Sociology 1: Introduction to Sociology (Online)
Dr. Jake Alimahomed-Wilson
Fall 2015
Class Time & Location:
ONLINE Course #0970
Email:jake.wilson@csulb.edu
Pierce College
“Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger
generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice
of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and
discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.”
– Foreword to Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Friere
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Study human behavior through an understanding of social organization: the role of culture, the
development of personality, the function of group life and social institutions, the social processes and
social interaction, factors in social change and collective behavior. Transfer Status: Transferable to
UC/CSU, see counselor for limitations
INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE:
This course will provide an introduction to the field of sociology by examining different aspects of
society and critically reviewing the different approaches used to explain society, group dynamics, and
individual behavior. Although much of the content in the readings and lectures will focus on
American society, we will frequently use examples from societies around the world in our discussions
and assignments. Some questions that will be explored throughout the course are:
SOCIOLOGY STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs):
1. Students will be able to demonstrate what C. Wright Mills called the sociological imagination; that
is the ability to situate his or her life in a social context and to understand the impact of social forces on
the individual.
2. Assess the dimensions of social stratification based on social class, race/ethnicity, or gender.
3. Compare or contrast how major sociological theories can be used to differently explain the
prevalence of social issues.
4. Explain the sociological approach to the major social institutions, namely economics, politics,
education, religion, and family.
TEXTS AND MATERIALS:
- Conley, Dalton. You May Ask Yourself (THIRD Edition). Publisher: W.W. Norton &
Company
- Additional articles will be posted on the course website in PDF format for download.
SOCIOLOGY 1 OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTATIONS:
Upon completion of the course, you should be able to:
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1. Understand the various concepts and theories of sociology and apply them to everyday social life.
2. Interpret material presented by utilizing a critical thinking method of analysis.
3. Examine the distinctions and differences in human behaviors related to culture, social class,
socialization, race/ethnicity, sex and gender.
4. Explain the dimensions of stratification.
5. Evaluate the impact of the social institutions on human behavior: religion, education, politics,
family, economics, and health care.
6. Explain various forms of deviant and collective behavior, particularly in relation to social change.
7. Explore the world through the use of the sociological perspective and imagination.
Policy on Class Discussions:
The purpose of this course is to expose you to a diversity of ideas, theories and perspectives. I view
this course as providing a safe environment where students can express their views and openly debate
the complicated aspects of these issues. Therefore, I encourage you to discuss these issues in a critical
and open manner in discussions. However, with this openness comes an important responsibility—that
of being respectful of others.
Policy on Cheating/Plagiarism:
Cheating or plagiarism in this course will not be tolerated. The faculty and administration at Pierce
College take cheating and plagiarism very seriously, and penalties for students can range from
receiving a fail for the assignment or course to expulsion from Pierce College.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Deadlines for Assignments:
All assignments each week are due no later than Sunday night at 11:59 PM. We spend a week on each
week’s material (Monday-Sunday), with all assignments (quizzes, discussion, exams, etc.) due no later
than Sunday night (earlier is fine).
Reading Assignments:
You will be expected to complete all reading assignments prior to Monday of each week.
Exams:
There will be one midterm exam and one final essay exam. Students will have one week to complete
their exam. Finished exams must be EMAILED to me: jake.wilson@csulb.edu Make sure to put your
name and “YOUR NAME”-PIERCE in the heading. Your papers should be both pasted in the email
and attached in .doc format or .pdf
Quizzes:
You will be required to take 8 quizzes. Each quiz will test you on that week’s chapter and will consist
of multiple-choice questions. Students are allowed to take the quiz twice during the week. I will take
the higher of your two attempts.
Discussions:
Each student is required to complete all discussions. At the end of the class, you must turn in a
“Discussion Digest.” The discussion digest is a compilation of ALL your discussion participation.
