Preface

*This is a working syllabus for SOC 111 @ SVSU.  It may change throughout the semester.  It is not a contract.*

• Important Dates
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Essentials

• Semester: Jan 9, 2012 through April 28, 2012 [more info here]
  
• Time/Credits: classroom // 3 credits // 16 weeks, including final exam
  
• Location:  ES 127 LEC R 04:00PM 06:50PM Campus Map

Instructor

• Name: John Girdwood // MSA Central Michigan University // BA Western Michigan University
  
• Office: Home // Phone: 1-77-Girdwood (1-774-473-9663)
  
• Email: jgirdwoo@svsu.edu // Office Hours: by appointment

Description:

• “An introduction to the sociological perspective as it applies to understanding the social forces that shape peoples’ lives, interests and personalities. Examination of forms of social organizations, social interaction, and major social institutions such as family, religion and government. Introduction to major concepts and processes, theoretical perspectives, and research methodologies used in studying society.” – SVSU.edu
• This undergraduate seminar will introduce students to some of the key debates and topics regarding social institutions and society.
• Students will increase their ability to critically analyze work in this field.
• The instructor hopes to inspire students’ own sociology research.
• The course materials draw on a variety of perspectives including:
  • theoretical,
  • historical, and
  • methodological perspectives.
• Class periods are structured to examine topics such as social organizations, social interaction, social institutions (family, religion and government), social processes, theoretical perspectives, and research methods

Required Material:

• Henslin, J. M. (2005). Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach, Core Concepts (Edition Unstated.). Allyn & Bacon.

Overview:

• This course is organized as a seminar. The instructor may provide overviews and/or supplemental material during lectures.
• Together, we will conduct a discourse resulting from:
  • student preparations,
  • guided discussion, and
  • exchanges focused on the readings.
• Students:
  • will attend each class (“virtually” if appropriate) and read all of the assigned material thoroughly and critically and before the class meeting
  • will adhere to all SVSU policies and will NOT plagiarize – refer to the student handbook, student honor code, and academic integrity policy
• Reading critically means being able to describe the content of an assigned piece and also evaluating the logic of its arguments, the adequacy of its methods, its implications, and its relation to other course material.
• Students are strongly encouraged to contribute to the discussion both their insights and/or questions from the readings.

Assessment

• Preparation & Participation (15% of total grade):
  • There is a weekly presentation by student groups consisting of 20 minutes of recitation that may be supplemented by writing assignments or journal entries.
• Essays (15% of total grade):
  • There are no “rules” for how to earn essay points.  However, you should be honing your skills for execution of the final project.
• Midterm Exam (20% of total grade):
  • The format of the midterm is at the discretion of the instructor and may include article critique, multiple choice, and/or essays.
• Comprehensive Final Project (50% of total grade).  This is a research proposal.

Course Prerequisites

Grading Policy

Attendance Policy

Academic Integrity

Disability Policy

“Students with disabilities that may restrict their full participation in the course activities are encouraged to meet with instructor or contact the SVSU Office of Disability Services, Curtis 112 for assistance.  Students with disabilities who seek accommodations must make their request by Contacting the Office of Disability Services located at Curtiss 112, or call 964-7000.    All accommodations must be approved by The Office of Disability Services.”  http://www.svsu.edu/disabilityservices

Late Add Policy

Although I would love to teach everyone at any time, it is the position of the Faculty Association at SVSU to not do overloads.  The reason is that overloading courses beyond the existing course caps is bad for everyone.  The course caps were raised in the past in part because we demonstrated that we can teach more and more students per class by accepting overloads.  Fewer students per class reduces the quality of the experience for both students and faculty.  Thank you for your understanding.

END OF SYLLABUS

The following information is organic, changes, and is not part of the initial “official” syllabus.

Additional Material:

• Aberbach, J. D., Putnam, R. D., & Rockman, B. A. (1981). Bureaucrats and politicians in western democracies. Harvard University Press.
• Albrow, M. (1999). Sociology: The Basics. London, GBR: Routledge. Retrieved from ebrary
• Bankston, C. L. (2000). Sociology Basics. Salem Press. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
• Bushee, F. A. (1945). Social Organizations in a Small City. American Journal of Sociology, 51(3), 217-226.
• Goffman, E. (1966). Behavior in public places: notes on the social organization of gatherings. Simon and Schuster.
• Goffman, E., & Best, J. (2005). Interaction ritual: essays in face-to-face behavior. Aldine Transaction.
• Pressler, C. A., & Dasilva, F. B. (1996). Sociology and Interpretation: From Weber to Habermas. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
• Putnam, R. D. (2001). Bowling Alone. Simon and Schuster.
• Putnam, R. D., & Campbell, D. E. (2010). American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us. Simon and Schuster.
• Zald, M. N., & Berger, M. A. (1978). Social Movements in Organizations: Coup d’Etat, Insurgency, and Mass Movements. American Journal of Sociology, 83(4), 823-861.
• Selected articles available on electronic journal sites like JSTOR and accessible through the SVSU Library – www.svsu.edu/library/

Assessment Details (1,000 points total):

• 150 – Preparation of the reading for class presentation and discussion
  • During weekly meetings, each student will be assigned major responsibility for portions of the readings that we will discuss as a class.
  • Every discussion leader should prepare a 20 minutes presentation for the assigned readings, accomplishing two things in their presentation:
    • an overview of the “big questions” and related theories in the reading;
    • key issues related to data, measurement, and methods.
  • For each segment, 20 minutes will be devoted to presentation and 10 minutes to Q&A/discussion.
  • The instructor will be available throughout the week to discuss via email reading strategies and preparing for these presentations.
  • Grades will be based on class participation (handout, presentation, and discussion).
  • After the presentation, the whole class will discuss additional questions of the readings.
  • During the discussion or near the end of it I will present supplementary material to add breadth and depth to coverage of the topic.
• 150 – Three short essays
  • The students need to submit 3 short essays of their critique of the reading/material (2-3 pages) during the whole semester.
  • These essays will be graded; these assignments may change from written essays to graded quizzes at the discretion of instructor.
• 200 – Midterm exam
  • The exam is a “take-home exam” (or online, if appropriate).
  • This midterm will consist of a set of 3-4 essay questions based on the course reading and lecture materials.
  • You will select two questions and write your responses that show your ability to understand and use the material. The midterm may change from written answers to graded quizzes at the discretion of instructor.
• 500 – Research proposal and presentation
  • Research proposal should follow these general guidelines:
    • research problem is specified,
    • the literature review identifies key knowledge gaps,
    • hypotheses are stated,
    • the data are described, and
    • the analyses are outlined
  • Length: 10-12 double spaced pages
  • Format: APA style and format; check out – http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
  • We will work through the paper process together using the following deadlines:
    • Topic & data source, if relevant, due (DATE _____________)*
    • Introduction and literature review due (DATE _____________)*
    • Presentation of draft paper/proposal due (DATE _____________)*
    • Final version of full paper/proposal due (DATE _____________)*
    • *Students will be made aware of deadlines orally during the class*

Class Lesson Details:

