C. Wright Mills famously described sociology as the “intersection of biography and history.” All of us are born into pre-existing cultures and social structures that are specific to the times and places where we live, and as we grow up we have to learn how to negotiate them successfully in order to become fully accepted members of our societies. The institutions in which we are embedded— family, religion, economics, politics, health care, media and technology, education, and the like— can be either harmful or helpful (or some of both) as we make decisions about how we want to live.
Not all of us are born into the same “social locations,” and differences among us such as race and ethnicity, sex and gender, social class, age, disability, etc. can lead to very different life chances and life outcomes depending on what resources we have available to us and how well we are able to make use of them.
Sociologists are interested in studying the many ways in which social life is patterned—how and why different groups of people with similar social locations tend to have similar cultural beliefs and life experiences, and what kinds of consequences those beliefs and experiences can lead to. We look at how and why there is so much inequality in our society, the ways in which belief systems are acquired and transmitted, and what makes us take some aspects of our society for granted but question the legitimacy of others. This kind of research requires taking a fresh look at our everyday, familiar ways of being and thinking in the world; we must carefully gather empirical evidence to help us learn more about the realities of the social world (and perhaps discard what is considered “common knowledge” in the process), and use that data to create theoretical explanations for what we have discovered.
This course is designed to introduce you to the “sociological perspective” and to help you understand the basics of what kinds of research sociologists do, what we have learned in the century and a half that the discipline has existed, and how that knowledge can be applied to “real life” situations.

Course Objectives:
 Students will understand the concept of a “sociological perspective” and be able to apply this perspective to everyday situations.
 Students will develop a greater awareness of and ability to think critically about the role that cultural forces play in our personal lives and in the creation of larger social structures.
 Students will be able to make connections between things that happen in our personal lives (micro-level) and the larger social forces that impact our lives (macro-level).
 Students will sharpen their analytical tools for recognizing and understanding the causes and consequences of social inequalities in our society.
Required texts:
 Experience Sociology: Make the Familiar New by David Croteau and William Hoynes
 Introductory Sociology Reader complied by Rebecca Hensley and Russell Castro
1) Your GRADE will be calculated as follows:
AAP pre-test (start of semester)
AAP post-test (end of semester)
Weekly reading quizzes (average of all scores)
Tests (4 @ 10% each)
Midterm exam
Final exam
Final grade scale: 90-100% = A; 80-89% = B, etc.
1.5%
1.5%
12%
40%
20%
25%
100%
Please note that this class is NOT graded on a “points” system—quizzes, tests, and exams are
weighted differently, as indicated above. Also note that 3% of your grade is basically free points— you will receive a score of 100% on the AAP tests just for taking them, regardless of how many questions you actually get right.
2) The QUIZZES, TESTS, AND EXAMS will consist of a combination of true/false, multiple choice, and matching questions. The questions will appear in random order as you take the tests. The syllabus quiz is REQUIRED and must be taken by the end of the first week of class. You MUST score at least 90% on the syllabus quiz to gain access to the rest of our reading quizzes, tests, and exams; you may take the syllabus quiz as many times as necessary to achieve this score. Reading quizzes must be completed by the end of each week. You are required to take 12 out of the 15 available reading quizzes and will NOT be given an opportunity to make them up. If you would like to take more than 12 quizzes, only your highest 12 grades will count. The final exam will be cumulative but will stress the second half of the semester. I will give you study guides for each

