2023-Fall-SOC-101-ONLIN-WNT-02-14601-Intro to Sociology

The final syllabus will be available in the Learning Management System.

This is a past syllabus providing a general idea of what the course entails. This does not represent the current course's syllabus, requirements or expectations.

Course Overview

This course will introduce the discipline of sociology. We will explore core sociological concepts, practice thinking and speaking sociologically, and discuss past and present sociological research. The course is designed to accomplish three goals:

1. You will develop a foundational understanding of sociology that will enable you to succeed in advanced sociological course work in the future.
2. You will learn to view yourself and the world around you from a sociological perspective. You will enhance your abilities in your primary field of academic study by enabling yourself to add a sociological perspective when and where appropriate.
3. You will contribute to and benefit from collective learning with the class by participating in dialogue and collaborative work with your peers regarding sociological concepts and topics.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

This course is an introduction to the discipline of Sociology. Sociology is a social science that uses the scientific method to study human society, from interactions between individuals to global social trends. In this course, you will learn the vocabulary of sociology, you'll learn major sociological theory, and you'll learn a great many facts about the social world. You'll learn to think from a sociological perspective and to apply that perspective to a variety of social institutions and phenomena, from parts of your everyday life to aspects of society you've never considered before. You'll practice writing and thinking about sociology, and you'll learn from your peers through a series of discussion assignments. This course will prepare you for further sociological coursework, and it will provide you a sociological perspective with which to view your life, your future work, and society as a whole.

This course is a WSU SSCI UCORE course. SSCI courses teach students how social sciences apply empirical principles and methods to understand human beings as social agents in cultural, group, and individual contexts. They do so by familiarizing students with the methods of inquiry appropriate to the discipline as well as the key concepts and major paradigms in the social sciences. Students in SSCI courses learn to identify and understand relevant source material and to evaluate empirical research and conceptual theories, often by analyzing current issues through the lens of social science disciplines.

UCORE [SSCI]

This course is a WSU SSCI UCORE course. SSCI courses teach students how social sciences apply empirical principles and methods to understand human beings as social agents in cultural, group, and individual contexts. They do so by familiarizing students with the methods of inquiry appropriate to the discipline as well as the key concepts and major paradigms in the social sciences. Students in SSCI courses learn to identify and understand relevant source material and to evaluate empirical research and conceptual theories, often by analyzing current issues through the lens of social science disciplines.

Expected Learning Outcomes and Evaluation Methods

Course Work ■■■■

Class Readings

The course runs for 3 weeks. The course readings have been grouped by lesson. Each lesson, students will be asked to complete a selected set of reading that will include a chapter from the textbook as well as external sources such as news articles, scientific articles, and more. Please complete these readings before contributing to class discussions or taking quizzes. Students are encouraged to take careful notes as they read. Please contact the professor with any questions that may arise during your assigned reading.

■Daily Discussions (30%)

In addition to readings, students are asked to participate in discussion assignments. There are 10 discussion assignments in total, worth 10 points each. To earn full credit, craft a thoughtful response to the week’s discussion prompt, and post your response on the discussion forum. Then, respond to one other students’ discussion post. This will facilitate discussion, allowing us to learn from one another as we explore the complex world of sociology. If your response is not engaging and does not contribute scholarly to the discussion, you will not receive full credit. Discussion assignments have no length requirement, I will grade your content. It is a good idea to write your response first in MS Word or another word processing platform, as anything written in a Canvas text input box will remain unsaved until posted and will be lost after any browser error. Weekly discussions must use correct grammar and citations. Try to develop a full, thoughtful, educated response to the prompt. If you find yourself struggling to achieve the grade you desire, contact your instructor for help.

■Quizzes (25%)

There will be five quizzes, each worth 20 points. See the course schedule for quiz dates. The quizzes will cover the assigned readings. Students are encouraged to use the textbook as a resource during quizzes, but make sure to keep an eye on your allotted time. Students will have half an hour to complete each quiz.

■Essay (15%)

Students will be asked to complete one essay during the final week of the course. The essay will be 3-5 double-spaced pages in length, and should be written at a college level. Students are expected to write in complete paragraphs, use formal academic language, and to develop a coherent argument that responds to the essay prompt. Citations are required. Guidance in writing academically and using proper ASA citations can be found in the Supplementary Materials module. More information will be provided in due course of time.

■Exams (30%)

There will be two exams: a Midterm Exam (15%) and a Final Exam (15%). The Final Exam will not be cumulative. These exams will test students’ understanding of the readings and core concepts. Students are encouraged to use the textbook as a resource during exams, but make sure to keep an eye on your allotted time. Students will have 3 hours to complete each exam. Each exam is worth 100 points.

Grading

Monitoring your progress as you progress through the course will improve your final grade. Since assignments can be turned in up to three days late, grades will be posted four days after the due date. Use this table to keep track of your grade: