Sociological Theory / Sociology 3140-090 University of Utah / Summer Semester, 2011 Instructor: Dr. Frank Page Home phone: 278-6413, Office Phone: 581-3075 Office. Rm. 429 Beh. Sci. Office Hours: Wed. Thurs. & Fri. 1:00pm – 3:00 pm, or by appointment. Call or email anytime. Email: [email protected] Course Goals The goal of this course is to introduce undergraduate students to sociological theory in a way that is comprehendible and relevant to issues and developments in the world. This course will emphasize a basic sociological model of society, core sociological concepts, the theorists and theories that developed them, and the application of these theories and concepts to the real world. This knowledge should allow students to see how society influences individual well-being and the way in which individuals may influence society. This information should be a means of empowerment for students that will help them to make enlightened decisions regarding a variety of personal and public issues and problems. Online Course Requirements While this is an online class, I want it to resemble a typical class as much as possible. With that goal in mind, I will have weekly video taped lectures and lecture notes and outlines posted on Blackboard. Students can watch the lectures and download the appropriate lecture notes and refer to them and write on them while watching or listening to the lectures. These lectures will address the core material presented in the class and will complement the text and assigned readings that can be found on E-Reserve. Each lecture will be broken into two twenty- or thirty minute segments. If students have any questions regarding the lectures, they can email me and I will be glad to respond in a timely fashion as often as is necessary. I will also be in my office during office hours and will answer any phone calls or emails directly at that time. Please email me through Blackboard. There is also an online chat room where students can post questions regarding the materials and compare their grasp and interpretation of the ideas put forth in the class with other students. I encourage students to take advantage of the chat room, and get to know other students in the class and if you so desire also set up study groups. Students can also earn 5 extra credit points, as explained below, by participating on the online discussion groups. There will be an online midterm and an online final exam. There is also a paper due at the end of the semester that will be submitted by email. I urge the students to try to stay a week ahead in the readings and not get behind. If you get behind and try to do everything all in one week before an exam, you will not do well. So, stay up with the readings and the class will be more fun and less stressful.Paper Each student must write one five or six page double spaced paper. There are four options for this paper. The first option (A) entails writing a paper about one of the theoretical schools addressed in the class. In this paper the student will summarize a particular school of thought within the field of sociology. This option requires the student to summarize the major assumptions, concepts and theorists associated with the school of thought that they have chosen. The second option (B) calls upon the student to write a paper about a particular theorist and theory. In this paper the student should summarize the theorist's basic conceptual model and highlight its strengths and weaknesses. The third option, (C) entails writing a paper about a particular theoretical book chosen from the suggested readings list. The fourth option (D) entails writing about the basic sociological model put forth in this class. In this paper the student should address the relationship between individual well-being and the nature of society and illuminate the major social forces that influence human behavior and well-being. All of these papers should conclude by addressing the contributions that different theories, paradigms, authors, or books make to sociology and their moral and political significance. They will be due at the end of the semester. The grade a student receives on the papers will reflect the degree to which the student can effectively define, and explain sociological concepts and assumptions and evaluate their relevance to sociological theory and important moral and political issues. Exams and Grading There will be a midterm and a final. The exams will be given online, and they will be made up of multiple choice, fill in the blank, true-false questions. Each exam will cover lectures and assigned readings, and will be worth 70 points. There will be 5 bonus extra credit questions on each exam. Before each exam there will be an online review and time for the instructor to respond to any emailed questions concerning the exam. The paper is worth 60 points. That makes a total of 200 points for the class. However, students can also receive a 5 extra credit bonus points given for participation in online discussion groups. To receive these extra-credit participation points, simply log on to the Discussions Section five times during the semester and either post a question or respond to a question or issue put forth by another student. Students can also receive an additional five extra credit points by watching one of the suggested videos online and writing a one to two page summary. These must be turned in before finals begin. Feel free to call the instructor regarding any questions or problems. The text for this course is straight-forward and readable, and the e-reserve readings are short, usually less than five to six pages, and to the point. Students are advised to stay a week ahead on the readings and be prepared to take the exams when they are assigned. There are no readings for the last week of class. During this time students should be completing their papers and preparing for the final. Exam and Paper Dates Online Midterm for Module One: Wednesday June 15th through Thursday the 16th. Papers due Friday July 29th. Email them to on Blackboard or drop them off at my office. Online Final for Module Two: Wed. August 3rd. through Thursday August 4thSpecial Instructions for Summer Semester VIP! Because this course is normally taught over seventeen weeks, the lectures and readings are organized on the basis of seventeen normal calendar weeks.