INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
Fall 2005
Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30 — 11:50
Professor: Sarah Hernandez
Office Hours:
Tuesdays 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m &
Wednesday s 9:00 a.m. – 10:00am
Office: College Hall 211
Office phone: 359-4434
E-mail: shernandez at ncf.edu
This initial exploration of sociology as an academic endavour presents an overview of macro-sociological approaches for the study of social inequality. The purpose of this exploration is to offer an initial understanding of the complexities embedded in the world that surrounds us, and to gain a new view of our own role in this complex web. The course is organized in a progression where we move from a basic introduction into sociology, to a more detailed exploration of two central sociological paradigms (functionalism and conflict), to the specific exploration of research and theories surrounding class, gender, and race.
There are four objectives for this course: 1) To gain an understanding of the sociological way of thinking and the ability to apply this way of thinking in our observations and study of society. 2) To learn core sociological terminology and concepts, such as roles, institutions, social reproduction, hierarchy, and stratification. 3) To acquire an understanding of the different sociological paradigms and theories surrounding inequality, and to be able to apply them in the explanation of social phenomena. And 4) To understand why and in which way race, class, and gender are central variables in the analysis of social stratification. In the process of achieving these objectives, the student will also develop reading, writing, research, and analytical skills that are necessary not only for sociology, but also for all intellectual and academic engagement.
Reading: You should read the day's list prior to class. For instance, you should come to our August 30 meeting having read chapters one to three by Berger.
Research Paper: You will be expected to explore how sociologists study a social problem and how this differs from the way it is addressed in newspapers and/or magazines. This exercise will result in a final paper. You will receive instruction regarding how to access both academic research and journalistic articles on your topic. A list of probable topics will be offered in class. Because this project takes a lot of time, you must begin pursuing it from the start of the semester. The journals you find in the listing may not be at New College and you will need to order them through interlibrary loan services. Because it will take time for articles to arrive, it is best to begin your research immediately. This paper is due December 5.
Examinations: We will have pop-quizzes during the semester, and two examinations. Your performance on these will reflect whether you've read the material and the degree of understanding you have attained.
E-journals Exercise: In the second week you will do a small exploration of the field of sociology by looking at the table of contents of sociology e-journals. It is a two-page exercise.
Participation: Your engagement in the course will be assessed on the levels of and quality of your participation during large and small group discussion sessions as well as, when possible, during lectures.
Evaluation: Evaluation of your performance in the course will be based on the quality of response in the exams and quizes, the research paper, participation in class discussion and activities, and attendance. All of these weigh equally in importance.
During class meetings we will encounter different formats. Some classes will be primarily lecture, others will be carried as a discussion session. During discussion the goal will be to search as a group for an understanding of the issues that are being presented. It is, therefore, very important to voice our thoughtful views in such a way that we are civil and respectful toward each other. A discussion also requires an open mind to the different views that will be expressed.
We will have five required books and a coursepack. Various readings will also be on reserve at the library. Coursepack readings will be listed in the reading schedule and noted by an asterisk *. The following is the list of books we will use and can be purchased at the Campus Book Shop:
Berger, Peter. 1963. Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective. N.Y.: Doubleday & Company, Inc.
Rank, Mark R. 1994. Living in the Edge: The Realities of Welfare in America. N.Y.: Columbia University Press.
MacLeod, Jay. 1995. Ain't No Makin' It: Aspirations and Attainment in a Low Income Neighborhood. San Francisco: Westview Press.
Domhoff, G. William. 2001. Who Rules America. California: Mayfield Publications.
Feagin, Joe & Melvin P. Sikes. 1995. Living with Racism: The Black Middle-Class Experience. Boston: Beacon Press.
SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION
August 23: INTRODUCTION
August 25: Peter Berger: Invitation to Sociology ch. 1 - 3
August 30: Peter Berger: Invitation to Sociology ch. 4 & 5
Today group will meet at PMA 117. Session with Librarian
September 1: Peter Berger: Invitation to Sociology ch. 6 - 8
Movie: Harvest of Shame
Due: Step 1 of research paper: Research Topic Explanation
PPRINCIPLES OF STRATIFICATION
September 6: DURKHEIM AND FUNCTIONALISM
*Durkheim: The Division of Labor in Society: “Introduction”; Ch. 1; and ch.6.
*Davis and Moore: "Some Principles of Stratification"
Due: E-journalSeptember 8: MARX, WEBER AND CONFLICT PARADIGM
*Marx: “The German Ideology: Part I” Section A. Ideology in General (p. 148 – 175)
*Weber: "Class, Status, & Party"
*Tumin: "Some Principles of Stratification: A Critical Analysis"
Due: Step 2 of final paper: Bibliography
SOCIAL CLASS
PEOPLE ON WELFARE
September 13: Rank, Mark R.: Living on the Edge, ch.2, 3, 4, 5
September 15: Rank, Mark R.: Living on the Edge, ch.6, 7, 8, 9
September 20: Rank, Mark R.: Living on the Edge, ch.10, 11, 12
ELITES
September 22: Domhoff, William G.: Who Rules America: ch.1 & 2
September 27: Domhoff, William G.: Who Rules America: ch.3 - 5
September 29: Domhoff, William G.: Who Rules America: ch.6 - 8
RESEARCH METHODS
October 4: * Andersen & Taylor: Chapter 2, section: The Research Process (pp. 30 – 55)Rank: Appendix A
MacLeod: Appendix
October 6: In-class Exam
October 11 & 13: VACATIONS
SOCIAL CLASS REPRODUCTIONOctober 18: McLeod: Ain't No Makin'it: ch. 1,2,3
*Anyon: "Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of work"
October 20: McLeod: Ain't No Makin'it: ch.4,5,6
October 25: McLeod: Ain't No Makin'it: ch.7,8, & 11
GENDERWOMEN AND WORK
October 27: *Dunn:
Ch.5, Reskin: “Sex Segregation in the Workplace”
Ch.6, England: “Sex Gap in Pay”
Ch.17, Federal Glass Ceiling commission: “The Glass Ceiling”
Ch18, Higginbotham: “Black Professional Women: Job Ceilings and Employment Sectors”
*Kirk & Okazawa-Rey:Ch.6: “Work, Wages and Welfare”;
Reading 44, Howitz: “Reflections of a Feminist Mom”;
Reading 50, Milkman: “Organizing Immigrant Women in NY’s Chinatown”In class movie: The fairer Sex
WOMEN’S SOCIALIZATION, EDUCATION & FAMILYNovember 1 *Dunn:
Ch. 2, Freeman: “Parental Influence and Women’s Careers”
Ch. 3, Orenstein: “Shortchanging Girls: Gender socialization in schools”
Ch. 4, Matyas: “Factors Affecting Female Achievement and Interest in Science and Scientific Careers”
*Andersen & Collins: Race, Class and GenderCh.32, Mickelson & Smith: “Can Education Eliminate Race, Class, and Gender inequality?”
Ch.33, Castellano: “Canto, Locura y Poesia.”
*Basow: Ch.10: “Consequences for Family Relationships”
MEN AND MASCULINITY
November 3: *Anderson and Collins:
Ch.20, Messner: “Masculinities and Athletic Careers”
*Messner: Men’s Lives;
Ch.11, Canada: “Learning to Fight”
Ch.14, Savin-Williams: “Memories of Childhood and Early Adolescent Sexual Feelings Among Gay and Bisexual Boys”
Ch.15, Layman: “The Fraternal Bond as a Jocking Relationship”
Ch. 25, Williams: “The Glass Escalator”
Ch.53, Hooks: Men: “Comrades in Struggle”In class movie: Violence, Media, and the Crisis of Masculinity
GENDER THEORYNovember 8: *Kirk & Okazawa-Rey: Ch1: “Theory and Theorizing”
*Basow, ch.5: “Historical Perspectives”
*Hartman: "Capitalism, Patriarchy, and Job Segregation by Sex"
*Edley, ch.6: “Feminism and the politics of masculinity”
RAPENovember 10: *Allison & Wrightsman:
ch.1 "Why Study Rape";
ch.2: "The Rapist";
ch4: "Date Rape"*Messner: ch.16, Boswell & Spade: “Fraternities and Collegiate Rape Culture”
*Hooks, ch.9: "Feminist Movement to end violence"Guest Speaker: Ann Fisher
RACE
November 15: Feagin: Living with Racism: ch. 1,2
Movie: Eyes on the Pnize #5
November 17: Feagin: Living with Racism: ch.3, 4
November 22: Feagin: Living with Racism: ch.5,6
November 24: Thanksgiving Vacation
November 29: Feagin: Living with Racism: ch. 7, 8December 1: CLOSING
December 5: Research Paper Due
E-JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT:
(Due September 6, 2005)
The goal of this assignment is to give you an opportunity to explore the wide variety of topics that sociologists explore. Since this class only focused on one element, that of stratification, I want to encourage you to gain a broader understanding of the many other issues we study. It will also allow you to learn how to navigate through the electronic journal system. This exercise is divided into two parts:
1) Through the electronic journal access in our library’s electronic system, select four different sociological journals and read through the titles of the articles featured in at least three of the latest volumes of each journal (a total of 12 tables of content). Write (in one to two pages) a narrative of the diversity in topics you observed and whether there were any trends.
2) From the listings in part one, choose a specific topic that calls your attention, read the abstracts of at least two articles that address that topic. Write a one to two-page report explaining what you learned from the specific topic that caught your attention.
The following are recommended journals to explore:
1. Annual Review of sociology
2. American Journal of Economics and Sociology
3. American Journal of Sociology
4. American Sociological Review
5. American Sociologist
6. Contemporary Sociology
7. European sociological Review
8. Social Problems
9. Sociological Inquiry
10. Sociological Perspectives
11. Sociological Review
12. Sociology
FINAL RESEARCH PAPER INSTRUCTIONS AND GUIDELINES
Due: December 5, 2005
You are expected to explore how sociologists study a social problem and how this differs from the way it is addressed in popular media (newspapers, magazines, non-academic web pages). The comparison should be the focus of the paper, this does not mean you can not address the debates or issues presented surrounding the topic [the very content may be a source of comparison]. This project will be done in four steps: 1) Identification of topic, 2) Gathering of bibliographic sources, 3) Reading the sources, 4) Writing final paper and submitting it no later than December 5. You are strongly encouraged to go to the writing center now, to begin the various steps of the research paper. They help you from the development of the idea through the final draft
Step 1, is due September 1.
You are free to choose any topic; however, it must be a social problem (as opposed to a sociological problem). In a paragraph name the topic of research you’ve chosen, and explain what motivates your interest in this topic. Below is a list exemplifying some of the possible topics.
Step 2 is due September 8.
You are expected to find at least 8 academic and 8 popular sources; this corresponds to a minimum of 16 citations in your bibliography. For step two, you must turn in your initial bibliography, separating the academic from the popular journals.
Step 3: No due date, but whether you followed these instructions will become evident in Step 4. Between September 8 and November 3, you should be reading the articles listed in your bibliography. That is about two articles per week.
Step 4: is due December 5. You should be writing your paper staring November 8, so that you can clean your drafts to produce a well-organized, well-articulated piece by the due date of the final project.
The final paper must be 8 to 12 typed pages long, with one (1) inch margins on all sides, and Courier 10 font or equivalent size.
Because this project takes a lot of time, you must begin pursuing it from the start of the semester. The journals you find in the listing may not be at New College and you will need to order them through interlibrary loan services. Because it will take time for articles to arrive, it is best to begin your research immediately.
EXAMPLE OF TOPICS:
Educational experience of boys and girls (k-12)
Are women in sports given the same opportunities as men?
Gender discrimination at work/ glass ceiling
Women’s double burden
Living conditions of farm workers
Effects of pornography on family relations
Changes in the expected role of fathers
Changes in meaning of masculinity/ male identity
Effect of free trade on the working class
Debates surrounding use of Stem-cell for research
AIDS patients’ access to medication
Charter/Voucher programs and quality of education
Effects of new welfare laws on the living condition of the poor
Temp worker’ working and living conditions
Access to health care for the elderly (or children, or low income people)
Child abuse
Homelessness
Single motherhood
Changes in patterns of marriage/ comparison between classes or ethnic groups
Crime among youth (women, various ethnic groups)
Race relations (e.g. unequal access to education, loans, job promotions, affirmative action, reverse discrimination, etc.)