SOCIOLOGY 2301, Section 30
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
Summer 2005
Sara Horsfall, Ph.D.
243 Poly United Methodist Church
Phone 531-4264
Email: shorsfall@txwes.edu
http://web.txwesleyan.edu/sociology/
Office
Hours:Thursdays 5-7 pm
Other times by
appointment
Anytime by
email
TEXT: 1)
SOCIOLOGY by John Macionis, 9th or 10th Edition, Prentice Hall
OBJECTIVES: This course introduces basic sociological concepts and research. The student should become familiar with the process of sociological research, and understand how to interpret sociological data. There are so many areas within Sociology, that it is impossible to become fully knowledgeable in all of them. Rather, the student will learn concepts and approaches, as well as some data, and become familiar with the emphasis of the major areas currently being studied.
FORMAT: The course will be conducted online. Course format will include reading the text, doing online (virtual) study assignments, two discussion group meetings, participation in discussion board topics, Journal Reviews and tests. Students will be responsible for reading the material and completing the assignments by the appropriate time.
Internet Site:
There
is an Internet page for this class The address is: http://web.txwesleyan.edu/sociology/horsfall/Intro.html There are direct links to all of the
following sites on the course page.
WebCT: In addition to
the web page above, the class will use WebCT as a meeting place throughout the
semester. WebCT can be accessed through the University web page, http://www.txwes.edu. Students who are
unfamiliar with WebCT should go to the WebCT site on the Wesleyan web page and
read the instructions. Further help is available from Jason Neal, WebCT
Administrator. His office is on the first floor of the Library. Most communication will take place through
the WebCT email. However regular email addresses and phone numbers are
important for times when the system may not be functioning.
Group
Discussion: Each student will be expected to participate in at least TWO
group discussion sessions throughout the semester. The discussion sessions will
be held at times agreed upon in the Orientation Meeting. All discussion sessions will be held in the
Chat Rooms of WebCT. A reminder and specifics about which chat room we will
meet in will be sent prior to the meetings, along with the topics to be covered
in the discussion. Students should make a note of questions they may have on
various chapters, and ask them during the discussion time. If no particular
topics are mentioned prior to the meeting, students should assume that the
topics will include course material covered since the last discussion. Students
should be ready to discuss pertinent the topic, taking a few minutes to review
the material so that the concepts are in mind. Please note that the discussions
are an important part of the course. Please make arrangements to remember the
discussion times, and participate in the discussions in an intelligent and
responsible way.
Each
student is also responsible for discussions on the Discussion Board (called
Notice Board in WebCT). A question is posted for each of chapter. Each student
will respond to the question AND respond to at least one other student. The
postings should be thoughtful and sincere. There are times when a one sentence
response is adequate, but not always! To receive full credit for discussion,
student responses should reflect seriousness and effort.
Note:
A free flow of ideas is essential to a college education. All ideas are
valuable, and all contributions are welcome. No student should hesitate to
express him/herself for fear of being wrong, or for fear of ridicule. Respect
is an essential element of academic discussion and interaction: between
students and between instructor and students. Prejudice, resentment and other
hostilities are not a part of academic behavior. Disagreements can be settled
by clarification of the issues, reference to Texas Wesleyan University
guidelines, and amicable discussion between parties. Agreeing to disagree is an
acceptable academic resolution.
Virtual
Assignments: The publisher site has extensive study materials which we
will use each week. Unless otherwise specified, the student will complete the
four items under Study Guide each week. These include Multiple Choice, Key
Terms Quiz, True/False, Glossary Quiz. Your answers will be sent to the
instructor in the WebCT email. Be sure to include the chapter number in the
subject line so that your assignments are not confused with other emails. DO
NOT SEND THEM TO THE Txwes or Hotmail ADDRESS.
If
you are not able to access the Study Guide via WebCT, you can go directly to
the publisher site: http://www.prenhall.com/macionis/ Click on the 10th edition. When
you complete the practice tests, 1) highlight and copy them into a word file,
2) when you have all four in one file, send them to my Txwes address, 3) send
them again in WebCT when you can access it. By the end of the course all of
your Study Guide practice tests should be in WebCT to get full credit for these
assignments.
