SOCAN 201: Introduction to Sociology
Fall 2015
Allegheny College
Tuesday-Thursday 1:30-2:45 pm
Oddfellows 221
Instructor: Rehenuma Asmi, Ph.D.
Email: rasmi@allegheny.edu
Office: Oddfellows 113c
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 1-3 PM and by appointment
Office Phone Number: 814-332-2794
Course Description and Objectives
This course is an introduction to sociology, a discipline that emerged from a desire to study the social world in a
rigorous manner and to discover if there are laws and rules that govern our lives. C. Wright Mill’s notion of a
“sociological imagination,” in which we look beyond the individual level of “personal troubles” to understand the
“public issues” at stake, encapsulates the ethos of sociology. In keeping with this ethos, we will analyze the
interplay between individual agency and social structure, debating and deliberating the implications for our
practical everyday lives. The course is designed to make you think deeply about yourself and the world around
you. As we explore the life course of human beings (birth, early adulthood, marriage and death), we will cover
content matter that should challenge you to rethink the world around you. Topics such as schools, families, crime,
racism, sexism and social stratification get to the heart of who we are as individuals and how we build societies.
I will make the case that a sociological perspective is fundamental to understanding the social structures we exist
within as well as the role of the individual in shaping society. Whether you will become a teacher, go into
business, law or medicine, sociology can give you tools to understand different cultures, individuals and
institutions. The material we will explore is rich, but you will need to be prepared to discuss the readings,
documentaries and case studies. You and your peers will create a classroom collective in which we can explore
social issues found in real world contexts such as Allegheny College, national politics and international contexts.
This class is not only an exercise of your mental muscle, but your capacity to make connections to others and to
understand that our individual social conditions shape the way we see the world. Therefore, I will ask that you
uphold the Allegheny statement of community and engage in respectful dialogue and discussion in the classroom.
Personal Commitment to the Statement of Community
Allegheny students and employees are committed to creating an inclusive, respectful and safe residential learning
community that will actively confront and challenge racism, sexism, heterosexism, religious bigotry, and other
forms of harassment and discrimination. We encourage individual growth by promoting a free exchange of ideas
in a setting that values diversity, trust and equality. So that the right of all to participate in a shared learning
experience is upheld, Allegheny affirms its commitment to the principles of freedom of speech and inquiry, while
at the same time fostering responsibility and accountability in the exercise of these freedoms.
We will be covering topics that are sensitive and personal throughout this course. I ask that each of you remember
Allegheny College’s statement of community during these discussions as well as your own personal commitment
to creating a classroom environment that supports all learners. I encourage you to think carefully about the
content in this course and how it intersects with your life. If there is any way I can support you in the learning
process, please let me know. I am available during office hours and via email. I believe life is our biggest teacher, if
we are willing to learn from it.
Course Objectives:

Learn how sociologists think, read and write

Understand the theories, methods and concepts sociologists use to do their work

Apply sociological concepts to personal, public and institutional issues

Reflect on your assumptions, biases and narratives about yourself and others and how they play out in
interpersonal interactions

Understand how to apply sociology in order to address social issues such as crime, education,
discrimination, poverty and globalization
Learning Objectives:
 Understand sociological research methods
 Understand and apply sociological theories
 Understand and apply sociological terms and concepts
 Apply sociology to solving practical social problems
 Understand the relevance of sociology to their lives here at Allegheny and beyond
Required Texts
Giddens, A., Duneier, M., Appelbaum, R. & Carr, D. (2015). Essentials of Sociology (5th Edition). New York: W.W.
Norton and Company. (Loose leaf available in bookstore, paperback, e-book versions available on their website) .
Your textbook also comes with great online videos, quizzes and resources.
Additional readings and videos will be available on the Sakai course page
Requirements
Classroom participation and Attendance (20 %)
Your participation is a must and will be based on your attendance as well as contributions to class discussion. You
will be asked to lead discussion twice in the semester, once during a documentary day and another during a
regular class period. On all other days, prepare for class discussion by trying to summarize the readings, come up
with your own examples and connect readings and ideas from one week to the next. As you read required texts,
take notes and think about what is striking in the text, what causes you difficulty, what looks to be out of place,
what provokes questions, etc. A rubric for class participation will be posted on Sakai and participation grades will
be given twice in the semester (mid-term and end of the year).
