INTRODUCTION

This web site contains the general instructions and lessons for SOC 101--Introduction to Sociology.

There are no prerequisites for this class.

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.

  REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

Newman, David M. 2006. Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life. 6th Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.

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.

Sociology on the Internet

I urge all SOC 101 students to expand your sociological imaginations on the internet. Some good places to start:

The SocioWeb (www.socioweb.com/~markbl/socioweb)
The American Sociological Association website (www.asanet.org)

  LESSON ASSIGNMENTS

Each lesson will ask you to draw on what you have learned from chapters in the Newman text. Students are expected to complete 12 chapters in the order listed in the course guide. Each lesson (except Lesson 1) has 2-4 parts; each part covers one chapter. Each part has three (3) main components: (1) first, a reading assignment will be listed; (2) next, there will be brief discussion of the chapter topics; (3) finally, each part will include a list of key terms that you should focus upon.

At the end of each complete lesson, you will find a writing assignment that will challenge you to apply what you have learned in the textbook and lesson parts. These assignments should be typed and double-spaced. Each writing assignment is worth 20 points. You will be graded on your careful consideration of the question posed and your use of course material (i.e., the textbook and lesson) to construct a coherent, persuasive essay. You do not have to agree with everything that you read in the book. If you do have disagreements with the text, state them! But be fair and objective when responding to the material and always back up your opinions with clarity and reason.

Although you should use the textbook as a guide, please construct your essay using your own words. Always write in complete sentences and make sure that you answer the question! This might sound obvious to you, but sometimes writers get carried away and forget what it was they were asked to discuss. Please do not copy sections of the Newman text or any other book to write your essays. Any student who plagiarizes the work of another will receive an “F” for the course.

Course Schedule

Lesson 1	“The Sociological Imagination.” Read Chapter 1 in Newman text. Complete writing assignment 1
Lesson 2	Part A—“Thinking Sociologically.” Read Chapter 2 Part B—“The Social Construction of Knowledge.” Read Chapter 3. Complete writing assignment 2
Lesson 3	Part A—“Culture.” Read Chapter 4. Part B—“Socialization.” Read Chapter 5. Part C—“Self, Identity, and Dramaturgy.” Read Chapter 6. Complete writing assignment 3
Lesson 4	Midcourse Exam
Lesson 5	Part A—“Family.” Read Chapter 7. Part B—“Deviance and Social Control.” Read Chapter 8. Complete writing assignment 5
Lesson 6	Part A—“Class, Stratification, and Inequality.” Read Chapter 10. Part B—“Race and Ethnicity.” Read Chapter 11. Part C—“Sex and Gender.” Read Chapter 12. Part D—“Social Change and Social Movements.” Read Chapter 14. Complete writing assignment 6
Lesson 7	Final Exam