Greenfield Community College
Principles of Sociology – SOC 101-3 (3 credits)
Instructor: Katharine Daube
Course Syllabus, Summer 2020
Welcome
Sociology is the scientific study of human social behavior. It is a new way of seeing the world around us. Sociology helps us to understand how our circumstances influence our behavior. It also helps us to see the world from other people’s points of view. This syllabus will give you an overview of course expectations. Please read it carefully! You will find a lot of information in this document (how to get an A on the discussion forums, what happens when an assignment is late, how to contact a free tutor, etc.). Read it thoroughly and refer to it when you have a question about the course. This is a fast-paced course which runs at twice the speed of a regular semester. You will need to be able to devote about eight to twelve hours a week to this class.
Course Description (according to the GCC Course Catalog)
The study of society through basic concepts and scientific methodology. Examines culture, social systems, institutions, status, roles, norms, interaction, deviance, small groups, and social stratifications. Pre-req: ENG 090 and ENG 094 (COL 090), or satisfactory placement test scores.
Required Text
Ferris, Kerry and Jill Stein. The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology (6th Ed.). New York: W. W. Norton, 2018. 978-0393639575. Paperback, loose-leaf, or e-book is fine. No access codes are needed.
Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe the origin and development of sociology as a social science and give examples of how sociology can be used to explain human behavior.
- Discuss how the environment influences the development of the self.
- Compare different groups in society and identify factors that affect group dynamics.
- Analyze social inequalities such as class, power, prestige, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and age.
- Describe the relevance of sociology and the different roles that sociologists play in today’s society.
Teaching Procedures
During this class, we will use readings, online discussion, online postings by the professor, written assignments, and internet sites (video and text) to learn about sociology.
Important Message about Online Learning
This course requires a great deal of personal discipline. Online courses are not easy for students who procrastinate. You should be prepared to spend an average of eight to twelve hours a week on the class (more during the weeks when papers/tests are due. Note: due to all the changes in our lives because of Covid-19, the GCC library will try to help students obtain hotspots or laptops who need them. Please look at the GCC website to find out how to contact the library if you have any unmet computer/internet needs.
How to Contact Me
The best way to contact me is by email (it’s called “quickmail”) on our Moodle site. You can also email me at daubek@gcc.edu. I check my mail daily. Generally I should respond to you within one day. If you have sent me a message and do not hear back from me within 48 hours, please feel free to contact me again.
How You Will Be Graded
- Weekly Quizzes 10% of final grade
- Two Tests 20% of final grade
- Discussion Forum 30% of final grade
- Two Papers 40% of final grade
Quizzes (10% of final grade, averaged together): Quizzes will be a combination of multiple choice and true/false questions. Quiz content will correspond with the readings for that particular week. Quizzes are open book, and are due by midnight (11:59 pm) Wednesday of each week. You will have unlimited time to complete each week’s quiz, although most students finish the quizzes in fewer than 15 minutes. Quizzes may be taken any time during the week, as long as they are submitted prior to the due date (Wednesday 11:59 pm). Late quizzes will not be accepted, except under extraordinary circumstances and with the instructor’s prior permission. After you submit the quiz, you will be able to see your grade. After the quiz closes (once the due date has passed), you will be able to see the correct answers on Moodle. When calculating your final grade, your lowest quiz grade will be dropped.
Two Tests (20% of final grade, averaged together): Two open-book tests will be given during the semester. The tests will consist of short answer and/or essay-length questions.
Discussion Forum (30% of final grade, averaged together): The discussion forums allow me to monitor your comprehension of the readings and answer your questions. They are also a way for you to engage with other students. Because this summer class runs at twice the pace of a typical semester-long class, there will be TWO discussion forums each week (except for our last week of class). Every discussion forum will begin with a set of questions from me. For each discussion forum, you will be required to:
- post one substantial response (at least 250 words) to one or more of my discussion questions for the discussion forum. You must post your initial response by midnight on Saturday of each week.
- post two or more (150 or more words each) follow up questions, answers, or comments to each discussion forum. These postings can be questions about a fellow student’s posting, answers to another student’s questions, comments about the readings for the week, and may include web links that are related to the topic of the week. Make sure your follow up posts refer to the academic content of our class and are not just personal opinion. You must post these by midnight on Wednesday of each week.
The discussion forum week will run 12:00 am on Thursday until midnight on the following Wednesday. You can post at any time during the week, as long as you adhere to the deadlines (initial posting by Saturday midnight, and follow up postings by Wednesday midnight). However, you must post to each week’s discussion forum on at least three different days during the week. You can’t “save up” all of your discussion forum participation for one day. So that you can be a full participant in this class, I expect you to check in with the discussion forums frequently. This means that your comments posted to the discussion forums must be submitted on three or more different days during the week.
This particular style of forum is called a Moodle “Q and A forum.” This means that you will be required to post your initial response before you have read anyone else’s responses. After you respond to my question(s) by clicking on “reply,” you will be able to read your peers’ posts (sometimes Moodle takes a few minutes to make other posts visible). The Q and A forums will allow you to come up with your own answer before you have had the chance to read anyone else’s answer. It should result in a variety of opinions and make for a dynamic and thought-provoking discussion forum.
