Sociology 301
-- American Society
Fall 2001 (CRN 14282)
Meets: 10-11:20,
MW In: GRAY 229
Phone: 346-5025; Email:
dreiling@darkwing.uoregon.edu
Office Hours: MW 11:30-12:30, F 11:00-12:30 In: 740 PLC
Course Framework
This course is designed as a broad,
but in-depth introduction to American society and culture. We will examine aspects of American culture
and institutions that shape modern human experience and the ways in which they
are changing. We will be paying particular
attention to relations of power and conflict. In doing this, I predict we will
tune-in to some of the most pressing questions and problems facing our minds
and the world. What is “normal”? Who
(or what) decides normality? Why has inequality persisted so much in the U.S.
(and world) over the last 2 decades?
How does economic power get converted to political power, and why? How and why does racial/ethnic segregation
and inequality persist? How have modern
institutions -- such as family, media and education -- shaped our
understandings of ourselves, our goals, our loyalties, our gender identities
and ? What is culture and how
is "it" related to social power?
Who controls the mass media and does it matter in the “making of
meaning”? Where is our society and
world headed, and what are the possibilities?
How do social movements play a part in shaping history and the
allocation of power? How do you feel
while the world teeters on an edge of social and ecological crisis? Why do you feel that way? By no means shall this be an uncomplicated
journey. To really engage these and
other questions, you can expect to read a lot (about 100 pages per week, or
about 1.5 hours of reading for every hour of class time), think a lot, and
write some… but not a lot. It will be
impossible for you to take this journey unless you link heart, mind and body
into the learning process, or in other words have a passion to learn and the
discipline to read.
Readings
Available at the U of O Bookstore.
1)
Coontz,
Stephanie. 1992. The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia
Trap. New York: Basic Books.
2)
Domhoff,
G. William. 2002. Who Rules America? Power and Politics.
3)
Heintz,
James, et al. 2000. The Ultimate Field Guide to the U.S. Economy.
4)
Coursepack: A “Primis” Reader will be
available at the U of O Bookstore.
Readings indicated with an asterisk (*)
Course Boundaries
My intention is to help create an
environment where each of us can safely share our views and expand our
perceptions of ourselves and the world that we are creating. Maintaining a
common ground in the course readings will help us toward that end. I encourage you to complete the readings as
they are listed in the reading table at the end of this syllabus. Please do your best to complete the assigned
section before the respective lecture times, as there will be close
links between the lectures, discussion and readings. Finally, since we meet under compressed circumstances, with this
much reading, it would be a benefit to all if we raise questions and comments
in class.
Below you will find my proposal for evaluating how
each of you engage the course material.
My intention with this proposal is to provide a framework from which I
can assess how much and to what depth each of you pursue the course
material. My intention IS NOT to
compare, penalize or reward you.
PROPOSAL: 4 graded activities.
First, 20% of your total grade is determined by your attendance and
participation in class. Each day accounts for 1 % of your grade, so be sure to
attend and sign the role sheet. Of
course, absences may be justified – as long as you inform me of any unusual circumstances. Secondly, three quizzes will be distributed
throughout the term (see course outline
below for the dates). Each of these is
worth 15% of your grade, totaling 45%.
The third component of this proposal is that you respond to a take-home
essay question in about 3 pages, worth 15% of your total grade. This is due on December 4, the day of the
final exam. You will receive
instructions for this in class. Fourth,
there will be an in-class final exam scheduled for 10:15am, Tuesday, December 4th. This component of the final exam is worth
20% of your total grade.
If you find that the above proposal does not meet
your needs for this class and would like your grade to reflect some other
course-related work, please plan to present your strategy to me and a GTF by
the end of the second week of class.
The following guidelines are suggested: 1) develop a proposal that
outlines what you will do to convey to me and the GTF that you engaged the
course material, and second, provide a brief explanation of what needs of yours
are met by doing the work as you propose (e.g., I will enjoy learning sociology
more by applying my artistic talents or web-design talents to course
projects); 2) be prepared to explain
how each of your proposed projects will show me and/or the GTFs that you
engaged each major segment of the course material (be aware that I want to see
that your projects are directly related to the course content). Your proposal
may substitute any element of my proposal with your own or you may want to do
things that convey your understanding of the course material in ways that
totally diverge from my proposal above.
