Professor: Stephen M. Marson, Ph.D.
Office: D. F. Sampson 221;  Phone: 521-6475 Inclement weather: (910) 521-6888
Office Hours: 11:00 Monday, 1:30 Tuesday and Thursday, 4:30 Wednesdays, Fridays 11:00 for tutoring only

Course Prerequisite: None

Important Dates for Book Report: Due Date March 5; Late paper will be dropped a letter grade on Starting March 6

No papers will be accepted on March 7

Course Description and General Education Statement:

An introduction to scientific study of human society and social behavior.

Introduction to Sociology seeks to expose students to the basic concepts, perspectives and research findings of sociology. Accordingly, students will be made aware of the important relationships and inter-relationships of the individual to society and culture, as well as the many ways individuals and their values are influenced by society. This course contributes to an understanding of the scientific method, which will enable students to critically evaluate information and materials, as well as apply scientific knowledge to the solution of contemporary social problems.

Course Objectives and Topical Headings

WHAT IS THE “SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION”?

·         Learn what sociology covers as a field and how everyday topics like love and romance are shaped by social and historical forces

·         Recognize that sociology is more than just acquiring knowledge; it also involves developing a sociological imagination and a global perspective and understanding social change

·         Understand the importance of social context and social structure to the study of sociology, as well as their importance in understanding our everyday lives

WHAT THEORIES DO SOCIOLOGISTS USE?

·         Learn about the development of sociology as a field

·         Understand the role theory plays in sociological research

·         Name some of the leading social theorists and the concepts they contributed to sociology

·         Learn the different theoretical approaches modern sociologists bring to the field

·         Understand the difference between theoretical approaches and theories

·         Learn the two major levels of analysis and the ways they are connected

WHAT KINDS OF QUESTIONS CAN SOCIOLOGISTS ANSWER?

·         Describe the different types of questions sociologists address in their research—factual, theoretical, comparative, and developmental

·         Learn the reasons why sociology is considered to be a science

WHAT ARE THE SEVEN STEPS OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS?

·         Learn the steps of the research process and be able to complete the process yourself

WHAT RESEARCH METHODS DO SOCIOLOGISTS USE?

·         Familiarize yourself with the methods available to sociological researchers and know the advantages and disadvantages of each

·         See how researchers use multiple methods in a real study

·         Learn why it is important to use triangulation in social research

WHAT ETHICAL DILEMMAS DO SOCIOLOGISTS FACE?

·         Recognize the ethical problems researchers may face and possible solutions to these dilemmas

·         Learn some of the basic statistical terms used in sociological research

HOW DOES THE “SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION” AFFECT YOUR LIFE?

·         Understand how adopting a sociological perspective allows us to develop a richer understanding of ourselves, our significant others, and the world

·         Learn the skills and perspectives that sociologists bring to their work

WHAT IS CULTURE?

• Know what culture consists of and recognize how it differs from society.
• Recognize the variation in norms and values both across and within cultures.
• Understand the role of culture in encouraging some degree of conformity to a set of shared thoughts and actions.

HOW DOES HUMAN CULTURE DEVELOP?

• Gain a general understanding about the early development of human culture, including the characteristics that make us different from other species.
• Begin to understand how both biological and cultural factors influence our behavior.
• Learn the ideas of sociobiology and how others have tried to refute these ideas by emphasizing cultural differences.
• Understand the sociological position on the nature/nurture debate.
• Recognize that there are cultural variations across different societies, as well as cultural diversity within any single society.
• Learn the different aspects of culture that are shared by all human cultures and that are essential for human society.

WHAT HAPPENED TO PREMODERN SOCIETIES?

• Compare and contrast the two main types of premodern societies.
• Learn how societies have changed over time.
• Understand how cultural values and products shaped premodern societies.

HOW HAS INDUSTRIALIZATION SHAPED MODERN SOCIETY?

