COURSE SYLLABUS SYCHRONOUS ON LINE CLASS

Introductory Sociology Synchronous  On Line Class
Date
Instructor:  Dr. David Weiner

POLICIES REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES


I.  This Syllabus Blackboard and This Class

Your first task in this class is to achieve mastery of this syllabus.  It explains what the course is about, how the class is structured and how students earn grades. Most of the materials you will need to complete assignments can be accessed and downloaded at the START HERE LINK on Blackboard. I shall also post grades and Announcements on Blackboard, and send e-mails to your ACC address from Blackboard.   It is essential that you check Blackboard Announcements and your ACC e-mail daily.  You are required to make use of Office Hours (see Syllabus section IV below) to gain clarification and understanding of whatever you do not understand in the syllabus, or concerning any assignment.  Your first assignment for the semester is immediately  to send me an email verifying that you have read and understood this first paragraph of the syllabus.

II.  Class  Purpose, Structure and Organization

Sociology department objectives  

Like all sociology classes at ACC, this class strives to insure that upon completion students will be able to do the following:

Describe how basic sociological concepts (such as culture, social structure, institutions, socialization, etc. ) can be applied to social situations.

2.   Apply sociological imagination (sociological perspective) to everyday life.

Every assignment involves these objectives. You will (a) learn specific sociological concepts and gain some understanding of how they have been applied by social scientists in the past,  and (b)  imagine how these concepts might be applied today toward understanding historical material and current invents, i.e. the world we live in  — in  a scientific way.  For example, how can we understand racism in the world?  Is it just human nature, whatever that is, or learned behavior, or a combination of these?  Who suffers from it and who benefits from it — and how?  The actual causes and effects underlying racism provide quite surprising conclusions to many people who explore it in a scientific way, using what we shall call sociological imagination.  




B. Class objectives  

Within the framework of the sociology department objectives, this class will specifically challenge students to:

1.  Compare and contrast  basic theoretical perspectives of sociology.
2.  identify  various methodological approaches to the collection and analysis of data in sociology. 
3. Describe key concepts in sociology, 
4.  Describe empirical findings of various subfields of sociology.
5.  Explain complex links between individual experiences and broader institutional         forces.
6  Apply sociological concepts and theories to the analysis of social phenomena and      writings about social phenomena.

The strong emphasis in this class is on reading and critical thinking, consistent with ACC’s commitment to help students grow stronger intellectually as a result of their time spent here.  Ample research in neuroscience and psychology reinforces this approach. Some students will find this right down their alley.  Others may feel uncomfortably challenged — for awhile.  Based on my own past experience teaching at ACC and elsewhere, and that of many colleagues,  more than 90% of students who embrace the kinds of challenges offered in this class tend to succeed  at a high level.  This means making an attempt to meet the challenges offered as well as one is able to do so.  Grading is based far less on performance at some pre-ordained ideal level, than upon  a student’s effort to strive and improve.  Many former students have reported over the years that their experience in this kind of class aided them significantly to self-actualize, whether in a college or university setting, a work-force or technical school setting, or on a job.

C. Course structure

The course requires completion of  4 assignments  described briefly here and in more detail further along in the syllabus under Texts and Resources  (section III) and Assignment and Grading Details (section VII).  Materials needed for completion of each assignment appear at the START HERE link on Blackboard.  Due dates for each assignment appear in section IX of the syllabus. Assignments should be typed, but if necessary may be submitted in handwritten form and/or orally.  Assignments can be submitted at the COURSE CONTENT link on Blackboard, but can also be emailed to me directly. When preparing assignments, back up your work frequently to a flash drive, cloud, or external hard drive.  Be cautious about visiting a website when your browser warns you that it might not be safe. ACC strives to insure that the tools provided on Blackboard are safe for you to use. The assignments are as follows:

1. A set of  Concept Mastery (CM) exercises exposing you to some of the fundamental ideas, theories, and methods of inquiry in sociology, and asking you to apply your critical thinking skills to infer and imagine how these apply in the world we live in.  This assignment emphasizes sociology department Objectives 1 and 2, and class objectives 1, 3, 4, and 6.  Materials needed, all appearing at the START HERE link on Blackboard are:  THE CM EXERCISES, TOPIC OUTLINE, SOME ARCHITECTS OF SOCIOLOGY IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, WHAT IS HUMAN NATURE, and TEXTBOOKS ON LINE

2. A short Writing Assignment based on books and films included in a BOOKLIST to be found at the START HERE link on Blackboard, from which you will select what interests you most. This assignment also includes critical thinking components and emphasizes sociology department objectives 1 and 2, and class objectives 3, 5, 6

3.  A second short Writing Assignment based on The Post American World, by Fareed Zakarias (an online version appears at the START HERE link on Blackboard).  This assignment too includes critical thinking components. It emphasizes  sociology department objectives 1 and 3 and class objectives 3 and 6.

