Caldwell College
Department of Sociology and
Criminal Justice
SO 101 Introduction to
Sociology
External Degree Program,
Spring 2003
Dr. Yang Cai
Office Location:
4138 Arts Center
Office
Telephone: (973) 618-3624
e-mail:
ycai@caldwell.edu
Office Hours: Monday, 1:30 - 2:30pm, 4:30 - 5:30pm
Wednesday,
1:30 - 2:30pm
Thursday, 12:00 - 1:00pm and by appointment
Required Text:
Macionis, John
J. 2002. Society: The Basics (6th
edition). New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Course
Description:
The
objective of this course is to introduce students to the study of society and
related social issues. Students will be
exposed to principles and major areas of sociological inquiry. The course will
include topics related to individual, culture, and social inequalities.
Course
Requirements:
I. ASSIGNMENTS:
A total of SEVEN short assignments are required. These assignments, which cover
the chapters of the textbook, are designed to help you understand key terms and
concepts, and to organize your study and reading of a chapter. Students are
encouraged to use these assignments to organize your thoughts for your final
project.
Each
assignment is to be three (3) to four (4) pages, typed and double-spaced. Some
answers require more elaboration than others. All assignments are to be written
as essays and not in a question and answer format. Assignments are to be graded
on content, organization, clarity, and grammar. Express yourself clearly,
succinctly, and in your own words to show that you truly understand what
you read and write.
Please
type the assignment number, chapter number, and the question before answering
it. Please be sure to answer all parts of each question. All seven papers carry
equal weight and will be equivalent to 60% of your final grade.
Please
note the following symbols that I often use in grading papers: a "T"
means that a
good point is
made; a "?" means that I do not understand what you are trying to
say--either the writing is not clear or the syntax is faulty; and an
"x" means what you have written is incorrect. Papers that are good
(B), very good (B+), or excellent (A) often have few comments on them. Please
allow a two-week turn around for all papers.
PAPER DUE
DATES:
Paper #1:
January 27, 2003
Paper #2:
February 10, 2003*
Paper #3:
February 24, 2003
Paper #4: March
10, 2003
Paper #5: March
24, 2003*
Paper #6: April
7, 2003
Paper #7: April
21, 2003
Assignment
Topics:
Assignment #1 In this essay you are asked to compare the three major
sociological paradigms. Write a short summary of the major points of each of
the paradigms. Next, highlight the differences among them. How would each of
the paradigms explain the persistence of inequality in the U.S.? How does using all three paradigms at the
same time broaden your understanding of inequality? (Chapter 1)
Assignment #2 For your essay, describe the values and norms of the
IDEAL culture of the U.S. Compare these
standards to the REAL culture. For instance, identify three cases where the
ideal and real cultures are dissimilar. Then give three illustrations of how
any one of these differences creates ambiguity in our lives. (Chapter 2)
Assignment #3 Briefly summarize Freud's theory of
human personality, Piaget's and Erikson's
approaches to human development, and Mead
and Cooley's perspectives on
the self. What are the key similarities
among these approaches? What are
the main differences between these
approaches? Which of these
approaches do you think offers the
"best" explanation of human behavior,
and why? (Chapter 3)
Assignment #4 Write an essay about statuses and roles. First, define
all the key concepts relevant to statuses and roles: status, master status,
ascribed statuses, achieved statuses, role, role conflict, role set, and role
strain. Then write about your choice of any three of these concepts as they
apply to your own life. For example, what are your ascribed statuses and your
achieved statuses, and in what situations have you experienced role strain or
role conflict?
(Chapter 4)
Assignment #5 Briefly describe the main characteristics of caste
systems, class systems, and
socialist systems. Where is each
type of system found? What are the
prospects for social mobility in
each system? Is one of the systems the best
way to organize society? Why or why
not? (Chapter 8)
Assignment #6 The socialization process links gender to personal
identity (gender identity) and
distinctive activities (gender
roles). Describe in you essay the gender
socialization process, beginning
with birth through early adulthood. For
instance, what color of blankets are
given to newborns in the hospital?
What type of presents do boys and
girls receive from their parents on
special occasions? Are the
expectations of teachers different for boys and girls? What does the "hidden curriculum" in the
U.S. teach children about
gender? (Chapter 10)
Assignment #7 Write an essay on race and ethnicity in the U.S. First,
define race, discuss the
biological components of race, then
explain what is meant when it is said,
"there are no pure races."
Next define ethnicity and describe how ethnicity
differs from race. Finally, write
about you agreement or disagreement with
the following statement: Race is
more important than ethnicity in the U.S.
(Chapter 11)
II. FINAL
RESEARCH PROJECT: All students are required to complete a seven (7) to ten (10)
page, typed, double-spaced research report on a self-selected topic (see Paper
Requirements). The paper is worth 40%
of your final grade.
DUE DATE: May 9, 2003
III. POLICIES
1. Mail all papers
to: Dr. Yang Cai
Department
of Sociology and Criminal Justice
Caldwell
College
9
Ryerson Road
Caldwell,
New Jersey 07006
2. Please put your
name, address, and telephone number on each assignment you submit,
and be sure to keep a copy of all your papers.
3. Assignments
are due on dates given. Any student submitting all course materials at the end
of the semester will fail the course. The nature of the external degree program
requires frequent and regular contact between student and instructor. I expect
to receive work from you on a regular basis.
4. The grace
period for regular assignments is one week. Assignments that I do not receive
within one week of the due date can earn a grade of no higher than a
"C". There is NO grace period for your final research paper. Late
final paper will not be accepted.
5. Absolutely no
regular assignment will be accepted after April 21, 2003. Any assignment not
received by April 21 will receive a grade of zero. Paper received after due
dates will be returned to the student unopened.
6. No incomplete
will be given unless 80% of the course work is completed and the student has
made proper arrangement with the instructor. Keep in mind that the paperwork
for an incomplete must be completed before final exam week.
SOCIOLOGY 101 External
Degree Program
A Guide to the Preparation
of Final Paper Assignment
Spring 2003
DUE DATE: May 9, 2003 NO EXCEPTIONS
Write
a 7-10 page paper addressing the following questions. This paper must be typed,
double spaced, with 1-inch margins. It is expected that the paper be checked
for proper grammar and spelling errors.
1. Choose a topic or issue from this course.
Examples: Socialization
Culture
Global
inequality
Social
organization
Gender
difference and gender inequality
Affirmative
action
2. Explain why this issue is particularly
interesting or important to you (for example, it is personally relevant,
politically important, and/or intellectually stimulating).
3. What is the sociological significance of
this issue? In other words, analyze the
issue using a sociological framework (e.g. structural-functionalism, social
conflict perspective, symbolic interactionism). You need to use at least 3
scholarly sources, which do not include textbooks, encyclopedia, popular
magazines, or newspapers. Please check
with me regarding the sources used in your paper. Be careful with Internet
sources.
4. How do you see that social change could (or
should) be brought about in this area?
5. What steps could you take toward
social change in this area?
Note: I am happy
to discuss with you this paper assignment, review an outline, or read a draft
of the paper. If you wish to discuss the paper, please phone or e-mail me. If
you want me to read a draft, please allow at least two days for me to read the
paper and get it back to you.
The following
will be considered when evaluating your paper:
1. Does the author demonstrate an understanding
of important sociological concepts, theories, issues?
2. Does the author adequately and effectively
use evidence to support argument?
3. How creative is the author (e.g. introduces
new ideas, integrates material in an innovative way)?
4. Is the paper well-written in regard to
clarity, grammar, and spelling?
5. Is the paper organized well? (Does the paper flow on the sentence,
paragraph, and paper-as-a-whole levels?
Does the paper make a coherent argument or statement?)
Structure your
paper roughly as follows: 1-2 pages explaining why the issue you chose is
significant or interesting to you; 3-4 pages analyzing the issue sociologically
(the heart of the paper); 2-3 pages discussing social change in regard to your
issue; and 1 page for conclusion.
Keep
the writing concise and pertinent. Remember to spell-check and edit your papers
before handing in a final draft. An easy paper to read is an easy paper to
grade. Although the content of papers is important, good presentation,
including organization and structure, as well as correct grammar are key
elements of an "A" paper.
Appropriate
style of footnotes/endnotes and references are required. I prefer the ASA style
of author's last name; year of publication and page number in parentheses for
citations in the text, which eliminates the need for footnotes and endnotes. I
also prefer the reference format of the ASA. For students who are not using the
ASA format, I recommend that you purchase either the APA Publication Manual or the Modern Language Association Handbook from the college bookstore. Both these
manuals explain how to format appropriate style of footnotes/endnotes and
references. If you do not use citations you are plagiarizing. If you plagiarize
you will receive a failing grade.