• Understand how cultural developments have ushered in new types of societies.
• Recognize the factors that changed premodern societies, and particularly how industrialization and colonialism influenced global development.
• Understand the negative impact of industrialization on traditional social systems.
• Know the differences between the First World, the Second World, and the developing world (Third World) and how they developed.
• Learn about the current state of developing countries, including how they differ from earlier forms of traditional society, how their condition has deteriorated in recent years, and what newly industrializing economies are emerging in some of them.

HOW DOES GLOBALIZATION AFFECT CONTEMPORARY CULTURE?

• Recognize the effect of globalization on your life and the lives of people around the world.
• Identify some of the ways that social change has affected cultural development.
• Begin to understand the effect of technology on global cultures, especially the rapid growth of the Internet.
• Think about the effect of a growing global culture.
• Understand the rise of nationalism and the revival of local cultures in spite of increasing globalization; consider the ways that global culture influences local cultures.

HOW ARE CHILDREN SOCIALIZED?

• Learn about socialization (including gender socialization) and know the most important agents of socialization
• Be able to compare the different theoretical interpretations of how and why children develop as they do
• Learn the similarities and differences between social roles and social identities
• Understand the role of the media in gender socialization

WHAT ARE THE FIVE MAJOR STAGES OF THE LIFE COURSE?

• Learn the various stages of the life course and recognize the similarities and differences among different cultures

HOW DO PEOPLE AGE?

• Learn why older adults are the group of greatest interest to policy makers
• Understand that aging is a combination of biological, psychological, and social processes
• Consider the various theories of aging, particularly those that focus on how society shapes the social roles of older people and those that emphasize aspects of age stratification

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF AGING IN THE UNITED STATES?

• Be able to identify the different age categories of older adults and know which is the fastest-growing segment of this population
• Evaluate the experience of growing old in the United States
• Identify the physical, emotional, and financial challenges faced by older adults
• Be able to identify the characteristics of older persons who are the most at risk for problems as they grow old

WHAT IS SOCIAL INTERACTION?

• Familiarize yourself with the study of everyday life
• Learn why it is important to study daily interaction
• Know the various forms of nonverbal communication
• Identify the differences between email and in-person communication

HOW DO WE MANAGE IMPRESSIONS IN DAILY LIFE?

• Learn about the ways you carefully choose to present yourself to others in daily interactions

WHAT RULES GUIDE HOW WE COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS?

• Learn the research process of ethnomethodology, the study of our conversations, and how we make sense of each other
• Learn about the unwritten rules of interpersonal interaction

HOW DO TIME AND SPACE AFFECT OUR INTERACTIONS?

• Understand that interaction is situated; that it occurs in a particular place and for a particular length of time
• Understand the ways in which time structures human life
• Learn about how other cultures organize their social lives
• Be able to discuss both sides of the debate on whether face-to-face interaction is better than online communication

HOW DO THE RULES OF SOCIAL INTERACTION AFFECT YOUR LIFE?

• See how face-to-face interaction and broader features of society are closely related

WHAT ARE SOCIAL GROUPS?

• Learn the difference between social aggregates and social groups
• Learn the variety and characteristics of groups, as well as the effect of groups on an individual’s behavior
• Understand the way that the size of a group effects the quality of interaction in the group, as well as the group’s stability and functioning
• Learn the different types of group leadership

HOW DO WE BENEFIT FROM SOCIAL NETWORKS?

• Understand the importance of social networks and the advantages they confer on some people

HOW DO ORGANIZATIONS FUNCTION?

• Know how to define an organization and understand how organizations developed over the last two centuries
• Understand the role that organizations play in contemporary society
• Learn Max Weber’s theory of organizations and view of bureaucracy
• Be able to explain how modern organizations have developed in a gendered way

IS BUREAUCRACY AN OUTDATED MODEL?

• Familiarize yourself with some of the alternatives to bureaucracy that have developed in other societies or in recent times
• Be able to identify how the Japanese model has influenced the Western approach to management
• Think about the influence of technology on how organizations operate
• Be able to explain the concept of the “McDonaldization” of society, including the four guiding principles for McDonald’s restaurants

HOW DO GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS AFFECT YOUR LIFE?