• Please note: This course is structured either as a 1 x week or 2 x week class.  For those taking the 1 x week course, simply combine the material for that week.  In other words, if your class only meets Tuesday, just combine the lessons of Monday and Wednesday into a two part class.
• WEEK 1a
• Review course syllabus
• Topic: perspective
• Watch: Chomsky on Obama; Chomsky and Foucault; Foucault on Bachelard
• Discuss: What is your perspective?  What has shaped your perspective?  Are there things that you have never even seen, past/present/future, that shape your perspective?
• WEEK 1b
• Topic: theoretical perspectives
• Read: Pressler pg. 127-148, 149-170
• Discuss: Habermas and Adorno
• Watch: Girdwood YouTube [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]
• Cheat Sheet
• WEEK 2a
• Topic: theory
• Read: Bankston pg. 496-499; Bowling Alone Chapt. 1; Habermas Interview
• Watch: Girdwood YouTube [Part 1]
• WEEK 2b
• Topic: theory
• Read: Albrow pg. 69-80
• Watch: Weber’s Theory of Class; Game Theory
• Notes: Professor Girdwood will take running notes [link here]
• Write: Essay #1 [instructions here]
• Discuss: The unit of analysis [use UNC material here]
• Cheat Sheet
• WEEK 3a
• Topic: social organizations
• Read: Bushee, F. A. (1945). Social Organizations in a Small City. American Journal of Sociology, 51(3), 217-226.
• Discuss: The unit of analysis [use UNC material here]
• Write: Essay #1 [instructions here]
• Cheat Sheet
• WEEK 3b
• Topic: social organizations
• Read: Zald, M. N., & Berger, M. A. (1978). Social Movements in Organizations: Coup d’Etat, Insurgency, and Mass Movements. American Journal of Sociology, 83(4), 823-861.
• Cheat Sheet
• Hand-In: Essay #1
• WEEK 4a
• Topic: social interaction
• Read: Interaction ritual pg. 97-106
• Cheat Sheet
• Essay #1 Critique from Professor Girdwood (changes to syllabus)
• WEEK 4b
• Topic: social interaction
• Read: Behavior in public places pg. 83-110
• In class announcement on artistic research grant
• Discuss: Face Engagements
• Option 1: Have students discuss the in-class exercise from previous lesson
• Option 2: Divide the texts [Interaction ritual pg. 97-106 and Behavior in public places pg. 83-110] among the students and have them present the material in groups
• Write: Essay #2 [instructions here]
• WEEK 5a
• Helpful links: zotero | academia.edu | google books | msu e-resources | u of m library | svsu zahnow online articles
• Topic: social institutions
• Read: Albrow pg. 107-113
• Write: Professor Girdwood has a website and you are welcome to read the material and participate outside of class discussion.  This won’t technically affect your grade directly, but it will help you learn and be an active student!  [link here]  There is a comments section and you can submit comments about that blog post.  Feel free to unleash in this casual non-academic setting!
• Discuss: Institutions embedded in collectivities (e.g. sports and lunches in schools; family in the media; religion in politics)
• Cheat Sheet [Proposal trailer] [The Household Unit (Yale)]
• WEEK 5b
• Topic: social institutions (conflict theory: religion, family, and government/race relations)
  
• Read: Bankston pg 394-397, 186-190, 369-372
• Watch: Communities – Key Institutions and Relationships (Yale)
• Discuss: What institutions bind the nation together into local communities?
• Hand-In: Essay #2
• WEEK 6a
• Topic: family
• Read: Pressler pg. 142-143; Bankston pg. 476-480
• Write: Looking to get ahead?  We’ll be discussing [this link] later.  Feel free to post a comment in the “comments” section of the blog!
• Discuss: Is the American family a socialization agent or a political construct? (come ready to discuss)
• Talking points: [here]
• Subsequent links: [here]
• Write: Essay #3 [instructions here]
• WEEK 6b
• Topic: family
• Read:
• Hertz, R. (2006). Talking About “Doing” Family. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68(4), 796.
• Sarkisian, N. (2005). The Career Mystique: Cracks in the American Dream. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67(4), 1099.
• Or, try these on for size [link] (hopefully, you can link to them directly when logged into your student access account)
• Write: Essay #3 [instructions here]
• Discuss: Let’s talk about this wedding [link] in class!
• During the Tuesday class’s viewing of “The One Percent” (Johnson), we learned about rich sugar companies getting government subsidies to grow even wealthier.  Don’t forget, this occurs even locally! [link here, read closely]
• WEEK 7a
• Topic: religion (including Protestant ethic and capitalism)
  
