| SOC 108 SYLLABUS Fall 2002 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY Dr. Rob Benford [rbenford @ siu.edu] 3398
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This course is designed to provide you with an overview of the discipline of sociology. Sociology explores some of the ways social scientists explain human behavior. In contrast to psychology, sociology shows how the structure and collective experience of groups influence how people live. Among characteristic questions are: Why are some people wealthy and others poor, and how does this mold their lives and views of one another? How are adult roles developed, and how are children brought up to occupy them? Why do conflicts develop between groups within a society, and how can they be managed? Why do societies designate some behavior as “deviant,” and how are individuals recruited into deviant patterns of behavior? By grappling with these questions, you should develop an appreciation of differences between groups and of the complexities of social life. B. COURSE OBJECTIVES SOC 108 is a University Core Curriculum Course which counts as a Section II course. Following satisfactory completion of this course, you will be able to: (a) demonstrate knowledge of basic sociological concepts about social processes (e.g., socialization, deviance, social control, and stratification by class, gender, and race) and social institutions (e.g., the family, religion, and the state); (b) summarize theoretical or explanatory arguments in sociology; (c) apply these arguments to contemporary events or personal experience; and (d) display knowledge of cultural, class, religious, and other differences within and between societies.
You are expected to attend lectures, read the assigned texts, write two brief papers, and complete four exams. 1. Required Texts: Sociology: Your Compass for a New World, by Robert J. Brym and John Lie. 2003. Thompson/Wadsworth. Wadsworth Classic Readings in Sociology, 2nd ed., by Eve Howard. 2002. Wadsworth. 2. Optional Text: Study Guide for Your Compass for a New World, by Michael P. Perez. 3. Reading Assignments: The lectures and readings are organized so as to complement and supplement each other. You are therefore expected to remain current with the reading schedule (see p. 3) in order to gain maximum benefit from the lectures. On the schedule, chapter numbers refer to the main text. Authors’ names refer to essays from the Classic Readings. 5. Exams: There will be four in-class exams during the semester. They will consist of a mixture of multiple choice and true-false questions. The exams will include material from lectures and the assigned readings. Each exam will be equally weighted (worth 100 points each). The fourth exam will not be comprehensive. The fourth exam will be given only during finals week according to the University Exam schedule. This means you will be required to take your final exam at the following time and with the class in which you are officially registered. Please do not request to take it at a time other than according to the schedule. All make-up exams will be given after you have taken your final exam. 6. Writing Assignments: There will be two short (3-5 pages) papers worth 50 points each. The paper assignments and due dates will be distributed in class. D. GRADING AND POLICIES 1. Final Grades: Four-fifths of your final grade in the course is based on four equally weighted, in-class examinations. Each exam is worth 100 points. An additional 100 points can be earned from the writing assignments. Final grades are determined by combining the points earned from exams and the writing assignments, and referring to the following scale:
2. Make Up/Late Policy: Grades on papers and exams will be reduced by 10% per calendar day you submit them late. Make-up exams and make-up assignments are allowed only if you have a written, excused absence approved by Professor Benford, Ms. Hines, or Mr. Coleman. Make-up exams will only be given during the period scheduled for final exams (see attached schedule). All make up exams will be essays. 3. Cheating: All SIUC policies regarding plagiarism and academic dishonesty will be upheld in this course. A grade of “0” will be recorded for all works in which you were found to have been involved in any acts of academic dishonesty. If you are not familiar with the definitions and consequences of cheating or with your rights, refer to your Student Conduct Code, see an academic advisor, or ask me. 4. Grade Appeals: Any student who believes that she or he has been graded
unfairly may appeal that grade following standard university procedures.
Certain procedural rights are guaranteed to all students charged with
academic dishonesty who are subject to disciplinary action. These rights
are outlined in the Student Conduct Code. COURSE SCHEDULE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS Date Chapters Lecture Topics I. CORE CONCEPTS II. SOCIAL DIFFERENTIATION AND INEQUALITY III. SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS IV. SOCIAL CHANGE |