INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

SOC 120#Fall 2015-16#University of Tennessee

Instructor: Nikhilendu Deb
E-mail: ndeb@vols.utk.edu
Office hours: TBA

Class Meeting:
Tue, Thu (10.30-11.50), TBA

A science which hesitates to forget its founder is dead (Alfred Whitehead)

Welcome!
Hello everyone! Welcome to the world of Sociology! This is an introductory
course that will familiarize you with all the important and fundamental aspects of
Sociology. Yet the course is not so much in-depth, it is general in scope.
After completing this introductory course, you will understand exactly what it
means when someone says, Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society
can be understood without understanding both1. Hence, the first objective of this
course is to understand and make use of the difference between common sense and
sociological sense essentially, you will learn to use your Sociological Imagination. Since
Sociology examines how the social world influences the way we think, experience, and
act, it is undeniably interesting and worthy of study. For the same reason, sociological
observations can range from simple to a complex, from the interactions between two
people to the complex relationships between nations or multinational corporations.
Therefore, besides the study of different contemporary aspects, the overall objective of
this course is to introduce you to all the major perspectives of sociology in order to
understand and analyze the traits of different phenomena. Start thinking sociologically!
The following are the official learning objectives for this course. Students will learn:
-

The sociological perspective, the theoretical foundations of the discipline

(Functionalism, Conflict, and Symbolic Interactionism), and the contributions
of major theorists to the development of these perspectives.

The way in which sociologists gather, interpret, and evaluate data, including
both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

The components of culture and their impact on shaping human behavior and
world view.

This much-cited statement was first coined by C. Wright Mills in 1959 in his book The Sociological Imagination. Many aspects of this
introductory course will deal with and be guided by this concept.

The elements of social structure and the organization of society.

Some of the key sociological concepts and the prominent subdisciplines in

Sociology.

To apply our sociological knowledge to the most significant contemporary

issues such as inequality, deviance, population and environment, and social
change are a few to name.

Required Text2:

Giddens, Anthony et. al. 2013. Introduction to Sociology. W. Norton & Com. ISBN: 9780-393-92223-3. (Required)

Additional readings will be posted on my website

(http://nikhilportfolio.wordpress.com/) or on the Blackboard.
Learning and Teaching Techniques:
"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and
knowledge." - Albert Einstein
It is not difficult for me to assume the form of thinking that students value,
particularly in their undergraduate life, because during my entire undergraduate and
graduate life, I have tried to understand the factors that would make a better classroom
environment. I know that students appreciate an amicable environment in class.
A good class-environment presupposes students engagement. Specifically, a
successful class largely depends on the collaborative efforts of everyone involved. Even
though my lecture will dominate our class time, we will still experience learning
together. My intention is not only to teach, but to inspire you to learn. That said, it will
take a great deal of creative effort to bring out the most creative thinking in our classes.
Remember, an assumption is an unquestioned, assumed truth. We all need to remain
open to alternatives to question our presumed ideas.
My learning and teaching techniques focus on brainstorming. Brainstorming, a
helpful tool to develop creative solutions to a problem, is an imaginative thinking
process by which students are asked to develop ideas or thoughts. These ideas may
2

You can purchase this book for approximately $40 from Amazon. If you are unable to collect the book, please, contact me as soon
as possible. Also, additional readings will be posted on Blackboard or on my website.

appear crappy or shocking at first, but participants can then transform and improve
these into useful ideas. Brainstorming can help define an issue, diagnose a problem, or
create possible solutions and resistance to proposed solutions. Thus, there will a great
deal of creative efforts in this course.
During the semester, we will discuss, question, and analyze different
sociologically significant issues that sometimes may bring debates among us, but we
need to develop a mindset that supports a friendly and respectful learning environment
no matter how sensitive the issue.
We dont need to be perfect; together we will make our class wonderful.
_______o________
Grading policy:
Essay Exams (25% of the course grade):
Two Take-Home essay exams will be given during the semester. Each exam will
be graded on a 20-point basis. Details about the essay exams are posted on Blackboard.
However, the general rules include the following: each essay exam paper must be typed,
double-spaced with Times New Roman 12-point font and 1-inch margins. Each paper
must be 3-5 pages. Please note, while your final paper is different from these two exams,
I will rely on the same rubric to grade it.
In-Class Exams (25% of the course grade):
There will be two In-Class examinations (multiple choices, true-false, fill-in-theblanks, and short questions) during the semester. They will also cover the most
important aspects of this course. Each exam will be graded on a 20-point basis. We will
discuss and review for these exams approximately one week ahead of the exam date.
Class Participation/Discussion (10% of the course grade):
Reflection is always searching for connections (Zull 2002: 164).
My teaching philosophy values classroom discussions. I have always believed that
discussions in the classroom can lead to a greater understanding of the material being
studied. Since discussion in class involves the sharing of ideas, information, and
learning, it thus helps everyone to put all ideas under critical discussions. Moreover,
there are many sociological issues around us that are worthy of group discussion. For

