Sociology 250: Sociological Theory Second Summer Term, 2013 Classroom: Peabody 203 Class Hours: M-F 1:15-2:45 p.m. Instructor: Jason Freeman Office Hrs: Tuesday and Thursday Office: 162 Hamilton Hall 10-11 a.m. and by appointment. Email: jafreema@unc.edu Office Phone: 919-962-7502 Website: https://sakai.unc.edu/portal/site/soci250 Cell: 252-347-1525 Course Description This course is designed to familiarize you with the rich body of sociological theory that begins in the late 1700 s during the Age of Enlightenment and progresses through to the contemporary era. By the end of this course you should be familiar with the major thinkers who defined sociological theory during this period (i.e. Auguste Comte, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, etc.); be familiar with the key concepts/theories associated each thinker (i.e. Karl Marx and Historical Materialism; Max Weber and Bureaucracy; Emile Durkheim and Social Facts, etc.); be able to generate questions that allow you to gain a better understanding of these concepts/theories and be able to apply these concepts/theories to problems that you face in your own day-to-day life. Course Objectives 1. Familiarize you with key concepts and thinkers associated with sociological theory. 2. Improve your ability to communicate your ideas through writing and group discussion. 3. Improve your ability to critically evaluate information that you encounter in your day-to-day life. 4. Improve your ability to apply the things you learn to your day-to-day life. Rules of the Road 1. We start and end class on time (if you arrive late, you may lose the chance to take the daily quiz). 2. Turn off cell phones, music devices, and other electronic devices that could be a distraction during class. 3. Check your email daily. 4. Check our class s Sakai site daily; specifically the Assignments and the Announcements page. 5. We are all expected to be civil and respectful in our interactions within this class. Office Hours For simple questions, the best way to reach is me by is email at jafreema@unc.edu. For more difficult questions, please come see me during office hours. I have office hours on Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. If you can t make these hours, please let me know and we ll arrange another time. To make the best use of our time, you should come prepared with specific questions; for example, you might have a question about a reading you don t understand, a concept we ve covered in class that wasn t clearly defined, or something you ve seen in another source that you are curious about. Be as specific as you can about how I can help you. However, you don t have to have a problem to come to office hours -- you may just want to chat about something, and that s OK too.
2 Discussion Board The discussion board can be used to post questions that we don t have time to get to during class time and to begin discussions about topics related to the course content but won t be covered during the semester (e.g. Marxist critiques of the current economic conditions). I ll make an effort to check the discussion board each day (and may post things from time to time) and encourage you to do the same. Honor Code The University Honor Code will be in effect through all exams, quizzes, and written assignments. Please read carefully the provisions of the Honor Code, make certain you understand and adhere to them, and ask me to clarify any questions you have regarding the Code. The Code is a long and valuable tradition at UNC -- protect it! You will find a link to the Code on our course web page. UNC Honor Code Website: honor.unc.edu Required Texts The Discovery of Society, 8th ed. Randall Collins and Michael Makowsky. 2009. McGraw Hill. Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classical Readings, 3rd ed. Charles Lemert, editor. 2004. Westview Press. Outliers: The Story of Success. Malcolm Gladwell. 2008. Little, Brown and Company. * Other required reading will be available on the Resources page of Sakai in the folder titled Required Readings. Recommended Readings Throughout the semester I may post recommended reading to supplement the assigned readings for the class. Any recommended readings will be available on Resources page in the folder titled Recommended Readings. Course Format This is an active learning course. Each day, you will be expected to read and discuss that day s assigned readings. A closed-book, open note quiz will be administered at the beginning of each class session where you will be allowed to use hand-written notes taken from each reading. The course also involves daily group discussion and group activities. Group discussion questions for each set of readings are available on the Resources page in the folder titled Discussion Questions. Group activities are listed on this syllabus in the section marked Class Schedule and will be announced prior to each class. Any group discussion or group activity that you miss due to an unexcused absence will count against your final grade.
