Sociology

Southwest College

Course # and Course Title CRN31789---Fall 2014

Stafford Campus, SW Learning Hub-STF3—Room Number-220| 9:00 am to 12:00 pm Saturdays

3 hour lecture course | 48 hours per semester | 16 weeks Instructor: Linda DiCindio, M.A. Instructor Contact Information:

E-mail: linda.dicindio@hccs.edu Office location and hours I am available to meet with students either before or after class; you may contact me by e-mail as well. Please identify yourself as a student when corresponding by e-mail because I delete any mail unopened if I do not recognize the address. Course Description: Sociology 1301 is an “Introduction to the concepts and principles used in the study of group life, social institutions, and social processes.” (ACGM) Sociology 1301 is “A survey course which focuses on the nature of human groups in American and world societies, their social and cultural adaptations, and the impact which various social processes may have on their social organization and social change.” Core Curriculum Course. (HCC Catalog) Prerequisites:

a) Reading: Placement in co-requisite GUST 0342 b) Writing: Placement into ENGL 0310/0349

Course Goal: By the end of this course you will be able to “Appreciate our socially and culturally diverse society and world” (HCC Core Sociology Curriculum). This is a survey course designed to help guide your understanding of Sociology as an academic and scientific discipline and to see the world around you from a new, different, and previously unthought-of of perspective. Student Learning Outcomes: 1. Apply the three major perspectives in Sociology: Conflict, Functionalism, Symbolic Interactionism. 2. Identify the principles of the social science research process.

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3. Evaluate the various aspects of stratification as they affect American society and the world. 4. Evaluate the various aspects of the institutions of society as they affect American society and the world.

Learning Objectives 1.1 Appreciate information about the background and history of Sociology. 1.2 Analyze the seminal theorists in Sociology, their theories, and how those theories translate to the real world. 1.3 Discriminate among and between various critical thinking fallacies. 1.4 Evaluate theories of collective behavior and social movements and how they impact real people's real lives in the real world. 2.1 Illustrate Sociological experiments as found in a textbook or a peer-reviewed journal and discuss the study in terms of the scientific method. 2.2 Delineate scientific research methods. 3.1 Evaluate theories of stratification and how they impact real people's real lives in the real world. 3.2 Evaluate theories of globalization and social change and how they impact real people's real lives in the real world. 3.3 Evaluate theories of population, urbanization, and environment and how they impact real people's real lives in the real world. 4.1 Evaluate the major theories of each of the institutions of society. CORE CURRICULUM SKILLS AND ASSESSMENT

Given the rapid evolution of necessary knowledge and skills and the need to take into account global, national, state, and local cultures, the core curriculum must ensure that students will develop the essential knowledge and skills they need to be successful in college, in a career, in their communities, and in life. Through the Texas Core Curriculum, students will gain a foundation of knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world, develop principles of personal and social responsibility for living in a diverse world, and advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for all learning. Students enrolled in this core curriculum course will complete several assignments designed to cultivate the following core objectives:

Critical Thinking Skills -- to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information

Communication Skills -- to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication

Empirical and Quantitative Skills –to include the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions

Social Responsibility - to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.

These objectives will be assessed as follows:

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Critical Thinking: Nearly all the work in this course will require critical thinking about the societal topics that we address. Your critical thinking skills will be assessed through the written work that you submit and questions on your exams.

Communication: Nearly all the work in this course will also require that you be able to communicate well orally and in writing. Your communication skills will be assessed primarily through the written work you submit, your International Conversation Partners project, and class participation.

Empirical and Quantitative: You will be required to answer a series of multiple choice questions on exams that assesses your empirical and quantitative skills. Furthermore, you will be expected to critically assess various research projects and comprehend various quantitative facts.

Social Responsibility: This entire course, reading and class material, is largely focused on social responsibility as an element of Sociology is the understanding that we are interconnected social beings. Specific options in this class include Service Learning and International Conversation Partners.

Core Curriculum Statement Sociology 1301 is a core curriculum course. It may be used to fulfill the requirements for a core Social and Behavioral Sciences course OR a core Cross/Multi-Cultural Studies course. Course Calendar

I. Using Your Sociological Imagination Week One 8/30/14 Review of Syllabus; Ch. 1-Sociological Imagination: An Introduction to Sociology in the Global Age. Ch. 14-Politics and the Economy, pp. 484 to 485, the Industrial Revolution. Ch. 13 Religion, pp. 434-436, early sociologists and religion. Week Two 9/6/14 Ch. 2-Thinking Sociologically Reader, Ch. 2-Differences Between Actual and Perceived Student Norms, pp. 14-17. Ch. 3-Researching the Social World Class exercise-deviance survey 9/10/14 Date of Record Week Three 9/13/14 Ch. 7-Deviance and Crime

Reader: Ch. 13-Mass Imprisonment and the Life Course: Race and Inequality in U.S. Incarceration, pp. 99 to 106.

Review for Exam 1

9/18/14 Thursday (optional) Ritzer will be speaking at the West Loop Campus at 5:30 pm in the auditorium; students are invited

Week Four

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9/20/14 Exam #1-Ch. 1, 2, 3, 7, 13 (pp. 434-436), 14 (pp. 484-485) and reader articles

Ch. 4-Culture Reader: Ch. 30-Social Movements, pp. 227-233. Reader: Week Five 9/27/14 Ch. 17-Social Change, Social Movements, and Collective

Action, pp.616-618-Social Change: Globalization, Consumption, and the Internet

Ch. 5-Socialization and Interaction. Week Six 10/4/14 Ch. 5-Socialization and Interaction. Ch. 6-Organizations, Societies, and the Global Domain. Week Seven 10/11/14 Ch. 6-Organizations, Societies, and the Global Domain. Class exercise on privacy vs. technology Review for Mid-Term

II. Social Divisions and Inequality

Week Eight 10/18/14 Ch. 8-Social Stratification

MID-TERM EXAM-Ch. 1-7, 13 (pp. 434-436), 14 (pp. 484-485), 17 (pp.616-618); reader articles

Week Nine 10/25/14 Ch. 8- Social Stratification Ch. 14-Politics and the Economy, p. 494:

Barbara Ehrenreich and Being Nickel and Dimed at Work. Ch. 14-pp. 490-503: Deindustrialization in the U.S. through McDonaldization Today.

Class exercise on occupational prestige. Ch. 9-Race and Ethnicity. Reader, Ch. 17: Race as Class, Herbert, J. Gans, pp. 133-135 10/31/14 LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW Week Ten 11/1/14 Ch. 9-Race and Ethnicity. Ch. 10-Gender and Sexuality.

III. Institutions of Society

Week Eleven 11/8/14 PAPER DUE Ch. 10-Gender and Sexuality. Ch. 15 -The Body, Medicine, Health, and Health Care.

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pp. 528-535: Inequalities in U.S. Health Care through Consumerism and Health Care

Ch. 16-Population, Urbanization, and the Environment, pp. 579-580: Decline in Fresh Water

Review for Exam 3 pp. 371-375. Week Twelve

11/15/14 EXAM #3-CH. 8, 9, 10, 14 (pp. 490-503), 15 (pp. 528-535), 16 (pp. 579-580). Ch. 11-Family

pp. 261-266. Week Thirteen 11/22/14 Ch.11-The Family

Reader: Ch. 21-Divorce Culture, pp. 163-167. Week Fourteen 11/29/14 HOLIDAY-NO CLASS Week Fifteen 12/6/14 Ch.12-Education, pp. 411-419, Inequality in Education

Review for Final Make-up Exams

Week Sixteen

12/13/14 FINAL EXAM-10:00 am CH. 8-11, 12 (pp. 411-419), 14 (pp. 490-503), 15 (pp. 528-535), 16 (pp. 579-580); reader articles

Don’t forget to bring: A scantron that is not crumbled or wrinkled A #2 pencil A good eraser Do not be late. 12/20/14 Grades available to students @hccs.edu