this reason, class participation and discussion will carry 10% of your total course grade.
Though there may be a variety of discussions with (out) notice, the number of major
discussions will be 4-5. Discussion topics and times will be announced sometime during
the week. For details about discussions, please see the guidelines attached with the first
activity/discussion for this course.
Presentation/Team Assignment (10% of the course grade):
There will be one major group presentation in the semester. Details about this
presentation will be distributed two weeks ahead of the presentation. However, since
group members will work together on the project and they may divide the tasksone
person might do preliminary research, another might take charge of the literature
collection and reading, another might be responsible for drafting the reporteach
member of the group is accountable for being familiar and involved with the entire
presentation. As per the expectation of any collaborative project, all members of the
group are expected to do their share as well.
Your presentation is important because this is where you can put all your creative
efforts as a group as well as an individual and show your critical ability in analyzing the
given phenomenon. I will definitely mark your presentation, creative thinking, critical
ability, and of course, sociological analysis. For details, find the guidelines attached to
the presentation.
Final Exam (30% of the course grade):
There will be a final in-class examination at the end of the semester (see the date
in the course calendar). It will include multiple choices, true-false, fill-in-the blanks,
and short essay questions. Details about this exam will be given before the reasonable
time of the exam date.
Course Grades*
Grade

Minimum Score

C+

76-78%

94% or above

72-75%

A-

90-93%

C-

68-71%

B+

86-89%

65-67%

82-85%

D-

61-64%

B-

79-81%

60 and below

*Final grades at the end of the semester are not negotiable unless there is an error of calculation.

Other Course Requirements:

Academic Ethics:
Academic dishonesty includes cheating and plagiarism, fabrication, deception,
abuse of academic materials, etc. Remember one important sociological aspect of
cheating, cheating hurts our community by undermining academic integrity, creating
mistrust, and fostering unfair competition.
Plagiarism includes turning in any work that is not your own, and it also refers to
improper or missing citations of others works. Fabrication is manipulating or falsifying
information. Examples of fabrication include inventing data for an experiment you did
not do or did not do correctly or making reference to sources you did not use in a
research paper. Facilitating academic dishonesty also includes helping someone else to
commit an act of academic dishonesty.
See http://studentconduct.utk.edu/students_current_dishonesty.php. Please, be
noted that cheating of any kind, including but not limited to plagiarism, is considered a
serious academic offense and will result in failing this course.
Notes about Assignments, Exams:
In general, I will not allow any make-up examinations. If there are exceptional
circumstances, and you must miss an examination, you have to notify me at least the
day before of the exam/assignment. But under no circumstances will this rule be applied
to the final paper of the final examination.
Attendance:
I neither require nor grade attendance. Note, however, attending classes has a
number of benefits. A class is not a one-way interaction that only flows from teacher to
students. It requires everyone to learn, and to teach as such, your classmates can not
learn from you when you are not in class. The classroom is an idea-manufacturing place.
Moreover, you are responsible for all information presented and announcements made
in class. So use your reason before asking me any questions about the class that you did
not attend. I request you to not make your absence my problem.
Electronic Policy:
For all students, technology use in the classroom is intended to enhance the
learning environment. I select when, if, and what type of technology is to be used during
class. To be specific, any use of technology that degrades the learning environment,

promotes dishonesty, or is used for distracting others, is prohibited. Electronic video

and/or audio recording is not permitted during any class unless the student obtains
permission from the instructor and every student present. Your cell phone should be
switched off or kept silent during the class hours.
Contact Policy:
I have office hours posted at the front of this syllabus. Feel free to stop by my
office for any help. In addition, if you are having any difficulties with anything related to
this course or even if you are having any personal problem that you feel talking to me
can be of any help, dont hesitate to e-mail me for an appointment. I would be happy to
talk to you. Note, in general, office hours are an important resource for talking to me
about any exams/assignments.
Disability:
If you qualify for any disability accommodation, before beginning the semester
please visit http://ods.utk.edu/.For more information please contact with the following
address:
Disability Services
2227 Dunford Hall
Knoxville, TN 37996-4020
Phone: (865) 974-6087 (v)
VP: (865) 622-6566
Fax: (865) 974-9552
Email: ods@utk.edu

__________o__________

(Course Calendar is on the following pages)

Weekly3 Notebook
Every science consists in the coordination of facts; if the different observations were entirely
isolated, there would be no science.(A. Comte).

____________________________________________________________
Week One: Welcome to Sociology
Tuesday/8.26.
please bring a printed copy of the syllabus, and make sure you have read this syllabus
closely. After introducing ourselves to the class, I will talk about all of the aspects of the
syllabus and I expect you to ask any questions that you have.
I e-mailed you earlier and welcomed you to our class. In that e-mail, I have also
informed you that today I would randomly ask to explain what sociology means to you.
Yes, you do not need any preparation for this assignment, because it is our first class;
hence, there is no right or wrong answer for this question all you need is to share your
thought. Its a warm up exercise! At the end of the semester, in retrospect, we may
wonder if we should have done better!
Thursday/8.28:
The topic today is: what is sociology? We will continue our discussion from the
previous class. But, before coming to this class, you must read the assigned part of the
chapter from our required text. We will also talk about a few primary concepts such as
society, community, institution, folkways and mores, etc.
We will conclude this class with a very brief introduction to the Sociological
Imagination. A qualitative step toward sociology, in our next class!
Week Two: Sociological Imagination
Tuesday/9.2:
Today I will lecture on Sociological Imagination and how does it work as an awareness
to make the relationship between an individual and the wider society. You need to read
The Promise prior to this class (Mills, C. W. 1959. The Promise.Pp.1-13, which is
posted on Blackboard).

Remember, there will be a review of our previous classes in every four weeks. And, there will be discussion in every three weeks though all of
them will not be considered for your course grade. Please note, I may, without notice, take sudden short/MCQ exams at different point of the
semester. Be noted that I reserve right to bring any changes in my class plan.

In doing so, we will know how sociology is different from commonsense. We will also
cover the differences between sociology and other social sciences. I will post a few pages,
from MacIver and Pages book Society, on how sociology is unique compared to other
social sciences. Make sure you have read it before the next class.
Thursday/9.4:
A short 30-minute test, such as multiple choice/short questions, on Sociological
Imagination. Documentary (Part I) Preparation for critical thinking. I will give you
an overview how Sociology, in fact, is a critical science.
Week Three: Critical Thinking Exercise
Tuesday/9.9:
Today you have an activity for classroom discussion. I will lead this critical activity and
discussion. This is not only an academic activity involving critical thinking; it is also an
opportunity to create a great classroom environment. See detailed guidelines on the
activity I designed, which is posted on my website.
Since this activity will facilitate our critical thinking such that we can distinguish
between sociological and non-sociological explanations of different phenomena, we will
end up as critical thinkers! Documentary (Part I)
Thursday/9.11:
We will reflect on our previous days discussion. I will lecture on what it means to
think critically. (Readings Posted on the Blackboard).
Video TED lecture (TBD).
History/development of Sociology: brief outline for the next class.
Week Four: Development of Sociology and Theoretical Perspectives
Tuesday/9.16:
I will lecture today on the history of sociology. In this class, I will focus on the Major
scholars who contributed to the development of Sociology.
For the next class, I will make an outline of the three major theoretical perspectives in
sociology.
Thursday/9.18:
Today, I will lecture, and we will discuss three major perspectives in Sociology. These
perspectives, in fact, are three modes of analyzing different social phenomena. I have

