Course Descriptions

Course Description

This course will closely examine how social forces in society shape our behavior and penetrate our being. After all, we are all the product of our society and vice versa. Our identities, hopes, fears, grievances and satisfactions derive from the patterns of socialization orchestrated within human groups. In this class, students will be introduced to the basic concept of sociological imagination and principles of sociological reasoning. Many societal issues will be examined through the practice of classical theories and sociological perspectives. As we journey through the course, students will become more familiar with the nature of sociology, social construction of reality, micro and macro sociological analysis, and concepts such as culture, socialization, social structures, self and society, stratification, gender inequality, love, marriage, and divorce. Finally, the course will explore the sociology of health, medicine, and the mind-body connection.

Grading Policy

Research paper 24% Three exams 60%Cass project and participation 8%Quiz 8 %

Texts

James M. Henslin, Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach (eighth or ninth edition), 2008Reading packet available at Paradigm (407 W. 24th St.)

Course Description

How are our individual choices shaped by society? How do our choices help shape society? These are two primary questions we will address in Introduction to the Study of Society. The sociological imagination will be one of our primary tools as we explore society and our place within it. Since we are studying society and therefore ourselves, opportunities to use our sociological imaginations are all around us - in our everyday interactions, in global events, even in the music we hear.

The first part of the course explores some of the ways sociologists view society, and also how we study the social world. In addition, we will examine culture, socialization, deviance and the structure of organizations.

The second part of the course focuses on inequalities. Stratification takes many forms; we will explore social class, race and ethnicities, and gender. During this segment we will pay particular attention to inequalities within the institutions of families and education.

Grading Policy

Three in-class multiple choice, short answer and essay tests 20% each

Sociological journal - several short written assignments 25%

Class participation, including individual and group activities during lecture and discussion sections 15%

Texts

Blair-Loy, Mary, Competing Devotions: Career and Family among Women Executives, Harvard University Press, 2003

McIntyre, Lisa J., The Practical Skeptic: Core Concepts in Sociology, Fourth Edition, Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2008

McIntyre, Lisa J., The Practical Skeptic: Readings in Sociology, Fourth Edition, Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2008

Nathan, Rebekah, My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2005

Description

Sociology 302 will offer insights to understand how social forces in society shape our behavior and influence our being. After all, we are the product of our society and vice versa. Our identity, hopes, fears, grievances and satisfactions derive from the patterns of socialization orchestrated within human groups. In this class, you will become familiar with the nature of sociology, macro-micro perspectives, sociological approaches, and concepts such as culture, socialization, social structures, social interaction, self and society, institutions, stratification, gender inequality, love, marriage, and divorce. Finally, we explore the sociology of health and the mind-body connection. In this course, we will: a) create an environment that encourages active participation and discussion in the learning process; b) Use a variety of techniques in the teaching and learning process, and c) we will assess and evaluate your work and give timely feedback.

Grading Policy

A short project paper (4-5 pages) 20% 

Three exams 20% each

Class participation and group projects 10%

Pop quizzes 10%

Class Attendance: Regular attendance is required. The repercussion of being absent a total of 4 or more classes, without justifiable reason, is that the final grade will automatically be lowered by one letter.

Texts

James M. Henslin, Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach, 2007, (seventh or eight editions)

Reading Packet: in addition to your general sociology text, you are provided with more readings on certain topics for in-depth analysis and discussion. These readings are photocopied articles available as a packet under my name at: Paradigm (407 W. 24th St)

Description

This course offers an introduction to the theories, methodologies, vocabulary, and themes of the discipline of sociology.  During the semester, we will explore the linkage between individuals and the larger cultures, contexts, and groups in which they live their lives in order to better understand the structure and function of social interaction, human behavior, and the institutional framework of society.  The over-arching purpose of the course is to instill in you the “sociological imagination”, which can then be used to decipher current social issues and patterns of everyday life.  The format of this course is designed to offer students the benefits of both a large lecture class and a small discussion seminar.  On Mondays and Wednesdays, the class will be led by Dr. Crosnoe in a traditional lecture format.  For the third hour, the class will be broken up into smaller units for discussion sections on either Thursday or Friday.  This section, led by one of the teaching assistant, will offer a forum for students to discuss class materials from earlier in the week, explore some new and old topics in greater depth, and engage in exercises intended to provide real world applications of sociological concepts.

Required Texts

Giddens, Anthony, Mitchell Duneier, Richard Appelbaum, and Deborah Carr. 2011. Introduction to Sociology, Eighth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.

Reader:

Massey, Garth (Ed.). 2011. Readings for Sociology, Seventh Edition. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.

Grading Policy

Each student is expected to attend all three weekly class meetings, including the Friday discussion section.  Students should complete all readings prior to the class period for which they are assigned and also be ready to contribute to class discussion.

There will be THREE examinations during the semester (75% of final grade).  The exams will draw from both readings and class lectures.  Make-up examinations will not be administered except in extreme circumstances and only if I am notified beforehand.  All make-up examinations are 100% essay.

Students must also complete THREE short papers during the semester (25% of total grade).  These two-page papers are intended to encourage you to think about current issues and events in a sociological way.  Topics will be assigned two weeks before the due date.  No late assignments will be accepted.

Description

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to what it means to think about the world like a sociologist. As a broad survey course, we will read a little bit about a lot of things: culture, race, the economy, crime, gender, to name a few. We will talk about how sociologists analyze big changes taking place in the world, but also how they examine small everyday situations.  Along with this we will read about some of the major theoretical approaches to study of society developed by the “founding fathers” of sociology: Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim. By the end of the course you should be able to think about the world in a sociological way, including being able to ask sociological questions and develop sociological schemes for acquiring answers.

Required Texts

 Manza, J, R. Arum, and L. Haney. 2012. The Sociology Project. New York: Pearson.

 Coursepack/online readings.

Grading policy

The course will have an in-class midterm and in-class final exam, and you will complete 6 short (2pp., single-spaced, 12pt font) papers throughout the semester (details to be discussed in class). The exams will consist of multiple choice questions and short answer questions drawn from the readings and lectures. You are required to attend recitation sections every week that they meet. Grades will be based on mid-term (30%), papers (30%), final (30%), and section participation (10%).

Description:  

This course introduces the science of Sociology by focusing on five broad topics: (1) What is Sociology? (2) The Individual and Society, (3) Social Institutions, (4) Social Inequality, and (5) Globalization and Social Change.  In the process, we’ll examine important concepts, theories, and methodologies used by sociologists working on both the micro and macro levels.  We’ll look at interconnections between social institutions (i.e., the family, education, the economy), as well as the way in which institutional change has caused widening income inequality in the U.S. and around the world.  Widening inequality has had particularly negative consequences for men of color and women of all races and ethnicities.  Finally, we’ll examine the process of globalization and some of its economic, political, and cultural consequences.  Much of the data that we look at will focus on the U.S., but given our increasingly interconnected world, other societies will be considered as well.  Class format will be primarily lecture, due to class size.  We’ll try to demonstrate Sociology’s relevance to everyday life, as well as public policy making.

Required Readings: 

Introduction to Sociology (2009, 8th ed.) by Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, and Carr. W.W. Norton.

Any additional readings will be made available in a packet and/or on Blackboard

Attendance Policy:

Good academic performance requires regular attendance and punctuality.  Students are allowed three (3) non-penalized absences during the semester (excluding our introductory class meeting), regardless of whether these absences are from lecture or lab.  These non-penalized absences are intended to cover such circumstances as illness, family emergencies, university scheduled events, etc.  Students who miss more than three classes, regardless of the reason, will have their semester grades reduced by one full percentage points for each absence beyond the three allowed.  The one exception to this policy concerns absences for religious reasons, assuming advance, written notification is given. 

Grading Policy:

Exams (4)            70%              

Pop Quizzes:        15%               

Paper (2-3 pages)  15%                                                       

Description

Sociology 302 will offer insights to understand how social forces in society shape our behavior and influence our being. After all, we are the product of our society and vice versa. Our identity, hopes, fears, grievances and satisfactions derive from the patterns of socialization orchestrated within human groups. In this class, you will become familiar with the nature of sociology, macro-micro perspectives, sociological approaches, and concepts such as culture, socialization, social structures, social interaction, self and society, institutions, stratification, gender inequality, love, marriage, and divorce. Finally, we explore the sociology of health and the mind-body connection. In this course, we will: a) create an environment that encourages active participation and discussion in the learning process; b) Use a variety of techniques in the teaching and learning process, and c) we will assess and evaluate your work and give timely feedback.

Grading Policy

A short project paper (4-5 pages) 20% 

Three exams 20% each

Class participation and group projects 10%

Pop quizzes 10%

Class Attendance: Regular attendance is required. The repercussion of being absent a total of 4 or more classes, without justifiable reason, is that the final grade will automatically be lowered by one letter.