4.  A library research project into an issue that a student finds compelling.  This assignment involves critical thinking components as well, emphasizing sociology department objectives 1 and 2 and class objectives 1,2,4, and 6.  TEXTBOOKS ONLINE may be needed for this assignment, and this appears at the START HERE link on Blackboard.

D.  Course policies

1. Class participation, attendance and homework

Intro sociology is a 3 hour course.  In a sixteen week class this implies a minimum of 9 hours of work per week.  If attendance is required, class meeting time constitutes  part of the 9 hours.  Nine hours times 16 weeks = a total of 144 hours per semester.  To compute how many hours of work per week this means in a condensed class — such as a 12 week, 8 week or 5 week class—  simply divide 144 by the number of weeks the class meets.  For example, in a five week class students will be expected to devote at least 28 hours per week to the class.  Note that in a DIL class, where attendance is not required, all 144 hours of class participation involves homework.

2. Sharing sensitive personal information verbally or in writing is forbidden

Class policy, and also ACC policy disallows a student to share information about oneself or an identified another, or about oneself that if somehow “leaked” beyond the classroom, or beyond the instructor receiving the information orally or in writing, could conceivably cause distress to oneself or to another.  A  student’s report involving abuse or criminal behavior, especially from a minor, must by state law be transmitted to higher authorities.  Reports by older students that involve criminality must be similarly transmitted to higher authority.  Reports of abuse to oneself or identified others by an older student carry no such legal stipulation, but they are forbidden by ACC policy, and virtually every institution of higher learning in the nation, because they expose the institution to law suit. A complainant — including a student sharing the information or anyone identifiable that they shared it about — could claim that an instructor who was hired and approved by the college encouraged, welcomed, invited or simply was receptive to such reportage; and that at the time such reportage seemed appropriate and even beneficial to a student.   Several of the assignments for this class will invite students to relate material to their own lives, thoughts, and ideas so it is essential to make clear what this does NOT involve.


3. Withdrawals and Incompletes

It is a student’s responsibility to ensure that their name is removed from the rolls should they seek to withdraw from the class.  As your instructor, I too possess the right to withdraw you should I feel it to be necessary.  The final date on which withdrawal is possible during a semester can be found in the Schedules section at the end of this syllabus.  It can also be found by typing Academic Calendar into the search box at the top right hand corner of the ACC website main page, and scrolling until you come to Last Date to Withdraw for the kind of class you are taking during a particular semester: 16 week, 12 week, 8 week, etc.

In very special cases an Incomplete may be granted,  allowing work to be completed no later than the final withdrawal date for the following semester.  An incomplete will almost never be awarded to a student whose work schedule, or other priorities, clearly precluded their devoting sufficient time and energy to succeed in the class from early in the semester.   Even if a crisis arises during the semester that impedes work completion, unless a student had committed fully to the class prior to that time, an incomplete will probably not be awarded.

E.  Attendance

This class will meet on Zoom at the time set forth in the Class Schedule on Black Board.  Prior to each class meeting I shall send everyone the Zoom link information they will need to attend.

Engaged attendance is required in this class, and accounts for 10 points of a student’s grade. The percentage of class meetings that students attend will determine how many of these 10 points they receive at the end of the semester.  A student may miss a maximum of 10% of classes without penalty, but classes missed beyond this number will result in deductions.  Each additiional class missed will result in a 1 point deduction from a student’s  final grade.  A student may contract to make-up points deducted for missed classes by doing extra work, up to a maximum of 3 points. Beyond that number of misses no make-up is possible.  Attendance is so important in this class, that a student unable to meet the requirements, for any reason, should withdraw from the class and take it again when time allows them to do so.

III.  Texts and Resources

(In your Blackboard panel, click on START HERE to access items 1-5 below as downloadable files.)

