Department of Sociology Summer 2020 Sociology 100: B1
Introductory Sociology
Instructor: Susan Cake
Email: [email protected] Please email me directly rather than through Eclass. If you do not hear back from me within 48 hours please resend your email.
Office hours: By appointment
Course Location, Date and Time: The course will run on the UAlberta Eclass platform. Course content will be delivered asynchronously meaning you will have access to all the material for the week to review and interact with when you choose. Mid-terms and exams however will be scheduled at specific times and dates.
Class: MW 1:00-3:50pm See above for more details.
The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages, and cultures of the First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.
Course Description: The objective of this course is to introduce you to different sociological perspectives and the discipline of Sociology. The course will cover a range of topics, including families, educational systems, workplaces all the while presenting a range of sociological theories and thinkers. Not to be taken by students with credit in SOC 300.
Required Text: Sociology in Our Times Edition 7
If you would like to purchase the digital option of the textbook, you can purchase through the U of Alberta bookstore: https://bookstore.ualberta.ca/courselistbuilder.aspx
Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to
• Understand historical contexts, key arguments, and uses of diverse theoretical approaches in sociology.
• Critically situate individual experience within broader social contexts and relationships.
• Question assumptions about social phenomena.
• Interrogate forms of power, inequality, and social change.
• Assess social practices, programs, and policies.
Class Format: The class will follow a lecture format online. Lecture material is mainly based on the textbook with a few additions. All lecture material and textbooks are “fair game” for exams.
Classroom Atmosphere: This will be an online class in which we all feel free to express our opinions and points of view. When you express your opinions on Eclass you are expected to follow certain etiquette and be respectful. The material covered in this class will allow us all to question each other and the world around us. Sociology is a discipline that surrounds us in our everyday life. As such many of us will have experiences and stories that are relevant to the course material. Sharing this material with each other is an important part of being in a
Sociology class. However, we do need to follow certain guidelines to ensure that a certain order is maintained. For example, if you use the discussion forum do not type in all caps as that is commonly understood as yelling. Sarcasm also does not translate well in writing so what may seem like an obvious joke to you may come off as insulting to others. So it is best to avoid it.
Sociology tends to challenge our common sense understandings of society. It is important that you come to class with an open mind, willing to listen to points of view that challenge your own way of thinking. Finally, it is imperative that we respect each other and each other’s points of view. Debate is healthy – but it must be respectful debate. If you at any time feel that these general guidelines are not being met in class, please bring it to my attention by emailing me at [email protected].
Grade Distribution: Your mark for the course is divided according to the following format:
Mid-Term #1: 30% July 15TH at 1pm MST Mid-Term #2: 35% July 29th at 1pm MST
Final Exam: 35% August 14TH at 8:00am (to be confirmed)
Exams: The midterm exams include multiple choice questions on text and lecture material. All lecture and textbook materials are “fair game” for exams.
Final Exam: The final exam follows the same format as the two midterms (multiple choice). It will not be cumulative.
Sample Exam Questions: The following are examples of the types of the questions that make up the exams in this course:
1. Which of the following is exemplified by denying blacks entry into some restaurants, schools, residential communities, and movie theatres in Canada?
a. split-market theory b. de jure segregation c. de facto segregation d. assimilation
2. What theoretical perspective derives its foundation from the U.S. civil rights tradition and the writing of persons such as Martin Luther King, Jr., and W.E.B. Du Bois?
a. feminism
b. symbolic interactionism c. critical race theory d. functional race theory 3. What is political crime?
a. illegal or unethical acts involving the misuse of power by government officials, or those perpetrated against the government by outsiders
b. illegal activities committed by people in the course of their employment or in dealing with their financial affairs
c. a business operation that supplies illegal goods and services for profit
d. an illegal action voluntarily engaged in by participants, such as prostitution, illegal gambling, the use of illegal drugs, and illegal pornography
4. If you were to apply verstehen to social analysis, which of the following would you be doing?
a. supporting the proletariat by bringing values into research b. trying to enlighten others to the social facts around them
c. employing understanding to gain the ability to see the world as others see it d. acknowledging and promoting personal beliefs and biases
5. In what perspective are both the ethnomethodological and dramaturgical approaches strongly rooted?
a. social conflict
b. symbolic interactionist c. structural functionalist d. postmodern
Answers: B, C, A, C, B
Grading
Final grades are not curved or scaled. They will be assigned according to the following guideline:
Important Dates: Last day to add and drop courses on Bear Tracks is July 9. Course withdrawal deadline (50% fee refund) is July 20. Course withdrawal deadline (no fee refund) is August 5.
