SOC. 1101 Section 1: Intro to Sociology, Spring 2011

Class Meets:  11-12:40 T,Th  in LS 185 (Online work will substitute for SOME class time on Thurs.)

Instructor: Susan Janssen, sjanssen@d.umn.edu	TA Sarah Khoury khou0032@d.umn.edu
Instructor office hours: T 9:30-11, Th 12–1:30	TA office hours: Wed. 3:00-5:00
Instructor’s office: 251 ABAH, 218-726-8767	TA office: Cina 212

Textbook: Conley, Dalton. You May Ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist. 2008. W.W. Norton. ISBN 9780-39392760. Text is available at UMD Bookstore, various online stores, and in online and downloadable e-book format at http://books.wwnorton.com/books/detail.aspx?ID=18794

Additional readings: posted on Moodle.

Moodle Access: https://moodle.umn.edu/course/view.php?id=15553

Liberal Education Objectives:

Soc. 1101 is a liberal education course listed under category 6 (the social sciences). Courses in this category deal with the empirical/descriptive study of individual behavior and social institutions affecting individuals as members of society, including psychological, social, cultural, economic, and political phenomena. This course deals with society, social structure, inequality, and institutions. Specific objectives are:

1. To encourage you to think critically about society and the social world.

2. To introduce various major theoretical perspectives in sociology.

3. To develop a “sociological imagination:” awareness of historical events and current issues as they affect individual lives.

4. To increase awareness of cultural and structural diversity and its sources.

Required Activities and Assignments:

1. Online work and forum discussion will be assigned at regular intervals. You will be required to access and submit assignments through the Moodle course site. If you have not set up Moodle access, you may do so at http://www1.umn.edu/moodle/students/guides/access.html All assignments and due dates are posted on Moodle.

2. Exams: There will be three multiple choice exams plus a comprehensive final. The lowest of your first four scores will be dropped. You must take the final exam regardless of your scores on the first three exams - the final exam score may not be dropped. If you have a verifiable excused absence on an exam day, you may request a make-up, or you may choose to drop the missed exam. Make-up exams will be essay style. Make-up exams must be arranged within a week after the missed exam.

Expectations, Policies, and Grading:

The following point system will be used in grading:	Points
Web assignments (10 @ 15 points each, 30% of grade)	150
Midterm Exams (best 2 @ 100 pts each, 40% of grade)	200
Forum participation (10% of grade)	50
Final Exam (20% of grade)	100
Total possible points	500

Letter grades will be assigned according to the following scale:

A	460-500 pts. (92%+)	C	360-389 pts. (72-77%)
A-	450-459 pts. (90-91%)	C-	350-359 pts. (70-72%)
B+	440-449 pts. (88-89%)	D+	340-349 pts.(68-69%)
B	410-439 pts. (82-87%)	D	300-339 pts. (60-67%)
B-	400-409 pts. (80-81%)	F	0-299 pts. (< 60%)
C+	390-399 pts. (78-79%)

Extra Credit: A maximum of 20 points may be earned by doing one or more of the following. Final product must be of high quality in order to get full points:

Max. Extra Credit	Activity
20 pts.	20 hours of volunteer work (this semester) with individuals or groups who are disadvantaged or in need. This work must be done through an existing community agency and must be approved by me in advance  (not after the work is done!) and before the end of the 11th week of class. Volunteer work that is required for another course cannot be used for extra credit in this course – but you may put in 20 extra hours in order to count it for this class. The program in which you are working must be specifically designed for individuals in need of considerable help or intervention. The work must all be done in one place (not a combination of places), and you must do the full 20 hours in order to get the extra credit. Keep a log of the dates, time, and type of work done and write a short summary of how the concepts learned in this course apply to your experience.  Have the log signed by your supervisor.
20 pts.	Interview an individual whose work involves interacting with people and using a sociological approach.  Examples of occupations that would fit this description are social services, education (early childhood to college), community service, politics, law enforcement, counseling, management, and marketing.  These are only examples – there are many jobs that involve sociology. If you aren’t certain whether a job would fit, feel free to ask about it.  Tell how the interviewee might use sociology in their work. Explain how their current economic and organizational environment affects their work. Show how concepts learned in this class apply to the occupation you describe. The report may be organized in any way that makes sense to you, but be sure it covers their job description, background and education, why or how they got into this line of work, day to day experiences, and observations on how society and social institutions relate to their work. Suggested length is 8-10 pages.
5 pts.each, 10 pts.max.	Lecture summary. Attend a university or community lecture on a topic related to sociology. Write a 2-3 page summary. Include your reaction to the speaker. A maximum of 2 lecture summaries (up to 10 points) may be used for extra credit. Classroom lectures do not count – this must be a campus-wide or community event, open to the public.  Announcements of these events can be found all over campus and on the UMD calendars.