• Learn how social capital enables people to accomplish their goals and expand their influence

WHAT IS DEVIANT BEHAVIOR?

• Learn how sociologists define deviance and how it is closely related to social power and social class
• Understand the distinction between deviant behaviors and criminal behaviors
• Learn about deviance among both individuals and groups
• See the ways in which conformity is encouraged

WHY DO PEOPLE COMMIT DEVIANT ACTS?

• Know the leading sociological, psychological, and biological theories of deviance and how each is useful in understanding crime

HOW DO WE DOCUMENT CRIME?

• Recognize the usefulness and limitations of crime statistics
• Learn the main sources of crime data in the United States
• Describe crime trends in the United States since the 1970s
• Familiarize yourself with some of the varieties of crime
• Learn the sociological explanation for the high rate of violence crime in the United States

WHOSE LIVES ARE AFFECTED BY CRIME?

• Understand why members of some social groups are more likely to commit, or be the victims, of crime
• Learn some important crime-related differences between men and women
• Understand the age-crime curve and the factors that have led to this pattern
• Learn some of the consequences of white-collar crime
• Learn about organized crime, its international networks, and its rapid growth rate

HOW CAN CRIME BE REDUCED?

• Learn about how imprisonment affects the life chances of ex-convicts
• Understand why the U.S. prison population has grown so much over the past three decades
• Learn about the primary daily tasks of police officers
• Consider the ways in which individuals and governments can address crime

HOW DO CRIME AND DEVIANCE AFFECT YOUR LIFE?

• Understand the costs and functions of crime and deviance

WHAT IS SOCIAL STRATIFICATION?

• Learn about social stratification and how social background affects one’s life chances
• Learn the three basic systems of stratification
• Understand the two important debates about the declining importance of social class
• Become acquainted with the most influential theories of stratification

HOW IS SOCIAL CLASS DEFINED IN THE UNITED STATES?

• Understand the social causes and consequences of social class in U.S. society
• Name the major components of social class
• Understand the ways that blacks and whites differ along the major components of social class
• Learn the major social class groups in the United States

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES?

• Recognize why and how the gap between rich and poor has increased in recent decades
• Explain the wealth gap between blacks and whites in the United States today
• Understand social mobility and think about your own mobility

HOW DOES POVERTY AFFECT INDIVIDUALS?

• Learn about poverty in the United States today, explanations for why it exists, and means for combating it
• Learn about the diversity of the poor in the United States
• Learn how people become marginalized in a society and the forms that this marginalization takes
• Understand the growing problem of homelessness in America, including the demographic characteristics of the homeless population and the reasons why people become homeless

HOW DOES SOCIAL INEQUALITY AFFECT YOUR LIFE?

• Learn how changes in the American economy have led to growing inequalities since the 1970s

ARE GENDER DIFFERENCES DUE TO NATURE, NURTURE, OR BOTH?

• Evaluate whether differences between women and men are the result of biological differences or social and cultural influences
• Learn the sociological perspective on gender differences
• Learn about how gender is enacted in other cultures

HOW DO GENDER INEQUALITIES AFFECT SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS?

• Recognize that gender differences are a part of our social structure and create inequalities between women and men
• Learn the forms these inequalities take in social institutions including the workplace, the family, the educational system, and the political system, both in the United States and globally

WHY ARE WOMEN THE TARGET OF VIOLENCE?

• Learn about the specific ways that women are the target of physical and sexual violence in the United States and globally
• Understand why women are more likely than men to be the targets of sexual violence

HOW DOES SOCIAL THEORY EXPLAIN GENDER INEQUALITY?

• Think about various explanations for gender inequality
• Learn some feminist theories about how to achieve gender equality

WHAT ARE THE GLOBAL CONSEQUENCES OF GENDER INEQUALITY?

