Course syllabus

SOCIOL 100: ISSUES AND THEMES IN SOCIOLOGY

Semester One 2018

15 points

 

 

LECTURES: Mondays 3:00-4:00 pm; 5:00-6:00 pm & Tuesdays 3:00-4:00 pm; 5:00-6:00 pm

LOCATION: Human Sciences - North, Room 346

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:

LECTURER: David Mayeda - d.mayeda@auckland.ac.nz | HSB 926 | phone extension: 84519 | Office Hours, HSB 926, Thursdays 10:00 am - 12:00 pm. That's me in the middle below from a number of decades back, and below that I've made a little intro video. 

Meet the entire SOCIOL 100 teaching team by clicking HERE.

The Tuākana workshop schedule is coming soon. For an explanation on why The University of Auckland has the Tuākana Programme, please watch this short video:

Tutorial times and locations are available on Student Services Online.

 

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 at UBIQ on campus and is required reading. Copies are also available from the General Library. The book has a companion website: http://www.palgrave.com/sociology/matthewman (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

 

TOPIC & READING SCHEDULE:

Week 1:

Monday 26 February. Reading: Introduction: being sociological (pages 1-19).

Tuesday 27 February. Reading: Modernizing (pages 43-61).

 

Week 2:

Monday 5 March. Reading: Controlling: power (pages 63-78).

Tuesday 6 March. Reading: Working (pages 291-310).

 

Week 3:

Monday 12 March. Reading: Stratifying: inequalities (pages 79-99).

Tuesday 13 March. Reading: Stratifying: inequalities (pages 79-99).

Friday 16 March. Mini-online CANVAS quiz due, 11:59 pm (5%)

 

Week 4:

Monday 19 March. Reading: Gendering (pages 121-138) 

Tuesday 20 March. Reading: Sexualizing (pages 139-156); guest lecture, Dr Claire Meehan.

 

Week 5:

Monday 26 March. Reading: Racializing (pages 157-173).

Tuesday 27 March. MID-SEMESTER TEST (15%).

 

[Mid-semester Break, 2-13 April]

 

Week 6:

Monday 16 April. Reading: Globalizing (pages 271-289).

Tuesday 17 April. "Talking Story with Hawaii's Youth" (supplemental PDF, located in Week 6 Module)

 

Week 7:

Monday 23 April. Reading: Becoming: identities (pages 101-119).

Tuesday 24 April. Reading: Believing: religion (pages 213-232).

 

Week 8:

Monday 30 April. PRELIMINARY SOCIO-AUTOBIOGRAPHY OUTLINE DUE (5%)

Monday 30 April. Reading: Educating (pages 233-250).

Tuesday 1 May. Assignment Preparation Session, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, HSB 4th Floor Student Study Space.

Tuesday 1 May. Reading: Educating (pages 233-250); guest lecture: Dr Bruce Cohen.

 

Week 9:

Monday 7 May. Reading: Straying: deviance (pages 251-269).

Tuesday 8 May. Reading: Relating: families (pages 175-194).

Friday 11 May. SOCIO-AUTOBIOGRAPHY DUE (25%) 4:00 pm

 

Week 10:

Monday 14 May. Reading: Consuming (pages 311-330); guest lecture: Dr Ciara Cremin.

Tuesday 15 May. Reading: Connecting: technology (pages 351-368); guest lecture Associate Prof Steve Matthewman.

 

Week 11:

Monday 21 May. Reading: Sustaining: the environment (pages 331-350)

Tuesday 22 May. Reading: Communicating: the media (pages 369-388).

 

Week 12:

Monday 28 May. Reading: Emotions (pages 195-212).

Tuesday 29 May. 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 ASSESSMENT

Your course grade will be based on the following five (5) assessments:

1. A very short on-line quiz completed through CANVAS will be due Friday 16 March, 11:59 pm. It is worth 5% of your final grade.

2. A mid-semester test to be held in class on Tuesday 27 March. 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 1-5 and is worth 15% of your final grade.

3. A preliminary socio-autobiography outline, due Monday 30 April, 11:59 pm, worth 5% of total grade. Submit through the CANVAS system.

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 11 May, 4:00 pm, submitted through the CANVAS system and hard copy through the Arts Assignment Centre.

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.

 

Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course conveners and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension may be penalised by loss of marks – check course information for details.