 Architects of Sociology in Historical Perspective.  This document contains brief essays addressing all of the concepts listed in the Topic Outline (see section VIII of the syllabus; and you can also find it at the START HERE link on Blackboard) and more. You will need it for the Concept Mastery Assignments and for both Writing Assignments. At the beginning of Architects you will find an alphabetical list containing each of the scholars included, and the date of their main publication.  You can find the essay you need for a scholar by scrolling until you find the date associated with them,  or by simply typing the scholar’s name into the Edit-Find field of your browser.  They may show up in more than one essay, so keep looking until you find the essay specifically about them.

What is Human Nature: a brief social psychological history of our species.  You will need this document for the Concept Mastery Assignments.  You can access it at the START HERE link on Blackboard.

3. BOOKLIST  This document contains a list of books and films you may use for Writing Assignment 1. You will find it at the START HERE link on Blackboard.

4.  The Post American World by Fareed Zakaria.  Your will need this book for the second Writing Assignment.  You will find an online version of it at the START HERE link on Blackboard. You can also purchase it inexpensively at the ACC bookstore, at Half price Books, or on Amazon.  Zakaria presents a view of our society within a rapidly changing global context.  This book will be used for your second Writing Assignment.

5.     Any standard sociology textbook including the following available free on-line:  

https://d3bxy9euw4e147.cloudfront.net/oscms-prod/media/documents/IntroductionToSociology2e-OP_oAii5Yb.pdf

https://openstax.org/details/books/introduction-sociology-2e

https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/introduction-to-sociology-2e
https://libguides.humboldt.edu/openedu/soc


IV.  Office hours, other consultations, and how to contact me

Since this is an online course, our meeting together during Office Hours in order to clarify assignment tasks, to discuss any difficulties you may be having with assignments, to talk about social issues of interest to you, etc. must be done remotely. This will occur in the following fashion: 

A.  Consultation by Email   

From 9:00-5:00 M-F you can expect a fast response from me. If you email outside of these hours, I shall answer you as soon as possible during these hours.  I shall also interact with you by  email outside of these hours under special circumstances.  my email address is dweiner@austincc.edu

B.  Consultation by Phone

From 9:00-5:00 M-F I shall also be available to consult with you by phone or face-time.  Send your request for a chat, together with you phone number and  times when you will be available. Under special circumstances I shall make a phone date with you outside of the hours indicated above.

C.  Webinar Consulations:

I shall be available from 9:00-5:00 daily to meet with students individually  on Zoom,  and under special circumstances outside of this time frame. We shall make a date and I shall send you a link shortly before our meeting time.




D.  Discussion Board

This is where students consult with one another about how to do assignments, or about other issues.  I shall open a forum titled “Assignments,” but students are welcome to open other forums if they wish to.  I encourage students to form study groups and Discussion Board will  hopefully facilitate this happening.

E. Contact information

Dr. David Weiner
email: dweiner@austincc.edu
phone: 512-663-3277



V.  ACC Student Support Services, College Policies and Class Policies

Extensive student support offerings and guidelines can be found by clicking on the Student Support link found at the top of the first page of ACC’s website at https://www.austincc.edu.  In the Search field slightly to the right of this link you can also type in Student Help Desk where you will find a way to communicate quickly with someone, by email or phone.   In this same search field type College Policies  where you will plenty of information about each of the following, and more.

1. Academic integrity, including cheating, plagiarism and other issues.
2. Students’ Rights and Responsibilities.
3. Student Complaints.
4. Senate Bill 1212 and Title IX Reporting Requirements concerning sexual harassment and related issues.
5. Statement of Privacy concerning students’ right to confidentiality.
6. Student Safety Statement concerning how ACC strives to insure student safety.
7. Campus Carry.
8. Discrimination Prohibited, including but not limited to racial and sexual discrimination.
9. Use of ACC email.
10. Use of the Testing Center.