• Learn how globalization has transformed ideas about women’s rights
• Understand how gender inequality affects your daily life

WHAT ARE RACE AND ETHNICITY?

• Learn the cultural bases of race and ethnicity and how racial and ethnic differences create sharp divisions in society
• Learn about racialization, both as a means of describing human differences and as a means of reproducing patterns of power and inequality
• Understand racism as embedded, structurally rooted, and systematic
• Learn the leading psychological theories and sociological interpretations of prejudice and discrimination
• Learn the distinguishing features of minority groups

HOW DO ETHNIC GROUPS COEXIST AND COMPETE?

• Recognize the importance of the historical roots of ethnic conflict, particularly in the expansion of Western colonialism
• Understand the reasons why racism has flourished in the United States
• Understand the different models for a multiethnic society
• Learn the competing arguments about the best way to reduce ethnic conflicts

WHY DO ETHNIC GROUPS MIGRATE?

• Understand global migration patterns and their impact

HOW DO ETHNIC MINORITIES EXPERIENCE LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES?

• Familiarize yourself with the history and social dimensions of ethnic relations in the United States
• Compare and contrast the experiences of African Americans, Latinos, and Asians in the United States
• Learn how the civil rights movement helped minority groups achieve equal rights and opportunities

HOW DOES RACIAL AND ETHNIC INEQUALITY AFFECT YOUR LIFE?

• Learn the forms of inequality experienced by different racial and ethnic groups in the United States
• Understand how the history of prejudice and discrimination against ethnic minorities has created conditions of hardship for many people, while others have succeeded despite societal barriers
• Learn the sociological arguments for and against social class–based explanations of racial inequalities

HOW DO SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES CHARACTERIZE FAMILIES?

• Review the development of sociological thinking about families and family life

HOW HAVE FAMILIES CHANGED OVER TIME?

• Learn the myths of the traditional family
• Learn how families have changed over the last 300 years
• Identify conditions that have contributed to changing family forms throughout the world
• Understand that although a diversity of family forms exist in different societies today, widespread changes are occurring that relate to the spread of globalization
• Identify the most important changes occurring in families worldwide

WHAT DO MARRIAGE AND FAMILY IN THE UNITED STATES LOOK LIKE TODAY?

• Familiarize yourself with the changes in U.S. family structure since 1960
• Learn about patterns of marriage, childbearing, and divorce
• Learn about remarriage and stepparenting and about single-parent households
• Learn about the ways that family forms in the United States vary by race and ethnicity, as well as social class
• Analyze how different these patterns are today compared with other periods
• Understand why changes in U.S. families have occurred over time

WHY DOES FAMILY VIOLENCE HAPPEN?

• Learn about sexual abuse and violence within families
• Identify gender differences in patterns of family violence

HOW DO NEW FAMILY FORMS AFFECT YOUR LIFE?

• Learn some alternatives to traditional marriage and family patterns that are becoming more widespread
• Understand why alternatives to traditional marriage have become so common in the United States and worldwide

WHY ARE EDUCATION AND LITERACY SO IMPORTANT?

• Know how and why systems of mass education emerged in the United States
• Identify some of the functions of formal schooling
• Know some basic facts about the education system and literacy rates of developing countries
• Learn why there are many illiterate people in the developing world

WHAT IS THE LINKAGE BETWEEN EDUCATION AND INEQUALITY?

• Become familiar with the most important research on whether education reduces or perpetuates inequality
• Learn the social and cultural influences on educational achievement
• Learn the ways that schools perpetuate existing inequalities across generations
• Explain the relationship between race and intelligence from a sociological perspective
• Learn about education reform in the United States and the debate about school privatization

HOW DO SOCIOLOGISTS THINK ABOUT RELIGION?

• Learn the elements that make up religion
• Understand how sociologists differ from other scholars in their approach to studying religion
• Know the sociological approaches to religion developed by Marx, Durkheim, and Weber, as well as the religious economy approach
• Learn the critique of the classical view of religion

HOW DOES RELIGION AFFECT LIFE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD?

