Sociology
MVCC Dual Credit (SO 101)
Curriculum
Mr. Chris Klein
Mr. Anthony L. Coriale, Jr.
Summer 2014
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
SO 101
Mohawk Valley Community College
Utica/Rome, New York
1. COURSE DESCRIPTION
3 credits
This course provides an understanding of and a feeling for the society in which we live. The concepts
and theories discussed relate to humanity, its culture and society, to those forces that contribute to
smooth operation of this society as well as those forces that contribute to conflict and social problems.
Topics include culture, socialization, stratification, population and patterns of social organization.
2. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Identify the socio-historical forces that gave rise to the development of sociology as a discipline.
(Unit 1)
2. Define and apply basic sociological concepts, including culture, social structure, socialization,
social change, deviance, social class, race/ethnicity, gender and social institutions. (Units 2, 3, 5)
3. Distinguish functionalist, conflict and symbolic interactionist. (Unit 1)
4. Apply the major sociological paradigms to contemporary issues in society. (Units 1-5)
5. Identify major methods of research used in sociology. (Unit 1)
6. Discuss how social differences have developed and how they impact everyone in society. (Units
1-5)
3. COMMON CORE LEARNING STANDARDS ADDRESSED
Throughout the course the following Common Core Standards will be addressed through various
assessments (Journal Critiques) and instructional modes in class (course readings and activities)
1. CCSS-RH-11-12.1
2. CCSS-RH-11-12.2
3. CCSS-RH-11-12.3
4. CCSS-RH-11-12.4
5. CCSS-RH-11-12.7
6. CCSS-RH-11-12.8
7. CCSS-RH-11-12.10
8. CCSS-RST-11-12.3
9. CCSS-RST-11-12.6
10. CCSS-RST-11-12.8
11. CCSS-RST-11-12.9
12. CCSS-WHST-11-12.1a
13. CCSS-WHST-11-12.1b
14. CCSS-WHST-11-12.1c
15. CCSS-WHST-11-12.1d
16. CCSS-WHST-11-12.1e
17. CCSS-WHST-11-12.2a
18. CCSS-WHST-11-12.2b
19. CCSS-WHST-11-12.2c
20. CCSS-WHST-11-12.2d
21. CCSS-WHST-11-12.2e
22. CCSS-WHST-11-12.4
23. CCSS-WHST-11-12.7
24. CCSS-WHST-11-12.8
25. CCSS-WHST-11-12.9
26. CCSS-WHST-11-12.10
4. MATERIALS
The textbook for this course is Essentials of Sociology by David Brinkerhoff, Lynn White, Suzanne,
Ortega, and Rose Weitz. Most of the assigned readings will come from this book. Assigned readings are
required and critical for understanding the content of this course. Class participation is another key
component for the successful understanding of sociology as personal experiences help shape our "world
views".
5. POLICY ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, all work is to be done independently. Academic honesty is
assumed. There are procedures for sanctioning academic dishonesty. Any student caught cheating,
plagiarizing, or participating in other acts of academic dishonesty, as outlined in MVCC's policy, may fail
the assignment and the course.
6. STATEMENT ON BEHAVIOR
This is a collegiate learning environment. As such, each person needs to be respectful of the learning
process and of others in the class. Any behavior that impedes the learning process cannot and will not
be tolerated. With that in mind, each student needs to come to class prepared to listen, to participate,
and to learn. This includes attending scheduled classes (as per attendance requirement), arriving on
time and staying until class is dismissed. Students should not make any derogatory or threatening
comments towards others. Cell phones and pagers should be turned off. If any student's behavior is
disrupting the learning environment, the student will be asked to leave the class and dismissal from the
course will be considered.
