Introduction to Sociology- SOCI 101
Fall 2015
12:10-1:00pm MWF- MCG 210
Instructor:
Dr. Megan Bahns
Email: megan.bahns@mso.umt.edu
Phone: 406-243-5353
Office: Social Sciences 315
Office Hours: M/W 10am-11am, Tuesday 1-2pm and by appointment
*note regarding email: When emailing me please indicate in the subject heading the name of the
class you are in (Intro to Soc). If emailing me to set up an appointment time, please also clearly
indicate this in the subject heading.
Course Description:
“The sociological imagination,” C. Wright Mills wrote, enables us to “understand the larger
historical scene in terms of its meaning for the inner life and external career of a variety of
individuals.” Sociology, in short, focuses on how social forces influence our lives as individuals,
and, how we as individuals create and maintain the social world around us. This course explores
how social structure influences individual chances for success in life, and how society influences
individual persons.
This course is an introduction to the broad range of topics encompassed in the “science of
society.” Students will be exposed to key sociological theories, as well as major sociological
concepts such as culture, social structure, socialization, deviance, social institutions, and social
inequalities such as social class, race/ethnicity, and gender. Examples will be drawn from
various cultures within the United States and will also be drawn from other contemporary
societies.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Identify and critique the core theoretical perspectives and methodologies for
explaining and studying social phenomena.
2. Define and explain the unique orientation of sociology--the “sociological
imagination.”
3. Explain how the individual is integrated into society.
4. Explain how social order is maintained.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of various social forces such as culture, social
structure, socialization, social change, deviance, social class, race/ethnicity, gender,
and social institutions.
6. Demonstrate, both orally and in written work, an ability to analyze material
covered in class in an informed and objective manner.
7. Compare and contrast the society of the United States with other
contemporary societies.
8. Use critical thinking and analysis to demonstrate how the course material
relates to his/her own life, community, and society.
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Required Readings:
Sociology Readings: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life, 10th Ed. Editors: David M.
Newman, Jodi A. O'Brien, and Michelle Robertson ISBN-10: 1452275777
SOC 101 Readings- Bahns- available on Moodle
Recommended Reading:
Recommended: Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life, Brief Edition. 2014.
Fourth Edition. by David M. Newman ISBN-10: 1452275874
Course Requirements:
Two Exams:
Participation Activities:
Group Evaluation
70% (35% each)
20% (4 @ 5% each)
10%
Tests: (2 @ 35% ea.)
The purpose of testing is to allow me to assess your understanding and retention of the readings,
course discussions, and main course concepts. These tests will take place during class time.
Participation Activities (20%)
The point of these activities is to DO sociology and be active learners. Five participation
activities will be offered throughout the semester. I will be assigning you to a group to work
with. In your groups you are to complete 4 out of the 5 participation activities together (you can
pick which four want to complete). I will explain more about these in class. There will be no
make-up activities and no late assignments will be accepted.
Group Evaluations (10%)
It is expected that every group member will contribute to the participation activities. I will grade
your assignments throughout the semester; however, you will also have an opportunity to grade
the people in your group. This will help to keep people accountable to their group and also give
me some idea if everyone is contributing to the assignments. I will post the evaluation sheet on
Moodle and I will collect these at the end of the semester when the last participation activity is
due.
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Final Grades
Course grades will be computed using the following scale: (Please note that course grades are not
rounded up to the next letter grade)
A (93.00 & up)
B+ (87.00-89.99)
C+ (77.00-79.99)
D+ (67.00-69.99)
A- (90.00-92.99)
B (83.00-86.99)
C (73.00-76.99)
D (63.00-69.99)
B- (80.00-82.99)
C- (70.00-72.99)
D- (60-62.99)
F (less than 60.00)
Expectations:
Reading:
The course is highly reading intensive. I expect that you will have read and understood (to the
best of your ability) the assigned readings prior to coming to class. Some of the readings are
fairly easy to comprehend, while others are more difficult. One of the most important things that
you can do for the course is to spend significant time reading and attempting to understand the
material. I recommend that you read your material well in advance, and save time to read the
material twice should one time be insufficient.
