Social Issues: Perspectives inSociologySOCIOLOGY 2105-06: Fall 2009 (10 weeks)Kennesaw State UniversityTuesday & Thursday; 12:30 am – 1:45 pmSocial Science, Room 2036Eliza M. Markley, MA Social Science Office 4005Instructor Office hours: by appointmentE-mail: [email protected] Readings:Henslin, James M., 2009: Sociology-A Down to Earth Approach, Third Edition,Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, ISBN: 0-205-57135-2Course Overview:This course will introduce you to the fascinating realm of society and social facts. Thepurpose of the course is to broaden your understanding of the society and the world welive in by revealing the complex connections between economy, politics, education,religion etc and society. During this course we will try together to move beyond ourindividual experiences to understand patterns of social behavior in the US and othersocieties. Course Objectives:- Students will understand the theoretical foundations and the tools of sociologicalresearch- Students will be able to offer alternative explanations and interpretations tovarious social problems- Students will know how to use the fundamental sociological concepts tounderstand global events, individual experiences, movies, books etc. - Students will refine their critical thinking, learning, writing, organization andcommunication skills as well as the ability to work in a team. - Students will learn how to engage and develop dialogues and debates on socialissuesCourse Requirements: Reading. Reading represents the major assignment for this class. I expect eachstudent to come to class prepared to discuss, question and clarify the day's readingassignment. While I do not expect you to have mastered all of the readings prior toclass, I do expect you to have read the texts, and to be prepared to discuss them. Exams. Exams will cover the material from the readings and class-discussions, and willconsist of a combination of multiple choice questions and open-ended (short answer,essay) questions. Make-up exams will not be given unless you have an excused absenceas defined by the University Senate (serious illness, illness or death of a family member,university related trips, major religious holidays or other reasons approved in advance byinstructor). If you miss an exam due to an excused absence, please contact meimmediately to reschedule the exam. Note, an exam missed due to an unexcused absenceequals to 0 points.Participation. Attendance does not mean participation! Only the students who activelyparticipate in classroom discussions and debates can collect these points. If you speak inclass, you can collect 1 participation point/ class. Grading: 3 Exams x 30 points 90 pointsClass Participation 10 points Total 100 pointsFinal Grades will be appointed as follows: 91 -100 points A 80 - 90 points B 70 - 79 points C 60 - 69 points DLess than 60 points E Attendance: Attendance is essential for the successful completion of this course. All the assignmentsare connected to the material covered in class and in readings, so you might not want tomiss a class. Low participation in this class will affect your grade, for example, you willget a B instead of A, a C instead of B, etc.Classroom Conduct:Please turn your cell-phones off during the class, and also do not read the newspaper ortake a nap during the class time! Since our class is debate-oriented, I expect you torespect and listen to everybody’s opinions and perspectives. Our class is a space free ofsexist, racist or other offensive comments. Academic Honesty Policy Every KSU student is responsible for upholding the provisions of the Student Code ofConduct as published in the Undergraduate Catalog. Section II of this Code addresses theuniversity policy on academic honesty, including provisions regarding plagiarism andcheating, unauthorized access to university materials, misrepresentation/ falsification ofuniversity records or academic work, malicious removal, retention, or destruction oflibrary materials, malicious/ intentional misuse of computer facilities and/or services, andmisuse of identification cards. Incidents of alleged academic misconduct will be handledthrough the established procedures of the University Judiciary Program, which includeseither an “informal” resolution by a faculty member, resulting in a grade adjustment, oralformal hearing procedure, which may subject a student to the Code of Conduct’sminimum one semester suspension requirement. Students with Disabilities:If you are a student with special needs, please notify me as soon as possible toaccommodate your needs.Tentative Schedule of ClassesDate ChapterAugust 18 IntroductionAugust 20 Ch. 1: The Sociological PerspectiveAugust 25 Ch. 1: The Sociological PerspectiveAugust 27 Ch. 2: CultureSeptember 1 Ch. 2: CultureSeptember 3 Ch. 3: SocializationSeptember 8 Test 1 September 10 Ch. 4: Social Structure and Social InteractionSeptember 15 Ch. 5: Societies to Social NetworksSeptember 17 Ch. 5: Societies to Social NetworksSeptember 22 Ch. 6: DevianceSeptember 24 Test 2September 29 Ch. 7: Social StratificationOctober 1 Ch. 7: Social StratificationOctober 6 Ch. 8: Sex and GenderOctober 8 Ch. 8: Sex and Gender; October 13 Ch. 9: Race and EthnicityOctober 15 Ch. 9: Race and EthnicityOctober 20 Ch. 10: Marriage and FamilyOctober 22 Ch. 10: Marriage and FamilyOctober 27 Test 3(The Instructor reserves the right to change the course schedule and assignments as necessary.However, students will be notified in advance of any