week’s readings so that you will know what to focus on, and will also give you review guides for the midterm and final exams.
3) IMPORTANT TEST AND EXAM POLICIES:
 Do not flirt with the clock during tests and exams. Each test will be available during a twoday window—usually 8am Thursday to just before midnight the following Friday—on the dates listed on the course schedule below. Once you begin, you will have a time limit of 15 minutes for each of the tests, an hour for the midterm exam, and two hours for the final exam. If you run out of time and the test closes before you are done, you will receive credit for the questions you have answered correctly, but otherwise you’re out of luck.
 You are expected to plan your time around the test and exam dates and times. They are not subject to change unless there is a campus-wide or regional emergency. You are given this information well in advance—along with a two-day time period during which the tests are available—and should schedule your time accordingly. (HINT: Use Google
Calendar or a similar app to help you keep track of all your test and due dates for all of your classes.)
 If you do not have a fast enough or reliable enough internet connection at home, you
are expected to come to campus to take tests in a computer lab. Remember that most of campus is closed on Friday afternoons.
 I will schedule a makeup test or midterm exam for you for full credit ONLY in cases where you or an immediate family member has a genuine, documented severe illness or emergency. This includes issues surrounding pregnancy and childbirth, military duties, and disaster-response duties (i.e., if you are in the National Guard and get activated, or if you work in a hospital during a regional emergency). Forgetting, sleeping late, family vacations or other social events, computer problems, having difficulties with your work schedule, etc. are
NOT valid excuses for not taking tests during the time period allotted.
 If you miss a test or the midterm exam without a valid reason as listed above, you will be given an opportunity to make it up with a 20% off late penalty during our final exam period.
 I will NOT give makeups for the final exam except for valid emergencies as listed above.
4) EXCELLENT TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS are absolutely essential for doing well in online courses. Each week’s materials will become available on Moodle early Monday mornings. It is
your responsibility to check our Moodle site every day to remain aware of what coursework is required as the semester progresses. Understand that you must pace yourself, work
independently, and take personal responsibility for getting readings done (in your books and online), watching the required videos, taking notes on what you read and watch, etc. If you’d like to read ahead in the textbooks, you can use the course schedule below. Remember that Moodle keeps a timestamped log of every single thing you do in this course, so I will be able to tell very easily if and when you are accessing the course material.
5) IMPORTANT TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR MOODLE:
 Use Google Chrome. Our tech support people have determined that it works better with Moodle than other browsers. If you don’t have it you can download it for free.
 Do NOT take tests via a wifi connection; use a direct-wired DSL or cable connection.
If you are working at home with a wifi connection, get an Ethernet cable (they’re cheap) and plug your computer DIRECTLY into your router. Don’t even think about trying to take a test at

a coffee shop or someplace similar where the internet connection is likely to blip out occasionally. Wifi normally has “hiccups” as the signal fluctuates. If this happens during a test and you lose your connection you will have a big problem!!
6) Your FINAL GRADE in this class is in fact your final grade. It is NOT subject to negotiation after the fact and you will NOT be given any opportunities to earn extra credit. I will only make changes to your grade if you can clearly demonstrate that I have made a mistake in calculating the grade. You are expected to monitor your grades on Moodle as the semester progresses and to remain aware of how well (or not) you are doing in class at all times. You do have the right to contest a grade if you feel that you have been treated unfairly according to the conditions laid out in this syllabus; contact the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice directly for more information.
***I CANNOT HELP YOU WITH TECH SUPPORT.***
I am a sociologist, not an IT guru. If Moodle freezes up on you during a test, let me know right away and tell me exactly what is happening; if you are having a legitimate technical problem I may be able to reset the test for you. Otherwise, there is NOTHING I can do if you are having computer, internet, or Moodle-related problems except wish you luck. Go to support  student support in the menu at the top of your Moodle page, and contact the appropriate tech support personnel instead as soon as a problem emerges—do NOT wait until the middle of a test to try and find help.
1) YOU WILL BE HELD TO THE SELU HONOR CODE. Instances of cheating or plagiarism will be taken seriously and may result in an F for the assignment or exam in question, and/or other disciplinary action.
2) IF YOU HAVE ANY CONDITIONS OR DISABILITIES that require special arrangements or assistance, please advise me of them immediately so that we can make sure you are properly accommodated throughout the semester. If you are a qualified student with a disability seeking accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you are required to self-identify with the Office of Disability Services, Room 117, Mims Hall. No accommodations will be granted without documentation from the Office of Disability Services.
3) EMAIL IS THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT ME. Feel free to call me directly, too, but please avoid leaving voicemail messages as I am less likely to see them right away. I’m more than happy to answer questions, address concerns, etc. as they come up. (Do NOT wait to tell me if you have a problem. I will NOT be able to help you fix issues at the last minute.) Also feel free to stop by my office during my listed office hours (or make an appointment), but if you need to do more than say hello, please let me know when you’re coming via email first so that I can make sure we have enough time to talk.

4) IF WE HAVE AN ICE STORM, HURRICANE, or other regional or campus-wide emergency, we will endeavor to continue class on schedule (since we are already online anyway!), so if you are able, continue following the syllabus and keeping up with the readings and tests as usual. I will make reasonable accommodations for anyone who is directly impacted by a storm or other emergency (including health care workers, those serving in the National Guard, etc. who may be called in or activated). KEEP ME INFORMED of your situation should this occur.
5) CHECK YOUR SELU EMAIL AND OUR MOODLE SITE DAILY for reminders and announcements.
1) As stated above, I am glad to answer questions or discuss anything related to class via email.
Feel free to send me any items you run across online that you think may be of interest to me or to the class.
2) I will generally respond to emails within a few hours (often sooner if you mail when I’m already online) on weekday mornings and afternoons, but my response time may be longer on days when I am in the classroom or when I have a lot of meetings, etc. Please do NOT expect a quick response late at night or on weekends, breaks, or holidays.
3) Please tell me which class and what section you are in when you write so that I’ll know what you’ve been studying and will be able to easily find your information in my gradebook if necessary.
4) I will occasionally email links or articles of interest to the entire class via Moodle. Unless I indicate otherwise, these are not “required” reading, but it will be to your advantage to pay attention to them, as they will be sent with the intention of giving you additional background knowledge on course materials or a heads-up regarding relevant current events.
Anything labeled “reader” is in the Introductory Sociology Reader; “ES” is the Experience Sociology textbook. Please note that you will have a LOT of additional readings and/or videos posted on
Moodle each week that are NOT listed here.
WEEK 1: Jan. 13-15
How are humans similar to other animals? What makes us different?
Readings: Charon, “What Does It Mean to Be Human?” (reader)
WEEK 2: Jan. 19-22
How are private troubles connected to public issues? What do sociologists study?
Readings: Mills, “The Promise” (reader)
ES Ch. 1 pp. 4-7 and 21-27 AND ES Ch. 2 pp. 32-39