Attendance Policy 3 Achieving success in this class requires consistent daily attendance. Please don t schedule any appointments, trips, association meetings, or other activities that would require you to miss class. Also, an excused absence is an absence in which a student cannot attend class due to a family emergency, an obligation to the University or some other reason that is beyond the student s immediate control. In the case of an excused absence, please let me know as soon as possible the reason for the absence and the anticipated length of the absence. Evaluation Your course grade is based upon daily quizzes, group work, a mid-term and final exam, as well as a reflection papers. 1. Daily Quizzes: The purpose of daily quizzes is to encourage in depth reading and good note-taking. The first 10 minutes of each class is set aside to complete a 10 question closed book, open-note quiz. Quizzes are based on the readings assigned for that day. All notes must be hand-written and sharing notes or using of typed notes will result in a grade of zero for that day s quiz. There will be no make-up quizzes. If you miss a class due to an unexcused absence or arrive late, you will not be able to take any portion of the quiz at a later time. The lowest 4 quiz grades will be dropped at the end of the semester. 2. Group Work: The purpose of group work is to facilitate discourse about topics that pertain to sociological theory that is both critical and civil. During each class you are assigned to a group and will be asked to either answer 3-5 discussion questions; complete a group activity or both. For group discussions you are expected to discuss and answer each question within your group and be prepared to discuss your group s answers with the entire class. At the end of class each group will turn in a written copy of its answers and group members will receive an overall group grade based on the completeness for each set of answers. For group activities you will be given a set of directions and will be expected to complete the activity within the time allotted. Group activities are graded based on whether or not the group completes the assigned task in the time allotted. All missed group assignments count against each student except in the case of an excused absence. Toward the end of the course your group will be expected to generate your own discussion questions for at least one topic that we cover and be able to lead discussion, as a group, on that day. You will also be asked to come up with a class activity and/or find and discuss and article (with discussion questions) that helps the class gain a deeper understanding of that day s topic. 3. Exams: The purpose of exams is to communicate your comprehension of the course materials. In this class you will have both a mid-term and a final exam and all material on these exams are taken from the daily quizzes and discussion questions. Each exam will be composed of multiple choice, fill in the blank and essay questions. 4. Reflections Papers: You will be assigned two 2-4 page reflection papers based questions that I pose during the semester. You are expected to completely answer the question using at least three independent sources which can include the textbook, articles that we read in class and external sources. All sources should be cited using ASA style (An ASA Style Guide is provided on the Resources page on Sakai). Further instructions on these papers will be provided at the time they are assigned.
Components of your Grade: 4 Daily Quizzes 15% Group Work 15% Mid-term Exam 25% Final Exam 25% Reflection Papers 20% Total 100% Grading Scale I do not grade on a curve. I use a scale with 10-point intervals, modified occasionally to correct for tests/assignments that are too difficult. At the end of the term, you will receive a letter grade, based on the following scale: A = 90-100 B = 80-89 C = 70-79 D = 60-69 F = BELOW 60
