Docsity
Docsity

Prepare for your exams
Prepare for your exams

Study with the several resources on Docsity


Earn points to download
Earn points to download

Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan


Guidelines and tips
Guidelines and tips

Introduction to Sociology: Core Questions, History, and Cultural Diversity, Study notes of Introduction to Sociology

An introduction to a university course in sociology, focusing on the core questions of human existence, the role of history, and cultural diversity. The course covers fundamental questions about human nature, the place of biology and culture, the strength of the social bond, and the effects of society's transition from an agrarian to an urban order. Students will engage in data collection and analysis, and the course emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural differences and intellectual craftsmanship.

Typology: Study notes

Pre 2010

Uploaded on 08/26/2009

koofers-user-84h
koofers-user-84h 🇺🇸

10 documents

1 / 7

Toggle sidebar

This page cannot be seen from the preview

Don't miss anything!

bg1
David Karp Department of Sociology
Introduction to Sociology McGuinn 426
Spring, 2008 Phone: 552-4137
karp@bc.edu
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY AS A CORE COURSE
Because this introductory course fulfills one of the university's core requirements in the
social sciences it necessarily contains certain elements common to all university core
courses. Among these elements are the following:
1. A concern with the perennial questions about human existence. Virtually by
definition, an introduction to sociology deals with fundamental questions about what it
means to be a human being living in a society at a given moment in history. In this
course we will confront such basic questions as: What is the nature of human nature?
What is the place of biology and culture, respectively, in shaping human behavior?
Why do human beings commit themselves to a society? Why do persons normally
conform to the demands of society? Do we have free will? What is the basis for social
order? How does one become a functioning human being in society? Why is there so
much human conflict? What are the forces that create group life and sometimes
generate intolerance among groups? What is the character of the social self? What is
the role of community in sustaining a personal sense of well being? The purpose of our
discussion will not be to answer definitively such questions, but to suggest the way a
sociological perspective approaches them.
2. An attention to the role of history in human affairs. The view taken in this course is
that one's place in history shapes the kind of consciousness it is possible to have. In
this regard, I do not see sociology as producing immutable "laws" that transcend history
and culture. Rather, the task is to understand how humans' understanding of
themselves and their societies shifts over time. In fact, sociology itself was a response
to the transformations created by the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century.
We will, therefore, consider how such "classical" sociological theorists as Karl Marx,
Emile, Durkheim, and Max Weber considered the effects of society's transition from an
agrarian to an urban order. In this discussion, as throughout the course, we will
consider how the strength of the "social bond" between the individual and the larger
society changes over time. Since American society continues to evolve, we will
consider, as well, how the current movement of American society from a production-
based economy to a service-based economy is once again transforming human
relations.
3. An attention to cultural diversity. Two additional and basic premises of this course
are that ultimately all knowledge is comparative and that all human values must be
considered in cultural context. Wherever possible, cross cultural comparisons and
pf3
pf4
pf5

Partial preview of the text

Download Introduction to Sociology: Core Questions, History, and Cultural Diversity and more Study notes Introduction to Sociology in PDF only on Docsity!

David Karp Department of Sociology Introduction to Sociology McGuinn 426 Spring, 2008 Phone: 552- karp@bc.edu

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY AS A CORE COURSE

Because this introductory course fulfills one of the university's core requirements in the social sciences it necessarily contains certain elements common to all university core courses. Among these elements are the following:

  1. A concern with the perennial questions about human existence. Virtually by definition, an introduction to sociology deals with fundamental questions about what it means to be a human being living in a society at a given moment in history. In this course we will confront such basic questions as: What is the nature of human nature? What is the place of biology and culture, respectively, in shaping human behavior? Why do human beings commit themselves to a society? Why do persons normally conform to the demands of society? Do we have free will? What is the basis for social order? How does one become a functioning human being in society? Why is there so much human conflict? What are the forces that create group life and sometimes generate intolerance among groups? What is the character of the social self? What is the role of community in sustaining a personal sense of well being? The purpose of our discussion will not be to answer definitively such questions, but to suggest the way a sociological perspective approaches them.
  2. An attention to the role of history in human affairs. The view taken in this course is that one's place in history shapes the kind of consciousness it is possible to have. In this regard, I do not see sociology as producing immutable "laws" that transcend history and culture. Rather, the task is to understand how humans' understanding of themselves and their societies shifts over time. In fact, sociology itself was a response to the transformations created by the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century. We will, therefore, consider how such "classical" sociological theorists as Karl Marx, Emile, Durkheim, and Max Weber considered the effects of society's transition from an agrarian to an urban order. In this discussion, as throughout the course, we will consider how the strength of the "social bond" between the individual and the larger society changes over time. Since American society continues to evolve, we will consider, as well, how the current movement of American society from a production- based economy to a service-based economy is once again transforming human relations.
  3. An attention to cultural diversity. Two additional and basic premises of this course are that ultimately all knowledge is comparative and that all human values must be considered in cultural context. Wherever possible, cross cultural comparisons and

examples will be used to highlight the organization of our own culture. Of course, since American society is itself an enormously complex, variegated, pluralistic society, our attention throughout the semester will inevitably be drawn to the multiplicity of behavioral and value systems found in the United States. Appreciation of cultural differences of all sorts helps to meet a primary mission of any sociology course. It is to make persons less self righteous about the superiority of their own cultural beliefs. Both class conversation and readings are designed to put students into contact with class and race segments of American society that may be very different from their own group memberships.

  1. An attention to the methodology of the field. Sociologists normally consider their discipline as one of the social "sciences." Identification with science means that the discipline's understanding of the world is based on carefully collected data. The writing assignment for the course requires students to collect some data on their own and to analyze it. Given the assignment, a substantial amount of class time will be spent talking about the nature of deductive and inductive inquiry, the requirements of scientific investigation, the nature of participant observation field research in particular, the contents of field notes, and strategies for moving from data to analysis.
  2. A strong writing component. Although the term paper is meant primarily as an exercise in observation, data collection, and analysis, the quality of the final product cannot be separated from the quality of writing. Students will be encouraged to discuss their work and to share drafts of their paper with both the professor and the graduate student teaching assistants in the course. As time allows, we will discuss what C.W. Mills called "intellectual craftsmanship." As part of that discussion we will talk about what constitutes powerful social science writing. Here I am committed to two basic ideas about writing: (1) Writers should never confuse the complexity of their thinking with complicated writing. (2) Writing is not putting on paper what you think. It is, rather, part of the process of telling you what you think.
  3. Contributing to the development of a personal philosophy of life. The psychologist Carl Jung has said, "There is no coming to consciousness without pain." Studying sociology can be uncomfortable for some people because it forces them to question essential ideas that have guided their lives. Much sociology is dedicated to "debunking" the myths and propaganda that allow some people to order their private lives. One of the first messages of sociology is that "things aren't always what they first seem to be." Often, what we take to be common sense turns out, upon closer investigation, to be neither common nor sensical. My approach in this class places primary emphasis on the basic process of interaction that shape all human relations, from those among anonymous urbanites to our most precious intimacies. Thus, I expect the class to enhance each student's ability to think about core life questions about the quality of relationships, family involvement, child-rearing, the meaning of work, and personal commitment to social change in a more complex and nuanced way.

C. The final exam

The final exam will be part take-home and part in-class. By this I mean that shortly before the date of the final exam I will hand out a list of questions for you to think about at home. On the day of the final, I will choose a number of these questions at random for you to write on. The final exam will count for 35% of the final grade.

BRIEF OUTLINE

PART ONE: FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIAL ORDER

I. Introduction to the Course

  1. Course goals and aspirations
  2. Course requirements
  3. Introduction to the readings

Reading: Henslin, # 1-

II. The Nature of Social Order

  1. Basic definitions of sociology
  2. Sociology and the problem of order
  3. Nature and nurture
  4. Processes of socialization

Reading: Henslin, # 8-17; Karp, Chs. 1-

II. Doing Sociology

  1. Sociology and Science
  2. Doing Field Research

Reading: Henslin, # 4-6; Karp, Chs. 4-

III. Interaction, Status, Role

  1. The idea of social organization
  2. The meaning of social interaction
  3. Some elements of role theory
  4. Goffman's dramaturgical model

Reading: Henslin, # 18-22; McLeod, Chs.1-

MID-TERM EXAM

Spring, 2008 David Karp

IMPORTANT READINGS IN SOCIOLOGY

  1. On Being a Sociologist

Mills, The Sociological Imagination

  1. Doing In-Depth Interviews

Karp, Is It Me or My Meds?

  1. Doing Ethnography

Dunieier, Slim's Table

  1. Doing Theory Construction

Goffman, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

  1. Analyzing Aggregate Data

William Wilson, The Truly Disadvantaged

  1. Doing Critical Essay Writing

Derber, Corporation Nation