SOCIOLOGY 120

General Sociology is a freshmen/sophomore level course intended as a prerequisite to a major in sociology and designed to fulfill the Social Science Divisional Distribution requirement in the College of Arts and Sciences. Of particular interest to prospective sociology majors: this course prepares the student for required courses in sociological theory and research. The course focuses on the elaboration of the sociological perspective -- what it is, how it differs from other perspectives, the topics that sociologists study, and the form that research takes under this perspective.

What is sociology? More than 2,000 years ago, Aristotle wrote: “The human is by nature a social animal.” You may be many things as an individual, but above all you are a social creature destined to live your life with other people in society. Your relationships with others lie at the core of your existence. You were conceived within a relationship, were born into relationships, became genuinely human in relationships, and live your life within relationships. You cannot be a human all by yourself. What you think, how you feel, and what you say and do are fashioned by your interaction with other people in group settings. It is the web of meanings, expectations, behavior, and institutional arrangements that result when people interact one another in society that is the stuff of sociology. Sociology is the scientific study of society, and more particularly, the study of human organization – not just formal organizations such as the University of Tennessee, but the ways in which humans organize themselves to accomplish the tasks of society.

Why study sociology? Because sociology illuminates the human experience. It invites us to examine aspects of the social environment that we often ignore, neglect, or take for granted. By studying sociology we can achieve a better grasp of how our society is organized, where power lies, what beliefs channel our behavior, and how our society has come to be what it is. Sociology provides a unique perspective that encourages us to look behind the outer aspects of social life and discern its inner structure – to suspend the belief that things are simply as they seem. Sociology equips us with a special form of consciousness this consciousness helps us to better understand the social forces we confront, especially those that constrain us and free us. By looking at social arrangements in imaginative and fresh ways, we gain a new vision of the social experience. The old, familiar, and even comfortable ways we have for viewing life change. We find that the society into which we are born shapes our identities, personalities, emotions, thought processes and fortunes in countless ways. Indeed, the structures of society become the structures of our own consciousness. Sociologist Peter Berger says: “Society does not stop at the surface of our skins. Society penetrates us as much as it envelops us.” Sociology challenges us to go beyond appearances and to peer behind the masks that people and organizations wear.

Another reason for studying sociology is that, by understanding the society in which we live, we can gain fuller insights into ourselves. Sociologist C. Wright Mills termed this capacity the sociological imagination – the ability to see our lives, concerns, problems, and hopes as entwined within the larger social and historical context in which we live. He said we typically go about our daily activities bounded by a rather narrow orbit. Our viewpoint is limited to the close-up scenes of our school, job, family, and neighborhood. The sociological imagination allows us to break out from this limited vision and discern the relationship between our personal experiences and the social world around us.

By gaining a new vision of the social experience and using your sociological imagination, you begin to develop your capacity for critical thinking. What is critical thinking? Critical thinking is reflective skepticism about a given subject matter – in this case, sociology and society. The term “reflective skepticism” may sound somewhat pretentious, but it simply means that you ask some important questions before you accept a statement as true. For instance, if someone claims that the crime rate is rising, you might ask: “What makes you think so? Where did you get that information?” If you see an editorial in a newspaper with the headline “Welfare Robs People of Their Dignity,” you might wonder, “How did the author come to that conclusion? What makes him or her think so?”

Many social practices and problems have implications for our personal lives. For example, when you entered college, you may have wondered why so many forms had to be filled out before you were “officially enrolled,” and why even more forms were required before you could obtain student housing or a loan. And, if you’ve ever tried to add a class after the official enrollment period was over, you might have encountered someone in authority who would not let you do what you wanted to do, because of some silly rule. Early sociologist Max Weber thought that such bureaucratic practices would become endemic in modern society – and he was right.

Critically thinking about our own personal experiences often leads us to important sociological questions. The questions we ask about society and sociology determine the answers we get. Ask a good critical question, and you have pointed the search for an answer in the right direction. Ask a misleading question, and the answer, even if quickly and correctly discovered, is still misleading. Thus, the ability to frame the right question is an important component of critical thinking.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

The major objectives of this course in General Sociology are these:

1. to equip you with a special form of consciousness that aids in your understanding of the social forces that constrain us and free us and facilitates a new vision of the social experience;

2. to develop your sociological imagination so that you see the relationship between your personal experiences and the social world;

3. to enhance your ability for critical thinking;

4. to provide information on careers in sociology;

5. to provide understanding of and practice with fundamental concepts in sociological analysis;

6. and to improve your abilities in thinking, writing, and discussion.

Sociology is not " common sense" but rigorous, reflexive thinking and empirical testing about how the social world works and why. The development of this type of thinking is facilitated by class discussions, small group discussions, reading, and writing. The format of the course, then, is designed to create that environment. Although General Sociology is not designated as a writing emphasis course, students will be regularly required to express their understanding and interpretation of the course material in written form. You must read the assigned material prior to the class meeting. I will lecture on the readings and we will also discuss them in class, but my lectures will also draw on outside materials. In-class assignments constitute a significant proportion of total course points. Therefore, regular attendance and participation in class are advisable.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

1. Ten Questions: A Sociological Perspective, 4^th edition, by Joel M. Charon. 2001. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. ISBN 0-534-57051-8.

2. The Meaning of Sociology, 7^th edition, by Joel M. Charon. 2002. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0-13-033-675-0.

3. The Meaning of Sociology: A Reader, by Joel M. Charon. 2002. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0-13-033676-9.

4. Social Things: An Introduction to the Sociological Life, by Charles Lemert. 1997. New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 0-8476-8539-X.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Your final course grade will be based on: three multiple choice exams; three essay exams; 10 short essays written in class; and a variety of in-class work.