Instructional Methods Methods of Instruction may include lecture; various assigned readings from textbooks, peer-reviewed articles, books, original source seminal texts and other original source material, films, field trips, etc. Lecture, discussion, in-class small group activities, in-class writing, use of SAGE edge student on-line website. Assignments

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Assignments/Activities: various assigned readings from textbooks, peer-reviewed articles, books, original source seminal texts and other original source material; mandatory discussions based on various topics related to the major areas of study; debates; writing papers including essays, analyses, reviews, research, comparing and contrasting theories and perspectives; service learning projects; presentations; group and/or individual projects; portfolios

Written Assignment

Choose ONE of the following assignments:

1. The Hurricane Katrina disaster is an unfortunate example of the interaction of

environmental and social factors. Go to the following website: http://understandingKatrina.ssrc.org/ which contains a wealth of social science research on the storm. Be sure to include information in Ch. 8-Social Stratification, Ch. 9-Race and information discussed in class in your paper. a. Discuss the social factors that made this storm so devastating. b. What policies need to be changed or established to keep this from happening

again?

c. Why were some evacuees encouraged to return while others were prevented from returning?

2. Health is often determined by race, class and where one lives rather than life style choices such as refraining from smoking, exercising and eating right. Houston has been designated as the nation’s “Fattest City” several times in recent years. This was determined by the number of “health indicators” such as the number of gyms, sidewalks, hike and bike trails, sporting goods stores, grocery stores to get fresh produce and the like. “Health detractors” were the lack of sidewalks or safe playgrounds for children, the number of fast food outlets, liquor stores and lack of access to fresh produce. Examine the Everyday Sociology Blog entry of 7/18/11 by Janis Prince Inniss titled Food: What’s Class Got To Do With It, which addresses this subject.

a. Examine your own zip code or use the school zip code which is 77477. Use the U.S. Census bureau website to get demographic values such as the race, gender, age, annual income and occupation categories for the zip code. You can use the internet to access information about the median value of homes or crime rates for your zip code as well. Be sure to identify which zip code you are using. b. Take a walk or drive around your neighborhood to identify the number of health indicators vs. health detractors in the area. c. Using the information you gathered, do you think the number of health indicators or health detractors is based on demographic values such as race or social class?

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Whether you answer yes or no, be such to qualify your answer with information from the text, reader and the class. The Moving to Opportunity Study in Ch. 14 and the Everyday Sociology Blog entry of 7/18/11 by Janis P. Inniss titled Food: What’s Class Got To Do

With It, provides useful information. Other useful websites include the PBS website, New York Times website or the California Newsreel website http://www.newsreel.org.

3. Global gender inequalities need to be addressed before the problem of poverty can be

solved. Examine the following websites: www.unicef.org/sowc07/profiles/equality.php/ http://www.nytimes.com2009/08/23/magazine/23Women-t.html# and http://www.halftheskymovement.org/. These websites provide a wealth of information on global gender inequalities. Be sure to include information from the text, the reader and class when making your analysis.

a. What countries have the highest rates of poverty?

b. What are the differences between high income countries and low income

countries in terms of gender inequalities? Examples can include information on average number of children a women has, average life expectancy, infant mortality rates, income, years of education, etc.

c. Is there a relationship between gender inequality and poverty? Whether you

answer yes or no, please support your answer with information from the websites above or information from class, the text or the reader.

d. What policies have been used to combat both gender inequality and poverty successfully?

