INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
http://profstein.wordpress.com/
Dr. Jill Stein
Office: IDC 369
Email: jmstein@pipeline.sbcc.edu
Phone: (805) 965-0581 ex. 3051
Office hours: Monday—Thursday 11:30-12:30
Sociology 101
Spring Semester 2012
(CRN # 58920 )
Monday/Wednesday 9:35—10:55
BC Forum
COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Description:
One way to define “sociology” is to say that it is the study of society. Since we are all members of society, we already
know a lot from our own personal experience. However, there is also a great deal that we simply take for granted, or
about which we have done little critical thinking. In this class, the social world is a subject that we will seek to explore
in more depth and with greater insight. Sociology offers a new perspective with which to view the structures,
institutions, groups, patterns, and interactions in which we are immersed as social beings. This course is an
introduction to sociology, providing an overview of some of the most fundamental and important areas of the field.
Course Objectives:
Students will learn the basic tools of sociology, including social theories and research methods, and how to apply them
to an analysis of social phenomena. Students will be introduced to a range of concepts from different substantive areas
within the discipline. These areas will include: culture; the self and socialization; social interaction; social groups;
inequality and social class; recreation and leisure; health and illness; population, urbanization and the environment;
social movements, technology and social change. This is a lecture course, which will be supplemented with
PowerPoint presentations, videos, discussions, group work and in-class exercises. Students will have the opportunity
to practice in the liberal arts over the course of the semester—namely through reading, writing and reflection, listening
and discussion, investigation and analysis.
Student Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the course, the successful student should be able to:
1. Describe major sociological theories and concepts and apply them to an analysis of the social world
2. Explain scientific research methods and apply them to an analysis of the social world
3. Present, listen to, and discuss sociological ideas in classroom and small group exercises
4. Produce written work according to social scientific standards
Enrollment:
 There is an English 110 skills advisory for this course. Students intending to take this course who are not at this
level of college reading and writing may encounter significant difficulties in succeeding.
 Students are responsible to check the campus calendar for scheduled enrollment, add, drop, and credit change
deadlines. Please make note of deadlines and dates for assignments and exams in the syllabus schedule before
enrolling.
 No auditors or visitors allowed in the classroom without permission.
Textbooks and Supplemental Materials:
 There is one required textbook for the course:
o
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology (3rd Edition) by Ferris and Stein
 Readings should be completed prior to the day of the week for which they are assigned. Try to anticipate your
reading load in advance, as some weeks may require more than others.
 Videos and websites viewed in class should be considered as additional material for which students will be
responsible. If you are absent or need to review a video, please be aware that not all videos can be found online;
they should, however, be available for check-out in the Learning Resource Center.
 It is strongly recommended that you follow current events; being informed about what is happening in the world
around you is an important part of doing social science.
Supplies:
 Students will need paper and pens to take notes during lecture and participate in other in-class exercises.
 Students will need the following supplies for quizzes and exams:
o
#2 pencil and eraser
o
Scantron “15 answer” quiz strips (form #815-E)
o
Scantron “100 answer” card (form #882-E)
College Standards
All students should be familiar with the SBCC student standards of conduct. You can find a copy of the document at:
http://www.sbcc.edu/security/standards_of_conduct.php This site explicitly states college policy and its enforcement.
Students should note that they have both rights and responsibilities at the college. Your professor will also follow
relevant codes pertaining to faculty. At the beginning of the semester, we will discuss how to create an environment
that is conducive to teaching and learning. Some basic ground rules:
 Arrive on time, and plan to stay for the entire class period. If you know you are going to be late, or need to
leave early, please inform me beforehand.
 Always show respect for other members of the class, both students and the professor.
 Be alert, attentive, and focused on what is happening in class:
o
No sleeping
o
No disruptive talking
o
No reading outside materials
o
No disruptive use of laptops or hand-held electronic devices
 In the event of an emergency, please note these numbers for campus security:
o
From a campus phone, dial ext. 2400
o
From a cell phone, dial 730-4200
Student Success and Support:
 Class Website: available at: http://profstein.wordpress.com/ or through Pipeline or Moodle. Here you can find
course materials such as the syllabus, assignments, PowerPoint presentations and other helpful links.
 Textbook Website: available at: http://www.wwnorton.com/college/soc/real-world3/welcome.aspx
The publisher provides a study space with chapter summaries, practice exams, and vocabulary flash cards.
 The Professor: I encourage students to visit me during office hours to discuss course material, study skills, and
strategies for test taking and writing assignments, or about other interests.
 Tutoring: A tutor in sociology will be available during certain times on a drop-in basis at the Tutorial Center in
the Learning Resource Center (tutor hours will be posted to the class website).
 Writing Tutors: Writing tutors are available on a drop-in basis at the Writing Center in the Learning Resource
Center
 Learning Skills Workshops: Various workshops on study skills, test taking, and time management will be
offered in the Learning Resource Center during the semester. Please take advantage of them.
 Study Groups: I encourage students to form study groups, share notes and review for exams together.
 Student Services: Assistance with financial aid, academic and career planning, college transfers, personal
counseling, student health, job placement and more. All services are offered free of charge to any enrolled
student.
