Sociology 351: Survey of Theory

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville

MWF 10:00-10:50

Spring 2001

Dr. David Kauzlarich

1208 Peck

Phone: (618) 650-2891

Fax: (618) 650-3509

Email: dkauzla@siue.edu

Web Page: http://www.siue.edu/~dkauzla/index.html

Office Hours: MWF 11-12

And by appointment

I. Course Information

This course is intended to provide students with an overview of the core theories and theorists in sociology. The course is divided into two major sections. First, we will focus on the substance and significance of the main theories in sociology: Functionalism, conflict, symbolic interactionism, and rational choice. While this section of the course will be characterized by interactive lectures, we will also have group discussions. The second part of the course is designed to allow us to openly and critically apply sociological theory to a range of sociological topics and problems. This portion of the course will be more interactive, and group discussions will dominate our class time. Hopefully, not only will you leave the course with a better understanding of theory per se, but also of how it can be applied to better understand social structure, culture, and interaction. As we progress through these two sections of the course, we will also be working on the group-housed individual papers, more specifically outlined below.

II. Required Text

Pampel, Fred C. (2000). Sociological Lives and Ideas: An Introduction to the Classical Theorists. New York: Worth Publishers.

Other mandatory readings will be handed out in class.

III. Course Requirements

The final course grade will be determined by the students' performance on: Three essay exams (60%), a major paper (20%), two short papers (8%) presentation of your major paper to the class (4%) , class participation (4%), and attendance (4%). These are weighted in the following manner:

Exam I..............................................50 points

Exam II.............................................50 points

Exam III............................................50 points

Major Paper......................................50 points

Short Paper 1....................................10 points

Short Paper 2....................................10 points

Class Presentation of Major Paper ..10 points

Class Participation............................10 points

Attendance........................................10 points

Total..................................................250 points

Exams: The exams will be in-class essays and are intended to gauge your understanding of the lectures, discussions, and readings.

Major Paper: Each student is required to write a major paper. You will join a base group which will house the development of your paper, which involves a theoretical interpretation of a sociological topic or problem. (Much more on this in section VI of this syllabus).

Short Papers: Each student must write two short papers on newspaper articles of their choice. Rules and guidelines for the papers are found in section VII of this syllabus.

Class Presentation of Major Paper: Each student will present their major paper to the class toward the end of the semester. Dates and times of presentations will be determined in class.

Class Participation: Students are expected to come to class with questions, comments, and critiques of their readings. Students are also expected to be an active member of their group..

Attendance: Unannounced, periodic roll will be taken.

IV. Determining the Final Grade

Final grades will be determined by dividing the total amount of points earned by the total amount of points possible. The resulting percentage will be converted into a letter grade according to the following scale:

A 90-100%

B 80-89%

C 70-79%

D 60-69%

E under 60%

At any point in the semester you will be able to calculate your exact standing in the class. Simply divide the number of points you have earned by the total amount of points possible and refer to the above scale. Note that the final point distribution may change if exam scores need to be curved.

V. Tentative Course Outline

Part I: Introduction to the Core of Sociological Theory

1/8 Introduction to the Course

1/10-17 Introduction to Sociological Theory

1/15 No class - Dr. MLK, Jr. Day

1/17-29 Conflict Theory

Marx

Critical Theory

Modern Conflict Theorists

Readings: Chapter 1

1/31-2/7 Functionalism

Durkheim

Parsons

Readings: Chapter 2

2/7 Short Paper 1 Due in Class

2/9 EXAM I

2/12-21 Weber

Rationalization

Bureaucracy

Readings: Chapter 3

2/23-3/2 Symbolic Interactionism

Mead

Cooley

Readings: Chapter 5

3/5-7 Rational Choice Theory

Readings: Handouts

3/7 Short Paper 2 Due in Class

3/9 EXAM II

3/12-16 Spring Break - No Classes

Part II: Applying Sociological Theory

3/19-23 Crime

Readings: Matthews and Kauzlarich "The Crash of ValuJet Flight 592..."

Kauzlarich and Kramer "Explaining and Controlling the Crimes of the Nuclear State"

3/23-26 Social Stratification and Inequality

Farley, pages 219-221

3/28-30 The Workplace and Bureaucracy

Farley, pages 153-161

4/2-6 Gender

Farley, pp. 133-140

4/9-13 Race

Farley, pp. 252-259

4/16-27 Class Presentations (dates may be increased or decreased depending on enrollment).

