Welcome to Introduction to Sociology Online

Society: The Basics Online!
SYLLABUS/OVERVIEW

Welcome to online Principles of Sociology. On this page, I am posting things you need to know in order to be successful in this class.

CONTACT INFO Phone -home after 7pm 413-737-3872 - E mail: PLEASE only send me email via this courses internal webct mail.

TEXT BOOKS: There are two required books for this class and they are available at the HCC bookstore or can be purchased by clicking on the text support link on the course homepage if you have a credit card.

VIP- You should purchase these at the Holyoke Community College Bookstore in person, you can purchase them by phone, or order the books online through the HCC.One is an ebook and the other a popular book.  Both books will be inexpensive.  You can purchase the ebook from the publisher but you will not get the unbound copy of the text book which is great for those that don't like to read the book off the screen.

Text
Text

Macionis, John J., Society the Basics 11th Edition. it is the unbound text with Macionis ebook/mysoclab. The ISBN is 1-9780205005031

Reader
Kozol, Johnathan, Amazing Grace, Harper Perennial ISBN# 0-06-097697-7
At the bottom of the page, I have included a link to the HCC Bookstore so you can order the texts online. Laura Gronski Text Book Manager can assist you with this order or you can order the text directly on line when you click on the text help desk. Buying the text this way gives you more resources and saves you over one hundred dollars.

ONLINE INTERACTION AND COURSE ACTIVITIES

OVERVIEW/INFO PAGE Two things are found here:

1. Overview of Class

2. Syllabus- This is an outline of full directions on what you need to do when requirements are listed on the calender tool. The  Course Assignment Calendar list what you need to do and when assignments are due.. All Assignments and when they are due  listed on the calender tool.  Click on the date/number to get all the details. Printing this page will be helpful. ( see below for more detail.

3. WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS AND CALENDER -The weekly assignments and acitivites folders icon describes in details weekly assignments. The calendar tool alsol lists and describes in detail in summary form what is due by a particular dates. Further detail will be found by clicking on the number of the day or an underlined entry for web links.

FORUM CLASS DISCUSSION - This is an online tool that provides the real backbone of the course. Essentially this a bulletin board with weekly asynchronous discussion that you can participate in and in many cases will be mandated to post assignments in. Directions on how to use the bulletin board are in your instruction course.

CHAT - A chat room is a synchronous live discussion forum, in which participants can sign on at the same time. Some of you may want to set up a chat room to communicate. If I feel the need to enhance a concept, I will post a chat, which will not be mandatory, and a copy of the subject chat will be posted in a forum for those who are unable to participate.

ONLINE CHAPTER QUIZZES - After the chapter reading has been assigned, students will take an online quiz. This is not timed and students can take the quiz as many times as they would like until they achieve the grade they are satisfied with. This is included in the final grade but is used more as a reading check.

FINAL  ASSIGNMENT - You will create a power point public service announcement to the book "Amazing Grace" by Johnathan Kozol. Specific instructions with web links will be posted on the calender and in the Final Resource Center Folder. Students will post their assignments in the Final Paper Assignment Drop Box and the Public Service Announcement in the Amazing Grace Power Point DF. Students can work in groups on this final assignment.  A favorite by students.

STUDENT RECORDS - Student grades are posted online when work is submitted in addition to the standard college grade report sent by the college.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND DESCRIPTION - This course introduces students to the discipline of Sociology. The objective of the course is to introduce the student to thinking and writing sociologically. This is called using the sociological imagination a term/concept coined by C. Wright Mills. Next, we will use this technique to critically examine and understand a range of contemporary social problems. The final project will focus on poverty in the United States with special focus on the impacts of poverty on children.

The final grade will be an average of the following items, and each activity will be evaluated equally.

This course consists of the following activities:

1. Students are expected to read assigned material. Please note discussion forum postings/exercises and readings complement each other. In order to successfully complete the course, students are required to read the assigned material and take the quizzes for each chapter assigned by instructor.

2. Students are expected to check the calender and the weekly folder for assignments and activities on a regular basis for course readings and assignments and do all work posted here.

3. Students are expected to participate in general and group discussion online. This will clarify and increase one's understanding of sociology. Students will receive a grade for their participation and assignments posted in the forum. Exceptional participation and assignment postings going beyond the basics of the assignment will result in a grade of an "A". A good faith effort to participate on a regular basis at the proper time will result in a grade of a "B". Lesser participation will result in lower grades. I will maintain a record of the discussion and will be checking in to see your participation on a regular basis.

4. Students are expected to do weekly assignments posted in the weekly folders and calendar which will expand one's understanding of the history of Sociology as well as expand one's understanding of the sociological imagination.

5. Students are expected to take online weekly quizzes.

6. Students are expected to do a final position/reaction paper and power point public service annoucement. to the book "Amazing Grace".

PLEASE NOTE: By enrolling in this class, the student is agreeing to all of the policies listed above. Students are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the course policies and to ask questions using the main forum and e-mail feature of WebCT. Students may also call me at home for problems and or clarifications of an emergency nature.

DISABILITY NOTICE: If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodations to enable you to participate in this course, please contact me during the first week of class.

CATALOGUE COURSE DESCRIPTION: A scientific examination of human social phenomena. Major topics include interaction, statuses and roles, groups, social institutions, culture, socialization, social control, conforming and deviant behavior, collective behavior, social inequality, demography, social change, urbanism, industrialism and globalization. 3 credits