• Read: Bankston pg. 46-49; 77-80; 345-349
• Watch: [great intro, but start at 10:20] Weber on Protestantism and Capitalism
• Write: Essay #3 [instructions here]
• Discuss: Do concepts of social norms and deviance come from religion or something else?
• WEEK 7b
• Topic: religion (participation)
• Read: Bankston pg. 345-349, 470-474; Bowling Alone Chapt. 4
• Thought: The importance of churches in American society
• Discuss: Students will speak 5 minutes on their final paper topic [present Essay #3]
• Hand-In: Essay #3
• WEEK 8a
• Topic: government (participation)
  
• Read: Bankston pg. 21-25; Bowling Alone Chapt. 2; American Grace Chapt. 10 and Chapt. 12
• Present: Students will volunteer to present 5-10 minutes
• Find a news article; you don’t need to print it out (just bring in the gist of it)
• Explain how the article helps us answer one of these questions [link here]
• Discuss: Is capitalism related more to religion or government?  How religion and politics intertwine
• WEEK 8b
• Topic: government
• Read: Albrow pg. 153-163; Bureaucrats and politicians Chapt. 5 (pgs. 115-161; some pages are missing, that’s okay)
• Discuss: Capitalism and The Compass of Elite Ideology
• Eight full weeks of class complete
• Helpful Youtube [Video 1] [Video 2]
  
• MIDTERM WILL OCCUR AT THIS POINT IN TIME
• Here are some sources I’ve conveyed to students so far this semester [link here]
  
• WEEK 9a
• Topic: social processes
• Read: The Rise of the Creative Class (Florida, 2005)
• Watch: Richard Florida [Link to lecture we watched in class here] [Additional YouTube Link]
• Cheat Sheet
• WEEK 9b
• Topic: social processes
• Read: Behind the Poverty Statistics: Real Lives, Real Pain (Crary, 2011)
• Watch: Robert Reich [YouTube]
• Watch: Richard Wilkinson [TED video] [more info, including the ability to download the data here]
• WEEK 10a
• Topic: methods
• Presentation: [link here]
• WEEK 10b
• Topic: methods
• Presentation: [link here]
• Headlines: [YouTube] Climate Change and Global Warming
• WEEK 11a
• Topic: methods
• Watch: Yale Lecture 25. Durkheim and Social Facts [link here]
• Watch: Roger & Me by Michael Moore
• WEEK 11b
• Topic: methods
• Presentation: [link here]
• Hand-In: MIDTERM
• WEEK 12a
• Topic: social forces (solidarity)
  
• Read: Go to the online library and find any article from the journal “Social Forces”
• Bring to Class: The abstract from that article; know the research question, methods, results
• Watch: Durkheim and Types of Social Solidarity
• Discuss: Student abstracts and interests
• WEEK 12b
• Topic: social forces
• Read: Albrow pg. 1-12
• Presentation: [link here]
• Discuss: Social Forces in Global Cultures
• WEEK 13a
• Topic: peoples’ lives
• Read: Albrow pg. 13-26
• Headlines: Penn State Scandal
• Discuss: Humankind, culture, sex, gender, evolution, history
• Guest Lecturer: Merry O’Brien
• WEEK 13b
• Topic: peoples’ lives
• Read: (not required; just skim) Report – Social Justice in the OECD
• Headlines: [NY Times 1]  [NY Times 2: America's Exploding Pipe Dream]
• Discuss: Money, capital, countries, nations, the globe, social relations, human association
• WEEK 14a
• Topic: interests
• Watch: Rousseau: Popular Sovereignty and General Will [link here]
• STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
  
• Guest Lecturer: David Kessler
  
• WEEK 14b
• Topic: interests
• Watch: Yale Lecture 07. Utilitarianism and Liberty, John Stuart Mill [link here]
• STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
• WEEK 15a
• Topic: personalities
• STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
• Guest Lecture (pending: Sylvia Crawford)
  
• WEEK 15b
• Topic: personalities
• STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
• FINAL EXAMS