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Principles of Sociology
The Sociology of Hip-Hop

SCOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE-Principles of Soc. 100/Hip-Hop/Spr98

Alan L. Joplin, Instructor
Book: Society the Basic-Fourth Edition. John Macionis-Prentice Hall
Sat. 1:00 pm. to 4:00 pm./Room 1400

COURSE DESCRIPTION: An introduction to the principles of sociological analysis, the dynamics of the community, culture and society will be studied using the Hip-Hop Nation and Rap Music as its source. Emphasis is placed upon norms, status's, organizations, roles and their relationships in institutions and the society at large. Sociological and interdisciplinary approaches will be employed to consider debates over the nature of "Hip-Hop Culture," and the nature of cultural hierarchy, the relationship between culture and commodities, "Americanization" and the way in which popular cultural forms are tranformed in the movement from local to global markets.

COURSE GOALS: Students will acquire a familiarity with the basic sociological theories and research methods and be able to apply them to concrete problem settings in the case of this class the social world of the Hip-Hop Nation.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Week 1/January 17

Review of syllabus

Group Preparation for Final Class Activity " The 2nd Great Hip-Hop Debate. The class be broken up into two groups. Group1-Pro Hip-Hop. This group will defend the virtues of hip-hop and its place in our modern day society and will answer the cultural question "yes this is a culture". Group 2-Againest Hip-Hop. No it is not a culture and it does more harm to the society then good.

Background and Historical Perspective of Rap Music from 1850 to 1970

Topics: The Sociological Perspective, Investigations, Culture, Society, and Socialization. Rap Music and Hip-Hop Culture in Contemporary America.

Week 2/January 24
Week 3/January 31

Background and Historical Perspective of Rap Music from 1970 to present

Topics continues: The Sociological Perspective, Investigations, Culture, Society, and Socialization. Rap Music and Hip-Hop Culture in Contemporary America.

Development of Debate Questions. (see Week 6/Feb.21)

Week 4/February 7

Topic: Groups and Organizations: The Production of Culture in the Music Industry.
Topic: Deviance: Gangsta Rap and Visions of Black Violence

Guest Speakers: Matt McDowel-Gang Intervention, Family Resources/Davenport and Harry Cribs-Solutions Program, Scott County Family YMCA/Davenport

 Test 1-Using sociologicial concepts select a popular rap song and analize it. You must use one of the paridims in this analysis to explain your position. You must also use backup material for the chapers to support your position. I will provide you with an example prior to the examination.

Week 5/February 14 Topics: Social Stratification, Class, Race and Ethnicity: Fight the Power-Rap, Race and Reality. Guest Speaker: George Guy, Hip-Hop Producer and DJ/Davenport

Week 6/February 21 Topic: Global Stratification: African Rap to Global Hip-Hop

Final Draft of Debate Questions Due.

Week 7/February 28 Topic: Sex, Gender, Aging and the Elderly.
Week 8/March 7 Topic: Sex, Gender, Aging and the Elderly. Guest Speaker to be named

Spring Brake March 9-14/ No Class-Debate Preparation Day

Week 9/March 21 Topic: Economy, Work, Politics and Government: Hip-Hop Music, politics, policies and institutions. Guest Speaker to be named

Week 10/March 28 Topic: Family and Education. Guest Speaker to be named.
Week 11/April 4 Topic: Religion: Sacred Music in the Secular City

April 14/Test 2-Using sociological concepts analize a select artical on rap music or the Hip-Hop Nation. You must use backup material for the chapters to support your position.

Week 12/April 11 Topic: Population and Urbanization: Rap and Race in the Urban Present.

Week 13/April 18 Topic: Collective Behavior and Social Movement: Hip Hop
culture as an agent of social change

Week 14/April 25 Topic: Social Change: Hip-Hop and the Politics of Post modernism
Week 15/May 2 Topic: Open

Week 16/May 9 Final Exam-The final will take the form of a student debate. You will have the whole semester to prepare for this activity. The debate will be held in the student activity center and out side judges will be called upon to assist in this process. You will be graded on how well you use sociological concepts to explain you position. Questions will be developed prior to mid-terms which will give each group ample time to prepare.

May 15/Term Ends

Class Work: Assigned reading in the text book, papers and debate are required. Test:Test must be turned in on the assigned dates.

Grading Procedures: Your grade for the semester will come from the four areas listed below: Attendance/Letter grade given(There are 16 class sessions. You can not be penalized for not coming but, I can reward those who do come.) Class Participation/Letter grade given (Participation is important to this class and to me. If you are not here you can not participate and will graded accordingly)

Paper/Letter grade given
Debate: Group Grade/Letter grade given
Particapation/Letter grade given
Tests/Letter grade given

I do not keep office hours at Scott but, special appointments are certainly possible. However, if you need to speak with me for any reason , I can be reached at 336-5210.If you would like to leave a message for me, please call 441-4200 an operator will ask for my extension 5210 enter it. Leave your message and hang up.

E-mail: ajoplin@eiccd.cc.ia.us or vtribe@usa.net




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Original file name: hhspr98 - Updated January 10, 1998