always believed that all the subsequent theoretical and intellectual development in
sociology stemmed from these three perspectives.
Also, we will discuss about current world issues through the lenses of these three
theoretical frameworks. First Take-Home essay exam is due on the next class.
Week Five: Research Method
Tuesday/9.23:
First Take-Home Exam is due at the beginning of todays class.
We will reflect upon our previous class and I may ask you questions about how to
analyze any phenomena using any/all of the three perspectives. Discussion (TBD).
We will also begin to learn about scientific method, and we will discuss the steps
involved in conducting scientific research.
Thursday/9.25:
Continuation of previous class. Topic: Research steps in scientific research.
We will talk today about the different research methods sociologists use in their
research. This class will also include ethical aspects/code of ethics of the research.
We will create an example of a research problem and discuss the necessary steps to
conduct this research.
Week Six: Culture and Society
Tuesday/9.30:
First In-Class Exam.
After this 40-minute exam, I will provide an outline today which is basically a topic for
the next class. It covers the development of the culture around the world. In other
words, I will briefly lecture on how we have come a long way from our prehistoric
heritage.
Thursday/10.02:
Continuation of previous class. Also, we will cover: elements of culture, culture and
dominant ideology, cultural variation and ethnocentrism.
Activity/Discussion for our next class. Drawing on the theories and concepts
presented in this chapter, apply a sociological analysis to one subculture with which you
are familiar. Describe the norms, values, sanctions, etc evident in that culture.
Week Seven: Socialization
Tuesday/10.07:

Discussions
After discussion, we will talk today about the significance of socialization and how it
differs from heredity.
We will talk about agents of socialization and how do new agents have replaced the
role of other important agents in contemporary world.
Thursday/10.09:
The main focus of this class is how different notable theories explain the self
development, or in other words, the topic today is the theory of personality
development.
We will also talk about few concepts related to socialization such as anticipatory
socialization and resocialization.
Week Eight: Social Inequality
Tuesday/10.14:
Today, I will lecture on different systems of stratification which will focus on the
question: Is stratification universal? Topic today also includes sociological
perspectives on stratification.
Video/Movie (TBD).
Thursday/10.16:
Group Presentation (Group I, Group III, Group V, Group VII).
I will give an outline for the next class.
Week Nine: Race and Ethnic Inequality, Gender Inequality
Tuesday/10.21:
This week we will talk about some basic concepts regarding ethnic inequality, and
demographic composition of race in US. Topics today also include sociological
perspectives on race and ethnicity, race and ethnicity in the United States.
Thursday/10.23:
The main focus of this class is the social construction of gender and sexism and sex
discrimination on a global scale (other readings are posted in BB).
Documentaries (TBD).
Week Ten: Global Inequality; Family
Tuesday/10.28:

The major focus today is global Inequality: stratification in the world system, a case
from the Third World country.
Thursday/10.30:
Todays lecture includes: definition of family, different forms of family, divorce in the
U.S. (Schafer, Pp338-358)
Discussions on whether family will exist despite the emergence of different alternative
life-styles. (Schafer, Pp355-359, other readings are posted in Blackboard)
Week Eleven: Exam and Presentation
Tuesday/11.04:
Second In-class Exam.
Thursday/11.06:
Group Presentation (Group II, Group IV, Group VI, Group VIII)
Take-home essay exam, due on the next class.
Week Twelve: Population and the Environment
Tuesday/11.11:
No class (Veterans Day Holiday).
Thursday/11.13:
Second Take-Home Exam is due at the beginning of todays class
Topic today is demography: the study of population which covers Malthuss thesis and
Marxs response.
Lecture topic: The relationship between sociology and environment
Discussion topic for today: Current environmental problems: Climate change.
Week Thirteen: Crime and Deviance
Tuesday/11.18:
Topic today is: the definition of crime, Issues related to crime.
I will also lecture on the sociological perspectives on crime.
Thursday/11.20:
Third In-Class Exam.
Week Fourteen: Globalization, Technology, and Social Change
Tuesday/11.25:

Today, the topic is globalization. The lecture also includes technology, the future, and
social change. I will discuss today about high-risk technology and how it characterizes
the modern society in a way what many sociologists called risk society
Case study of globalization (TBD)
Thursday/11.27:
No Class! (Thanks giving Holiday)
Week Fifteen: Globalization, Technology, and Social Change
Tuesday/12.02:
Continuation of previous class: case study of globalization.
Thursday/12.04
Summary discussion of the course (Course Review-I) and review for the final exam. Fi
Week Sixteen: Final Exam
Tuesday/12.09:
Final Exam (No Early Exam Will be given) at 10.15 am- 12.15 pm.
____________o____________
Farewell, fair cruelty.
(William Shakespeare)