Lisa Christiansen
Department of Sociology
University of Florida
Office Location: Turlington #3102
Office Hours: TBA / Course: SYG 2000
Section #:1623
Semester: Spring 2016
Room: TUR 2333
Days: Tues period 4, Thurs periods 4-5
Tues 10:40 am-11:30 am, Thurs 10:40 am-12:35pm
Final Day 29 B (10:40 AM Friday April 29th)

Principles of Sociology

Course Description:

In this course, you will be introduced to three things: the sociological perspective, the application of this perspective to a variety of social issues, and the ability to research data to support a sociological perspective. The main goal of this class is not to memorize statistics and facts and regurgitate them on to a test (and forget them), but rather, to learn and develop a set of skills—skills that you can use to more fully understand the world around you and the social forces that will and do (whether or not you are aware) affect your lives and the lives of the other 7.3 billion people with whom you share the planet.

Course Goals:

1. Introduce students to the sociological perspective

2. Explain how the scientific method is used to generate the research evidence for Sociology

3. Develop and refine the research skills necessary to write a sociologically informed paper

4. Connect social science research with the development of contemporary social policies

Required Text:

Kimmel and Aronso, (2011) Sociology Now. Second Edition. Pearson.

Agenda for Social Justice: Solutions 2012. Muschert G, Ferraro K, Klocke BV, Perrucci R &Shefner J (editors).

E-reader:http://www.sssp1.org/index.cfm/m/323/locationSectionId/0/Agenda_For_Social_Justice(Links to an external site.)(Links to an external site.)

Readings below marked with a (*) are located under files in the course canvas website. Readings below marked with (**) are links located in the word doc title “Course Links”.

Readings for each week should be done BEFORE the week begins. Check Canvas for which readings are required and for updated readings announced in class

Course websites:

Bookmark these links!

E-learning in Canvas: https://lss.at.ufl.edu/ - this will be used for readings, grades, weekly quizzes, and the final exam.

Webmail: https://webmail.ufl.edu/- I will send out updates regarding class emergencies or cancellations via Canvas and your UF webmail account

Possible Points & Grading Scale:

Assignment Points Possible
Attendance 70
Quizzes 4 x 45pts 180
Individual Homework 150
1. Library Scavenger Hunt 10
2. Research Question 10
3. Research Vocabulary 10
4. Mind Map (In-class) 10
5. Fact Tree 15
6. Self-evaluation 10
7. Plagiarism Assignment 10
8. Context of Research 10
9. Team research Assignment 20
9a. Peer review 5
10. Annotated bibliography 15
11. Policy Brief 20
11a. Self-evaluation 5
Final Portfolio 100
Total 500 / Percentage Grade
100 - 92.6 A
92.4 - 89.6 A-
89.4 - 86.6 B+
86.4 - 82.6 B
82.4 - 79.6 B-
79.4 - 77.6 C+
77.4 - 72.6 C
72.4 – 69.6 C-
69.4 – 67.6 D+
67.4 – 62.6 D
62.4 – 59.6 D-
59.4 and below E / Points needed Grade
500 – 463 A
462 – 448 A-
447 – 433 B+
432 – 413 B
412 – 398 B-
397 – 388 C+
387 – 363 C
362– 348 C-
347 – 338 D+
337 – 313 D
312 – 298 D-
294 and below E

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

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Readings:

You are required to do the assigned readings before each topic is covered in class. For attendance points you may be quizzed on them or asked to write a brief response based on what you learned in a manner that demonstrates you have looked over the material

Attendance (14%)

Are you planning on coming to class? Are you planning on staying the ENTIRE class period? If the answer is “no” to both, you cannot pass this course. Attendance will be taken randomly throughout the semester. Sometimes I may pass around a sign-in sheet, other times I may ask you to participate in an indefinite number of unannounced in-class activities. These activities will consist of group-work or individual work. Activities will be used as time to think beyond the lectures/readings that are given. Attendance or in-class activities can take place on any day of the week, any time throughout the course. So, please: do not ask “will you be taking attendance today?” If you are worried about missing class, see the note on page 4.

Quizzes (36%)

There will be four quizzes throughout the semester worth 45pts each. They are not cumulative. Questions will be multiple-choice, matching, or very short answer. They will cover course readings and lectures for the appropriate course section for that quiz (please see course schedule below).

