Course Schedule

Introduction to Sociology (Sociology 201A)

Spring 2020

Frank Ha, PhD

This is the tentative course schedule. Modifications to this schedule will be announced.

Here is the Spring 2020 semester calendar.

Week 1

Introductions and overview of the course

What is sociology?

  • Lecture: Sociology and Other Ways of Knowing (Slides)
  • Lecture: The Sociological Imagination (Slides)
  • Lecture: Origins of Sociology (Slides)
  • Giddens et al.: Chapter 1: Sociology: Theory and Method (pp. 3-10)

Week 2, Part 1

Theoretical perspectives

  • Lecture: Theoretical perspectives (Slides)
  • Giddens et al.: Chapter 1: Sociology: Theory and Method (pp. 10-21)

Week 2, Part 2

Research methods

  • Lecture: Research methods and statistics (Slides)
  • Giddens et al.: Chapter 1: Sociology: Theory and Method (pp. 21-37)

Week 3, Part 1

Culture

  • Lecture: Culture (Slides)
  • Giddens et al.: Chapter 2: Culture and Society (pp. 41-58)

Week 3, Part 2

Society

  • Lecture: Society (Slides)
  • Giddens et al.: Chapter 2: Culture and Society (pp. 58-67)

Week 4, Part 1

  • Exam 1

Week 4, Part 2

  • Tough Guise (video) (if time permits)

Week 5, Part 1

Social interaction

  • Lecture: Social interaction (Slides)
  • Lecture: Family conversations in the age of the smartphone (Slides)
  • Recommended reading: Stop Googling, Let's Talk
  • Giddens et al.: Chapter 4: Social Interaction and Everyday Life in the Age of the Internet

Week 5, Part 2

Sociology of emotions

  • Lecture: The sociology of pride and shame (Slides)

Week 6

Crime

  • Lecture: Crime, Part 1 (Slides)
  • Lecture: Crime, Part 2 (Slides)
  • Giddens et al.: Chapter 6: Conformity, Deviance, and Crime

Week 7

  • Exam 2
  • Video (TBA) (if time permits)

ALL LECTURE NOTES ARE NOW ON CANVAS. DISREGARD THE LECTURE NOTES POSTED HERE.

Week 8

Social Stratification

  • Giddens et al.: Chapter 7: Stratification, Class, and Inequality
  • Lecture: The class system (Slides)
  • Lecture: Poverty (Slides)

Week 9

Gender

  • Giddens et al.: Chapter 9: Gender Inequality
  • Lecture: Understanding gender (Slides)
  • Lecture: Understanding gender inequality (Slides)

Week 10

  • Exam 3
  • Video (TBA) (if time permits)

Week 11

Race and ethnicity

  • Giddens et al.: Chapter 10: Ethnicity and Race
  • Lecture: What is race? (Slides)
  • Lecture: The new racism (Slides)

SPRING BREAK

Week 12

Family

  • Giddens et al.: Chapter 11: Families and Intimate Relationships
  • Lecture: Dating and hooking up, love, and mating (Slides)
  • Lecture: Cohabitation (Slides)
  • Lecture: The changing family (Slides)
  • Lecture: Divorce (Slides)

Week 13

  • Exam 4
  • Video (TBA) (if time permits)

Week 14

Democracy

  • Giddens et al.: Chapter 13: Politics and Economic Life
  • Lecture: Democracy (Slides)
  • Lecture: The Future of Democracy (Slides)

Economics

  • There are no powerpoints on economics, however, you will be tested on this topic. Use the study guide to study for the exam

Week 15

Sociology of the body

  • Giddens et al.: Chapter 14: The Sociology of the Body: Health, Illness, and Sexuality
  • Lecture: Sociology of the Body (Slides)

Week 16

  • Student presentations

Week 17

  • Final Exam