Texts

James M. Henslin, Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach, 2007, (seventh or eight editions)

Reading Packet: in addition to your general sociology text, you are provided with more readings on certain topics for in-depth analysis and discussion. These readings are photocopied articles available as a packet under my name at: Paradigm (407 W. 24th St)

Course Overview: 

This course provides students with the opportunity to examine the myriad of contemporary social problems confronting the United States. Students will employ sociological concepts and perspectives to uncover the roots of this country’s most pressing social issues, ranging from various forms of inequality and changes in work and family life to healthcare, immigration and terrorism. Students will gain an understating of the ways culture and policy, as well as current changes in our social institutions, shape individual and group behavior and can both exacerbate and ameliorate social problems. Finally, this course equips students with the sociological theories and concepts to understand and evaluate social problems, as well as the ways in which people struggle to change them.

Required Text:

Social Problems: A Service Learning Approach. Corey Dolgon and Chris Baker. SAGE Pine Forge Publishing. 2011

Course Requirements: Grades for this course are distributed as follows:

• Three in class exams – 25% each – consisting of 50 multiple-choice questions per exam.
• Reflection Assignments – 25%. Students will complete nine to twelve short reflection assignments worth 10 points each. Reflection assignments require attendance; therefore, make-ups will not be given for missed assignments.

Description:

This course is designed to reveal how gender, race, and class intersect to structure individuals and groups’ life advantages and disadvantages in institutional arenas such as work, the family, education, health, the criminal justice system, popular culture and more.  The goal of this course is to learn how to apply a sociological perspective to analyze how individual and group life chances are shaped by broader structures of privilege and disadvantage based on gender, race, and class.

Required Readings:

• The Inequality Reader: Contemporary and Foundational Readings in Race, Class, and Gender 2nd edition. Editors: Grusky & Szelenyi (available at the University Coop and online)

• Course packet of additional readings (available at Paradigm Copies on 24th Street)

Grading and Requirements:

• Class Participation/ Engagement: Students are responsible for reading all assigned materials before coming to class. Once in class, students are required to demonstrate engagement with the material. This means, above all, respect for our learning environment. Please be respectful of others’ opinions and experiences, please arrive on time, and stay the entire class period unless you have informed the Professor that you will need to leave early. Attendance is not required. The use of email, social networking sites, and phones during class are strictly prohibited.

Course Requirements and Evaluation:

• Exams (60%): There will be three exams in this course, each worth 20% of your total grade. Exams will be multiple-choice format No make-up exams will be given without prior approval from the Professor. 

• Social Issue Papers (30%): Students are required to write two “social issue” papers for the course, each worth 15% of your total grade. Social issue papers are 3-4 page double-spaced papers that address a contemporary social issue or problem related to gender, race, and/or class (i.e. racial discrimination in the criminal justice system; gender tracking in the education system). Roughly one page should consist of a description of the social issue (outside research is highly encouraged). The remainder of the paper should consist of a sociological analysis of the social problem that integrates concepts, theories, and/or readings from the course (i.e. how do social inequalities, institutional factors, and/or social meanings help us to understand the issue).

• Observation Papers (10%): Observational papers will consist of “pop” in-class response papers that relate to course material (readings & lecture). There will ten observation papers throughout the semester, each worth one point each. No makeup papers will be given, barring 1) a religious holiday 2) a serious illness or death in the family (documentation is required)

Final Grades: are based on the standard scale set by the University, whereby: 93- 100%= A; 90-92.9% = A-; 87-89.9% = B+; 83-86.9%=B; 80-82.9%= B-; 77-79.9% = C+;73-76.9%= C; 70-72.9%=C; 67-69.9% = D+; 63-66.9= D; 60-62.9%= D-; <60 = F

*No Extra Credit Opportunities will be given.

Description

American society and powerfully structured by inequalities based on gender, race, and class, but we are often oblivious to the ways in which these forces constantly work in our lives. From a sociological perspective, gender, race, and class intersect to structure individuals and groups’ life advantages and disadvantages. This course is designed to reveal how they do so in institutional arenas such as work, politics, the family,education, health and health care, the criminal justice system, and more. We will also discuss how institutionalized inequalities also operate at interpersonal and internalized levels, and the differing effects these different forms of racism, sexism, and classism may have. Over the course of the class, we will use many examples of popular culture,  both “high brow” and “low brow” to demonstrate the ways in which discourses surrounding race, gender, and class permeate all aspects of society. The goal of this course is to learn how to apply a sociological perspective to analyze how individual and group life chances are shaped by broader structures of privilege and disadvantage based on gender, race, and class. While this course is lecture based, discussion is a large component of the course, so be prepared to respectfully debate and discuss often controversial topics. 

Description

In 2012 the average GDP per capita of the twenty wealthiest countries in the world was just under $50,000, while that of the poorest twenty countries was only $900. In such poor countries, literacy rates remain between 25% and 50%, and 1 in 10 children born are expected to die before reaching 5 years of age. Why have some nations been able to successfully grow economically; building strong health, education, and legal systems while others seem to stagnate? How have structural and historical forces shaped an interest in promoting economic and social development around the globe and what results have these efforts produced?

Development is an inherently contested concept, but remains central to the idea of improving the human condition. This course is designed to introduce students to major concepts and theories in the study of development and globalization with a focus on problems of inequality in wealth and well-being from a sociological perspective. The first part of the course will introduce the major concepts used in the study of development, as well as the commonly used indicators of development. The second part of the course will focus on the major perspectives on development & globalization including the causes and consequences of inequalities among countries. The last third will be devoted to specific issues central to  development and globalization such as social change, NGOs and international aid, migration, the impact of development on minorities, in the context of a case study, broadly defined as development in the post-socialist Eastern Europe.

The course is aimed not only at students interested in the particular issue of socioeconomic development, but will also be of interest to those interested in the institutional conditions shaping economic action and human well-being in general.

Course Objectives:

1. To enhance our understanding of the substantive issues and theoretical frameworks related to the study of social change in developing countries.

2. To gain a critical understanding of the concepts, issues, and indicators used in development studies.

3. To develop academic skills involved in research, analysis, and writing.

Required Texts:

McMichael, Philipp. 2012. Development and Social Change: A Global Perspective. London: Sage. 5th ed. Other required readings will be posted on Blackboard Assessment:

Final grades will be based on the following: 

Attendance & Participation: 10%

Examinations (best two scores out of three exams): 60% (30% each)

Written Assignment: 30% 

Description

This course offers a broad multidisciplinary overview that introduces students to the study of health and society. Basic topics include health patterns, health behavior, medical care, and health policy in social, demographic, cultural, economic, political, and ethical contexts. Basic methodological approaches to studying these topics will be covered. This course will include guest lectures by representatives of various disciplines. This course is a requirement for the new college of liberal arts major in Health and Society (HS) which is scheduled to launch in fall, 2014.

Required Texts

Conrad, Peter. 2009. The Sociology of Health and Illness: Critical Perspectives. 8th edition. NY: Worth Publishers.

Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. NY: Crown, 2010.

Grading Policy

1. Three in-class exams. Format will include multiple choice questions and short answer or essay questions. Each exam is worth 100 points.
2. Essay assignment. Five page, double-spaced essay to address the question: “What is the cause of obesity in America: Society or man?” Students will view the movie SuperSize Me and read three related articles that represent an alternate point of view. The essay will summarize and compare these viewpoints in addressing the key question. Essay is worth 100 points.

(Each exam, essay, and final grade: 90-100, A; 80-89, B; 70-79, C; 60-69, D; 59 or below, F. Plus/minus system used.)

Desription

Economic inquiry occupied center stage for the founding giants of sociology – Marx, Weber, and Durkheim. During most of the twentieth century, however, economics evolved as a discipline separate from sociology. Beginning in the 1980s, sociologists resumed their interest in economic phenomena, often adopting perspectives critical of mainstream economics.

Traditional economics divides economic behavior from social behavior and assumes that individuals generally behave rationally, act to maximize their self-interests, and that economic arrangements are generally efficient. Economic sociology insists that the desire for status, approval, and power are inseparable from economic action, and emphasizes the importance of the social relations that exist among business organizations, institutions, and the larger society. Sociologists further emphasize how the very possibility of economic action depends on shared norms and meanings, on political arrangements, and on the stability provided by governments.

Topics will include classical sociological perspectives on the economy, the rise of the modern corporation, relations among businesses and between business and society, social meanings of money, gender perspectives on work and the economy, markets and market failures such as the financial crisis of 2008, consumption, and labor markets. Students will hopefully leave the course as more sophisticated consumers of the economic data that bombards them daily and more skeptical of simplistic, market-based explanations of economic life.

