SOCIOLOGY 100 - INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF SOCIETY

Course Syllabus
SOC 100: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF SOCIETY
Summer 2006 (Jul 3-Aug 10, 2006), Kapiolani Community College, University of Hawaii System
(Soc 100, CRN 35027; M,T,W,R 8:00-9:40am; Olona 202)

Instructor: Federico V. Magdalena, Ph.D.
Office: Olapa 217
Email: fm@hawaii.edu   URL: http://home.honolulu.hawaii.edu/~fed
Tel: (808) 956-6086 (day) /// (808) 734-9752 (MTWR Morning only)
Consultation: MTW 9:40-10:30am; or by appointment

Required Text:

Henry L. Tischler, Introduction to Sociology, 9th ed. Wadsworth, 2007. The text comes with a CD-ROM. You may also use a companion website, http://www.sociology.wadsworth.com/ and click on Tischler's.

This syllabus is better used interactively when accessed online from this site: http://home.honolulu.hawaii.edu/~fed/soc100syl-sum06.html.

Course Description:

This course will introduce you to the fascinating world of sociology, that field of study in the social sciences which deals with human interactions and social agreements, and what interactions and agreements do for people as members of society. The course will help you scan through sociology and understand the world we live in using three important media: texts, videos/CD-ROM and websites that direct readers to access resources from the internet for important sociological issues.

Introductory sociology is a quick overview of what appears as a broad field of study that encompasses almost everything, including the obvious and unimportant. This is difficult and requires patience, sensitivity and a great deal of reading, listening and participating in class discussions. In theory, every one is a sociologist. What validates this claim shall be discovered in this course.

Taboos:

Taboos are the don’ts, all groups and societies have them for orderly living. Here are some of them: Inside the classroom, please turn off your cell phones or mute them so the class is not disturbed. Papers and other written requirements are to be submitted in hard copies, not as email attachments, on the specified day. Late submission is penalized by 5 points deduction each day. In writing your papers, proper acknowledgment of sources must be made. Violated, it constitutes cheating and plagiarism as forms of academic dishonesty that warrant sanction, according to University rules. Plagiarism means copying other people’s works and passing them off as one’s own ideas or creations ( http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/resources/plagiarism/03Forms.htm). You can avoid plagiarism by properly citing your sources (acknowledge who writes them, what is written about and where/when the work appears) every time you quote words or paraphrase materials from the original. Plagiarized papers will earn for the owner a grade of "F", or at the extreme case sanction from the school.

Students are reminded that the University of Hawaii applies severe sanctions to erring students, by suspension or expulsion from UH (see UH Student Conduct Code, esp. on Academic Integrity/Dishonesty, http://www.catalog.hawaii.edu/about-uh/campus-policies/campus-policies.htm).

Don't get absent, missed classes are counted against your grade. You must attend at least 70% of the class sessions (or incur 6 unexcused absences). Three consecutive, unexcused absences put you at the risk of being dropped from the roll, a fourth one makes it a certainty. Absence must be documented to be excused. Getting out without permission while class is in session will be marked an absence. A student who incurs at least three unexcused absences may not get a grade of A.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Overall, the course is a set of program for students to learn many things about sociology. At the end of the semester, you should have achieved most if not all of the following:

Requirements:

The course uses a combination of lectures and discussions/workshops, readings, examinations and video presentations. The basic requirements are these: (1) Two major class examinations at the middle and end of the semester [30%]; (2) Two reaction papers based on the videos shown [25%]; (3) Interest/active participation in class, and at least 70% attendance in class sessions [25%], and (4) Four Quizzes [20%]. Missed quizzes cannot be made up, except in extremely rare situations (e.g., documented sickness). Penalties will be imposed for late submission of paper requirements, or taking the exams outside of the scheduled date.

Rewards, however, are granted for those who want to earn extra credits (maximum of 10 points) to compensate for some deficiencies. They may write a critical analysis of, or present an oral report about, an ongoing social issue or policy. One may, for example, submit three reaction papers to get extra credits.

Grading:

Grading is determined, after considering weights of the five criteria, as follows:

91-100%=A (Excellent)
81-90% =B
71-80% =C
61-70% =D (Passing)
0-60% =F (Failed)

Tentative Schedule:

The topics are sequenced based on the chapters of the text. Other sources from the internet are given to supplement your understanding of the chapter coverage. Also, the companion website provides you with tutorial quizzes, flash cards to master key terms and other aids to learning.

Tentatively, discussion of topics follows this schedule:

Jul 3, 5 – Discussion of syllabus and class requirements; Introduction to sociology (Ch 1); Sociological perspectives and sociological research (Ch 2).

Jul 4 - INDEPENDENCE DAY (Holiday), class cancelled

Jul 6, 10 – Culture (Ch 3); videotape showing (Any of these: "Yanomami Homecoming," 36 min., videotape # 17918; “Bugs for Breakfast,” 19 min., videotape #19445; or Bajao," 18 min., videotape #12333)

Jul 10 - Last Day to DROP COURSE ("W" does not appear on transcript)

Jul 11 – Socialization and Development (Ch 4); video showing (“Secret of the wild child,” 60 min., videotape #12779, or “The Bounty experiment,” 50 min., videotape #6328)

Jul 12 – Social interaction and Social Groups (Ch 5); Quiz 1

Jul 13 – Deviant Behavior and Social Control (Ch 6)

Jul 17, 18 – Social Class (Ch 7); Video showing (“Social class in the U.S.A,” 59 min., videotape #9234, or “Relocations,” 15 min., videotape #7441, or “Maharajah Burger,” 50 min., videotape #20112)

Jul 19 – Global stratification (Ch 8); First Reaction Paper due

Jul 20, 24 – Racial and Ethnic Minorities (Ch. 9); video showing (Any of these videos: "Race: The Floating Signifier," 60 minutes, videotape #13225; "Race: The Power of an Illusion," 58 min., videotape #20347; “At the River I stand” videotape #11250); Quiz 2 (Jul 24)

Jul 26 - Last Day to DROP COURSE ("W" appears on transcript)

Jul 25, 26 – Gender stratification (Ch. 10); video showing (“Adventures in the gender trade,” 40 min., videotape #10210); Mid-Term Examination (Jul 26)

Jul 27 – Marriage & Family (Ch. 11); video showing ("Building a better family,” 30 min., videotape #3602, or “Love, marriage and family,” 45 min., videotape #3122)

Jul 31 – Religion (Ch 12); Quiz 3

Aug 1, 2 – Education (Ch 13) and Political & Economic Systems (Ch 14)

Aug 3 - Video showing (“Preserving our global environment,” 53 min, videotape #10275); Second Reaction Paper due

Aug 7, 8 – Population, Environment and Urban Society (Ch 15); Video showing (“Six billion and beyond, “ 56 min., video #17988, or “Paul Ehrlich and the population bomb," 60 min. videotape #14697);

Aug 9 – Social Change (Ch 18); video showing; Quiz 4

Aug 10 - FINAL EXAM

Note: The videos are available at UH Manoa Sinclair Library, AV Center. Those who miss the showing may view it at Sinclair Library on their own.