You should email me your discussion digest during the last week of class. The first page should have
your name, and include the number of discussions you completed (for example: if you missed one, you
would say 7/8 discussions completed). Copy and paste all your discussion participation in
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chronological order (starting with Discussion #1). Each of your discussions that you put in the digest
should start on a new page, but the entire document should contain all 8 of them (unless you missed
one, which you would state on page 1). Email me your discussion digest during the end of the
semester (see due date below). Students will turn in their Discussion Digest & final exam essay during
finals week. Email to: jake.wilson@csulb.edu Include YOUR NAME in the subject & LBCC.
Example: “Your Name”, PIERCE
All written assignments (exam and discussion digest), must be EMAILED to Dr. Wilson.
Jake.wilson@csulb.edu
GRADING:
Course grading is based on a total possible 500 points.
Midterm Exams (2 @ 70 points)
Quizzes (8 @ 15 points)
Discussion Digest (8 @ 15 points)
Final Essay
Total Points:
100 points
120 points
120 points
160 points
500 points
Grading Scale:
A (90% - 100%): 450 – 500 points
B (80% - 89.9%): 400 – 449 points
C (70% - 79.9%): 350 – 399 points
D (60% - 69.9%): 300 – 349 points
F (0% - 59.9%): 299 – 0 points
COURSE SCHEDULE:
Week 1: August 24-30
Introduction to the Course & Overview of Sociology
Online Lectures/Videos:
Video welcome to Sociology by Dr. Jake
Discussion Assignment: Introductions to the class
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week 2: August 31 – September 6
The Sociological Imagination / Theories of Sociology
Online Lectures/Videos:
Lecture by Dr. Jake: “Marx’s Theories”
Lecture by Dr. Jake: “Conflict Theory”
Lecture by Dr. Jake: “Weber”
Lecture by Dr. Jake: “Durkheim”
Lecture by Dr. Jake: “Symbolic Interactionism”
Overview by Dr. Jake: “Discussion”
Readings:
Textbook: You May Ask Yourself – Chapter 1 “The Sociological Imagination”
Article: Mills, C. Wright. 2010[1959]. “The Promise.” In Karen Sternheimer (Ed.), Everyday
Sociology Reader (pp. 3-6). New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Week 3: September 7 – 13
Research Methods
Online Lectures/Videos:
Lecture by Dr. Jake: “Methods”
Readings:
Textbook: You May Ask Yourself – Chapter 2 “Methods”
Discussion:
Discussion #2 – Where are You From? Applying Ethnographic Research & Data Analysis to
your Neighborhood.
Assignments:
Quiz #2 – Chapter 2
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Week 4: September 14 – 20
Culture & Media
Online Lectures/Videos:
Lecture by Dr. Jake: “Culture & Media”
Film Clip: Feeding the Hungry, Nourishing the Soul
Readings:
Textbook: You May Ask Yourself – Chapter 3 “Culture and Media”
Discussion:
Discussion #3 – Manufacturing Consent: Propaganda and the News Media
Assignments:
Quiz #3 – Chapter 3
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Week 5: September 21 – 27
Socialization
Online Lectures/Videos:
Lecture by Dr. Jake: “Socialization & the Social Construction of Reality”
Film Clip: The Stanford Prison Experiment
Readings:
Textbook: You May Ask Yourself – Chapter 4 “Socialization and the Social Construction of
Reality”
Discussion:
Discussion #4 – Consuming Kids (Film required for discussion)
Assignments:
Quiz #4 – Chapter 4
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Week 6: September 28 – October 4
Social Control & Deviance Part I
Online Lectures/Videos:
Lecture by Dr. Jake: “Deviance & Social Control”
Film Clip: “The Prison Industrial Complex in America”
Film Clip: “Angela Davis Lecture”
Interview with Sociologist Victor Rios
Readings:
Textbook: You May Ask Yourself – Chapter 6 “Social Control and Deviance”
Articles: Davis, Angela. 2007. “Masked Racism: Reflections on the Prison Industrial
Complex.” In P. Rothenberg (Ed.), Race, Class, and Gender in the United States (pp. 683688). New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.
