Course Information
SPRING 2018: SOCIOLOGY 201B – SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
SECTION 33880: TR 12:30--1:50pm. SLO Humanities Room 6303
DATE & TIME OF “SLO” FINAL: THURSDAY, MAY 17, NOON—2 PM
INSTRUCTORS: Dr. Geoffrey Wallace, Ph.D. and Dr. Frank Ha, Ph.D.
Contact information
- Office phone: 805-546-3100 ext. 2679
- Cell phone: 805-598-0576 (Feel free to text me at any time; make sure you tell me your name and what section you are in.)
- Email: fha@cuesta.edu (Best way contact me. I will generally respond within 24 hours on weekdays. Expect longer response times on weekends, holidays, and during the summer session. Make sure you tell me your name and what section you are in.)
- Web page: https://sites.google.com/site/iamfrankha/home (google “frank ha” -- I am usually at the top of the list)
Office location and hours
- Office: Building 6200, Room 6213
- Spring 2018 hours: Monday - Thursday 10-11 am, and by appointment
REQUIRED TEXTS 1) (From Soc 201A): Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, & Carr: Introduction to Sociology, 10th Edition, “Seagull” version.
2) Desmond & Emirbayer, Race in America.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:
Study Guide for Giddens, et al is available online, & the website is in your textbook.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Studies the major social institutions, both the traditional ideas of social institutions (family, education, economic, religion, and government/political) and contemporary ideas of social institutions (science, mass media, medicine, sports, and the military). Advisory: SOC 201A and ENGL 156. Transfer: CSU; UC. (Formerly SOC1B)
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of the course the student will be able to:
1. Compare and contrast sociological perspectives on social institutions.
2. Display an understanding of how US institutions came to assume their present form, their roles, and functions.
3. Analyze how society’s institutions are inter-related.
4. Apply a sociological analysis to a social institution.
CLASS REQUIREMENTS:
(For any students who may have taken Sociology 201A from Dr. Wallace, my expectations remain the same. I shall reiterate them for all students in this course.) To accomplish the course objectives, you will read relevant assigned materials (in advance of the corresponding lecture dates); complete TWO Midterm exams and ONE MANDATORY Final Exam; write sociology papers; participate in class discussions; do sociological analysis; and complete any extra-credit project(s). Presentations & Reading of papers can be at the beginning, middle, or end of class.
Each Midterm is 25% of your grade; the Final is 30%; and the other requirements will count for 20%.
The scale below will be used to compute your final course grade.
A 93 percent and above
B 80 to 92 percent
C 67 to 79 percent
D 55 to 66 percent
F 54 percent and below
I expect all students to attend every class, to be on time, and remain in class until dismissed. If you have a valid excuse, you need to send an email to the professor at least 24 hours before the class commences, unless prevented by an emergency. Do not arrive late, leave early, OR USE ELECTRONIC DEVICES FOR TEXTING, SOCIAL MEDIA, ETC. during class, as this disrupts your classmates and the class. I also expect all students to complete every assignment on time (this includes reading and writing assignments); to participate in class discussions; to keep copies of all papers you turn in; and to exchange phone numbers with at least 2 classmates in case you need clarification about something Let me know if you are having any problems with the course material.
All students are valuable and can contribute to making this class an enjoyable one. I expect that students will participate, and I encourage students to share their experiences as they relate to the material being discussed. Students will be respectful of other students and of their experiences, regardless of how different they may be to their own lives and experiences. Additionally, discussions and debates will be conducted in a professional and collegial manner. Each person will take responsibility for her/his opinion and critical analytical position (and to distinguish between the two). Reminder: derogatory comments, prejudice, and/or discrimination of any type will not be tolerated.
NOTE: If you drop this class after 28 JANUARY, 2018, you will receive a “W” on your transcript. All courses in which you earn a grade of “D”, “F”, “NP” and/or “W” are counted as “unsatisfactory” attempts to complete the course successfully. You are allowed only 3 attempts to repeat courses for which you receive an “unsatisfactory” grade.
MOBILE PHONES, TAPE RECORDERS, & OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES:
Students will turn off ALL electronic devices prior to entering the classroom. Not only do these devices interrupt the professor, but also your classmates, as well as your own learning process. NO tape recording of class lectures without direct permission of the instructor. Use of headphones at any time is NOT permitted. Students violating these policies may be asked to leave the classroom, and may face further penalties.
HOMEWORK:
Each week, students will read the text chapter in advance of the lecture date. See the schedule at the end of this syllabus. Ask me if you have any questions as to what you should be reading. Additional homework assignments will be assigned and collected as part of the class participation grade. Everyone will learn how to “do sociology” and how to examine critically social structures, social forces, and social interaction. You will observe a social environment and show what you have learned.
