Sociology Syllabus------

Sociology 1113.01
Introduction to Sociology
Fall 2008

Lectures: Tuesday & Thursday 9:30am-10:45am (DAH 209)

Professor: Lawrence Murray, Ph.D.
Office/Phone: Gaylord Hall 2nd Floor/ (405) 425-1852
E-mail: Lawrence.Murray@oc.edu
Office Hours: M,W 11:00-12:30---2:00-4:00pm and by appointment

**You are responsible for knowing the information in this syllabus**


Course Description and Goals: This course is an introduction to sociology as a way of understanding the world. Sociology is a field of study that explains social, political, and economic phenomena in terms of social structures, social forces, and group relations. I will introduce you to the field by focusing on several important sociological topics, including socialization, culture, the social construction of knowledge, inequality, race and ethnic relations, poverty, and political sociology. You will leave this course with:
*An understanding of the three main sociological perspectives;
*An understanding of several important sociological theories;
*The ability to apply these perspectives and theories to contemporary social problems;
*Insight into the critical link between social structures, social forces and individual circumstances;
*Insight into how you shape society and how society shapes you.


Required Readings: The readings for this semester include two custom textbooks and a set of readings accessible through my course web page. The URL for this web page is listed above. The username and password for the readings are socy1001 and downey, all in lower case letters.

Lecture outlines: Lecture outlines and important definitions are also accessible through the course webpage. To access the outlines and definitions, click on the course topic headings in the second half of the syllabus.

Lecture Hall Expectations and Behavior: You are responsible for knowing the material and announcements presented during lectures and recitations whether or not you attend class. Please arrange with another student to get missed notes and announcements. Please do not disrupt other students’ ability to hear lectures (e.g., do not arrive late or leave early, remain quiet during lectures, be prepared to take notes before lectures begin, do not read or talk during lecture, sit in a seat, do not begin packing your belongings before class ends).

The University has a classroom behavior policy, which can be found at the following website: http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html . Students are required to adhere to the behavior standards listed in this policy document and to refrain from disrupting class.

Both students and faculty are expected to abide by the University’s honor code, which can be found at the following website: http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/ . Cheating and plagiarism are taken very seriously and are grounds for failure in this course. To plagiarize is to use another’s words as your own, without proper attribution given to the original author.
Course Assignments: In addition to your reading assignments, you will take a midterm exam, a final exam, and 10 open-book quizzes. You will also write a short paper with two of your classmates. The quizzes will be held in the recitation sections and will cover material from the readings.

Your final course grade will be calculated as follows:

ASSIGNMENT EXAM DATE/DUE DATE TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS
Short Paper Tue., Sept. 27th 100 points
Midterm exam Thur., Oct. 20th 100 points
Final Exam Mon., Dec. 12th 100 points
Quizzes Throughout the semester 100 points (10 per quiz)

The final exam will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 12th

Calculating your final grade

360-400 points = A- – A
320-360 points = B- – B+
280-320 points = C- – C+
240-280 points = D- – D+
0-240 points = F

*Please note that the short paper and quiz assignments are both part of your recitation grade. Thus, your recitation grade is worth 50% of your final grade. TAKE THE RECITATIONS SERIOUSLY.

**NO EXTRA CREDIT IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS COURSE. NO EXCEPTIONS.**

The quizzes: You will take 10 open-book quizzes throughout the semester (the quizzes have no set date). In order to do well on the quizzes be sure to do each week’s readings before recitation, highlight important points in the reading, and bring each week’s reading materials to recitation. The quizzes cannot be taken early or late. There is no make up for any of the quizzes.

The Midterm Exam: The midterm exam must be taken on the day and time, and in the place (Chem 140, 11:00-11:50) that it is scheduled. The midterm exam cannot be taken early or late. There is no make up exam for the midterm. The midterm will be a multiple choice, short answer, and essay exam. The material on the exam will be drawn from lectures, recitations, and the required textbook readings (quiz questions may also appear on the midterm).

