SOC 10D
Introductory Sociology
Spring, 2000
| Professor | Teaching Assistants | |
| Rebecca Bach | Ben Albers (albers@soc.duke.edu) | |
| Room 272, Soc/Psych Bldg. | Liz Dietrich (dietrich@soc.duke.edu) | |
| 660-5606 (office) 490-2066 (home) rbach@soc.duke.edu Office Hours: M 2:30-3:30, W 10:00-11:00, and other times by appointment. |
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Why are divorce rates higher today than they were 50 years ago? What are the effects of divorce on family members? Who defines what is considered deviant behavior? What are the ramifications of being labeled as mentally ill? How does an individual's gender affect educational experiences and aspirations? Who is likely to be a victim of crime and why? How has the nature of homelessness changed in our society? How does the organization of the workplace affect the worker and productivity? What holds a society together? Pulls it apart? These are just a few of the questions sociologists ask and attempt to answer with their theories and research. This course is an introduction to a science of society, sociology, which has as its focus human social behavior, ranging from the interaction of two strangers who happen to share seats on the subway to nations interacting in conflict or cooperation. This course will provide an overview of the breadth of sociology, reflected in the questions above, and will also focus on one particular area of sociology, the study of social inequality. A primary goal of the course is that each of you will develop a "sociological imagination", the ability to connect personal experiences with the larger social forces which shape our lives.
Reading Assignments: Reading assignments are provided on the following schedule.
Assignments come from Giddens' Introduction to Sociology, 2nd edition (G), Ferguson’s Mapping the Social Landscape (F), and Kotlowitz’s There are No Children Here (K).
Service Learning Option: New this semester! Students who are interested in having a non-traditional learning experience can sign up for the service learning option. If you commit to the service learning option you are required to work 2 hours per week for 10 weeks at your choice of the John Avery Boys and Girls Club After School program, at the Durham School of the Arts (as a tutor/mentor), or in the Time to Read program (as a reading tutor). Details on the various volunteer opportunities are attached to the syllabus. Students who select the service learning option are also required to write about their experiences in a journal. Students who are not interested in the service learning option will be required to write two short (3-5 page) papers.
Grading Criteria: A midterm exam and a final exam, each worth 100 points will be given over the course of the semester. In addition, two short papers, worth 50 points each, or the service learning option, worth 100 points will be required. (Details on the paper assignments are forthcoming.) Your performance in Friday’s discussion sections, worth 100 points (to be based on attendance, participation in discussions, and your grade on several unannounced quizzes), will also be included in the calculation of your final grade. Semester grades will be assigned according to the following scale:
| Paper 1A | Service Learning Option |
| Paper 1B |
|
A+ |
392-400 369-391 360-368 352-359 329-351 320-328 |
C+ C C- D+ D D- |
312-319 289-311 280-288 272-279 249-271 240-248 |
Attendance Policy: Regular attendance is expected in both the lectures and the discussion sections. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each discussion section. Unannounced quizzes, covering the readings assigned for the discussion sections, will be given in the section meetings.
Honor Code: All students are expected to abide by the Duke University Undergraduate Honor Code. (See page 88 of the bulletin). Violations of the Honor Code will be handled according to University Policy.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
| Week of | Topic | Readings |
| January 19 | The Sociological Perspective | F: Reading #1 G: Chapter 1 |
| Section Meeting | F: #2 and 3 | |
| January 24 | Social Science Research Methods | G: Chapter 2 K: Preface, p. 307-09 |
| Section Meeting | Discuss paper assignment #1 | F: #5 and 6 |
| January 31 | Culture | G: pages 56-64 K: Chapters 1-7 |
| Section Meeting | F: #8 and 9 | |
| February 7 | Socialization and Interaction | G: pages 65-71 G: Chapter 5 |
| Section Meeting | F: #13 and 14 K: Chapters 8-12 |
|
| February 14 | Gender and Sexuality | G: Chapter 8 K: Chapters 13-16 |
| Section Meeting | Paper #1 due 2/18/00 | F: #11, 12 and 28 |
| February 21 | Stratification | G: Chapter 9 K: Chapters 17-21 |
| Section Meeting | F: #23, 25 and 26 | |
| February 28 | Race and Ethnicity | G: Chapter 10 K: Chapters 22-26 |
| Section Meeting | Review for Midterm | F: #30,32, and 34 |
| March 6 | Midterm Exam Deviance |
G: Chapter 6 F: #19 |
| Section Meeting | F: #20 and 21 K: Ch. 27-Epilogue |
|
| March 13 |
SPRINGBREAK |
Have Fun! |
| March 20 | Family | G: Chapter 15 |
| Section Meeting | F: #51 and 52 | |
| March 27 | Education | G: Chapter 16 |
| Section Meeting | Discuss Paper Assignment #2 | F: #29, 48 and 49 |
| April 3 | Politics, Power, and War | G: Chapter 12 |
| Section Meeting | F: #35 and 36 | |
| April 10 | Work and the Economy | G: Chapter 13 |
| Section Meeting | F: #39 and 40 | |
| April 17 | Religion | G: Chapter 14 |
| Section Meeting | Paper #2 and Journals due 4/21/00 | F: #41 and 42 |
| April 24 | What’s Happening to Our World? Final Review and Evaluations |
G: Chapter 19 |
| May 3 | FINAL EXAM, 9:00 am |