Sociology 101
Mr. Klein
Course Outline
Unit 1 – Sociological Perspectives (15 days)
 Chapter 1 The Study of Society (8 days)
o Chapter 1 Quiz
 Chapter 2 Culture (3 days)
o Chapter 2 Quiz
 Chapter 3 Socialization (4 days)
o Unit 1 Exam
Unit 2 – Social Structures and Social Control (15 days)
 Chapter 4 Social Structure and Social Interaction (4 days)
o Chapter 4 Quiz
o Journal Critique 1 Due
 Chapter 5 Groups, Networks and Organizations (5 days)
o Chapter 5 Quiz
 Chapter 6 Deviance, Crime and Social Control (6 days)
o Unit 3 Exam
Unit 3 – Social Inequality (25 days)
 Chapter 7 Stratification (7 days)
o Chapter 7 Quiz
 Chapter 8 Racial and Ethnic Inequality (10 days)
o Journal Critique 2 Due
o Mid-Term Exam
 Chapter 9 Sex, Gender, and Sexuality
o Unit 3 Exam
Unit 4 – Social Institutions (20 days)
 Chapter 10 Health and Health Care (4 days)
o Chapter 10 Quiz
 Chapter 11 Family (4 days)
o Chapter 11 Quiz
 Chapter 12 Education and Religion (8 days)
o Chapter 12 Quiz
o Journal Critique 3 Due
 Chapter 13 Politics and the Economy (4 days)
o Unit 4 Exam
Unit 5 – Social Change (10 days)
 Chapter 14 Population and Urbanization (5 days)
o Chapter 14 Quiz
 Chapter 15 Social Change (5 days)
o Unit 5 Exam
o Journal Critique 4 Due
o 20 Week Exam
o Final Exam
Unit 1 Sociological Perspectives (15 Days)
Chapter 1 – The Study of Society (8 days)
1. What is Sociology
Learning Target: What is sociology?
The Sociological Imagination
Conventional Social Wisdom
Conformity
2. The Emergence of Sociology
Learning Target: Who developed early sociological thinking?
Comte
Martineau
Spencer
Park
Durkheim
Mead
DuBois
Mills
Weber
Marx
3. Perspectives in Sociology
Learning Target: What are the three major perspectives in sociology?
Structural-Functional Theory
Conflict Perspective
Symbolic Interaction Theory
Interchangeable Lenses
4. The Research Process
Learning Target: What are the steps in the research process?
One: Stating the Problem
Two: Setting the Stage
Three: Gathering Data
Four: Finding Patterns
Five: Generating Theories
5. Research Methods
Learning Target: What are the various research methods?
Experiments
Survey
Participant Observation
Content Analysis
Existing Statistics
Ethics in Research
Quantitative Research
Qualitative Research
Causation
Assessment:
 Chapter 1 Quiz
 Journal Critique 1 Assigned
Materials:
 Chapter 1 PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Chapter 1 Review Sheet
 Theoretical Perspectives Spreadsheet
 Social Media and Society Articles
__________________________________________________________________
Chapter 2 – Culture (3 days)
1. Introduction and Perspectives of Culture
Learning Target: What is culture and how does it affect social behavior?
Structural Functional Approach
Conflict Theory Approach
Symbolic Interactionist Approach
Cultural Perspective
Biological Perspective
2. The Carriers of Culture
Learning Target: What are norms and values?
Norms




Folkways
Mores
Laws
Taboo
Values
Language
 Non-verbal Communication
 Gestures
Social Control
3. Cultural Diversity and Change
Learning Target: What is cultural diversity and how does it influence a society?
Social Category
Subculture
Counterculture
Ethnocentrism
Cultural Universals
Assimilation and Multiculturalism
Sources of Cultural Change
 Environment
 Isolation
 Cultural Diffusion
 Technology
 Mass Media
 Culture Shock
Assessment:
 Chapter 2 Quiz
 Culture Tool Kit Brochure Assignment
Materials:
 Chapter 2 PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Chapter 2 Review Sheet
 Norms and Values: The Rules We Live By
 Silly Laws Websites
 Etiquette 101: Hand Gestures
 Family Values Survey
______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 3 Socialization (4 days)
1. What is Socialization
Learning Target: What is socialization?
Socialization
Isolation and Deprivation
Necessity of Nurture
2. Theoretical Perspectives on Socialization
Learning Target: What are the perspective views on socialization?