 Students with Disabilities:
o SBCC students with disabilities who are requesting accommodations for classes, college activities or
tests should use the following SBCC procedure. (NOTE: This includes student requests to bring into
classes personal service attendants who are not SBCC employees. This also includes students who are
requesting to bring service animals into classes.)
[1] Contact Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS).
[2] Submit documentation of your disability to the DSPS office.
[3] Communicate with a DSPS counselor regarding options for services and accommodations.
[4] Reach written accommodation agreement with the DSPS counselor and your instructor.
SBCC requests you complete this process at least ten working days before your accommodation is
needed, in order to allow DSPS staff time to provide your accommodation.
o Contact: DSPS office (805) 965-0581 x 2364, SS Building, room 160, dspshelp@sbcc.edu
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GRADES:
Details about the requirements and standards for student work will be discussed in greater detail in class.
Students should retain all returned course work until the end of the semester and the posting of final grades to the
records office. A grade grid is attached in order to assist in recording scores and calculating progress in the class.
Attendance:
Attendance is essential to doing well in the class, and you will need to be present in order to complete video
worksheets, in-class exercises, clickers activities and quizzes. I will circulate an attendance roster in the first two
weeks of class to determine whether there are any drops. College policy states that students can be dropped from
class after three (3) unexcused absences. An excused absence due to an emergency, or medical or legal reasons,
must be verified by some form of official documentation. Please ask me for an excused absence form if you have
missed any work. All other absences, regardless of the reason, will be considered unexcused.
In-Class Exercises:
Students will have the opportunity to complete 10 in-class exercises during the semester. These will consist of
group or individual work, and could be based on readings, lecture, videos or discussions. Exercises cannot be
made up at another time or handed in late. Students will receive credit for a total of no more than 9 out of 10
exercises.
Video Worksheets:
This course features a number of videos that address various topics that we will covering. The films are not only
entertaining, but should be viewed as supplemental material to the textbook and lecture. Students will be given
worksheets with a set of questions to answer linking the films to the course material. Worksheets should be completed
during viewing and collected in class. You may also request to take the worksheets as homework, as long as they are
turned in no later than the next class after the end of the showing. Students will be given their best score for 7 out of
the 8 film worksheets. In the event of an excused absence, students must submit worksheets within one week of
returning. No other late worksheets will be accepted.
Quizzes:
There will be 4 quizzes given at various times during the semester. Dates will not be announced in advance. The
quizzes may be given at the beginning of class, sometime in the middle, or at the end. Students arriving late or
leaving early may miss taking the quiz. There will be no make-ups. The quizzes will consist of 15 multiplechoice or true/false questions covering the major terms and concepts from the current or previously assigned
readings. Students will receive credit for a total of 3 out of 4 quizzes.
Data Workshop Assignment:
Students will conduct original research for the class according to one of the Data Workshops in the textbook.
Instructions for the assignment will be handed out approximately two weeks prior to the deadline for completion.
Paper writing guidelines and an assignment grading rubric will also be distributed. You must organize your work
to anticipate any problems that might impact your schedule. Absolutely no late assignments will be accepted.
Blog Assignment:
Students will be required to read and respond to an article from the Everyday Sociology Blog available at:
http://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/ Further instructions on the blog assignment will be distributed in class.
Exams:
There will be a total of 4 exams—three midterms and one final exam. The midterms and final exam are noncumulative. The format for the exams will consist of any of the following: multiple-choice and true/false
questions, short answer and/or essay. Exams will be based evenly on the materials for the course: readings from
the textbook, lectures and videos. You must plan on conforming to the scheduled times for all exams. No early
or late exams will be given. In the case of a legitimate legal or medical reason for missing an exam, you must
provide written verification and schedule a make-up exam within one week of your return.
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Extra Credit:
There may be up to 10 extra credit points available for attending any of the following: Learning Skills Workshop,
Writing Skills Workshop, or Career Center Workshops. There may also be credit for visiting other student
programs or services, or attending other campus events offered during the semester.
Scores for Course Work:
The following components of course work will be worth points as indicated toward your total grade:
Video Worksheets (7 out of 8 @ 10 points each)
70 points
In-Class Exercises (9 out of 10 @ 5 points each)
45 points
Quizzes (3 out of 4 @ 15 points each)
45 points
Data Workshop Assignment
40 points
Blog Assignment
10 points
Exams:
Midterm #1
70 points
Midterm #2
85 points
Midterm #3
85 points
Final Exam
60 points
____________________________________________________________________________
TOTAL
510 points
Grading Curve:
This is a sample grading curve for the class. It is a basic straight curve which should be used as a general
guideline only. The final curve will not be applied until the end of the semester.
“A”
“B”
“C”
“D”
“F”
90% of total points
80% of total points
70% of total points
60% of total points
50% or less of total points
459 points
408 points
357 points
306 points
255 or less points
Course Schedule
Please see the attached course schedule for information on dates for lecture topics, readings, exams and
assignment deadlines, films and in-class exercises. This is a tentative schedule and is subject to change
depending upon a variety of conditions during the semester. Every effort will be made to adhere to all scheduled
dates for exams.
“Sociology is not a spectator sport. There is not you and society. There is you, in which
society lives. And there is society, in which you live. If you are concerned about an
issue, that produces a reality; if you are unconcerned, that produces another reality.
There is no way that you can be ineffectual. You and I are the terms of society.”
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