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| Edward H. Thompson, Jr.
Department of Sociology & Anthropology Holy Cross College E-mail: ethompson@holycross.edu |
Office:
211 Beaven
Office Hours: T 3:30-5pm, W 1-3pm Th 3:30-5:00, and by prior appointment Phone: 508-793-3468 Fax: 508-793-3709 |
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| "The fascination of sociology
lies in the fact that its perspective makes us see in a new light the very
world in which we have lived all of our lives. This constitutes a transformation
of consciousness...It can be said that the first wisdom of sociology is
this -- things are not what they seem." Peter Berger, Invitation
to Sociology.
The course is prepared to introduce you to the sociological perspective and the art of thinking sociologically. It is appropriate for students considering sociology as a major as well as for students who have already declared a major in other fields.. I strongly believe that students
can best understand what sociology offers by routinely using the perspective
to interpret the world we live in. The course is designed for your
active participation, and thus it is not the stereotypical lecture course
where students are perceived as empty vessels to be filled with knowledge.
My primary objective is to introduce you to the social worlds you and others
inhabit. To rephrase this, I intend to help you discover the impact
of social structure on your own life and the lives of others. You
will confront the discipline of sociology--what it studies and how it does
research, discover sociology’s theoretical perspectives, what sociologists
study, and how we do research. The course introduces you to the perspectives
of micro sociology, which focus on social life up close (e.g., individuals
and their immediate social surroundings), and the perspectives of macro
sociology, which aim to make sense of social structures (such as social
class) and social institutions (such as patriarchy or the "iron cage" of
rationality). I emphasize how traditions and existing social structures
mold people's ideas, feelings, thoughts, and beliefs about modernity, gender
and race relations, and families. As a group, we examine patterns
of social inequality, whether along racial, age, sex or class lines, and
you discover the significance of what sociologists call "the social context."
REQUIRED TEXTS
ADDITIONAL READINGS Regularly, there are articles assigned which are available through Electronic Reserve. Each can be read online or printed. The authors and articles are designated on the syllabus. The requirements for this course include two exams (worth 20% each), three mini-research exercises (collectively worth 25%), a group presentation and paper (worth 20%), and emailed comments on the readings (15%). The work load is moderate-to-heavy. In sum, requirements are: (1) attend classes prepared to participate, having read assigned material beforehandParticipation Class attendance is expected. Missing a class once every other week is unacceptable. To do well in the course, whether measured by the amount of learning you experience or the grade you earn, requires that you keep up with the assigned readings, attend class prepared, and participate. This course typically makes or breaks itself in the way students engage themselves. The readings I have selected facilitate discussion, but if the course is to be remembered as a good learning experience, the workload rests on all of us. You are encouraged to ask questions, make comments, initiate and join in the ad hoc debates, bring newspaper items to the attention of the class, and, in effect, think out loud & critically about society. Research Exercises A set of mini-research exercises are integrated into the course. All three are required – the norm violation project, the unzipping census tracks project, and the data analysis & testing hypothesies project. Through the research exercises, you become engaged in “doing sociology.” The norm violation project is worth 5% of the course grade and involves no paper. The unzipping census track project and the data analysis project are each worth 10% of the course grade and require a brief (4-5 page) research report. Team Project and Presentation Every person will be randomly assigned to one of three research teams. The team consists of about 7 members and uses one day of class to present both its “research” and the sociology behind the research. After you have been randomly assigned to one of these team projects, you can do on your own one of the other exercises for extra credit. The changing face of racism has serious societal consequences. Team 1’s project uses as variety of methods to examine symbolic racism -- e.g., racism in language, theories of ethnic inferiority, and stereotypes. If you elect this option for extra credit, this research paper is due no later than March 27. No extensions Sociologically, deviance helps us understand what values are important. To define activity as deviant reveals what components of society are valued and cherished. Team 3 has the task of assessing people’s tolerance of sexual assault. When assault is tolerated, are women made subordinate? The team engages two types of research –survey research and the experiment method. Team 3 continues a discussion about gender and age identities. The team’s research involves a critical analysis of the images of men and women in the media, and the project should effectively show how society tacitly affects our perceptions of both age and gender. The team demonstrates one type of research – content analysis. Research Paper A 7-page library research paper will be turned about three-weeks after your participation in the team project. The topic of this paper is partly defined by the issue addressed by your research team (e.g., age & gender stereotyping, sexual aggression), and your paper’s theme must be confirmed by me two weeks before the paper is due. It involves your own library research, in addition to the group work the research team engaged in for the class presentation. Guidelines for the paper can be found here. Examinations
Emailed Comments on Readings
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