Freudian Theory
Piaget and Cognitive Development
Structural- Functional Theory
Conflict Theory
Symbolic Interaction Theory
3. Agents of Socialization
Learning Target:
What are the major agents of socialization?
Family
Peers
Schools
Mass Media
Religion
4. Socialization through the Life Course
Learning Target: How does socialization change from childhood through adulthood?
Childhood
Adolescence
Adulthood
65 and Beyond
Desocialization
Resocialization
Total Institutions
Assessment:
 Unit 1 Exam
Materials:
 Chapter 3 PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Unit 1 Review Sheet
 “Power of Peers”
 Case Studies in Isolated Children
 Internet Socialization Survey
 Various forms of Media Examples
______________________________________________________________________________
Unit 2 Social Structures and Social Control (15 Days)
Chapter 4 Social Structure and Social Interaction (4 days)
1. Social Structure
Learning Target: What are the various components of social structure?
Status




Ascribed Status
Achieved Status
Master Status
Status Set


Rights
Obligations
Roles
Role Conflict
Role Strain
Institutions


2. Types of Societies
Learning Target: What are the types of societies?
Hunting and Gathering Societies
Horticultural Societies
Agricultural Societies
Industrial Societies
Postindustrial Societies
3. Social Interaction and Everyday Life
Learning Target: How do individuals interact in everyday life?
Managing Everyday Life
Impression Management
Dramaturgy
Avoiding Blame
Gaining Credit
Assessment:
 Chapter 4 Quiz
 Rights and Obligations Diagram
Materials:
 Chapter 4 PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Chapter 4 Review Sheet
 Micro-Level Perspective Diagram
______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 5 Groups and Organizations (5 days)
1. Social Processes
Learning Target: What are the types of social interactions that take place in groups?
Exchange
Cooperation
Competition
Conflict
Coercion
Conformity
Everyday Social Processes
2. Groups and Networks
Learning Target: What are the characteristics of groups and social networks?
Primary Groups
Secondary Groups
In-Groups
Out-Groups
Strong and Weak Ties
Significant Others
Voluntary Associations
3. Complex Organizations
Informal Groups
Bureaucracies

Weber’s Theory
Assessment:
 Chapter 5 Quiz
 Journal Critique 2 Assigned
Materials:
 Chapter 5 PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Chapter 5 Review Sheet
 “Hitler Youth” Article
 Group Pressure and Obedience Reading
______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 6
Deviance, Crime, and Social Control (6 days)
1. Conformity and Deviance
Learning Target: What is deviance?
Conformity
Deviance
2. Theoretical Perspectives and Deviance
Learning Target: How do the sociological perspectives explain deviance?
Structural-Functional Theories
Conflict Theory
Symbolic Interaction Theories
3. Crime
Learning Target: What are the various types of crimes?
Property Crimes and Violent Crimes
Victimless Crimes
White-Collar Crimes
Correlates of Crime
 Age
 Sex
 Class
 Race
Fear of Crime
4. The Criminal Justice System
Learning Target: What are the elements of the criminal justice system and how does society
address deviance?
Why Punish?
The Police
The Courts
Prisons
Other Options
 Rehabilitation
 Recidivism
 Retribution
Assessment:
 Unit 2 Exam
Materials:
 Chapter 6 PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Unit 2 Review Sheet
 “Capital Punishment” Reading
 “Spare the Rod” Reading
______________________________________________________________________________
Unit 3 Social Inequality (25 days)
Chapter 7 Stratification (7 days)
1. Structures of Inequality
Learning Target: What is stratification and how is it measured?
Types of Stratification Structures
Classes
Measuring Social Class
Social Mobility
2. Inequality in the United States
Learning Target: What social classes are found in America?
Economic Inequality
The Consequences of Social Class
Poverty
3. Theoretical Perspectives on Inequality
Learning Target: How do the perspectives explain stratification?
Structural-Functional Theory
The Conflict Perspective
Symbolic Interaction Theory
4. The Determinates of Social-Class Position
Learning Target: What contributes to social class position?
