MR. SINK’S SOCIOLOGY – COURSE SYLLABUS
Key Theme/Concept for Course = sociological perspective
Essential Questions for Course:
1. What does it mean when sociologists talk about a sociological
perspective?
2. How does the sociological perspective effect how sociologists work
and research?
3. In what ways can we apply the sociological perspective to our own
lives to help us improve the society we live in?
UNIT I: THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF SOCIETY
Essential Questions for UNIT I:
1. What is culture? What is a society? What is the difference between the two according to
sociologists?
2. Is it right for people to judge a different culture based on the values of their own
society?
3. What is the role and purpose of religion in society? Would humanity be better off, or
worse off, without religion?
Topics Covered in UNIT I:
 Cliques and School Social Groups (Film: Mean Girls)
 Group Project: Survivor Sociology Style
 Definition of society and its necessary characteristics (Film: Lord of the Flies)
 The Five Components of Culture
 Case Study: The Millennial Generation vs. China’s Next Generation
 Ethnocentrism vs. Cultural Relativism
 Case Study: Cultural Variation – preindustrial rites of passage
 Debate: FC or FGM?
 Social Structure– Statuses and Roles
 Social Institution: Religion
Assessment for UNIT I:
 Lab Project: The Blackboard Jungle
UNIT II: WHAT MAKES YOU WHO YOU ARE?
Essential Questions for UNIT II:
1. How does our sense of self emerge, and what theories have been put forth to
explain the process of socialization?
2. To what extent does mass forms of media influence the development of our
attitudes and behavior?
3. What is the origin of our gender roles and behaviors in society – biology or
socialization?
4. What are the problems facing American education and what can be done to solve
them?
Topics Covered in UNIT II:
 Personality Development – Nature “via” Nurture
 Case Study: Feral Children
 Debate: Gender or Sex Roles?
 Social Institution: Education
 School Reform in America: Do we need to make our schools better? Why? How?
 School Violence: Why does it occur? (Film: Elephant)
 Case Study: Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Newtown
Assessment for UNIT II:
 Lab Project: Soundtrack of Your Life
UNIT III: THE INDIVIDUAL IN SOCIETY – A ROAD MAP THROUGH LIFE
Essential Question(s) For UNIT III:
1. What expectations does our society place on individuals during each stage of an
individual’s life? What are the positive and negative aspects of these
expectations?
2. In what ways has the idea of marriage and family changed in America over the
past fifty years? What are the benefits and consequences of these changes?
3. What is the difference between a job and a profession? Why is work such an
important social norm for adults in American society?
Topics Covered in UNIT III:
 Group Project: The Game of Life
 Social Institution: Marriage and the Family
 Contemporary Dating Patterns in America
 Case Study: The Decline of Marriage in the West and East
 Case Study: Non-traditional marriage practices around the world.
 Debate: Is Marriage still a necessary social institution?
 What is the American family?
 Family, culture, and bonds of obligation
 Social Institution: Economy and Work
 Case Study: Studs Terkel’s Working
Assessment for UNIT III:
 Lab Project: Tying the Knot (Mock-Marriage Simulation)
UNIT IV: SOCIAL INEQUALITY, DEVIANCE, CRIME, & SOCIAL CHANGE
Essential Questions for Unit IV:
1. What are the factors that explain the unequal distribution of social rewards amongst
individuals in our society?
2. What obligations, if any, do the “haves” have toward the “have-nots” in our society?
3. Does a connection exist between the unequal distribution of social rewards and societal
problems such as deviance and crime?
4. What’s the difference between overt and institutional racism? To what extent can we
find these forms of racism in contemporary America?
5. What changes, if any, are needed in our criminal justice system in the United States?
Topics Covered in UNIT IV:
 The Poverty Crisis in the United States: Causes and Effects
 The Unequal Distribution of Wealth in America: Is it fair?
 Debate: Should the U.S. Government raise the minimum wage?
 Overt vs. Institutional Racism in the United States (Case Study: The Flint Water Crisis)
 Race and policing in America: Is there a problem? (Case Study: Ferguson)
 The Criminal Justice System in America (Case Study: The Prison Industrial Complex)
 Futuristic Crime Fighting in the United States: Making us safer or violating our right to
privacy? (Case Study: Camden, NJ)
Assessment for UNIT IV:
 Lab Project: Can You Survive Poverty?
UNIT V: THE CHANGING SOCIAL WORLD
Essential Questions for Unit V:
1. What problems and challenges does our increasingly global society face in the 21st
century?
2. What will society be like by the Year 2100?
Topics Covered in UNIT V:
 Globalization and the Postmodern Society: Good or Bad?
 Potential social challenges posed by environmental and demographic change (Film:
Earth 2100)
Assessment for UNIT IV:
 Group Project: Earth 2100
FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT: Can You Survive Poverty?