Required Texts

Granovetter, Mark and Richard Swedberg (eds.), The Sociology of Economic Life (3rd edition).

Grading Policy

75% 3 exams @ 25% each

25%  3 short papers (2 pp. max) that either summarize a particular reading or related group of readings, or apply some concept of economic sociology to real world economic phenomenon.

The purpose of this course is to examine the various experiences, perspectives, and expressions of Chicanas in the United States. This involves examining the meaning and history of the term, "Chicana" as it was applied to and incorporated by Mexican American women during the Chicano Movement in areas of the Southwest U.S., such as Texas and California. We will also explore what it means to be Chicana in the United States today. The course will begin with a historical overview of Mexican American women's experiences in the U.S., including the emergence of Chicana feminism. We will discuss central concepts of Chicana feminism and attempt to understand how those concepts link to everyday lived experiences. Specifically, the relationship between gender, race/ethnicity, and class will be key as we discuss issues that have been significant in the experiences and self-identification of Chicanas, such as: family, gender, sexuality, religion/spirituality, education, language, labor, and political engagement. We will be engaging in interdisciplinary analysis not only concerning cultural traditions, values, belief systems, and symbols but also in relation to the expressive culture of Chicanas, including folk and religious practices, literature and poetry, the visual arts, and music. Finally, we will examine media representations of Chicanas through critical analyses of film and television portrayals. 

Desription:

This is an introductory course in statistics for undergraduate majors in sociology.  The basics of descriptive and inferential statistics and quantitative reasoning will be covered.  Descriptive statistics involves organizing and summarizing important characteristics of the data.  Statistical inference involves making informed guesses about the unknown characteristics of a population based on the known characteristics of a sample. Students are expected to know how to carryout elementary mathematical operations.

Required Text:

R. Johnson and P. Kuby (2012) STAT, 2e. Cengage Learning ISBN-10: 0538733500  ISBN-13: 978-0-538-73841-5  (available from http://books.google.com)

Course Requirement:

Exams: There will be 4 in-class examinations graded on a 100 point scale. The lowest exam grade will be dropped.  Roughly 75% to 90% of the points on the examinations are accounted for by problems requiring the student to work toward a solution, with the remainder accounted for by true and false or multiple choice questions.  Examinations will be based entirely on topics covered in lectures. In-class examinations are non-cumulative; they cover only the material since the previous exam. Students must take all exams to pass the course. Make up exams will be given only in the case of documented emergencies or illness.

Problems: There will be 5 problem sets worth a total of 200 points. Problem sets include material from the book as well as handout problems. Problem sets must be received in class no later than the dates indicated. No credit will be given for assignments turned in late.

In-Class Assessments: There will be approximately 20 in-class exercises carried out at various points during the course to assess understanding of current topics. These will count 100 points towards the total grade.

Course Description

This course is intended to provide undergraduate students with an understanding of the

basic concepts and methods used in statistical analysis for the social sciences. We will

focus on measures of central tendency and dispersion, the normal and chi-square

distributions, hypothesis testing and parameter estimation, and simple correlation and

bivariate regressions.

Grading Policy

The final grade for the course will be based on two midterm exams and a final exam,

each worth 25% of the final grade. Homeworks and two lab assignments will make up the

remaining 25% of the grade.

Students should take note of the exam dates in the course schedule below since no makeup

exams will be given (see notes below). Similarly, students should pay attention to the

due dates for the homework assignments distributed in class since late homeworks will be

penalized 15% of the grade for each day they are late (homeworks handed in after class

time will be considered a day late).

Required Text

• Levin, Jack, and James Alan Fox. Elementary Statistics in Social Research: The

Essentials. Third Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Course description:

This course presents a general overview of the statistical methods used in the social sciences. While it’s important that you gain an understanding of the mathematical concepts behind the statistical analyses, it is of even greater importance that you leave this course with a conceptual and rational understanding of today’s most commonly used (and useful) statistical methods.

Truth claims made with statistics are abundant and often have the quality of facts in U.S. social and political life. Unfortunately, because many people do not understand the statistics undergirding these claims, they receive less scrutiny than they deserve. It is my primary goal to ensure that students learn the basic statistical literacy they need to be smart consumers of information. Our increasing reliance on statistics to understand the social world means that statistical and analytic skills are marketable skills. In fact statistics is one of very few classes that sociology majors take that provides them with concretely marketable skills. I believe that giving undergraduates a solid understanding of statistics is a way of democratizing knowledge and its production. In teaching statistics my goals are:

To demystify statistics so that every student can be a smart consumer of quantitative information.

1. To teach students to think sociologically with and about quantitative information.
2. To provide students with a solid foundation of quantitative skills that could serve as assets in subsequent employment and academic settings.
3. To demonstrate to students that learning statistics has practical applications outside of the classroom in everyday life.

 Neil J. Salkind. 2010. Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics, 4th edition, SAGE.

Other materials will be available on the Internet.

Grading Policy

6 homeworks , five points each--30 points total

On-line participation, 3 points each--9 points total

Introductory Survey--3 points

EXAM 1--25 points

EXAM 2--25 points 

Research Report--8 points

TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE   100 POINTS

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Sociology 317M is a general introduction to social research methods.  It is designed to introduce students to the intent and procedures of contemporary research methods.  For instance, we will discuss the factors determining the selection of particular data gathering techniques, their strengths and weaknesses, and the ethical and political issues that researchers may encounter during the research process.  A large part of the course will focus on the various methods used in research and data analysis.    

REQUIRED READINGS

Russell K. Schutt.  Investigating the Social World (5th edition, Pine Forge).  It is available at the Co-op bookstore. 

GRADING

Your overall grade for this course will be based on your performance on three in-class exams, five assignments (one of which is a final research paper), class participation and a presentation based on your final paper.  There will be a total of 250 available points for this course. No extra credit points will be available.

 A = 225-250                        D = 150-174                       

B = 200-224                        F = 149 and below                       

C = 175-199          

Exams                                     

There will be three in-class exams: the first will cover Chapters 1, 3, and 4; the second will cover Chapters 5, 6, and 8; the third will be considered a final exam and will cover Chapters 7, 9, 10, 14.  Exams will not be cumulative. 

POINT BREAKDOWN:

Assign 1= 5

Assign 2 = 20  

Assign 3 = 25

Assign 4 = 35 

Assign 5 (Final Paper) = 55

Exam 1 = 25  

Exam 2 = 35  

Exam 3 (Final) = 40

Participation = 10

Extra Credit = 5, 10 (see below)

Assignment #1: (5 points)

Group activity on validity. 

Assignment #2: Take-Home (20 points)

The focus of this assignment is the development of a preliminary research question for the final paper.  This assignment will be 1.5-2 pages in length double spaced. 

Assignment #3: Sampling (25 points)

 Assignment #4: Take-Home (35 points)

This assignment is meant to further develop your final research paper.  It will involve expanding what you did on assignment #2.  Paper length will be 5 pages. 

Assignment #5: Final Research Paper (55 points)

Students will be required to write a 10-page research paper.  Guidelines for the research paper will be distributed later in the semester.  

PARTICIPATION (10 points)

Participation points are part of the total 250 points.  Participation points have to be earned.  Simply coming to class is not considered participating.  Rather, receiving points is based on the contribution you make to a particular lecture discussion.  Asking questions (excluding ones for clarification), furthering the discussion with relevant points, answering questions posed by classmates or myself are ways to gain participation points. A maximum of 1 point per lecture can be gained through participation.  Only excused absences from lecture that constitute an emergency will allow you to make up points that were lost due to your absence. 

EXTRA CREDIT - PRESENTATIONS (10 points for presenters)

12 students will present an 8-10 minute Powerpoint slide on their research paper.  More details will be given during the course.

EXTRA CREDIT DURING PRESENTATIONS (5 points for non-presenters)

Non-presenters can gain a total of 5 points by contributing to the presentation discussion.  More details will be given in week 11. 

LATE ASSIGNMENTS & LATE RESEARCH PAPER

Will be marked down 5 points for every day the assignment is late unless a valid excuse is provided.  Assignments are officially late if not turned in by the end of the lab session in which they are due.  Late final papers will be accepted, but with a penalty for each day late.  Papers turned in after 3:00pm will be reduced by 5 points. Each day thereafter (a day ends at 3:00pm) will result in an additional 5 point deduction.  Papers that have not been turned in within four days of the due date will count for 0 points.

PLAGIARISM

Do not do it.

Descripton:

This course offers hands-on instruction to undergraduate majors in the logic of  inquiry and its application in sociological research.  Students will gain practice in survey research by composing and analyzing the results of a campus questionnaire. 

