SOCO 1301:1 - INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY September - December 2016 Instructor: Janice Drodge Classes: Mon & Weds 1:00 - 2:15pm Office: CC 239 Classroom: B 228 Office Phone: 563-1259 Office Hours: Mon & Weds 2:30 3:30; Email: [email protected] Tues, Weds, & Thurs 11:30 - 12:30 _____________________________________________________________________ SOCO 1301 - Introduction to Sociology Credits: 3. This course can be used to satisfy the requirements for Group 3 of the BA Core but is open to all degree students. It also serves as one of the prerequisites for upper-level courses in sociology and/or anthropology/sociology offered by this department. Exclusions: A student with previous credit for AN/S 110, AN/S 1200, or equivalent, should not enrol in SOCO 1301. COURSE DESCRIPTION Sociology is “the social science that studies the development, structure, and functioning of human society”. It involves “looking for and looking at patterns” of social behaviour in order to understand the complex relationship between the social worlds that we inhabit and our collective and individual experiences. [Steckley & Letts:7,8] This course will introduce you to some of the key concepts, theoretical perspectives, and methodologies employed by sociologists and focus on a variety of issues such as socialization and social interaction, social inequalities, and gender and sexuality. OBJECTIVES • To become familiar with the basic analytic concepts, techniques, and vocabulary of the discipline of sociology • To examine and challenge many of the taken-for-granted assumptions and attitudes that ground our everyday lives. • To explore the world that you already “know best” from an angle that may make even the mundane and ordinary routines of everyday life appear intricate, complex, and extraordinary. • To develop an appreciation for diversity by recognizing that different world views are not necessarily inferior or bad but rather reflect different contexts • To foster critical thinking skills • To develop and use your “sociological imagination” and to learn to view the world as sociologists do REQUIRED TEXTS * Steckley, John & Guy Kirby Letts., 2013, Elements of Sociology: A Critical Canadian Introduction (3rd Edition), Toronto: Oxford University Press. Brym, Robert., 2015, Sociology as a Life or Death Issue (3rd Canadian Edition), Toronto: Nelson. * Both texts were required during the 2015/2016 academic year and a limited number of used copies should be available. New and used copies of both are available in the campus

Bookstore. ASSIGNED READING Please refer regularly to the schedule of topics and readings attached. The work that we do in class is largely based on the material covered in the assigned reading. My job is to provide you with the means to understand and apply the concepts, ideas, and language you will find in the readings; your job is to read the material so that we have a common starting point for our in-class interactions. While I cannot make you do the readings - or come to class - I can point out that your engagement with, and ultimate success in this course, are significantly dependent on your keeping up with the readings and coming to class. MOODLE Course handouts, important reminders, and items of interest relating to the material presented in class (e.g., links to film clips) will be posted on the Moodle site for this course. To access, go to the CBU home page, click on the link for “Current Students”, select “Moodle” and follow the instructions provided. If you are unable to login to Moodle, please phone or email the IT Services Help Desk at 563-1123 ([email protected]) FILMS, YouTube Clips, etc. A variety of films, clips, images, etc. will be employed in the course to highlight concepts covered in the lectures and/or assigned reading. I may provide a handout (or information sheet) to accompany the longer presentations, but you are advised to take notes as well. This material - like the lectures and readings - will be a basis for class discussions and exam questions. EVALUATION 1. Quiz # 1 (Wednesday, October 12)*.............................................................................. 25% 2. Quiz # 2 (Wednesday, November 9)*............................................................................ 30% 3. Final Exam: (December Exam Period/TBA)*................................................................. 35% 4. Participation & Attendance**........................................................................................... 10% * The first quiz will test on material covered from the start of the course; each subsequent test will address material covered from the date of the previous quiz to the class period immediately preceding the test date. In other words, once you have been tested on material in Week 3 (for example), you will not be tested on this material in a subsequent exam. The tests will be mixed format - i.e., multiple choice, matching, true/false, short answer and/or essay questions. More emphasis will be placed on essays in the final exam, and the essay questions will be distributed in advance during the last week of classes. Adequate preparation for the tests in this course involves three important responsibilities on your part: (1) Attending classes; (2) Keeping up with the assigned reading; and (3) Consulting with me concerning any problems you may be having with the course material. Students who take this advice seriously should expect to do well in this course

Please take note of the dates indicated and bear in mind that I will not reschedule tests for students who “forget” or choose to skip class on the day of a scheduled test. I am also not prepared to make arrangements for the administering of tests - either before or after the scheduled date - in order to accommodate students’ mid-term or end-of-term travel plans. Exceptions will be considered only in the case of a genuine (and verifiable) emergency, for which documentation must be provided. Check the test dates BEFORE you make travel plans or book tickets.