Research Homework (30%)

There are 11 individual research portfolio related assignments throughout the semester. They vary between 10-25 points. You will be given a grade for each of these individual assignments. The point break down of each assignment and each individual assignment release and due dates are listed in the course schedule below. I WILL NOT accept late homework assignments. If you miss a deadline, you will receive a zero. You know right now when they are due. Please adjust your schedule accordingly. If you do miss an assignment, it is in your best interest to complete it despite receiving a zero. At the end of the semester, you will be collecting all of your research homework from this semester and creating a research portfolio. Please stay on top of this work as it can quickly become overwhelming if you fall behind.

Final Research Portfolio (20%)

At the end of the semester you will be expected to combine many completed homework assignments in a professionally designed research portfolio. The portfolio will have a title page, table of contents, cover letter (1 page), each specified assignment, and a self-evaluation (1-page). The will be turned in online Thursday 4/28 at 3:00pm via Canvas.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

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Incomplete Grade Policy for CLAS

"I" grades should be assigned only after the instructor and the student have explicitly arranged, before the final exam for the course, to have the student complete exams or other required course work after the semester is over. The "I" arrangement should be used only when the student is doing passing work ("D" or better) in the course at the time of the arrangement.

Late Assignments and Missed classes

I am aware that you will sometimes miss class. If you’re having a rough semester (chronic illness, chronic funerals, chronic alien abductions), contact me before it gets worse. Then we’ll talk. But in the end, since we now live an average of 75 years, life usually doesn’t throw the worst of its stuff (i.e. multiple catastrophes) at us during a 17-week period.

Excused absences include: illness, serious family emergencies, special curricular requirements (e.g: field trips, professional conferences), military obligation, severe weather conditions, religious holidays and participation in social university activities such as music performances, student government obligations, athletic competition or debate. Absences from class for court-imposed legal obligations (e.g., jury duty or subpoena) are excused.

Unexcused absences include, but are not limited to: family vacations, sleeping in, tutoring for another class, appointments with academic advisors, events for your frat/sorority, or reality TV show appearances.

If you miss a quiz or attendance check for any reason, I expect that when you miss class, you do so for legitimate reasons (i.e. Illness). I don’t want to know all of the details of why you are absent. If you miss class, I expect you to get the lecture notes from someone else in class.

Accommodations for students with disabilities:

You have an instructor who greatly understands how a disability can impact your life at school. Please let me know if I can help in any way. Any student requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the dean of students office. The Dean of Students office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation. (reprinted from http://www.ir.ufl.edu/fac_handbook/syllabi.htm).

Classroom Environment & Participation

Attendance is not the same as participation. Attendance is “just showing up.” “Participation,” meanwhile, means staying awake, making eye contact, taking notes, raising your hand, asking questions (in class or after class), respectfully voicing your opinion, and illustrating your engagement with the readings. Three important points about this course requirement:

·  Social Media/texting in class demonstrates poor class participation, and disrespects my work as a teacher.

·  Please SILENCE cell phones

·  I take student complaints about classroom behavior very seriously.

It is difficult to talk about controversial social issues without offending people. Our class topics inevitably have a profound impact on our lives and are therefore likely to have a great deal of emotional significance to each of us. Thus, the only prerequisites for this course include maturity and respect. Come to class with an open mind. You must “try on” ideas but you don’t have to buy them.

I encourage you to debate issues; however, in order to create a safe learning environment for all, I expect such debates to take place in a calm, non-derogatory and reasonable manner. If at any point I should feel that a student is being disrespectful to another student(s) or me, I reserve the right to ask you to leave the classroom.

Academic Honesty:

All students admitted to UF have signed an academic honesty statement committing them to be honest in all academic work and failure to comply with this commitment will result in disciplinary action. Any students caught cheating on a quiz or homework assignment will receiving a failing grade for the assignment, or at the instructor’s discretion, a failing grade in the course. All incidents of possible cheating will be reported to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs.

Software Use

All faculty, staff, and students of the University are required and expected to obey the laws and legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because such violations are also against University policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate.