Class policies include all of the above plus the following  

1. as part of the evaluation process, a student may be examined orally concerning the content and methodology of any work submitted.
2. Academic freedom does not include acting out in class, using technological devices when instructed to keep them out of sight and silent, or in general engaging in off task behavior. Students are free to drop a class  they find too restrictive of their freedoms, but an instructor is not required to teach disruptive students.  An instructor cannot automatically withdraw a student from class for misbehavior, but can  suspend a student’s right to attend class until a meeting occurs involving the student, the instructor, and higher level Administration.  The goal of the meeting will be to seek resolution of the issue resulting in the temporary suspension.
3. No sociological subject matter except that stipulated in Syllabus section IIID2 (sensitive information about oneself or another that could conceivably cause oneself or another distress if leaked) is restricted from discussion —so long as students interact respectfully and civilly: no labeling or name calling, allowing time for others to speak, remaining as attentive to others’ comments as one would expect them to be attentive toward one’s own.  
4. The only person authorized to characterize sociological material as factual in the class, is the professor.  Information not so vetted must  be treated as hypothetical.

VI.  Grading and Grade Posting

A. Grade Posting Site

(click on the tools link in Blackboard and find the folder labeled My Grades, to find your grade postings)

B.  Basic Grading Criteria

Concept Mastery (CM) exercises    40 points

Writing Assignment  1            15 points

Writing Assignment 2            15 points

Research Project             20 points

Class Attendance and Participation    10 points


There will be no formal timed test in this class, but I shall require students to make themselves available for a face to face oral quiz over any material they have submitted.  Failure to pass this quiz may result in immediate withdrawal from the class.
    


Total:                     100 points

                    
FINAL GRADE: A= 90 points, B = 80 points, C = 75 points, D = 70 points, F = less than 70 points

Students should keep every email notification I send indicating successful completion of a grade requirement.  

Ignore Points Possible and Total points Possible on Blackboard. Total Points is the figure that indicates points gained. These will be posted on Blackboard as points are earned.

Insuring that you receive the grade you deserve
ALWAYS check Blackboard for grade postings in this and every class you take to make sure that your work was received and graded.  It is your responsibility to bring any issues you have to your professors’ attention right away. When you do this, be sure to keep a record in case you need to request support from ACC later in order to resolve a dispute.


C.  Other grading criteria

 Alternative grading contracts  In rare cases I shall consider conducting the class differently for an individual student than what is described in the syllabus. This will result in a contract between us specifying a new set of assignments and deadlines.

2.   Late work  Students are welcome to, in fact advised to turn in work as early as possible so that they may make adjustments if necessary.  An assignments turned in past a due date will receive a maximum of half credit.

VII.  Assignment and Grading Details

When and How to Submit All Assignments

1. Due Dates, email submissions, and posting to Blackboard

a.  Bounce by email

Submission due dates appear in section IX of the syllabus: Schedules.  Each assignment is due by midnight of the due date indicated for it, which always falls on a Sunday.  If you submit an assignment by email early during the week, I shall grade it during office hours as soon as possible giving you time to elicit help from me and re-submit as many times as necessary until you are satisfied with the grade. This is what I mean by bouncing-by-email.  It is by far the best way to approach an assignment in this and in many other classes.  Toward facilitating this process, please cut and paste your assignment into an email rather than send it as an attachment.  This allows us to create an ongoing thread of submissions and responses which as you will discover turns out to be the most efficient way to engage in this process.

b.  Post by email or to Blackboard

If you have received confirmation of a grade with which you are satisfied by email, there is no need to post a submission on blackboard unless you want to.  However, if you send a final submission after 4:30pm on Friday, please post your assignment on Black board  — unless Blackboard is down, in which case email it to me. 

On Monday following an assignment due date I shall grade all submissions and post grades on Blackboard.

c. How to get feedback

If you think you submitted an assignment but see no grade for it, it is your responsibility to get in touch with me immediately!
If you want to know why the grade you received is not what you expected, and would like some explanation, also contact me to request feedback.

d. Late assignments

As stated earlier, late assignments will receive a maximum of half credit.

B.  How Assignments are Graded

1. Basic grade:  How complete is the assignment and how closely did you adhere to the rules for completing it?  The basic grade for each assignment 90% satisfactorily-completed will be full credit for the assignment.  The basic-grade for each assignment less than 90% satisfactorily-completed will be the percentage of satisfactory-completion times the value of the assignment.  For example, for a 20 point assignment 80% satisfactorily-completed, the basic-grade will be 16 points.

