Assignments & GradingReading and field journal: This course requires a significant amount of reading, writing and discussion. Your reading journal will be your greatest tool for developing your sociological imagination and coming to class prepared to actively participate. Please have a notebook dedicated to this course that you can use to take notes on readings, discussion and lecture, to keep track of in-class freewrites, and to record field notes. The journal is not graded; however your efforts will be reflected in your ability to participate in discussion, in your formal written assignments and in your preparation for exams.Expectations & PoliciesContacting me: I expect to be in contact with students throughout the semester. Please come by during office hours to discuss course content, thoughts or concerns about assignments, or for extra explanation or assistance. My office hours are posted weekly outside my office (ARH 121). If you are not available during office hours, we can schedule another time to meet. I am online daily during the week, so email is the best way to reach me.WeekWhat is Sociology?"Doing" SociologyHunter & McClelland, “Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology”Essay 1 DueSPRING BREAKIowa Sociological Association Conference at GrinnellRace, Class & EducationLopez, "Unequal Schooling" & "From 'Mamacita' to 'Hoodlum'" 1-38MSL 51 Kozol, "Still Separate, Still Unequal"MMSL 27 Risman, "Gender as Structure"Introduction to Sociology Spring 2008, Grinnell College Soc 111-03: MWF 1:15-2:05, ARH 318 Soc 111-04: MWF 3:15-4:05, ARH 120 Course website on PioneerWeb Professor Betsy ErbaughOffice: ARH 121 Ext: 4324Email: [email protected] "The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society. That is its task and its promise." - C. Wright Mills, The Sociological Imagination, 1959 Welcome to Sociology at Grinnell College. Sociology is the study of human interaction in groups, small and large, from families to nation-states. Sociologists investigate the causes and consequences of human behavior and social change in specific cultural, structural and institutional contexts. This course invites you to cultivate your sociological imagination and to develop the skills of sociological inquiry. In this course we will: • Become familiar with the questions sociologists ask, the research methods they use to answer their questions, and the theories they use to interpret their findings. • Refine the ability to situate individual and group behavior within larger social structures and institutions. • Begin to recognize and critically evaluate forces of social stratification and inequality that facilitate and constrain human behavior. • Develop the ability to think sociologically about the interactions and social processes in which we participate on a daily basis. • Improve skills for critical thinking, writing, discussing, listening, and presenting one's ideas in an enthusiastic and compelling manner. The course involves small and large group discussions, short lectures, films, field activities, group presentations and individual written work. Our readings include a sociological anthology, three in-depth case studies that exemplify sociological research, and supplemental readings. As social actors, we all bring relevant experience to the study of social life, so we will draw upon our lived experiences and firsthand observations to enrich our studies. Our course reader, edited by Susan Ferguson, will usher us through many central arenas of sociological study, from classic works to current research. We will read two classic case studies: first, Jay MacLeod's study of two groups of teenage boys in Chicago, and second, Kai Erickson's study of community devastation by flood in Buffalo Creek. In the latter part of the course, we will read Nancy Lopez' recent study of Dominican, Haitian and West Indian students in New York.Required Books & Supplies: 1. Erikson, Kai. 1976. Everything in Its Path: Destruction of a Community in the Buffalo Creek Flood. New York: Simon and Schuster. 2. Ferguson, Susan. 2008. Mapping the Social Landscape: Readings in Sociology. 5th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill. 3. Lopez, Nancy. 2002. Hopeful Girls, Troubled Boys: Race and Gender Disparity in Urban Education. New York: Routledge. 4. MacLeod, Jay. 1995. Ain't No Makin' It: Aspirations and Attainment in a Low-Income Neighborhood. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. 5. A reading and field journal (a notebook of your choice dedicated to this purpose). Assignments & Grading Discussion groups (15%). I will assign you to a discussion group that will meet outside of class for an hour each week. This group will offer opportunities to review readings and to discuss sociological ideas and concerns that arise from them. Group members will take turns writing weekly informal reports of the group's discussions. Your group will also act as discussion leaders once during the semester. Two short papers (2 x 10% each = 20%). You will choose 2 of 3 possible paper deadlines throughout the semester and write brief essays (3-4 pages) that integrate assigned readings with your observations of social life and other sources. Sociology conference & response paper (10%). Grinnell will host the Iowa Sociological Association's annual conference on April 4. We will attend the conference as a class and you will write a 2-3 page essay in response to conference proceedings. Exams (15% midsem + 20% final = 35%). Two exams will be given during the semester that draw upon readings, discussion, lecture, films and other activities. Reading questions provided on the website and in group presentations will be a good guide to exam preparation. Participation and other assignments (20%). Given that this course revolves around discussion of the readings, small group work, lectures, in-class assignments and other activities, your attendance, preparedness and active participation are essential. There are multiple ways of participating actively in class -- overall I expect you to be physically and psychically present and to interact critically with the material and your classmates. I will periodically assign in-class or take-home writing and fieldwork assignments that will contribute toward this part of your grade. Reading and field journal: This course requires a significant amount of reading, writing and discussion. Your reading journal will be your