The Final Exam: The final exam is REQUIRED and must be taken on the day and time, and in the place (Chem 140) that it is scheduled. The final exam cannot be taken early or late. There is no make up exam for the final. The final exam will be a multiple choice, short answer, and essay exam. The final exam is a COMPREHENSIVE EXAM covering all the lectures, recitations, and required readings for the entire semester (quiz questions may appear on the final exam). ***Students who do not take the final exam will fail the course. NO EXCEPTIONS.***

The Short Paper: This assignment will be discussed in detail in your recitation section.


The Recitations: Recitation requirements will be discussed in detail in your recitation section.

* TAs will return all the assignments to you in recitation. They will also explain how the assignments were graded.

Questions about course grades: Questions about grades (and other course-related matters) should first be addressed to your TA since she/he determines your grade and has your records. Please contact Professor Downey if, after talking with your TA, you still have any questions about your grades or the course.

Doing well in this class: In order to do well in this class, it is important that you a) attend all the lectures and recitations and b) take thorough and detailed lecture and recitation notes. It is also critical that you do the reading. Doing the reading will help you to better understand lectures and recitations and will help you do well on the quizzes and exams.

I WILL NOT NEGOTIATE GRADES. THE TAs WILL NOT NEGOTIATE GRADES.

Additional Information
*Lectures and recitations may not follow the topics in the readings.
*Not all reading topics will be covered in the lectures and recitations.
*Lectures may go into greater or lesser depth on a topic than do the readings.


Lecture will be cancelled on the following University holidays: October 13th and November 24th. Some recitation section classes will also be cancelled due to university holidays. Check with your TA for these dates.

Disability Accommodation Letter
Disability Services (DS) is charged with the responsibility of determining accommodations for students with disabilities. Please contact that office NOW if you with to request accommodations. You are expected to discuss arrangements for accommodations (and provide a letter of determination from DS) with Professor Downey at least two weeks before the accommodation is needed, e.g., two weeks before an examination.


**COURSE TOPICS AND READING ASSIGNMENTS**

***Do not print the on-line readings early because we may skip some readings***

The two custom textbooks are:
Anderson & Taylor, Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society.
Neubeck and Glasberg, Selected Material from Sociology: Diversity, Conflict, and Change.


WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?


Lecture outline 1A

Lecture outline 1B
Week 1 (Aug. 22): Neubeck, pages 2-21 (The page numbers for the Neubeck readings refer to the numbers in the top left and right-hand corners of the textbook).

Week 2 (Aug. 29): Neubeck, pages 22-66.
Andersen, pages 98-110.

Week 3 (Sept. 5): Andersen, pages 10-37.


THE THREE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES

Lecture outline 2
Week 4 (Sept. 12): Anderson, pages 1-9 and 38-67.

Week 5 (Sept. 19): Anderson, pages 68-97.
On-line: “What is Culture and What Does It Do For Us?”


DEVIANCE

Lecture outline 3
Week 6 (Sept. 26): Anderson, pages 124-163.

Week 7 (Oct. 3): On-line: “The Saints and the Roughnecks”.

Week 8 (Oct. 10): On-line: “A Crime By Any Other Name”.

Week 9 (Oct. 17): EXAM WEEK (No Reading).


BUREAUCRACY AND GLOBAL INTERDEPENDENCE

Lecture outline 4

Week 10 (Oct. 24): Anderson, pages 110-117.
Neubeck, pages 71-76 (77-80 optional).
On-line: “An Appeal to Walt Disney.
On-line: “Circle of Poison”.


STRATIFICATION (INEQUALITY)

Lecture outline 5A

Lecture outline 5B

Lecture outline 5C
Week 11 (Oct. 31): Anderson, pages 164-197.
On-line: (optional) “Economic Apartheid in America”, chapter 1

Week 12 (Nov. 7): Neubeck, pages 157-172.


POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT

Lecture outline 6

Week 13 (Nov. 14): Neubeck, pages 122-155.
On-line: “Amazing Grace”.
(optional): Re-read Anderson, pages 188-195.


RACE AND ETHNICITY

Lecture outline 7A

Lecture outline 7B
Week 14 (Nov. 21): Anderson, pages 198-231.

Week 15 (Nov. 28): On-line: Ain’t No Makin’ It (selected pages)
On-line: American Apartheid (chapter 1)


POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS & DEMOCRACY

Lecture outline 8
Week 16 (Dec. 5): Neubeck, pages 88-121.