2. Added points:  The  following criteria will be assessed, each on a 4 point scale,  and averaged
How accurately did you reflect at least some of the material you read?  Did you truly grasp a particular concept or theory, or report what a writer was saying?
How saliently did you apply what you learned toward responding to some of the challenges presented in  each of the four assignments?  Did you get at the main things, the important things?
How clearly did you express some of your understandings and ideas?
d.   Perhaps your submission is not the most salient or your reportage not the most accurate or your expression not the clearest, but your effort does possess elements of imagination and subtlety that demonstrate critical thinking skill.  Maybe you make a connection that most people would not ordinarily notice, or mis-construe something you read in a really clever way.  
e.   I shall also take into consideration motivation and improvement when awarding final grades.

If the best 3 of these criteria produce an average greater than 2.9, than that many points will be added to the Basic Grade for a submission, or at the end of the semester to the overall grade for the course.


C. The Four Assignments

1. Concept Mastery (CM):  40 points

You will find the eight Concept Mastery exercises  at the START HERE link on Blackboard. Each exercise consists of  a set of questions to be answered.  These questions are  based on the Topic Outline at syllabus section VIII, Architects of Sociology, and What is Human Nature?  all of which can be found at the START HERE link on Blackboard. Each exercise requires between 500 and 1000 words to complete satisfactorily.

How to do the exercises

(1) Use the Topic Outline to identify which sociologists, and which of their concepts are in focus a particular week. Find the essays about these sociologists in Architects of Sociology.  Read each essay one time straight through.  Then go back and highlight or takes notes over specific material dealing with the  concepts of focus.  Architects of Sociology is organized according to the names of sociologists and the year their most significant work was published. The earliest appear first and the most recent, last.

(2) Read the section of What is Human Nature? assigned for a particular week. Try to capture  the main themes and the main examples presented.

(3)  With “Architects of Sociology” and “What is Human Nature” close at hand, and your notes, work on the CM exercise(s).  

2. Writing Assignment 1 : 20 ponts

Option 1:  Referring to the BOOKLIST, which you will find at the START HERE link on Blackboard ,  with the exception of the book used for Writing Assignment 2, read any entire book,  or at least 300 pages of a very long book.  Write an essay containing a minimum of 2500 words formatted in four parts: parts 1 and 2 comprising no more than 50% of your paper, and parts 3 and 4 no less than the other 50%.

part 1:   briefly describe the work’s thesis, goal, or plot
part 2:   describe 4 different specific passages  that you found to be particularly meaningful.
part 3:  relate these passages, and the entire work, to your own experiences and observations.  
part 4:  write a review in the persona(s) of two  or more of the social scientists included in the Topic Outline.

Option 2:  View any 4 films listed at the end of the BOOKLIST.  For each film, write an essay at least 750 words long, formatted exactly as above for option 1.  I.e. you will do parts 1-4 a total of  four times, instead of just once.

3.  Writing Assignment 2: 20 points

Read The Post American World, a free, downloadable copy of which you will find at the START HERE link on Blackboard. With the exception of the preface and First chapter, each of the following 6 chapters includes both a chapter heading and a number of  sub-headings.  The main thesis (usually a proposition or observation) is presented under the chapter heading.  Related, subsidiary theses appear under sub-headings. The author develops these theses, or propositions,  by providing examples in support of them.  Your task, in no less than 2500 words,  is as follows:

(1) For Chapter 1 (and if there is a Preface, Chapter 1 and the Preface combined)

(a) State the title of the Chapter and then bold or underline it.
(b) Describe the main thesis set forth, in your own words.
(c) Using quoted material as well as your own summation, describe an example of something the author tells us in support of his main thesis.  

(2) For each of the following chapters do (a), (b)  and (c) exactly as above, with the following modification:  for (c) instead of providing only one example, find 3 examples, each falling under a different sub-heading of the chapter.  Bold all chapter headings and underline all sub-headings.

(3) In no less than 750 words, review The Post American World from the point of view of one or more  of the sociologists included in Architects of Sociology.  





4. Research Project

Write a 1000 word statement on something you feel to be important.  Almost anything you choose to focus upon will be appropriate, but bounce with me if you’re not certain.
(a)   Based on this statement, formulate some specific questions you would like answers to.
(b)   Using internet search engines and ACC or other library resources if available, find no fewer than 10 articles and/or books or other journalism or scholarship that pertain to these questions, and report what your discover in no less than 2000 words. .Do not copy and paste entire articles into your report. Write synopses in your own words, including no more than a few quotes.  
(c) Be sure to include references to your sources in such fashion that anyone reading your report can easily find them and verify each citation: author, title, place and date of publication, publisher, and in many cases an internet address.