The three multiple choice exams will cover reading and lecture materials on the ten sociological questions. The exams are worth 25, 30, and 20 points, respectively. I’ll provide handouts with terms/concepts, discussion questions, and lecture outlines to aid in exam preparation. Additionally, you may bring a cheat sheet to class for the exams that must consist of a 4X6 index card with anything you want written on it.

The three essay exams cover sociological theory and sociological research, each for 20 points. No readings are required – the exams will be based on lectures only. The final exam is a 20-point essay on Lemert’s book. You’ll be provided with an item pool prior to each essay exam and you may use a cheat sheet.

As indicated on the course schedule, students are required at the beginning of a class period to write a brief, in-class summary essay on each of the 10 questions. You may use your books and notes to write the essays. The essays will be graded as 0 points, 2 points, or 4 points for a total possible 40 points.

The in-class work will include: Collaborative Learning Groups, in which a question is posed, students work alone writing, then work in groups to collaborate on an answer to the question; Think-Pair-Share assignments in which students respond individually to a question or problem, then pair with another student to share ideas and report them to the class; and Group Discussions in which students work in small groups to answer study questions. These assignments will be graded as Pass/Fail and will count for a total of 15 points.

A summary of course requirements follows:

3 MC exams @ 25, 30, 20 = 75 points for 40% of total course grade

3 essay exams @ 20 = 60 points for 32% of total course grade

10 essays @ 4 = 40 points for 21% of total course grade

Pass/Fail work = 15 points for 9% of total course grade

=190 points

The total number of points available for the course is 190. Course grades will be assigned according to the norm (90% of the total points = A; 80% of the total pints = B; etc.)

Please note: if you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a documented disability or if you have emergency information to share, please contact the Office of Disability Services at 191 Hoskins Library at 974-6087. This will insure that you are properly registered for services.

SCHEDULE OF CLASS ACTIVITIES

R Aug 22 Syllabus

Student Questionnaire

T Aug 27 PART I: 10 SOCIOLOGICAL QUESTIONS

QUESTION 1: How do sociologists study society?

Read before class:

TQ ch1: Researching the World

Charon text ch1: The Discipline of Sociology

Charon text ch 1: Sociology as a Perspective: How Sociologists Think

Charon reader: #1, #2, #3

5 minute essay

Summary Lecture Q1

Lecture 1: “Common Sense vs a Science of Human Behavior”

R Aug 29 Lecture 1: “Common Sense vs a Science of Human Behavior”

Think-Pair-Share on reader (see handout)

T Sep 3 QUESTION 2: What does it mean to be human?

Read before class:

TQ ch2: Human Nature, Society, and Culture.

Charon text ch3: Humans Are Embedded in Social Organization.

Charon reader: #8, #12, #38.

5 minute essay

Summary Lecture Q2

Lecture 2: “Unique Individuals and Social Beings”

R Sep 5 Write term definitions (see handout)

Exercise (see handout)

T Sep 10 QUESTION 3: How is society possible?

Read before class:

TQ ch3: The Basis for Social Order.

Charon text ch4: Social Structure.

Charon text ch6: Culture.

Charon text ch7: Social Institutions.

Charon reader: #17, #19, #21.

5 minute essay

Summary Lecture Q3

R Sep 12 Lecture 3: “Social Structure is Real”

Think-Pair-Share/Group exercise (see handout)

T Sep 17 EXAM 1 (25 points)

QUESTION 4: Why are people unequal in society?

Read before class:

TQ ch4: The Origin and Perpetuation of Social Inequality.

Charon text ch5: Inequality in Society.

Charon text ch10: Social Power.

Charon reader: #27, #28, #33, #35, #37, #58, #59.

Summary Lecture Q4

R Sep 19 5 minute essay

Lecture 4: “Social Class and You”

Write term definitions/Exercise (see handout)

T Sep 24 Lecture 4: “Social Class and You”

Write term definitions/Exercise (see handout)

R Sep 26 QUESTION 5: Why do we believe what we do?

Read before class:

TQ ch5: The Creation of Social Reality.

Charon reader: #44.

5 minute essay

Summary Lecture Q5

Lecture 5: “You’ve Come A Long Way, Maybe”

T Oct 1 Lecture 5: “You’ve Come A Long Way, Maybe”

Group discussions/Think-Pair-Share (see handout)

R Oct 3 QUESTION 6: Are human beings free?

Read before class:

TQ ch6: The Possibility for Freedom in Society.

Charon text ch11: Symbols, Self, and Mind: Our Active Nature.

5 minute essay

Summary Lecture Q6

T Oct 8 Lecture 6: “Freedom versus Social Order”

Think-Pair-Share (see handout)

R Oct 10 FALL BREAK

T Oct 15 EXAM 2 (30 points)

QUESTION 7: Why can’t everyone be just like us?

Read before class:

TQ ch7: The Dilemma of Ethnocentrism.

Summary Lecture Q7

R Oct 17 5 minute essay

Group discussions

T Oct 22 QUESTION 8: Why is there misery in the world?

Read before class:

TQ ch8: Society as an Important Source of Human Problems.

Charon reader: #50.

5 minute essay

Summary Lecture Q8

5 minute essay

Summary Lecture Q9

R Oct 24 EXAM 3 (20 points)

PART II: SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY AND RESEARCH

Lecture: Sociological Theory

No readings.

T Oct 29-31 Lecture: Sociological Theory

T Nov 5 EXAM 4 (20 points)

R Nov 7-14 Lecture: Sociological Research

No readings.

T Nov 19 EXAM 5 (20 points)

Social Things: An Introduction to the Sociological Life, by Charles Lemert