Sociology 2111: Sociological Theory
University of Minnesota, Duluth
Spring 2009
11.00-12.45 Monday and Wednesday
4 credits

INSTRUCTOR: Bruce Mork	Office Hours: 9.30-10.30 MWF , and by appointment
Office: Cina 204C
Phone: 726-6369	E-mail: bmork@d.umn.edu

Texts: All readings are on the internet, linked to the class schedule.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 password protected so that they are available only to students in this course. The user name is: readings. The password is: priest (I should explain: I originally wanted the user name to be Comte, for August Comte, the main who coined the term "sociology," and who eventually termed himself the high priest of humanity.

Schedule and assignments: Go to my home page, (http://www.d.umn.edu/~bmork). Click on the index page for Sociology 2111; then click on the schedule, which includes the reading assignments. Some of the reading assignments require a password, which I will announce in class the first week.

Web crossing forum : I am requiring each of you to post at least 5 times to the Web Crossing forum, beginning no later than week three. You may access the forum from the index page for our course (click on Theory Form) or by going directly to: http://www.d.umn.edu/webx/ . 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. We will sometimes use the webx postings as a beginning point for class discussions.

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.

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 why isn't there one predominant theory 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, 93-100; A-, 90-92; B+, 87-89; B, 83-86; B-, 80-82; C+, 77-79; C, 73-76; C-, 70-72; D, 60-69; F, below 60.

Academic Honesty: A violation of UMD's Academic Honesty Policy (behavior which is also referred to as Scholastic Misconduct) such as cheating, plagiarizing or any other "act which violates the rights of another student in academic work or that involves misrepresentation of your own work will result in penalties up to and including an F for the course.

Extra-Credit: A maximum of 15 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. I have a listing of extra credit opportunities on my web page:
http://www.d.umn.edu/~bmork/homepagestuff/extracredit.htm

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 Disabilities Center for advice regarding adaptations.