VIII TOPIC OUTLINE

1.  Human Nature and Sociality

A.  Philosophical precursors:
(1) Thomas Hobbes (1651):  The best social contract requires an authoritarian leader
(2)  John Locke (1689: The best social contract requires full democracy
(3) George W.F. Hegel (1807): The best social contract requires wise rulers

B. The individual and the community
(1) George H. Mead 1892):  We self-actualize as both I and me.
(2) Charles Cooley (1902):  Significant other peers best reflect our Looking Glass Selves
(3)  John Bowlby/Mary Ainsworth(1969): Affect Regulation enhances empathy

C. The community and the individual
(1)  Karl Marx (1848):  Alienation enables inequality
(2)  Emile Durkheim (1893):  Anomie infects people lacking proper solidarity
(3)  Herbert Spencer (1876):  Capitalism creates competent elites.
(4) William Sumner (1907):  Secondary relations dominate in modern society.
(5) David Riesman (1950):  The modern U.S. citizen’s freedom is flawed.  

D.  Social differentiation in modern society
(1) Franz Boaz (1911):  Cultural Relativism defines societal competence realistically
(2)  Ruth Benedict (1934):  Modern industrial society was not more  civilized.
(3) Jared Diamond (1997): Europeans’ culture  was not the source of their domination.
(4) Gunnar Myrdal (1944):  African-American’s assimilation skill was not deficient.
(5) William Julius Wilson (1978):  Black family instability is not a cultural outcome.
(6) Rodolfo Acuna (1972):  Illegal Mexican migrations to the U.S. was not a cultural choice.
(7) W.E.B. Dubois (1896):  Black oppression arguably strengthens  elitism.
(8) David Roediger (1999):  White supremacy arguably damages white people.
(9) Betty Friedan (1962):  Women need to define themselves.
(10) Angela Davis (1981):  Feminism means more than women’s rights.

2.  Social structure and stability in modern society

A.  Altruism and authoritarianism
(1) Kurt Lewin (1935):  Fundamental attribution error undermines organic connections.
(2) Gordon Allport (1954):   Racial Prejudice has psychological and economic payoffs.
(3) Leon Festinger1957):   Cognitive dissonance is painful and must be resolved.
(4) Peter Berger (1966):  The social construction of reality is often irrational

B.  Alienation and empathy
(1) Erich Fromm (1941):  Many people don’t want democracy.
(2) Herbert Marcuse (1964):  One-Dimensional  wo/man can awaken.
(3) Jurgen Habermas (1971):  People can choose to be “real”
(4) Malcolm Gladwell (2000):  Functional Tipping Points can happen.


3. Maximizing functionalism

A.  Positivism and rationality
(1) August Comte (1838):  Positivism enhances functionalism.
(2) Vilfredo Pareto (1916): The circulation of elites is inevitable.
(3) Max Weber (1904):  Bureaucracy resists change.
(4) C.W. Mills (1956): The Power Elite is not more competent
(5) C. W. Mills (1956):  The white collar class is not a change agent
(6) Thomas Piketty (2013):  Current economic trends predict disaster.

B.  Sociological Imagination
(1) Georg Simmel (1893-1910): Interactionism produces better sociological theory
(2) C. Wright Mills (1956): The Sociological Imagination actualizes sociology.
(3) Erving Goffman (1959):  Symbolic interaction reveals what words do not.
(4) Pierre Bourdieu (1987):  Popular culture deserves more focus.


C.   Formal Organization
(1) Elton Mayo (1933): What the Westinghouse Study taught industry.
(2) Kurt Lewin (1935): How intra-group dynamics affect productivity.
(3) Peter Blau (1964):  What Exchange theory predicts

D. Social change
(1) Hannah Arendt (1951):  Totalitarianism can be avoided.
(2) Noam Chomsky (1988):   “Spreading democracy” can become real .
(3) Emmanuel Wallerstein (1974):  A true global community can be created.
    
