SOCIOLOGY 2013 – Fall  2009

University of Arkansas

Fulbright College Core Course

Instructor ‑ Dr. Holyfield or “Dr. H”

Tues/Thurs 11:00 – 12:20    SEAU

 

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Helpful Information

 

Office: 214 Old Main                                                  Phone: 575‑3205

Office hours:  Tuesday 100 – 3:30;                 Thursday 1:00-3:30  (or by appointment)                    E‑mail: lholyfie@uark.edu                  (Best way to reach Dr. H outside office hours)

 

Teaching Assistant: Maggie Cobb 103 Old Main

 Office Hours: Monday 10:00 – 1:00; Tuesday 9:30 - 12:30, 1:30 – 4:00; Wednesday 9:00-12:00; Thursday 9:00 – 12:20;

E-mail: mcc003@uark.edu

 

Teaching Assistant: Ashleigh McKinzie  103 Old Main

Office Hours:  Monday 1:00 to 4:00; Tuesday  9:30- 12:30, 1:30 – 4:00; Wednesday 9:00 – 12:00; Thursday 9:00 to 12:20; 

E-mail:   amckinzi@uark.edu

 

If you need tutoring, help with an exam or if you want to review an exam, contact the Teaching Assistant at the above email address to schedule an appointment during office hours. You may also “drop in” during our office hours at the above locations. 

 

 

Required Texts and Materials:

SOC   Nijole V. Benokraitis  - 2009-2010 Edition.  Publisher: Wadsworth/Cengage.   

 

General Goals:

Sociology 2013 is one of several courses that will satisfy the Social Science requirement of the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences as well as other Colleges in the University.   This course counts for three hours of credit and is a prerequisite for all upper division courses in sociology. You are required to take a block of Social Science courses because the University and Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences believe you will benefit greatly by a more in-depth understanding of our social world, including interactions between individuals, groups and cultures.  By recognizing commonalities that we share, even with those from very different backgrounds, and gaining a fuller appreciation of the richness that diversity provides, we hope to promote more positive relations and greater tolerance among all people.

 

Web Site for Sociology 2013: http://www.uark.edu/~lholyfie

 

Website for Lectures and power points: http://www.uark.edu/~lholyfie/announce.html

 

Goals and Overall Aim for this Course:

My goals also are that I want you to be a critical consumer of culture.  I want you to be able to describe to your friends and family these more complex aspects of society, its origins, structure, change, and problems.  I especially want you to be able to identify components of society, discuss the nature of culture, social interaction, social groups, and social institutions, and be able to apply a sociological perspective to society overall.

Officially speaking, when you complete this course you should:

1.  Be familiar with the major concepts and perspectives utilized by sociologists to describe and view the world;

2.  Possess an appreciation for the diversity of individual life experiences in American society and an appreciation for global culture

3.  Have an enhanced understanding of your own experiences in today's society.

 

 


Grades – Total Points Possible:

          450 to 500                     = A

          400 ‑ 449                       = B

          350 ‑ 399                       = C

          300‑  349                       = D

          299 or  <                        = F

 

Grading:      

           Five exams @ 100 pts.  (drop lowest score of exams 1 through 4) **

            =    400 points

           (5) Attendance Quizzes @ 20 points                =     100 points 

            Total Points  Possible                                            500 points

 

 **  Note:  Exam 5 is not dropped. 

 

Exams and Quizzes

Exams will be multiple choice, true/false and possible short answer.  Each exam will cover both assigned readings and lecture.   Five exams will be given during the semester in addition to 5 attendance quizzes.  Attendance quizzes are not announced but will constitute 1/5 of your grade.   Each exam will be worth 100 points and cover approximately one‑fifth of the course material.   At the end of the semester, the exam with the lowest score from exams 1 through 4 will be automatically dropped (exception – exam 5).  Each quiz will be worth 20 points for a total of 100 points.   Quizzes cannot be dropped.   One wild-card quiz will be offered during the semester and can be used to either replace a quiz that was missed or replace a lower quiz grade. (Note: lectures do not cover all the reading material assigned -- i.e., if it is in the book, it will likely be on the exam).

 

Make up Policy

Quiz:

No make up attendance quizzes are given – you get one  opportunity however, with the wild card !

 

Exam:

If you miss one exam from exams one through four, it will automatically count as your dropped exam.

There is no final exam for this course – therefore the date reserved for what would have been our Final exam will be used for Make ups exams.  However, you may not use the last exam (exam #5) for your drop exam.   

 

 

Other Important Information 

Make-up exams may be short answer/essay/multiple choice/true-false given during the final exam period.  For the date and time of make ups - see ww.uark.edu.classes/fall2009cal.html.

 

Class attendance:  Your attendance will be reflected in your quizzes.  Because of the class size, I will not take attendance. However, if you do come to class you are expected to arrive on time, be up to date on all assignments, and be prepared for class discussion.

 

 

House Rules:

The following are not allowed at any time:

CELL PHONES/MP3 Players/IPOD/Text-messaging, etc.    Laptops may be used for note-taking only.  If you violate this policy, a graduate assistant will confiscate the item and return to you at the end of class.  Don’t put yourself in this awkward situation.   Seriously, NO exceptions   

 

 

Are you shy?

Because I value your thoughtful participation (and I WILL know your name), I will call on you from time to time.  However, a large class can be intimidating for someone who is shy. If  you are extremely shy, please send a e-mail to my teaching assistant or to me at lholyfie@uark.edu so that we may avoid any unnecessary discomfort in the classroom. 