DAILY ASSIGNMENTS You are expected to read and take handwritten notes prior to each class session. All readings that are not found in the required texts are available through our class s Sakai site on the Resources page in the folder titled Required Readings. Discussion questions are available in the folder titled Discussion Questions on the Resources page. I reserve the right to make changes to this syllabus and the class as the class proceeds, however I promise to let you know of any changes well ahead of time. Aside from me, our class s Sakai site will always be the most up to date source of class information, and the syllabus on our class s Sakai site will always be the most current. Also, because we are not following the order of topics within the books, pay special attention to the specific page numbers of the assigned readings. Thanks! COURSE SCHEDULE Thursday, June 20 st Topic: Introduction to Sociological Theory N/A Why Are There More Multigenerational Families in the U.S.? Friday, June 21 st Topic: The Enlightenment Thinkers: Comte, Kant and Saint-Simon Collins and Makowsky The Prophets of Paris: Saint-Simon and Comte (pp. 15-25) Kant - What is Enlightenment? (Sakai) In-Class Essay: Should We Obey Laws We Think Are Unjust? Monday, June 24 th Topic: Understanding the Scientific Method N/A Movie: Shattered Glass Tuesday, June 25 th Topic: Karl Marx (Part 1): From Kant to Hegel to Marx Collins and Makowsky Sociology in the Underground: Karl Marx (pp. 26-42) Marx Estranged Labor (Lemert, pp. 32-39) Understanding the Scientific Method Wednesday, June 26 th Topic: Karl Marx (Part 2): Historical and Current Class Struggles Marx The Manifesto of Class Struggle (Lemert, pp. 39-43) Shuman Marx s Revenge: How Class Struggle Is Shaping the World (http://business.time.com/2013/03/25/marxs-revenge-howclass-struggle-is-shaping-the-world/)
6 Paper Q & A Thursday, June 27 th Topic: Max Weber (Part 1): Stratification and Bureaucracy Collins and Makowsky Max Weber: The Disenchantment of the World (pp. 105-118) Weber The Bureaucratic Machine (Lemert, pp. 108-114) Building a Better Bureaucracy Friday, June 28 th Topic: Max Weber (Part 2): Rationalization and the Iron Cage Collins and Makowsky Weber s Theory of History: The Rationalization of the World (pp. 118-126) Weber The Spirit of Capitalism and the Iron Cage. (Lemert, pp. 104-108). So, Who s Right about Modernity? Marx vs. Weber. Monday, July 1 st Topic: Emile Durkheim (Part 1): Collective Consciousness and Social Facts Collins and Makowsky Dreyfus s Empire: Emile Durkheim (pp. 91-104). Durkheim Sociology and Social Facts (Lemert, pp. 78-81). Why Did Obama Win and When Did We Know it? Tuesday, July 2 nd Topic: Emile Durkheim (Part 2): Suicide and Modernity Durkheim Suicide and Modernity (Lemert, pp. 81-89). Parker-Pope Suicide Rates Rise Sharply in the U.S. (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/03/health/suicide-rate-risessharply-in-us.html?_r=0) Explaining the Increase in Suicide Rates in the U.S. Wednesday, July 3 rd Topic: Simmel: Society and The Stranger Collins and Makowsky Simmel. (pp. 142-145)
Simmel The Stranger (Lemert, pp. 185-188) 7 Lewin Growing Up, Growing Apart (http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/featured_articles/00062 6monday.html) Understanding Social Distance Thursday, July 4 th Have a Safe and Happy 4 th of July!!! Friday, July 5 th Topic: Du Bois: The Problem of the Color Line Collins and Makowsky The Emergence of African American Sociology. (pp. 169-182) Du Bois Double Consciousness and the Veil (Lemert, pp. 167-172) Mid-Term Exam Preview. Monday, July 8 th Mid-Term Exam Tuesday, July 9 th Topic: Feminist Theory: From Gilman to Collins Gilman The Yellow Paper (Lemert, pp.172-174) Gilman Women and Economics (Lemert, pp. 174-178) de Beauvoir Woman as Other (Lemert, pp. 345-347) Collins Black Feminist Thought in the Matrix of Domnation (Lemert, pp. 540-552) Exam Review Wednesday, July 10 th Topic: Functionalist Theory: Social Systems and Functions Collins and Mackowsky The Construction of the Social System: Pareto and Parsons. (pp. 183-196) Parsons Action Systems and Social Systems (Lemert, pp. 301-303) Merton Manifest and Latent Functions (Lemert, pp. 308-312) Understanding Manifest and Latent Functions