Narrative of your Name (15%)
Your first major assignment will help you understand how sociologists look at big data and draw relationships
between larger social trends and individual choices such as naming a baby. You will interview your parents, look
up name databases and read sociological research on baby names. Then you will analyze, from a sociological
perspective, what social factors played a role in your naming. You will be required to cite and quote any material
you take from sources in APA citation style. The final product should be between 3-4 pages, double spaced and 12
point font. Resources will be available on Sakai to help you with this assignment.
Documentary Days (10%)
On one of the five documentary days, you will be assigned to post a blog of 500 words about the documentary two
days prior to the class meeting the documentary will be discussed on. For ideas on how to frame questions and
issues sociologically, review your textbook as well as the everydaysociologyblog.com. Sociologists approach
contemporary social issues such as the Duggar child abuse scandal and graduation from college by thinking about
things in larger social contexts, such as cross-culturally or across social classes. When you lead discussion, ask
your peers to compare perspectives across cultures, social classes or belief systems. This will be an opportunity for
you to practice creating and asking sociological questions. The documentaries will be available in Sakai and a
rubric for your discussion leadership will be on the sakai site.
Unit Studies (25 %)
Unit study will serve as a review of course readings and an opportunity to apply terms and concepts in arenas
such as family life, politics, schools and the economy. The unit study will consist of 3-5 questions that will cover
the readings from the textbook as well as the documentary and short reading assigned on Documentary Days.
Each study will be between 4-5 pages.
Final Paper and Presentation (30% = 20% for paper, 10% for presentation)
Your final paper will be an opportunity to explore a topic from our course more in depth. This culminating
assignment will illustrate your ability to use your sociological imagination and use sociological research materials
such as databases, surveys and studies. I will ask you to meet with me to discuss your initial ideas in early
November. You will also be presenting on your topic of choice in a 5 minute presentation at the end of the
semester. The paper should be 5-7 pages, double spaced 12 point font and utilize sources from scholarly journals
and books to answer a sociological question. Rubrics and resources will be provided for both as we get closer to
the date.
Extra Credit
Extra credit will be offered throughout the semester in the form of attendance at lectures, events and functions
that relate to the course content.
Your grades will be available in Sakai in the following format:
20%
Class Participation
1.
Midterm Participation Grade (30%)
2.
Final Participation Grade (30%)
3.
Discussion leadership (20%)
10%
Documentary Day Discussion Post and Leadership
15%
Narrative of Your Name (3-4 pages)
25%
2 Unit Studies (each worth 50 points, 4-5 pages each)
10%
Final Presentation (5 minutes)
20%
Final Paper (5-7 pages)
100%
Final Grade
Attendance , Student Disabilities and Technology
Students are responsible for all material covered due to an absence. Students must make prior arrangements if
they know they will miss an exam. If you believe that you will miss a substantial number of class sessions (more
than three), please speak to me at the beginning of the semester. If you have more than three unexcused absences
you can expect to see your final grade drop a full letter grade.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, all qualified students enrolled in this course are entitled to
“reasonable accommodations.” If you have a documented disability and wish to receive academic
accommodations, I welcome you to discuss this with me and please contact John Mangine in the Learning
Commons (332-2898, john.mangine@allegheny.edu), in order to request accommodations.
It should go without saying that students should be attentive in class and refrain from using technology
inappropriately. Use of mobile phones or laptops for messaging is not permitted. Please ensure that your phone is
on silent or turned off before the start of class.
Writing and Late Assignments Policy
All papers or exams written outside of class are to be typed, double-spaced, with page numbers, references, and
bibliography in APA citation style. An assignment that is handed in late will be deducted a letter grade for each
day. You may have already purchased A Writer's Reference—this text is very helpful in providing a standard on
which to model your papers and exams. See further guidelines and rubrics for writing on the Sakai course
website.
