Sociology 205

Sociology, Eighth Edition...by Jon M. Shepard

Black Like Me...by John Howard Griffin
Click on title to read a short description of the book

TSS Online Materials

1/14....6 (Formal Organizations-pp. 156-170) and 13 (Authority/Power-pp.369-371)

1/21....NO CLASS---MLK Jr. Day

1/28....8 (Social Stratification)

2/04....8 and 9 (Race & Ethnicity)

2/11....9

2/18....NO CLASS---President's Day

2/25....10 (Gender & Age)

3/04....10 and 13 (Political Economy)

3/11....13 and 17 (Collective Behavior-pp.512-526) and Conclusion

3/18....FINALS WEEK

ANALYSIS PAPERS

There will be two (2) required Analysis Papers...one at the beginning and one at the end of the course...each worth 20 points (10 for doing it and 10 to be evaluated). Topics are HERE.

MESSAGE BOARD ENTRIES

You will be required to write three (3) entries on the SOC 205 Message Board...each worth 20 pts (10 for doing, 10 evaluated). Instructions are HERE.

BOOK REPORT

You will have a Book Report on BLACK LIKE ME...worth 100 points. Instructions are HERE.

INTERNET RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT

There will be an Internet Research Assignmnet worth 100 points. Instructions are HERE.

FINAL EXAM

There will be a comprehensive take-home essay test...with both general and specific questions...worth 100 points.

We're going to be covering various areas of "inequality" in this course...primarily class structures, racism, sexism, and political/economic... so maybe the best place to start is with "Equality." What is it...what isn't it? Some say its absolutely necessary, some say its not possible, some say its not desirable, and some say "inequality" is simply a fact of human existence...i.e. inevitable. Regardless, to even grasp what inequality is...we need to grasp what equality is, too, right?
Alexander Liazos gives a different slant on this important concept...in the short piece entitled "Equality (doesn't equal) Sameness. Read it and comment on it...giving a brief summary of your current views as it applies to the areas mentioned above. Just why do we tend to equate "equality" with "sameness"? Why do we have such a difficult time with "differences"? Why are we seemingly obsessed with "ranking" and notions of superiority and inferiority? The questions could go on forever about this...I'd like to see what you can make of it as we begin our course...give it a try, it won't hurt.

ANALYSIS PAPER #2

I want you to assess/analyze yourself in terms of how well or not so well you feel you met the Course Objectives for this course. There are 9 objectives...cover them all...maybe some in more depth than others. Give it a serious attempt...don't just scribble a paragraph or two. There's nothing "right or wrong" about this...so your attempt will be the primary standard in evaluating them.

You are going to need access to a Computer for this course with access to the Internet. Whether its your own computer, your parent‘s, one in a Lab, a friend's computer, or one at a Library, they're not that difficult to find these days.

That means you'll need to have or to learn a basic minimum of skills in navigating the Internet. It's a tool that's quickly become a necessity in today's world...especially as it relates to academics. If you have no experience in doing this, don’t worry, there's plenty of help available...especially at LCC (Social Science Lab is on the 4th floor of Center Bldg) (and each Community Learning Center has a computer lab available) and on the Internet itself. I've put a link under DETAILS (above) to a "beginners" tutorial which takes you through it step by step. I’m also willing to help get you started, if necessary.

ALSO, you will need an EMAIL address for this course. There will be occasions I may need to email you individually as well as the class as a whole. Likewise, you may need to email me with questions or information and possibly, an assignment. If you don't have an Email account, please get one SOON...it is a requirement of the course, not an option. Many are free, such as Yahoo and Hotmail...and these can be accessed on any computer, anywhere. I will be glad to assist you in setting one up...just ask me. IF you already have one (or when you get one), please send me a message (indicating your name---sometimes usernames don’t reveal that) so I can enter your address into my address book and create the class list. Send it to socshop@yahoo.com Please pay prompt attention to this matter...Thanks.

Why? Besides being an immensely rich and important source of all sorts of information, the Internet provides the opportunity for providing reading material for academic classes...making materials accessible to anyone...anytime. This also cuts down on the amount of copying necessary...saving paper and money. My own website, The Sociology Shop, will be an integral component of this course...it will have a “room” for our class, links to required reading materials, a Message Board for our class, and the details of the course...including assignments and instructions you will need, plus, of course, due dates. The Required Reading Materials...beyond the textbook...in effect substitute for asking you to buy a Reader, thus saving you money. Thus you need to become familiar with The Sociology Shop in general as well as familiar with our “Sociology 204 Room”...which you are “in” right now.

In order to facilitate the expression of your own perspective and to hear what others are thinking, too...I've created a Message Board for our class. You will be required to post three (3) messages during this course...on topics of your own choosing, from the ones I post for consideration. Each of these will be worth 20 points (10 for just doing it and the other 10 will be evaluated by me).

In addition to other uses and purposes (described on the portal page to the Message Board), here's how this assignment will work:

Each Sunday evening I will post a topic, a question, a quote, or even a short piece to read from the Internet. What I want is your reaction to and analysis of what I post.

During the quarter, you can pick the three you choose to respond to...and all of them need to be done by the last day of class, March 11th.

You will choose a "code name" which only you and I know...using it to post your three messages. I believe anonymity is the best policy here in order to allow people to express themselves without fear of personal reaction from anyone else in the class. Do NOT use this code name for any posting other than for this assignment. You will not be required to submit an email address, either.

Although responses to other's posts will NOT count as one of your three required messages, if you choose to respond to something someone has said, I will keep track of those and let "extra credit" build up for you. You're certainly not required to respond, but if you do so in direct relation to another's message, you'll be rewarded for doing so.

Length is always an arbitrary factor and I'd rather not dictate a certain length. However, I fully expect something more than a few sentences. If you write very little and expect me to evaluate the 10 points fully, you'll be a bit disappointed. Try to choose your topics to respond to with care...choosing those which you truly have something to say about, eh?

I will post the first one...clearly labeling it as a topic...on 1/13. That means there will be a total of nine (9) posted...through the last week of the quarter. Please try not to let this build up to the last minute...do them over a period of time, thereby allowing all of us to read and consider your remarks. You may, of course, "go back" and do one you passed over before...but, once it is posted, it is posted...no replacing of posts will be permitted.