Dr. Hall is currently the Director of Training for the Los Alamos National Laboratory Protective Force. He has 27 years of experience in Department of Energy facility operations. He has also been a business owner for over 22 years. Dr. Hall has a B.S. Degree from Idaho State University in Corporate Training with an emphasis on Nuclear Security, an M.A. Degree from the University of New Mexico in Education, an M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix, and a Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in Education. Dr. Hall teaches sociology at the University of New Mexico - Los Alamos Campus and is the University of Phoenix Lead Faculty/Chair for the Santa Fe, New Mexico Learning Center.
FALL 2009 - Sociology 101 - 23277
Introduction to Sociology
Course Syllabus
Tuesday
Room 608
6:00 – 8:30 PM
Instructor
Dr. Howard M. Hall, CPT
Home Phone: 505-672-0006
Cell: 505-500-6042
E-mail: HowardHall26@gmail.com (Preferred)
hhall@dvctraining.org
hmhall@unm.edu
Twitter: @HowardMHall
Facebook: Howard M Hall
UNM Faculty Web Page: http://sites.google.com/site/howardmhallunmfacultywebsite/
Office hours: By appointment. I am willing to meet with any student by appointment. Use the contact information above and we will agree on a time and place to meet.
1. Course Description:
The basic perspectives of sociology include its main frameworks for functionalism, conflict, and symbolic interaction. Substantive areas covered in the course are culture, socialization, social structure, gender roles, bureaucracies, deviant behavior, race relations, social stratification, group dynamics, and social change. This course is a prerequisite for more advanced courses in sociology.
2. Course Objectives:
The goal of this course is to provide the student with an introduction to Sociology in order to develop a better understanding of society to include globalization and multiculturalism. At the end of this course students will be able to:
|
Chapter |
Learning Objectives |
Assessment |
|
1.1 |
Understand the historical origins of sociology and its major organizing questions. (Chapter 1) |
Midterm |
|
1.2 |
Become familiar with the contributions of the intellectual founders of sociology, including those whose work is not part of the classical canon. (Chapter 1) |
Midterm |
|
1.3 |
Understand the new sociological lenses, globalization and multiculturalism, and why they have begun to supplant other paradigms. (Chapter 1) |
Midterm |
|
2.1 |
Understand what culture is and why it is a core concept in the sociological perspective. (Chapter 2) |
Midterm |
|
2.2 |
Understand the difference between ethnocentrism and cultural relativism and why sociologists strive for the latter. (Chapter 2) |
Midterm |
|
2.3 |
Understand and give examples of the six elements of culture. (Chapter 2) |
Midterm |
|
3.1 |
Understand the concept of society.(Chapter 3) |
Midterm |
|
3.2 |
Understand the concept of the social constructional of reality and how major theories relate to the concept.
(Chapter 3) |
Midterm |
|
3.3 |
Understand and apply the concepts of status and role, as well as the different types of statuses. (Chapter 3) |
Midterm |
|
3.4 |
Describe the major types of groups and organizations and the common group dynamics that shape them. (Chapter 3) |
Midterm |
|
3.5 |
Discuss and apply the problems caused by bureaucracy and group dynamics. (Chapter 3) |
Midterm |
|
4.1 |
To understand how research in the social sciences differs from research in the natural sciences. (Chapter 4) |
Midterm |
|
4.2 |
To understand the value of all research methods used in sociology and how research questions drive choice of method. (Chapter 4) |
Midterm |
|
4.3 |
Discuss and identify ethical issues in sociological research. (Chapter 4) |
Midterm |
|
5.1 |
To understand the history of the nature vs. nurture debate and be able to explain the sociological perspective on this question. (Chapter 5) |
Midterm |
|
5.2 |
Discuss and provide examples of the influence of the major agents of socialization at various stages of the life course. (Chapter 5) |
Midterm |
|
6.1 |
To understand the concept of deviance and the questions sociologists ask about it. (Chapter 6) |
Midterm |
|
6.2 |
Explain and apply sociological theories of deviance and of crime. (Chapter 6) |
Midterm |
|
6.3 |
Describe the major types of crime and sociological perspectives on them. (Chapter 6) |
Midterm |
|
6.4 |
Describe major issues in the criminal justice system of the United States today, including high rates of imprisonment and the use of the death penalty (Chapter 6) |
Midterm |
|
7.1 |
Compare and contrast Marx’s and Weber’s theories of social class. (Chapter 7) |
Midterm |
|
7.2 |
Describe social class in the United States today, including the seven major social classes, the current state of income inequality, and the relationship between race and class. (Chapter 7) |
Midterm |
|
7.3 |
Summarize facts about poverty in the United States and abroad, including problems with the poverty line standard and fact about who is poor in the United States. (Chapter 7) |
Midterm |
|
7.4 |
Explain how social mobility works and how common it has been in recent American history and today. (Chapter 7)
|
Midterm |
|
8.1 |
Distinguish between race and ethnicity. (Chapter 8)
|
Midterm |
|
8.2 |
Understand the definition of prejudice, stereotypes, and subtle and overt racism, and the relationships among them.
(Chapter 8) |
Midterm |
|
8.3 |
Understand why ethnic groups so often engage in conflict with each other. (Chapter 8) |
Midterm |
|
8.4 |
Explain assimilation and why many ethnic minority groups today prefer pluralism instead of assimilation.
(Chapter 8) |
Midterm |
|
9.1 |
Understand the difference between sex and gender and the importance of this distinction in sociology. (Chapter 9) |
Final |
|
9.2 |
Describe the various forms of gender inequality I the U.S. and worldwide, including the feminization of poverty, the gendered nature of the global economy, the global sex trade, and the gendered nature of work, education, and intimate relationships in the U.S. (Chapter 9) |
Final |
|
9.3 |
Describe both men’s and women’s opposition to traditional gender roles and gender inequality, including defining feminism and being able to distinguish among the three major types of feminism. (Chapter 9) |
Final |
|
10.1 |
Understand the various facets of sexuality to include sexual desire, sexual identity, and sexual behavior. (Chapter 10) |
Final |
|
10.2 |
Explain how sexuality is both biologically based and socially constructed. (Chapter 10) |
Final |
|
10.3 |
Explain how sex is gendered and how men and women’s sexual behavior may be converging. (Chapter 10) |
Final |
|
10.4 |
Explain how sexuality is related to social inequality. (Chapter 10) |
Final |
|
11.1 |
Identify and describe the major life stages. (Chapter 11) |
Final |
|
11.2 |
Explain how age is a source of identity and a basis for inequality. (Chapter 11) |
Final |
|
11.3 |
Describe the three recent generations in the United States and how they differ. (Chapter 11) |
Final |
|
11.4 |
Discuss how changes in life expectancy, birth rate, and population makeup affect our society and the experience of aging. (Chapter 11). |
Final |
|
12.1 |
Explain the current form of the family in American society and why and how it developed over time in relations to other social changes. (Chapter 12) |
Final |
|
12.2 |
Discuss the range of family forms I the U.S. today.
(Chapter 12) |
Final |
|
12.3 |
Discuss the major family transitions and their effects on the married partners and children involved. (Chapter 12) |
Final |
|
12.4 |
Describe the types of family violence and their prevalence and effects. (Chapter 12), |
Final |
|
13.1 |
Describe the development of the major world economies, with particular focus on the American economy.
(Chapter 13) |
Final |
|
13.2 |
Describe the three major economic systems, including how they work and the justifications behind each. (Chapter 13) |
Final |
|
13.3 |
Discuss diversity in the workplace and the research evidence about workers productivity. (Chapter 13) |
Final |
|
14.1 |
Explain the difference between authoritarian and democratic political systems and to discuss different types of each. (Chapter 14) |
Final |
|
14.2 |
Describe the American political system, including how it differs from other democracies and what factors shape it today. (Chapter 14) |
Final |
|
14.3 |
Describe the major types of political change. (Chapter 14) |
Final |
|
15.1 |
Explain the similarities and differences between science and religion. (Chapter 15) |
Final |
|
15.2 |
Discuss the key points about the major Western and Eastern religions. (Chapter 15) |
Final |
|
15.3 |
Discuss reasons for the high level of religiosity in the United States. (Chapter 15) |
Final |
|
16.1 |
Explain what sociologists mean when they say that our bodies are social. (Chapter 16) |
Final |
|
16.2 |
Describe the ways in which health and illness are shaped by inequality. (Chapter 16) |
Final |
|
16.3 |
Discuss HIV/AIDS as an illustration of the concepts in this chapter. (Chapter 16) |
Final |
|
16.4 |
Identify problems with U.S. healthcare as institutions and describe current efforts at reform. (Chapter 16) |
Final |
|
17.1 |
Explain how education is both a route to social mobility and a mechanism for maintain social inequalities. (Chapter 17) |
Final |
|
17.2 |
Discuss inequalities in education globally. (Chapter 17) |
Final |
|
17.3 |
Describe higher education and current issues in student life and marketization. (Chapter 17) |
Final |
|
18.1 |
Explain why and how median have such an important impact on our lives. (Chapter 18) |
Final |
|
18.2 |
Discuss issues of censorship and regulation of the media. (Chapter 18) |
Final |
|
18.3 |
Explain the concept of cultural imperialism and what sociological research reveals about its effects.
(Chapter 18) |
Final |
|
19.1 |
Explain why it is important to study the physical, natural, and human environments in relationship to each other.
(Chapter 19) |
Final |
|
19.2 |
Discuss the debate about population growth and possible solutions to the problem. (Chapter 19) |
Final |
|
19.3 |
Identify major threats to the natural environment and their causes. (Chapter 19) |
Final |
3. Learning Outcomes:
This course will introduce the student to the basic perspectives of sociology, which includes functionalism, conflict, and symbolic interaction. Specific learning objectives listed above will assist the student in obtaining knowledge in culture, socialization, social structure, gender roles, bureaucracies, deviant behavior, race relations, social stratification, group dynamics, and social change. Each student will be assessed to determine if they have achieved each learning objectives. The assessment will be done through a variety of evaluation methods to include presentations, written papers, and written tests. The instructor will develop a learning outcomes matrix in which each instructional objective is listed with the method of evaluation. All students will be entered in to this matrix and performance will be tracked until completion of the class.
4. Readings, Course Materials and Participation
There is one required text for this course. The text is listed below and should be available at the UNM Bookstore and on-line. The Instructor may recommend some additional readings.
· Text: Kimmel, Michael & Aronson, Amy. 2009. Sociology Now. Pearson Allyn & Bacon: New York.
· Students are expected to stay current with all readings assignments and actively participate in each class. Attendance and class participation constitute 10% of the final grade. Students are allowed to miss one class without penalty. After that, one point will be deducted for each class missed. If a student misses more than two consecutive classes or 4 classes total, the Instructor has the option of dropping the student from the class.
· Students are encouraged to use the Internet for supplementary outside readings however, only published sources from recognized and reputable news and periodical sources may be used. All sources must be citable with respect to authorship, publisher, date, and other pertinent data to establish legitimacy. Outside readings must be printable for distribution in class or for distribution electronically.