Develop a 2 to 3 page-typed essay. Hand-written papers will not be accepted. Be sure to answer all of the questions. Identify all outside sources used, including Internet sources, in a works cited page at the end of the paper. You must use websites listed in the assignment. You may use others but must include the sites listed. Points will be taken off if the websites listed are not used. Papers should be double spaced with a one-inch margin all around. Font size should be 12 points. The papers should be stapled with one staple in the upper left hand corner. Please do not use any plastic covers or other bindings. Points will be taken off for spelling errors, grammatical errors, not answering all questions, not using the websites listed in the assignment, papers shorter than two pages or longer than three pages. Be sure to have an introduction and a conclusion to your paper. Papers must be IN YOUR OWN WORDS. If papers are not in your own words, you will receive an F in the paper. You will not receive an opportunity to redo the paper. Papers must be written in American Standard English, no slang or text expressions such as U for you. This paper is due 11/8/14. Late papers will not be accepted. Being absent the day the paper is due is not an excuse for lateness. You may e-mail the paper to me if you will not be in class on the due date. It is worth 20% of your grade. If you e-mail the paper, be sure to bring a hard copy to class. This grade will not be dropped. If you do not hand in a paper on or before the due date, the grade will be averaged in as a 0, which may cause a failing grade in the class. You may turn your paper in early to insure that it will not be late and to insure that you will not receive an F in the course for lack of a paper. Please feel free to consult with me to discuss to your paper and answer any questions

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you may have. You may turn in a rough draft to be sure that you are on the right track, but this draft must be turned in at least one month prior to the due date.

Small Group Activities and In-Class Writing Assignments

There will be a total of ten small group activities and in-class writing assignments, worth 10 points each, for a total of 100 points, worth 20% of your grade. Some of these activities and writing assignments will be random, unscheduled throughout the semester. You must be present to complete the group activity or assignment and they CANNOT be made-up. Ritzer provides a student website http://www.edge.sagepub.com/ritzerintro2e with chapter summaries, flash cards and practice quizzes. If you complete FIVE of the practice tests for the chapters covered during the semester, get at least 80% and they are submitted (if you provide my e-mail when working on the quizzes, they will be e-mailed to me when completed) before the last day of class on 12/6/14, you will receive 10 points which may be substituted for ONE missed class participation exercise or in-class paper assignment. Please note you may make up only ONE missed exercise and all five of the practice tests must be completed before the deadline, no exceptions. It is best if you do this as the chapters are assigned, not all at once on 12/6/14 at the last minute. For those of you who have good attendance and have participated in all the class participation exercises, you may complete five of the practice tests as above for extra credit of 10 points for class participation. This is optional. This is the only extra credit option that is available other than the extra credit question that is on the exams.

Half Page Paper Students will have five minutes (and only five minutes) to answer a question posed that will reflect the current topic discussed in class that day. You will have five minutes to write one or two paragraphs answering the question. You may use your notes, but must use your own words. Assessments Methods of Assessment/Evaluation: Essays, internet searches with concomitant essays; in-class debates; in-class discussions; oral and written peer-reviewed article reviews and discussions; oral and written book reviews and discussions; reading and then writing about seminal texts and theories and original source material; research papers; quizzes which may include: definitions, matching, multiple choice, true/false, short answer, brief essay; lists; service learning projects; presentations; group and/or individual projects; portfolios; other methods as may be determined by individual instructors.

Four exams will be given, each worth 20% of the final grade. They will be multiple-choice, short-answer and essay exams. The mid-term will cover Ch. 1-6, 13, 15, 17, 18 and readings. The final is NOT cumulative, but will cover Ch. 7-16 and readings. The final will be multiple-choice only. There will be a 5 point extra credit question at the end of each exam with the exception of the final. A paper is also required, worth 20% of the

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final grade. Details about the paper are included in the syllabus. Class participation which includes attendance, participation in class discussions and activities, and in-class writing assignments is encouraged and is considered as part of your grade. Class participation exercises count as 20% of your grade. Ritzer provides a student website http://www.edge.sagepub.com/ritzerintro2e with chapter summaries and practice tests which will be e-mailed to the instructor. This will count as class participation as well. Students who complete the practice tests tend to get better grades on the exams. If you complete five of the practice tests (the 20 question tests) for the chapters covered during the semester, get at least 80% and they are submitted before the last day of class on 12/6/14, you will receive 10 points which may be substituted for one missed class participation exercise or in-class paper assignment. Please note you may make up only ONE missed exercise and all five of the practice tests must be completed before the deadline, no exceptions. It is best if you do this as the chapters are assigned, not all at once on 12/6/14 at the last minute. In-Class writing assignments and group activities are worth 20% of your grade. Students are expected to be prepared for class; that is having read the assigned material, having pencils, scantrons and paper for tests, etc. Routinely coming late to class or leaving early is disruptive and will adversely affect your grade. If you have a job, family or other commitments during the scheduled class time do not take this class. Students are expected to take exams when scheduled. Make-up exams are discouraged. There will be a 10 point penalty for make-up exams; the highest score you can receive on a make-up exam is 90%. If you take more than one make-up exam you cannot receive an “A” in this class.

