Instructor:
Address:
Email:
Office Phone:
Office Hours:
Annette Nierobisz
234 Leighton Hall
anierobi@carleton.edu
(507) 222-4114
Tuesdays 1:15-2:45pm, Wednesdays 3:30-5:00, or by appointment
SOAN 111: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
(Leighton 330)
“The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between
the two within society. That is its task and its promise.”
- C. Wright Mills.
Course Objectives: This course is designed to introduce you to the ‘study of society’ and to what
Mills called the “sociological imagination”: a way of locating in socio-historical context the events,
relationships, and social phenomena that shape individual lives and the collective experience. In
the next ten weeks we will explore both the major theoretical issues and methodological
approaches that constitute sociological inquiry. Topics include socialization, stratification and
inequality, race and ethnicity, families, and education. Throughout the course, emphasis will be
placed on using the lens of the sociological imagination to interpret the issues we will confront. In
doing so, our goal is to unpack the ways in which we have constructed society and how society has
in turn shaped us.
Student Learning Outcomes: The Department of Sociology and Anthropology has specified six
student learning outcomes (SLOs) that we want students to acquire. In this course, our focus is on
the following SLOs:
 Learning how to connect information about historical and contemporary socio-cultural
phenomena;
 Formulating appropriate sociological research questions about social phenomena;
 Selecting appropriate sociological research methods to study socio-cultural phenomena;
 Applying sociological theory to analyze socio-cultural phenomena.
Required Course Materials: A series of journal, magazine and newspaper articles are found on Ereserve (password: soan), JSTOR, ProQuest, and the New York Times website. The following books
are also required:
Beamish, Rob. 2010. The Promise of Sociology: The Classical Tradition and Contemporary
Sociological Thinking. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Gladwell, Malcolm. 2008. Outliers: The Story of Success. New York, NY: Little, Brown, and Company.
Lareau, Annette. 2003. Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life. Berkeley, CA: University of
California Press.
Roy, William G. 2001. Making Societies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
You are responsible for obtaining and reading copies of this material BEFORE class. Please be an
active and critical reader – we will all benefit if you engage the readings and bring your thoughts to
class, along with copies of the articles.
Requirements and Evaluation: Your grade in this course will be determined by your performance
on the following criteria:
Mid-term test (25 points). There will also be a mid-term test, which will be held on May 4. The test
will consist of a mix of short-answer and essay questions and it will be used to assess your
understanding of the concepts we discuss and the research we review. The May 4 date is firm – no
last-minute special accommodations will be provided for students who, for whatever reason, are
unable to write the test on this date.
Assignment 1 (35 points). The first assignment involves an analysis of your personal biography
from a sociological perspective and it will be completed in three parts that will be submitted on
April 12 (at 5pm), May 6 (at 10am), and June 6 (at 5pm) consecutively. Please place your papers in
my SoAn mailbox.
Assignment 2 (15 points). The second assignment requires you to examine a specific topic in the
U.S. census from a sociological perspective. It will involve an in-class group presentation on a
census topic of your choice.
Moodle Posts (15 points). Students will also be asked to submit their reflections on course readings
to the class Moodle. A total of THREE reflections will be submitted in the latter half of the term and
each reflection is worth 5 points (four Moodle post opportunities are provided; pick three). Moodle
posts will be graded as if they were mini-tests. Thus, in addition to reflecting on the material, you
will also demonstrate that you have completed all of the readings assigned for the particular
Moodle post.
Class Participation (10 points). Given that student participation is vital to the learning experience,
class participation will be considered when computing your final grade. This part of the grade is
based on a combination of involvement in the class and professional conduct in the classroom. I
encourage you to share your thoughts and insights during class discussions, even if you are
uncertain or nervous about doing so. Doing so will facilitate a lively and animated class, which
makes for a wonderful learning experience from which we will all benefit. Students are, however,
asked to refrain from using computers, cell phones, and other technology during class time. Please
also note that I expect all students in the class to be present, both in body and mind. Students who
miss more than two classes are not viewed as living up to this expectation and will therefore
lose their entire class participation points.
