Sociology 1001: Intro. to Sociology
College of the Siskiyous
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Understand and apply sociological concepts to contemporary issues by developing a “sociological imagination.
- Define sociology as a discipline and explain its history, and how it is distinct from and related to other disciplines.
- Compare the research methods used by sociologists in examining various sociological phenomenon.
- Explain and apply the major theoretical approaches, concepts, and research findings of sociology.
- Describe how social inequality and social change operate within society historically and in a contemporary context.
- Explain how social forces and institutions influence and constrain individual and group behavior.
Course Description
This is an introduction to the study of Sociology including its basic concepts, theories, and methods. Topics include analysis and explanations of different social systems, cultures, socialization, deviance, groups, social stratification, race, gender, minorities, and the family. Current events, including COVID-19 impacts, the BLM and TimesUp movements, and the war in Afghanistan are also covered.
This Course Fulfills Social Science/General Education Requirements.
Connecting with Dr. Jen
Dr. Jennifer KalfsbeekGoetz ~ "Dr. Jen" Email: jkalfsbeekg@siskiyous.edu
Phone: xxx.xxx.xxxx (text me! my number is in your CANVAS classroom)
Office Hours: 7:00 pm Term:
Contact Me: I typically respond to emails within a day, but I am slower on the weekends / holidays. If I do not respond to your message within 2 days send me a text. If you have an urgent message, text me.
Lectires/Class Meetings: We do not have scheduled meeting times. We can meet one-on-one by appointment.
27
College Teaching Years
over 4,000
College Students Taught
#1 Priority
Being-Student Ready - Meeting students where they are at!
Course Required Readings:
FREE online Textbook:
- Introduction to Sociology 2rd Edition. COST = $0
- *Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah, COST = $0-$15 or free below
- *The Far Away Brothers by Lauren Markham, COST = $0-$15 or free below
The Library is able to provide e-book copies of all your other required books For FREE:
- Library Ebook: Born a Crime (EBSCO)
- Library Ebook: Far Away Brothers (EBSCO)
- Library E-Audiobook: Far Away Brothers (OverDrive)
STUDENTS NEED their Born a Crime BY DAY 1. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE your readings, YOU WILL FALL BEHIND FAST!
Email and Log-In Requirements
Be engaged...
Students must be accessible via email. COS requires students to obtain and use a COS email account and campus log-in information. Make sure you check you COS email regularly!
You cannot successfully complete this course without access to a computer because you will need to write papers in MS Word or a similar word processing program. If you do not have access to a computer at home, work, the library or otherwise, consider dropping the class until you have PC access. Trying to complete this course using a mobile phone will not likely lead to you earning a passing grade in this class.
NOTE: Online classes are not independent study or correspondence courses.
- To be successful in this class, you need to be engaged in the classroom at least 3 days a week and you need to communicate with classmates and your professor in a substantive way whenever you are engaged in the class. If you do this, you will be successful in this class.
- If you typically prefer to work alone and avoid engaging in discussions with others, this class will challenge you to be more interactive with others as we discuss topics that impact us all.
Course Expectations
Follow these guidelines & succeed!
Navigating the Course in CANVAS: When you log in, click on HOME to orient yourself to where we are at.
- Always reference the QUICK SCHEDULE for a quick reference to what is due and when.
- Lastly, track the announcements in the class – I regularly make announcements to keep you on track and I hold you responsible for knowing what I have posted in announcements.
Weekly Assigned Readings / Viewings Reading assignments are listed on your schedule-ata-glance and repeated each week in the announcements.
- Each week we will read from the assigned text book and you may be asked to read online articles or view websites or videos.
- All readings must be completed before responding to discussion questions (DQs) and completing quizzes and activity assignments.
TIP: read the discussion questions and activity assignment requirements first, then read all of the week's assigned readings, finally, respond to each of the DQ's and complete your activity assignment. You will know what to look for in your reading if you read assignment requirements before you start your weekly reading.
Assignment Descriptions
This is where the rubber meets the road!