Academic Integrity
Please take time to familiarize yourself with the code, which you can find on page 5 of the Allegheny College
Catalogue. Note in particular the description of plagiarism, which is perhaps the most often violated stricture,
sometimes because students do not know what it is. You can learn more about plagiarism by reading materials at
http://webpub.allegheny.edu/dept/writingcenter/Links/plagiarism.htm
If any evidence leads me to believe that you have violated the Honor Code, I am obligated to send a report to the
Honor Committee asking them to investigate. Ultimately, the Honor Committee and the College Judicial Board will
decide whether the Code has been violated and, in those cases where it has, recommend a sanction.
You will find a complete description of the judicial process under College Policies in the student handbook, The
Compass, which you should already have received and which you can find online at
http://www.allegheny.edu/campus/policies/handbook.php
Also checkout Everyday Sociology blog on how to avoid plagiarism:
http://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2011/05/writing-sociology-papers-how-not-to-plagiarize.html
Grading Rubrics
Rubric for Class Participation
A participation is marked by its active nature, its consistency, and its quality. An A participant doesn't wait to
respond to questions that the professor poses but initiates discussion by coming prepared with questions,
ideas, observations about the reading assigned that day. This participant will also be consistently engaged in
class discussion, always letting us know that she/he has engaged the reading thoroughly and thoughtfully.
Finally an A participant will not try to substitute quantity of participation for quality (being consistent is not
the same thing as dominating a discussion). To earn the highest grade for your participation, you will want to
make it possible for others to participate productively too (this is not a competition); thus, habits such as
interrupting others and taking up too much conversational space will harm your grade. It will also do you no
good to participate if you haven't done the reading. I expect participation to be firmly grounded in careful and
thoughtful reading. As the A reader reads, she or he prepares to participate in a class discussion with other
readers.
A B for class participation is awarded to students who participate regularly and productively in class
discussion, who are prepared, and who are willing to engage. B discussants differ from A students in that the
latter are self-starters who do not rely on the instructor's questions to set the agenda for discussion. This level
of class participation will also communicate clearly to me that you have done the reading for the day and that
you have done it thoughtfully. This level will also include productive discussion habits, such as engaging the
ideas of others, not dominating, listening carefully, etc.
A C for class participation is awarded to those who participate on a regular, but less frequent basis than the B
student. C discussants will be prepared for class, but their contributions will indicate that less thought has
been given to assigned materials. A C grade for participation means that you have contributed in an average
way to the discussion.
A D for class participation is given to those who contribute infrequently to the discussion and whose
contributions do not appear to arise from thoughtful consideration of the assignments.
An F is given for non-participation in class discussion. Of course, participation is impossible if you don’t attend
class. Frequent absences mandate F grades.
Rubric for Written Assignments:
A grade of A designates excellent work that meets or exceeds the expectations for an assignment and shows
creativity and careful analysis of the material under discussion. The work shows mastery of the concepts and
issues involved in the discussion, and is well-written, grammatically correct, and free from typographical and
other errors.
A grade of A- designates work that meets the expectations for an assignment and demonstrates some
creativity and good analysis of the material under discussion. The work is well-written, grammatically correct,
and free from typographical and other errors.
A grade of B+ designates work that meets the expectation for an assignment and demonstrates some
creativity in developing a central thesis and its supporting arguments. The work is generally well-written, but
may include some infelicities of expression or grammatical errors. The work is free from typographical and
other careless errors.
A grade of B designates work that is above average. The work demonstrates understanding and some
command of the concepts and issues involved. The work includes a well-developed central thesis with
supporting arguments. The work is generally well-written, but may include several small errors or flaws,
including typographical and other careless errors.
A grade of B- designates work that is above average, but shows some shortcomings in formulation of a central
thesis or the use of argumentation. Although there may be some promising ideas, they are not fully developed
or extended to fruitful conclusions. The work is generally well-written, but there may be some problems with
vocabulary, grammar, or clarity.
A grade of C+ designates work that is average, but indicates some development of ideas or arguments in
promising directions. The work is satisfactory insofar as it fulfills the basic criteria of the assignment, but it
does not go far beyond those minimal requirements. The writing presents some difficulties in regard to clarity,
and may use colloquial vocabulary and style.
