Dr. Brad Tripp
Office: Kinard 339
Office Phone: EXT 4602
Office Hours: Tuesdays 11-3; and by appointment
E-mail:
trippb@winthrop.edu
Web Site:
http://faculty.winthrop.edu/trippb/
SOCL 598, Section 001
CRN: 21018
1 Credit Hour
Spring 2013
Kinard 315
Mondays 12:30-1:20
COURSE GOALS
The senior seminar is a course that assembles a cohort of
sociology majors in their final semester before graduation. The goal
is to present students with issues, trends, research, and research methods in
contemporary sociology. This course
acts as a capstone for the Sociology major.
Additionally, this course examines
diverse lived experiences across cultures, societies, and history, SOCL 598
participates in the Global Learning Initiative by its very nature.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1) Students will be exposed to some important works in
sociology as identified by the sociology faculty.
2) Students will be required to direct a class utilizing a
set of readings. The seniors are expected to display the skills acquired
in the sociology major and touchstone program, such as communication and
critical thinking. Such capabilities are essential for success in a
variety of work settings and acquiring advanced degrees.
3) Students will be exposed to the professional attitudes
that we demand of all our graduates, such as respect, responsibility and common
courtesy.
4) Students will be exposed to career and graduate
opportunities. For example we have
had FBI representatives, graduate school directors, and alumni inform the
students about opportunities after graduation.
5) Students will experience the administration of
program evaluation instruments. Such feedback is used to strengthen our program.
SOCL 598 AND UNIVERSITY LEVEL COMPETENCIES ADDRESSED IN THE
TOUCHSTONE PROGRAM
SOCL 598 helps
students make progress towards the following University Level Competencies:
Competency 1: Winthrop graduates think
critically and solve problems.
Winthrop University graduates reason logically,
evaluate and use evidence, and solve problems. They seek out and assess
relevant information from multiple viewpoints to form well-reasoned conclusions.
Winthrop graduates consider the full context and consequences of their decisions
and continually reexamine their own critical thinking process, including the
strengths and weaknesses of their arguments.
SOCL 598
students will be asked to read and discuss a series of seminal sociological
article. As much of their grade is
based on participation, their ability to assess and understand the readings is
central to this course.
Competency 2: Winthrop graduates are personally
and socially responsible.
Winthrop University graduates value integrity,
perceive moral dimensions, and achieve excellence. They take seriously the
perspectives of others, practice ethical reasoning, and reflect on experiences.
Winthrop graduates have a sense of responsibility to the broader community and
contribute to the greater good.
The assigned
readings are both of historic and current relevance.
Students are asked to frame the articles read in relation to the past,
current, and future meaning of organized human societies.
Competency 3: Winthrop graduates understand the
interconnected nature of the world and the time in which they live.
Winthrop University graduates comprehend the
historical, social, and global contexts of their disciplines and their lives.
They also recognize how their chosen area of study is inextricably linked to
other fields. Winthrop graduates collaborate with members of diverse
academic, professional, and cultural communities as informed and engaged
citizens.
All core
areas of sociological research are included in the assigned readings.
Students will be asked to display their understanding of the vast
sociological issues in their presentations, their class participation, and in
the final examination essays.
Competency 4: Winthrop graduates communicate
effectively.
Winthrop University graduates communicate in a
manner appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience. They create texts –
including but not limited to written, oral, and visual presentations – that
convey content effectively. Mindful of their voice and the impact of their
communication, Winthrop graduates successfully express and exchange ideas.
All SOCL 598 students must present and
teach one of the assigned readings to the class.
Their communication skills are judged by both the professor and their
fellow students.
http://www2.winthrop.edu/universitycollege/Touchstone/Touchstonegoals.htm
REQUIRED TEXTS
All readings that do
not have a web address listed below them will be available in a reader at the
Winthrop University Book Store
Classroom Standards
GRADING AND CLASS POLICIES
I expect students to take the exams and provide
presentations on the dates scheduled and during the allotted time period.
Make-up exams are available under dire circumstances (EX: student is
hospitalized.) If you will not be at
the exam during its scheduled time you
must notify me in advance, we will then determine an appropriate course of
action. I reserve the right to give
a make-up exam that is different from the original exam.
ALL MAKE-UP EXAMS WILL BE GIVEN ON STUDY
DAY (APRIL 23RD ).
All dates given, and material
covered can be changed at the instructor’s discretion, therefore it is your job
to keep informed via attendance, and getting make up material from friends in
class.