Exams will cover assigned readings and notes. The course is planned so that each week students will read one or sometimes two chapters, do the practice tests (Virtual Assignments) and then take the test. All exams are available at the beginning of the course, so students may continue at their own pace. However, please refer to the schedule for the last day the exams will be available. Generally fifteen minutes are allowed for each exam. If you think you need more time than this, please contact the Instructor to make other arrangements. No make-up exams will be given, but one exam will be dropped for the final grade. Students are encouraged to plan to take every exam, and reserve the one dropped exam for emergencies or to make up for a low score. Anyone caught cheating on a test will receive a zero for that test.
If WebCT is down, or
something happens when you go to take a test, the make up test is Thursdays 5-7
pm in my office. The real-time test will be different than the online test.
Review of
Journal Articles: Using the Library Database, students will locate
Sociological journal articles to review. Within the Library Database there is a
Sociological Sources database which is most likely where the journal article
will come from. Some medical journals and some other professional/academic
journals are acceptable, but must be approved by the Instructor. There are some
online sources found on The Research Page http://web.txwesleyan.edu/sociology/research.html.
Journal
articles are usually studies done by one or more sociologists. They are usually
about 20 pages, although one doesn’t have to read all of it to get the
information. However, you cannot skim the important parts! You need to know
where they are. The standard format for journal articles is as follows:
a.
Introduction tells what the
question is and why it is important.
b.
Literature Search tells what
others have found out about the subject. Be sure not to get lost in this
section. Many times students misinterpret the literature search for the actual
findings.
c.
Methods section
explains how the researcher went about collecting the data and analyzing it,
including why they decided to survey the people they selected. The researcher
usually explains how representative they are of the general population, and
discusses how willing they were to participate and how honest they appeared.
They also typically discuss any shortcomings of their study, so that the reader
knows how valid their findings are.
d.
Findings tells what
the data revealed. This is where the researcher analyzes the data. It is the
most important part of the paper (not the literature search). Often the first
part of the findings include a lot of statistics which may be difficult for you
to understand. Don’t worry if you don’t understand all of it. Just look for the
summary sentences, and try to get the most out of it that you can.
e.
Conclusion explains what
the results mean in the end. Was the original hypothesis supported? If not, why
not? What ramifications do the results have for society?
f.
Sources are usually
done in ASA (American Sociological Association) format, which is quite simple
and straightforward.
Author.
Date. "Title of article." Title of Journal. Issue #, Volume number:
page number.
Author.
Date. Name of Book. Publisher location: Publisher.
g.
Tables/Charts/Graphs are at the end.
The
review should be in a book review format. Put the title, author, Journal,
pages, at the top of the page.
Then
discuss the author’s findings and why they are or are not important.
Indicate
whether their findings are similar to other researchers, or different (that is,
compare the findings with the literature search).
Assess
the study, and include in your discussion why the study is important, or why it
is not important. Also discuss whether the study was done well. You may not
know, but give your impression, and be sure to include the reasons.
Explain
the logic of the researchers, and comment on the process.
Explain
where the researcher is likely to do next in terms of this topic.
The
journal reviews should be two pages, ten point Times Roman font, double spaced,
1 inch margins.
Each
journal article needs to be approved by the Instructor.
Office Hours: Office hours are Thursday early evenings.
Questions and problems can be dealt with at other times via email, or phone.
Student Web
Page:
Each student will create a Student Web Page in WebCT. This will include a photo
of the student and whatever other information the student wants to include.
Grades: Exams 50%
Study Guide Practice Tests 15%
Three Journal Reviews 15%
Two Group Discussions
10%
Bulletin Board
postings 5%
Student Web page 5%
The
final grade will be based on the following scale - A=90-100, B=80-89, C=70-79,
D=60-69, F=59 and below. A final grade of A signifies that the student has
excelled in this course, going beyond the expected requirements. A final grade
of B signifies that the student has mastered all the concepts, has a working
knowledge of what it means to do sociological research as demonstrated in
tests, the team project and class discussions. A final grade of C signifies
that the student’s understanding of the subject matter is acceptable. A final
grade of D signifies that the student is familiar with the subject matter, but
may not understand or recall some important ideas. A final grade of F signifies
that the student has not mastered the material of this course. The median grade
for this course in the past is a C.
