INSTRUCTOR: Stephen McNamee, Ph.D.

OFFICE: 208-H Social and Behavioral Sciences Building

OFFICE HOURS: After class Monday-Thursday and other times by chance

                                or by appointment

E-MAIL: MCNAMEE@UNCWIL.EDU

PHONE NUMBERS: OFFICE: 962-3421;  HOME: 763-2160

        (1) Living Sociology (2000) by Claire M. Renzett and Daniel J. Curran.

              2^nd Edition. New York: Allyn and Bacon.

        (2) Down to Earth Sociology: Introductory Readings. (2001) James M.
               Henslin. 11^th Edition. New York: Free Press.

Welcome to Introduction to Sociology. This course is about why people behave the way they do and why society is the way it is. In short, sociology is the scientific study of society and social behavior. The "society" part of sociology has to do with social issues and the organization of society as a whole. The "social" part of sociology has to do with how people act with and toward one another.

The central insight of sociology is that we are who we are largely because of the groups to which we belong. Although we like to think of ourselves as rugged individualists, no one is free from the influence of groups, including society as a whole. Moreover, every group to which we belong is different as a result of our being part of that group. Sociology, then, studies the relationships between individuals and groups, including society as a whole.

Just as it is important for every college educated person to know something about the physical world we live in (natural science), it is also important for every college-educated person to know something about the social world we live in (social sciences). Specifically, the goals of this course are:

1. To learn about the origins of modern industrial society

2. To learn how individuals develop attachments with groups and how these attachments affect behavior.

3. To learn how individuals make sense of their everyday experiences through interaction with others.

4.  To learn about the causes and consequences of crime and deviance.

5. To learn about the dynamics of race, class, and gender inequalities in society.

6. To learn about the organization of political, economic, and cultural institutions in society

7. To learn about the causes and consequences of social change.

8. To learn about the field of sociology as an academic discipline.

9. To learn about the ways sociologists do research on human behavior and society

10. To learn how to analyze human behavior and society from a sociological perspective

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Your final grade for the course will be based on the following:

  * Any changes in test dates will be announced in class.

When you enroll in the course, I assume you are contracting your availability during the entire class time period specified for Summer I. Regular attendance in class is essential to getting the most out of this course. In-class exercises, presentations, films, discussions, etc. can not be "made up" outside class and these are all very important elements of the total class. Given the accelerated pace of summer school classes, each class is equivalent to one week in the regular semester so each class missed represents a significant amount of the course material. Therefore the maximum letter grades you can receive given the number of absences from class are the following:

Class Participation

Class participation will be considered extra credit and worth up to ten points added to your final course average. The quality and quantity of class participation including comments and questions made in class will be considered for this extra credit

Freedom of Expression and Civility

Freedom of expression is actively encouraged in this class. I strongly believe that the university is and ought to be the marketplace of ideas and I encourage vigorous intellectual debate among opposing viewpoints. Therefore, I welcome the expression of different points of view in class.

Debate on ideas and issues is part of the learning process but personal or ad hominem attacks will not be tolerated. Other rude or discourteous behavior that is disruptive to the learning process of other students such as coming to class late, leaving early, or talking to classmates during class will also not be tolerated.

Let’s work together to create a positive learning environment in which all class members’ comments and interests are listened to and respected.

Each test covers a separate section of material; the tests are not cumulative. Test questions will come from both the readings and class activities. You are responsible for all the material in the readings including that which is not covered in class as well as material presented in class above and beyond what is included in the text.

A general rule of thumb is that one-third of the test material comes from the text not covered in class, one-third from material presented in class that is not covered in the text, and one third is reinforcement between the two.

In short, there are no short-cuts; you have to get to both the text and classroom presentations to be adequately prepared for tests.

You are expected to take the tests on the assigned days.

You are responsible for knowing any changes in test dates announced in class. Make up tests are given only if you have just cause (e.g. hospitalization; incarceration), notify me in advance, and if can provide written documentation.

All make up tests are essay format and given on the day of the final exam. If you are absent on the day of the final exam with just cause, then you must contact me personally to make other arrangements.

Grading:

Your grade for this course is entirely performance driven based on your demonstrated comprehension, understanding, retention, and command of the material presented in this course.

I use the "criterion" system of grading which means that if you demonstrate a certain level of knowledge of the material, then you earn the appropriate grade. There is no fixed "curve" as such. In other words, I do not have a "quota" of As, Bs, Cs and so on. Theoretically, if everyone performs at A level (or F level), then everyone would earn an A grade (or F) as appropriate, although in practice either of these scenarios is unlikely. This means that you are not in direct competition with each other for grades. Instead, you are in competition with yourself in terms of how well you learn the material from the course.

I use a ten point grading scale with 90s=A, 80s=B, 70s=C, 60s=D, and below 60=F. If you score within those ranges, then you are guaranteed at least that letter grade. In other words, I will not "curve" down. However, I do reserve the right to "curve" upward to adjust for degree of difficulty. I do not ordinarily use +/- grades, but I reserve the option to do so at my discretion as circumstances warrant.