• Learn the various ways religious communities are organized and how they have become institutionalized
• Recognize how the globalization of religion is reflected in religious activism in poor countries and the rise of religious nationalist movements
• Understand the link between religion and violence, as well as the link between religion and positive social change

HOW DOES RELIGION AFFECT YOUR LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES?

• Learn about the sociological dimensions of religion in the United States
• Learn about the trends in religious affiliation and the relationship between religious affiliation and socioeconomic status in the United States

HOW DID THE STATE DEVELOP?

• Learn the basic concepts underlying modern nation-states

HOW DO DEMOCRACIES FUNCTION?

• Learn about different types of democracy, how this form of government has spread around the world, some theories about power in a democracy, and some of the problems associated with modern-day democracy
• Learn about democracy in the United States, including facts about political parties, voting patterns, interest groups, and the political participation of women

WHAT IS TERRORISM?

• Learn how social scientists define terrorism and the ways that new-style terrorism is different from the old style
• Understand the debate about whether new-style terrorism can be tackled through conventional warfare

WHAT IS THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF WORK?

• Assess the sociological ramifications of paid and unpaid work
• Understand that modern economies are based on the division of labor and economic interdependence
• Learn Marx’s theory of alienation
• Learn about industrial conflict, including the use of strikes and the development of labor unions

WHAT ARE KEY ELEMENTS OF THE MODERN ECONOMY?

• Understand the importance of the rise of large corporations; consider particularly the global impact of transnational corporations
• Learn the different types of corporate capitalism
• Familiarize yourself with modern systems of economic production

HOW DOES WORK AFFECT EVERYDAY LIFE TODAY?

• Understand the relationship between technology and work, and specifically how technology affects our experience of work and the institutions that are involved
• Learn about the impact of global economic competition on employment
• Understand the ways that the occupational structure has changed since the beginning of the twentieth century and the reasons for this transformation
• Consider how work will change over the coming years

HOW DOES SOCIAL CONTEXT AFFECT THE HUMAN BODY?

• Understand how social, cultural, and historical contexts shape attitudes toward “ideal” body forms
• Learn about the ways that social context gives rise to two body-related social problems in the United States: eating disorders and the obesity crisis

HOW DO SOCIOLOGISTS UNDERSTAND HEALTH AND ILLNESS?

• Learn about functionalist and symbolic interactionist perspectives on health and illness in contemporary society
• Learn about how cultures and societies differ in what they consider healthy and normal
• Know the critiques of the biomedical model of health
• Understand the relationship between traditional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)

HOW DO SOCIAL FACTORS AFFECT HEALTH AND ILLNESS?

• Recognize that health and illness are shaped by cultural and social factors
• Learn the social and cultural differences in the distribution of disease
• Understand the ways that race, class, and gender affect health

WHAT CAUSES INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN DEVELOPING NATIONS?

• Understand the causes underlying the high rates of infectious diseases in developing nations
• Learn more about HIV/AIDS as a sociological phenomenon
• Learn the major social consequences of the AIDS epidemic in developing nations

HOW DOES SOCIAL CONTEXT SHAPE HUMAN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR?

• Learn about the diversity of human expressions of sexuality
• Learn about the debate over the importance of biological versus social and cultural influences on human sexual behavior
• Identify changes in sexual practices over the past two centuries
• Discuss the most important contributions of Kinsey’s research on sexuality, as well as important findings about sexual behavior discovered since Kinsey
• Explore the cultural differences in sexual behavior and patterns of sexual behavior today
• Understand the concept of homophobia and how the movement for gay and lesbian civil rights has evolved over the past fifty years

dentify major social changes and social issues in contemporary society, and examine social policies that include the various ways that sociological research and theory can be applied to addressing social issues (Unit 5).