8 Thursday, July 11 th Topic: Conflict Theory: Wallerstein and Neo-Marxism Collins and Makowsky Immanuel Wallerstein and the World System. (pp. 246-251) Wallerstein The Modern World System. (Lemert, pp. 398-405) Understanding Global Inequality Friday, July 12 th Topic: Symbolic Interactionist Theory (Part 1): The Self and Society Collins and Makowsky The Life and Work of Cooley (pp. 145-151) Collins and Makowsky The Life and Work of Mead (pp. 151-159) Cooley The Looking Glass Self (Lemert, p. 189) Mead The Self, the I and the Me (Lemert, pp. 224-229) I vs. Me Monday, July 15 th Topic: Symbolic Interactionist Theory (Part 2): Saving Face in Society Collins and Makowsky Erving Goffman and the Theater of Social Encounters (pp. 219-231) Goffman On Face-Work (Lemert, pp. 338-342) Jacobs I Think You re Fat (http://www.esquire.com/features/honesty0707) Is Honesty Truly the Best Policy? Tuesday, July 16 th Topic: French Postmodernism: Bourdieu and Foucault Collins and Makowsky - Pierre Bourdieu: Symbolic Violence and Cultural Capital. (pp. 232-239) Bourdieu Structures, Habitus, Practices (Lemert, pp. 444-449) Foucault Biopolitics and Carceral Society (Lemert, pp. 417-421) Understanding Habitus
Wednesday, July 17 th Topic: Critical Theory: Culture and Society 9 Horkheimer and Adorno The Culture Industry as Deception. (Lemert, pp. 325-329) Marcuse Repressive Sublimation (Lemert, pp. 436-439) Dimaggio et. al Social Implications of the Internet (Sakai) Does Modern Information Technology Bring us Together or Pull Us Apart? Thursday, July 18th Topic: Sociology of Sexuality Weeks Sexual Identification Is a Strange Thing (Lemert, pp. 558-562) Butler Imitation and Gender Insubordination (Lemert, pp. 562-573) Sedgewick Epistemology of the Closet (Lemert, pp. 663-665) Speaker: UNC LGBTQ Representative Friday, July 19 th Topic: Does Biology Matter in the Social World? Freese Genetics and the Social Science Explanation of Individual Outcomes (Sakai) Duster Comparative Perspectives and Competing Explanations: Taking on the Newly Configured Reductionist Challenge to Sociology (Sakai) So Who s Right? Duster vs. Freese Monday, July 22 nd Topic: Outliers (Part 1) Outliers Introduction to Chapter 5 (pp. 3-158) N/A Tuesday, July 23 rd Topic: Outliers (Part 2) Outliers Chapter 6 to Epilogue (pp. 161-285) Friday, July 26 th Final Exam Preview Final Exam: Friday July 26 th at 11:30 a.m.
Writing Rubric for Sociology 122 (The final score is the average of each individual dimension). 10 Dimensions Excellent (100%) Proficient (85%) Developing (75%) Beginning (<= 65%) Mechanics The work shows a demonstrated mastery of spelling and grammar. The work has no significant spelling or grammar mistakes The work has some significant spelling or grammar mistakes; but overall is readable. The work has significant spelling and grammar mistakes which makes it largely unreadable. Structure The work has a clearly defined topic sentence and clearly defined supporting paragraphs. It also has a logical structure which allows readers to easily follow the writer s lines of reasoning throughout the work. The work has a clearly defined topic sentence and clearly defined supporting paragraphs. It also has a logical structure which causes no major problems for the reader. The work has a topic sentence and supporting paragraphs which are not clearly defined and/or it has a structure which makes following its lines of reasoning difficult. The work has a topic sentence and supporting paragraphs which are not clearly defined and/or it has an inconsistent structure which makes following the writer s lines of reasoning extremely difficult or impossible. Clarity of ideas. This work presents ideas which are thoroughly developed, clearly defined and easily understandable. The ideas presented in the work flow smoothly throughout. This work presents ideas which have been thoroughly developed, clearly defined and easily understandable by most readers. This work presents ideas which are inconsistent and not well developed. The ideas are not presented in a clear fashion. This work presents ideas which are inconsistent and not well developed. The work is difficult or impossible to understand. Relevance to question. The work answers the question completely and demonstrates a clear understanding of the subject matter. Work answers the question completely. The work does not completely answer question. The work has no clear connection to question.