Missing a Test: If you miss a test due to serious illness or some other significant family or personal emergency, please notify me. Under certain conditions, a “make-up” or deferred exam may be approved. These conditions include, (a); your having a valid and verifiable reason, and (b); consultation with me prior to the test date - or, in an emergency, as soon as possible thereafter. Documentation must be provided. If you miss a test and do not contact me and/or provide the requested documentation, a grade of 0 will be awarded for that test. THERE WILL BE NO SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMS OR EXTRA-CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS IN THIS COURSE. THIS POLICY APPLIES TO ALL STUDENTS. **Participation and Attendance: I take class participation and attendance seriously, and so should you. Much of the critical/analytical work for this course takes place in and through our interactions in the classroom. You cannot participate in the in-class dialogue - either as a speaker or as an active listener - if you are not there. NOTE: Credit for attendance and/or participation will not be given to students who show up to sign the attendance sheet and leave before class is over, or for those who habitually show up late and/or leave early. Credit will also not be awarded to students who ignore the course policy on electronic devices - see below. CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE As adult learners, you are ultimately responsible for (a); deciding whether or not to attend class, and (b); determining the extent to which you are “present” while there. I cannot make you come to class or engage with the material while there, however it is within my authority to ask disruptive students to leave. With that in mind, the following are a few simple rules designed to make the classroom experience a pleasant one for all concerned: Punctuality: Please make every effort to get to class on time. Occasional lateness happens, but habitual lateness is inexcusable. If you must leave early due to an outside appointment, please inform me before class starts. If you arrive late or leave early (for any reason), please make every effort to minimize disrupting class. Phones, ipads, etc: I come to class to help you learn, and I assume that you are here because you want to learn. Using a cell phone or laptop to talk, text, email, or surf the web on non-course related matters is disrespectful to me and to your fellow students. Accordingly, and in conformity with CBU’s Policy on Electronic Devices*, my policy in this course is as follows: The use of phones and other electronic communication devices for texting, talking, gaming, surfing, etc. is prohibited during class. If you need to leave your phone on in “silent/vibrate” mode because of a possible family or emergency situation that you may need to respond to, please speak to me at the start of class to let me know, and please leave the classroom in order to respond to such a call. Laptops are permitted for note-taking only; the use of such devices for work (or play) not related to the material being covered in class is not permitted. Students are not permitted to make recordings of any kind without obtaining my permission to do so. I expect and appreciate your cooperation in adhering to this policy * The full text of CBU’s Electronic Devices Policy is found in the Academic Regulations section of the Calendar.

Speaking Out in Class: If you have a question or comment to make, please address the instructor and/or the entire class, and not just the person beside you. I expect and encourage students to speak out in class but have no tolerance for private chit-chat during class sessions. The same applies to commentary that is disrespectful to other students or irrelevant to the topic at hand. This classroom must be a space in which people feel free to express their thoughts, but I will not tolerate any circumstance in which an individual feels threatened or fearful of raising questions or expressing ideas. Accommodating Students: Differently-abled students requiring special accommodation should contact me early in the course (by the second week of classes) to discuss any specific needs that must be met to ensure that they have equitable access to the course and its materials. Please also contact the Jennifer Keeping Accessibility Centre (on campus) at 563-1225, or see www.cbu.ca/jkac for available resources. Inclement Weather Policy (Applies to all programs & courses at CBU): In the event of inclement weather, radio stations are notified of CBU campus closure. Campus closure