Exam #1 = 20% A = 90 to 100% Mid-term = 20% B = 80 to 89% Exam #3 = 20% Class writing = 20% C = 70 to 79% Final = 20% D = 60 to 69% Paper = 20% F = 59 and below

The lowest grade will be dropped, with the exception of the final exam and paper, which will NOT be dropped. If you do not turn in a paper on or before the due date, you will receive a 0 for the assignment which may result in a failing grade for the course. Instructional Materials Textbook title, author, publisher, publication date, ISBN. Text: Ritzer, George, Introduction to Sociology, Second Edition, Sage Publications, Inc, California, 2015. ISBN 978-1-4833-0294-2. Reader: Contemporary Readings in Sociology, Edited by Kathleen Odell Korgen, Sage Publications. ISBN 978-1-4129-4473-1. Please note that there are two different texts used for SOCI 1301; be sure to buy the correct text and reader for this class as listed above. Be sure to buy a package of scantrons for the exams. The HCC bookstore is only open on Saturdays and in the evening the first week of class. It is not open during the late evening hours and Saturdays after the first week and you will not be able to buy scantrons the day of the exams. Scantrons are not sold at the front desk.

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Student resources http://www.edge.sagepub.com/ritzerintro2e http://everydaysociologyblog.com HCC Policy Statement: ADA “Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the appropriate HCC Disability Support Service (DSS) Counselor at the beginning of each semester. Faculty is authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office. “Students who are requesting special testing accommodations must first contact the appropriate (most convenient) DSS office for assistance: “Disability Support Services Offices:

System: 713.718.5165 Central: 713.718.6164 – also for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services and Students Outside of the HCC District service areas. Northwest: 713.718.5422 Northeast: 713.718.8420 Southeast: 713.718.7218 Southwest: 713.718.7909

“After student accommodation letters have been approved by the DSS office and submitted to DE Counseling for processing, students will receive an email confirmation informing them of the Instructional Support Specialist assigned to their professor.” HCC Policy Statement: Academic Honesty “Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. Cheating on a test includes:

Copying from another student’s test paper. Using, during a test, materials not authorized by the person giving the test. Collaborating with another student during a test without authorization. Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or in part the contents of an unadministered test. Substituting for another student, or permitting another student to substitute for one’s self, to take a test. Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered.

‘Plagiarism’ means the appropriation of another’s work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work in one’s written work for credit. ‘Collusion’ means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing work offered for credit.” (HCC Core Sociology Curriculum.) HCC Policy Statement: Class Attendance The following statements appear in the College catalog regarding class attendance: “Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Students are responsible for material covered during their absences, and it is the student’s responsibility to consult with instructors for makeup assignments. Class attendance is checked daily by

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instructors. Although it is the responsibility of the student to drop a course for non-attendance, the instructor has the authority to drop a student for excessive absences. A student may be dropped from a course for absenteeism after the student has accumulated absences in excess of 12.5 percent of the hours of instruction (including lecture and laboratory time). For example: For a three credit-hour lecture class meeting three hours per week (48 hours of instruction), a student may be dropped after six hours of absences. For a four credit-hour lecture/lab course meeting six hours per week (96 hours of instruction), a student may be dropped after 12 hours of absences. Certain departments or programs may be governed by accrediting or certification standards that require more stringent attendance policies. NOTE: IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT TO WITHDRAW OFFICIALLY FROM A COURSE. Administrative drops are at the discretion of the instructor. Failure of a student to withdraw officially could result in the student receiving a grade of "F" in the course. For the deadline for course withdrawal, check the current course Schedule of Courses.” HCC Policy Statement: Course Withdrawal To help students avoid having to drop/withdraw from any class, HCC has instituted an Early Alert process by which your professor may “alert” you and HCCS counselors that you might fail a class because of excessive absences and/or poor academic performance. Contact your professor regarding your academic performance or a counselor to learn about what, if any, HCC interventions might be available to assist you—online tutoring, child care, financial aid, job placement, etc.—to stay in class and improve your academic performance.

