Sociology 0460-1510: Individual in Society
SOCIOLOGY 0460-1510: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
Section 3
ENV. 125: MTWR 11 - 12:20
Dr. George Yancey Office Hours
Chilton 397F MWF12-12:45
565-2179
This introduction course focuses on individuals within the context of their social and cultural worlds. The attitudes, values, and behaviors of individuals both influence and are influenced by society, social institutions, and culture. In this course, students will
critically examine these mutual dynamics as a means of gaining insights into themselves and their relationships to their own and other cultures. The student will also be introduced to the basic methods by which social scientists are able to study society and the theories that drive these examinations.
Due to the introductory nature of this course a great amount of memorization and regurgitation of information will be expected. However in addition to traditional memorization of fact the student will also be challenged to think through the
various issues. Studying the social sciences can be difficult for some students since there are not always black and white answers to many of the problems we encounter. This course will give students the opportunities to develop the critical thinking skills that will enable them to make more sense of their social world. This is not an attempt to force the students to accept certain ideas that the professor may have but rather to challenge the students to critique their own ideas. Students who apply themselves to this course may find that they receive more than a grade but also may gain insights that prepare them for other non-academic aspects of their lives.
Text
The text for this course will remain the same except that you will only need the Essentials of Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach.
Grading
The students final grade will consist of three tests that are worth 30 percent of the grade. The remaining 10 percent will come from a project to be described later. Four tests will be given in class and the lowest nonfinal test score will be dropped. The final exam will be comprehensive. The tests will consist of multiple-guess questions. Each test will have 60% of the test to come from the lecture and about 40% to come from the book. Students will not be allowed to leave the room once the test is passed out.
Make-up
There are no make-up tests given in this course. Students who are able to document an acceptable excuse for their absence will be allowed to drop the missed test. Acceptable excuses include sickness (doctor’s note), university sponsored functions and death in the family. The student must document the reason for the absence or receive a 0 for the test missed, which will not be dropped. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE. Furthermore the instructor should be notified prior to the exam if the student wants to insure that the absence will be excused.
Attendance
There is no attendance policy for this class. However, attendance is strongly encouraged and may be taken into account if a grade is borderline. Furthermore, the instructor’s notes are not available to students and the student who misses a class must find the notes of another student for any lectures that are missed.
Final Exam
All students must take the final exam. It can not be dropped as the lowest score. The final will be comprehensive.
Week of Ch. Topic(s)
9-2 1Introduction/Methodology
9-9 Methodology/History of the Social Sciences
9-16 Theory
9-23 2 Culture/Test 1
9-30 3,4Socialization/Interaction
10-7 5,14Demography/Global Community
10-14 6Global Community/Deviance
10-21 Test2/Crime
10-28 15Social Movements/Stratification
11-4 9,10Race/Gender
11-11 Gender/Test 3
11-18 12Family/Religion
11-25 13Religion/Education
12-2 11 Economy/Government
12-11 Final