Sociology 2111: Sociological Theory
University of Minnesota, Duluth
4 credits

INSTRUCTOR: Bruce Mork	Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 10.00-11.30 , and by appointment
Office: Cina 220B
Phone: 726-6305	E-mail: bmork@d.umn.edu

Texts: All readings are on the internet, linked to the class schedule. Copies are also available in large notebooks shelved in the outer office of Cina 220. Thanks to Larry Ridener for his Dead Sociologists Society website; to the late Lewis Coser, for his classic book, Masters of Sociological Thought; and to the other sociologists whose work is excerpted for this course. All readings not part of the public domain are passsword protected so that they are available only to students in this course.

Schedule and assignments: Available on the internet at http://www.d.umn.edu/~bmork/2111/2111index.html

INTERNET RESOURCES: The beginning point for internet work is my home page, (http://www.d.umn.edu/~bmork). Click on the index page for Sociology 2111; then click on the schedule and the individual reading assignments or the theory forum. Some of the reading assignments require a password, which I will announce in class the first week.

Discussion: Because of the size of this class, our in-person discussions are more limited than I'd like. I am requiring each of you to post at least 5 times to the Web Crossing forum, beginning no later than week three. We will sometimes take time in class, using the web crossing material and some of the videos as our beginning point.

In the second week, you will get an e-mail notifying you that your webx account has been activated and telling you that you can access webx using your UMD internet username and the password: webx. You can access webx from the index page for Sociology 2111 or by just adding /webx to the UMD home page . . I will ask questions on a weekly basis, but you may also add a question of your own and respond to it. Each post will be graded as follows: 10--thoughtful and/or creative treatment of course ideas; 9--solid contribution, not just a rehash; 8--repetitive, not too interesting; 7&6--you don't want to know. Maximum of 5 postings for credit, no more than 1 per week. (if you post more than once in a week, I will give you the higher score). One way to enhance your posting is to relate your ideas to one of the other postings by members of this or previous classes. EXCEPT FOR THE FIRST WEEK, YOU MAY POST ONLY IN CURRENT WEEKS OR FOR FUTURE WEEKS, AND A WEEK ENDS ON FRIDAY AT 4 P.M.

My Expectations: I expect you to arrive on-time, to treat your fellow class members and me with respect, to have done the reading that is assigned for the day, to bring your questions and ideas about the material we are covering, to make me aware of any problems you are having with course materials. In return, I pledge to be prepared and organized, to communicate clearly my expectations of you, to evaluate your work promptly and fairly, to listen to your concerns, to respect your point of view, and to treat you as a person of value. I also promise not to expect from you more than two hours of work outside class for every hour in class. Please let me know if you feel I am not fulfilling my end of this bargain, and I will do the same for you.

Course Description: C. Wright Mills says that without the sociological imagination, you will live the life of a victim, because the social forces that establish so many of the limits and opportunities in your life will be beyond your understanding. This course is about preventing that kind of victimization. Our primary tool will be sociological theory, and we will be concerned both with its history and its contemporary use. How does theory relate to truth? How does it relate to research? How are theories made, how do theories change, and whyisn't there one predominant theory never in sociology? By the end of the semester, you should understand the practical necessity of theory--why you will need it both in your work life and in your role as an active citizen of a democracy. You will also have begun to make choices about the theories that best inform your experience and vocational goals..

Course Objectives
1. To understand the role of theory in sociology and its contribution to constructing explanations of human social patterns and institutions.
2. To understand the major classic theorists and the ways in which their work contributes to contemporary sociology.
3. To understand how these theories reflect the historical context of the times and cultures in which they were developed, and the ways in which sociology has been diminished by its dismissal of alternative perspectives because of race and gender prejudice.
4. To begin to develop your own approach to sociological theory and to identify the intellectual/social/vocational projects that are important to you.
5. To improve your ability to write cogently about sociological issues and to work effectively in groups.

Videos: We will make frequent use of videos, often as a basis for group assignments. Worksheets will be distributed at the time of showing, and these worksheets must be attached to the eventual group report, in order to get full credit. If you miss a video, please print the worksheet from the internet, and get the video from the library or from me (I'll include the VC number for library videos on the schedule.) Videos will most often be scheduled for Wednesdays, when our class meets for an extra 50 minutes.

Grading: Grades will be based on three exams, group and individual assignments, discussion , and a sociological autobiography, as follows: .

A, 92-100; A-, 90-91; B+, 88-89; B, 82-87; B-, 80-81; C+, 78-79; C, 72-77; C-, 70-71; D, 60-69; F, below 60.

Extra-Credit: Option 1: A maximum of 25 points extra credit will be available, with up to 5 points for each short paper submitted via e-mail based on sociologically relevant campus presentations (check with me if you're not sure). This will include Soc/Crim Club meetings where a speaker makes a presentation. I have a listing of extra credit opportunities on my web page: http://www.d.umn.edu/~bmork/homepagestuff/extracredit.htm

Option 2. Another option would be service learning, which could be arranged on your own or through UMD SERVE (Kirby Annex 113: 726-6255). You and I would have to review the parameters of your participation, the kinds of sociological learning that could take place, and the type of paper I'd expect (also 25 points possible, but you can't combine this with option 1).

Sociological Autobiography: This should be 4-6 pages, typed, double-spaced. You should submit your outline, notes, and rough drafts along with final version. Analyze your own world view using theories discussed in class. This should be a personal essay which places yourself, your politics, your beliefs and values, and your view of the social world in relation to these theories. What were the experiences, both in your growing up years and in your college experiences, that brought you to the study of sociology, and how does sociology relate to your life experience? Pay particular attention to issues of stratification, ethnicity, race, religion, and gender in your family, school, and neighborhood. You may also treat the influence of the mass media and mass culture. Also pay attention to the social psychological dimensions of changes that you experience. Finally, include a section at the end, in which you specify a few central intellectual projects (areas of sociology that particularly interest and/or puzzle you) and which of the theories we've studied seem most helpful in pursuing those intellectual projects. If you are a criminology major, by the way, you may also talk about which of the theories from Soc 2311 seem most helpful to you and why. I've linked this heading to an example of my own, which is by no means the last word in sociological autobiographies, but may give you a few ideas.

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS/FACILITIES: If you have a physical or cultural condition, either permanent or temporary, which you believe makes it difficult for you to participate in and/or complete the requirements of this course in the time and manner prescribed, please let me know by the end of the first week of instruction. Adaptation of methods, materials, or testing may be made as required. It is your responsibility to contact the Access Center for advice regarding adaptations.