PHONE:
OFFICE: Room D322, Cornish Hall
E-MAIL: KendrickR {at} Cortland(.)Edu
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday and Thursday: 9:30- 10 a. m., Wednesday: 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 2-3 p.m., And by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION

We will develop an understanding of sociological concepts for analyzing the social structure of the United States: its culture, institutions, and hierarchies. We will compare the structure of American society with social structures in other societies. We will use these concepts and comparisons to explore contemporary issues in the United States, such as, what is happening to families, children, women and men, the work world, and education. A theme which runs through the course is, how is power distributed in U.S. society? What are the consequences of this distribution? Can we do better?

This course includes a service-learning component. Students will complete a volunteer assignment of at least 20 hours with the Cortland Student Volunteer Project (CSVP).

TEXTS

Joan Ferrante, Sociology: A Global Perspective, Fourth Edition
Susan J. Ferguson, Mapping the Social Landscape: Readings in Sociology, Second Edition
Study Guide for Sociology: A Global Perspective (optional)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Each student is expected to obtain the first two texts listed above and complete the reading for each class. You may be quizzed on the reading. There will be three in-class short-answer and essay exams and one take-home exam. Students will complete a 20-hour volunteer service experience with the CSVP. Students will turn in a journal describing their experiences and a 3-5 page paper analyzing their experiences.

SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS

PART 1: THE SCOPE OF SOCIOLOGY

Aug. 31 Introduction

Sept. 2 The Sociological Imagination
Reading: Ch. I in Ferrante

Sept. 7 The Sociological Imagination (cont.)
Readings # I and 2 in Ferguson

Sept. 9 Theoretical Perspectives
Readings: Ferrante, Ch. 2 ; #25 in Ferguson

Sept. 14 Research Methods
Readings: Ferrante, Ch. 3; #4 and 6 in Ferguson

Sept. 16 Exam 1

PART II: CORE CONCEPTS

Sept. 21 Culture
Reading: Ch. 4 in Ferrante

Sept. 23 Culture (cont.)
Readings: #8 and 9 in Ferguson
Bring something to class which you believe represents some important aspect of American culture.

Sept. 28 Socialization
Reading: Ferrante, Ch. 5
In class: Excerpt from "Full Metal Jacket"

Sept. 30 Socialization (cont.)
Readings: #13 and 14 in Ferguson

Oct. 5 Social Interaction
Reading: Ferrante, Ch. 6

Oct. 7 Role Strain and Role Conflict
Readings: #15 and 16 in Ferguson

Oct. 12 Social Organizations
Readings: Ferrante, Ch. 7 and #40 in Ferguson

Oct. 14 Exam 2

PART III: DISTRIBUTIONS OF POWER IN AMERICAN SOCIETY

Oct. 21 Social Stratification
Reading: Ferrante, Ch. 9

Oct. 26 Social Stratification (cont.)
Readings: Ferguson, #48, 24, 25

Oct. 28 Race and Ethnicity
Readings: Ferrante, Ch. 10
In class: " A Class Divided"

Nov. 2 Race and Ethnicity (cont.)
Ferguson, # 31, 33, 34

Nov. 4 Gender
Reading: Ferrante, Ch. 11

Nov. 9 Gender (cont.)
Ferguson, #11 and 12

PART IV: SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY

Nov. 11 Economics and Politics
Reading: Ferrante, Ch. 12

Nov. 16 Economics and Politics (cont.)
Readings: Ferguson, #35, 36, and 37

Nov. 18 In class: "The Big One"

Nov. 23 Exam 3 Due (a take-home exam)
Informal discussion of service-learning experiences

Nov. 30 The Family
Readings: Ferrante, Ch. 13 and #50 in Ferguson

Dec. 2 Education
Reading: Ferrante, Ch. 13

Dec. 7 Social Change in the United States
Reading: Ferrante, Ch. 15

Dec. 9-14 In-class presentations of service-learning experiences

Dec. 14 Journals and service-learning papers are due

Dec. 20 Exam 4 (covering Parts III and IV of the course)
10 30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in regular classroom

GRADING

Quizzes on assigned readings count 15%. The three in-class exams count 15% each. The take-home exam counts 5%. In-class exam grades will include a factor to account for improvement in the course. The service-learning project counts 35%.

Your average grade for the course will be reduced by one-third of a letter grade for each absence in excess of 2. (For example, if you have a total of three absences, a final grade of C would be reduced to a C-; if you have a total of four absences, a final grade of C would be reduced to a D+.)

Up to five points can be earned for each exam by making one or more of three different kinds of in-class presentations:

Article from a newspaper, magazine, or other source: 1 point
Read an article relevant to some topic in the course, and tell the class about it. Time will be set aside for presenting articles at the beginning of each class – no advance scheduling is necessary. In class, briefly summarize the article and explain how it relates to one or more concepts covered in the course reading or class discussion. Turn in a summary of the article with your name clearly printed on it.

In-class debates and panel discussions: 2 points
From time-to-time you will have the opportunity to volunteer for debates and panel discussions on topics I will announce. Each time you participate, you can earn extra credit points.

Summary of a scholarly article: 3 points
Read a scholarly article relevant to some topic in the course. Tell the class about it. Time will be set aside for summarizing articles at the beginning of each class – no advance scheduling is necessary. In class, briefly summarize the article you read and how it relates to one or more concepts covered in the course reading or class discussion. Turn in a brief summary of the article with your name on it. It should go without saying that summaries of articles assigned for other classes don't count.