Grade Range: A = 90% and above; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D = 60-69% ; F = 0-59%
2
COURSE OUTLINE
Part One: Sociology as the Study of Society
3/28-4/1:
What is Sociology?
3/28 Readings:
 Beamish, “Introduction”
 Beamish, “Chapter 1: The Millennials, Knowledge, and Culture.”
 “Discoveries: New and Noteworthy Research.” Contexts 10(1): 6-11 (E-reserve).
3/30 Readings:
 Roy, “Constructing Historical Reality” (p. 1-29 in Making Societies)
 Gladwell, “Introduction: The Roseto Mystery.”
 Berger, P. 1963. “Sociology as an Individual Pastime.” Pp. 1-24 in Invitation to
Sociology. Garden City, NY: Anchor Books (E-reserve).
4/1 Readings:
 Lareau, “Appendix A. Methodology: Enduring Dilemmas in Fieldwork”
 American Sociological Association and the Law and Society Association. 2011.
Amici Curiae Brief: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Betty Dukes, et al. (available at
http://www.asanet.org/images/press/docs/pdf/Amicus_Brief_WalMart_v__Dukes_et_al.pdf)
 Durkheim, E. 1908/1982. “The Method of Sociology.” Pp. 245-247 in The Rules
of Sociological Method. New York: The Free Press (E-reserve).
 “A National Ceremony.” Contexts 10(1): 12-18 (E-reserve).
4/4:
The Sociological Imagination
 Mills, C. Wright. 1959. “The Promise.” Pp. 3-24 in The Sociological Imagination.
London: Oxford University Press (E-reserve).
 Beamish, “Chapter 2: The Sociological Imagination: Beyond ‘Everyday Stocks of
Knowledge.’”
 Gladwell, “Chapter 1: The Matthew Effect.”
4/6:
Applying the Sociological Imagination to the U.S. Census
(Note: class will meet in Library 306)
 Anderson, Margo J. and Stephen E. Fienberg. 1999. “Chapter 1: Prologue.” Pp. 110 in Who Counts? The Politics of Census-Taking in Contemporary America. New
York: Russell Sage Foundation (E-reserve).
 Anderson, Margo. 2008. “The Census, Audiences, and Publics.” Social Science
History 32(1): 1-17 (E-reserve).
3
4/8,11:
The Founding Fathers of Sociology: Karl Marx
4/8 Readings:
 Beamish, “Chapter 3: Marx and the Dialectic of Dynamic, Unstable Social
Formations”
 Marx, K. 1867/1987. “The Secret of Primitive Accumulation;” “Expropriation of
the Agricultural Population from the Land;” “Bloody Legislation Against the
Expropriated, from the End of the 15th Century. Forcing Down of Wages by Acts
of Parliament.” Pp. 667-693 in Capital. New York: International Publishers (Ereserve).
4/11 Readings:
 Beamish, “Chapter 4: Marx, The Communist Manifesto, and Modernity”
 David McMillen, 2009. Revolution is in the Air: The American Census. Carleton
College Convocation (available at:
http://apps.carleton.edu/news/audio_video/?item_id=501799&av_file_id=5017
91).
Assignment 1, Part 1 is due on April 12 at 5pm in my SOAN mailbox.
4/13,15:
The Founding Fathers of Sociology: Emile Durkheim
4/13 Readings:
 Beamish, “Chapter 5: From Descartes to Durkheim: Towards a Science of
Society”
 Beamish, “Chapter 6: Durkheim and the Systematic Study of Social Facts”
4/15 Readings:
 Durkheim, E. 1983. “Crime and Punishment.” Pp. 59-75 in S. Lukes and A. Scull
(eds.) Durkheim and the Law. New York: St. Martin’s Press (E-reserve).
 Pager, D. 2003. “The Mark of a Criminal Record.” American Journal of Sociology
108: 937-975 (available at JSTOR).