Text: 

Neuman, Basics of Social Research, paper.

Grading Policy:

Attendance is required. Weekly lab is mandatory.

Homeworks (4) 50%

Cumulative Final Exam  30%

Lab 20%

Course Description:

In this course we will investigate the methods used in social scientific research.  We will examine such issues as how one establishes causality and just what “proof” consists of in social scientific inquiry.  We will investigate the nature of data and examine the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative data.  We will also deal with issues related to ethics and the uses to which social scientific research can legitimately be put.

The final project consists of a research proposal for a theoretical project on a topic you will choose in consultation with the Professor or the Teaching Assistant.  In it you will outline all relevant aspects of the project, including sampling and questionnaire construction, but you will not actually carry out the research itself.  In preparation for the final research proposal two preliminary papers are required.  In these you will (1) define the research question and (2) outline the research methods to be used to address it.   The course includes a lab in which material presented in class will be elaborated and in which computer applications will be discussed.  All course materials will be available on Blackboard.  Assignments, schedule changes, and announcements related to the course will appear on Blackboard and students are responsible for keeping informed.

The course includes three Internet assignments that involve answering a particular question using information you locate online.  These assignments will be related to the development of the final research proposal.

Course Requirements:

In the course we will do a good bit of data analysis with an eye toward understanding what numbers and graphs can tell us and what they cannot.  The required text is Earl Babbie, The Practice of Social Research, tenth edition or later, Thompson publishers.  Other readings are provided in the Readings file on Blackboard and will be assigned in class.  We will use the computer lab in Burdine.  All of the software and manuals are available on line.  The Teaching Assistant is available to provide whatever help you need.

Grading:

The final grade will be based on three equally weighted hourly exams (together 40% of the final grade), graded lab work (10% of the final grade) and two graded writing assignments, the first of which is a draft of the problem statement of the final research proposal (15% and 35% of the final grade).  Attendance at class and lab are mandatory and will be factored into the final grade.  All assignments must be turned in on the date they are due.  Late work will be accepted only with prior approval.  The lab sessions will be critical in developing the proposal.

Asking questions, seeking answers: An introduction to research design and data collection

Description

This course introduces students to the core professional problem in sociology: how we go about asking and answering questions about patterns of social organization and human behavior. Spanning what are known as “qualitative” and “quantitative” approaches, it is organized into three core sections. First we deal with how to pose questions, including questions that threaten our own deeply held beliefs, as well as those of other important interests. Second, we deal with basic techniques of research design and data collection. Third, drawing on a sample of published studies from across several sociological subfields, as well as other types of social research, we critically evaluate the extent to which other researchers have navigated these methodological hurdles. By the end of the course, students should be able to both critically evaluate the methodological underpinnings of most social research, as well as design their own robust studies.

Text

H. Russell Bernard’s Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. E-copies of other readings will be made available by the Professor.

Course description

Why have Jews been hated and mistrusted for so long? How, if at all, does judeophobia differ from other types of xenophobia or racism?  In which societies have we historically seen intense hatred or mistrust of Jews? Where do we see it today? And where do we see the opposite phenomenon: philosemitism?

In this upper-level undergraduate course, we tackle these and related questions. We identify distinct types of judeophobia/antisemitism over 2,500 years, identifying continuity and change in antisemitic discourse.

Although our primary focus is on antisemitism in contemporary and historical Christian and Muslim societies, we begin in the antisemitic bedrock—Ancient Greece and Rome. We also look at antisemitism in peripheral societies which have had few Jews, if any (e.g., Japan). Finally, we consider judeophobia among Jews themselves—that is, the enduring phenomenon in which some Jews have not only internalized anti-Semitic discourse but have become “self-hating.”

Throughout the course, we use antisemitism to explore more general ideas in social theory, including globalization, and the nature of conflict related to race, ethnicity, class, and ideology. Perhaps most surprising and disturbing—this being a university—we look at the repeated role of intellectual elites in generating and justifying new forms of judeophobia, and in so doing, perpetuating this ancient hatred.

Description

Building the Sustainable City is an interdisciplinary course that examines why we have to create  more sustainable living environments, what we are presently doing to rebuild American cities in more sustainable ways, and where we need to go in the future.  The course adopts the strong definition of sustainability to include the connections between economy, equity, and environment.   80% of the population lives in urban areas today, the vast majority of economic activity occurs in them, and most environmental problems are related to urbanization and industrialization.  Understanding how to build a sustainable city, then, is the key to building a sustainable society.  This course will focus on energy use, transportation policy, housing, and food production/distribution in the city.  Social equity issues will be integrated into all four themes, as all four are both cause and effect of social inequalities. 

The course links our academic understanding of sustainability with “real world”, on-the-ground people doing sustainability today.  It will feature several people working in city government, the non-profit sector, and academic positions as guest speakers.  These speakers will discuss their organizations as examples of how to build a sustainable city, and show students how they are building a more sustainable future here in Austin.  

Required Texts

Athens, Lucia,  Building an Emerald City: A Guide to Creating Green Building Policies.  Island Press, 2010.

Swearingen, William S.  Environmental City: People, Politics, Place, and the Meaning of Modern Austin.  University of Texas Press, 2010

Grading Policy

There will be four multiple choice tests, each worth 25% of the grade.  Students will be offered the possibility of extra credit by attending meetings or projects with the guest speakers’ organizations.

Description:

This class introduces students to the study of the intersections between economy and culture. Specific Topics may vary by semester.

Gift-giving seems to be at first sight a trivial topic for sociology. Like many other phenomena that happen in our everyday life, gifts appear to vanish into what Erving Goffman once called the ‘dust’ of social life. Yet, the gift is a true mystery that social scientists are still trying to uncover. Why and how do we give and receive gifts? Is a gift an act of pure generosity? Do you think of gifts received before giving one? The latter question brings up a set of more uncomfortable questions: Is a gift a simple act of exchange? What is the difference between a gift and a mercantile exchange? Our answers to the questions above will lead us to explore some of the core issues that sociology has dealt with: social organization and social structure, social norms, the relation between individual and society, the nature of economic and non-economic exchange, reciprocity, obligation, cultural meanings and power, among others. Our answers will have an impact on our ideas of who we are: Are we altruistic and generous? Are we selfish and self-interested? What are the conditions under which generosity and self-interest work or do not work? These questions have also timely political relevance. With the recent expansion of neoliberalism, market arrangements based on rational and self-interested individuals have been posed as an efficient and desirable form of organizing social life in various realms. An exploration of the nature of gift-giving and its workings in current contexts may help us evaluate those neoliberal claims and explore alternative arrangements.

The readings will take us from pre-modern to current societies; from the potlatch in Western Canada to understanding who pays for dinner or drinks; from the decoration of gifted money to charity and philanthropy; from economies of care to organ and blood donation; from garage sales to State Diaspora bonds; from expressing gratitude to tipping. I expect that, in our discussions, we will broaden even more the repertoire of social phenomena that involves some form of gift-giving.

Readings (tentative)

• Marcel Mauss, The Gift: The Form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies, W.W. Norton, 1990 [1923].
• Jacques Godbout and Alain Caille, The World of The Gift, McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2000.
• Kieran Healy, Last Best Gifts: Altruism and the market for human blood and organs, University of Chicago Press, 2006.
• Coursepack/online readings.

Grading policy (tentative):

Exams (in class/take home): 50%

Paper: 30%

Participation/responses: 20%

Description

Social inequality is the study of the unequal distribution of resources that are scarce but commonly desired, and of the processes by which these resources are allocated to individuals and groups. It encompasses the study of income and wealth inequality, occupational and class hierarchies, inequality of educational opportunity, poverty, social mobility between and within generations, gender and racial/ethnic inequality, and the consequences of inequality. We ask questions such as: How likely are individuals to end up in the same social stratum as their parents? How much inequality of opportunity is there and is this inequality increasing over time? Does education equalize opportunity or widen the gap between more or less successful people? Is there growing inequality in the U.S. and, if so, why? In this class, we cover the concepts, theories, facts, and methods of analysis used by sociologists to understand the social production and reproduction of inequality.

Required Texts

Beeghley, Leonard. 2008. The Structure of Social Stratification in the United States. 5th Edition.

Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Other reading material will be available on the Internet.

Grading Policy

I will use a non-competitive grading scale. In other words, the grade you receive will not depend on how well others have performed in class. Your grade will be based on your mastery of each of the required tasks in the class:

Two (2) Thought/Reaction Papers – 40% (20% each)

Two (2) Exams – 40% (20% each)

Discussion Section Participation – 20%

Immigration patterns have significantly affected the development of U.S. society since its inception.  In the 1990s, the United States experienced a record number of new immigrants, and the present decade is maintaining a high volume of immigration, perhaps heading to another record.  This course uses a sociological perspective to address various impacts of immigration in U.S. society.

