COURSE SYLLABUS AND SCHEDULE

CLASS: SOC 110 – Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)

DAYS, TIMES, AND PLACE: Fall 2017 Semester - Online
INSTRUCTOR: Gabe Kilzer
OFFICE INFORMATION: Tu Th 12PM-2PM or by appointment – Gillette Hall Rm. 206
EMAIL: gabriel.kilzer@und.edu
PHONE NUMBER: (701)777-6132

TEXTBOOK AND COURSE MATERIALS

McIntyre, L.J. (2014). The practical skeptic: Core concepts in sociology (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill
Education. ISBN: 9780078026874.

To be successful in this class, you are also required to read the course syllabus, the weekly
announcement posts by the instructor, discussion posts made by the instructor, and a certain number of
discussion posts from your fellow classmates.

COURSE DESCRIPTION
McIntyre (2014, p.2) defines sociology as “the scientific study of interactions and relations among human
beings.” To understand interactions and relations among human beings, sociologists must determine the
extent to which social facts shape the social environment surrounding human beings and affect human
activity. Diversity, which refers to the presence of human beings with actual differences, is one of the
significant social facts that students examine in this class and, in turn, serves as a keystone concept.

At the beginning of the semester, students learn about the varied beliefs and behaviors of classic and
contemporary sociologists. During unit two, students learn about the methods that sociologists use to
examine social facts including culture, social norms, gender, race, social stratification and others. Units three
and four focus on the development and effects of diversity based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, race,
ethnicity, age, social class and other forms of human variation. Students must also consider how the ability of
individuals to exist within several of the categories and groups based on these characteristics at one time adds
to the complexity of social existence and activity. Within the final unit, students explore key institutions within
societies and the ways in which these institutions serve as a means to unite and/or divide individuals.

ESSENTIAL STUDIES AND DEPARTMENT GOALS

This class qualifies as part of the University of North Dakota’s Essential Studies program with a special
emphasis on United States diversity. Upon completion of this class, students should be able to use their
understanding of diversity to address issues, solve problems, and shape personal, professional, and civic
behavior. To promote this development, students are regularly required to critically examine their
perspectives and the perspectives of others in order to promote a process of cross-cultural integration.

GRADING SCALE
ASSESSMENT TOOL POINTS POSSIBLE GRADING SCALE
WEEKLY DISCUSSION POSTS 50 (10x5) 225 = A
WORKSHEETS 100 (10x10) 200-224 = B
UNIT EXAMS 100 (4x25) 175-199 = C
150-174 = D
TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE 250* 149 = F
*Effort is a necessary, but not sufficient means of obtaining a passing grade in this class. If you are putting
forth your best effort and do not see an improvement in ability, please speak with your instructor.
ASSESSMENT TOOLS
Discussions: The ten class discussions assess the skills associated with essential studies goals SS and U.
During these discussions, students are required to critically analyze and comment on
contemporary issues relating to culture and cultural diversity. To participate in a discussion,
students must (a) make an original post of their own by Wednesday at midnight and (b)
reply to the post of a fellow classmate with information that builds upon the original post
of their classmate by Sunday at midnight. You can reply to more than one student within a
single discussion, but those scores cannot be used as extra credit or to supplement for
points lost on other discussions assessment forms. Discussion points will be taken away if a
student (a) does not, or incorrectly applies, classroom material, (b) fails to create a
sociologically informed post or response, or (c) posts content with communication errors.
All points will be taken away for any posts that are inflammatory or hostile towards other
students and/or groups.

Examples: 1. Considering Durkheim’s descriptions of mechanical or organic solidarity, how

would you characterize the relationship between science and religion? What evidence do you
have to support this characterization? 2. The United States Census Bureau, as well as other
prominent organizations, often asks individuals to describe their race/ethnic identity using a
close-ended question. Is this approach helpful or harmful to understanding issues of diversity
within the United States? What evidence do you have to support your conclusion?

Worksheets: There are ten worksheets that assess the skills associated with the SS and U essential studies
goals by focusing on the issues of diversity that arise within the classroom material. These
worksheets also assess the skills associated with department goal 2a by asking students to
identify the significant historical contributions of individuals and groups to the field of
sociology. Each worksheet consists of a combination of multiple-choice and fill-in-the- blank
questions, each worth one point, and one short-answer question/request worth five points.
The multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions are scored as “correct” or “incorrect”
whereas the short-answer question/request is scored based on communication
effectiveness as well as the validity of the response.

Examples: 1. According to Durkheim, organic solidarity is __ whereas mechanical solidarity is

__? 2. Briefly describe the forms of social solidarity observed by Emile Durkheim in pre-
modern/non-industrial and modern/industrial societies. Which form of social solidarity
would best apply to post-modern/post-industrial societies? 3. What is culture?

Unit Exams: There are four non-comprehensive unit exams that assess the skills associated with
department goals 1a and 2a as well as essential studies goals SS and U. Each exam consists
of 25 multiple-choice questions. Each question is worth one point. These exams are open-
book and non-proctored, but there is a 45-minute time limit for each exam. The questions
on the exam are presented in a non-chronological manner. The exams will be available for
the entire week listed on the schedule, but the results are only made visible at the end of
the testing period. You can only take the exam once, so make sure that you are prepared to
take the exam before opening it on your computer. Students are strongly encouraged to
take exams on a local, wired connection to avoid any disruption with wireless services
that may interrupt the exam.

Examples: 1. According to C. Wright Mills, which of the following would represent a personal
trouble? 2. Which of the following represents a “sociologically informed” argument? 3. Sex
refers to _____ whereas gender refers to _____. 4. What is cultural relativism?
CLASS SCHEDULE
The instructor reserves the right to make any necessary changes to the class schedule and will notify students
of any changes to the schedule through e-mail and Blackboard.
WEEK CLASS TOPICS & KEY DATES ASSIGNED MATERIALS
8/23-8/25 Sociology’s Diverse Perspectives Introduction
Practice Discussion/Introductions (non-graded) Chapter 1
8/28-9/1 The Sociological Perspective
- Discussion 1 (Don’t forget the mid-week discussion deadline!) Chapter 2
- Worksheet 1
9/4-9/8 Sociology and Skepticism
- Discussion 2 (Don’t forget the mid-week discussion deadline!) Chapters 3 & 4
- Worksheet 2
9/11-9/15 Unit One Exam
9/18-9/22 Basic Scientific Vocabulary
- Discussion 3 (Don’t forget the mid-week discussion deadline!) Chapter 5
- Worksheet 3
9/25-9/29 Basic Research Methods
- Discussion 4 (Don’t forget the mid-week discussion deadline!) Chapter 6
- Worksheet 4
10/2-10/6 Culture and Diversity
- Discussion 5 (…) Chapter 7
- Worksheet 5
10/9-10/13 Unit Two Exam
10/16-10/20 The Social Structure of Groups and Organizations
- Discussion 6 (…) Chapter 8
- Worksheet 6
10/23-10/27 Social Institutions: Family, Politics, Health Care, Economics, etc…
- Discussion 7 (…) Chapter 9
- Worksheet 7
10/30-11/3 The Self and Socialization
- Discussion 8 (…) Chapter 10
- Worksheet 8
11/6-11/10 Deviance and Crime
- Discussion 9 (…) Chapter 11
- Worksheet 9
11/13-11/17 Unit Three Exam
11/20-11/24 Social Stratification and Inequality
- Discussion 10 (Not due until the end of week 17) Chapter 12
- Worksheet 10 (Not due until the end of week 17)
11/27-12/1 Ascription and Inequality Chapter 13
12/4-12/8 Achievement and Inequality Chapter 14
12/11-12/15 Unit Four Exam

CLASS POLICIES (Arranged Alphabetically)

Academic Misconduct: The University of North Dakota’s Code of Student Life provides specific definitions for
Cheating (3-3A), Plagiarism (3-3B), and Collusion (3-3C). Be sure to read these sections online and know that
cheating, plagiarizing, and/or colluding on any of the course requirements will result in a penalty ranging from
failing an assignment to failing the course, depending on the severity of the offence. The university may also
impose further sanctions. All instances of academic misconduct will also be reported to the Dean of Students
and become part of your permanent academic record.
Content Advisory: This class will, at times, cover content that you may find troubling due to past experiences.
We cannot avoid troubling content in our pursuit of understanding deviant, delinquent, and criminal behavior,
but I am willing to work with you if the content becomes a barrier to learning. Please speak with me, or a
trusted advisor, if any of the classroom content makes you uncomfortable so that we can make any necessary
and possible adjustments.

Blackboard Issues: Please watch your student e-mail accounts for correspondence from me, your instructor,
should any issues with Blackboard arise during the semester. Make sure that you are aware of any times and
dates in which Blackboard is down for scheduled maintenance by watching the announcement feed that
opens when you sign in to Blackboard.

Class Participation: Students in this class are expected to sign in at least twice a week (on two different days)
to actively participate in this class. This expected level of participation corresponds with the requirements for
the weekly discussion posts wherein you must create one original post and respond to the post of a fellow
classmate. It is also important to complete worksheets and exams each week as well as check your grades.
Failure to maintain active participation in the class makes it difficult for me, your instructor, to address any
problems that may arise during the semester.

