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Soc 100      Introduction to Sociology    Fall 2003

Instructor: Dr. Gonzalo Santos

Teaching Assistant: Ms. Primavera Monárrez

email   santos_class@csub.edu
email  pmonarrez@runner.csub.edu

Office
: DDH-AA205
Office Hours: Tu. & Th., 3:05 - 5:00 pm

Classroom
: BDC - C401
[Extended University Bld.]
Tel: 664-2191
Class Time: Tu. & Th. 1:00 - 3:05 pm


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worldgif Texts:


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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:


Classroom activities:
The class meets on Tuesdays & Thursdays for two-hour sessions. On Tuesdays, Dr. Santos will lecture on the topics covered in the Charon textbook - usually a chapter at a time. On Thursdays, Dr. Santos will lecture on the classic writings selected in the Howard anthology, usually two at a time. On both occasions, there will be class discussion following a brief break. Attendance is mandatory (absences/tardiness/leaving early will be penalized). Students must come to class fully prepared to discuss the assigned readings for that day. On Tuesdays, students may bring prepared personal questions and comments to orally share with the whole class. On Thursdays, students will be asked to bring a written (typed) page responding to the discussion questions found at the end of each selection in the Howard textbook; the students will form discussion circles (of five or six students) and share and discuss their responses; afterwards, they will turn in the written responses to Primavera, the Teaching Assistant, properly labeled (as to the selection in question), dated, and named. Remember: no more than one page per assigned reading selection (usually two readings per Thursday, sometimes one). The more original, thoughtful, insightful, analytical, 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 according to some intellectual division of labor (i.e., each student focusing on a sub topic of the overall group research topic). There will be a training session on October 2 on how to select a topic, design, and research a paper, with Ms. Christy Gavin, the library's social science bibliographer, as our guest lecturer. Students are encouraged to consult with Dr. Santos during his posted office hours, to seek approval of their groups' topics and their own paper sub-topics. The completed research group volumes will be due on Friday, November 21, at Dr. Santos office, no later than 5:00 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. Each individual paper should be between 8 and 10 pages long, excluding the bibliography, or any appendices. 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 pose a central argument, or thesis, or hypothesis (or a short set of them), and include the following sections: an introduction posing the thesis/hypothesis as well as the main theoretical approach and methodology of the paper; an analytical section presenting the main analysis based on relevant historical data and theoretical arguments; this section should not only be descriptive, but it should include your critical analysis to explain the things described, as well as other explore other plausible alternative explanations found in the literature, and your critique of them; finally, a summary with your main conclusions; after that, a bibliography and any appendices. The bibliography ought to reflect a significant search on the World Wide Web, as well as consulted books and scholarly journals in the library. Appendices should include charts, graphs, and figures covering the pertinent topics - the more well selected, enlightening, and relevant, the better. There is no need for a group bibliography - each paper's own will suffice. Also, each paper need not be paginated with the others.


Quizzes & Essay Tests: The course does not have a midterm exam nor a final exam. Instead, there will be a multiple-choice quiz and an essay test for every chapter in the Charon textbook, both due on the Sunday before midnight of the week in which a given chapter is assigned, These quizzes and essay tests are taken through the campus computer testing service, WebCT, accessible from any computer anywhere (see instructions below). Students will be free to test anytime during the week in which a chapter is assigned, from Monday morning on (usually after 8:30 am) all the way to Sunday midnight.


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world  Instructions for taking quizzes and writing essays in WebCT

To access and take an article quiz or 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 the "Getting Started" link and read how you can ensure your browser is properly configured).

You will need to know your WebCT ID and password All enrolled students have a "Runner" email account at CSUB. Your WebCT ID is the same as your Runner Mail Logon ID -- that is, what goes before the "@runner.csub.edu".  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 may change your password at any time, or you may be asked to do it immediately. We also suggest that you set up your login hint immediately - and write these codes somewhere where you will not lose them nor expose them to others.