II.  Course Aims and Objectives

Aims

This course is designed to help students develop an awareness of the significance of immigration in U.S. society.  In the course, students learn to use sociological approaches to better understand the nature of immigration in U.S. society, including an understanding of how immigration affects large (macro) and small (micro) social units.

 Specific Learning Objectives

Gain background information on the development of immigration patterns in U.S. society and discuss the social forces that affect these patterns from the perspective of historical and recent immigration trends.

Review and discuss different social perceptions and attitudes about immigration trends in U.S. society.

Review and analyze government statistical reports concerning annual immigration conditions and characteristics.

Develop an awareness of the significance of immigration for the development of U.S. society.

Review major laws affecting immigration patterns in U.S. society

Gain an ability to analyze current immigration dynamics from a sociological perspective

Format and Procedures

The course is designed with the expectation that it will follow an intertwined format of lectures and class discussions.  A key expectation is that students will come to class prepared to discuss thematic issues covered in the class, or at least come to class with a curious and critical predisposition to become intellectually engaged in the class. All students are expect to contribute to class discussion, with a high regard for an open academic dialogue, which values respect for the ideas, opinions, and views of others. Class attendance is expected and highly encouraged.

During the course students will be asked to give formal and informal anonymous feedback regarding the teaching techniques and progress of the course.  The purpose of the student feedback is to help create an effective learning experience.

Assumptions

My assumptions about the nature of immigration in U.S. society is that it a) follows an historical course, b) flows from the interaction between human agency and social structures, c) takes normal paths of social division and degrees of accommodation and social incorporation, d) is partly affected by social constructions regarding different national-origin groups, and e) has its most profound significance within the dynamics of social reproduction.

Course Requirements

1. Class attendance and participation policy

To get the most out of this class you should attend all classes and arrive on time.  Also, you should review previous lecture notes and bring questions to class about points you did not clearly understand—including points from the assigned readings.  Please be attentive in class (turn off phones or set to vibration). You are greatly encouraged to participate in class discussion, and please do so in a manner that respects the rights of others to also participate.  If you have a problem hearing the lectures and discussion, or viewing class presentations, please let me know immediately. Class participation is taken into consideration (10%) for the final grade.

Texts

a) Required books/readings:

Portes, Alejandro, and Ruben Rumbaut.  2006.  Immigrant America:  A Portrait.  Berkeley, CA:  University of California Press. (PR)

Min, Pyong Gap.  2006.  Asian Americans:  Contemporary Trends. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press. (M)

 On-line articles (these are free on-line articles accessible through the UT library or other public sources)

 b) Websites to review: let’s make sure that these are the websites that are reviewed for each topic section.

Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/

Population Reference Bureau: http://www.prb.org/

Office of Immigration Statistics: http://www.dhs.gov/ximgtn/statistics/

Migration Policy Institute: http://www.migrationpolicy.org/

Pew Hispanic Center: http://pewhispanic.org/

UT Austin Center for Mexican American Studies: http://www.utexas.edu/depts/cmas/

UT Austin Center for Asian American Studies: http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/aas/

UT Austin Center for African and African American Studies: http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/caaas/

Assignments, Assessments, Evaluation, Dates

a) The course contains three regular exams and a “replacement” final exam. Regular exams will consist of multiple-choice items and an essay question, and the final exam will consist of essay questions. The final exam can be taken to replace the grade of a regular exam.  All exams have to be taken on the dates specified; the only exception to this rule are cases involving a truly pressing situation (medical) or involving authorization by UT Austin.  In such exceptional cases, makeup exams for the first two regular exams have to be taken within a week after the originally designated dates in the sociology room for make-ups. In the rare possibility that a student needs to take a makeup for the third exam, arrangements with have to be made with me. Makeup exams will consist of essay questions. Students who miss a scheduled exam must alert me beforehand and consult with me regarding the makeup.  There is no procedure for making up the final exam outside of cases that are of a true exceptional and unusual personal pressing situation. Students have to take all exams on the dates and times specified.  Exams cannot be taken earlier or later than the dates and times specified.

 b) Students are required to submit a report (minimum of 6 pages double space) based on a review of two articles on immigration-related research that have been published in peer-reviewed journals.  Guidelines for writing this research report are given at the end of this syllabus.  I have selected the following journals for students to review and select the articles: International Migration Review, American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review,Ethnic and Racial Studies, Black Studies, Journal of Asian American Studies, Social Forces, and Social Science Quarterly. Additional journals may be added to this list during the semester. Please consult the course schedule below for the due date of the research report.  Late research reports will be accepted up to one class meeting late, but will be assessed a 10-point late penalty. Students have to give the URL address of the articles if they are accessible on-line, or provide a copy of the first page of each article if they are not accessible on-line.

 c) All dates specified in this syllabus for course topics, exams, and papers are subject to change given unforeseen developments.

 4. Use of Blackboard

It is my intention to use Blackboard (http://courses.utexas.edu) to help manage the course and to pursue interaction with students.  I plan to use Blackboard to make announcements, distribute information, communicate with students, and post grades.  Students are encouraged to use Blackboard to communicate and share comments and information.  Please check your Blackboard site regularly to look for communications from me or from other students in the class.  Support for using Blackboard can be obtained from the ITS Help Desk at 475-9400, Monday through Friday, from 8am to 6pm. 

Grading

 a) Three regular exams (40 multiple-choice items and an essay question): 100 points per exam x 3 regular exams = 300 points

 b) Research report: 40 points

 c) Final course grades will be determined based on the percent of total points made out of a grand total of 340 points:  90%-100% = A, 80%-89.5% = B, 70%-79.5% = C, 60%-69.5% = D, below 60% = F.

Provides an overview of theories in the sociology of social control, with a focus on risk, power, ethics, and surveillance. Examines historical transformations in social control and the distributions of power in U.S. and global contexts, with attention to race, gender, and class. Topics include: the transatlantic slave trade; prisons and punishment; the gaze, voyeurism and reality television. watching; the Internet; travel and state borders; privacy; biometrics and the body. 

Description

This course analyzes the family as a social institution, using the sociological perspective. 

Studying the family can be tricky in that we all have our own experiences being part of families.  It is important, then, to go beyond our own experiences to explore both the private aspects of the family as well as public aspects of the family using various kinds of empirical data.  Shifting definitions of the family are the context for a brief history of the family.  Throughout the course we will explore family change. Specific topics will include dating, “hooking up” and marriage; parents and children; cohabitation, divorce and stepfamilies; and how the family intersects with, is shaped by, and shapes other social institutions, with particular attention to the economy and the world of work as well as state and social policies.

 Grading Policy

Students will be evaluated via short papers, in-class short answer and essay examinations, a group project, and class participation. 

 Texts: (subject to change)

Bogle, Kathleen.  2008.  Hooking Up: Sex, Dating and Relationships on Campus.  NYU Press.       

Coontz, Stephanie.  2006.  Marriage, A History: How Love Conquered Marriage. New York: Penguin.                

Ferguson, Susan J. (ed.).  2010.  Shifting the Center: Understanding Contemporary Families, Fourth Edition.  Boston: McGraw-Hill. 

Lareau, Annette.   2011. Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life, Second Edition with an Update a Decade Later.  Berkeley: University of California Press.

Stone, Pamela.  2007. Opting Out? Why Women Really Quit Careers and Head Home. Berkeley: University of California Press.

UPPER-DIVISION STANDING REQUIRED. COMPLETION OF SIX SEMESTER HOURS OF SOCIOLOGY.

Course Description

An investigation into the nature of criminal events including, homicide, rape, robbery, property crimes and white-collar crimes. Also examines the US criminal justice system.

Grading Policy

Three tests (no final) Occasional quizzes

Texts

Mark Warr, Companions in Crime, Cambridge University Press

UPPER-DIVISION STANDING REQUIRED. COMPLETION OF SIX SEMESTER HOURS OF SOCIOLOGY.

Course Description

An investigation into the nature of criminal events including, homicide, rape, robbery, property crimes and white-collar crimes. Also examines the US criminal justice system.

Grading Policy

Three tests (no final) Occasional quizzes

Texts

Mark Warr, Companions in Crime, Cambridge University Press

Course Description

This course will provide an introduction to the American criminal justice system, its policies and procedures. The primary focus will be on the roles and functions of the police, the courts and corrections, with a special emphasis on how well or not so well the system operates. We will also spend some time on recent innovations in criminal justice policy.

The class periods will be devoted to lectures, guest speakers, and videos. The lecture material will sometimes correspond very closely with the material in the text and sometimes it will supplement the assigned readings. I encourage class discussions and questions and hope that the material will be sufficiently interesting and controversial to motivate class participation.