Microstructure: Individual Opportunities
Macrostructure: The Labor Market
The American Dream: Ideology and Reality
Explaining Upward Mobility
5. Social Class and Social Life
Learning Target: What are the social classes in society?
The
The
The
The
The
Poor
Near Poor
Working Class
Middle Class
Upper Class
6. Social Class and Public Policy
Learning Target: How does public policy view and address inequality?
Fair Wage Movements
Increasing Educational Opportunities
7. Inequality Internationally
Learning Target: What are the conditions of stratification in other societies around the world?
Three Worlds: Most to Least Developed Countries
Structural-Functional Analysis: Modernization Theory
Conflict Analysis: World Systems Theory
Global Inequality and Armed Conflcit
Assessment:
 Chapter 7 Quiz
Materials:
 Chapter 7 PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Chapter 7 Review Sheet
 Inequality Handouts
 IMF and WTO Websites
 Personal Income in Relation to World Standard Website
 Stossel Videos on Income Inequality
______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 8 Race and Ethnic Inequality (10 days)
1. Understanding Racial and Ethnic Inequality
Learning Target: What are the characteristics of a minority?
The Social Construction of Race and Ethnicity
Majority and Minority Groups
Multiplying Disadvantages
Patterns of Interaction
2. Maintaining Racial and Ethnic Inequality
Learning Target: How do people experience racial and ethnic inequality?
Segregation
Prejudice
Discrimination
Institutionalized Racism
3. Racial and Ethnic Inequality in the United States
Learning Target: Who are the ethnic and racial groups in the United States?
White Americans
African Americans
Hispanic Americans
Asian Americans
Native Americans
Arab Americans
Multicultural Americans
4. The Future of Racial and Ethnic Inequality in the United States
Learning Target: How will inequality develop and be addressed in the future? What minority
groups will emerge?
Combating Inequality: Race versus Class
Strategies for Ending Inequality
Assessment:
 Chapter 8 Quiz
Materials:
 Chapter 8 PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Chapter 8 Review Sheet
 Various Mass Media Handouts
______________________________________________________________________________
Mid-Term Exam
______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 9 Sex, Gender, and Sexuality (8 days)
1. Sexual Differentiation
Learning Target: How does culture influence and define gender identity?
Sex versus Gender
Gender Roles Across Cultures
2. Theoretical Perspectives on Gender Inequality
Learning Target: How do the theoretical perspectives view gender inequality?
Structural-Functional Theory: Division of Labor
Conflict Theory: Sexism and Discrimination
Symbolic Interactionism: Gender Inequality in Everyday Life
3. Gender as Social Construction and Social Structure
Learning Target: How are gender identities and roles socialized in a society?
Developing Gendered Identities
Reinforcing Biological Differences
“Doing Gender”
Gender as Social Structure
4. Differences in Life Chances by Sex
Learning Target: Is there inequality for opportunity based on sex and gender?
Health
Education
Work and Income
5. Gender and Power
Learning Target: What are the power struggles that are present in society based on sex and
gender?
Unequal Power in Social Institutions
Unequal Power in Interaction
Sexual Harassment
Sexism
6. The Sociology of Sexuality
Learning Target: How does sexuality affect social interaction?
Sexual Scripts
Premarital Sexuality
Marital Sexuality
Sexual Minorities
Assessment:
 Unit 3 Exam
 Gender Stereotyping Discussion/ Activity
Materials:
 Chapter 9 PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Unit 3 Review Sheet
 Various Mass Media Handouts
______________________________________________________________________________
Sociology Unit 4 Social Institutions (20 Days)
Chapter 10 Health and Health Care (4 days)
1. Health and Health Care as a Social Problem
Learning Target: How does healthcare influence societal structure and what are the problems
with healthcare?
Medicine
Illness
Population
2. Theoretical Perspectives on Illness
Learning Target: How do the theoretical perspectives view health and healthcare?
Structural-Functionalist Theory: The Sick Role
Conflict Theory: Medicalization
Symbolic Interaction Theory: The Experience of Illness
3. The Social Causes of Health and Illness
Learning Target: How does society address health and health care and cause health problems?
