Jared R. Lancer
Course Syllabus: Intro Sociology
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Spring 2010 Course Syllabus: Introduction to Sociology (Soc. 1)
Instructor: Jared R. Lancer, Ed.D.
Contact Information:
Email: jared.lancer@gmail.com
Business: 310.500.6939
Required Text: Kendall, D. (2006) Sociology in Our Times—The Essentials, (6th
Ed.) Thompson Wadsworth. *The instructor may provide additional reading
Schedule and Calendar
Location: Wed: Liberal Arts Campus, Rm. M211 (Moved to T Building Starting
Second Class); Fri: Pacific Coast Campus, Rm. EE262)
Schedule: All Classes meet on Wednesday (6:30-9:30) or Friday from 6-9pm
Calendar: No classes on 2/12, 3/24, 4/5-9
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course students should be able to:
1.Assess the dimensions of social stratification based on social class, race/ethnicity,
gender, sexual orientation, global, and/or age.
2.Evaluate the impact of the major social institutions on human behavior, namely
economics, politics, education, religion, and family.
3. Justify the importance of the sociological imagination in the understanding of
social phenomenon.
4. Debate how major sociological theories can be used to differently explain the
prevalence of social phenomenon.
Required Course Reading and Expectations
Reading the assigned chapter prior to class is an expectation and requirement in
order to contribute to class discussion and activities and course completion.
Prepare to take a short answer quiz each class based on the required chapter
reading and class lecture.
Overview of Course Schedule, Important Dates and Point Sum
1.
2.
3.
4.
Weekly Quiz, 10 points per with a possible of 100 points
Mid-Course Review & Assessment 50 points
5 Article Reviews/Policy & Program Recommendations, 10 pts per 50 pts tot
Final Course Assessment, 100 possible points 300 possible points
January
Wed/Fri
1/20; 1/22 – Read Chapter 1 – General Overview (Early Thinkers); Class quiz 1
1/27; 1/29 – Read Chapter 2 (Culture); Class quiz 2
February
2/3; 2/5 – Read Chapter 3 (Socialization); Class quiz 3; 1st Article Review/Policy
Recommendation Due in Class
2/10; 2/19 – Read Chapter 4 (Social Interaction and Society); Class quiz 4; 2nd
Article Review/Policy Recommendation Due in Class
2/17; 2/26 - Read Chapter 5 (Groups/Organizations); Class quiz 5
Jared R. Lancer
Course Syllabus: Intro Sociology
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February/March/April
Wed/Fri
2/24; 3/5 – Read Chapter 6 (Crime); Class quiz 6; 3rd Article Review/Policy
Recommendation Due in Class
3/3; 3/12 – Read Chapter 8 (Social Class/Economy); Class quiz 7
3/10; 3/19 – Read Chapter 9 (Race/Ethnicity); Class quiz 8
3/17; 3/26 – Mid-Term Course Assessment and Feedback
3/31; 4/2 – Read Chapter 10 (Gender/Sex); Class quiz 9; Feedback on MidCourse Assessment
Spring Break: 4/4-4/10
4/14; 4/16 – Read Chapter 11 (Marriage/Family); Class quiz 10; 4th Article
Review/Policy Recommendation Due in Class
4/21; 4/23 – 5th Article Review/Policy Recommendation and Presentations Due in
Class
4/28; 4/30 – Final Course Review & Take Home Part I- of Final Exam
May
5/5; 5/7 – Final Course Assessment
5/12; 5/14 –Return Final Assessments with Feedback
1. Weekly Quiz, 10 points per with a possible of 100 points
- Based on required reading and lecture pertaining to reading
- All short answer response
- Suggested due date is the same night given or following week of class
*You may submit any/all quizzes for grading & feedback up until 4/21; 4/23 Class
- Should you receive a grade you do not care for, my expectation is that you will
re-think your responses and work and re-submit for review
2. Mid-Course Review & Assessment 50 points
- Is based on previous course material discussed and prior quiz questions
- Must be completed in class – No Exceptions
3. 5 Article Reviews/Policy & Program Recommendations, 10 pts per 50 pts
- 3 pages, double spaced, type-written (Not Including Reference Section)
- Written structure includes:1) Overview summary of social problem with proper
citations from other sources as to why the problem is important; 2) Key summary
points from the article you reviewed and how it relates to the problem - adds to it,
counters it, etc; 3) Sociological analysis – using one theory from class to analyze
the problem and the point of view of the author who wrote the article reviewed; 4)
Policy recommendations – draw conclusions about what needs to be done as a
logical next step based upon what was learned from your sociological analysis
Jared R. Lancer
Course Syllabus: Intro Sociology
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4. Final Course Assessment, 100 possible point
- Is based on first class department sociological thinking assessment of a social
problem and interpretation of data table (In class)
- Is based on previous course material discussed and prior quiz questions as
- Must be completed in class – No Exceptions (Take Home – Handwritten)
Attendance
Class attendance is necessary in order to be successful.
- More than four absences will result in being dropped from the course
- If absent, you will not have an opportunity to participate in the quiz
distributed that evening
Participation/Engagement
Engagement in class means you will…
- read prior to our meeting in order to have a basic understanding as to the topics
and content to be learned
- do most of the talking – that’s one of my goals (so remind me if and when
this is occurring)
- come with questions and will ask questions when you do not understand
- be active in sharing different ways of thinking about the topics we’re
discussing, while respecting your colleagues
- demonstrate understanding of course material
- come prepared with assignments completed and prepared to share the
work that you have done with others
- want to do you’re best by putting forth great effort on our quizzes
- work collaboratively with others on assignments in class
*Doing these things will ensure success in any class; Doing these things
will help me determine beyond a shadow of a doubt what your final earned
course grade will be.
Grading Scale and Criteria Guidelines
Overall Scale
A=270-300
B=240-269
C=210-239
D=180-209