Your discussion forum grade will be high if you:
- post a 250+ word response to my discussion forum questions by midnight Saturday.
- post 2 or more substantial posts (150 or more words each) by midnight Wednesday.
- post on 3 or more different days during the week.
- make sure your posts are well thought-out, pertinent, and respectful.
- submit posts which are free from spelling and grammatical errors.
- use evidence from the readings to support your views.
- refer to concepts covered in the readings for the week and concepts mentioned by me during the class.
- ask questions that engage the class in a discussion of the issues.
- read other students’ postings.
- make it clear you have read my posts to the forum.
- adhere to the deadlines.
- refrain from making personal experience the core of your post (in other words, make sure you connect personal experiences/opinions to the academic content of the class).
Your weekly discussion forum grade will be low if you:
- do not meet the word count guidelines (see above).
- do not post on 3 or more different days during the week.
- include spelling and/or grammatical errors which interfere with understanding what you have to say.
- do not use academic evidence or theories to back up your personal opinions.
- have clearly not read other students’ postings.
- do not make it clear that you have read my posts to the forum.
- do not adhere to the deadlines (see above).
- focus on personal experience without connecting that experience to academic theories and research.
No points will be awarded for a missed discussion. This is a fast-paced class and missed assignments cannot be made up in the following week’s discussion forum. When calculating your final grade, your lowest discussion forum grade will be dropped.
On the discussion forum we will always respect the views of each other and never verbally attack someone simply for possessing different or unpopular ideas. Debate is not about attack; it is about listening, exchanging ideas, and challenging each other to really think.
Two Papers (40% of final grade): Very specific guidelines will be given regarding paper content and questions to be answered. Criteria for grading will be distributed with the assignment. For each calendar day that a paper is late, it will be graded down ten points. Missed assignments will result in no credit for that work.
Academic Honesty
Students enrolled in this course are responsible for academic honesty. Cheating and plagiarism (any forms of presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own) are serious offenses and will not be tolerated. In order to guarantee the value of doing your own work, students who do not do their own work may be given a zero for the plagiarized assignment and possibly an F as a final grade. For more information, you may refer to the Student Code of Conduct section in the GCC Student Handbook or at
http://www.gcc.mass.edu/student-and-academic-affairs/student/policies.
Academic Accommodations
GCC values inclusion and equal access to its programs and activities and is committed to fostering an environment of mutual respect and full participation. Our goal is to create learning environments that are equitable, inclusive, and welcoming. If you are an individual with a disability and require reasonable academic accommodations, please contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) prior to the start of a course to discuss your accommodation needs and options. The ODS will work collaboratively with students with disabilities to develop effective accommodation plans for the classroom. The ODS is located in the Wellness Center on the 4th floor of the Core in C423. For an appointment, please call 413-775-1332. (Note: Due to Covid-19, all ODS staff are working remotely, M-F, 9 – 5. For more information, go to https://www.gcc.mass.edu/ds/).
Counseling
Confidential counseling services are provided to GCC students at no cost. If you are experiencing stressful personal issues or want more information about counseling, contact Kathleen Keough, Learning Support Counselor, at 775-1337 or keoughk@gcc.mass.edu.
Library
When conducting any research related to this class, please take advantage of the resources
available to you in the College’s Library. The Library collection contains circulating and reference books, ebooks, newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals, videos, and DVDs. The Library’s 80+ online databases offer access to hundreds of thousands of periodical articles and reference sources, which are available 24/7 from any campus computer and from off campus with a GCC library card. Librarians are available to help you during any step of the research process, from on or off-campus. Contact the library by phone at (413) 775 – 1830, by email at reference@gcc.mass.edu, or by chat at http://www.gcc.mass.edu/library/ask/. An online form is available to request a library card at https://www.gcc.mass.edu/library/cards/. For more information about the library, visit http://www.gcc.mass.edu/library/.
(Note: due to Covid-19, the GCC library is closed for in-person visits. However, librarians are available to help you via chat, phone, or email. The library may also be able to help students in need of laptops or hotspots. Don’t hesitate to contact the library if you have any questions at all.)
Technological Support
If you experience technological challenges such as not being able to log in to GCC Email, please email the Student Technology Help Desk at: StudentHelp@stuemail.gcc.mass.edu. Include your full name, your student identification number, the class you are in, and a clear summary of the challenge you are experiencing.
Tutoring
The Peer Tutoring Program offers one-on-one peer tutoring for most courses offered at the
college. This is a wonderful resource available at no cost to all GCC students. Peer Tutoring is located on the 4th floor of the Core, above the library. Appointments can be made in person or by calling (413) 775-1330. It’s recommended that students make appointments in advance. For more information, visit http://www.gcc.mass.edu/tutoring/.