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Date / Readings / Assignment given / Assignment due
What is Sociology Week 1
Tues 1/5
Thurs 1/7 / Soc Now Chapter 1 “What is Sociology” / 1. Library Scavenger Hunt
Methods Week 2
Tues 1/12 / *C. Wright Mills “The Promise of Sociology” (1-5)
Thurs 1/14 / Soc Now Chapter 4 “Research Methods” / 2. Research Question Worksheet / 1. Library Scavenger Hunt
Stratification and Social Class Week 3
Tues 1/19 / Soc Now Chapter 7 “Stratification and Social class” / 3. Building a research vocab / 2. Research Question Work sheet
Thurs 1/21 / *Ehrenreich Nickel and Dimed (546-559) / 3. Building a research Vocab
Economy and Inequality Week 4
Tues 1/26 / Soc Now Chapter 12 “Economy and Work”
Tues 1/28 / Agenda for Social Justice: Solutions 2012 Chapt 9 “Poverty, Inequality, and the Shredded Safety Net” / 4. Mind Mapping Assignment
Culture and Deviance Week 5
Tues 2/2 / Soc Now Chapter 2 “Culture and Society” / Quiz 1
Thurs 2/4 / 5. Fact Tree Assignment
-ref works tutorial/Purdue owl / 4. Mind Mapping Assignment due
Criminal Justice System Week 6
Tues 2/9 / Soc Now Chapter 6 “Deviance and Crime”
Thurs 2/11 / **Sentencing Project “Ending Mass Incarceration” Policy Brief
**Most Misleading Charts / 6. Resources self-evaluation / 5. Fact Tee Assignment due via Canvas @ 3:00pm
Crime and Race Week 7
Tues 2/16 / Soc Now Chapter 8 “Race and Ethnicity” / 6. Resource self-evaluation due via Canvas
Thurs 2/18 / **Ehrenfreund(2015) “Black Teens who…”
*Pager “Blacks and Ex-Cons” (58-59) / 7. Plagiarism Worksheet
Race Week 8
Tues 2/23 / Agenda for Social Justice: Solutions Chapter 7 “Immigration Law…” / 7. Plagiarism Worksheet due
Thurs 2/25 / Soc Now Chapter 14 “Science” pp.453-456 / 8. Context of research
3/1-3/4 SPRING BREAK Week 9
Race and Gender Week 10
Tues 3/8 / Soc Now Chapter 5 “Gender Socialization” pp.145-146 / Quiz 2
Thurs 3/10 / Soc Now Chapter 9 “Sex and Gender” / NESW activity
9. Group assignment / 8. Bring context of research to class
Gender Week 11
Tues 3/15 / *Risman “Gender as a Structure” (292-299)
Thurs 3/17 / Agenda for Social Justice: Solutions Chapt 1 “Nineteen Million and Counting: Unique Issues Facing America's Foreign-Born Women in the Home and Workplace”.
Soc Now Chapter 10 pp. “Sexuality” 302-316 / 10. Annotated Bibliography
Family and Education Week 12
Tues 3/22 / Soc Now Chapter 11 “The Family” / 9. Group assignment due in class
Thurs 3/24 / Soc Now Chapter 14 “Education” pp.424-435
*Kozol “Savage Inequalities” (262-268) and “The Ordering Regime” (63-87)
Education Week 13
Tues 3/29 / *McNamee and Miller (2009) “Making the Grade: Education and Mobility” / Quiz 3
Thurs 3/31 / Agenda for Social Justice: Solutions 2012 Chapter 6. “Promoting Digital Equality: The Internet as a Public Good and Commons”. / 11. Policy Analysis / 10. Annotated Bibliography Due via Canvas at 3:00 pm
Life Couse, Aging, and Health Week 14
Tues 4/5 / Soc Now Chapter 10 “Age: Identity and Inequality” pp. 290-296
Soc Now Chapter 5 “Socialization and the Life Course” pp.142-144
Thurs 4/7
Health inequality Week 15
Tues 4/12 / Agenda for Social Justice: Solutions 2012 Chapter 5. At Greatest Risk of Infection: Young Black Women and Sexually Transmitted Infections.
Thurs 4/14 / Soc Now Chapter 13 “Politics and Media”
**All Politicians Lie / Final Research portfolio / 11. Policy Analysis Due via Canvas 3:00pm
Beyond the classroom Week 16
Tues 4/19 / Quiz 4
Thurs 4/21 / NO CLASS Reading Day
Finals Week
Tues 4/26 / NO CLASS
Thurs 4/28 / NO CLASS / Final Research Portfolio
Due via Canvas by 3:00pm

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