The Sentencing Project. 2012. “Trends in US Corrections.” www.sentencingproject.org.
Accessed April, 2013.
Discussion:
Discussion #5 – COINTELPRO and the FBI’s War on the Black Panther Party
Assignments:
Quiz #5 – Chapter 6
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Week 7: October 5 – 11
Social Control Part II
Online Lectures/Videos:
Michelle Alexander “Ted Talk” – The New Jim Crow
Readings:
Prisons & Profit
CA Public Education Spending VS. Prison Spending
Lockdown America
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Week 8: October 12 – 18
Midterm Exam
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week 9: October 19 – October 25
Sociological Film Week (No discussion, No quiz, just watch the film)
Film - TBA
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week 10: October 26 – November 1
Gender
Online Lectures/Videos:
Lecture by Dr. Jake: “Gender”
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Film Clip: Killing Us Softly 4 (required for Discussion)
Interview with Sociologist Paula England
Readings:
Textbook: You May Ask Yourself – Chapter 8 “Gender”
Article: Baca Zinn, Maxine, Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotello, and Michael A. Messner. 2004.
“Gender and Sexism.” In M. Anderson and P. Hill-Collins (Eds.), Race, Class, and Gender
(pp. 166-174). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Discussion:
Discussion #6 – Gender & Advertisements
Quiz #6 – Chapter 8
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week 11: November 2 – 8
Gender Part II
Online Lectures/Videos:
Video - bell hooks
Assignments:
Discussion #7 on Dolores Huerta
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Week 12: November 9 – 15
Race - Part I
Online Lectures/Videos:
Lecture by Dr. Jake: “Race”
Lecture by Dr. Jake: “Racism as a Tool to Divide the Working Class”
Film Clip: “Tim Wise talk at USF”
Short Video Clip – James Baldwin “Who is the N….?
Readings:
Textbook: You May Ask Yourself – Chapter 9 “Race”
Discussion:
Discussion #8 – Racial Profiling & Policing
Quiz #7 – Chapter 9
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week 13: November 16 – 22
Race – Part II
Online Lectures/Videos:
Videos: “Brothers & Others” & “Chomsky on Racism, Power, & Dissent”
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week 14: November 23 – 29
Poverty
Online Lectures/Videos:
Lecture by Dr. Jake: “Poverty”
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Lecture by Dr. Jake: “Capitalism and the Economy”
Video Clip – “Wealth Inequality in America”
Video Clip – “Fingers to the Bone”
Readings:
Textbook: You May Ask Yourself – Chapter 10 “Poverty”
Discussion:
Discussion #8 – A Class Divided
Assignments:
Quiz #8 – Chapter 10
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Week 15: November 30 – December 6
Online Lecture/Videos:
Video Clip: Fr. Greg Boyle, Homeboy Industries “Ted Talk”
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week 16: December 7 – 13
Final Essay and all Final Assignments due
Assignments Due:
(1) Discussion Digest: (copy and paste ALL of your discussion participation over the course. You
should copy and paste (make sure it is formatted properly and is readable) in
CHRONOLOGICAL order starting with discussion #1, 2, 3, etc. one ONE single document.
Each discussion should start on a new page. Your name should be on the first page along with
the list of discussions you completed. In other words, say you missed 2 discussions, you would
put I completed 6/8 discussions. Hopefully, all of you will complete all 8 to give yourself
maximum points! Due via email to jake.wilson@csulb.edu (put name in subject and
SOCIO1)
(2) FINAL ESSAY EXAM – I will email you the prompt for the final essay exam. Your 5-page
essay will be based upon the articles and videos you have watched in class. You need to email
(jake.wilson@csulb.edu) me the final exam along with your Discussion Digest. Write “Your
Name” PIERCE in the subject line and both PASTE and ATTACH your essay and digest to the
email.
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