SOUTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE South Portland, ME 04106 Social Science Department Spring 2017
Course Title: Introduction to Sociology Course Code: SOCI 100 Credit Hours: 3 Contract Hours: 45 Instructor: Dr. Matthew Day Contact [email protected] Office Hours: available via email
______Course Syllabus Course Description: This course is offered online via Blackboard.
Introduction to Sociology presents fundamental concepts and theories covering many areas of contemporary sociology. This course analyzes the influence of social and cultural factors upon human behavior in such areas as culture, socialization, groups, deviance, sexuality, stratification, race, gender, economics, family, religion, and the environment. Social dynamics and social institutions will be explored, coupled with the ever-present issues of social change and the impact of these changes on society and the individual. Prerequisites: none Corequisite(s): ENGL-050, ENGL-075
Course Objectives Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: 1. Define sociology as a discipline and explain its history, and how it is distinct from and related to other disciplines. 2. Explain how sociology is a science and become familiar with the research methods used by sociologists, including different research designs, limitations of research findings, and ethical principles. 3. Demonstrate an understanding of the subject matter of the field of sociology, including the major theoretical approaches, vocabulary, and research findings of sociology. 4. Demonstrate an understanding of how social inequality, stratification, and the social constructions of race, ethnicity and gender operate within society. 5. Understand and apply sociological concepts to personal, social, and organizational issues by developing a “sociological imagination.” 6. Explain how social structures, groups, and institutions influence and constrain individual agency. 7. Explain ways that social structure may limit or enable life chances. 8. Define culture, cultural relativism, and ethnocentrism, and demonstrate how cultures vary across time, place, and social context. 9. Apply critical thinking skills to the field of sociology by seeking out and challenging common assumptions, identifying and weighing appropriate evidence, evaluating empirically-grounded arguments, and reaching reasoned conclusions. 10. Analyze various social phenomena through the lens of different sociological theoretical perspectives. Learning Outcomes: Critical Thinking: Upon completion of this course students will have: 1-C. Read and demonstrated an understanding of complex ideas by identifying key concepts in the field of sociology. 2-C. Applied theory to practice using problem solving techniques and data analysis. 3-C. Analyzed & evaluated research data to produce a well-reasoned argument or position on an issue. Global Citizenship: Upon Completion of this course students will be able to use sociology concepts to: 1-G. Explain how social interactions are influenced by local, regional, national, and/or global cultures. 2-G. Recognize cultural and individual differences that underlie the complexities of human behavior and social interaction. Required Materials: Manza, J., Arum, R., Haney L., Chibber, V., Duster, R. England, P….Wu, L. (2016). The sociology project: Introducing the sociological imagination. Boston: Pearson. (Second Edition). **NOTE: We will be using Blackboard for our course site**
Course Requirements
Attendance is monitored during the semester. If you miss the first two weeks you will be reported as a No Show to the administration and dropped from the class. If you miss more than two consecutive assignment periods during the semester you will be removed from the class with a grade of AF.
There will be an exam at the end of each chapter. There will be no make-up on weekly exams. You must take these exams when scheduled.
There will be a weekly discussion board activity related to each chapter. In order to receive points for this you must post your response to the question AND post comments on at least two other student postings. This is worth 205 of your grade.
Online Classroom Etiquette: • Sensitive topics may be a part of this class. I expect you to treat your classmates and myself with respect throughout our online discussions. We all have a responsibility to respect each other’s’ opinions and differences.
Students will complete a critical thinking paper that applies concepts from the course to an area of social experience or concern. Students will have the opportunity to rewrite this paper if deemed necessary by the instructor.
Answering Emails and Class Communication: **Note: I will only accept emails from the Blackboard email or your SMCC student email account. I will not read or respond to other personal email addresses.
Course Materials and Blackboard: All course materials, aside from the textbook, can be found on Blackboard. The materials, including power point presentations, supplemental materials, assignments, grades, and quizzes are organized by week. Be sure to check Blackboard and your student email account regularly for announcements. • The best internet browsers to use Blackboard include Firefox and Google Chrome. Internet Explorer does not seem to work as well.
Weekly Quizzes. You will take 16 quizzes. Each quiz will be composed of 20 multiple choice and true/false questions per week. • When taking quizzes and exams, log in through Blackboard, not SMCC. • You will have a 60 minute window for each quiz. • You may use your book and notes during the quizzes, but because of the short amount of time you have to take the quizzes, it is not a good idea to depend too heavily on them. If you spend too much time looking up answers, you will run out of time to complete the quiz. • I highly suggest you complete quizzes at least 24 hours prior to the quiz or exam closing period in case of technical issues. • The quizzes must be completed each week by Sunday evening at 11:59pm.
Student Evaluation and Grading
Course grade criteria will be determined as follows:
Weekly exams = 40% Discussion board assignments = 20% Information Literacy assignment = 20% Critical thinking paper = 20%
Plagiarism Statement Adherence to ethical academic standards is obligatory. Cheating is a serious offense, whether it consists of taking credit for work done by another person or doing work for which another person will receive credit. Taking and using the ideas or writings of another person without clearly and fully crediting the source is plagiarism and violates the academic code as well as the Student Code of Conduct. If it is suspected that a student in any course in which s/he is enrolled has knowingly committed such a violation, the faculty member should refer the matter to the College’s Disciplinary Officer and appropriate action will be taken under the Student Code of Conduct. Sanctions may include suspension from the course and a failing grade in the course. Students have the right to appeal these actions to the Disciplinary Committee under the terms outlined in the Student Code of Conduct.
To assist you in understanding plagiarism please read the explanations below: Quotations: When someone repeats a passage or statement word for word you are quoting another person. When you quote someone in your paper without acknowledgement, you have plagiarized their work. Quotations must be designated and cited usually by placing quotation marks around the repeated statement.
Paraphrasing: Paraphrasing is when a person restates a passage while keeping the essence or central idea of the original passage and only altering its form or substituting other words. This technique is useful when avoiding stringing direct quotes together. If you present the idea as your own and/or do not properly cite the original source it is considered plagiarism. The way to avoid this situation, the first include the information about the author in the text i.e. “according to Cox (2013),” or “as suggested by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services."
Additional Cautions: Buying or submitting papers or exams by another person is a very serious form of plagiarism and will result in an “F” for the course.