ISS 3010 Introduction to the Social Sciences
master syllabus
Note: Blue highlighting indicates material that will be customized by each instructor and will vary from syllabus to syllabus
Yellow and green highlighting indicates material related to the Global Citizens Project certification of this course and will be included in all sections of the course.
The Global Citizens Assignment will be included in all sections of the course.
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Sociology 475: Analysis in Survey Research
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Summer 2015
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USF CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION
ISS 3010 Introduction to the Social Sciences (3). Integrates the range of social science fields into a global interdisciplinary perspective. Views social institutions and issues from perspectives of changing paradigms.
ISS 3010 is certified as a Global Citizens course and may be used to fulfill partial requirements of the Global Citizen Awards upon successful completion of the course (final grade of B or higher)
INTRODUCTION
The globalized workspace demands a new type of worker with a new set of skills: the ability to understand, use, and integrate knowledge, technology, and methods as well as collaborate with persons from dissimilar cultural backgrounds with diverse disciplinary training. This requires the ability to integrate conflicting views concerning complex problems. The way in which we meet these challenges will reshape the economic, political, and social policies of the 21st century.
Students will delve into thought-provoking topics that have local/national and global significance. These explorations may include almost any discipline and will include a cross-cultural perspective. Students will learn to assess information critically and investigate lines of reasoning. In a collaborative classroom environment, they will direct much of their own learning and develop an independence of thought.
INSTRUCTOR’S ADVICE TO STUDENTS
This syllabus is different from many others. It is longer than some, more detailed than most. But most importantly, it is designed to help you successfully pass the course. Please keep this syllabus for reference during the course.
In the following pages, there are many suggestions to you but the most crucial one is this: Get help as soon as you think you need it. Do not create an insurmountable “catch-up” problem for yourself. If you are seriously in need of help, make an appointment to meet with me.
Because this course is somewhat concentrated and the learning process is a cumulative one, it is imperative that students do not fall behind and, to this end, the following practices will be adopted:
1. Each assignment will be graded and individual feedback will be provided.
2. Students are encouraged to contact me to discuss their progress.
3. Also, students may communicate with me to make a suggestion, bring about a complaint, or just remind me of something….
Most importantly, take ownership of your education in this class by completing all reading and writing assignments on time and participating in all discussions.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The goals of this course are for students, using both theoretical and practical applications, to:
1. Develop an interdisciplinary perspective.
2. Develop information literacy as it applies to accessing and using the social sciences.
3. Recognize the differences in global and cultural systems and issues.
4. Understand the ways in which an interdisciplinary perspective and the social sciences are applied to everyday life, such as government, academia, and other professions.
5. Achieve basic competency in analyzing global and/or cultural interrelationships and interdependencies across place and time.
6. Examine the use of various research methods and data.
7. Consider the ways in which decision-making and behaviors impact human populations and the natural environment in an interconnected world.
8. Develop your understanding of how the interdisciplinary methods and topics discussed in class may be used for your own academic or professional careers and/or to improve your lives as students, community, members, and workers in a global society.
9. Develop self-awareness with regard to values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors (GCP Self-awareness)
10. Develop ability to analyze global and cultural interrelationships and interdependencies across place and time (GCP Analysis)
LEARNING OUTCOMES
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Discuss and identify the benefits of interdisciplinary research.
2. Demonstrate information literacy as it applies to accessing and using the social sciences.
3. Identify and describe multiple aspects of major global and cultural systems and issues.
4. Articulate the ways in which an interdisciplinary perspective and the social sciences are applied to everyday life, such as government, academia, and other professions.
5. Compare and contrast the impact of historical and geopolitical processes on cultural systems.
6. Compare and evaluate the use of various research methods and data.
7. Analyze and evaluate the ways in which decision-making and behaviors impact human populations and the natural environment in an interconnected world.
8. Describe how the interdisciplinary methods and topics discussed in class may be used for your own academic or professional careers and/or to improve your lives as students, community, members, and workers in a global society.
9. Recognize differences in people’s values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors by conducting a literature review comparing the United States and another country on a globally significant issue specified by the instructor, using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).
10. Analyze global issues and challenges, their histories, and impacts by describing similarities and differences in the impact of a specific UNSDG on other aspects of life in the United States and another country.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Textbook (Required)
Repko, Allen F., Rick Szostak, and Michelle Phillips Buchberger. 2014. Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies. 1st ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
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Title: Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies.
Authors: Allen Repko, Rick Szostak, Michelle Phillips Buchberger
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc. (May 2013)
ISBN-10: 1452256603
ISBN-13: 978-1452256603
Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 7.2 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
List price: $68.00
USF Bookstore: TBA
Amazon: $54.02 (will buy back at $21.06)
Barnes & Noble: $57.26 (Rent, $16.93)
eCampus: $63.99 (Rent, $17.07)
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Course Ancillaries
This course makes extensive use of current topics from the international news media. Supplemental reading materials will be provided by the instructor and students.
CANVAS
CANVAS is the University of South Florida’s online course management system. Announcements, assignment instructions, submission of assignments, links to the discussion board, and other salient features will be provided thereon. Students are expected to logon to CANVAS daily.
The CANVAS Student Quickstart Guide is available at http://guides.instructure.com/m/8470 and a self-paced video course on how to use CANVAS is available at: https://resources.instructure.com/courses/32
The USF Tampa IT help desk also provides 24-hour support for CANVAS. If you need assistance outside USFSM’s e-Learning hours, please telephone 813/974-1222 or email: .
Course Materials (Required)
1. An active USF email account that is checked daily as there will be times when you may need to be contacted individually or as a class.
2. A reliable computer with internet access. (ITS labs are available throughout campus with generous hours of operation.)