Take pride in your own work and personal preparation for
exams. Academic dishonesty will not
be tolerated in this class. Any student caught cheating on exams or plagiarizing
their paper will receive a final course grade of “F.”
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Class Leadership
(40pts):
You will direct a discussion of a set of readings for the
entire 50 minute class. Yor
presentation will display your ability to think critically about the readings
assigned. A grading matrix will be
available on my website.
A group evaluation form needs to be completed by all group
members before I will allocate a grade. Each attendee will grade you
project. Your classmates will grade your project. I will average
their scores with my own to determine grades.
What do I want in the presentations?
1)
I want to see that you have read and understand the readings.
2)
I want to see that you can summarize the readings for the class
and structure an interesting class discussion.
An interesting class discussion can critique the
articles (theoretically and methodologically), can tell the implications of the
articles for current events, can compare and contrast the pieces, can expand
upon them through film, speaker or other artistic means. This is your
opportunity to teach, I want you to
create an informed and dynamic presentation. I want you to get the
class involved.
Participation and
Preparedness (30pts):
If you miss more than four classes, you will fail the
course. Less will significantly impact your grade.
All assignments, participation expectations and evaluation instruments
must be completed for a passing grade.
I expect students to read the selections and participate in all
presentations. If you do not provide concrete evidence through
informed class involvement in the group presentations, you will not receive
a passing grade for the course. The
seriousness that you show in evaluating your classmates' presentation will also
be considered here. I or the presenter reserves the right to give pop
quizzes to access if readings are being read. Performance on these tests
will enter into my evaluation of "informed" class involvement. If you have
to miss a speaker, I need to know why.
If you are late, if you leave early, if your cell phone rings, or you
display other rude behaviors such as talking when others are talking, then you
may have points subtracted from your total points. I also expect that a formal
apology will be made before I or fellow presenters return to the
instruction. Chronic or severe acute violation may result (at my discretion) in
the allocation of an "N" or "F" for the course.
Final Exam
(30pts):
The final exam will be a several general essay questions
that relate to the assigned readings.
Departmental
Assessment (Pass/Fail):
All students will be required to participate in
measurements of departmental assessment.
Students who do not participate will receive a “Fail” and have 10 points
deducted from their grade
Mock Interview (Extra Credit – 5pts):
You can receive up to five points
extra credit on your final exam by participating in a mock interview with Career
Services. Unlike the informational
interviewer, where you do the interviewing, this time, you will be on the end of
interviewee. In this interview, you
will be evaluated on a scale of 1-5 across various indicators.
Your scores on these indicators will be averaged and this point value
will be added to your final exam grade.
5 – Excellent: Would excel in a
job interview
4 – Good: Just a few minor
corrections
3 – Average: Nothing outstanding,
but not bad
2 – Below Average: Needs
improvement
1 – Poor: Needs considerable
attention
0 – Not Acceptable: Poses a
serious problem if not addressed
COURSE GRADES
A =
90-100
B+= 87-89
B = 80-86
C+= 77-79
C = 70-76
D+= 67-69
D = 60-66
F= 59 and under
COURSE SCHEDULE
1/7 - Week 1:
1/23 - Week 2: Sociological Imagination (Class
Leadership # 1)
C. Wright Mills. “The Promise of Sociology”
http://dpferry.com/pdf/Mills___Promise_of_Sociology.pdf
Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels. “Manifesto of the
Communist Party” (pgs. 11-32)
1/21: NO CLASSES –
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
1/28 - Week 3: Career Speaker- Amy Sullivan (THIS WILL
ACT AS A MAKE UP DAY)
2/4 - Week 5: Social Construction of Reality and of
Identity (Class Leadership #2)
Jeffery Victor. “The Social Dynamics of a
Rumor-Panic” (pgs. 27-56)
D.L. Rosenhan. “On Being Sane in Insane Places”
2/11 - Week 6: The Construction of Social Structures (Class
Leadership #3)
George Herbert Mead. "The Self" (pgs. 135-155)
Arluke, Arnold. “Managing Emotions in a Animal
Shelter” (READER)
2/18 - Week
7: Sexuality (Class Leadership #4)
Alfred C. Kinsey, Wardell Pomeroy and Clyde Martin. “Sexual
Behavior in the Human Male” "
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447861/
Robert Michael, et al. "Sex in America" (READER)
J.M. Carrier "Homosexual Behavior in Cross Cultural
Perspective" (READER)
2/25 - Week
8: Gender (Class Leadership #5)
Veblen, Thorstein. “The Economic Theory of Woman’s Dress”
(pgs. 198-205)
Benokraitis, Nijole. “How Subtle Sex Discrimination Works”
(packet – 167)
3/4 - Week 9: Stigma (Class Leadership #6)
Martin, Daniel. “Organizational Approaches to Shame:
Avowal, Management, and Contestation”
http://0-onlinelibrary.wiley.com.library.winthrop.edu/doi/10.1111/j.1533-8525.2000.tb02369.x/pdf
Meyers, David. “Ingroup and Outgroup” (READER)
3/11-3/15: SPRING
BREAK – NO CLASSES
3/18 - Week 10: Race and Ethnicity (Class Leadership #7)
Cooper, Marc. "The Heartlands Raw
Deal" (pgs. 137-142)
Thomas, Cooper. "White men and
Denial of Racism" (READER)
3/25 - Week 11: Criminology &
Symbolic Interaction (Class Leadership #8)
Phelan, Michael, and Hunt, Scott.