Required Notes: “Policy about course outlines can be found in Course Requirements, Evaluation Procedures and Grading of the University Calendar.”
Academic Integrity
“The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provision of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.governance.ualberta.ca) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in
suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence.
Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.”
Academic Honesty
All students should consult the Academic Integrity website (https://www.ualberta.ca/current- students/academic-resources/academic-integrity/index.html). If in doubt about what is permitted in this class, ask the instructor.
An instructor or coordinator who is convinced that a student has handed in work that he or she could not possibly reproduce without outside assistance is obliged, out of consideration of fairness to other students, to report the case to the Associate Dean of the Faculty. See the Academic Discipline Process (https://www.ualberta.ca/provost/dean-of-students/student- conduct-and-accountability/discipline-process.html).
Learning and Working Environment
The Faculty of Arts is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behaviour that undermines that environment. The department urges anyone who feels that this policy is being violated to:
• Discuss the matter with the person whose behaviour is causing concern; or
• If that discussion is unsatisfactory, or there is concern that direct discussion is inappropriate or threatening, discuss it with the Chair of the Department.
For additional advice or assistance regarding this policy, you may contact the Office of the Student Ombuds: http://www.ombudservice.ualberta.ca/ . Information about the University of Alberta Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures is described in UAPPOL at https://policiesonline.ualberta.ca/PoliciesProcedures/Pages/DispPol.aspx?PID=110.
Attendance, Absences and Missed Grade Components
Regular attendance is encouraged for all courses. In cases of potentially excusable absences from a midterm exam due to illness or other issues, notify me by email within two working days (or as soon as possible, given the circumstances underlying the absence). Students with an excused absence from a midterm must write the missed exam rather than shift the weight of that exam to other course requirements. Regarding absences that may be excusable and procedures for
addressing course components missed as a result, consult Attendance of the University Calendar (https://calendar.ualberta.ca/content.php?catoid=33&navoid=9816#Attendance).
Absence from Final Exam
If you miss the final exam, you must formally apply to your Faculty Student Services office to be considered for a deferred final exam within two working days from the date of the missed exam (or as soon as possible, considering the circumstances). I cannot approve or deny requests for deferred final exams. Refer to the Absence from Final Exams information provided in the Attendance section of the University Calendar for full details
(https://calendar.ualberta.ca/content.php?catoid=33&navoid=9816#Attendance).
Date of Deferred Final Exam: TBA
Recording of Lectures
“Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).”
Accessibility Resources
If you have special needs that could affect your performance in this class, please let me know during the first week of the term so that appropriate arrangements can be made. If you are not already registered with Accessibility Resources, contact their office immediately (1-80 SUB;
Email [email protected]; phone 780-492-3381).
Important General Information
• Re-writing exams, submitting extra work or any other option to increase grades will not be considered under any circumstances.
• Pleas for higher marks to get into quota University programs will not be heard under any circumstances.
• The official class list is produced by the end of the first week of term. Students not on the Class List are not deemed to be properly registered and may not submit exams or assignments. It is your responsibility to check your Class Schedule on Bear Tracks to ensure you are registered in the course.
• Students requiring assistance for a variety of needs are encouraged to refer to the following website: https://www.ualberta.ca/current-students/index.html which lists support services available to undergraduate students. For example, for concerns regarding exam anxiety and concerns of an academic nature, the Academic Success Centre is available for assistance (492- 2682); Counselling and Clinical Services (492-5205) provides support of a more personal nature.
TENTATIVE LECTURE SCHEDULE AND REQUIRED READINGS
Week Dates Topic Readings
1 July 6th and 8th The Sociological Perspective and Sociological Research
Chapter 1 & 2
2 July 13th and 15th Culture and Society
and Social Structure Chapter 3 & 5 3 July 20th and 22nd Crime and Deviance
and Ethnic Relations Chapter 8 & 11 4 July 27th and 29th Gender and Sex and
Sexualities Chapter 12 & 13
5 August 5th Social Class and
Stratifications and Healthcare
Chapter 9 & 15
6 August 10th and 12th The Economy and
Government Policy Chapter 19 & 22 Exam Schedule
Mid-Term #1: 30% July 15TH at 1pm MST Mid-Term #2: 35% July 29th at 1pm MST
Final Exam: 35% August 14TH at 8:00am (to be confirmed)