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Soc 100     Introduction to Sociology   Spring 2004

Instructor: Dr. Gonzalo Santos
Teaching Assistant: Ms. Karina Leonzo

email

  santos_class@csub.edu

email  

  kleonzo@runner.csub.edu

Office
: DDH-AA205
Office Hours: Tu. & Th., 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Classroom
: Science 180

Tel: 664-2191
Class Time: Mon. & Wed. 3:30 - 5:35 pm


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worldgif Textbook:

D. Stanley Eitzen & Maxine Baca Zinn, 2004. In Conflict and Order. Understanding Society, Tenth Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. ISBN: 0-205-37622-3.
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world  Course Content:


This course is designed to introduce the field of Sociology to the general student population at the lower division level. Students will learn why and how the study of the social dynamics of contemporary, complex societies is important and rewarding. General topics include how the dynamics of social structures and social change relate to history, the individual, economics, politics, and culture; the nature and causes of social change, the theoretical perspectives and methods used to study modern societies. Specific topics include exploring various social problems, how social identity works, the role of ideologies, global and national social stratification, the social aspects of work, education, the family, and religion, and the dynamics of world governance and integration (globalization).

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world  Course Structure:


Class Sessions:
The class meets on Mondays & Wednesdays for two-hour sessions. Dr. Santos will lecture on the topics covered in the Eitzen & Baca-Zinn textbook - usually two chapters per week. Attendance is mandatory (absences/tardiness/leaving early will be seriously penalized). Students must come to class fully prepared to discuss the assigned reading for the day, especially on Wednesdays. To that end, each student must bring every Wednesday a written (typed) page per chapter covered, answering in his/her own words all the study questions found at the end of each chapter assigned that week -- include your name, date, and the chapter in question. The students will form discussion groups (of seven students) and share and discuss their responses; afterwards, there will be a class discussion and the students will turn in the written responses to the Teaching Assistant.  The more thoughtful, accurate, and critical the responses, the better!

Research project: The same discussion groups will also function as research groups.  Each group will design, organize, research, and write a research volume on a topic related to the class, consisting of individual papers organized along an intellectual division of labor (i.e., each student focusing on a subtopic of the overall group topic). Each research group must consult with Dr. Santos during his posted office hours, and get approval of their overall group topic and each paper subtopic. The completed research group volumes will be due on Thursday, June 10, at Dr. Santos office, no later than 4:30 pm.

Each volume should be bound and should include a title page and a table of content page listing each paper by title and author. For a precise guide on the paper's format and citation style, go to the following web page:

http://www.csubak.edu/~gsantos/guide-paper.html
Each individual paper should be between 4 and 5 pages long, excluding the bibliography and any appendices for charts, etc.  Each individual paper should pose a central argument, thesis, or hypothesis, and include the following sections: (a) a brief introduction posing the thesis/hypothesis; (b) an analytical section presenting the main facts and analysis; this section should not only be descriptive, but it should include your critical analysis to explain the things described as well as explore other plausible alternative explanations found in the literature; finally (c), a brief summary with your main conclusions; after that, (d) a bibliography and any appendices of charts and tables. The bibliography ought to reflect a successful search on the World Wide Web (yielding at least three good sites), as well as consulted books and scholarly journals in the library (citing at least three). No journalist sources, please. Appendices should include charts, graphs, maps, and figures of data - the more well-selected, enlightening, and relevant, the better. There is no need for a group bibliography - each paper's own biblio. will suffice. Also, each paper need not be paginated with the others, but each paper should have its own numbered pages.


Chapter Tests: The students will take a test (or, if need be, a second attempt, see "Extra" below) on each of the chapters of the Eitzen & Baca Zinn textbook -- usually two per week; and all tests will be due by the Sunday midnight of the week in which any given chapter is assigned (NOTE: except for the last test, chapter 18 - see the schedule below). These chapter tests are taken through the campus computer testing service called WebCT, accessible from any computer anywhere (see instructions below). Students will be free to test on any given chapter any time during the week in which that chapter is assigned, from Monday morning (usually after 8:30 am) all the way to Sunday midnight.

Extra: If you wish to improve a possible low chapter test score, you may take a second chapter test, so long as you do so before the assigned chapter deadline. In that case, the chapter final score recorded will be the average of the two test scores.

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world  Instructions for taking chapter tests in WebCT

To access and take a chapter test: go to the CSUB WebCT site: click and bookmark the following URL address:

   http://webct.csub.edu/

If you are doing it from an off campus computer, make sure your browser is properly configured (click around WebCT support links and read how you can ensure your browser is properly configured).