4/18,20:
The Founding Fathers of Sociology: Max Weber
4/18 Readings:
 Beamish, “Chapter 7: Weber and the Interpretive Understanding of Social
Action”
 Beamish, “Chapter 8: The Spirit of Capitalism, Modernity, and the Postmodern
World”
 Weber, M. 1946. "Characteristics of Bureaucracy." Pp. 108-114 in Charles
Lemert (ed.), Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO:
Westview Press (E-reserve).
4/20 Readings:
 Ritzer, G. 2000. “McDonaldization and its Precursors.” Pp. 21-39 in The
McDonaldization of Society. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press (E-reserve)
(posted in the same e-reserve as “Efficiency”).
4


Ritzer, G. 2000. “Efficiency.” Pp. 40-61 in The McDonaldization of Society.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press (E-reserve) (posted in the same e-reserve
as “McDonaldization and its Precursors”)
Weed, Julie. 2010. “Factory Efficiency Comes to the Hospital.” The New York
Times, July 9, 2010, online (available at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/business/11seattle.html?src=me&ref=h
omepage)
Part Two: The Individual and Society
4/22:
Socialization I: Becoming a Social Being
 Cooley, Charles Horton. 1901/2010. “The Looking-Glass Self.” P. 189 in Charles
Lemert (ed.), Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO:
Westview Press (E-reserve).
 Mead, G.H. 1934/2010. “The Self, the I, and the Me.” Pp. 224-229 in Charles
Lemert (ed.), Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO:
Westview Press (E-reserve).
 Van Ausdale, D. and J.R. Feagin. 1996. “Using Racial and Ethnic Concepts: The
Critical Case of Very Young Children.” American Sociological Review 61: 779-793.
(available at JSTOR).
4/25,27:
Socialization II: Becoming a Gendered Being
4/25 Readings:
 Roy, “Gender” (p. 110-155 in Making Societies).
 Friedan, Betty. 1963/2010. “The Problem that has no Name.” Pp. 361-364 in
Charles Lemert (ed.), Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings.
Boulder, CO: Westview Press (E-reserve).
 Coontz, Stephanie. 2011. “The Unliberated 1960s.” Pp. 1-18 in A Strange
Stirring: The Feminine Mystique and American Women at the Dawn of the 1960s.
New York: Basic Books (E-reserve).
 Park, Sangyoub. 2011. “A 21st Century Gender Revolution.” Contexts 10(1): 5859 (E-reserve).
4/27 Readings:
 Martin, K.A. 1998. "Becoming a Gendered Body: Practices of Preschools."
American Sociological Review 63: 494-511 (available at JSTOR).
 Messner, Michael. 2000. “Barbie Girls Versus Sea Monsters: Children
Constructing Gender.” Gender and Society 14: 765-784 (available at JSTOR).
4/29:
Presentation One: Gender Troubles in the U.S. Census
 Presser, Harriet. 1998. “Decapitating the U.S. Census Bureau’s ‘Head of
Household’: Feminist Mobilization in the 1970s.” Feminist Economics 4(3): 145158 (E-reserve).
5/2:
MID-TERM BREAK
5
5/4:
MID-TERM TEST
Part Three: Social Structures and Institutions
5/6, 9:
Stratification, Class and Inequality
5/6 Readings:
 Roy, “Class” (p. 156-184 in Making Societies).
 Gladwell, “Chapter 2: The 10,000-Hour Rule.”
 Coleman, J.S. 1988. “Social Capital in the Creation of Human Capital.” American
Journal of Sociology 94: S95-S120 (available at JSTOR).
Assignment 1, Part 2 is due on May 6 at 10am in my SOAN mailbox.
5/9 Readings:
 Bourdieu, Pierre. 1990/2010. “Structures, Habitus, Practices.” Pp. 444-449 in
Charles Lemert (ed.), Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings.
Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
 Lareau, “Chapter 1: Concerted Cultivation and the Accomplishment of Natural
Growth.”
 Lareau, “Chapter 2: Social Structure and Daily Life”
 Lareau, “Appendix B: Theory: Understanding the Work of Pierre Bourdieu”
 MOODLE POST: If you were a census enumerator, what would the 5/9
readings tell you about the nature of stratification, class and inequality in
American society? Post is due at 8am on 5/9.