In order to withdraw from a class, you MUST contact your professor and this must be done PRIOR to the withdrawal deadline to receive a “W” on your transcript. If you do not withdraw before the deadline, you will receive the grade that you have earned by the end of the semester. Zeros averaged in for required assignments/tests not submitted will lower your semester average significantly, most likely resulting in a failing grade (“F”). If you do not feel comfortable contacting your professor to withdraw, you may contact a counselor. However, please do not contact both a counselor and your professor to request a withdrawal; either one is sufficient.

Error! Reference source not found. Classes of other duration (mini-term, flex-entry, 8-weeks, etc.) may have different final withdrawal deadlines. Please visit the online registration calendars or contact the HCC Registrar’s Office to determine class withdrawal deadlines.

“Remember to allow a 24-hour response time when communicating via email and/or telephone with a professor and/or counselor. Do not submit a request to discuss withdrawal options less than a day before the deadline. If you do not withdraw before the deadline, you will receive the grade that you are making in the class as your final grade.

The following statements appear in the HCCS Student Handbook regarding withdrawal from a course:

Be certain you understand HCC policies about dropping a course. It is your responsibility to withdraw officially from a class and prevent an “F” from appearing on your transcript. When considering withdrawal from a course, remember that:

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No grade is given and your transcript reflects no record of the course if you withdraw before the Official Date of Record. [Please see the HCCS Official Academic Calendar which can be found by clicking on this link]. A “W” (indicating withdrawal) appears on your transcript if you drop a course after the Official Date of Record and before the final deadline. [Please see the HCCS Official Academic Calendar which can be found by clicking on this link]. The final deadline to drop a course is four weeks before fall or spring semester finals and one week before summer semester exams. [Please see the HCCS Official Academic Calendar which can be found by clicking on this link.] There are three ways to withdraw from a course:

Complete an official withdrawal form available at any campus. Write a letter stating your request to withdrawal. The effective date of your withdrawal is the post marked date of your letter:

Office of Student Records Houston Community College System P. O. Box 667517 Houston, TX 77266-7517

Fax a letter of withdrawal to Registrar’s office: 713-718-2111. http://www.hccs.edu/hcc/System%20Home/Departments/Student_Handbook/academic_info.pdf HCC Policy Statement: Course Repeat Fee “NOTICE: Students who repeat a course for a third or more times may soon face significant tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. Please ask your instructor / counselor about opportunities for tutoring/other assistance prior to considering course withdrawal or if you are not receiving passing grades.” Course Withdrawals-First Time Freshman Students-Fall 2007 and Later Under Section 51.907 of the Texas Education Code “an institution of higher education may not permit a student to drop more than six courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education.” This statute was enacted by the State of Texas in the Spring 2007 and applies to students who enroll in a public institution of higher education as a first-time freshman in fall 2007 or later. Any course that a student drops is counted toward the six-course limit if “(1) the student was able to drop the course without receiving a grade or incurring an academic penalty; (2) the student’s transcript indicates or will indicate that the student was enrolled in the course; and (3) the student is not dropping the course in order to withdraw form [sic] the institution.” High school students enrolled in HCC Dual Credit and Early College are waived from this requirement until they graduate from high school. All college-level courses dropped after the official day of record are included in the six-course limit unless the student demonstrates to an appropriate college official that one of the following events occurred to the student during the semester or summer session:

A severe illness or other debilitating condition that affects the student's ability to satisfactorily complete [sic] the course.

