Introduction to Sociology

Lecture	FGCU	Edison	Assignment Due Next Class	In Class Activity
1	8/23	8/25	Autobiography	Quiz
2	8/30	9/1	None	Categorization
3	9/13	9/8	Media & Identity	None
4	9/20	9/15	Brave Neuro World	Rebel Flag
5	9/27	9/22	None	Tarp
6	10/4	9/29	Your Life Chances	None
7	10/11	10/6	Finish Midterm	Identify the Deviant
8	10/25	10/13	None	None
9	11/1	10/20	None	None
10	11/8	10/27	Old Person Interview	None
11	11/15	11/3	Earth Footprint	None
12	11/22	11/10	Family Observation	None
13	Skip	11/17	Where Will You Be?	None
14	11/29	12/1	None	None
Finals	12/6	12/8

Lectures

     

          

         

      

       

   


      
  

Supplement: Psychological Theories of Self

Crime Statistics

Major World Religions

Postmodernism

Syllabus and Information

Edison Syllabus Fall 2010 Click Here
FGCU Syllabus Fall 2010 Click Here
For Project Requirements Click Here
For Blog Requirements Click Here

Assignments

Autobiography: Students will write an autobiography.  The autobiography should concentrate on using the sociological imagination in that the student will explain how larger social and historical factors shaped who they are.  Examples of social and historical issues may include, but are not limited to family structure, geography, religion, political awareness and activism, social movements like Civil Rights or Feminism etc, major historical events like 9/11 or the IT bubble of the 90's.  Try to think about how your life has been shaped by outside forces rather than just your decisions.  (eg. You lived in Michigan until your father lost his job in the GM plant and you moved to Florida so your family could find work)

Media and Identity:    Students are to watch three television shows and do a content analysis on each using this chart.  To use the chart, the top line is people whom you may see on a television show.  The left, vertical line are identity components that may be attributed to characters on TV. Every time you see a person described on the time line place a mark for the characteristics that describe that person on the left. Once you have gathered a good data set, explain how the presentation of characters on TV may influence how we develop an identity.

Brave Neuro World:    Students will read the article, Brave Neuro World on the Readings page of this website.  Students will use their sociological imaginations to predict how the technologies described in the article will be used or shape future society.  Students should use at least one of the sociological perspectives.

Life Chances:  Students will examine their own place in society's social strata (lower class, working class, middle class, upper middle class, etc.) and equality (race, ethnicity, gender, handicap, sexuality, age).  How do these variables influence your access to life chances?

Old Person Interview:  Students will talk to an older person, aged 50 or above, and ask them questions about how times have changed and how they feel about these changes.

 
Earth Footprint: Students are to complete the the Earth Footprint Quiz, print out the results along with suggestions for reducing their earth footprint. To take the Earth Footprint Quiz go the the "Links" page.  Click on "Earth Footprint." Scroll down to "Footprint for You" and click. Follow the directions as they come. To take the Earth Footprint quiz go to the Links page. Click on Earth Footprint. Scroll down to "Footprint for You" and click. Follow the directions as given.

Family Interaction:Students will observe a family interaction. Students will write as accurate a transcript of the interaction that they can, including nonverbals and paraverbals.  Students will then use their sociological imaginations to analyze the interaction.  What social elements were present, dominance, inequality, roles, statuses, scripts, resistance, identity construction, identity reproduction, social groups etc.

Predictions:  Addressing the issues discussed in class, make predictions about what your life will be like for you in twenty years.  Be sure to explain how the issues discussed in class may impact the direction of your life.

Contemporary Social Problems

FGCU	Edison	Proposal	Assignment
8/24	8/26	Nominations	Campaign and Budget
8/31	9/2	Election and Budget	Crime
9/14	9/9	Crime	Immigration
9/21	9/16	Immigration	Education
9/28	9/23	Education	Health
10/5	9/30	Health	Religion
10/12	10/7	Religion
10/26	10/14	Inherit the Wind	Sex
11/2	10/21	Midterms Due/ Sex	Deformed Babies
11/9	10/28	Deformed Babies	Citizen Initiative
11/16	11/4	Citizen Initiative	Environment
11/23	11/11	Environment	The Family
11/30	11/18	The Family
	12/2
12/7	12/9	Final Exam	Final Exam

Lectures

   

 