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Attendance is measured by course participation. Every student attending this course is expected to complete all assignments on time and to actively participate in class discussions.
Having explained the attendance policy, please know that research has shown — and my experience confirms — that absenteeism (i.e., non-participation) is correlated with lower grades. This is especially true of this course as the knowledge is cumulative with each step building on the previous step. Inconsistent attendance creates insurmountable “catch-up” problems for students.
In other words, absenteeism is counter-productive to students’ academic objectives and strongly discouraged. However, this course will come easily to anyone who keeps up with the assignments and seeks help when needed.
Religious Observance Absence Policy
Early Notification Requirement for Observed Religious Days — Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of a major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, at the beginning of the term (USF Policy 10-045).
COURSE DESIGN
Many discussions and assignments require students to focus on real events, issues, and cases presented in the reading materials and/or audio/visual presentations.
This class is an amalgamation of lectures (refer to Schedule of Reading Assignments and Examinations listed herein) and students’ active participation in a collaborative learning and teaching environment. Students are to read the assigned chapters and readings previous to attending class. All material presented or assigned in class may be used on exams. Missed assignments or quizzes cannot be made up without supporting official documentation (from school or hospital) proving that a student was ill or had an emergency.
1. Class Discussions and Participation
Class discussions are based on students’ thoughtful reflections on reading assignments and other relevant topics. Weekly ancillary readings are essential to GCP-related learning objectives and student learning outcomes. You are expected to contribute to class using academic arguments. Completion of class readings will help you do this.
Regular, timely, and meaningful participation is a key factor in final grades and these will be determined by class attendance along with participation in all discussions, quizzes, and activities.
2. Quizzes
Quizzes are administered throughout the course to ensure that students are reading the material, in toto accounting for 20% of the overall course grade. These may consist of true/false, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and multiple choice questions directly related to the reading assignments. All quizzes will be taken through CANVAS.
3. Intellectual Autobiography
An intellectual autobiography is the story of a student’s academic or intellectual journey told from an individual point of view. Writing an intellectual autobiography helps the student to reinforce several of the traits and skills encompassing the “cognitive toolkit” as well as to make explicit one’s own journey toward becoming interdisciplinary. With this assignment, the student has a choice of creating a narrative or constructing a visual intellectual biography. Complete instructions for this assignment will be posted on CANVAS.
4. Research Paper Proposal and Annotated Bibliography
The purpose of this assignment is to provide students with the requisite resources to write the GCP assignment (final examination).
5. GCP Assignment (Final Examination )
global citizens project (gcp) assignment
To fulfill the learning objectives of the Global Citizens Project (GCP), this course requires a research paper on a topic of global significance. Readings and discussions throughout the semester will culminate in the following project:
Step 1. Locate the targets associated with Sustainable Development Goal 3—Good Health and Well-being (UN-DESA 2016: 16–17): https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg3 (note: the UNSDG selected may vary across sections).
Step 2. Given Sustainable Development Goal 3 is devoted to “[e]nsure healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages” (UN-DESA 2016:14), select a health and population problem of global significance. Problems include, inter alia, epidemics and communicable diseases, international public health emergencies (e.g., Zika virus), neonatal mortality, mental health, non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as heart diseases, cancers, and diabetes, drug and alcohol abuse, and universal health coverage. (note: the UNSDG selected may vary across sections).
Step 3. Having decided upon a specific problem, research this problem in a country other than the United States or Canada. (note: the UNSDG selected may vary across sections).
Step 4. Research the same problem in the United States.
Step 5. In your research paper, provide a written analysis and critical evaluation that demonstrate your awareness and knowledge of the problem through an interdisciplinary lens.
Your paper should compare and contrast ways in which the problem is/was addressed in each country — the differences, the similarities, how culture influenced their impacts (individual, family, community), and so forth. Using a Venn diagram can help you to visualize where subjects are similar (the middle area) and where they differ (the outer areas).
Outline your paragraphs based on an integrated construction. Write about each characteristic of your topic in both countries, disclosing similarities and differences in the same paragraph. For example, you could include a paragraph describing how a specific problem has impacted each country’s population, a paragraph describing the way in which the problem was addressed and the solutions that were attempted, and another paragraph describing the cultural effects the problem has had on communities, and so forth.
In accordance with the interdisciplinary research process, your paper must adhere to the following:
i. In your introduction, justify an interdisciplinary approach to the problem.
ii. Identify and explain disciplines that are potentially relevant to the problem. For example, how is your topic a sociological, psychological, historical, and geographic issue?
iii. Identify insights from two or more disciplines (with appropriate citations), confirming that they are most relevant to the problem.
iv. Reflect on how using an interdisciplinary approach has enlarged your understanding of the problem.
late work policy: All work must be submitted electronically to canvas. Late assignments are not accepted via email.
METHOD OF EVALUATION: Assignments, Examinations, and the Course Grading Criteria
Grading Policy
The overall grading structure of the course consists of:
Attendance and active participation 20%
Quizzes 20%
Intellectual autobiography 20%
Proposal and annotated bibliography 20%
GCP assignment (final examination) 20%
Total 100%
Course Grading Criteria
This course employs a criterion grading system. Therefore, theoretically, everyone in the class could earn an “A.” This helps to prevent students from being penalized in the event that one or two students do exceptionally well. To assure a specific grade, consider the following scale:
94-100% = A / 87-89% = B+ / 77-79% = C+ / 67-69% = D+90-93% = A- / 83-86% = B / 73-76% = C / 63-66% = D
80-82% = B- / 70-72% = C- / 60-62% = D-
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
Quality and clarity of content presented are grading criteria. All answers must be given in context and neatness counts. Written assignments are to be typed in 11-point Arial or 12-point Times New Roman fonts, double-spaced, with all margins set at one inch. The grade for a paper is based on: