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Study Techniques |
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Sociology is sometimes described as "making the familiar strange." The familiar here is society itself, the substance in which we all swim. If you asked a fish what it thought about the water it lives in, what answer could you expect? Unless it was a fish who had experienced the trauma of being out of the water till it had to gasp for breath, it would look at you quizzically: what are you talking about? What's water? Like that fish in the water, we do not ordinarily pay attention to the medium in which we live: our social environment and the ways in which it shapes our behavior and outlook. We will begin this class discussing the distinctive approach that sociology as a social science brings to the analysis of society. We will then move on to address a few of the central topics and approaches in sociology. By its nature, an introductory course can only give you a basic grounding and sense of the field. Hopefully, however, by the end of the course, you will feel the kind of excitement and joy that comes from exploring and analyzing our world. |
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Initially, sociology's basic perspective and fundamental concepts may seem strange to you, perhaps even unacceptable. Stick with this, however, and you will discover tools of immense practical and theoretical value for the rest of your life. |
| McIntyre, Lisa | The Practical Skeptic: Core Concepts in Sociology, Mt. View, CA: Mayfield Publishing. 1999. |
| McIntyre, Lisa | Readings in Sociology, Mt. View, CA: Mayfield Publishing. 1999. |
| Johnston, Allan | The Forest and the Trees, |
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This class will make full sense to you only if you do the readings prior to coming to lecture/discussion. I will not be "taking" attendance, but if you miss any classes, you will miss important material. Missing even one class is likely to result in a drop of 1/3 to one full grade given the way my exams are written. Course material and themes are developed sequentially and build upon each other. If you miss a class for unavoidable reasons (e.g., illness) be sure to protect yourself by arranging early in the course with someone else (preferably two people) to copy their notes. |
| Lectures are not meant to substitute for your study of the readings. (Please see my web site on STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS). Lectures are designed to supplement the readings. |
| While knowing terms and facts will be important and expected, my primary emphasis will be on grasp of concepts. Grasping a concept is not equal to regurgitating a definition. You will have to think hard about the material as we go along. What do I mean by thinking hard? Taking a concept's definition and actually applying it in specific situations is a true test of your understanding of that concept. |
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| You must show up for exams ON TIME. One point per minute late (on my watch) will be docked. Anyone who arrives after five minutes past the exam start will fail the exam. Do not get into any accidents trying to arrive on time. Do plan ahead to make sure you arrive ahead of time. You will also be docked points if you fail to fully fill out the blocks on the scantrons: Name, Date, Course Name and Time, Exam #, Name on back of scantron). Any papers submitted must have Full Name (no initials); Course Name and Time, and Date. Any omissions will be docked points. |
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Late essays/papers will not be accepted except under extraordinary circumstances. Please see WRITING GUIDELINES on this web site. |
| A = 93 and above; A- = 90-92; B+ = 87-89; B
= 83-86; B- = 80-82; C+ = 77-79; C = 73-76; C- = 70-72; D+ = 67-69; D = 63-66; D- = 60-62; F = 59 and below. |