PROCEDURES:
An
Online course requires more maturity of the student than regular classes. The
student is responsible for setting his or her own time schedule to accomplish
each task. Aside from the Orientation session the student is not required to
meet with the Instructor or any other student in person. However, that does not
mean that the student is out of touch. Through email, WebCT, phone and real
time meetings, students and Instructor are very much in touch with each other.
It is, however, the student's responsibility to maintain that connection.
Just as in any other course, anyone caught cheating on a test/assignment will receive a grade of zero for that assignment.
Anyone guilty of plagiarism will receive a zero on that assignment. Plagiarism is copying someone else’s writing and claiming that it is your own. This includes ANY AND ALL material from the Internet, papers of other students, material from the text or any other book.
No late papers or assignments will be accepted.
Students with questions or complaints about anything having to do with the course are encouraged to make an appointment with the instructor to discuss the situation. Misunderstanding and inadvertent human error - on the part of students or instructor – can cause unnecessary problems. The easiest solution is informal discussion. No concern is too small to be addressed.
Students are urged to use common sense when approaching the course procedures and grading. Evaluation is based on expressed knowledge, including definitions and indications of meanings. Instructors cannot be expected to understand your unexpressed meaning. Should it happen that you receive a low daily grade, there is no assumption that you are not a good students or that you will fail the course. Especially if the course material is difficult, it is not unusual for a student to receive a low grade for new material early in the semester. Please refer to the syllabus for the weight that grade has in the over all grade.
Every attempt is made to judge and grade all students fairly. Please note, however, that a portion of the final grade rests on the subjective judgment of the instructor. If you feel this assessment is in error, you may appeal to the instructor with evidence to support your reasoning. Further grade appeals must go through the procedure outlined in the University catalog.
Students should read the current Texas Wesleyan University Catalog and Student Handbook to become familiar with University policies. These policies include, but are not limited to grade appeal, sexual harassment, student access to records, and others; policies specified in the current catalog are applicable unless otherwise stated in this syllabus.
Texas
Wesleyan University adheres to a disability policy which is in keeping with
relevant federal law. The University will provide appropriate accommodation as
determined by the Director of the Counseling Center, Dr. Michael Ellison.
Students must notify instructors of any permanent or temporary disabilities and
must provide documentation regarding those disabilities prior to the granting
of an accommodation. For assistance, students should consult with Dr. Ellison.
Note: Course syllabi are intended to provide students with basic information concerning the course. The syllabus can be viewed as a 'blueprint' for the course; changes in the syllabus can be made and students will be informed of any substantive changes concerning examinations, the grading or attendance policies and changes in project assignments.
CLASS SCHEDULE
May 10 – 6:30
PM Orientation
WebCT, Publisher Site, alternate procedures, journal article
reviews discussed. Contact info collected.
Deadlines
for taking the tests are:
June
6, 1 a.m. – Test on Chapter 1 The
Sociological Perspective
June 6, 1 a.m.
– Test on Chapter 2 Sociological
Investigation
June 13, 1
a.m. – Test on Chapter 3 Culture and
Chapter 4 Society
June 20, 1
a.m. – Test on Chapter 5 Socialization
and Chapter 6 Social Interaction in Everyday Life
June 20 – Review of the first Journal Article is due.
July 11, 1 a.m.
- Eighth Test, Chapter 8 Deviance
July 11 -
Review of the second Journal Article is due.
July 18, 1
a.m. – Test on Chapter 7 Groups and Organizations and Chapter 23 Collective
Behavior
July 25, 1
a.m. – Test on Chapter 10
Stratification and Chapter 11
Social Class in the United States
August 1, 1
a.m. – Test on Chapter 14 Race and
Ethnicity
August 1 –
Review of the third Journal Article is due.
August 8, 1
a.m. – Test on Chapter 13 Gender
Stratification