Grading Policy

There will be four exams - three during the session and a comprehensive final. The exams will be multiple choice/true false. The three exams during the session will count 20% toward the final grade and will consist of 50 questions. The final exam, which is comprehensive, is worth 40% and will consist of 100 questions. The exams will cover all of the material - assigned readings, lectures, guest speakers and videos.

I do not grade on the basis of need and I do not negotiate grades. If you "need" a particular grade, you can figure out what it will take to obtain that grade. There is no extra credit and it is not possible to change the exam dates.

Grades for the course are determined in the following manner.90 to 100 A80 to 89 B70 to 79 C60 to 69 D< 60 F

Regarding rounding of grades, in my book, 88.7 is not 90, 79.1 is not 80 and 57.7 is not 60. If your final grade is .5 or higher, I will round up to the next whole percent. If you are taking the course pass/fail, a pass is 60 or above.

Texts

James Inciardi, Criminal Justice,9th edition

Course Description

This course is designed to give you a broad introduction to the field of social psychology, a topic that is investigated in both psychology and sociology departments. I have three aims for the course: (1) I want to provide you with an overview of the field of social psychology; (2) I want to introduce you to the various research methodologies that social psychologists use to investigate a phenomenon empirically; and (3) I want you to be able to spot applications to the “real world” of the material we discuss. Students enrolled in this course should have upper division standing, and, ideally, they should have taken courses in either sociology or psychology. This course is not cross-listed with psychology, which means that it does not count towards the requirements for a degree in psychology (but of course you still get credit for it as an upper-division sociology course). 

Even in a class of this size, I will occasionally call on people and ask them to give me their understanding of a topic we are discussing. Although I do not restrict lecture topics to what appears in the text, the most effective discussions – and the way for you to get the most out of this class in general – is to do your readings prior to the class for which they are assigned. This will help you immensely with lectures and ultimately with the tests. 

Texts

John D. DeLamater, & Daniel J. Myers, Social Psychology (7th edition). Thompson/Wadsworth (2010). [PLEASE NOTE: This version of the book is a restructured one; do not rely solely on older editions without a close comparison to the 7th] 

Grading

Final grades are based on three exams, in-class exercises, and a brief writing assignment. 

Description:

This course examines the social and cultural construction of gender, focusing on women and men in U.S. society.  We will explore how gender is experienced by different groups of men and women, with a focus on race/ethnicity, sexuality, class, and nationality.  The course begins with description of current gender stereotypes in popular culture, and differences in the socialization and education of girls and boys.  Next we will examine gender differences in the workplace, exploring the reasons for the persistent gap in pay between employed men and women.  The third part of the course examines women’s changing relationship to the home and work, including changes in the meanings of marriage and motherhood, with a focus on the lives of impoverished women.  This section also reviews public policy responses to women’s poverty.  The final part of the course examines the impact of globalization on men and women around the world.

Texts:

C.J. Pascoe, Dude, You’re a Fag, Univ. of California Press, 2007.

Kristen Schilt, Just one of the guys?, University of Chicago Press, 2010.

Susan Thistle, From Marriage to the Market, Univ. of California Press, 2006.

Kathryn Edin and Maria Kefalas, Promises I can keep, Univ. of California Press, 2005.

Carolina Bank‐Mu.oz, Transnational Tortillas: Race, Gender, and Shop‐Floor Politics in Mexico

and the United States. ILR Press, 2008.

The Education of Shelby Knox (DVD).

Grading and Requirement:

Grades in the class will be based on three examinations and four homework assignments. The

first two exams are worth 30 percent, and the third is worth 20 percent of the final grade. All

examinations will have an essay format (Blue Books are required). Make‐up examinations will

be given only to those absent for university‐approved reasons. The final 20 percent of the grade

is based on written homework assignments. The assignments require students to write 2‐page

essays. Essay questions will be distributed in class and posted on Blackboard. They will be due

the following class period. No late assignments will be accepted. Evaluations (letter grades) are based on mastery of the material and quality of the writing.

Description:  

This course examines critical American social problems that threaten the very fabric of our collective life as a nation.  These include problems in the economy and political system, social class and income inequality, racial/ethnic inequality, gender inequality and heterosexism, problems in education, and problems of illness and health care.  The course has three main objectives.  One involves providing students with the theoretical and methodological tools needed to critically analyze these problems from a sociological perspective.  A second involves providing students with current data and other information documenting the seriousness of these problems.  The final objective focuses on evaluating social policies addressing these problems (e.g., welfare-to-work programs, pay equity legislation), with special reference to questions of social justice, the common good, as well as public and individual responsibility.  Class format will be a mixture of lecture and discussion, with a strong emphasis upon the latter.  This course carries a writing flag.

Required Readings: 

A packet of readings to be purchased from Austin Text Books at 2116 Guadalupe (i.e., the Drag)

Additional readings will be made available on Blackboard

Attendance Policy:

Regular attendance and punctuality are expected.  You’re allowed three absences without penalty during the semester (excluding our introductory class meeting).  The nonpenalized absences are intended to cover such situations as illness, family emergencies, university sponsored trips, etc.  Students who miss more than three classes, regardless of the reason, will have their semester grades reduced by one full percentage points for each absence beyond the three allowed.  The one exception to this policy concerns absences for religious reasons, assuming advance, written notification is given.

Grading Policy:

Four Short Papers (2-3 pages)               65%

Class Participation                                20%

Pop Quizzes                                        15%

Course Description

This course critically examines health status and health care disparities among racial/ethnic minority groups in the United States. We focus on the patterned ways in which the health of these groups is embedded in the social, cultural, political, and economic context of the U.S. We review the complex relationship between social class (socioeconomic status) and health status, the effect of race/ethnicity on health outcomes and access to healthcare, as well as specific health issues facing major racial/ethnic minority groups in the U.S. Topics include conceptual issues central to understanding  how low socioeconomic status leads to poor health, how conscious, unconscious, and institutionalized racial bias affects medical care and health outcomes, as well as a consideration of policies for reducing health disparities among racial/ethnic minorities.

 Course Objectives

1. Define concepts of population health, social class, and race/ethnicity
2. Describe social determinants of health
3. Understand biological and psycho-social mechanisms through which the determinants of population health operate
4. Analyze the interaction effect of race/ethnicity and social class in predicting health outcomes
5. Examine policies that address health disparities in the United States

Required Text and Readings

Barr, Donald A. (2008) Health Disparities in the United States: Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, and Health.  The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.

LaVeist, Thomas A. (2005) Minority Populations and Health: An Introduction to Health Disparities in the United States. Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint.

Additional readings: In addition to the above textbooks, other course materials, including additional readings, will be posted to blackboard each week.  Readings should be completed for the week they are assigned.

Course requirements and Exams:

Exams (total 300 points/60% of the grade):There will be three in-class exams worth 100 points each.  The in-class exams will cover the readings and lecture materials covered prior to that exam. The format of the in-class exams will be multiple-choice, true/false, and short/medium-answer questions. Missed exams will be counted as zero unless arrangements are made in advance.  Make-up exams will be given only if a physician’s note or other verifiable document is provided.

Essay (total 100 points/20% of the grade):In addition to exams, students will write one short paper designed to assess the understanding of current health status and causes of health disparities among racial/ethnic minorities in the U.S. and the complex relationship between socioeconomic status and race in U.S. health care systems. This paper should be no longer than 5 pages (double spaced) and must returned in person in class.  E-mail attachments will not be accepted.

Class Components (total 100 points/20% of the grade): The in-class component will be measured by pop quizzes and class participation.  There will be 10 pop quizzes given periodically at the instructor’s discretion, based on weekly readings, class discussions, and short-films shown during class.

The course is devoted to the study of gender politics in the Islamic world.  It shows how culture is mediated by politics, resulting in diverse interpretations of the cultural tradition and in different policies with respect to gender. We start by examining the themes and issues that are part of the common denominator of the Islamic tradition.  We then consider how the diversity can be explained and what factors contribute to it.  The focus is on women's rights, which have been a key political issue in several countries and internationally. The course is designed to help students gain a better knowledge of the Islamic tradition and, at the same time, increase their understanding of major sociological concepts such as gender, social organization, culture, and politics.

Course Requirements and Grading Policy:  

Students are encouraged to take an active role in discussing readings and raising questions.  I expect students to attend class and to complete the assigned readings prior to coming to class.  

Exam 1 30%

Exam 2 30%

Country Report 20%

Team presentation 10%

Class participation 10%  

Text/Readings

M. M. Charrad, States and Women's Rights:  The Making of Postcolonial Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Berkeley:  Univ of California Press, 2001.