"Prison Gang Members' Tattoos as Identity Work” (READER)
Terry, Charles, " Beyond Punishment: Perpetuating Difference from the
Prison Experience " (READER)
4/1 - Week 12: SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT FOCUS GROUP
4/8 - Week 13:
4/15 -4/22 - Weeks 14 & 15:
FINAL EXAM:
MONDAY, APRIL 29TH, 3PM
Students
with Disabilities
Winthrop University
is dedicated to providing access to education.
If you have a disability and require specific accommodations to complete
this course, contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 803-323-3290.
Once you have your official notice of accommodations from the Office of
Disability Services, please inform me as early as possible in the semester.
Phone and Texting Policy
There will be absolutely no usage of phones or mp3 players
in this class. If your phone rings,
do not answer it. Everyone forgets
every now and then so, first time offenders will not be penalized.
Multiple time offenders will be asked to leave the class.
Students who answer phone calls will be asked to leave class for the day.
Likewise, students caught texting during class will also be asked to
leave. If a person is caught texting
a second time they will have 10 points taken off of their
FINAL GRADE. Failure to comply
with these regulations will result in failure in the class.
Should you have a personal/family emergency and need your phone to remain
active, talk with me before class and we will come to an arrangement.
Student code of conduct
As noted in the Student Conduct Code:
“Responsibility for good conduct rests with students as adult
individuals.” Additionally my attendance policy is the same as is listed in the
student handbook. Both the
attendance policy and the policy on student academic misconduct are outlined in
the “Student Conduct Code Academic Misconduct Policy” in the online
Student Handbook:
http://www2.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/handbook/StudentHandbook.pdf
Attendance Policy
The attendance policy is for this class is the same as the
University policy: If a student’s absences in a course total 25 percent or more
of the class meetings for the course, the student will receive a grade of N if
the student withdraws from the course before the withdrawal deadline; after that
date, unless warranted by documented extenuating circumstances as described in
the previous section, a grade of F or U shall be assigned.
http://www.winthrop.edu/majors/default.aspx?id=9242&ekmensel=db97ad6c_546_548_9242_1
Winthrop’s Academic Success Center
Winthrop’s Academic
Success Center is a free resource for all undergraduate students seeking to
perform their best academically. The ASC offers a variety of personalized
and structured resources that help students achieve academic excellence, such as
tutoring, academic skill development (test taking strategies, time management
counseling, and study techniques), group and individual study spaces, and
academic coaching. The ASC is located on the first floor of Dinkins, Suite
106. Please contact the ASC at 803-323-3929 or
success@winthrop.edu. For more
information on ASC services, please visit
www.winthrop.edu/success.
The Office of Victims Assistance Syllabus Statement
The Office of Victims Assistance (OVA) provides direct
services to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and
stalking as well as campus-wide educational programming to prevent these crimes
from occurring. The staff provides counseling services and assists with
obtaining sexual assault forensic exams, STI testing/treatment, pregnancy
prevention, housing options, legal prosecution, and access to other support
services including assistance with class or course problems resulting from
victimization (i.e. missed classes, trouble concentrating or completing
assignments). The OVA is located in 204 Crawford and can be reached at (803)
323-2206. In the case of an after-hours emergency, please call Campus
Police at (803)323-3333, or the local rape crisis center, Safe Passage, at their
24-hour hotline, (803)329-2800.
For more information please visit:
http://www2.winthrop.edu/victimsassistance/Default.htm