Due Dates: All times and dates listed correspond with the United States central time zone. Unless otherwise
noted on the course schedule, all assignments are due at the end of the work-week in which they are given
(11:59pm Sunday). Students may be able to work ahead in the class on some course requirements, but
students are not able to submit any assignments for which the due date has passed. This policy is in place to
ensure that the class is always progressing and the instructor is able to maintain a necessary elements of class
cohesion.

E-mail: I will always respond to any e-mail correspondence within a 24-hour period from which the notice is
sent (unless I send out a message informing the class of an absence). If I do not respond, I did not get your
message and you should try to contact me again through e-mail or other means.

Extra Credit: All grades are considered final one week after they are entered. Any request for extra credit,
which refers to any opportunity given to earn back some or all points on a course requirement, must be made
within the week in which a grade is entered on blackboard. Requests will be denied if (a) the student has made
multiple requests for extra credit (representing a pattern) or (b) I determine that the student has not earned
the opportunity for extra credit due to a lack of active participation.

Grading Procedure: All course requirements will be scored during the week following the final day of
submission. Grades for Worksheet 1, for example, will be posted during week three. Grades for Discussion 3
will be posted during week six, etc... Exams will be scored immediately, but the results of the exams are
hidden until the end of the testing period. Grades for Unit One Exam, for example, will be available at the
beginning of the following week. Students will be notified if the instructor fails to return materials according to
this timeline for any reason. Please contact the instructor right away if the grade for any assignment is not
visible within the appropriate time-frame.

Participation: I do not grade on attendance, but your physical and mental presence within the classroom
represents active participation. Active participation in this class earns you opportunities to succeed (i.e.
opportunities for extra credit) that are not afforded to those who do not participate (i.e. miss class or are
disruptive to myself or other students during class). Keep in mind that active participation will not guarantee
a specific grade, but it provides a “safety net” should you struggle in the class and require additional attention.
STUDENT RESOURCES (Arranged Alphabetically)
Conduct Reporting: Any student who has been impacted by sexual violence (sexual assault, domestic violence,
dating violence, stalking) or gender-based misconduct is encouraged to report and seek appropriate resources
on campus. Please contact the Title IX Coordinator (Donna Smith, donna.smith@und.edu or 701-777-4171) to
discuss your options. To view the policy and additional resources, please visit: http://und.edu/ finance-
operations/university-police/sexual-violence-programs.pdf.

Non-discrimination Statement: As part of its commitment to providing an educational environment free from
discrimination, UND complies with Title IX of the Education Amendments, which prohibits discrimination and
harassment based upon sex in an institution’s education programs and activities. Title IX prohibits sexual
harassment, including sexual violence, of students at UND-sponsored activities and programs whether
occurring on-campus or off-campus. Title IX also protects third-parties, such as visiting student athletes, from
sexual harassment or violence in UND’s programs and activities and protects employees from sexual
harassment and discrimination. Prohibited harassment includes acts of verbal, nonverbal or physical
aggression, intimidation or hostility based on sex, even if those acts do not involve conduct of a sexual nature;
sex-based harassment by those of the same sex; and discriminatory sex stereotyping.

UND will take prompt action to investigate and resolve reports of sexual harassment or sexual violence in
accordance with Title IX. UND’s Title IX coordinator is Donna Smith, Director of Equal Employment
Opportunity/Affirmative Action, 401 Twamley Hall, 264 Centennial Drive Stop 7097, Grand Forks, ND 58202-
7097, 701-777-4171, donna.smith@und.edu. Retaliation against any person who initiates an inquiry or
complaint or participates in the investigation of a complaint is prohibited. Such conduct will be further cause
for disciplinary action.

Seeking Help: We know that while college is a wonderful time for most students, some students may struggle.
You may experience students in distress on campus, in your classroom, in your home, and within residence
halls. Distressed students may initially seek assistance from faculty, staff members, their parents, and other
students. In addition to the support we can provide to each other, there are also professional support services
available to students on campus through the Dean of Students and University Counseling Center. Both staffs
are available to consult with you about getting help or providing a friend with the help that he or she may
need. For more additional information, please go to http://und.edu/und-cares/.

Services for Students with Disabilities: If you plan to request disability accommodations, you are expected to
register with Disability Services for Students (190 McCannel Hall, 777-3425). I need to know in advance if you
have emergency medical information that impacts your participation in the class, need special arrangements
in case the building must be evacuated, or need other disability accommodations.