Underlying Causes of Preventable Death
Micro-Level Answers: The Health Belief Model
Macro-Level Answers: The Manufacturers of Illness
4. The Social Distribution of Health and Illness
Learning Target: Does social status affect health care?
Gender
Social Class
Race and Ethnicity
Age
Life Expectancy
5. Mental Illness
Learning Target: What are the characteristics of the mentally ill?
How Many Mentally Ill?
Who Becomes Mentally Ill?
6. Working in Health Care
Learning Target: What are the issues in the health care profession?
Physicians: Fighting to Maintain Professional Autonomy
Nurses: Fighting for Professional Status
7. Understanding Health Care Systems
Learning Target: What are the characteristics of the various health care systems in societies
around the world?
Paying for Health Care in the United States
The Uninsured in the United States
Health Care in Other Countries
The United States and National Health Insurance?
 The Affordable Care Act
Assessment:
 Chapter 10 Quiz
 Comparative Health Care of Countries Analysis
 Journal Critique 3 Assigned
Materials:
 Chapter 10 PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Chapter 10 Review Sheet
______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 11 Family (4 days)
1. Marriage and Family: Basic Institutions of Society
Learning Target: What is marriage and how is the family a social institution?
Universal Aspects of Marriage and Family
Cross-Cultural Variations
2. The U.S. Family over the Life Course
Learning Target: What are the stages of the U.S. Family Structure?
Childhood
Adolescence
The Transition to Adulthood
Early Adulthood
Middle Age
Age 65 and Beyond
3. Roles and Relationships in Marriage
Learning Target: How are genders roles defined and assumed in marriage?
Gender Roles in Marriage
The Parental Role: A Leap of Faith
4. Contemporary Family Choices
Learning Target: What are the various family structures in current society?
Marriage or Cohabitation
Having Children…or Not
Work versus Family
5. Problems in the American Family
Learning Target: What are the current problems facing families?
Violence
Divorce
Assessment:
 Chapter 11 Quiz
Materials:
 Chapter 11 PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Chapter 11 Review Sheet
 Mr. or Mrs. Right Survey
______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 12 Education and Religion (8 days)
1. Educational and Religious Institutions
Learning Target: How do schools and churches serve as social institutions?
School
Religion
2. Theoretical Perspectives on Education
Learning Target: How do the theoretical perspectives explain education?
Structural Functional Theory: Functions of Education
Conflict Theory: Education and the Perpetuation of Inequality
Symbolic Interactionism: The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
3. Current Controversies in American Education
Learning Target: What educational structures are considered and debated in the U.S.?
Tracking
High-Stakes Testing
School Choice
 Vouchers
 Charter Schools
 Public Education
4. College and Society
Learning Target: What role does college fill as a social institution?
Who Goes?
Why Go?
5. Understanding Religion
Learning Target: What is religion and what purposes does it serve in society?
What is Religion?
Why Religion?
Why Religion Now? The Rise of Fundamentalism
6. Theoretical Perspectives on Religion
Learning Target: How do the theoretical perspectives explain religion?
Durkheim: Structural-Functional Theory of Religion
Marx and Beyond: Conflict Theory and Religion
Weber: Religion as an Independent Force
7. Tension between Religion and Society
Learning Target: How does society embrace or separate religion as part of everyday life?
Churches
Sects
New Religious Movements
8. Religion in the United States
Learning Target: What is the role of religion in the United States today?
Trends in U.S. Religious Membership
Trends in Religiosity
Consequences of Religiosity
U.S. Civil Religion
Assessment:

Chapter 12 Quiz
Materials:
 Chapter 12 PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Chapter 12 Review Sheet
______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 13 Politics and the Economy (4 days)
1. Power and Politics
Learning Target: What is power and how does one attain it through politics?
Coercion
Authority
Politics
2. Power and the State
Learning Target: How does the government attain and use its power?
Jurisdiction
State Coercion
Authoritarian Systems
Democracies
Globalization and State Power
3. Who Governs? Models of U.S. Democracy
Learning Target: How is the political system structured in the U.S.?
