Course syllabus

SOCIOL 100: ISSUES AND THEMES IN SOCIOLOGY

Semester Two 2017

 

 

LECTURES: Tuesdays 3:05-3:55 pm and Wednesdays 5:05- 5:55 pm | Office Hours, Thursdays 10:00 am-12:00 pm

LOCATION: Owen G Glenn, Room 115 (260-115)

OFFICIAL COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course introduces sociology as a way of seeing and understanding the social world. Using the "sociological imagination" we investigate how society forms us as individuals and we in turn act collectively to construct and maintain the societies in which we live. Topics include family, sexuality, religion, work, technology, mass media and emotions as well as the sociological concepts of class, ethnicity and nationalism, power, identity and globalisation. Students are introduced to the pleasures of understanding the social contexts in which we make our lives through examples drawn from many different societies and cultures. At the same time we explore why sociological analyses and common sense ideas about society are often quite different from each other. 

To get a taste of what sociology is, check out this short video where University of Auckland students discuss the discipline:

TEACHING STAFF:

The lecturer for this course is Dr David Mayeda (office location, HSB 926 | e-mail, d.mayeda@auckland.ac.nz | phone extension 84519). David's office hours will be on Thursdays from 10:00 am-12:00 pm, and by appointment.

 

Tutors for this course:

• Andrew Peteru (apet849@aucklanduni.ac.nz)
• Ashlee-Ann Sneller (asne973@aucklanduni.ac.nz)
• Ritu Roy (rroy890@aucklanduni.ac.nz)

The Academic Mentors are Georgia Kane (gkan329@aucklanduni.ac.nz) and Shireen Harper (shar702@aucklanduni.ac.nz).

The Tuākana for this course is Robyn Lesatele (e-mail, tuakana.sociol@auckland.ac.nz). Tuākana workshop schedule coming soon. For an explanation on why The University of Auckland has the Tuākana Programme, please watch this short video:

Tutorial times and locations (subject to change):

• T01C: Wednesdays, 11:00-12:00, 114-G17 (Commerce A, Room G17)
• T02C: Wednesdays, 12:00-13:00, 114-G17 (Commerce A, Room G17)
• T03C: Wednesdays, 15:00-16:00, 114-G10 (Commerce A, Room G10)
• T04C: Tuesdays, 11:00-12:00, 421W-501 (Architecture - West, Room 50)
• T05C: Thursdays, 13:00-14:00, 114-G10 (Commerce A, Room G10)
• T08C: Thursdays, 14:00-15:00, 114-G14 (Commerce A, Room G14)
• T09C: Thursdays, 9:00-10:00, 810-332 (1-11 Short Street, Room 332)
• T10C: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, 114-G15 (Commerce A, Room G15)
• T11C: Wednesdays, 2:00-3:00, 114-G15 439-G10 (Uniservices House, Room G10)
• T12C: Mondays, 1:00-2:00, 114-G15 (Commerce A, Room G15)
• T13C: Mondays, 3:00-4:00, 114-G15 (Commerce A, Room G15)
• T14C: Mondays, 10:00-11:00, 114-G10 (Commerce A, Room G10)

Course tutors' contact information and office hour times will be provided shortly.

A number of our lectures will be given by other members of the Sociology Disciplinary Area. You will be notified of guest lectures in advance in lecture and via CANVAS.

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

1. how to recognise a sociological argument
2. how to recognise a sociological analysis
3. understand the sociological imagination
4. understand why sociological and commonsense ideas about society may not always align
5. understand some of the main ideas and issues in present day sociology

 

READING AND COURSEWORK:

To achieve the course objectives listed above you will need to:

• attend lectures
• attend tutorials each week, which begin in week 2
• read and understand all of the assigned chapters in the course textbook
• complete a small online assessment
• sit an in-class test (make-up tests are typically not offered)
• write a research-based socio-autobiography
• sit an examination of 100 multiple choice questions

 

SOCIOL 100 COURSEBUILDER PAGE:

Be sure to check out our SOCIOL 100 Coursebuilder page . Once you log-in via your University of Auckland student account, you will be able access a study guide for the in-class test, exemplars for the Socio-autobiography, assistance on academic referencing, and much more. This website was designed specifically for our SOCIOL 100 course.

 

TEXTBOOK: The textbook was written specifically for this course:

Matthewman, West-Newman & Curtis eds. (2013). Being Sociological, Palgrave Macmillan. It is sold in the University Book Shop and is required reading. The book has a companion website: http://www.palgrave.com/sociology/matthewman

 

Topic and Reading Schedule:

Week 1:

Tuesday 25 July. Reading: Introduction: being sociological (pages 1-19).

Wednesday 26 July. Reading: Modernizing (pages 43-61).

 

Week 2:

Tuesday 1 August. Reading: Controlling: power (pages 63-78).

Wednesday 2 August. Reading: Working (pages 291-310).

 

Week 3:

Tuesday 8 August. Reading: Stratifying: inequalities (pages 79-99).

Wednesday 9 August. Reading: Stratifying: inequalities (pages 79-99).

Friday 11 August. Mini-online CANVAS assessment due, 11:59 pm (5%)

 

Week 4:

Tuesday 15 August. Reading: Gendering (pages 121-138) 

Wednesday 16 August. Reading: Sexualizing (pages 139-156).

 

Week 5:

Tuesday 22 August. Reading: Racializing (pages 157-173).

Wednesday 23 August. Reading: "Talking Story with Hawaii's Youth" (supplemental PDF, located in Week 5 Module).

 

Week 6:

Tuesday 29 August. Reading: Globalizing (pages 271-289).

Wednesday 30 August. MID-SEMESTER TEST (15%)

 

[Mid-semester Break, 4-17 September]

 

Week 7:

Tuesday 19 September. Reading: Becoming: identities (pages 101-119).

Wednesday 20 September. Reading: Believing: religion (pages 213-232).

 

Week 8:

Monday 25 September. PRELIMINARY SOCIO-AUTOBIOGRAPHY OUTLINE DUE (5%)

Tuesday 26 September. Targeted Learning Session

Tuesday 26 September. Reading: Educating (pages 233-250).

Wednesday 27 September. Reading: Educating (pages 233-250).

 

Week 9:

Tuesday 3 October. Reading: Straying: deviance (pages 251-269).

Wednesday 4 October. Reading: Relating: families (pages 175-194).

Friday 6 October. SOCIO-AUTOBIOGRAPHY DUE (25%)

 

Week 10:

Tuesday 10 October. Reading: Feeling: emotions (pages 195-212).

Wednesday 11 October. Reading: Communicating: the media (pages 369-388).

 

Week 11:

Tuesday 17 October. Reading: Sustaining: the environment (pages 331-350).

Wednesday 18 October. Reading: Consuming (pages 311-330; guest lecture, Dr Ciara Cremin).

 

Week 12:

Tuesday 24 October. Reading: Connecting: technology (pages 351-368).

Wednesday 25 October. Reading: Finishing (pages 389-393).

 

PowerPoint slides and audio recordings to each lecture will be posted in the "Modules" tab of this course's CANVAS page.

 

COURSE ASSESSMENTS: Your course grade will be based on the following three (3) assessments.

1. A very short on-line assessment completed through CANVAS will be due on Friday 11 October, 11:59 pm. It is worth 5% of your final grade.

2. A mid-semester test to be held in class on Wednesday 30 August. Make-up tests will generally not be permitted. This test will be comprised of two short answer essay questions. It will cover content from weeks 1-6 and is worth 15% of your final grade.

3. A preliminary socio-autobiography outline, due Monday 25 September, worth 5% of total grade.

4. A research-based socio-autobiography. This is an essay that has a word count minimum of 1,500 words (not including references). You must relate at least three (3) sociological concepts or theories covered in class to your personal life. For instance, you may explain how you and/or your family have been influenced by a religious, educational or occupational system (to be explained further in lectures and tutorial sessions). There are innumerable directions you can take with this assessment.

You must include at least three (3) scholarly references, from peer-review journals of books from at academic press, that substantiate the points you are making in the essay. Be sure to cite your references at the end of your essay using the American Psychological Association (APA) referencing system. If you would like help with referencing, please speak with David or your tutor, or go to the SOCIOL 100 Coursebuilder Page, and click on the "Cite & reference" link. The University Library also has a good webpage on this; click here. Due Friday 30 September, 4:00 pm.

5. A cumulative multiple choice final examination of 100 questions, meaning it will include content from weeks 1-12. Worth 50% of your final grade. Date/Time/Location To Be Determined.

 

PLAGARISM:

The University of Auckland does not tolerate cheating, which includes assisting others to cheat and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting his or her learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the Internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised reviews.

Reasons for Referencing:

• To acknowledge your use of other people's ideas
• To enable readers of your work to locate the material on which you have drawn
• To show that you are presenting more than your personal opinions through the provision of supporting evidence

When do you need to reference?

In short, the answer is this - all statements, opinions, conclusions etcetera taken from another writer's work should be acknowledged, whether the work is directly quoted, paraphrased or summarised. If in doubt, it is better to err on the side of acknowledging the use of a source than face possible charges of plagiarism. Plagiarism consists of presenting the ideas of another as one's own (for a detailed discussion of plagiarism see the University of Auckland policies).

For more information on referencing, including why you should do and and how you can avoid plagiarism please see: http://www.cite.auckland.ac.nz/

 

TUTORIALS:

• Tutorial attendance is a central part of your learning on this course.
• Tutors mark your test and your essay assignment.
• Tutorials begin in the second week of lectures. In tutorials your tutor will help you to sort out things you don't understand. You can also discuss ideas with classmates and get help with doing coursework and with studying for the test and exam.
• Each year, when we look at final grades there is clear evidence that regular attendance at tutorials greatly improves your chances of passing and also, for those who are highly motivated, of achieving high marks.
• This course is part of the Faculty's First Year Experience programme. Tutorial attendance will be monitored. You will sign to verify your attendance at each tutorial.

 

QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS:

Questions about the course and coursework should go first to your own tutor. If this doesn't help, then speak with David Mayeda. Please observe the office hours posted outside the tutors' and lecturer's office doors. If you e-mail David or your tutor, please use your official University of Auckland e-mail address.

If you cannot come during the assigned office hours, leave a message to schedule an appointment at a different time via e-mail. David and/or your tutor will get back to you as soon as possible.