused freewrite on it. Explore your
ideas without feeling like you need to produce polished answers. Be willing to be surprised, to
discover things you didn't know you thought or felt. Reflective writing does NOT simply describe
what we did this week in class. When in doubt, you might respond to the question, "Which reading
did I find most provocative this week and why?" or “What news reported this week caught my
attention and why?” Prompting yourself with “why” is often a good way to cultivate reflective,
rather than descriptive, writing. I will share examples of descriptive and reflective writing in class; if
you aren’t sure if what you are doing is reflective, please meet with me.
At the end of the course, I will evaluate your journal in a holistic way, based upon the completeness
and quality of your entries. Most importantly, your journal should show a serious, semester-long
involvement with the course material and serious, sustained effort at developing and practicing
critical thinking.
Finally, a plea for neatness. While it will be impossible to type or word-process your entire journal
(eg. class notes), you should try to type/word process your reflections and assignments. Neatness
doesn't beg for perfect penmanship (though legible handwriting is required); it refers to the careful
preparation and organization of the journal overall (no loose papers, shreds of newspaper, etc.).
Essays will include two graded essays and at least two ungraded drafts. These must be typed/
word processed, with large margins and proper citation (see the Sociology Department’s "Guide to
Referencing" on Blackboard and/or Hacker APA 2-4). Details for each essay will be distributed
during the semester.
Blackboard
We will be using Blackboard on a regular basis for announcements, daily assignments, required
readings and external links. In addition, I will use the communication function to send you e-mail.
Make sure that your e-mail address is where you really get your mail. Plan to log in to Blackboard
regularly and to print assignments and readings a few days in advance of when they are due. It is
imperative that you check Blackboard for announcements in the event of USM closure (eg. snow
day).
If you are unfamiliar with Blackboard or need a refresher, the quick guide will help you access
materials, change your password, log in, change your e-mail address, etc. If you have not taken a
USM or UMS course before, you will need to activate your account. Instructions are online.
You can navigate to this site from the USM website, www.usm.maine.edu. Use “directory” at
the top of the page or links for “Current Students” to locate “Blackboard.”
If you have trouble activating or logging in to Blackboard, please do NOT call me for help. Use
the Blackboard help line, 1-800-696-4357 (HELP), or their e-mail address,
techsupport@maine.edu or call USM’s Help desk at 780-4029 or e-mail
Helpdesk@usm.maine.edu.
Policies
I expect you to submit hard copy of all written work in class at the scheduled times. Graded work
and its components (including drafts, essays, and the journal) will be accepted late only under
exceptional circumstances and with prior arrangements. If you fail to get approval to submit late
work, the work will be penalized one grade for every day late (including non-class days and
weekends). Under no circumstances will late work (essays, journals) be accepted after graded work
is returned and/or discussed in class. Please make every effort to type/word process assignments,
but if the choice is handwritten or not at all, I’ll take neat handwriting (in ink, on one side of the
paper, with large margins).
I encourage you to share your ideas with classmates and others and to discuss material outside of
class. All written work, however, must be your own. Plagiarism in any shape or form will not be
tolerated. This includes "borrowing" from friends and classmates as well as from published authors
and websites. You are expected to know and adhere to the Sociology Department's "Guide to
Referencing." Diana Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference is also a valuable tool; see Section R3 and APA
2. If you have questions about plagiarism, citations, or referencing, please ask.
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, please make an
appointment with me as soon as possible. For academic skills workshops, call the Learning Center
at 780-8224 (Costello Sports Complex, Gorham) or 780-4228 (253 Luther Bonney, Portland).
More info is available on the Learning Foundations website: http://www.usm.maine.edu/lap/.
Other support services you might find useful include the Counseling Center (780-4050) and the
Office of Academic Support for Students with Disabilities (242 Luther Bonney, Portland, 780-4706).
It is your responsibility to know the minimum grade requirements in effect the year you declared
your major. For University Core credit for SOC 210EW, the minimum grade is D; for credit in the
Sociology major or minor, the minimum grade is C.
Course Schedule
Schedule may change. Any changes will be announced in class and posted to Blackboard.