STANDARDS FOR SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE

1. Attend every class. Attendance is taken at each class. I permit two absences for you to use as you see fit. NO OTHER ABSENCES WILL BE EXCUSED, unless specifically authorized by the College Handbook. Any absences over 2 will result in a one-third letter grade reduction on your final grade for the course. (For example, if your final grade is a B, and you have three absences, you will receive a B-). If you miss half or more of the class sessions, you automatically fail the course, as permitted by Section 410.12(A) of the College Handbook. Responsible students only miss class when absolutely necessary, as permitted by college policy (see Sections 410.12(A), 410.12(C), and 410.13 of the College Handbook). Pursuant to Sections 410.12(A) and 410.13 of the College Handbook, it is your responsibility to keep me informed as to your status in the course at all times.

2. Be on time for each class.

3. Be attentive and prepared to participate in each class session. Read the assigned material and complete the assignments in the study guide.

4. Make up any work you miss. If you must be absent, find out about the material you missed
and assignments from a classmate. Complete the assignments on time.

5. Study with others to discuss course readings and your class experience. Do not plagiarize (copy published material — such as encyclopedias, magazine articles, or books — and present it as your own) or cheat (copy the work of another student or turn in someone else's work as your own). Students who plagiarize or cheat will be subjected to the college's procedures for academic dishonesty.

6. Plan for the exams. You have the exam schedule in advance, so I expect you to schedule your other activities around it. Notify me of any schedule conflicts well in advance of an exam. I never schedule make-ups when students simply don't show up for an exam, no matter what the excuse.

THE SERVICE EXPERIENCE

The service experience for this course will be coordinated through the Cortland Student Volunteer Project which is housed in the Cooperative Education office in Van Hoesen. Representatives from the CSVP will appear in class near the beginning of the semester to tell students about the various service opportunities available. A significant portion of the service experience must take place off campus.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives for the service experience include:

1. Enhancement of learning the academic discipline: sociology

a. Gain first-hand experience of social issues with which sociologists are grappling
b. Exercise our sociological imaginations
c. Test the applications of sociological theories to our own experience: To what extent do they help us make sense of our experiences? To what extent do they help us understand what should be done to address the social issues with which sociologists are concerned?

2. Enhancement of personal and career development

a. Promote self-understanding, self-reliance, self-worth, and self-confidence
b. First-hand experience with sociology in an applied setting: exploration of career options and competencies required

3. Development of community-college relationships

a. See ourselves as part of the larger Cortland community of which SUNY Cortland is a part
b. Discover ways we can contribute to the Cortland community

4. Other objectives:

[Adapted from Kendall, J. C., et al., Strengthening Experiential Education Within Your Institution]

EVALUATION OF THE SERVICE EXPERIENCE

Students must complete the experience to receive a grade in the course.

Each student will turn in a journal and a short paper about their volunteer experiences. The journal and the paper will count towards 35% of the course grade. The journals and papers will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Journal:	Thoroughness, detail, etc.	30 points
Paper:	Clarity (grammar, spelling, neatness, etc.)	10 points
	Organization and flow:	10 points
	Integration (use of course concepts and citations of course materials)	25 points
	Analysis (relating course concepts and course materials to your experience)	25 points
Effort:	I will multiply the final score times a factor ranging from 1. 0 to 1. 10, depending on extent of participation. Students can earn extra credit who put in more than the minimum number of hours in their service projects, who take on particularly difficult tasks, or who demonstrate exceptional initiative in the completion of their tasks.

A maximum of 110 points can be earned for the journal and the paper.

THE SERVICE-LEARNING JOURNAL

Each student will keep a journal about the service experience in a spiral-bound notebook. Bring your notebook with you to each class. Some journal entries will be made in class, but most will be made during your service experience. During your service experience, you should describe what happens and your reactions to what happens:

your emotional reactions and your intellectual reactions

how you feel about the experience and what you think about the experience

what connections you see between your experience and the material we discuss in class

Journals will be collected periodically for evaluation and feedback (but they won't be graded until the end of the semester).

At the end of the course, you will write a 3-5 page paper analyzing your experience. Guidelines for writing your papers will be given out later in the course.

SOC 150: Introduction to Sociology
SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

DUE DATE: Dec. 14, beginning of class. Late projects will be penalized 3 points for each day (or portion thereof) that they are late.

Your grade for the project will be based on a notebook which should contain:

1. A 3 to 5-page (excluding bibliography) paper analyzing your experience. The paper must be typed and double-spaced.

2. A journal describing your experience.

3. The forms I handed out in class: your service log and the evaluation form from your supervisor.

4. Any materials (pamphlets, newsletters, newspaper clippings, flyers,
etc.) you collect about the organization in which you participate.

The paper should analvze (not just describe) your experience. I suggest the following format for the paper:

I. Describe your service- learning experience (no more than one page).

II. Place your experience in a broader context (approx. 2 -4 pages).

You can discuss the course.concepts you saw in action, the course concepts that help you to understand/explain your experience, things you experienced that run counter to course concepts. You don't have to discuss every course concept, just the ones most relevant to your experience. In fact, I prefer a few concepts developed well (defined, illustrated with examples, and explained in terms of how your experience illustrates the concept) to a lot of concepts superficially treated.

Your objective is to demonstrate your comprehension of course material. Be sure to cite any course material you use. Use the MLA or APA style for parenthetical references in the Simon and Schuster Handbook for Writers. A works cited page in a format consistent with your parenthetical references should be included. See the course syllabus for a detailed breakdown about how your service- learning experience will be graded.

I will review and comment on drafts of your papers if I receive them in class on Dec. 7 These must be FINAL drafts, not first or rough drafts. if they appear to me to be only rough drafts, I will not comment on