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

Be prepared!  The maximum duration for a Charon Chapter Quiz is 30 minutes, or 2 minutes per question (all quizzes have 15 questions). The maximum duration for a Charon Chapter Essay Test is 60 minutes, again roughly 30 minutes per essay (all essay test has 2 essay questions). After its designated time is up, access to each chapter exam will be closed and no late testing will be allowed, nor are there second chances. So make sure you have prepared well, chosen a day, time & place well, and have ample time and tranquility (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 an open book, but exclusively on your own, please. Never plan to take a test in two or more sittings, plan to take each one completely in a single session.

Save your answers. 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!

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 forewarned that anybody caught cheating on the tests & quizzes will automatically fail the course. WebCT has a monitoring capability that automatically "flags" to instructors a variety of potential cheating cases and situations  -- including comparing student answers, times of testing, etc.

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world  Grading

The class-delivered written responses to the questions at the end of the Howard classic readings are worth 15 points. The Charon chapter quizzes are worth 30 points; the Charon chapter essay tests are worth 20 points. The research papers are worth 35 points (30 points for the paper, 5 points for the group effort).  The final letter grade will be assigned, on a scale of 0 to 100 points, as follows: 

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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. Monárrez: 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 research papers, as well as any question they may have from the class discussions, the textbooks, etc.. They are also encouraged to discuss their topics with Primavera, to get good ideas from her.

Dr. Santos' office hours will be 3:05 pm to 5:00 pm, Tu & Th., that is, after class. Visits by appointment 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 communications (e.g., will be absent, thank you's, etc.). Talking is a lot more efficient and fun that typing! Students may also email Primavera or make an appointment to meet.

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worldgif  Schedule of Reading Assignments

Tuesday
Thursday
9/9
 
INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE


9/11 
Charon's Book: Ten Questions
Introduction + Chapter 1 

How do sociologists study society?

9/16 

Charon's Book: Ten Questions
Chapter 2

What does it mean to be human?

9/18
 
Classic Readings in Sociology:

C. Wright Mills: The Promise of Sociology
Peter Berger: Invitation to Sociology
9/23

Charon's Book: Ten Questions
Chapter 3

How is society possible?

9/25  

Training Session for Research Groups
Guest Lecturer: Ms. Christy Gavin, Social Science Bibliographer, Main Library


9/30
 
 
Charon's Book: Ten Questions
Chapter 4

Why are people unequal in society?

10/2

Classic Readings in Sociology:

Karl Marx & Frederich Engels: Manifiesto of the Communist Party

10/7

Charon's Book: Ten Questions
Chapter 5

Are human beings free?

10/9 

Classic Readings in Sociology:

Darrell Huff: How to Lie with Statistics
Robert Merton: Manifest & Latent Functions
10/14

Charon's Book: Ten Questions
Chapter 6

Why can't everyone be just like us?

10/16


Classic Readings in Sociology:

W.E.B. DuBois: The Souls of Black Folks
10/21

Charon's Book: Ten Questions
Chapter 7

Why is there misery in the world?

10/23  

Classic Readings in Sociology:

C. Wright Mills: The Power Elite
Herbert J. Gans: The Uses of Poverty
10/28

Charon's Book: Ten Questions
Chapter 8

Does the individual really make a difference? 

10/30  

Classic Readings in Sociology:

George Herbert Mead: The Self
Erving Goffman: The Presentation of Self
11/4

Charon's Book: Ten Questions
Chapter 9 

Is organized religion necessary for society?

11/6  
Classic Readings in Sociology:

Jessie Bernard: The Future of Marriage
D.L. Rosenhan: On Being Sane in Insane Places 
11/11 


HOLIDAY
NO CLASS
 

11/13

Charon's Book: Ten Questions
Chapter 10 & Afterword

Is sociology important?
Should we generalize about people?
11/18 
Classic Readings in Sociology:

Jonathan Kosol: Savage Inequalities
Louis Wirth: Urbanism as a Way of Life
The deadline for the groups' research papers is Friday, November 21, at Dr. Santos' office before 5:00 pm.


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My research group number is: _____

Other group members' names/phones/email addresses:

_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

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My group's research topic is:

___________________________________________________________________________


The individual research sub topics are:

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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