Academic Integrity
The UM Student Conduct Code holds students accountable for the integrity of the work they
submit. Students should be familiar with the Policy and know that it is their responsibility to
learn about instructor and general academic expectations with regard to proper citation of
sources in written work. The policy also governs the integrity of work submitted in exams and
assignments as well as the veracity of signatures on attendance sheets and other verifications of
participation in class activities. Serious sanctions can result from academic dishonesty of any
sort. All students must be aware of and carefully adhere to the provisions defining and
prohibiting academic misconduct in the UM Student Conduct Code. A full version is available at
http://www.umt.edu/vpsa/policies/student_conduct.php
I am adamantly opposed to any form of academic dishonesty. This includes doing work that is
not your own (tests, etc.), as well as forging signatures on the sign-in sheet. Failure to provide
proper citations and attribute thoughts, words, or ideas to their original source constitutes
plagiarism and makes you liable for sanctions from the instructor and/or the university. If it
becomes apparent to me that you have cheated on an exam, plagiarized, or been otherwise
dishonest academically, you may fail the course. Plagiarizing work or cheating on exams results
in failure of the assignment, and can be brought to the proper venues of the University as a case
of academic dishonesty.
Students with Disabilities:
The University of Montana assures equal access to instruction through collaboration between
students with disabilities, instructors, and Disability Services for Students. Students who may
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need academic accommodations due to a disability are encouraged to discuss their needs with the
instructor at the beginning of the semester. If you think you may have a disability adversely
affecting your academic performance, and you have not already registered with Disability
Services, please contact Disability Services in Lommason Center 154 or (406) 243-2243.
Accommodations and related support services such as exam administration are not provided
retroactively and must be requested in advance.
Classroom Environment:
I expect that you will view the classroom as a place to learn and not as a place to text, sleep, take
phone calls, talk to your classmates about issues unrelated to class, read a magazine, or do the
crossword puzzle. No cell phone activities or laptop use permitted during class time unless
otherwise directed by me. If it appears that you are viewing the classroom as anything other
than a place to learn about the subject matter of the course, I consider this disruptive and
disrespectful (to both me and your classmates), and I will ask that you leave the class.
Furthermore, if you are only in class in body and not in mind, you will not get credit for having
attended class.
PERSONAL ATTACKS AND CRITICISMS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. ANY STUDENT
THAT IS NOT RESPECTFUL OF THEIR FELLOW STUDENTS WILL BE ASKED TO
LEAVE.
Do not email me the weekend before an exam. I will not respond. Please ask questions in class,
attend office hours, or make an appointment if you want help. If a student will not be able to take
an exam on time, prior notification of the professor is required. Make-up exams will only be
considered in extreme circumstances and appropriate documentation MUST be provided.
Failure to provide prior notification can result in the student receiving zero points for that exam.
Note: I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus.
Finally,
Let’s have fun with this class!
Course Schedule: (N)=In Newman Reader (R)=Course Reading On Moodle
MONDAY
Wednesday
Friday
4
MONDAY
Wednesday
Week 8/31
9/2
1
Introduction to Course Sociological Imagination
What is sociology? The
Terrible and Magnificent
Lesson Begins
Friday
9/4
Seeing and Thinking
Sociologically
Kelman and Hamilton- The
My Lai Massacre (N)
C. W. Mills- The Sociological
Imagination (N)
Chambliss- The Mundanity
Allan Johnson- The Forest, the of Excellence (R)
Trees and the One Thing (R) Recommended- Newman
Week 9/7
No Class
2
Recommended- Newman
textbook chapter 1
textbook chapter 2
9/9
9/11
Culture
Miner- Body Ritual Among the Participation Activity
Nacirema pg. 77 (N)
Mernissi- Size 6 (R)
Recommended: Newman
textbook chapter 4
5
MONDAY
Week 9/14
3
Socialization
Messner- Boyhood,
Organized Sports and
the Construction of
Masculinity (R)
Wednesday
Friday
9/16
9/18
Family
Film
The Radical Idea of Marrying
for Love (N)
Mommy Tax (R)
Messner- Barbie Girls
and Sea Monsters (R)
Be prepared to discuss
questions posted on
Moodle
Recommended- Newman
Chapter 7
Recommended-Newman
textbook Chapter 5
Participation Activity
DUE
Week 9/21
4
Film
9/23
9/25
Film
Deviance
Read page 195-196 in
Newman
Guinier and TorresWatching the Canary pg.