Course Outline and Reading Assignments:

Final Exam: Go to http://www.uncp.edu/registrar/calendars/exam_spring.htm  for exam schedule.   For the final exam, student are NOT permitted to have cell phones or other material such as books, book bags or purses.  If a student forgets and brings a cell or other items, the cell phone and other material must be stored on the front desk.  The exam will be divided into three parts.  Part 1: Students will sign in with a bubble sheet.   No other information may be included on this sheet.  Part 2:  After the bubble sheet is completed, students will receive the essay portion of the exam.  Part 3: Upon submitting the completed essay section of the exam, students will receive the multiple choice section of the exam.  After the multiple choice section of the exam is completed, students may leave.   Any student caught will a cell phone at their desk will receive an F for the exam.

Procedures:  Lectures and class discussion, role-playing games and related active learning class activities, occasional audio-visuals and guest speakers.

Grading/Assessment:

Book Report Due:  March 5; Late paper will be dropped a letter grade on Starting March 6.  No papers will be accepted on March 7.

Attendance Policy:  There are no excused absences.  Students are therefore encouraged to be mindful of absences and make every effort to be in attendance. Students are expected to have read assigned material prior to the class. Students are also expected to participate in class discussion, exercises and any Blackboard discussions that may be announced.  Students are considered in attendance only if present for the entire class. Arriving late or leaving early is disruptive will be dealt with by the instructor.  Attendance will be used as a criterion in determining the final grade.  (Present 1 point; Tardy 1/2 point; Not present 0 points)  For more details see “Class Attendance” in The University of North Carolina at Pembroke Student Handbook.

Disability Statement:

Any student with a documented learning, physical, chronic health, psychological, visual or hearing disability needing academic adjustments is requested to speak directly to Disability Support Services and the instructor, as early in the semester (preferably within the first week) as possible.  All discussions will remain confidential.  Please contact Disability Support Services,  DF Lowry Building, Room 103 or call 910-521-6695. This publication is available in alternative formats upon request.  Please contact Disability Support Services, DF Lowry Building, 910-521-6695.

Religion Statement:

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has a legal and moral obligation to accommodate all students who must be absent from classes or miss scheduled exams in order to observe religious holidays; we must be careful not to inhibit or penalize these students for exercising their rights to religious observance.    To accommodate students’ religious holidays, each student will be allowed two excused absences each semester with the following conditions:

1.      Students, who submit written notification to their instructors within two weeks of the beginning of the semester, shall be excused from class or other scheduled academic activity to observe a religious holy day of their faith.  Excused absences are limited to two class sessions (days) per semester. 

2.      Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up tests or other work missed due to an excused absence for a religious observance.

3.      Students  should not  be penalized due to absence from class or other scheduled academic activity because of religious observances.  

A student who is to be excused from class for a religious observance is not required to provide a second-party certification of the reason for the absence.   Furthermore, a student who believes that he or she has been unreasonably denied an education benefit due to religious beliefs or practices may seek redress through the student grievance procedure. 

Dropping SOC 1020

Some students find it necessary to drop a course.   This is NOT a problem and students will NOT hurt the feelings of the professor.  If a student attends some classes at the beginning of the semester but fails to complete the drop form, the student will receive an F for the course.   The computer will NOT permit the professor to give a W.   To avoid this problem, talk to the professor even if the "last day to drop" has passt.   If students feel uncomfortable speaking to the professor, get a drop slip and have the department chair or the Registrar sign the form.

Required Texts: 

Giddens; Duneier; Appelbaum & Carr (2011). Essentials of Sociology. 3rd edition. Norton.

Gladwell, M. (2002).  The Tipping Point: How Little Thing Can Make a Big Difference.

About Computer Usage: Students are required to have an email account to submit and receive assignments.  Students may apply for an account on Snappy (name of our computer) at no cost.  Merely complete the  "New User Account" form found at http://www.uncp.edu/ucis/accounts/.   To use and check email, go to http://webmail.uncp.edu/.   You must use your university account during this class. Make sure that if you have changed your email to another server ( e.g. AOL, Yahoo) you must change it back to the university account.