Note: due to Covid-19, GCC tutoring is closed for in-person visits. However, tutors are available to help you via chat, phone, or email.
Diversity and Inclusion Center
This is a space promoting community, equity, unity, social gathering, and cross cultural understanding among students. All are welcome, especially those traditionally underrepresented in college. In addition to offering a student kitchen area with snacks, microwave, coffeemaker, and refrigerator, there is a sunny student common room with comfortable seating, games, books, and a faculty mentor (Lillian Ruiz) as a resource for student support and guidance. Stop by N328 in the Main Building. (Note: Closed at this time, due to, you guessed it, Covid-19).
Final Notes
The student body, faculty, and staff at GCC come from a wide range of cultural, ethnic, racial, and economic backgrounds. Everyone on this campus and in this classroom should feel that GCC is an open and safe place for all. One important ground rule: we will always respect the views of each other and never verbally attack someone simply for possessing different or unpopular ideas. Debate is not about attack; it is about listening, exchanging ideas, and challenging each other to really think. A healthy, respectful, and open-minded exchange about the topics we will be covering will make class more interesting for all of us. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns about the course. I will be happy to discuss any issues that you may have. I am looking forward to this semester!
Katharine
Tentative Weekly Assignment and Reading Schedule
Our typical week will run from Thursday morning to Wednesday night.
Week 1: 5/20 – 5/27
Read syllabus
Post to “introductions” discussion forum due by midnight Saturday 5/23
Quiz on syllabus due by 11:59 pm Wednesday 5/27
Read Chapter One: Sociology and the Real World
Initial post to Chapter 1 discussion forum due by midnight Saturday 5/23
2 or more additional discussion forum postings due by midnight Wednesday 5/27
Quiz on chapter 1 due by 11:59 pm Wednesday 5/27
Week 2: 5/28 – 6/3
Read Chapter Two: Studying Social Life: Sociological Research Methods
Initial post to Chapter 2 discussion forum due by midnight Saturday
2 or more additional discussion forum postings due by midnight Wednesday
Quiz on Chapter 2 due by 11:59 pm Wednesday
Read Chapter Three: Cultural Crossroads
Initial post to Chapter 3 discussion forum due by midnight Saturday
2 or more additional discussion forum postings due by midnight Wednesday
Quiz on Chapter 3 due by 11:59 pm Wednesday
Week 3: 6/4 – 6/10
Chapter Four: Socialization, Interaction, and the Self
Initial post to Chapter 4 discussion forum due by midnight Saturday
2 or more additional discussion forum postings due by midnight Wednesday
Quiz on Chapter 4 due by 11:59 pm Wednesday
Chapter Five: Separate and Together: Life in Groups
Initial post to Chapter 5 discussion forum due by midnight Saturday
2 or more additional discussion forum postings due by midnight Wednesday
Quiz on Chapter 5 due by 11:59 pm Wednesday
Paper #1 due by midnight Wednesday 6/10
Week 4: 6/11 – 6/17
Chapter Six: Deviance
Initial post to Chapter 6 discussion forum due by midnight Saturday
2 or more additional discussion forum postings due by midnight Wednesday
Quiz on Chapter 6 due by 11:59 pm Wednesday
Chapter Seven: Social Class: The Structure of Inequality
Initial post to Chapter 7 discussion forum due by midnight Saturday
2 or more additional discussion forum postings due by midnight Wednesday
Quiz on Chapter 7 due by 11:59 pm Wednesday
Test on Chapters 1 – 7 due by 11:59 pm Wednesday 6/17
Week 5: 6/18 – 6/24
Chapter Eight: Race and Ethnicity as Lived Experience
Initial post to Chapter 8 discussion forum due by midnight Saturday
2 or more additional discussion forum postings due by midnight Wednesday
Quiz on Chapter 8 due by 11:59 pm Wednesday
Chapter Nine: Constructing Gender and Sexuality
Initial post to Chapter 9 discussion forum due by midnight Saturday
2 or more additional discussion forum postings due by midnight Wednesday
Quiz on Chapter 9 due by 11:59 pm Wednesday
Week 6: 6/25 – 7/1
Chapter Twelve: Life at Home: Families and Relationships
Initial post to Chapter 12 discussion forum due by midnight Saturday
2 or more additional discussion forum postings due by midnight Wednesday
Quiz on Chapter 12 due by 11:59 pm Wednesday
Chapter Fourteen: Health and Illness
Initial post to Chapter 14 discussion forum due by midnight Saturday
2 or more additional discussion forum postings due by midnight Wednesday
Quiz on Chapter 14 due by 11:59 pm Wednesday
Paper #2 due by midnight Wednesday 7/1
Week 7: 7/2 – 7/8
Chapter Fifteen: Populations, Cities, and the Environment
Initial post to Chapter 15 discussion forum due by midnight Saturday
2 or more additional discussion forum postings due by midnight Wednesday
Quiz on Chapter 15 due by 11:59 pm Wednesday
Test on Chapters 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, and the entire course due by 11:59 pm Thursday 7/9
