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SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology

Section Number 70863

Catalog Description:

A study of the principles and problems pertaining to group behavior, the relationships among human beings, the development and nature of institutions, and the structure of society. CSU; UC; CAN SOC 2 Closed Captioned

Instructor:

Anthony Guerra

Class Meetings:

9:00am-12:20pm
On the following Saturdays: Sept. 9, 23; Oct. 7, 28; Nov. 18; Dec. 2
Room BES-1

Broadcast Days and Times:

Times and days for Cox Cable North -Channel 16 and Adelphia Cable North-Channel 67:
Monday Wednesday 10:00-10:30pm OR Tuesday Thursday 7:00-7:30am OR Friday 12:30-1:30am

Viewing Options

If this course does not air in your area or you don't have cable you have two options. The first option is you can check out video tapes from the Learning Resource Center on the San Marcos Main Campus Library or the Escondido, Fallbrook, Ramona or Mt Carmel sites. The second option is watching the lessons online. All of our classes are video streamed and available for viewing on the course's Blackboard website (see below about Blackboard log in instructions).

Class Outline

Course materials are available the Friday prior to when classes begin. Access your course outline, assignments, handouts and announcements, as well as view video lessons in Blackboard. Log in Blackboard instructions:

USERNAME: STUDENT ID #
PASSWORD: Palomar eServices Password
(Unless you are a returning student and previously changed your password)

To log in go to: http://www.palomar.edu/pconline/

Textbook and Other Required Materials:

Society: The Basics, 7th Edition, John J. Macionis, Publisher Prentice Hall

Video Series Entitled:

The Way We Live

Video Lesson Descriptions:

1) The Big Picture
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: The sociological perspective: seeing the general in the particular, the power of society to shape our thoughts, feelings, and actions; transforming personal problems into public issues The global perspective: how where we live shapes our lives; increasing connections between societies throughout the world The origins of sociology: the growth of cities; the new, industrial economy; political Sociological theory: the structural-functional paradigm, the social-conflict paradigm, and the symbolic-interaction paradigm Applied sociology

2) Truth Be Told
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: Scientific sociology: the study of society based on systematic observation of social behavior Interpretive sociology: the study of society that focuses on the meanings people attach to their social world Critical sociology: the study of society that focuses on the need for social change Methods of sociological research: experiments, surveys, participant observation, secondary analysis Giving facts meaning by building theory (using inductive and deductive logical thought)

3) Life As We Know It
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: What is culture? (non-material vs. material; as distinguished from learned/survival strategies: The components of culture: symbols, language, values and beliefs, norms, and material culture (including technology) Cultural diversity: many ways of life in one world (subculture, counterculture, multiculturalism, cultural change, ethnocentrism and cultural relativism) Theoretical analysis of culture: structural-functional analysis; social-conflict analysis; sociobiology

4) Fitting In
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: Social experience and human development: nature, nurture and social isolation Understanding socialization: personality, cognitive development, moral development, gender, the social self, eight stages of development Agents of socialization: family, school, peer groups, mass media Socialization and the life course: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age, dying

5) Making It Real
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: Status: status set; ascribed and achieved status; master status Role: role set; role conflict and strain; role exit The social construction of reality: “street smarts;” the Thomas theorem; ethnomethodology; reality building (class and culture) Dramaturgical analysis: the presentation of self (performances; non-verbal communication; gender and personal performances; idealization; embarrassment and tact) Interaction in everyday: language and humor

6) All Together
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: Social groups (primary and secondary; leadership; reference groups; size; diversity, i.e. race/class/gender; networks) Formal organizations: types; bureaucracies (origins; characteristics; informal aspects; problems); organizational environment; oligarchy The evolution of formal organizations: scientific management; challenges (race and gender; the Japanese organization; the changing nature of work); the “McDonaldization” of society (emphasis on efficiency, calculability, uniformity/predictability, and control through automation) The future of organizations: opposing trends (high-paying, “creative” jobs vs. routine jobs) in the post-industrial economy Computer technology, large organizations and the assault on privacy

7) Off-Center
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: What is deviance? (Social control; the biological context; personality factors; social foundations Functions of deviance: structural-functional analysis (Emile Durkheim on functions; Merton’s Strain Theory; deviant subcultures) Labeling deviance: symbolic-interaction analysis (labeling theory; medicalization of deviance; Sutherland’s Differential Association Theory; Hirschi’s Control Theory Deviance and inequality: social-conflict analysis (deviance and power; deviance and capitalism; white collar crime; corporate crime; organized crime) Deviance and social diversity (hate-crimes; deviance and gender) Crime and the criminal justice system (types and statistics; street criminals; global perspective; police; courts; punishment)

8) Matter of the Flesh
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: Understanding sexuality: biological issues; cultural issues; incest Sexual attitudes in the United States: the sexual revolution and counter-revolution; premarital sex; sex between adults; extramarital sex Sexual orientation: origins; alternative sexuality Sexual controversies: teen pregnancy; pornography; prostitution; sexual violence and abuse Theoretical analyses of sexuality: structural-functional; symbolic-interaction; social-conflict

9) Ups and Downs
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: Dimensions of social inequality: income, wealth, power. Occupational prestige, schooling Social stratification and birth: ancestry, gender, race and ethnicity, religion Social classes in the U.S.: upper, middle, working, working poor/lower Impacts of class: health, values, politics, family and gender Social mobility: myth vs. reality; mobility (race, ethnicity and gender; mobility by income); the American dream (still a reality?); the global economy and U.S. class structure Poverty in the U.S.: explanations and extent; link with unemployment; the welfare dilemma; who are the poor; impact on children; homelessness Stratification and conflict (Karl Marx and class conflict; Max Weber on class, status and power)

10) Window on the World
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: Caste and class systems Overview of global stratification: terminology; high-income countries; middle-income countries; low-income countries Global wealth and poverty: severity and extent; poverty and women; poverty and children; slavery; correlates of global poverty (technology; population growth; cultural patterns; social stratification; gender inequality; global power relationships) Global stratification: theoretical analysis (modernization theory; dependency theory) Global stratification: economic polarization; world hunger

11) Venus and Mars
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: Gender and inequality: male-female differences; gender in global perspective; patriarchy and sexism Gender and socialization: family, peer group, schooling, and the mass media Gender and social stratification: working men and women; housework; gender and education, politics, the military; minority women; violence against women Theoretical analysis of gender: structural-functional analysis; social-conflict analysis Feminism: basic ideas; types; opposition

12)Colors
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: Social meaning race, ethnicity and minority Prejudice: stereotypes, racism, theories of prejudice Discrimination: institutional prejudice and discrimination; the cycle of prejudice and discrimination Majority and minority: patterns of interaction (pluralism, assimilation, segregation, genocide) Race and ethnicity in the U.S.: Native Americans, White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, White Ethnic Americans.

13) Moving On
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: The graying of the United States: birth rate and life expectancy; cultural change; “young old” and “old old” Growing old: biology and culture (biological changes; psychological changes; aging culture; age stratification: a global assessment) Growing old: transitions and challenges (finding meaning; social isolation; retirement; aging and poverty; caregiving; ageism) Theoretical analysis of aging: structural-interaction analysis (aging and activity); social-conflict analysis (aging and inequality) Death and dying: historical patterns of death; modern separation of life and death; ethical issues; bereavement

14) Working
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: Historical overview of the economy: agricultural, industrial and information revolutions; sectors of the economy; the global economy Economic systems: capitalism; socialism; welfare capitalism and state capitalism; changes in socialist countries Work in the post-industrial economy Corporations: economic concentration; conglomerates; competition; corporations and globalization

15) Balance of Power
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: Politics and government: traditional authority; rational-legal authority; charismatic authority Politics in global perspective: monarchy; democracy; authoritarianism; totalitarianism Politics in the U.S.: the political spectrum; special interest groups; voter apathy; the growth government Theoretical analysis of power in society: the pluralist model; the power-elite model; the Marxist model Power beyond the rules: revolution; terrorism War and peace: the causes of war; costs and causes militarism; nuclear weapons; pursuing peace

