OFFICE: 419F Center Bldg
Office Hours...MW 11-12 TTH 10-11
Office Phone.................................463-5187
Voice Mail.........463-3535 (Mailbox 7804)
Home Phone...............................736-0204
E-Mail......................socshop@yahoo.com
LCC Catalog Course Description
Class Policies and General Comments
Summary of Points in Course
Lane Community College
TSS Directory
206 Discussion Board (Disabled)
LCC Catalog Course Description
Sociological study of dynamic organizational nature of society through analysis of social change and major social institutions such as family, education, religion, economy, and political systems.
Grading Scale
A+ = 98-100 (Exceptional)
A = 94-97 (Excellent)
A- = 90-93 (Good/Excellent)
B+ = 87-89 (Very Good)
B = 83-86 (Good)
B- = 80-82 (Good/Fair)
C+ = 77-79 (Fair)
C = 73-76 (Fair/Basic)
C- = 70-72 (Basic)
D+ = 66-69 (Poor/Basic)
D = 60-65 (Poor)
F = ??-59 (Needs alot more)
Sociology, Eighth Edition...by Jon M. Shepard
4/02-09....Critical Sociology/Sociological Concepts/Institutions (Online)
4/12-16....Education (S12)
4/19-23....Family (S11)
4/26-30....Health and Health Care (S15)
5/03-07....Religion (S14)
5/10-14....Media (Online)
5/17-21....Military/Security (Online)
5/24-28....Political Economy (S13)
6/02-04....Social Movements & Social Change (S17)
6/4............Conclusion
ANALYSIS PAPERS
There will be two (2) required Analysis Papers...one at the beginning and one at the end of the course...each worth 20 points. Minimum is 2 pages/Maximum is 4. Topics are HERE.
DISCUSSION BOARD RESPONSES
You will be required to post three (3) responses to Prompts I place on our Discussion Board...20 pts. each = 60 Points total. Go HERE for Instructions.
BOOK REPORT
A book report...worth 100 points...on one (1) of the ten books listed HERE. Instructions for Book Report are HERE.
INTERNET RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT: INSTITUIONS
There will be an Internet Research Assignment worth 100 points...on an Institution of your choice. Instructions are HERE
FINAL EXAM
This will be a Take-Home comprehensive Final worth 100 points. The FINAL is HERE
4/14----------DB(Discussion Board)#1 Due
4/28----------DB #2 Due
5/12----------DB #3 Due
5/19----------Book Report Due
6/02----------Internet Research Assignment Due
6/04----------Analysis Paper #2 Due
6/07----------Final Exam Due (10-12...in our Classroom)
400 Points...Total
The focus of this course is twofold...first, on the institutions of our society (and by implication, on the "system" as a whole) and second, on social change. For the better part of the term we will examine the major institutions...education, family, religion, etc. So, it would seem reasonable to start with a definition and understanding of just what an "institution" is and isn't, sociologically. To facilitate this understanding, the following three links will take you to an outline of ideas concerning institutions, then to a short essay based on it, and also to another essay about "social institutions." Please read this material and then...
...write an analysis paper about what you've read...i.e. explain, in your own words, what an institution is all about and how this definition might differ from what you thought they were about. What does all this make you think about? What implications about our society...as well as us as individuals...do you see or can think of or speculate about?
So, here are the three links:
Social Institutions
ANALYSIS PAPER #2
Evaluate YOURSELF in this course...not grade-wise...but rather, about the ideas/material, your reactions to them, your classmates (not individually, of course), discussions, the assignments, and the course overall. Where and why were you reluctant or not reluctant to be swayed or,in other words, what was the learning process like for you? Although I’ll probably get mentioned in this essay...the point of it is YOU, not me.
You are going to need access to a Computer for this course with access to the Internet. Whether its your own computer, your parent‘s, one in an LCC Lab, a friend's computer, or one at a Library, they're not that difficult to find these days.
That means you'll need to have or to learn a basic minimum of skills in navigating the Internet. It's a tool that's quickly become a necessity in today's world...especially as it relates to academics. If you have no experience in doing this, don’t worry, there's plenty of help available...especially at LCC (and each Community Learning Center has a computer lab available) and on the Internet itself. I've put a link under DETAILS (above) to Internet Resources. I’m also willing to help get you started, if necessary.
ALSO, you will need an EMAIL address for this course. There will be occasions I may need to email you individually as well as the class as a whole. Likewise, you may need to email me with questions or information and possibly, an assignment. If you don't have an Email account, please get one SOON...it is a requirement of the course, not an option. Many are free, such as Yahoo and Hotmail...and these can be accessed on any computer, anywhere. I will be glad to assist you in setting one up...just ask me. IF you already have one (or when you get one), please send me a message (indicating your name---sometimes usernames don’t reveal that) so I can enter your address into my address book and create the class list. Send it to socshop@yahoo.com Please pay prompt attention to this matter...Thanks.
Why? Besides being an immensely rich and important source of all sorts of information, the Internet provides the opportunity for providing reading material for academic classes...making materials accessible to anyone...anytime. This also cuts down on the amount of copying necessary...saving paper and money.
My own website, The Sociology Shop, will be an integral component of this course...it will have a “room” for our class, links to required reading materials, and the details of the course...including assignments and instructions you will need, plus, of course, due dates. The Required Reading Materials...beyond the textbook...in effect substitute for asking you to buy a Reader, thus saving you money. Thus you need to become familiar with the ONLINE READER as well as familiar with our “Sociology 206 Room”...which you are “in” right now.
You will need to pick a "CODE NAME" to use when you post...a name known only to you and me. Pick something that doesn't utilize a known nickname so anonymity can be maintained and thus, a feeling of security in terms of your identity. Please put it on the Class Infomation Sheet. NOTE: Although you WILL be required to enter your "name" when you post, you WILL NOT be required to include an email address when you post (However, you CAN if you want, your choice).
I will provide seven (7) PROMPTS for you to consider (plus, a Bonus Prompt here and there)...beginning yesterday evening, 3/28, and every Sunday evening thereafter through 5/9. I fully expect you to do a serious job on those you select...a short paragraph full of general comments just won't "cut" it. You will be allowed to post up to 1000 words...quite a bit...but I won't/can't dictate a certain length...that's up to you.
As indicated under "Due Dates," there are three due dates for your posts...each post must be done BY MIDNIGHT ON THIS DATE. Also, if you "pass" on a Prompt when I first post it, you can go back later and do it if you change your mind.
In addition to the three required posts, I encourage you to post replies to what others have said...as well as posting anything you want as it relates to the course (i.e. response to lectures, class comments, readings, news, etc.). This type of "participation" could come into play when assigning a course grade...in instances where averages are borderline between one grade and another.
Finally, as just indicated above, I'd like to see our Discussion Board used for more than just the assignment. Also, I may, from time to time, post "announcements," or links to informative websites...or to current articles relevant to our subject matter. Thus, I encourage you TO CHECK THE BOARD REGULARLY...EVERY DAY SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT TO ME :))
BOOKS ELIGIBLE FOR "BOOK REPORT"
You will need to pick ONE (1) of the following books for your Book Report. All of them concern the "future" in some way...all are very much about institutions. Each of them has an essay or other links about it in the "Future" Science Fiction Room of TSS (Click HERE to go to an alphabetical list of books...scroll down till you find the book you want). I suggest you take a look at this information before deciding on which book you want to read.
Also, you will need to find copies on your own...in a library or at a bookstore like Smith Family. But, as indicated below, there are a few which are online, if that interests you.
Finally, I have a least one copy of each book (sometimes more than one) which I will be happy to lend you.
So, here are the eligible books:
The Gate to Women's Country by Sheri Tepper
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin
1984 by George Orwell (Complete Book is Online)
We by Eugene Zamiatin
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (Complete Book is Online)
The Iron Heel by Jack London (Complete Book is Online)
Job by Robert Heinlein
The Lefthand of Darkness by Ursual K. LeGuin
Walden II by B. F. Skinner