Old Lectures: Use for Information

Lecture 1   Introduction

Lecture 2   The Individual

Lecture 3   Population

Lecture 4   Urbanization

Lecture 5   Work and Poverty

Lecture 6   Inequality: Race/Ethnic, Sexual/Gender,

Lecture 7   Crime and Drugs

Lecture 8   Struggling Institutions Part I: The Family and Health Care

Lecture 9   Struggling Institutions Part II: Education

Lecture 10 Struggling Institutions Part III: Politics and Economics

Lecture 11 Sexual Behavior and Misbehavior

Lecture 12 The Media

Lecture 13 War and Terrorism

Lecture 14 Can Social Problems be Solved

Syllabus and Information

Edison Syllabus Click Here
FGCU Syllabus Click Here


NEW Andosciaville Budgets
Profile of Andosciaville
Active Groups in Andosciaville
Andosciaville Statistics
Andosciaville Crime Statistics
Gangs in Andosciaville
Andosciaville Prison Stats
Immigrant Rights March
Detention Center Blues: An Immigration Issue
Immigrant Rights:
Southwest Florida Minutemen: Protecting our American borders
Americans for Legal Immigration
Federation for American Immigration Reform
Human Trafficking
Center for Immigration Studies
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
Immigrant Solidarity
ACLU: Immigrant Rights
Agitate: Thinking Differently about Immigration
Myths about Immigrants: Urban Institute
Andosciaville School Statistics
Pesticide Use


Project Requirements
Blog Requirements

Assignments

Assignment 1: 

Interest Groups: Groups will create proposals for balancing the Andosciaville budget while at the same time trying to include things that are of interest to their groups. Groups will also nominate a member of the group for City Council.

City Council Nominees:  City Council nominees will put together their campaigns.  Nominees may use the Living Text Blog to jump start their campaigns.

Assignment 2:

Interest Groups: Groups will create proposals for dealing with crime in Andosciaville.  Groups might want to decide what constitutes crime and what crimes they want to concentrate on.  Perhaps there are things you believe to be criminal (like abortion) that are currently legal.  Take a look at the stats above on Andosciaville and the Andosciaville Gazette.

City Council: Councilmen will put together the budget and turn it in to the Mayor.

Assignment 3:

Andosciaville groups will develop plans for dealing with immigration in Andosciaville, both legal and illegal.  Groups will focus on developing strong grounds and warrants to draw their conclusions. Groups may use the information above to help them.  Remember, research (social facts) should be an integral part of developing grounds. Also check out the Social Facts Page for some interesting information on immigration.

City Council will create policies for dealing with crime and present them to the class.  The City Council should also focus on grounds and warrants to justify the choices they've made.

Assignment 4:
Andosciaville Groups will develop proposals for dealing with Andosciaville's foundering education.  Again, groups will focus on Grounds and Warrants for making their claimes.  I will be very particular about this next week.

City Council will create policies and budget adjustments to deal with the immigration and illegal immigration issue in Andosciaville.

Assignment 5:

Groups will have an open forum opportunity to make social problems claims on issues of importance to them.  Students will frame their arguments to maximize acceptance of their social problems claims. Below are some new topics of concern for Andosciaville.

Topics of Concern:

1.

3. The group Immigrant Rights are Human Rights (IRHR) is requesting a public gathering permit in the Andosciaville City Park, and a parade permit to march from the park to city hall. Speeches will be given in the park by numerous immigrant and human rights advocates.  The march to City Hall will culminate in a speech by IRHR's founder and chairperson Francis Assizzi.  IRHR wants to call attention to the plight of immigrants, unfair and exclusionary practices regarding immigrants and immigrant groups.  The IRHR charter does not distinguish between legal and illegal aliens.  When asked if illegal immigrants will be among those involved in the protest, IRHR chairperson Assizzi replies only by quoting the group's charter. To date, the Andosciaville City Council has never denied a gathering or parade permit. The parade permit will displace traffic on First Street for two hours in the late afternoon on Saturday.

4. An investigative report has determined that weapons confiscated from over 20% of all gun related violence in and around Andosciaville have been traced back to a single gun seller in Andosciaville, Trigger's Guns and Ammo. A number of groups, including the Brady Campaign, are insisting that Trigger's be closed down. They claim that Trigger is not performing adequate background checks on his customers.  All guns traceable to Triggers were legally purchased and were never reported stolen.  In 85% of cases, guns were sold to people with criminal backgrounds, 10% of cases guns were sold to minors. Steve "Trigger" Puller, the store's owner claims that he has conducted business consistent with the law. He has retained a lawyer from the National Rifleman's Association, I. M. Gunhappy, who claims that this issue is just another attempt by the Brady Campaign to take everyone's guns away.

