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This is an introductory sociology course that will make you aware intellectually, emotionally, and experientially of the social forces that impact your life. Teaching and learning in the context of this class will be multidimensional. You will learn about social forces through lecture, role play, and fieldwork. Through these alternative pedagogical strategies, this class will work as a learning community to explore the causes of inequality, the roots of social structure, and the construction of our individual identities. The goals of this course are to convey basic substantive knowledge from several areas of sociological investigation and to enable you to acquire a sociological perspective for understanding your own experience and that of the social world in which we live. |
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You are warmly invited to attend the instructor's office hours with any questions or concerns regarding the class. I will be available at the following times: Tuesday: 9:00am - 9:30am; 1:35pm - 2:35pm Wednesday: 9:00am - 9:30am; 1:35pm - 2:35pm Thursday: 9:00am - 9:30am; 1:35pm - 2:35pm |
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Students can expect the instructor to: 1. Arrive on time and be prepared for class. 2. Follow the written syllabus and communicate any changes in advance. 3. Take students' interests and experiences into considerations when preparing for class. 4. Respond in a timely fashion and as fully as possible to student work. 5. Be available to students as needed outside of class. 6. Evaluate the student's work fairly according to clearly communicated expectations. |
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The required textbooks may be purchased in the campus bookstore. Schaefer, Richard T. and Robert P. Lamm. (1998). Sociology (6th ed). New York: McGraw-Hill. Finsterbusch, Kurt (Ed.). (1998). Annual Edition. New York: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill. |
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This course is based on a model of contract grading. Each student will select one of the available options for mastering the course material. This agreement will be put in writing and signed by both the student and the instructor. |
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To obtain a grade of "C" in the class, students must successfully complete the following tasks: Students are REQUIRED to come to class prepared to discuss the assigned material and participate in class activities. This course is conducted as an interactive seminar hence, careful preparpation and active participation on the part of all students is absolutely critical. Regular attendance makes possible the kind of continuing give-and-take on the issues that enhances the experience of everyone in the course. For this reason alone, you should want to come and to take part in the discussion. For students enrolled in the course, attendance is mandatory. Students are allowed three absences for whatever reasons (be they hangover or death in the family). It is NOT necessary to notify the instructor of the reason for your absence. Any time a student misses class, they may obtain the missed material via the course web-site. STUDENTS WHO MISS MORE THAN THREE CLASSES WILL BE ASKED TO DROP THE COURSE IN ORDER TO AVOID A FAILING GRADE. If a student misses more than three classes and wishes to complete the course, they may choose to do a field experiment to make up for the missed classes. If you think that you will miss more than three classes, kindly do not take this section of Sociology 131. Students will not be allowed to join the class after the fourth class meeting. ATTENDANCE: I will keep track of your attendance and participation on a daily basis. If you are not in class when attendance is taken, you are not in attendance for that class period. PREPAREDNESS: Your preparedness will be measured by your performance on six quizes which will be given every Thursday at the beginning of class. You will be allowed to drop your lowest quiz score, therefore, there will be NO make-up quizes offered for any reason. PARTICIPATION: Your participation will be determined by the instructor based upon your in-class behavior. If a student wishes to obtain a grade of "A" or "B" in the course, they must contract for one the following options:
Students will take a mid-term exam (100 questions: multiple choice, true/false, and essay) and a cumulative final exam (100 questions: multiple choice, true/false and essay). The final grade will depend upon the students performance on these two examinations.
Students will be required to conduct independent field research project and turn in a 10-15 page written report on their findings. Students are required to turn in a progress report in the third week of class, an outline the fourth week of class, a rough draft the fifth week of class, and the final paper will be due at the beginning of the sixth week of class.
Students who select this option will be placed into a (pre-selected) social service agency in the metro-detroit area. They will be required to spend a minimum of three hours per week at the agency. Students will keep an ongoing journal of their experiences and write a 5-7 page integration paper at the end of the semester. |
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CLASS WEB SITE |
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https://members.tripod.com/~rockqu/index.html
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