CLASS PARTICIPATION / IN-CLASS EXERCISES / VIDEOS:
This includes in-class assignments, exercises from the text, and participation in class discussions. Videos will be shown at various times during the semester. You cannot make-up points for missed in-class assignments or videos; however, you may view the videos (if you contact me as soon as possible). If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to obtain missed material from a classmate and ask about any announcements made while you were absent. I do not provide copies of lecture notes, PowerPoint slides, or any other material used in class (unless provided to the entire class).
A student’s participation grade may be affected if his/her participation is continually inappropriate. I will make it clear if you are being inappropriate in class, but feel free to ask if you have concerns and/or questions. It is best to be hard on ideas and soft on people. In a field that allows for critical views, human respect plays an important role our interaction.
STUDY GROUPS:
I strongly encourage students to form study groups. Students' papers/projects will be individual efforts, but it is always helpful to discuss ideas with others and to have someone else proofread your papers.
EXAMS:
There will be TWO Midterm exams and ONE Final exam. Exams will require the student to synthesize readings, films, and lecture material. If a student needs to miss an exam because of a personal emergency, s/he will contact the instructor prior to the exam if possible, and the day of the exam at the latest. Students who contact the instructor after the exam date must provide documentation in order to take the exam. Exams missed due to a documented emergency (documentation subject to my approval) may be made up within one week of the original exam date. Exams missed without a documented emergency will be valued at 25% less than if the student took the exam at its regularly scheduled time. Students who are late for an exam will not be provided extra time.
There is no make-up Final exam. Students missing the Final will receive a zero.
CLASSROOM CONDUCT:
Students are to follow the College's policies (found in the College Catalog and the Schedule of Courses in more detail) regarding conduct, cheating, plagiarism, and classroom disruption.
CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM:
“Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for the purpose of improving one's grade or obtaining course credit; such acts also include assisting another student to do so. Typically, such acts occur in relation to examinations. However, it is the intent of this definition that the term „cheating‟ not be limited to examination situations only, but that it includes any and all actions by a student that are intended to gain an unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means. Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating which consists of the misuse of the published and/or unpublished works of others by misrepresenting the material (i.e., their intellectual property) so used as one's own work.”
Penalties for cheating and plagiarism range from a zero or F on a particular assignment, through an F for the course, to expulsion from the college. Students caught cheating or plagiarizing will receive the penalty allowed by Cuesta College.
CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTOR:
Please contact me before class, during my office hours, or via email at fha@cuesta.edu. If you send me an email, be sure to include your name and class day/time in the subject line, as I do not open email from unknown addresses. Additionally, do NOT forward information, send jokes, or send anything unrelated to this class to me. If you come across something you would like to discuss in class, print it out and bring it in to share with me or with the whole class, if appropriate.
INSTRUCTOR CONTACTING STUDENTS:
Should the need arise, I will contact you via the email and/or phone number you provided to Cuesta College and “myCuesta.” Using “myCuesta” email addresses, I may post announcements, pertinent links, assignments, review sheets, and exam dates on Canvas, so please check the course page at least weekly. If you are having trouble with the material, please promptly contact me. I am more than willing to assist any student in my class to achieve success. Before class is an easy time to ask most questions, or by appointment.
VETERANS:
Contact the Veteran’s Center, SLO Campus in Room 6903. (Or call 805-546-3142.)
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
Upon identifying themselves to the professor and the College, students with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodation for learning and evaluation. For more information, contact Disabled Student Programs and Services on the SLO campus in Room 3300. (Or call 805-546-3148).
NOTE REGARDING LATE ADDS:
Discuss the circumstances with me.
COLLEGE LIFE:
College life can compound other issues in one's life. If you are feeling overwhelmed and feel you need help to maintain your personal balance – contact our Counseling Center at 805-546- 3138. I have access to other community organizations as well. Please do not wait; contact me.
STUDENT PRIVACY:
As a postsecondary institution, Cuesta College is committed to the standards established through the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protect students' rights to access their educational record and limits our ability to share educational record information with third parties.
Primary rights of students under FERPA include:
Right to inspect and review their own educational record.
Right to seek to amend their own educational record. The student must make a written request to the Director of Admissions and Records at the San Luis Obispo campus and provide the names of the records they wish to review or amend. The administrator will respond with the time frame and location for the materials to be reviewed.
Right to have some control over the disclosure of information from their educational records. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is the disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. The definition of a school official is online.
Right to file a claim with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
The FERPA guidelines apply to individuals who are enrolled at Cuesta College regardless of the age of the student. Under FERPA, schools may, but are not required to, provide parents of students who are dependent for tax purposes access to the student's educational records. Cuesta College does not release information to parents without the written consent of the student, regardless of age. FERPA regulations may be found in the Cuesta College Catalog, printed class schedules, and/or on the Cuesta website. http://www.cuesta.edu/privacy2.htm