5. A fourteen year old girl is petitioning the City of Andosciaville to allow her to have an abortion at the city run clinic.  She claims that the pregnancy is the result of an unwanted/coercive sexual encounter with her uncle and she does not want to carry the fetus to term. The uncle denies any wrongdoing.  The girl's parents are staunch pro-life believers and members of the local Baptist Church.  They are convinced that their daughter's pregnancy is not the result of a sexual act by her uncle, but rather from a boy in her school whom their daughter has expressed an interest. The boy in question denies any sexual activity with the girl in question. Two counselors and a psychologist working for the Department of Children and Families reports that the girl's story is consistent.  A background check on the uncle has uncovered not prior reports or convictions of any violent crime, though he does have a history of alcohol abuse. The girl has filed for permission to have an abortion in state court, but the court date is scheduled to take place in four months, by which time the girl will be in her third trimester.  

City Council will create policies and budget adjustments to deal with the education issue.

Assignment 6:

Scenario: A philanthropist has donated two million dollars to go toward a free cancer treatment and research center. The state is providing matching funds of another two million dollars. The clinic will cost six million dollars.

Groups will make a claim for why Andosciaville needs a cancer center or does not need the cancer center.  Groups will also (assuming they want the cancer center) determine which programs the cancer center should offer and who should be served.

City Council will decide on the free forum issues. City council will also update the budget and provide the mayor with a list of plans that are being implemented.

Also remember that a possible recall election will be held next week. Groups should discuss if they  want a recall and the City Council should be prepared.

Assignment 7: 

Scenario: A religious order called the New Andoscians is petitioning the City Council for permission to place a statue commemorating their religion in the Andosciaville Central Park, a public park.  A statue of the Ten Commandments already exists in the park, and has existed for the last ten years.  However, the New Andoscians have been a focus of controversy in the community and do not necessarily hold norms and values that are consistent with the mainstream.  Should the New Andoscians be allowed to put up their statue?
For a description of the New Andoscian beliefs Click Here

City Council will decide on the Health Clinic.

Assignment 8:

Scenario: There are now four adult entertainment establishments in Andosciaville with a fifth applying for permits.  These establishments are located in Andosciaville's business district and a number of other areas that have been zoned commercial.  Currently there is a movement led by Mothers for the Protection of Youth (MoPY) and a number of Andosciaville's Christian denomenations to close these adult establishments, or any business that caters to a the sexually prurient, like video stores, lingerie shops, etc. A compromise suggestion has been made that all adult entertainment and sex industry establishments should be located in a specified zone away from the general public.  What should Andosciaville do (if anything) about adult entertainment establishments? Exactly how do we define adult business?

City Council will decide upon the New Andoscian's Monument

Assignment 9: 

Scenario: There is a cluster of severe birth defects among the migrant workers in Andosciaville's agricultural community.  The suspected cause of these defects is pesticides, but this has not been objectively confirmed.  The Andosciaville Farmworker's Coalition is threatening to hire a lawyer against the agricultural corporations suspected of negligence.  How should Andosciaville handle this crisis?

City Council will decide upon the Condo Development.

Assignment 10: 

Students are to make a claim or claims regarding the state of the family unit in Andosciaville.  The idea that the institution of the family is under threat and must be protected is a common theme in the media.  Students should explain just how the family is threatened, and offer solutions that will protect the family.

Assignment 11: 

A pharmaceutical company, Dhruggimmup Industries, wants to build a drug production plant in Andosciville.  The plant will bring a major industry into Andosciaville and representatives from the company claim that they will create over 1000 jobs in the area. The area where they want to build, however, is located in the 1500 acre Andosciaville Greenspace Preserve, which is among other things the last habitat for the endangered Wally-eyed Floogle Frog.  Dhruggimup Industies is asking for a zoning change from "preserver" to "commercial" for a 500 acre section of the preserve located near the main road, Porpherio Andoscia Blvd. Some folks are concerned about the possible pollutants that might end up in the preserve should a pharmaceutical factory be located there.  The question is, should Dhruggimup Industries receive the zoning change?




An example of the quality that I'm looking for

Some helpful advice on the projects

Extra Credit Assignment: Only acceptable from those who have missed no more than two classes.

   1.  Go to "Living Text" page.
   2.  Click on "Living Text Blog": The blog will pop up.  You can then bookmark this page to make it easier for you to get to it.
   3.  Scroll down to "Login" and click.
   4.  Under "User Name" type "student"
   5.  Under "Password" type the password given in class: Note--Do not change the password if you make a personal profile.
   6.  Click "Login"
   7.  Select "Write a Blog"
   8.  Under "Title" write "Your Name (School): Title of Blog:
   9   Write your blog.
  10. Select "Intro to Sociology" or "Social Problems" in the "Categories" Box depending on which class you are taking.
  11. If your blog is complete, Click "Publish" Your blog is now posted. 
  12. If your blog is not complete, Click "Save" Your blog title will appear as a link in the box above.  You can complete the blog at your leisure.