5/11:
Presentation Two: Counting Communities in the U.S. Census
 Anderson, Margo and Stephen E. Fienberg. 1999. “Counting the Population in
1990.” Pp. 100-129 in Who Counts? The Politics of Census-Taking in
Contemporary America. New York: Russell Sage Foundation (E-reserve).
 Seelye, Katharine Q. 2011. “Detroit Census Confirms a Desertion Like No
Other.” The New York Times March 22, 2011, online (available at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/us/23detroit.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&hp
w=&adxnnlx=1300892321-Fb9jJblrWslej5eicSjApQ)
5/13:
Families and the Reproduction of Social Class
 Gladwell, “Chapter 3: The Trouble with Geniuses, Part I”
 Gladwell, “Chapter 4: The Trouble with Geniuses, Part II”
 Lareau, “Chapter 3: The Hectic Pace of Concerted Cultivation”
 Lareau, “Chapter 4: A Child’s pace: Tyrec Taylor”
 Lareau, “Chapter 5: Children’s Play is for Children: Katie Brindle”
 MOODLE POST: If you were a census enumerator, what would this set of
readings tell you about the nature of families and the reproduction of social
class in American society? Post is due at 8am on 5/13.
6
5/16:
Presentation Three: Counting Families in the U.S. Census
 Bryson, Ken and Lynne M. Casper. 1999. Co-resident Grandparents and
Grandchildren. Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau (available at
http://www.census.gov/prod/99pubs/p23-198.pdf).
5/18:
Race and Ethnicity
 Roy, “Race” (p. 74-109 in Making Societies)
 Gladwell, “Chapter 7: The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes”
 Saulny, Susan. 2011. “Counting by Race Can Throw Off Some Numbers.” The
New York Times, February 9, 2011, online (available at
http://www.nytims.com/2011/02/10/us/10count.html?scp=1&sq=counting%
20by%20race%20can%20throw%20off%20some%20numbers&st=cse
 MOODLE POST: If you were a census enumerator, what would this set of
readings tell you about the nature of race and ethnicity in American society?
Post is due at 8am on 5/18.
5/20:
Presentation Four: Race and the U.S. Census
 Chew, Kenneth, David Eggebeen and Peter Uhlenberg. 1989. “American
Children in Multiracial Households.” Sociological Perspectives 32(1): 65-85
(available on JSTOR).
5/23:
Race and Ethnicity Continued
 Gladwell, “Epilogue: A Jamaican Story”
 Lareau, “Chapter 6: Developing a Child” Alexander Williams”
 Lareau, “Chapter 7: Language as a Conduit for Social Life: Harold McAllister.”
5/25:
Schools, Education, and Social Class
 Gladwell, “Chapter 9: Marita’s Bargain”
 Lareau, “Chapter 8: Concerted Cultivation in Organizational Spaces: Stacey
Marshall”
 Lareau, “Chapter 9: Concerted Cultivation Gone Awry: Melanie Handlon”
 Lareau, “Chapter 10: Letting Educators Lead the Way: Wendy Driver”
 Lareau, “Chapter 11: Beating with a Belt, Fearing ‘the School’: Little Billy Yanelli”
 MOODLE POST: If you were a census enumerator, what would this set of
readings tell you about the nature of schools, education and social class in
American society? Post is due at 8am on 5/25.
5/27:
Presentation Five: Measuring Educational Attainment in the U.S. Census
 U.S. Census Bureau. 2002. The Big Payoff: Educational Attainment and Synthetic
Estimates of Work-Life Earnings. Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau (available
at http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/p23-210.pdf)
7
5/30:
Presentation Six: Measuring Occupational Status in the U.S. Census
 Anderson, Margo. 1988. “Counting the Unemployed and the Crisis of the Great
Depression.” Pp. 159-190 in The American Census: A Social History. New Haven:
Yale University Press (E-reserve).
6/1:
Returning to the Sociological Imagination
 Beamish, “Chapter 11: The Promise of Sociology”
 Lareau, “Chapter 12: The Power and Limits of Social Class”
Assignment 1, final is due on June 6 at 5pm in my SOAN mailbox.
8