Sociology 101 - Introduction to Sociology
Four Quarter Hours

I. PREREQUISITES
None; this course may be used toward the Tier II Social Sciences requirement for Ohio University students.

II. COURSE DESCRIPTION
Sociology is, too often, misunderstood. When I tell people that I am a sociologist, they often erroneously believe that I am a social worker. Social workers are informed by many of the same ideas and concerns that sociologists are, but they are practitioners—they work in applied settings as counselors, therapists, and caseworkers to help people to navigate safely and efficiently through social institutions (e.g., family, work, and school). Others confuse sociology with psychology. As you will learn from your textbook, psychologists are principally focused on what occurs within people, while sociologists are interested in what occurs between people, social groups, and social institutions.

Being a sociologist can be frustrating because everyone believes that they know how social processes work. Everywhere one goes there are people wildly pontificating about what’s wrong with “society” and what should be done to correct those wrongs. The study of society, social order, and social problems, however, should be systematic and driven by theory and carefully designed research methods. My Uncle John has some pretty concrete ideas about how to reduce crime in America (e.g., execute everyone) but I wouldn’t want him to be America’s crime policy czar. After taking this course, I hope that you see sociology as a scientific discipline that can inform most of the important questions that we face today.

This course is a broad overview of the logic, theory, and practices of sociology. It is difficult to “pin down” sociology and what it means because it is a wide-ranging scientific perspective that employs the use of a broad variety of methods and philosophical approaches to understanding the social world. My primary objective is to introduce students to the study of sociology and, along the way, to help them to develop their “sociological imagination.” The sociological imagination is a concept articulated by C. Wright Mills, a mid-20th century American sociologist. According to Mills, the sociological imagination is a way of looking at the social world that requires the ability to see the impact of large cultural and historical forces on our everyday lives. When using our sociological imagination, we are able to see how our everyday “private troubles” are connected to larger scale “public issues” and to socio-historical processes.

III. TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLIES
ISBN-13  9781412928144  Newman, David M., Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life, 6th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press, 2006

There are hundreds of sociology textbooks on the market, but this is by far my favorite one. Newman is an engaging writer who avoids hard-to-understand social science jargon and uses vivid examples to illustrate the important concepts of sociology. We will not cover every topic in the textbook. I have selected those topics and corresponding chapters that I believe will provide the most efficient and comprehensive introduction to sociology.

Most of the chapters in the book contain special features. When you are reading each chapter, pay close attention to the short research features (see Durkheim in chapter 1 and Milgram in chapter 2, for example). Also, be sure to read the chapter highlights and review the key terms at the end of each chapter. Reading these features are not, of course, a good substitute for reading the chapter, but will help you to revisit the main ideas and to test your understanding of the key concepts.

...available from EdMap's distance-learning online bookstore.

IV. NATURE OF THE EXAMINATION
You will have three (3) hours to complete the examination. All materials will be provided; you are not permitted to use books, notes, or supplementary aids. The examination has two parts:

Part 1: One-hundred-fifty (150) multiple-choice questions, with roughly equal proportions of the questions drawn from each assigned chapter. (150 points)

Part 2: Five short-essay questions. You will answer each question completely in 8-10 sentences. (50 points)

V. GRADING CRITERIA
Your grade is based on the proportion of the total 200 points that you actually earn (150 points on multiple choice and 10 points for each essay). Plus and minus grades may be awarded at the discretion of the instructor.

VI. TERMS TO UNDERSTAND FOR THIS EXAM
You should read all of the material in each assigned chapter but pay special attention to the following terms, theories, and topics.