Sociology 206

OFFICE: Center Bldg

Office Hours...Before/After Class/By Appt.
E-Mail......................socshop@yahoo.com
Home Phone...............................736-0204

DETAILS

LCC Catalog Course Description
Class Policies and General Comments
What you'll need for SOC 206
Grading Scale
Grading Standards
Required Reading Materials
TSS Online Materials
Schedule of Topics
Assignments and Instructions
Due Dates
Summary of Points in Course

Lane Community College

TSS Directory

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

Sociology, Eighth Edition...by Jon M. Shepard

TSS Online Materials

8/25....Political Economy (S13)
8/26....Political Economy
8/27....Military/Security (Online Materials)
8/28....Media (Online Materials)

9/01....OFF---NO CLASS
9/02....Family (S11)
9/03....Family cont. & Religion (S14)
9/04....Religion cont.

9/08....Health and Health Care (S15)
9/09....Health and Health Care cont.
9/10....Social Change (pp. 495-512 in S17)
9/11....Social Change cont. & 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 25 points. Minimum is 2 pages/Maximum is 4. Topics are HERE.

DISCRETIONARY ASSIGNMENT

There is a Discretionary Assignment worth 50 points. Instructions are HERE

MID-TERM EXAM

You will have one exam...a take-home Mid-Term...worth 100 points...which can be found HERE

INTERNET ASSIGNMENT: INSTITUIONS

There will be an Internet Assignment worth 100 points...on an Institution of your choice. Instructions are HERE

Student-Suggestions for Discretionary Assignment for Introductory Sociology

Movies for Sociological Review

Guidelines for Critical Academic Review of Entertainment Movie

300 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 two links will take you to an outline of ideas concerning institutions and and then to a short essay based on this outlined information. 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 two links:

Outline of Institutions

Essay about 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.
























Mid Term Exam

NOTE: Before printing this out...copy and paste it into a blank document (if you don't, you'll print out the entire page...wasting lots of paper and ink and time!!)

First, the materials eligible for this test are...the Sociological Concepts, Institutions, Chapters 12 & 13 in Shepard, Lecture material, and Online Required Materials in The Sociology Shop.

Second, from these materials I want you to select four (4) concepts, ideas, or issues which you find the most important or useful to YOU. It doesn’t have to be something we covered in class.

Third, there are some ideas that come “clumped” together with others (i.e. ideas in 2’s, 3’s, etc.)...These represent one selection, no matter how many items are within it.

Fourth, of the four selections you pick, only one can be from the Sociological Concepts (if you choose any of them at all). If you pick one, you must connect it with the substantive matter of the course...don’t just present it “in general” (i.e. illustrate it...or explain it using a particular idea).

Fifth, your four selections can be either unrelated to each other...or...can be connected in some way (i.e. constitute a “whole”).

Sixth, for EACH of your four selections do the following:

1. Describe/explain it...tell me about it...define it, detail it
2. Analyze why you think it is important...sociologically.
3. Explain why it is important or useful to YOU (i.e. why did you pick it vs. other ones?)

Seventh, your selections, themselves, will be evaluated...so try to pick “more major” ideas rather than, shall we say, easy/more trivial ideas.

Finally, ---Please try to type your exams...although it isn’t required.
---Please include a “cover sheet” with your name on it...don’t put your name on any other sheet
---Why? I grade exams anonymously...I don’t want to know “who” I’m evaluating.

I suggest that you don’t do this in just one sitting, especially not the night before its due. Rather, since there’s a bit of material from which you can pick, take some time and look over the materials...keeping track of “possibles” for your ultimate selection. Utilize your time wisely.