197 (N)
Bourgois- Breaking rocks
in El Barrio (R)
Recommended- Newman
chapter 8
6
MONDAY
Wednesday
Friday
Week 9/28
5
Deviance
Medicine as an
institution of Social
Control (Only read
pages 1-10, stop at
section Medicalization
of Deviance and Social
Policy) (R)
9/30
Mass Media/Popular Culture 10/2
Julie Schor- The Overspent
American (R)
Participation Activity
Schor- Born to Buy (R)
Healing (Disorderly)
Be prepared to discuss
Desire: MedicalTherapeutic Regulation questions posted on Moodle
of Sexuality (N)
Be prepared to discuss
questions posted on
Moodle
10/7
Week 10/5
6
Media/Popular Culture Test One
10/9
TBA
Adolescent Masculinity,
Homophobia, and
Violence (R)
Due: Participation
Activity
Test Review
7
MONDAY
Week 10/12
View Threads
7
Wednesday
Friday
10/14
10/16
Work and Organizations
Participation activity
Ritzer- McDonaldization of
Society (R)
Greider- These Dark Satanic
Mills (N)
Be prepared to discuss
questions posted on Moodle
Recommended- Newman
chapter 9
Week 10/19
8
Social Class
Participation Activity
10/21
10/23
Social Class
Social Class
Karl Marx- the communist
manifesto (R)-Note: just read
the first 12 pages of the PDF
file
Kozol- Savage Inequalities
(R)
Palast- No Child's Behind
Left: The Test (R)
Recommended Newman
Chapter 10
Participation Activity Due
10/26
Race
Week
9
10/30
10/28
Participation Activity
Race
Peggy McIntosh- White The New Jim Crow (R)
Privilege and Male
School Shootings and White
Privilege (R)
Denial- Tim Wise (R)
Fences and Neighbors
(R)
White like me
Recommended Newman
Chapter 11
8
MONDAY
Week 11/2
10
Sex and Gender
Wednesday
11/4
Friday
11/6
Sex and Gender
Williams- Still a Man’s
Participation Activity
World: Men Who Do
Gloria Steinam- If men could
“Women’s Work” (N) menstruate (R)
When did girls start
Fausto-Sterling-A
wearing pink? (R)
Conversation (R)
Recommended Newman
Chapter 12
Participation Activity
Due
Week 11/9
11
Sexuality
11/11
Braun- The “Fair” Deal
(R)
Veterans Day- No Class
Participation Activity
Due
11/13
Sexuality
Dobinson- Confessions of
an identity junkie (R)
Paul Halsall - A History of
Heterosexuality? (R)
Martin RochlinHeterosexual Questionnaire
(R)
Week 11/16
11/18
12
Power and Knowledge- The Carceral
Constructing “truths”
11/20
Reread The Carceral and be
prepared to discuss it
Foucault- The Carceral
(R)
9
MONDAY
Wednesday
Friday
11/25
11/27
Week Buffer Day
13
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Week 11/30
14
The Environment
12/2
12/4
Global Dynamics and
Population Trends
Social Change
11/23
Bill Mckibben: Global
Warmings Terrifying
New Math (R)
Steingraber: The Myth
of Living Safely in a
Toxic World (R)
Love and Gold (N)
India’s Reproductive Assembly Audre Lorde- The Master’s
Tools will never dismantle
Line (N)
the Masters House (R)
Eitzen- The Atrophy of
Social Life (R)
Recommended Newman
Chapter 13
Week 12/7
15
Test Review
The Terrible and
Magnificent LessonReally Begins
Be prepared to discuss
questions posted on
Moodle
Recommended Newman
Chapter 14
12/9
12/11
Test two
Last class
10