HOW TO GET AN ‘A’ IN THIS COURSE:

There is no secret or magical formula for doing well in this course. The strategy for doing well in this course is the same as it is for most other courses that you take at the college level. In order to establish an ‘A’ pace for this course, you should therefore:

1. Carefully and thoroughly read and study the assigned material when it is due. "Reading over" the assigned material is NOT good enough. You should notate and outline assigned reading material as you read it. If there are any parts of the reading that you do not understand or feel that you need additional elaboration or clarification, then you should raise the appropriate questions in class or arrange to see me during office hours to go over any parts of the assigned material that you do not understand. The rule of thumb for ‘A’ level pace in a college course is that you should spend one to two hours of homework preparation for every one hour of class time. (Two hours of preparation for every one hour of class time for a 15 hour "full time" university course load equals out to a total of 45 hours of schoolwork per week, which is about the amount of time most people who work full time spend at their jobs.)

2.  Attend class regularly, be attentive, take good notes, and actively participate in class activities and discussions. Getting someone else’s class notes for classes you miss is NOT good enough. If you are not in class, you will miss important material not covered in the text including lectures, class discussions, demonstrations, exercises, films, etc that will be included on the tests. Class participation is a swing factor in the final grade worth up to a half a letter grade in either direction so if you are in it for the ‘A’ then you need to be there to get full credit. Also, getting someone else’s notes for classes you miss is a poor substitute for not being there yourself. People write notes to themselves, not to a generalized audience. Notes are taken in order to jar your memory of what material was presented in class. If you were not there in the first place, you have no memory to jar. What might make sense to other students taking notes for themselves may make no sense to you. You are also presuming that the person who took the notes got down all the information presented in an accurate and complete manner, which is not always the case.

3.  Know about the forest and the trees. Knowing just the "main points" is NOT good enough. I expect all students who pass the course to get the general ideas and the main points (forest). However, if you are in it for the ‘A,’ then I expect that you have both breath (forest) and depth (trees) of understanding of the material. In other words, you should not only know what the name of the forest is and where it is, you should also be able to identify and distinguish among the different types of trees in the forest. So learn about the individual trees in the forest—know them, hug them, make friends with them.

4.  Take adequate time to make final preparations for tests. Cramming is NOT good enough. There is no quick substitute for spending concerted time studying for tests. If you are unsure about how to go about preparing for tests, you should consult my study skills handout on taking college level examinations (point # 3 listed under the section on "Other Resources" listed below).

Please note that in this course I expect you to abide by the policies on academic integrity as set forth in Section V of the UNCW Student Handbook and Code of Student Life which prohibits cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty including any unauthorized collaboration or assistance on any text, assignment, or project.

In addition to your text and your classnotes, there are several other resources available to assist you to help you in this course.

1. Office Hours:

I would be happy to see you on a one-to-one before and after class or by appointment. I encourage you to stop by my office throughout the semester. I encourage you to see me for extra help, to follow up on points raised in class, or just to stop in and say "Hi." Unless I have to dash off to some meeting somewhere immediately after class, I will usually be the last person to exit the classroom in case anyone wants to follow up with me after class.

2. E-Mail:

I encourage you to stay in touch with me through e-mail (MCNAMEE@UNCWIL.EDU). You can ask questions and/or make comments, observations, or suggestions regarding any aspect of the course throughout the semester. I usually check my e-mail several times a day so you can ordinarily expect a prompt reply.

I have written a brief three-page handout on how to prepare for college-level examinations. It provides tips on how to study efficiently and effectively. It is available from me upon request.

4. Textbook Web Site and On-Line Study Guide

Your text has its own web site.  This free web site has chapter outlines, sample test questions, updates, and links to related sources. The Study Guide is NOT a substitute for the text itself. It acts as a "reality check" so that you can test yourself to see if you have comprehended the assigned material.

5. The Learning Center

The Learning Center (962-3549-Randall Library) offers a variety of academic services to students including individual tutoring, study skills and test taking skills, and writing and reading skills (available through the Writing/Reading Place (962-7155-2nd floor, Randall Library). All of these services are available to at no cost.

6. Student Development Center

The Student Development Center (682-3746-Westside Hall) offers a variety of services to students including stress management, counseling, and special services for students with learning disabilities. These are available to you at no cost.

I am happy to make appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities as specified in federal regulations. If you have a disability and need accommodation please follow this procedure. First, contact and register with the Office of Disability Services in West Side Hall (962-3746). Second, obtain a copy of your Accommodation Letter and then make arrangements to speak with me. Assistance will be gladly provided based on the recommendations of the Office of Disability Services and our mutual agreement

COURSE OUTLINE

The following page is a tentative outline of readings and test dates for the course. Depending on how well we keep pace with the schedule, I may make adjustments as we go along. I may also place additional material on reserve for the course. You are expected to complete the reading assignments on the dates they are due unless changes are otherwise announced in class.

I expect that you thoroughly and carefully read and study each assigned reading. You should outline, take notes, and review each of these chapters as they are assigned.

CONCLUDING NOTE:

Sociology is a fun and fascinating subject.  I hope you enjoy the class and benefit from it.

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