Expectations and Classroom Etiquette: It is expected that students will follow the UMD student conduct code. You are expected to attend class regularly, pay attention, make every effort to keep up and turn in assignments on time, ask for help if needed, and be polite and respectful in the classroom. Distracting behaviors such as walking in late, talking during lectures, ringing or vibrating cell phones, or text messaging, will not be tolerated. In turn, you can expect me to come to class prepared, know the material I teach, be available during office hours, provide up-to-date information on your progress, listen to your concerns, provide help when needed, and respect you as a student and human being.

No Laptops, Phones, or Other Electronic Devices: In order to eliminate potential distraction and respect others’ privacy, electronic devices such as laptops, phones, cameras, and the like may not be used in the classroom. If you bring these devices into the room they must remain turned off. Powerpoint slides will be made available on Moodle and may be printed in advance of the lecture. Electronic recording of any kind is prohibited within the classroom unless such recording is necessary for accessibility purposes. In that case, please inform me in advance.

Academic Integrity: It is expected that students will follow all aspects of the university's academic integrity policy . The consequences of violating this policy may include a lower or failing grade on a particular assignment, a lower or failing grade in the course, or sanctions imposed by the university.

Late work/extensions: Late work will not be accepted. Assignments are available through the Moodle system during specific time periods. Availability and deadlines will be posted on the Moodle calendar.

Incompletes: In order to get a grade of "I" for this course, at least 70% of the work must have been completed with a passing grade. Arrangements should be made before the final exam; an incomplete agreement form must be approved and signed by the student and instructor. If you have not completed at least 70% of the work with a passing grade, talk to me about withdrawing from the course. Withdrawals after the 8^th week must be approved by the instructor, department, and college.

Withdrawals: You are free to withdraw from the class for any reason up to the end of the eighth week. After that, departmental permission is required. We do not consider failing grades to be grounds for withdrawal from a course. Around the eighth week of the semester, I will send out an email alert to any student whose current grade is a D or lower. If you receive such an alert, it is important to see me as soon as possible to discuss your options. To avoid getting a D or F on your official record, it is strongly recommended that you evaluate your progress in this course before the end of the eighth week.

Class Cancellation: If class is unexpectedly canceled due to inclement weather, instructor illness, or other situation, you may assume that the activity scheduled for that day will take place the next time the class meets, unless otherwise notified. This includes exams.

E-mail: Official announcements may be made via e-mail. Be sure to check your e-mail daily.

Final exam: Wednesday, May 11 at 12:00 p.m. No early or late finals will be given, except in accordance with the official university final exam policy.

Students with disabilities: It is the policy and practice of the University of Minnesota Duluth to create inclusive learning environments for all students, including students with disabilities.  If there are aspects of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or your ability to meet course requirements – such as time limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos – please notify the instructor as soon as possible.  You are also encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Resources to discuss and arrange reasonable accommodations.   Please call 218-726-6130 or visit www.d.umn.edu/access for more information.

Course Calendar (subject to change – check for updates on email and Moodle)

Date	Topic	Chapters
1/18	Introduction to the class
1/20	Sociological perspective	1
1/25	Sociological theory and methods	2
1/27	Sociological theory and methods, Culture and media	3
2/1	Culture and media, Socialization	4
2/3	Socialization
2/8	Groups, networks, and organizations	5
2/10	Finish old material, review
2/15	Exam 1 – Covers chapters 1 through 5
2/17	Social control and deviance	6
2/22	Social control and deviance, Family	7
2/24	Family
3/1	Education	8
3/3	Religion	9
3/8	Capitalism and Economy	10
3/10	Finish old material, review
3/15-3/17	Spring Break
3/22	Exam 2: Covers chapters 6 through 10
3/24	Authority	11
3/29	Authority, Gender	12
3/31	Gender, Race	13
4/5	Race
4/7	Stratification	14
4/12	Stratification, Poverty	15
4/14	Poverty
4/19	Finish old material, review
4/21	Exam 3: Covers chapters 11 through 15
4/26	Health	16
4/28	Science & Environment	17
5/3	Collective Action, Movements, and Change	18
5/5	Finish Movements and Change, Review for final Last day to turn in extra credit (due at class time)
5/11	Final Exam 12:00 p.m. (Covers entire semester)