 

Extra Credit: Throughout the semester I will give "pop‑quiz" and speaker opportunities for extra

credit up to 30 points total. These may be in the form of essay, multiple choice, true/false, or fill in

the blank.  Note: Because I do not curve exam grades, I have provided this extra‑credit component

to the course. However, it is up to you to take advantage of these opportunities. 

 

Inclement Weather Policy: In the case of inclement weather, I will place a voice mail message at 575‑3807 by 7:15 a.m. on the morning of the inclement weather.  If the University is open, I will make every effort to arrive.  However, because I live in a rural area and may not be able to make it into town in rough conditions, please call this number (575‑3807) before you risk driving to class. 

 

  

Available Help:

For this class you will find my web page especially helpful -- http://www.uark.edu/~lholyfie

Also, you can access mock exams for the class from the author’s web page by using your access code for the on-line companion site.

 

The Center for student with Disabilities‑ 575‑3546 / The Writing Center - 575‑6747

If you have a need for which you will request reasonable accommodation, please see the Catalog of Studies and contact Student support services – Arkansas Union.  Paper work for accommodations MUST to be turned in to my teaching assistants within the first two weeks of classes.

 

Academic Honesty:

Any questions about academic responsibility, plagiarism, cheating, etc. can be answered by reading the established University regulations in your catalog.  The Sociology program does take this breach of contract very serious and cheating on a quiz or exam may result in being administratively withdrawn from the class, receiving an “F” for the course, or being dismissed from the University.

 

Additional Information:

Religious Observance ‑ Although Christian religious holidays are reflected to some extent in the academic calendar of the University, holidays of other religious groups are not.  If you are a member of any religion and seek to be excused from class for this purpose, provide me with a schedule of the holidays, or observance days, by the third week of classes.  The schedule of classes is very informative for University calendar events, including religious holidays, class meetings, and final examination dates. 

 

If you have any questions or need to discuss a topic further, please feel free to contact me by phone, E‑mail, or come by my office and we can schedule a time to meet.  Again, check out my announcement page on the web at http://www.uark.edu/~lholyfie  !!!!!

 

                 

NOTE: Specific details of this syllabus may be subject to change.

 

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“TENTATIVE” COURSE SCHEDULE – While I will make every attempt to remain on schedule as provided below, please note that exam dates may be subject to change.

* All readings should be completed before the week begins (with the exception of chapter 1)

 

TOPIC                                                                                                 READING ASSIGNMENT

Week One  August 25th

Greetings/ Introduction ‑ ‑ 

The Sociological Perspective                           Chapter 1

The sociological imagination                                                  

Sociology as science

                                                                                               

Week Two    September 1st                             Chapter 1

Theoretical perspectives

How Sociologists Do Research

 

Week Three   September 8th

                                                            Film:  - “In Debt We Trust”  tentative

Culture:                                                                                  Chapter 2

Cultural universals, Popular Culture, Cultural change 

                                                                                                                                                              

Week Four   September 15th – Guest Lecutre

Cultural variation, change and diversity                             

Cultural relativism

 

Video - – “The Persuaders” tentative

                                                                       


Week Five   September 22                   *************************

 Exam # 1 – Chapter 1, 2  3 films and lecture

September 22

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 SOCIALIZATION:                                                               Chapter 4

Self and Society                                                                      

Nature and Nurture           

 

Week Six    September 29th 

Agents of socialization           

Development of Self, Mind, and Emotions

           

Video – “Barbie Nation”  or “Chinas Lost Girls” tentative

 

 Week Seven   October 6th

Social Interaction                                                                   Chapter 5

Social Structure

 

 GROUPS, AND ORGANIZATIONS                                               Chapter 6

Types of Societies: Four Social Revolutions                           

Status, Roles, and Groups, Institutions

In/Out, Reference  Groups

Bureaucracies

Leadership / Conformity

Groupthink                                                       Video: “Perils of Obedience” updated - tentative

                                                                              

Week Eight   October 13

“Smartest Guys in the Room” – Milgrim continued….

 

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Exam # 2 – Chapters  4,5 6 film and lecture

October 15th

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Week Nine  October 20th  

DEVIANCE and CRIME                                                       Chapter 7     

Types of deviance, Theories of deviance

                                                           

Film: “Trials of Daryl Hunt ”or “Innocence Project”

 

                                                                                   

Week Ten      October 27th                              

CORPORATE/ ENVIRONMENTAL DEVIANCE

 

Week  Eleven  November 3rd

Film: “Iraq For Sale”or “Ghosts of Abu Graib”

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Exam # 3  - Chapter 7,lecture and films

November 5th

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Week Twelve    November  10th  

Theories of Stratification in U.S                                              Chapter8

Stratification in U.S.   

 

Week Thirteen November 17th

Arkansas Poverty

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                                                         Exam # 4  Chapter 8, and lecture

November 19th

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Week Fourteen   November 24th

Sex and Gender                                                          Chapter 9

 

FALL BREAK - THANKSGIVING

 

Week Fifteen       December 1st

Race and Ethnicity                                                                 Chapter 10

 

Military, War and Terrorism                                               Chapter 18  -  On-Line

 

Week Sixteen   December 8th  

                                               Exam #5 Chapters 9,10, 18 and lecture

December 8th

Make Up Exams  (exceptions only) will be given