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The student's responsibility for the care of a sick, injured, or needy person if the provision of that care affects the student's ability to satisfactorily complete [sic] the course. The death of a person who is considered to be a member of the student's family or who is otherwise considered to have a sufficiently close relationship to the student that the person's death is considered to be a showing of good cause. The active duty service as a member of the Texas National Guard or the armed forces of the United States of either the student or a person who is considered to be a member of the student's family and such active duty interferes with the student's ability to satisfactorily complete [sic] the course.

General Course Information 1-47 Front section 09-11.inddrev.indd 41 11/30/09 8. http://www.hccs.edu/hccs/future-students/catalog. Classroom Behavior It is our shared responsibility to develop and maintain a positive learning environment for everyone. You are expected to act as adults in class. Please refrain from offensive or abusive language during class. The college classroom is a safe place to express ideas, some of which may differ from your own personal belief system. Please be respectful of other’s ideas and refrain from personal attacks. It is your responsibility to read and understand the syllabus, complete the reading assignments and be prepared for class. Do not e-mail me when you missed a class, asking what we covered. The topics are listed in the course calendar and class notes are provided on my webpage. I cannot review an entire class in an e-mail. Do not come to class under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Do not sleep in class. Please listen as classmates speak, do not engage in side conversations as others are speaking. The content of class room discussions may be incorporated in the exams. No use of cell phones, including texting, during class, cell phones must be kept on vibrate or silent. I recognize that some of you are parents and most of you work which may necessitate that you answer the phone, on occasion. If you must answer, please get up quietly and leave the room, do not answer the phone in the class. Do not text while in class. Absolutely no use of cell phones or any electronic devices during exams. You may not leave the room during the exam. Please use the restroom, get water, tissues, arrange for rides, etc prior to the start of the exam. NO use of text messaging, social networking, web-surfing, etc during class and no use of camera phones during class. Lap tops are to be used for note-taking only, no web-surfing, social networking, etc during class time. Use of Camera and/or Recording Devices Use of recording devices, including camera phones and tape recorders, is prohibited in classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and other locations where instruction, tutoring, or testing occurs. Students with disabilities who need to use a recording device as a reasonable accommodation should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities for information regarding reasonable accommodations.

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Instructor Requirements It is my responsibility to provide a clear grading policy, class learning objectives and atmosphere conducive to learning. I believe that education is the path to success and growth as an individual and student. You are the future of our society, even those of you who are embarking on second careers! We have a multicultural, diverse student body at HCC which is a wonderful opportunity to learn about ourselves and the world. Class participation is a vital part of the learning experience. The more students are engaged in class, the more they enjoy the learning experience and the better their understanding of the material. This translates into better grades. Program/Discipline Requirements The following is to be taught at every Sociology 1301 course at HCC. The Foundations: Background and History, Overview, Perspectives and Paradigms. The Research Process. The Building Blocks: Culture, Socialization, Social Interaction and Social Structure, Social Groups and Bureaucracies, Deviance. Stratification: General Stratification-an Overview (Instructors must pick 3 out of the 5 topics listed below; instructors may incorporate material from one module into another). World/Global Stratification; Race and Ethnicity; Sex or Gender; Age; disability The Institutions of Society (Instructors must pick 3 out of the 6 topics listed below. instructors may incorporate material from one module into another): The Family (may include marriage and human sexuality), Education, Religion, Law/Politics/Government, Medicine (may include issues of health and disease), Media. Social Change/Social Movements. (Instructors may choose to include some but not all of the sections in this module or may chose to incorporate material from one module into another): Collective Behavior and Social Movements, Ecological processes, Environment, Globalization and Development, Modernity, Populations, Revolutions, Technology, Terrorism, Urbanization. Grading Your instructor will conduct quizzes, exams, and assessments that you can use to determine how successful you are at achieving the course learning outcomes (mastery of course content and skills) outlined in the syllabus. If you find you are not mastering the material and skills, you are encouraged to reflect on how you study and prepare for each class. Your instructor welcomes a dialogue on what you discover and may be able to assist you in finding resources on campus that will improve your performance. Houston Community College’s standard grading system, which will be used in this class, is: 100-90=A, 89-80=B, 79-70=C, 69-60=D, 59-0=F. Assignment and Test Percentages Types of Assignment Number of each type of assignment Percentage of total grade per assignment Number of tests/exams/quizzes Percentage of total grade per test/exam/quiz