Essays listed as “Blackboard” are available in Course Documents section, unless otherwise noted.
INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING?
1/18 Welcome
1/20 Browne and Keeley, Asking the Right Questions. Chapter 1-2
Hacker, A Writer’s Reference. “How to Use this Book” (pp. vii-xi)
Recommended: Daniel Chambliss. 1989. “The Mundanity of Excellence.”
Sociological Theory 7(1): 70-86. [Blackboard]
Assignment 1 (begin)
ISSUE AND CONCLUSION
1/25 Assignment 1 Due
Film: Global Banquet: The Politics of Food
1/27 Browne and Keeley, Chapter 3
Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, “Introduction” (pp. 1-11)
Assignment 2
2/1
Pollan, Chapter 1
Assignment 3
REASONS AND ARGUMENTS
2/3
Browne and Keeley, Chapter 4
Nestle, Introduction (Blackboard)
Assignment 4
2/8
Pollan, Chapters 2-4
Hacker, A Writer’s Reference, Section R1 on posing research questions
Research Question due (see Assignment 5)
Assignment 5
2/10
Meet in Glickman Library 518
Using Library and Electronic resources for Academic Research
Reflections due (since this is the fourth week, you should have 4 reflections)
2/15 Pollan, Chapters 5-7
Hacker, A Writer’s Reference, pp. 350-2 on popular and scholarly sources
Assignment 6
LANGUAGE and AMBIGUITY
2/17 Browne and Keeley, Chapter 5
[Winter Vacation: 2/12-2/25]
3/1
3/3
Dangour, et al. 2009. “Nutritional Quality of Organic Foods: A systematic review.”
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 90: 680-5. [available on Blackboard]
Assignment 7
The Writing Process
Hacker, A Writer’s Reference, C1c, C2 (on drafting); R3 (esp. R3c; managing
information; avoiding plagiarism)
EVIDENCE and DECEPTIVE STATISTICS
3/8
Browne and Keeley, Chapter 8-9
Hacker, A Writer’s Reference, APA 3 (integrating sources); APA 4 (documentation
and citations)
Assignment 8
3/10
3/15
3/17
Browne and Keeley, Chapter 11
Hacker, A Writer’s Reference, R2 (evaluating sources)
Whitfill, “Vitaminwater’s Empty Calories...”
[available at http://www.alternet.org/story/141912/ ]
Assignment 9
polished draft of first graded essay due; REQUIRED Writing Workshop
Hacker, A Writer’s Reference C3a-b (revising)
Continue research and writing for first essay
[Spring Vacation: 3/21-3/25]
DESCRIPTIVE AND VALUE ASSUMPTIONS
3/29 Revision of first essay due
3/31 Browne and Keeley, Chapter 6
Nestle, “Selling the Ultimate Techno Food: Olestra” (Blackboard)
Assignment 10
4/5
Pollan, Chapters 8-9
Reflections due
[Since reflections are done weekly, you should have 9-10 entries. You do not
need to re-submit those previously reviewed.]
4/7
Pollan, Chapter 10-12
Assignment 11
4/12 Film: Food, Inc.
4/14 Andrea Whitfill, “Burt’s Bees, Tom’s of Maine...”
[Available at http://www.alternet.org/story/131910 ]
FALLACIES
4/19 Browne and Keeley, Chapter 7
Pollan, Chapters 13-14
Assignment 12
4/21 Hacker, A Writer’s Reference, A2f (anticipating and countering opposing arguments)
RIVAL CAUSES and ALTERNATE CONCLUSIONS
4/26 Browne and Keeley, Chapters 10, 12, and 13
Assignment 13
4/28 Pollan, Chapter 17
Complete Journal due
PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER
5/3
Draft of final essay due; REQUIRED Writing Workshop
5/5
Browne and Keeley, “Final Word”
Berry, “The Pleasures of Eating” (Blackboard)
Revised Final Essay Due no later than Thursday, May 12 at noon
Hard copy must be submitted in the Sociology Department (120 Bedford Street, Portland) or the
Geography/Anthropology Department (300 Bailey, Gorham).