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: Is 21st century technology harming the development of children?  Gender vs. Sex  Disney and Gender Stereotypes  The Media and Sexuality  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: STATUS & ROLES IN ADULTHOOD – MARRIAGE, FAMILY, & WORK

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:  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.  What is the American family?  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  The Unequal Distribution of Wealth in America: Is it fair?  Overt vs. Institutional Racism in the United States  Race and policing in America: Is there a problem? (Film: Do the Right Thing)  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)  A Global Perspective on Solving America’s Problems with Social Inequality (Film: Where to Invade Next?)

Assessment for UNIT IV:  Lab Project: Can You Survive Poverty?