A grade of C designates work that is satisfactory and fulfills the basic criteria of the assignment, but without
real development of ideas or arguments. The writing presents some difficulties in regard to clarity due to
grammatical or other errors, and shows only minimal evidence of editing by the author.
A grade of C- designates work that is barely satisfactory. It may just fulfill the basic criteria of the assignment
but does not develop ideas or arguments. The writing presents difficulties due to grammatical or other errors,
and shows no evidence of editing or revision by the author.
A grade of D designates work that is substandard. It does not meet the basic criteria of the assignment in at
least some respects, and demonstrates little understanding of major concepts and issues involved in the
discussion. The writing presents difficulties because of basic deficiencies in composition.
A grade of F designates work that fails to meet the basic criteria of the assignment. It neglects one or more
major aspects of the assignment, demonstrating a basic misunderstanding of the concepts and issues involved
in the discussion. The writing may be so flawed as to make it very difficult for a reader to understand the
content. The work shows minimal thought and care in its preparation.
I would like to acknowledge Glenn Holland, Eric Boyton and Susan Slote for their role in the creation of these
rubrics.
Grades will be assigned according to the following distribution:
A (≥93%), A- (90-92.9%) B+ (87-89.9), B (83-86.9), B- (80-82.9)
C+ (77-79.9), C (73-76.9), C- (70-72.9) D+ (67-69.9), D (60-66.9) F (≤59.9)
Schedule for the Semester: This is a guideline for us, not a strict road map. We may veer off course if needed, but
return to the general schedule that is outlined.
Week
Unit 1:
Introduction
Unit 2:
Social
Construction
of the
Individual
Date
8/25
Day of
Week
T
Topic
Readings
8/27
Th
9/1
T
Syllabus, Introduction to the
course and to each other
Sociology: Theory and
Methods
Culture and Society
Chapter 1
9/3
Th
Documentary Day
9/8
T
Socialization, the Life
Course and Aging
9/10
Th
Chapter 4
9/15
T
Social Interaction and
Everyday Life in the Age of
the Internet
Groups, Networks and
Organizations
Documentary Day
Chapter 6
Zimbardo’s “Prison
Experiment”
Chapter 7
9/17
Unit 3:
Inequality and
Deviance
Unit 4:
Gender, Race,
Ethnicity
9/22
Th
Conformity, Deviance and
Crime
9/24
T
9/29
Th
Stratification, Class and
Inequality
Global Inequality
10/1
T
Documentary Day
10/6
Th
“What’s in a name?”
10/8
10/13
10/15
Th
T
Th
Gender Inequality
Fall Break, No Class
Ethnicity and Race
Assignments
Chapter 2, Miner’s
“Body Ritual among the
Nacirema”
Watch documentary
Babies
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
Watch documentary 42
Up and read Goffman’s
“Presentation of Self in
Everyday Life”
Chapter 8, Read “The
Scarcity Fallacy”
Watch documentary
“Poor Kids”
Name article, Narrative
of your Name
Assignment
Chapter 9
Chapter 10, “Explaining
Unit 1 and 2 Study
Due
Unit 5: Social
Institutions
Sociology in a
Changing
World
and Eliminating Racial
Profiling”
Watch “The House I Live
In”
10/20
T
Documentary Day
10/27
T
10/22
Th
Gator Day: Attend
Programming
Families and Intimate
Relationships
10/29
11/3
11/5
Th
T
Th
Education and Religion
Politics and Economic life
Documentary Day
11/10
T
Chapter 14
11/12
Th
The Sociology of the Body:
Health, Illness and Sexuality
Urbanization, Population
and the Environment
11/17
T
Chapter 16, Waters, We
Aren’t the World
11/19
11/2430
12/1
12/3
12/8
Th
Th
Globalization in a Changing
World
Student chosen topic
Thanksgiving Break
12/11
Fri
T
Th
T
RSEs, Student Presentations
Student Presentations
Student Presentations
Wrap Up
Final Paper Due
Unit 3 and 4 Study
Due
Chapter 11
Read an article from the
Modern Love Column of
the New York Times
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Watch documentary
“American Promise”
Narrative of Your
Name Due
Chapter 15
Final Paper Due