Syllabus Quiz 25 points (2.5% of your grade) In week 1 you will complete a syllabus and course expectations quiz. This quiz should be an easy way for you to earn a few points in this class by just reviewing all of the course documents posted in the “Course Home Base” and in “Course Handouts and Resources” sections of your course. I find that people make fewer mistakes that cost them points if they review all of the course information at the onset of the course. Be sure to complete the syllabus quiz by the end of week 1. This is an open-book quiz … please do look up the answers … you will have 3 attempts to earn a 100%!
Pre-Test and Post-Test. 100 points total (10% of your grade) There will be a pre-test and a post-test in this class. Each test is required and each is worth 50 points. Everyone who completes the pre-test and the post-test on-time will receive the full 50 points (100%) for each test.Each test will be open for 50 minutes and will be objective (multiple choice or true/false), open book and 100% online. The pre- and post-tests are cumulative.
- No make-up tests will be accepted.
- Additionally, those who earn a 70%-79% score on the post-test will earn 5 bonus points, those who earn an 80-89% will earn 10 bonus points, and those who earn 90% or better will earn 15 bonus points in the class – added in the gradebook at the end of the class.
Quizzes 150 points (15% of your grade) 4 x 50 pts ea. – lowest score = 150 points There will be 4 short quizzes worth 50 points each; you will have one attempt to complete each of the regular quizzes in this class; each quiz will be open for 35 minutes and will be objective (multiple choice or true/false), open book and 100% online. The quizzes are not cumulative. Q1 will cover material in module 1, Q2 will cover material from module 2, etc. (see schedule-at-a-glance). Your lowest quiz score will be dropped from your cumulative grade in the gradebook and not counted toward your final grade.
- If you miss a Quiz, you will earn a 0 and it will be dropped as your lowest score; therefore...
- no make-up quizzes will be allowed – if life happens and you miss a quiz, that one will be dropped.
Activities, 120 points (12% of your grade) 4 x 40 pts ea. – lowest score = 120 points There will be four Activities assignments worth 40 points each in the class that will require you to explore and research a specific topic or social issue and demonstrate your ability to analyze it as a budding sociologist. You will also personally react to what you have learned as you have explored the topic. Your lowest scoring Activity assignment will be dropped and therefore not calculated into your final grade. The topics this semester will focus on Cyber-Bullying, Hate Crimes, Title IX: Sexual Misconduct, and applying your Sociological Imagination to a personally relevant social issue.
All Activity assignments MUST be based in course content and must cite and reference the course content/readings/videos. Outside content / research can be included but must make up no more than 10% of the assignment submission.
Discussion Questions (DQ) 525 points (53% of your grade) 16 x 35 pts ea. – lowest score = 525 points The majority of your grade will be earned as students complete discussion questions or DQs which will be posted in the “discussions” section of the course. During the first week of class, students will introduce themselves in the discussion section; all on-time, thorough introductions will earn up to 10 BONUS points. Following week one, 16 Online Discussions will take place in this course. For each DQ you can earn up to 35 points for completeness, grounding your response in your readings/viewings, and following DQ instructions.
- FALL and SPRING semesters: we complete 1 and sometimes 2 DQs a week for 16+ weeks.
- SUMMER semesters: SUMMERS are intense ... we do a 16 week class in 4-1/2 weeks. That means we are 4x as busy each week. In summer session classes, students typically complete 4 DQs each week!
- To receive full credit, you must carefully follow instructions for each DQ assignment. The 15 highest DQ scores will count toward your final grade; the lowest 1 DQ score will be dropped from your cumulative grade. NO LATE DQ Assignments will be accepted because same-time engagement and discussions with classmates is required for discussions – hence, “discussion.”
All DQ responses MUST be based in course content and must cite and reference the course content/readings/videos. Outside content / research can be included but must make up no more than 10% of the assignment submission.
Engagement 80 points (8% of your grade) 5 pts x 16 weeks = 80 points
Online classes are not independent study or correspondence courses. Engagement points are earned by you engaging in substantive discussions with your classmates and instructor in the discussion forum and doing so regularly (on at least 3 days) throughout the week. Students will therefore be required to reply to classmates’ DQ responses so that fluid and interactive discussions can be held in the class throughout the week. As well, students cannot wait until the last minute to complete their DQ posts and interactions / engagement with each other. Completing all work in the class on one day, and not checking in regularly and discussing the topics with your classmates is not acceptable.