IX  SCHEDULES

A.  DUE DATES

B.  LECTURE /DISCUSSION  TIMELINE 

III.  Texts and Resources

(In your Blackboard panel, click on START HERE, then on ESSENTIAL COURSE MATERIALS, and scroll to Textbooks and Instructional Materials  to access items 1-4 below as attachments to the file presented)

 Architects of Sociology in Historical Perspective.  This document contains brief essays addressing all of the concepts listed in the Topic Outline (see section VIII of the syllabus) and more. You will need it for the Concept Mastery Assignment and for both Writing Assignments. At the beginning of Architects you will find a list of all of the scholars included, and the date of their main publication.  You can find the essay you need by scrolling down until you find the date you are looking for, or simply typing the scholar’s name into the Edit, Find field of your browser and keep looking until you find the whole essay about them.  Many will show up in more than one essay, but there will be only one essay about any particular scholar. (In one or two cases two scholars will be combined in an essay). Click on the

What is Human Nature: a brief social psychological history of our species.  You will need this document for the Concept Mastery Assignment.  Click on the attached file to access it.

3. BOOKLIST  This document contains a list of books and films you may use for Writing Assignment 1. Click on the attached file to access it.

4.  The Post American World by Fareed Zakaria.  Your will need this book for the second Writing Assignment.  Click on the attached file to access it, or purchase it inexpensively at the ACC bookstore, or on Amazon.  Zakaria presents a view of our society within a rapidly changing global context.  This book will be used for your second Writing Assignment.

5.     Any sociology textbook including the following available free on-line:   to be used in your Research Project assignment.  

https://d3bxy9euw4e147.cloudfront.net/oscms-prod/media/documents/IntroductionToSociology2e-OP_oAii5Yb.pdf

https://openstax.org/details/books/introduction-sociology-2e

https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/introduction-to-sociology-2e
https://libguides.humboldt.edu/openedu/soc


 

B.  LECTURE /DISCUSSION  TIMELINE  

II.  Class Structure and Organization

Like all introductory sociology classes at ACC, this class will attempt to insure that upon its completion, students will be able 

1.  to compare and contrast  basic theoretical perspectives of sociology.(PSLO 3; Gen Ed 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5),

2.  to Identify  various methodological approaches to the collection and analysis of data in sociology. (PSLO 3; Gen Ed 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5), 

3.   to describe key concepts in sociology. (PSLO 1; Gen Ed 1), 

4.   to describe empirical findings of various subfields of sociology. (PSLO 2, Gen Ed 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5), and

5.   to explain complex links between individual experiences and broader institutional forces.  (PSLO 2; Gen Ed 1 & 2)

The course will consist of 

(1) a set of  Concept Mastery (CM) exercises, which involve (a)  learning about some of the fundamental ideas, theories, and methods of inquiry  in sociology and then (b) applying critical thinking skills to infer and imagine how these apply in the world we live in.   

(2) A short Writing Assignment based on books and/or films relating to social issues from a list that students may select from. This will  include a critical thinking component. 

(3) A Writing Assignment based on the text-book assigned for this semester.  This too will include a critical thinking component. 

(4) An internet-based library research project into an issue that a student finds compelling.  

Concerning (1):  for the first half of the semester, each week students will receive a reading and writing assignment, attend lectures and discussions pertinent to this assignment and submit a concept mastery exercise for evaluation by the end of the week.   I shall be available during webinars where students may engage with me and with one another to exchange ideas and acquire assistance, and by appointment if necessary.  Student will also be invited to make use of Discussion Forum on Blackboard for the same purpose.  Webinar session times  and procedures will be provided in an Announcement on Blackboard at the beginning of the semester.  Attendance at webinars and utilization of Discussion Forums is not required in this class, but is encouraged. 

 Concerning (2), (3) and (4) students will submit material in accordance with instructions in the syllabus according to due dates listed at the end of the syllabus.  As stated above, I shall be available during webinars and by appointment to provide assistance.

The strong emphasis in this class is on reading and critical thinking, consistent with ACC’s commitment to help students grow stronger intellectually as a result of their time spent here.  Ample research in neuroscience and psychology reinforces this approach. Some students will find this right down their alley.  Others may feel uncomfortably challenged — for awhile.  Based on my own past experience teaching at ACC and elsewhere, and that of many colleagues,  more than 90% of students from all backgrounds who embraced the kinds of challenges I shall offer you succeeded at a high level.  Many of these have reported over the years that their experience aided them significantly to self-actualize — and put money in their pockets; whether in a college or university setting, a work-force or technical school setting, or on a job.