means the campus is closed and there are no classes for the period of time indicated in the announcement. Morning, afternoon and evening classes may be cancelled separately depending on weather and campus parking conditions. Please note: A campus closure announcement for afternoon classes refers to classes starting at 11:30 a.m. A campus closure announcement for evening classes refers to classes starting at 4:00 p.m. unless otherwise specified. If the campus will reopen, an announcement will be made so that students and employees can plan accordingly. Every attempt is made to send cancellation notices to local radio stations at 7:00 a.m. for morning cancellations; 10:30 a.m. for afternoon cancellations; and 3:00 p.m. for evening cancellations. At such times an icon will appear on the front page of the CBU website specific to campus closure. The same information will be made available through CBU’s Facebook page and Twitter account. Commissionaires will also be notified and a message regarding closure status will be recorded for access through the phone system. To reach this message, call the general CBU phone number at 5395300 and press 9

Class Cancellations for Other Reasons: If the CBU campus is open but I am unable to attend class due to illness or another reason, a notification regarding same will be posted to MOODLE and forwarded automatically to your campus email account. Every effort will be made to provide advance notice of class cancellations to minimize any inconvenience to students that may result. CONSULTATION You are encouraged to consult with me, preferably during scheduled office hours, but at other times as well, regarding any problems or conditions that may be interfering with your progress in this course. Do not hesitate to seek clarification concerning course material that may be troubling you; you will receive a supportive response. I expect and encourage class participation and feedback from students, most especially when it is relevant and/or constructive. However, if you are too shy to ask questions or express opinions during class sessions, please see me before/after class or drop by my office (CC 239) whenever it is mutually convenient. Students are reminded that they are responsible for all materials covered and messages conveyed in class, irrespective of their presence

TOPIC SCHEDULE and ASSIGNED READINGS NOTE: This schedule is somewhat tentative and intended to be flexible. Any changes will be announced in class. Students are expected to keep up to date with the assigned readings and to come to classes prepared to participate in the discussion of same. WEEK 1 - (Sept 12 & 14) - Introduction / Sociology & The Sociological Imagination Assigned Reading: • Course syllabus (yes, the syllabus) • Steckley & Letts, pp. 4-13 and 24-28 (in Ch. 1) • Brym, pp. vii - x (“The Fifth Dimension”) and 137-138 (“Careers”) WEEK 2 - (Sept 19 & 21) - The Sociological Imagination (continued) No new readings WEEKS 3 & 4 - (Sept 26 & 28; Oct 3 & 5) - “Doing Sociology” / Perspectives Assigned Reading: • Steckley & Letts, pp. 13-24 (in Ch. 1) • Brym, “ Sociology as a Life or Death Issue” (pp. 3-11) WEEK 5 - WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12 - QUIZ # 1 (25%) WEEK 6 - (Oct 17 & 19) - “Doing Sociology” / Methods Assigned Reading: • Steckley & Letts, pp. 32-57 (Ch. 2) *Omit pp 45-46* • Brym, pp. 129-137 (“Sociology as a Vocation”) WEEK 7 - (Oct 24 & 26) - Culture(s) and Society Assigned Reading: • Steckley & Letts, pp. 61-87 (Ch. 3) • Brym, pp. 13-31 (“Hip Hop from Caps to Bling”) WEEK 8 - (Oct 31 & Nov 2) - Socialization Assigned Reading: • Steckley & Letts, pp. 89-113 (Ch. 4) WEEK 9 - (Nov 7) - Socialization (Continued) WEEK 9 - WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9 - QUIZ # 2 (30%)

WEEK 10 (Nov 14 & 17) - Social Roles and Social Interaction Assigned Reading: • Steckley & Letts, pp. 115 - 126 (in Ch. 5) • Brym, pp. 33 - 51 (“Explaining Suicide Bombers”) WEEK 11 (Nov 21 & 23) - Gender and Sexuality Assigned Reading: • Steckley & Letts, pp. 227 - 251 (Ch. 9) • Brym, pp. 107 - 127 (“Gender Risk”) WEEK 12 - (Nov 28 & 30) - Gender (Continued) & “Wrap-up” >>>> FINAL EXAM (December Exam Period / Date TBA) - 35%