These options can be discussed in greater detail during office hours or
in class.
Course
Outline
A) Sociology – Knowledge and
Being in the Modern World
Stephanie
Coontz – Introduction and Chapter 1
B) The Expansion of Capitalism
·
Max
Weber, Selection from “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism”
·
Karl
Marx and Friedrich Engels, “Bourgeois
and Proletarians”
Field Guide…,
Ch. 1-2
Stephanie
Coontz –
Chapter 2
C) Social Identity, the Self,
and the Power of the Social:
·
Berger
& Luckmann, “Socialization and the Internalization of Society”
·
Goffman,
“Presentation of Self”
·
Milgram,
“The Perils of Obedience”
II) Post-war USA
A) Family, Gender, and
: Weeks 2-3
Stephanie
Coontz --
Chapters 3 - 5
·
Taylor,
Whittier, “Gender Inequality and Sexism”
Field Guide, Ch. 3
Stephanie Coontz 7 - 9
QUIZ #1 – Mon. Oct.
15
B) Social Difference, Crime,
and the Politics of Social Control: Week 4-5
·
Rosenhan,
“On Being Sane in Insane Places”
·
Crouch
& Alpert, “The American Prison Crisis”
·
Paternoster,
“Myths and Misconceptions about the Death Penalty”
·
Simpson,
“Corporate Crime”
Field Guide… Chs. 5-7
Stephanie
Coontz,
Chapter 10
C) Race, Ethnicity, and Urban
Conflict: Week 5-6
·
Yetman,
“Race and Ethnicity”
·
Wacquant
and Wilson, “The Cost of Racial and Class Exclusion”
Field Guide… Ch. 4
QUIZ #2 – Wed. October 31
D) Economy, Class and
Inequality Week 7
·
Ritzer & Moran: “The Economy”
Field Guide… Ch. 9
Stephanie Coontz, Chapter 11
E) A Shadow Cast Over
Democracy? Week 7-8
·
Mills,
“The Power Elite.”
F) Militarism, Mass Media
and Public Opinion Week 8-9
·
Marullo,
“War and Militarism”
·
Kellner,
“Television and Democracy”
H) Globalization, Ecology, and
the Big Picture Week 10
Domhoff, Ch. 8
Coontz, Epilogue
Field Guide,
Ch. 8, 10
FINAL EXAM: 10:15am,
Tuesday, December 4
Reading Table
You may use this table as a daily reminder of the
readings that correspond (roughly) to the lectures. You may also pay attention
to the sub-headings in the course outline (above). These will help locate the
readings and lectures in a larger sequence of themes and topics.
|
|
Monday |
Wednesday |
|
Week 1: |
READ: * Begin Coontz, Intro. & Ch. 1 |
READ: *Weber; *Marx and Engels; Field Guide…, Ch. 1-2 |
|
Week 2: |
READ: *Berger & Luckmann; *Goffman; *Milgram; Complete Coontz, Ch. 2 |
READ: Coontz, Ch. 3-4; Begin *Taylor, Whittier |
|
Week 3: |
READ: Coontz, Ch. 5; Complete *Taylor, Whittier |
READ: Field Guide… Ch. 3 Coontz, Ch. 7-8 |
|
Week 4: |
READ: Coontz, Ch. 9 QUIZ #1 |
READ: *Rosenhan; *Crouch & Alpert; *Paternoster |
|
Week 5: |
READ: *Simpson; Coontz, Ch. 10; Field Guide Chs. 5-7 |
READ: *Yetman; Field Guide…Ch. 4 |
|
Week 6: |
READ: *Wacquant & Wilson |
FILM QUIZ #2 |
|
Week 7: |
READ: Coontz, Ch. 11; Field Guide Ch. 9; *Ritzer &Moran |
READ: * Mills; Domhoff Intro and Ch. 1 |
|
Week 8: |
READ: Domhoff, Chs. 3-4 |
QUIZ #3 FILM |
|
Week 9: |
READ: *Marullo; * Kellner |
READ: Domhoff, Chs. 5-7 |
|
Week 10: |
READ: Domhoff, Ch. 8; FILM |
READ: Coontz, Epilogue; Field Guide, Chs. 8, 10 REVIEW |