WEEK 3: Jan. 25-29
What is culture? How and why are cultures created and transmitted? Who decides and enforces our cultural values?
Readings: ES Ch. 3, “Culture”
Miner, “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema” (reader)
Thurs. 1/28 – Fri. 1/29: TEST 1
WEEK 4: Feb. 1-5
How much freedom do we really have to act on our own? In what ways does social structure control and limit our individual behavior?
How do the groups and organizations in which we are all embedded influence our own behavior? Do people in our society really think for themselves, or do we basically just do what we're told?
Reading: ES Ch. 4, “Social Structure” AND ES Ch. 7, “Interaction, Groups, and Organizations”
***Feb. 8-12: MARDI GRAS!!***
WEEK 5: Feb. 15-19
What does it mean to be powerful? How is empowerment different from domination? How is power related to social inequality?
Reading: ES Ch. 5, “Power”
WEEK 6: Feb. 22-26
How does socialization teach us how to survive in society? Who socializes us and why?
How is what kids are able to do and understand related to their age and to their stage of
development?
Reading: ES Ch. 6, “Socialization”
Thurs. 2/25-Fri. 2/26: TEST 2
WEEK 7: Feb. 29-Mar. 4
Can we really improve our life circumstances strictly through our own efforts? How much inequality do we really have in our society? What role should the government play in ensuring that people’s basic needs are met?
Reading: Ch. 9, “Class and Global Inequality”
WEEK 8: Mar. 7-11
What roles do political parties and the military play in creating government power?
What do labels like "conservative" and "liberal" and "libertarian" really mean? really a purely capitalist society?
Are we
Reading: ES Ch. 16, “Politics and the Economy”
***MIDTERM EXAM Thurs. 3/10-Fri. 3/11***
WEEK 9: Mar. 14-18
How does our education system work (or not)? What are its true goals? Why do we have so much inequality in the American education system? What are the consequences of this inequality, particularly in terms of employment opportunities?
Readings: ES Ch. 13, “Education and Work”
Mutari and Lakew, “Class Conflict” (reader)

Kozol, “Savage Inequalities” (reader)
WEEK 10: Mar. 21-24
Do “races” really exist or did we just make them up? How is ethnicity different from race, and where do they overlap?
Readings: ES Ch. 10, “Race and Ethnicity”
Wed. 3/23 – Thurs. 3/24: TEST 3
***March 25-April 1: SPRING BREAK***
WEEK 11: Apr. 4-8
What is the difference between sex and gender, and why is this difference so important to understand? Why do we still have so much violence against women in our culture? To what extent have things improved for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people?
Readings: ES Ch. 11, “Gender and Sexuality”
Boswell and Spade, “Fraternities and Collegiate Rape Culture” (reader)
WEEK 12: Apr. 11-15
What effects do our families have on our lives and our relationships? Is there any such thing as a "normal" family? Does a family have to be structured a certain way to be loving and functional?
Readings: ES Ch. 12, “Family and Religion,” pp. 316-329
WEEK 13: Apr. 18-22
What are some of the positive and negative functions of religion? Are modern societies getting more religious, less religious, or some of both?
Readings: ES Ch. 12, “Family and Religion,” pp. 329-341
Thurs. 4/21 – Fri. 4/22: TEST 4
WEEK 14: Apr. 25-29
What do social scientists mean by “deviance”? How do media portrayals (or lack thereof) of different kinds of people influence our ideas about our bodies, what we think of as
“deviant,” and our patterns of consumption?
Readings: ES Ch. 8, “Deviance” and Ch. 14, “Media and Consumption”
WEEK 15: May 2-6
How do the places where we live affect our personal lives and our life chances? How are environmental problems and health issues related to how humans organize themselves into different kinds of communities?
Readings: Ch. 15, “Communities, the Environment, and Health”
******FINAL EXAM: Mon. 5/9 – Tues. 5/10*****