16) All in the Family
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: The family: basic concepts (global variations; marriage patterns; residential patterns; patterns of descent; patterns of authority) Theoretical analysis of the family: functions of the family (structural-functional analysis); inequality and the family (social-conflict analysis); constructing family life (micro-level analysis) Stages of family life: courtship; ideal and real marriage; child rearing; the family in later life U.S. families: class, race and gender Transitions and problems in family life: divorce; remarriage; family violence Alternative family units: single-parent families, cohabitation; gay and lesbian couples; singlehood New reproductive technology and the family

17) In God We Trust
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: Theoretical analysis of religion: functions of religion (structural-functional analysis); constructing the sacred (symbolic-interaction analysis); inequality and religion (social-conflict analysis) Religion and social change: Protestantism and capitalism; liberation theology Types of religious organization: church; sect; cult Religion in history: religion in pre-industrial societies; religion in industrial societies World religions: Christianity; Islam; Judaism; Hinduism; Buddhism; Confucianism Religion in the United States: religious affiliation; religiosity; religion and social stratification Religion in a changing society: secularization; civil religion; a post-denominational society; religious revival

18) Learning Curves
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: A global survey: schooling in India, Japan, Great Britain and the United States Functions of schooling: socialization; cultural innovation; social integration; social placement; latent functions Schooling and social inequality: social control; standardized testing; school tracking; inequality between schools; access to higher education; credentialism; privilege and personal merit Problems in the schools: discipline and violence; student passivity; dropping out; academic standards Recent issues in education: school choice; schooling people with disabilities; adult education; the teacher shortage; bilingual education

19) Taking the Pulse
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: What is health: health and society Health: a global survey (health in history; health in low-income countries; health in high-income countries) Health in the United States: who is healthy (age, gender, class and race); cigarette smoking; eating disorders; sexually transmitted diseases; ethical issues surrounding death The medical establishment: the rise of scientific medicine; holistic medicine; paying for health (a global survey); medicine in the United States Theoretical analysis of health and medicine: structural-functional analysis; symbolic-interaction analysis; social-conflict analysis

20) The Numbers Game
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: Demography: the study of population (fertility; mortality; migration; population growth; population composition) History and theory of population growth: Malthusian theory; demographic transition theory; global population today (a brief survey) Urbanization: the growth of cities (the evolution of cities); the growth of U.S. cities; suburbs and urban decline; postindustrial sunbelt cities; megalopolis: regional cities; edge cites; the rural rebound Urbanism as a way of life (Ferdinand Tonnies: Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft; Emile Durkheim: mechanical and organic solidarity; George Simmel: the blasé urbanite; The Chicago School: Robert Park and Louis Wirth) Urbanization in poor societies Environment and society: the global dimension; technology and the environmental deficit; culture (growth and limits); solid waste (the disposable society); water and air, the rain forests; environmental racism Looking ahead: toward a sustainable world

21) Mass Appeal
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: Studying collective behavior Localized collectivities: mobs and riots; crowds, mobs and social change; explaining crowd behavior Dispersed collectivities: mass behavior (rumor and gossip; public opinion and propaganda; panic and mass hysteria; fashions and fads) Social movements (types of social movements; explaining social movements; gender and social movements; stages in social movements; social movements and social change)

22) Waves of Change
This module contains information about the following topics and how they relate to Sociology: What is change? Causes of social change: culture and change; conflict and change; ideas and change; demographic change Modernity: four dimensions of modernization; the loss of community (Ferdinand Tonnies); the division of labor (Emile Durkheim); rationalization (Max Weber; capitalism (Karl Marx)theoretical ideas of modernity: structural-functional theory )modernity as mass society); social-conflict theory (modernity as class society); modernity and the individual; modernity and progress; modernity: global variation Looking ahead: modernization and our global future