Introduction to Sociology 101
Spring 2010 Course Syllabus
Instructor: Matt C. ReynoldsMailing Address:
Office: Aspen 124C.S.I. ASPEN 124
Phone: (208) 732 – 6861 P.O. Box 1238
win Falls, ID 83303-1238
Office Hours:Monday and Wednesday 10-11:00 am
Tuesday and Thursdays 12:00 – 1:00 pm
CSI Mission Statement
The College of Southern Idaho, a comprehensive community college, provides quality educational, social, cultural, economic, and workforce development opportunities that meet the diverse needs of the communities it serves. CSI prepares students to lead enriched, productive and responsible lives in a global society.
General Education Criteria: This course satisfies all eight criteria for general education. It is designed to:
1.provide a broad-based survey of a discipline and show the interconnectedness of knowledge.
2.develop a discerning individual.
3.practice critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
4.promote awareness of social and cultural diversity in order to appreciate the commonality of mankind.
5.foster the balance between individual needs and the demands of society.
6.reinforce reading, writing, speaking, and/or quantitative skills.
7.encourage and inspire life-long learning.
8.encourage creativity.
Social Science Department Mission Statement
The mission of the Social Science Department is to provide educational, social and cultural opportunities which encourage enriched, productive and responsible lives primarily by instructing students to understand, interpret, and apply Social Science discipline coursework.
Social Science Department Goals: This course also addresses the following Social Science Department goals:
1.help students understand important facts, concepts and theories of Social Science subjects.
2.help students acquire techniques and methods used to gain new knowledge in the disciplines.
3.help students learn to distinguish between fact and opinion.
4.teach students to use evaluation, analysis and synthesis to interpret and solve problems.
5.teach students to use different perspectives from the social sciences to make better-informed decisions
6.help students acquire an informed understanding of various cultures.
7.prepare students to transfer to a university.
Sociology Program Mission Statement
The Sociology Program provides an understanding of the social forces which help shape our lives and the interconnectedness of all peoples. It also prepares students for transfer to upper division sociology programs at the college or university of their choice, and helps them to form rational and constructive relationships with their fellow human beings.
Sociology Program Objectives:
1.To introduce students to major sociological theories and sociologists.
2.To provide insights into the relationship between the social organization of group life and its subsequent impacts on the thinking, acting, and interaction patterns of individuals.
3.To offer a General Education choice for the Social Sciences.
4.To contribute to the knowledge base for Criminal Justice Administration, Social Work and other related careers.
5.To furnish quality courses for the first two years of a Sociology major.
6.To prepare students to excel in their upper division programs.
Sociology 101 Catalog Course Description: The basic concepts, principles, and processes in sociology. An introduction to material relating to culture, social interaction, institutions, and social change.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK: Macionis, John J., SOCIOLOGY 12th ED., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 2008
Course Outcomes: / GE / SS / SOCY1. Define sociology, identify the basic components of the sociological perspective and understand the major sociological theories. / 1,2,6 / 1,2,3,4,7 / 1,2,3,4,5,6
2. Become familiar with the historical development of sociology. / 1,2,6 / 1,3,47 / 1,2,3,4,5,6
3. Understand normative systems and the impact of culture upon human behavior. / 4,6,8 / 1,2,3,4,7 / 3,5,6
4. Identify the importance of a global perspective and the interdependence of our world’s nations and peoples. / 4,5,6 / 1,6,7 / 3,5,6
5. Understand the major features of social stratification systems. / 1,2 / 1,3,7 / 3,5,6
6. Define various forms of social organizations and understand the relationship between social structure and human behavior. / 3,7,8 / 1,2,4,7 / 2,5,6
ASSESMENT METHODS:
Exams / Papers / Project/homework/paper / Attendance1 / / / /
2 / / / /
3 / / / /
4 / / / /
5 / / / /
6 / / / /
CLASSROOM CONDUCT: Please be courteous and respectful to your instructor and fellow students. Be on time to class. No excessive talking. No reading newspapers or other material during class time. No cell phones. No children or pets. No MP3, CD or other listening devices. Laptops may be used during class time – but only for note taking purposes. The instructor reserves the right to ask you to leave if your conduct is disrespectful and/or disruptive.
HONESTY POLICY:
Per CSI Student Handbook, if a student in this course cheats on an exam or quiz and/or plagiarizes a written assignment, a score of zero will be recorded for the work in question.
LIBRARY USE: Students are encouraged to utilize the resources in the Meyerhoeffer Library, to assist in achieving the course goals.
