Course syllabus

 SOCIOL 100: ISSUES AND THEMES IN SOCIOLOGY

Semester Two 2018

15 points

 

LECTURES: Thursdays 11:00-12:00; Fridays 11:00-12:00

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:

LECTURER: David Mayeda - d.mayeda@auckland.ac.nz | HSB 926 | phone extension: 84519 | Office Hours, HSB 926, Tuesdays 11:00 am - 1:00 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 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. 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:

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

Friday 20 July. Reading: Modernizing (pages 43-61).

 

Week 2:

Thursday 26 July. Reading: Controlling: power (pages 63-78); guest lecture: Dr Steve Matthewman.

Friday 27 July. Reading: Working (pages 291-310).

 

Week 3:

Thursday 2 August. Reading: Stratifying: inequalities (pages 79-99).

Friday 3 August. Reading: Stratifying: inequalities (pages 79-99).

Friday 3 August. Mini-online CANVAS quiz due, 11:59 pm (5%)

 

Week 4:

Thursday 9 August. Reading: Gendering (pages 121-138).

Friday 10 August. Reading: Sexualizing (pages 139-156).

 

Week 5:

Thursday 16 August. Reading: Racializing (pages 157-173).

Friday 17 August. Globalising (pages 271-289).

 

Week 6:

Thursday 23 August."Talking Story with Hawaii's Youth" (supplemental PDF, located in Week 6 Module)

Friday 24 August. MID-SEMESTER TEST (15%).

 

[Mid-semester Break, 2-13 April]

 

Week 7:

Thursday 13 September. Reading: Becoming: identities (pages 101-119); guest lecture: Dr Steve Matthewman.

Friday 14 September. Reading: Believing: religion (pages 213-232).

 

Week 8:

Monday 17 September. PRELIMINARY SOCIO-AUTOBIOGRAPHY OUTLINE DUE (5%)

Thursday 20 September. Reading: Educating (pages 233-250); guest lecture: Dr Bruce Cohen.

     Thursday 20 September. Assignment Preparation Session, 12:00-2:00, 4th Floor HSB.

Friday 21 September. Reading: Educating (pages 233-250).

 

Week 9:

Thursday 27 September. Reading: Straying: deviance (pages 251-269).

Friday 28 September. Reading: Relating: families (pages 175-194).

 

Week 10:

Monday 1 October. SOCIO-AUTOBIOGRAPHY DUE (25%) 4:00 pm

Thursday 4 October. Reading: Consuming (pages 311-330). Guest Lecture, Dr Ciara Cremin.

Friday 5 October. Reading: Connecting: technology (pages 351-368); guest lecture: Dr Steve Matthewman.

 

Week 11:

Thursday 11 October. Reading: Sustaining: the environment (pages 331-350)

Friday 12 October. Reading: Communicating: the media (pages 369-388).

 

Week 12:

Thursday 18 October. Reading: Emotions (pages 195-212).

Friday 19 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 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 3 August, 11:59 pm. It is worth 5% of your final grade.

2. A mid-semester test to be held in class on Friday 24 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 1-5 and is worth 15% of your final grade.

3. A preliminary socio-autobiography outline, due Monday 17 September, 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 28 September, 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.