Structural-Functional Theory: The Pluralist Model
Conflict Theory: The Power-Elite Model
4. Individual Participation in U.S. Government
Learning Target: How citizens address civic responsibility in the U.S.?
Who Votes?
Which Party?
Why So Few Voters?
5. Modern Economic Systems
Learning Target: What are the various economic systems employed by societies and how do
they influence a society?
Capitalism
Socialism
Mixed Economies
The Political Economy
6. The U.S. Economic System
Learning Target: How has the U.S. economic system evolved and what is it today?
The
The
The
The
Postindustrial Economy
Corporate Economy
“Wal-Mart Economy”
Economy in Crisis
7. Work in the United States
Learning Target: What are the characteristics of the U.S. Labor Market?
Occupations
The Experience of Work
Unemployment and Underemployment
The Future of Work
Assessment:
 Unit 4 Exam
 Journal Critique 4 Assigned
Materials:
 Chapter 13 PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Unit 4 Review Sheet
 Final Exam Review Sheet
______________________________________________________________________________
Sociology Unit 5 Social Dynamics and Social Change (10 Days)
Chapter 14 Population and Urbanization (5 days)
1. Understanding Population Growth
Learning Target: How is population growing and what are the impacts of this growth?
Population in Former Times
The Demographic Transition in the West
The Demographic Transition in the Non-West
2. Population and Social Structure: Two Examples
Learning Target: What are the impacts of High Growth Rates? Of Low Growth Rates?
Ghana: Is the Fertility Rate Too High?
Italy: Is the Fertility Rate Too Low?
3. Population and Social Problems: Two Examples
Learning Target: What are the social impacts of high population growth?
Environmental Devastation: A Population Problem?
Poverty in the Least-Developed World
4. Population in the United States
Learning Target: What are the population growth characteristics in the U.S.?
Fertility Rates
Mortality Rates
Migration Patterns
5. Urbanization
Learning Target: What is the relationship between urbanization and population growth?
Theories of Urban Growth and Decline
The Nature of Modern Cities
Urbanization in the United States
Urbanization in the Less-Developed World
6. Place of Residence and Social Relationships
Learning Target: How does the population interact in different communities?
Urban Living
Suburban Living
Small-Town and Rural Living
Assessment:
 Chapter 14 Quiz
Materials:
 Chapter 14 PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Chapter 14 Review Sheet
Chapter 15 Social Change (5 days)
1. How Societies Change
Learning Target: How do societies change in regards to mass behavior?
Social Change
Sources of Social Change
Technology
2. Collective Behavior
Learning Target: What are the conditions for collective behavior to take place?
Crowds
Mass
Mobs
Panics
Hysteria
3. Social Movements
Learning Target: How do social movements evolve?
Theoretical Perspectives on Social Movements
Why Movements Succeed or Fail
Countermovements
4. Technology
Learning Target: How does technology contribute to social change?
Theoretical Perspectives on Technology and Social Change
The Costs and Benefits of New Technologies
Assessment:
 Unit 5 Exam
 20 Week Exam
 MVCC General Education Assessment Questions
Materials:
 Chapter 15 PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Unit 5 Review Sheet
______________________________________________________________________________
Final Exam
______________________________________________________________________________
Additional Topic if Time Allows (carried from previous curriculum and included in
Chapter 12)
Sports
1. The Nature of Sport
Learning Target: What role do sports serve in American society?
Sports
Sports as a Social Institution
Sport Subcultures
2. Theory and Sports
Learning Target: Are sports positive or negative to society?
3. Social Issues in Sport
Learning Target: What social issues exist in sports?
Racism in Sports
Sports and Economics
Title IX
4. Money in Sports
Learning Target: Has money destroyed sports?
Is Money Ruining Sports?
Are Fans Out of Control?
Are Players Out of Control?
5. Discrimination in Sports
Learning Target: How much discrimination exists in sports?
Is There Sexism in Sports?
Are Native American Team Nicknames Wrong?
Gender socialization in sports
Title IX
Assessment:
 Sports Quiz
Materials:
 Sports PowerPoint
Handouts:
 Sports Review Sheet
______________________________________________________________________________