DISABILITIES:Any student with a documented disability may be eligible for related accommodations. To determine eligibility and secure services, students should contact the coordinator of Disability Services at their first opportunity after registration for a class. Student Disability Services is located on the second floor of the Taylor Building on the Twin Falls Campus. 208.732.6250 (voice) or 208.734.9929 (TTY), or e-mail Scott Scholes, .
CSI E-MAIL : Since email is the primary source of written communication with students, all registered CSI students get a college email account. Student e-mail addresses have the following format: <address>@eaglemail.csi.edu where <address> is a name selected by the student as a part of activating his/her account. Students activate their accounts andcheck their CSI e-mail online at Instructors and various offices send messages to these student accounts.Students must check their CSI e-mail accounts regularly to avoid missing important messages and deadlines. At the beginning of each semester free training sessions are offered to students who need help in using their accounts.
ON-LINE COURSE EVELUATION STATEMENT: To help instructors continually improve courses, students are strongly encouraged to go online to and complete anonymous evaluations which open two weeks before the end of the course and close the last day of class. When students enter the site, they find evaluations for their enrolled courses. Thank you for this valuable input!
GRADING
Attendance: Attendance is expected. Attendance will be taken at the end of each class period; each is worth one point. Points are only granted to students who attend the full class period. However, the instructor understands that sometimes “life” happens and the student is unable to attend class at times. Thus, each student is granted three days of acceptable absence where the missed day will not count against your grade. There are 43 class periods this semester; total attendance is worth 40 points. Any points earned over 40 will count as extra-credit. Students who are involved in a school activity and who will miss class need to notify me with a written note, prior to that class period. A class missed to required participation in a verified school activity will not be consider an absence.
Exams: There will be four (4) exams during the semester. The first exam will be 25 multiple choice questions and worth 25 points. The last three exams will include 50 multiple choice questions and worth 50 points. The exams will be based upon lectures and text. They will occur in class on the day scheduled for the exam. The instructor understands that life does happen and a student may not be able to make it to an exam. Thus, because the instructor understands that life does happen he is willing to allow students to take an exam late – with an automatic 10 point reduction. If a student knows of a personal activity preventing her/him from taking the exam on the assigned day, then she/he must schedule arrangements to take the exam ahead of time.
Tentative Exam Dates:
Exam 1 – Monday 2/8 (Ch. 1 and 2)
Exam 2 – Monday 3/8 (Ch. 3, 5, 6, 9)
Exam 3 – Monday 4/12 (Ch. 10, 11, 13, 14)
Exam 4- Finals Week (Ch. 18, 21, 22, 23,)
Homework: During the semester the student is required to complete 4 homework assignments. Each assignment is worth 14 points. During the semester we will be covering 14 chapters within the textbook. The student must do homework on 4 of these 14 chapters. The student decides which chapters he or she will complete. However, each student must complete one of the chapters in each section of the book. To complete the homework the student must answer the 2 sample test essay questions at the end of each chapter we cover. Homework will be accepted late- with an automatic 10 point reduction.
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Tentative homework due dates:
Chapters 1 or 2: 2/5
Chapters 3, 5, 6, or 9: 3/5
Chapter 10, 11, 13, or 14: 4/9
Chapter 18, 21, 22, or 23: 5/3
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Project: During the semester students (in groups) will complete a project relating to chapters 10 and 11. As a class (within groups) we will calculate the real living wage of Twin Falls Idaho. This project will be a working project – meaning that it will be turned in multiple times during the semester. Seven class periods during the semester will be allocated to the project, but there will be significant time spent working on it outside of class. The project will be worth 40 points but will be earned incrementally throughout the semester. To earn points students must be present on the days allocated for the project. More information on the project, including due dates, will be disseminated later during the semester.
Paper: There will be only one (1) assigned paper this semester. It will be worth 20 points. The topic of this paper will be issued later on in the semester. The paperis to be typewritten or computer generated, double-spaced, 12-point font, 1 inch margins and 2 to 2 1/2 pages long, and stapled. Do not put in folders or use cover sheets. If less than 2 pages of content or more than 3,then an automatic 3 points will be deducted. I expect correct grammar and punctuation (3 points of your paper is allotted to grammar and punctuation). The paper must be turned in to the instructor on or before the due date. The due date of this paper is: April 30, 2010.
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Point Scale
Attendance = 40 points
Exams x 4 = 175 points
Papers x 1 = 20 points
Homework x 4 = 56 points
Project = 40 points
Total points = 331
Grade Breakdown
A 90% = 298 – 331 points
B 80% =265 – 297 points
C 70% = 232 – 264 points
D 60% = 199 – 231 points
F 59% ↓ = 198points and below
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