Mernissi, Fatema. Scheherazade Goes West: Different Cultures, Different Harems. New York: Washington Square Press, 2001.

Fadela Amara, Breaking the Silence:  French Voices from the Ghetto. Berkeley:  UC Press 2006

Articles are listed on relevant weeks on the syllabus.  They will be placed on Blackboard.

Audiovisuals:

Audiovisuals are an integral part of the course and will be covered in the exams. 

Description

The course will introduce the major dimensions of globalization and the main questions that the topic raises for scholars and activists.  This introduction to a broad, complex, constantly changing field should provide a foundation for continued thinking and learning about globalization. 

The writing assignments are intended to help you develop greater skill, versatility and confidence as a writer by practicing different writing strategies and techniques for requesting and receiving useful feedback on written work.  The final review essay provides an opportunity to demonstrate all that you have learned about writing and about globalization.

The assignments for the course should take an average of about six hours per week to complete.

Texts

Ritzer, George.  2007. The Globalization of Nothing.  2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA:  Pine Forge Press.

Eitzen, D. Stanley and Maxine Baca Zinn, eds.  2012.  Globalization:  The Transformation of  Social Worlds.  3rd ed.  Belmont, CA:  Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Requirements and grading

Tests

Hour exam at midterm 7.5%

Second hour exam 7.5%

Informal writing

In class writing, quizzes and class participation (daily) 15%

Soliciting and giving feedback on writing (“peer reviews” when  papers are due) 15%                                                                                

Formal writing

Formal papers, including revisions (250-500 words) 35%

Final book review essay, in lieu of a final exam (1000-1250 words) 20%

DESCRIPTION. 

Protests and social movements are vital to public life.  They are important sources of social change.  They may even be prophetic.  This course explores why people rebel, demonstrate, occupy public spaces, riot, bomb buildings, sign petitions, organize trade unions, demand equal rights, save baby seals, block abortion clinics, and burn draft notices.  In this course, we will ask what are protests and social movements?  Why do people start them and join them?  What are protesters motivated by?  Are they after personal or group rewards?  Do protesters act rationally or emotionally?

We will also ask what triggers protests or movements? What structures or shapes them?  Do they follow regular patterns of development?  What is the relationship between different movements? What affect do protests and movements have on society?  Do they provide valuable insights into society? Do they advance social justice? Do they contribute to our social wellbeing? Or do they lead to disorder and exact costs that outweigh benefits?  Might they foreshadow the future?

We will explore these many questions and look for answers in an historical sociology of collective efforts to change America. This course will track American protests and social movements from the 18th century to the present.  In short, this course surveys the history of American protest and theories trying to explain their emergence, development, and impact.

REQUIREMENTS. 

There will be a midterm examination (40% of grade), a final examination (50%), and a field report on an event of activism or protest.  The two exams will cover material from lectures, readings, and a series of documentaries that will be viewed throughout the semester.  Although there is some overlap among these three components of the course, a thorough familiarity with each will be crucial to the doing well in the two examinations.

WELCOME TO CLASS!

This is a research and writing course designed to explore moral imperatives, violation of these imperatives, and perhaps most interestingly how we justify such violation. 

Why is the title of the course Boundaries and Dilemmas? A good deal of the semester will be spent on how communities establish boundaries to determine lives more or less worthy  of protection and support than others. We will also spend time on how communities weigh one imperative against another when confronted with moral dilemmas.

This course is designed to hone various communication skills. Individually, you will be asked to write a 16-20 page paper on a topic of your choice. This paper will be handed in for initial grading and editorial comment. Your grade on the initial draft will constitute 40% of your final grade. The paper will be handed back to you for revision. You will be asked to hand in the revised version at the end of the semester. This final version of the paper will be graded and will also constitute 40% of your grade.

There is one assigned book:  WHO LIVES, WHO DIES, WHO DECIDES.  The first portion of the course will offer quick overviews of specific questions. With these overviews in hand, you will be asked to choose a specific topic, such as physician assisted suicide, capital punishment, eugenics, or war. You will be asked to develop a set of ideas consistent with the general framework developed in the early sessions of class. You and I will meet one-on-one to discuss your ideas. You will then be asked to make a 15 (or so) minute presentation to the class. 

I consider the material we cover to be very important. The assigned paper will be graded with high standards, as will the class presentation. Both will require substantial work. You will love it! 

 I see class discussions as very important to the success of this class. 20% of your grade will come from class participation, primarily from postings on Discussion Board. Attendance is required. More than three absences will lower your grade one full point -- A to B, B to C etc. I know this is tough, but so am I.... Never fear, I will make every effort to ensure classes are worth attending.

I look forward to many lively and fruitful discussions throughout the semester.

Description  

This course is an upper division introduction to topics in linguistic anthropology.  Languages, like other communication systems, are adapted to new and different environments in which they are spoken, creating and maintaining social realities, reproducing cultural traditions, and conveying messages in a complex interplay of new and old information, sometimes necessary and sometimes frivolous, packaging meaning in various ways that generally conform to standards that can be articulated,  As speech is an important mode of human communication, we start by outlining basic concepts allowing for the description of linguistic form,  In the end we will focus as much on language use as on language structure, and in the process we will examine various expressive speech genres, metaphors that we live by, the power of language, gender preferences in communication, language learning, proverbs, jokes, and multilingualism, among other topics. We will examine these forms, processes, and contexts in an effort to deliver the tools necessary for describing and understanding the multiple ways in which language, culture, and society interact.

Goals

The goals of this course are to introduce students to the study of language use from a sociocultural perspective and to develop skills (through fieldwork and data analysis) in analyzing the role that language plays in the structure and interpretation of human interaction. Students will collect language data from a "speech community" in a setting of their choice, and will use this data: 1) collectively as a basis for examining and questioning concepts discussed in lectures and readings such as ethnicity, identity, power, and gender as they are constructed through language, and 2) individually as a basis from which to generate an analytical paper, which shows an understanding of the major ideas covered in the course but which is specific to student interests.

Grading and Requirement:

Two midterm exams 25% each

10 page analytical paper based on fieldwork due on the last class day 25%

Comprehensive final exam 25%

No penalty for one unexcused absence, but further such absences can lower one’s course grade by two and a half percentage points for each instance.  Exams include information from lectures,readings, and films.

Texts:    

Susan Blum    2009.  (ed.)  Making sense of Language.  Oxford  

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course introduces students to the sociological study of health and illness. More specifically, this course examines the ways in which key sociological variables shape and explain the health and illness of the US population. This course covers following topics: socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, gender, family, and psychosocial factors. 

COURSE MATERIALS

Books:   Mirowsky, John and Catherine Ross. 2003. Social Causes of Psychological Distress.

Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter/Transaction.

 Mirowsky, John and Catherine Ross. 2003. Education, Social Status, and Health.

Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter/Transaction.

Journal articles and book chapters: See course calendar. (Available through the course website)

GRADING

Your grade will be determined by the three grading criteria. First, you will have three in-class exams. Each exam is worth 25% of the final grade and is going to be administered during regular class meetings. Next, you will have two take-home assignments. Each assignment is worth 10% of the final grade. The detail will be provided. Finally, 5% of your final grade will be determined by attendance.

Grading Item

%

Date or Due

Grading Scale

Exam 1

25

2/15 (F)

A (93≥ %), A- (90-92%)

Exam 2

25

3/29 (F)

B+ (87-89%), B (83-86%), B- (80-82%)

Exam 3

25

5/3 (F)

C+ (77-79%), C (73-76%), C- (70-72%)

Assignment 1

10

3/8 (F)

D+ (67-69%), D (63-66%), D- (60-62%)

Assignment 2

10

4/26 (F)

F  < 60%

Attendance

5

10 random dates

P  ≥ 70%

Total

100

EXTRA CREDIT

In addition to these three grading criteria, a couple of students will have a chance of upgrading the grade to the next level (awarded up to 3 grade points) if they choose and are being selected to present the combined assignment. The detail will be provided as the semester progresses. 

Course Description

This course examines deviant behavior in the US.  The course begins by defining different types of deviance (negative and positive).  Discussions of types of deviance, how/why we define certain activities as deviant, how deviance changes over time, and how we understand deviant behavior through theories will be the main focus of the course. Empirical, peer reviewed journal articles will be used to learn about current deviance research findings.  Theory articles will be used to demonstrate core theories and how they can be used to understand and predict behavior.

Learning Objectives

By the end of a successfully completed term, students will be able to:

• define deviance and understand the difference between positive and negative deviance;
• explain how ideas about what counts as deviance changes over time and how these changes are reflected in society;
• discuss current research on deviance in the US; 
• explain and apply various theoretical approaches to deviant behavior.

Additional Objectives

This course is also designed to teach and/or improve the following skills:

• critical thinking
• professional/academic writing
• comprehension of challenging material

Required Materials:                 

Articles:  required articles will be posted on Bb as .pdf or .doc attachments.

Films:  viewing several films is also required.  Titles are on the schedule.  You may find them online or order them from a source like Netflix or iTunes.

Grading:

In class participation  75 point

Reading Briefs           50 points

Journal Analysis         25 points

Three exams             50 points each

Project                     100 points

Grading scale

100-90 = A, 89-88 = B+, 87-80 = B, 79-78 = C+, 77-70 = C, 69-68 = D+, 67-60 = D, below 59 = F

As a general rule, I do not assign minuses (-).  If you earn an 80%, you get the B.  However, in circumstances when the grade is earned by rounding up, a minus will be assigned (e.g.:  79.9=B-).

Description

Population studies or demography is an interdisciplinary field, encompassing the study of the size, distribution, and composition of human populations, and the processes of fertility, mortality, and migration through which populations’ change. These processes are closely connected to many of the pressing problems facing contemporary societies. For instance, the funding of health care in developed countries is a major issue because of declining fertility and population aging. Civil unrest in parts of Africa and the Middle East are, in part, a function of persistently high fertility rates. These processes are also important drivers of many contemporary environmental problems. Finally, a grasp of population processes is important for a deeper understanding of the population explosion in urban areas and the higher transmission and impact of AIDS in the developing world. 

This course provides an overview of the field of population studies. A sociological approach is emphasized, but economic, geographic, anthropological, and biological perspectives will also be used. Attention will be given to a) the demographic concepts needed to objectively evaluate population issues and b) the substantive content of the population issues. Emphasis will be given to evaluating the evidence regarding debates on population topics. 

Reading Materials 

Required text: Population: An Introduction to Concepts and Issues, 10th edition, John R. Weeks. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co. ISBN-10: 0495096377 

On-line Readings: There are a number of short reading assignments, marked with an [EL]. These readings can be found in External Links section of the class Blackboard site and should be read prior to class period. 

Grading and Requirement:

You are expected to complete all readings for the day's class before coming to class. Read as actively as possible. Class time will be an opportunity to discuss and further explore the readings, so it is essential that everyone comes prepared to participate. Our class periods will be more productive and enjoyable when we all begin with the same materials. 

There will be TWO examinations during the semester, each worth 20% of your final grade. The exams will draw from both readings and class discussions. The exams are not cumulative. Each will include multiple choice and short answer questions. Make-up examinations will not be administered except in extreme circumstances and only if I am notified beforehand. All make-up examinations are 100% essay. 

You must also complete TWO assignments and ONE short paper during the semester. The assignments—on mortality and fertility—are designed to familiarize you with demographic data on the web, give you an overview of your country of choice, and help you identify your country’s population angle that most interests you and that you will explore in more detail in the short paper. Each assignment is worth 15% of your final grade. The short paper is worth 25% of your grade. 

The final 5% of your grade is based on attendance/class participation. I expect you to show up and engage (i.e., not text, sleep, or read the newspaper) with classmates, the TA, and me in the class. 

Description:

This double-semester seminar was created after feedback from former Honors students and faculty supervisors.

The idea is to provide structure, instruction, and assistance throughout the duration of your thesis project, as well as to enable you to interact with and support one another.  Seminar participation should not increase your overall workload, as the assignments will help you become more efficient in your research and writing, resulting in a higher quality thesis.  Seminar format is a mixture of discussion, oral presentations, and guest speakers. 

Required Books:

C. Wright Mills (1959) The Sociological Imagination. Oxford University Press.

Howard S. Becker (2007) Writing for Social Scientists. University of Chicago Press. Any additional readings will be provided in a small packet or on Blackboard Attendance Policy:

Regular attendance and active seminar participation are expected of all Honors students.  If you miss more than six (6) classes during the double-semester program, regardless of the reason for the absences, your 679HA grade will be reduced by one full percentage point for each absence beyond the six allowed.  This policy excepts absences for religious holidays, assuming advance, written notification is given. 

Grading Policy:

First Semester:

1. An annotated bibliography comprised of 20 strong sources relevant to your thesis (20%) 2. A 6-7 page research proposal (20%) 3. A detailed outline of your research project by the end of the first semester (20%) 4. Quality of seminar participation (e.g., oral presentations, discussions, giving peer feedback) (40%)

Second Semester:

1. A well-written draft of the first chapter of your thesis (20%) 2. Quality of seminar participation (e.g., oral presentations, class discussions, giving peer feedback) (60%) 3. Oral presentation of your thesis at the Sociology Honors Colloquium (20%) At the end of your first semester in Honors, you’ll be assigned an “incomplete.”  At the end of your second semester, after you’ve submitted your signed thesis to the Sociology Department, I’ll remove the incomplete and assign a grade for SOC 679HA, based on your two semesters of work and participation in the Honors Seminar. Your thesis supervisor will assign your grade for SOC 369HB, based on the quality of your thesis.

Description

The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to some of the more important theoretical foundations of the discipline of sociology and to current debates in modern social theory. The first part of the course covers select classical theorists. The second part provides an introduction to twentieth-century social theory and critical perspectives on the classical foundations of sociology. The third and final part presents a highly influential response to these challenges by a leading sociological theorist of our day. Throughout the course, the main topics of interest are the rise and transformation of modern society, the changing relationship between the individual and social institutions, the role of social structures and agency in social theory, the role of moral and instrumental action in agency theory, the challenge of critical theory to the social sciences, and contemporary attempts at a critical and multidimensional theory of society.

This course challenges students to think theoretically and critically about society and its material and cultural construction. The readings for the course are difficult but not inaccessible. This course will be fruitful if, and only if, students make a serious commitment to do the reading and to attend class. If this commitment is made, the social world might never look and feel quite the same. At least this is my goal and I aim to deliver.

Grading Policy

Three short papers 75%

Three one to two page memos on reading 15%

Class participation 10%

Short papers: Students must write three papers, each approximately five pages in length. One paper is due for each of the three parts of the course.

Memos: For the first part of the course, I will ask you to write three memos, each approximately one page in length. One memo will be on Karl Marx. The second memo will be on Emile Durkeim. And the final memo is on Max Weber.

Texts

All texts have been ordered through MonkeyWrench Books (110 E. North Loop, Austin, TX 78751; tel. (512) 407-6925)

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, The Marx-Engels Reader, ed. Robert Tucker, Norton

Emile Durkheim, On Morality and Society, ed. Robert N. Bellah, Chicago

Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Roxbury

Georg Simmel, On Individuality and Social Forms, ed. Donald Levine, Chicago

Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents, Norton

Michel Foucault, The Foucault Reader, ed. Paul Rabinow, Pantheon

Jurgen Habermas, Jurgen Habermas on Society and Politics: A Reader, ed. Seidman, Beacon

Description

The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to some of the more important theoretical foundations of the discipline of sociology and to current debates in modern social theory. The first part of the course covers select classical theorists. The second part provides an introduction to twentieth-century social theory and critical perspectives on the classical foundations of sociology. The third and final part presents a highly influential response to these challenges by a leading sociological theorist of our day. Throughout the course, the main topics of interest are the rise and transformation of modern society, the changing relationship between the individual and social institutions, the role of social structures and agency in social theory, the role of moral and instrumental action in agency theory, the challenge of critical theory to the social sciences, and contemporary attempts at a critical and multidimensional theory of society.

This course challenges students to think theoretically and critically about society and its material and cultural construction. The readings for the course are difficult but not inaccessible. This course will be fruitful if, and only if, students make a serious commitment to do the reading and to attend class. If this commitment is made, the social world might never look and feel quite the same. At least this is my goal and I aim to deliver.

Grading Policy

Three short papers 75%

Three one to two page memos on reading 15%

Class participation 10%

Short papers: Students must write three papers, each approximately five pages in length. One paper is due for each of the three parts of the course.

Memos: For the first part of the course, I will ask you to write three memos, each approximately one page in length. One memo will be on Karl Marx. The second memo will be on Emile Durkeim. And the final memo is on Max Weber.

Texts

All texts have been ordered through MonkeyWrench Books (110 E. North Loop, Austin, TX 78751; tel. (512) 407-6925)

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, The Marx-Engels Reader, ed. Robert Tucker, Norton

Emile Durkheim, On Morality and Society, ed. Robert N. Bellah, Chicago

Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Roxbury

Georg Simmel, On Individuality and Social Forms, ed. Donald Levine, Chicago

Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents, Norton

Michel Foucault, The Foucault Reader, ed. Paul Rabinow, Pantheon

Jurgen Habermas, Jurgen Habermas on Society and Politics: A Reader, ed. Seidman, Beacon