Syllabus
Course Description and Objectives
This course focuses on the social and cultural foundations of human life. The concepts of this course enable students to appreciate how they and others are molded and shaped by society, and understand the complexity of social forces in their environment.
This course is meant to introduce you to the scientific study of human society. An emphasis will be placed on major sociological theories, methods, concepts, and institutions. You will learn to compare the contributions of the three major sociological theories to the study of society: conflict theory, structural functionalism, and symbolic interactionism.
We will also be spending a great deal of time analyzing and critiquing the various ways that we see ourselves and others. It will be our task not only to learn specific information or concepts but also to learn to think critically about the determinants of social behavior.
Required Text
Compare prices for your textbooks through the University Store Price Comparison site. They will show you all of the options from the University Store plus several online options to help you find the best price.
Benokraitis, Nijole. 2012. SOC, 2nd Edition. Wadsworth. (ISBN: 1-111-30141-7) or ISBN (978-1111301415). Both of these ISBNs are correct and will lead to the same book when ordering. One is an older number, and the longer number is for the new ISBN system.
Quizzes (25%)
Quizzes will be given each week throughout the semester. They will consist of matching questions. These quizzes are given to encourage you to study reading assignments. Quizzes are closed note and you will have 20 minutes to match 8–12 terms with their definitions.
In addition to the group activities there will be two times (Week 5 and Conclusion Week) in the semester when you will review your team members performance. There is a PDF review form provided to facilitate this process. This review process accounts for half of your Group Participation grade. (2.5% of your overall grade)
Group Participation (5%)
During the semester there will be multiple group activities. These will be opportunities to apply key concepts and ideas in small group situations. You must be present and participate the entire group meeting to earn points for the assignment. You will be meeting using Google Hangouts. There are no opportunities to make up these activities if you miss them.
Discussion Boards (5%)
During the semester there will be weekly discussion boards. These will be opportunities to apply key concepts and ideas through class discussion. You will be expected to post a sociological question based on a video and respond to at least one other question during the week.
Exploring Sociology (30%)
There will be multiple exploring sociology assignments (analytical essay questions) that will be written throughout the semester dealing with various sociological questions. These are given to encourage your application of the course material.
Exams (35%)
Exams will be given periodically throughout the semester as designated in the course schedule. Exams will consist of multiple choice questions based on both material covered in the course text and additional reading assignments (provided in the course).
Overall Grade Scale
The following is the grade scale that will be used in calculating your final grade.
| A | 93-100 |
| 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 | 0-59 |
Academic Dishonesty
Cheating will not be tolerated at any time. Any person suspected of cheating will be handled in accordance with the policies and procedures of Brigham Young University–Idaho.
Additional Resources
- “In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, all qualified students enrolled in this course are entitled to ‘reasonable accommodation.’ It is the student’s responsibility to disclose to the teacher any special need she/he may have before the end of the first week of class.”
- Go to http://www.byui.edu/AcademicLearning, or come to the McKay Library 272 for information about how the writing, reading, math, and study skills centers can help you increase success in all of your classes. To schedule a tutor for a specific class, log on to Tutor Request under Student Services and follow the instructions.