The purpose of this course is to introduce you to theoretical approaches of sociology. This course will emphasize the subject areas below.

We will also discuss theories and methods of sociological research.

• To understand the concept of the sociological imagination and the difference between personal troubles and social conditions.
• To understand the basic sociological paradigms: structural-functional, social-conflict, and symbolic-interaction.
• To understand the scientific methods used by sociologists and how they gather information about the social world.
• To identify the components of culture and the role of language in the transmission of culture.
• To understand the meaning and implications of socialization as the process of creating social beings.
• To understand the various sociological explanations of deviance and distinguish between primary and secondary deviance.
• To understand the central concepts of social stratification such as class, caste, ascribed and achieved status, opens and closed societies, and social mobility.
• To analyze theories of race and ethnic inequality.
• To be able to differentiate between sex and gender and apply this distinction to debates about gender inequality.

Students must be able to read and write at the college level. Students will be expected to write and express themselves in good grammatical, concise, and Standard English. Poor grammar will affect your participation in group discussions and the written homework assignments. Grades will be based on writing skills, presentation, thoroughness, and timeliness.

Exam #1 chapters 1-4

Exam #2 chapters 5-8

Exam #3 chapters 9-12

Exam #4 chapters 13-16

In this course, students will be required to

· Write a research paper.

· Complete written assignments.

· Take chapter exams.

· Participate in bulletin board group discussions.

Additional Requirements:

This is a distance-learning course. To enroll in this course and be successful, students must have access to their own computer with graphic Web browser and will have to contract with an Internet service provider. Students must know how to navigate WebCT, address technical problems immediately, and check and read e-mail every day for bulletin board postings and general announcements. Students enrolled in this course must complete all requirements as outlined in the syllabus in order to receive a grade.

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course:

 http://rodp.bkstr.com

The RODP Minimum Requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm

The RODP Minimum Requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm.

Microsoft Word is a mandatory requirement for this class. All students are required to use Microsoft Word for all written assignments.

Students will be required to take four examinations online, three written assignments, and a bulletin board discussion. Cheating on exams and assignments will result in a grade of "F" in the course. Cheating in this class means giving or receiving help on an exam or assignments and plagiarizing papers. Exams will only be reset without penalty if and only if there is an RODP systems failure.

Letter grades will be based on the accumulated points.

• Class participation in the bulletin board discussion is mandatory.
• Check the bulletin board and e-mail messages frequently.
• Students are required to communicate with other students during discussion.
• Learn how to navigate Webct.
• Keep abreast of bulletin board and E-mail announcements.
• Use the Webct class e-mail only in communicating with me.
• Address technical problems immediately.
• Adhere to due dates for exams and assignments.
• Purchase textbooks for the course immediately.
• The Instructor will only accept assignments which are sent as Microsoft Word document attachments.
• Be courteous to other students during class discussion.
• Use standard fonts and headings (preferably Times New Roman, point size14).
• Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, and HTML should be avoided.
• Try to maintain threads by using the "reply" button rather than starting a new topic.
• Be considerate and respectful of other classmates' opinions.
• Think before responding to a discussion.
• Introduce yourself to others in the discussion bulletin.
• E-mail the instructor ahead of time should you experience any difficulty.

Library

Web Resources

Columbia Guide to Online Style by Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor

http://www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides/

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/subject/ss/socio/asastyle.html

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/cgos/idx_basic.html

http://college.nytimes.com/guests/directory/Social_Sciences/Sociology/

http://www.pop.psu.edu/ASR/asr.htm

http://www.asan http et.org/student/student.html

http://www.asanet.org/pubs/pubs.html

 FREE NEW YORK TIMES

Check out the New York Times for current events related to sociology:

http://college.nytimes.com/guests/directory/Social_Sciences/Sociology/

Students With Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor. Special accommodations will only be provided upon receiving a letter from the disability office and is not retroactive.

Student must e-mail the instructor to discuss the type of accommodation needed.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes by posting notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board. This is one more reason to check the bulletin board frequently. The instructor will hold you liable to changes posted on the bulletin board.

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