5. Requirements/Evaluation Criteria
There are six basic requirements that will be worth a total of 100 points. Points for each requirement are as follows:
|
Requirement |
Description |
Point Value |
|
Midterm Exam* |
The midterm exam will be a take-home based on materials covered in course readings, class lectures, presentations, discussions and activities. |
12 Points |
|
Research Papers |
Each student will write three research papers on a subject identified below. This will consist of a brief written paper (350 to 700 words) detailing the student’s fully supported position in APA format to include an introduction, body and conclusion. |
|
RP#1 |
Write a reflective paper in which you will discuss how the various agents of socializations discussed in the text socialized them over the course of their lives so far. Examine both your individuality and how you have been socialized in culturally patterns ways. (Chapter 5) |
5 Points |
|
RP#2 |
Write a reflection of your own life plan. When and how do you expect to achieve each of the five milestones described in the text on page 352? Interview one adult from your parents’ generation and on adult of your grandparents’ generation, focusing on the five milestones and when and how these adults achieved them. Write a follow up response reflecting on what you learned from your interviews about life stages, aging, and change over time. Prepare for discussion in class. (Chapter 11) |
5 Points |
|
RP#3 |
Choose a multinational corporation such as Nike, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, etc., and research it production process. Look for the various locations this company does business in and what aspects of the business are conducted where, as well as where the company sells its products. Be prepared to discuss what you have found in class. (Chapter 13) |
5 Points |
|
Homework Activities |
Each student will complete the following three homework activities on a subject identified below. This will consist of a brief written paper (350 to 700 words) detailing the student’s fully supported position in APA format to include an introduction, body and conclusion. |
|
Activity #1 |
HATE CRIMES EXERCISE: Chapter Six includes a short section on hate crimes. Students are required to explore this topic further by visiting the website of the Southern Poverty Law Center (http://www.splcenter.org/index.jsp). Students will review the current list of recent hate incidents, examining and explaining the distribution of hate groups in different states, finding the number of active hate groups in their own state or in the country overall and read on the organization’s tips on fighting hate crimes. Notes will be taken and will be discussed in class. (Chapter 6) |
5 Points |
|
Activity #2 |
PROJECT CENSORED: Visit Project Censored (http://www.projectcensored.org) and examine the current year’s “Top 25 Censored Stories” and write a paper on what you find and be prepared in class to discuss whether you feel these stories are important, whether you agree that the stories have been neglected by the mainstream media, and what patterns you can see in which stories are and are not reported widely. (Chapter 18) |
5 Points |
|
Activity #3 |
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT: Go to http://myfootprint.org/ and take the brief quiz to determine your personal ecological footprint (also called a carbon footprint). Examine some other parts of the site to find some suggestions about how to reduce your ecological footprint. Take notes and be prepared to discuss your experience in class. (Chapter 19) |
5 Points |
|
Class Participation and Attendance |
Students are expected to actively participate in the class through attending class, engaging in discussions by asking questions and providing comments as appropriate. |
15 Points |
|
Team Presentations (3) |
Students will be divided up into learning teams during the first class session. This course has been designed to maximize student involvement and encourage active learning. The Instructor will assign course material topics to each team. Each team member must participate in order to receive credit. |
30 Points |
|
Final Exam |
The final exam will be held in class and is not comprehensive in nature. The Final exam will be based on materials covered in course readings, class lectures, presentations, discussions and activities. |
13 Points |
Late Assignments
All assignments are due at the beginning of the class preferably by e-mail or by hard copy. If you know you will be gone on the day an assignment is due, please make sure to submit it early. Late assignments will only be accepted within a twenty-four hour period from the beginning of class (Wednesday at 6:00 PM) but will be assessed a 50% penalty. Any time you feel that you might be falling behind in the course, it is best to contact me to discuss your situation. No assignments can be accepted after the final day of class.
6. Grading
Points earned for completing requirements will provide the basis for course grades. The value of each requirement is detailed above. Grades will be assigned on the basis of cumulative points earned. A grading scale is presented below. It presents the grades earned for levels of accumulated points.
The student in writing from the instructor must request the grade of incomplete. The Instructor will accept e-mail requests. The grade of incomplete will not be assigned without this request. The request must state a reason appropriate to UNM guidelines for incomplete grades.
Grading Scale
|
Grade |
Points |
|
A+ |
97-100 |
|
A |
94-96 |
|
A- |
90-93 |
|
B+ |
87-89 |
|
B |
84-86 |
|
B- |
80-83 |
|
C+ |
77-79 |
|
C |
74-76 |
|
C- |
70-73 |
|
D+ |
67-69 |
|
D |
64-66 |
|
D- |
60-63 |
|
F |
< 60 |
7. Course Schedule:
|
Session |
Date |
Topic |
Reading |
|
1 |
8/25 |
Introduction to the course. Organization and procedures. Team assignment. Key definitions
Chapter 1 What is Sociology? |
Course Syllabus
Kimmel & Aronson p. 2 - 37 |
|
2 |
9/1 |
Chapter 2 Culture and Society
Chapter 3 Society: Interactions, Groups and Organizations
Presentation #1 |
Kimmel & Aronson p. 38 - 101 |
|
3 |
9/8 |
Chapter 4 How Do We Know What We Know
Chapter 5 Socialization
RP#1Due |
Kimmel & Aronson p. 102 - 165 |
|
4 |
9/15 |
Chapter 6 Deviance and Crime
Activity #1 due |
Kimmel & Aronson p. 166 - 203 |
|
5 |
9/22 |
Chapter 7 Stratification and Social Class
Chapter 8 Race and Ethnicity
Presentation #2
Mid-term handed out |
Kimmel & Aronson p. 204 - 277 |
|
6 |
9/29 |
Chapter 9 Sex and Gender
Chapter 10 Sexuality
Mid-term due |
Kimmel & Aronson p. 278 - 345 |
|
7 |
10/6 |
Chapter 11 Age: From Young to Old
RP#2 |
Kimmel & Aronson p. 346 - 379 |
|
8 |
10/13 |
Chapter 12 The Family
Presentation #2 |
Kimmel & Aronson p. 380 - 415 |
|
9 |
10/20 |
Chapter 13 Economy and Work
RP#3 Due |
Kimmel & Aronson p. 416 - 453 |
|
10 |
10/27 |
Chapter 14 Politics and Government
Presentation #3 |
Kimmel & Aronson p. 454 - 485 |
|
11 |
11/13 |
Chapter 15 Religion and Science
Presentation #3 |
Kimmel & Aronson p. 486 - 519 |
|
12 |
11/10 |
Chapter 16 The Body and Society
Presentation #3 |
Kimmel & Aronson p. 520 - 553 |
|
13 |
11/17 |
Chapter 17 Education |
Kimmel & Aronson p. 554 - 585 |
|
14 |
11/24 |
Thanksgiving Holiday |
|
|
15 |
12/1 |
Chapter 18 Mass Media
Activity #2 due |
Kimmel & Aronson p. 586 – 615
|
|
16 |
12/15 |
Chapter 19 Sociology of Environments
Activity #3 due |
Kimmel & Aronson p. 616 - 649 |
|
17 |
12/15 |
Final Exam In class |
|
8. Student with Disabilities
In accordance with University Policy 2310 and the American Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the
instructor's attention, as I am not legally permitted to inquire. Students who may require assistance in emergency evacuations should
contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow. Contact Accessibility Services at 505-661-4692 for additional information.
9. Computer Account Policy
Each student is required to obtain a UNM-LA computer account. These accounts are available in Building #3. Students are responsible for any information e-mailed to them by either the course Instructor or by the University and should therefore check their campus e-mail frequently. Students who prefer to use an account other than their campus account may forward all e-mail from their UNM-LA account to their preferred account(s). Students may visit the Computer Center in Building #3 for simple instructors on how to forward their campus e-mail.
10. Academic Honesty
Following UNM-LA policy, students are expected to “abide by the highest standards of conduct in all academic matters, including tests, quizzes, and assignments both in class and outside of class.” Cheating or plagiarism in any form will result in a penalty, ranging from a 0 on the assignment or exam in question up to and including a failing grade (F) in the course.
11. Emergency Class Cancellations
I will e-mail each student in the event that a class is cancelled due to some type of emergency circumstance. This will be done as some as possible. In the event of a snow day, we will observe UNM-LA guidance as provided to the media.
12. Religious Holidays
Students may observe religious holidays that aren't on US standard or academic calendars. If an assignment or exam conflicts with a
student's religious holiday, it is up to the student to notify the instructor, and the instructor should make an alternative arrangement
with the student to complete the work.
