Intro to Sociology
Course Number: SOC101
CRN: 32675
Instructor: Lund, William
Email Address: wlund@avc.edu
Telephone:
Meeting Requirements:
General Information about the course:
There are no in-class meetings. The orientation takes place on-line.
You can expect to devote 4-6 hours per week to this class.
Course Title: Introduction to Sociology
Course Description: Sociology is the study of people in groups. This may include two people or an entire society. Topics include Socialization, Culture, The Family, Deviance, Inequalities of Race and Ethnicity, Collective Behavior, Religion, Social Groups, and Inequalities of Aging.
Text: Essentials of Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach (custom edition in the bookstore) by James Henslin
Supplemental Readings: Exploring Social Life (3rd ed) by James Henslin (both books are required for this class)
Course Objectives:
• To introduce students to the meaning of Sociology, its disciplines, and basic concepts.
• Students will demonstrate a familiarity with the process of research used in sociology.
• Students will be able to utilize acquired concepts from the class as a basis for taking more advanced studies.
• Students will display critical thinking skills in the areas of application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
Evaluation:
Your class performance will be evaluated on the basis of :
• Two essay assignments
• Response to class reading assignments
• Participation in a lesson discussion questions
• A short answer mid-term and final examination
Discussion Questions, which is part of each lesson:
The discussion group is the life blood of an on-line class. Your understanding of the concepts presented in the text will be enhanced by the interchange of ideas by class members. Your participation is encouraged and expected. Discussion questions are posted with the lessons on Wednesdays and will remain up until the following Tuesday.. Take time to consider your response before posting your insight to the discussion page. Students are expected to add additional comments to other class members responses. Students will earn 5 points for each class discussion they take part in (if there are four discussion questions that week; you are expected to participate in each discussion). You may miss two class sessions without a penalty. After that 5 points will be deducted per session. Posting more than one week old will not be accepted. Students who post responses to other students comments stating, >I agree with .=only, cannot expect to earn discussion points. I am looking for your insight and understanding of the topic. Granting of discussion points is entirely at the discretion of the instructor. Important:
Please use your full name when posting your responses.
PLEASE NOTE: STUDENTS FAILING TO POST A RESPONSE IN THE ORIENTATION SESSION (THE FIRST THREE DAYS OF THE TERM) WILL BE CONSIDERED A “NO-SHOW” AND WILL BE DROPPED FROM THE CLASS AND REPLACED WITH A CRASHER.
Exams:
There is a mid-term and a final exam for this class. They will not be cumulative. That is, each exam will cover only the materials presented in the segment of the course immediately preceding it. Exam questions will be short answer and / or multiple choice and will be taken from the book, mini-lectures, and student responses posted on the discussion page.
Reader Reaction:
Your textbook was bundled with the Sociology Reader: \\\"Exploring Social Life\\\". There are six readings assigned for you to read (listed on the lesson page). After reading the selection, post your reaction to the chapter using the link provided. Responses do not need to be long (minimum two paragraphs). You can respond to the critical thinking questions or explain what you got out of the reading (i.e. did it change your perspective; did you agree with the study? Why or why not? Did you think the research was valid (or did the writer have an axe to grind)? I hope you will all take time to respond to other people\\\'s postings.
Hint: Write your response in your word processing program and then copy and paste it into the discussion link box. Please do not post your responses before the class session date.
Writing Assignments
During the course there will be two essay assignments. In each assignment you will be asked to analyze course material and / or relate it to your own life. Your completed papers should be no longer than 2 1/2 to 4 pages. Your papers should follow all appropriate rules of organization, spelling, and grammar - i.e. they should be formatted in complete sentences and paragraphs, have an introduction, body, and conclusion, etc. The writing assignments will be evaluated, in general, on two criteria: (1) clarity of exposition (do you make a point and make it clearly?) And (2) extent to which you sue course materials relevant to the assigned topic. You are encouraged to discuss the writing assignment among yourselves, but each student must write and submit their own unique paper. Completed papers will be submitted to Blackboard for grading .
Film Essay Assignments: One of the essays assigned to you will be based on recent motion pictures which have a sociological theme. There will be a variety of films for you to choose. It is up to you to decide which film you select and use as the basis of your essay. You will be expected to rent or purchase one of films for this assignment. (many of the films are also on reserve at the IMC (Instructional Media Center) and you can watch them for free). Don\\\'t wait till the last minute to order or secure your film. There will be no mercy for folks who email me at the last minute and say \\\"I can\\\'t find any of the films at the local video store.\\\" I have made it a point of including film that retail from $10.00 up. These films will be available from www.amazon.com or Barnes and Nobles www.bn.com Ebay is another great place to find these films.
I look forward to having you in class,
Professor Lund
To CRASHERS:
If you are not enrolled in the class and are trying to crash the class please read the note below:
If you are still interested in crashing the class, email me at wlund@avc.edu to be put on the crash list
Presently enrolled students who do not participate in the class discussions the first 3 days of the term will be considered a no-show and will be dropped. I will email crashers at the end of first week of the term and invite them to an on campus meeting to have their crash cards signed.
Special Requirements:
Internet, computer, and email access required. Access to a word processing program.
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