Exam #1 = 20%

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Mid-term = 20% Exam #3 = 20% Final = 20% Paper = 20% Small group activities & in-class essays, 10 @ 10 points each for a total of 100 points = 20%

The lowest grade will be dropped, with the exception of the final exam and paper, which will NOT be dropped. If you do not turn in a paper before or on the due date, you will get a grade of 0 for the paper, which may result in a failing grade. If you take more than one make-up exam, you cannot get an A in the class. Linda DiCindio’s Attendance Policy

There is a positive correlation between student attendance and scholastic achievement. Students are expected to attend class regularly. Attendance will be taken at each class. Students are responsible for material covered during their absence. Attendance and participation are considered as part of your grade. Routinely coming late to class or leaving early is disruptive to the class and will adversely affect your grade. If you have a job, family or other commitments during the scheduled class time, do not take this class. If you will be absent for an extended period of time (more than one week) due to illness, work or family commitments, please keep me informed. You do not need to contact me if you will only miss one class. This class meets only one time per week, if you miss one class it is the same as if you missed one week of class. If you never attend class prior to the date of record, 9/10/14, the school may administratively drop you. Do not ask me to reinstate you into class if you have never attended prior to the official date of record.

Linda DiCindio’s Withdrawal Policy

There has been a change in the HCC withdrawal policy. Instructors are no longer allowed to assign a W at the end of the semester. You are adults and as such it is your responsibility to withdraw from class if you are making a failing grade. If you do plan to drop the course, please be sure to officially drop by the due date. If you attend class after the official drop date of 10/31/14, you cannot receive a "W"; I must give you a grade. Do not ask me to drop you; you must do this yourself. If you have missed exams or are making failing grades in the class or have not completed a paper, it is your responsibility to drop the class. If your grades are running below 50% on the first two exams, you cannot pass this class. If you do not complete a paper and turn it in on the due date, you will not pass this class. I will not drop students. It is your responsibility to withdraw from class prior to the due date. If you are an international student, withdrawing from a class may affect the status of your student visa. If you abandon the class, do not expect me to drop you, you need to do this yourself. If you abandon the class, you may receive a grade of FX. This is the same academically as an F, but may affect your financial aid status. Remember, it is YOUR responsibility to withdraw from class prior to the due date.

Inclement Weather Class Cancellations

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In case of inclement weather such as hurricanes, snow or flooding, check the school website at http://www.hccs.edu or local news stations for information about school closings. In the event of school closing, read the assigned chapter and readings. If an exam was scheduled on that date, it will be given on the next class day, unless there was a major city wide disaster such as a hurricane.

EGLS3 -- Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System

At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your professors and division chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the survey as part of the Houston Community College Student System online near the end of the term. Take the EGLS3 survey by going to the Student System:

[-] STEP 1

Go to www.hccs.edu

[-] STEP 2

Select Student System Sign In.

[-] STEP 3

Select EGLS3 - Begin Evaluation under the EGLS3 Eval. of Instruction to complete the survey.

Pop-ups must be enabled as the Smarter Services site opens in a new window.

Questions? ... Call the HCC Helpdesk at 713.718.8800 or email customer.support@hccs.edu

On smart phones and other mobile devices, take the EGLS3 survey by going to the Student System:

[-] STEP 1

Go to psmobile.hccs.edu

[-] STEP 2

Select Student System Sign In.

[-] STEP 3

Select EGLS3 - Begin Evaluation to complete the survey.

Pop-ups must be enabled as the Smarter Services site opens in a new window.

Questions? ... Call the HCC Helpdesk at 713.718.8800 or email customer.support@hccs.edu