To be successful in this class, you need to discuss the topics together, like you would if we held an open discussion in a face-to-face class. Students will earn up to 5 Engagement (i.e., participation) points each week by:
- POSTING BY WEDNESDAY: Posting one discussion (DQ) response or one reply to a classmates’ DQ response by WED. at midnight (1 pt),
- POSTING ON 3+ DAYS: Showing posting activity in a DQ forum on at least 3 of the 7 days of each week (1 pt),
- TWO REPLIES PER DQ: Posting at least 2 substantive replies to classmates in each DQ forum thread (1 pt),
- SUBSTANTIVE REPLIES: Ensuring that your replies to classmates are substantive (expand on ideas and offer comments and questions that can advance or continue the discussion) (1 pt), and…
- SUBMITTING the WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT assignment by midnight on SUNDAY (1 pt).
Refer to the following “HANDOUTS” in the “Course Handouts” section of your CANVAS classroom on successfully responding to DQs and engaging or participating in class:
- Discussion Requirements: Read ASAP!
- How to Respond to DQs and Reply to Classmates – Being Substantive.
- Good Responses Good Replies
- Writing longer, more thorough DQ responses
- SAMPLE: A perfect DQ response
- APA Style Quick Guide
Make Up Assignments
In the case of an emergency...
After all that you have read, you realize I do not accept make-up assignments. The class has been designed so you can manage the class when life happens, and still do well in the class. If you follow instructions and complete work to the best of your ability and on time, you will likely do well in this class. However, I recognize that catastrophic events can happen to students who were otherwise progressing well in class already.
In these emergency type situations (home evacuation due to fire for example), please email, text or call me as soon as you are safe and able to do so. I will ask you to let me know what you will miss (specific assignments) and what you can commit to doing to make it up and by when (you will submit a make-up schedule of your making).
It is rare that I accept make-up work, but in severe emergencies, if a student has already proven they are able to do well and complete work thoroughly and on time, I may make an exception.
BONUS POINTS
Up to 30 points!
I like to give students EVERY opportunity to do well in my classes. I also do not like to set students up to be overwhelmed or to fail. To accomplish this, I ask that if you miss an assignment, do not go back and make it up … focus on the present and the future so you do not get overwhelmed. If life happens, or you just forget, and you miss an assignment … let it go.
At a job, when you miss work, you can use sick or vacation time, right? But if you miss too much, you get a deduction in pay (grade) or get fired (fail). In my class, you have some free space to miss a couple assignments if needed (like sick days). You may also lose more points overall if you miss more than the max. you can miss without penalty (like reduced pay). In either case you can still pass and even do well in the class. If you miss too many assignments, or if you do not do the work thoroughly, you can run the risk of earning a lower grade (D) or not passing the class (like being fired).
My class is easier to pass and earn a B or A than it is to earn a D or F. Just do the assignments thoroughly and to the best of your ability, follow instructions, and submit work on time. If you do that, you will earn an A or B in this class. 80-90% of the students who complete my class earn a B or A in my class. If you earn a C, D or F, it is surely because you submitted incomplete work or did not submit several assignments. Even if you miss some points, if you are consistent in the class, you can earn BONUS points … here is how:
- Bonus Introductory Discussion Response: in Week 1 I will ask you to introduce yourself to the class. If you complete that assignment thoroughly you can earn up to 10 BONUS points!
- Attach a PIC or ICON to your profile. In week 1, if you post a picture of you, or an icon that represents you, to your profile, you will earn 5 bonus points!
- If you earn a 70%-79% on the Post-test will earn 5 bonus points, 80-89% will earn 10 bonus points, and 90% or better will earn 15 bonus points.
Grading
Choose your grade and make it happen!
Points are earned through a variety of assignments as described above. The total number of points earned will determine your course grade.
- 100-90% is an A
- 89-80% is a B
- 79-70% is a C
- 69-60% is a D less than 60% is an F.
YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR GRADE BY more than 3% with BONUS POINTS !!