You will need to know your WebCT ID and password All CSUB enrolled students have a "Runner" email account. Your WebCT ID is the same as your Runner Mail Logon ID -- that is, whatever prefix goes before the "@runner.csub.edu" domain.  For example, the WebCT ID for John Smith (jsmith4@runner.csub.edu) would be jsmith4. Your initial WebCT password is the last five digits of your Social Security Number. Once logged on to WebCT, you will be asked to change it immediately (if you have used WebCT before you'll need to enter your old password). Choose an easy to remember, easy to type new password. We also suggest that you set up your login hint immediately - and write all these codes somewhere where you will not loose them, nor expose them to theft by others.

If you need help: If you don’t know your CSUB RunnerMail Logon ID or if you've changed your password and have forgotten it, contact the Student Help Desk at 664-2307, or the Student Technology Help Desk in the library at (661) 665-6677 or go to Lower Level Room 1 during office hours. 

Be prepared!  The maximum duration for each chapter test is 60 minutesAfter each weekly deadline, access to any given chapter test will be closed and no late testing will be possible. So make sure you have prepared well, chosen a day, time & place well, and have ample time and tranquility (with no distractions) to begin testing; take time to read carefully each question before you answer it - do not rush! (a common mistake). You may take the test with the open book, but exclusively on your own, please. Never plan to take a test in two or more sittings; plan always to take each test in a single session (the computer usually freezes incomplete tests).

Save your answers, then the whole test. If you change your mind on a specific answer, don't forget to save it again! And don't forget to send your quiz/test to grade when you are done (lots of students forget this last step and their scores are not computed!).

Security precaution: If you are using a public computer always quit both the WebCT site and the browser (Netscape or Explorer) after you are done with testing  -- otherwise, someone may access your own WebCT account and "try out" some tests! This is because your access codes stay active until you quit the browser. And remember, never share your testing access codes with anyone!

Warning: Students are hereby formally forewarned that anybody caught cheating on the tests will automatically fail the course. WebCT has a monitoring capability that automatically "flags" for instructors a variety of potential cheating cases and situations  -- including comparing student answers, times of testing, etc.

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world  Grading


The chapter tests are collectively worth 54 % of the final grade (3 points per chapter score). The research paper is worth 28 % (25 points for the individual paper, 3 points for the group effort).  The class written responses are collectively worth 18 % (1 point per response). Each absence or tardiness is a point off the final grade. The final letter grade will be assigned, on a scale of 0 to 100 points, as follows:

94-100 = A 87-89 = B+ 77-79 = C+ 65-69 = D
90-93 = A- 84-86 = B 74-76 = C < 65 = F

80-83 = B- 70-73 = C-


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Office Hours & Communications with Dr. Santos & Ms. Leonzo: All students are encouraged to visit the Dr. Santos during his office hours (posted above), especially to discuss their group research topics and their individual papers, as well as any question they may have from the class discussions, the textbook, etc.. They are also encouraged to discuss these things with Karina in class or by email (no office hours), to get good ideas from her.

Dr. Santos' office hours will be 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Tu & Th.. Visits by appointment on Fridays are also possible, as well as brief consultations by phone during office hours. Email for Dr. Santos is strongly discouraged for any other purpose than basic or emergency communications (e.g., will be absent, thank you's, etc.). Talking is a lot more efficient and fun that typing!

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worldgif  Schedule of Reading Assignments

Monday
Wednesday
3/29
 
INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
 3/31

HOLIDAY
NO CLASS
4/5 

PART I: THE SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH

Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:

1. The Sociological Perspective
4/7



Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:
  
2. The Structure of Social Groups
4/12
 


Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:
 
3. The Duality of Social Life: Order and Conflict
4/14  
 

PART II: THE INDIVIDUAL IN SOCIETY: SOCIETY IN THE INDIVIDUAL

Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter

4. Culture
4/19
 

Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:

5. Socialization
4/21


Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:
  
6. Social Control
4/26


Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:

7. Deviance

4/28

PART III: THE STUDY OF SOCIETY

Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:

8. Structural Sources of Societal Change: Economic and Demographic
5/3

Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:

9. Social Stratification
5/5

Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:  

10. Class
5/10 

Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:

11. Racial Inequality

5/12

Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter
 
12. Gender Inequality
5/17 
PART IV: SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:

13. The Economy

5/19 

Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:
   
14. Power and Politics
5/24 

Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:

15. Families
5/26

Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:  
 
16. Education
5/31

HOLIDAY
NO CLASS


6/2

Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:

17. Religion
6/7  

PART V: HUMAN AGENCY

Eitzen & Baca Zinn Chapter:

18. Human Agency: Individuals and Groups in Society
The deadline for the groups' research papers is Thursday, June 10, at Dr. Santos' office before 4:30 pm.

The deadline for the Chapter 18 test is Friday midnight, June 11 - NOT Sunday, June 13.


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My research group number is: _____

Other group members' names/phones/email addresses:

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

My group's research topic is:

___________________________________________________________________________


The other individual research sub topics are:

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________


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