4/27 Major Paper Due in Class

5/1 Final Exam, 10-11:40.

VI. The Group-Housed Individual Papers

Your paper assignment requires you to provide a theoretical interpretation of a major subject area within sociology, or of a social problem. Your paper will be graded individually - you will not receive a "group grade." However, your paper must be written within a group context. Here's how this will occur: Groups will be formed based on a shared area of interest. For example, one group will consist of people writing papers on crime; another group will be organized around the topic of race, and another around gender, and so on. This group context will provide you with the opportunity to generate ideas, receive feedback, anticipate criticisms, more deeply contemplate the subject matter, and to provide editorial analysis of your drafts. It is the responsibility of each group member to take some interest in one another's project. The participation and attendance grades are based (though not exclusively) on your cooperation with each other in this group context.

Students should choose a sociological topic or problem from the following list:

Crime and/or Deviance

Race and Ethnic Relations, Racism

Gender, Sexism, Patriarchy

Marriage and Family

Urban Sociology

Bureaucracy, the Workplace

Religion

Population

Aging, Gerontology, Ageism

Social Movements

Social Stratification, Classism

Education

On about the third week of class, I will ask you to provide me a rank order list of three areas or problems (from the above list) that you would like to theoretically explore in your paper. After I receive your preferences in writing, I will then create the groups. Depending on the selection ratio of the above topics, some students may have to be assigned to a particular topic or problem. Student preference, however, will be the primary criteria in assignment to base groups.

After base groups are organized, class time will be allotted for groups to convene to discuss the manner in which the subject matter will be individually partitioned. The frequency of these discussions will be heightened in the last half of the course.

By the midterm examination, however, each student must submit to me an outline of their paper. I would like to know what progress has been made thus far, and any other information you feel represents the status of your paper at that point in time. By April 13th, the papers should have been circulated among all group members for criticism and editorial analysis. After this group analysis, the paper should be written and presented to the class in a discussion format (i.e. not a simple reading of the paper). The paper presentations will be scheduled (roughly) by group affiliation. We will attempt to schedule the presentations as democratically as possible toward the midpoint of the semester.

The paper is due the last day of class, April 27.

As you prepare the project, the following outline should be your guide. Extreme deviations must be approved by me.

(1) A description of the problem or topic. Why is it sociologically relevant? What is the nature, extent, and distribution of the problem or topic? Why is the topic at hand important and worthy of discussion?

(2) Research evidence. After you conduct a literature review, address these questions: What research has been conducted on the topic that is related to or inspired by your theory? What are the findings of the research? Do they favor one theory over another?

(3) Description of the theory. What are the origins, assumptions, and key variables of the theory? What are the theory's main advantages and disadvantages?

(4) Theoretical interpretation. Apply your sociological theory to the subject. Explain how the theory sheds light on the subject and how it increases the understanding of the problem/topic.

(5) Social policy implications of the theoretical interpretation. What social policies are implied by your analysis? Furthermore, what should be done if your theoretical analysis is correct? Be specific. How would the policy or change be instituted?

(6) Conclusion. What is the significance of your analysis? What does it show? How is it valuable?

Papers must be typewritten, free of misspelled words, and logically organized. It should be between 10 and 15 pages, excluding references. A minimum of 5 references other than the course texts must be employed.

VII. Guidelines for the Two Short Papers

Search through newspapers and find an article you think is amenable to interpretation through sociological theory. You should look for an article which can be analyzed by any of the following theories: Rational choice, conflict (Marx and/or Weber), structural-functionalist (Parsons, Durkheim), and symbolic interactionism (Mead, Cooley), including dramaturgy and ethnomethodology. You may employ one or more theories to help shed light on the topic of the article. You may also simply use a concept within a theory to interpret the article (e.g. rationalization, McDonaldization, alienation, false consciousness, taking the role of the other, etc...).

Generally, you may want to organize your paper around these central questions: How would the theorist/theory make sense out of the situation? What does the theory/theorist have to say about the topic? What would a particular theorist/theory focus on compared to other theorists/theories?

How and why does the use of a theory or theoretical concept help us better understand the subject of the article?

Please feel free to bring your ideas to me should you feel unsure about the appropriateness or direction of your paper.

The papers should be 3 pages in length with approximately one inch margins and a font no larger than 12.

Your two papers and the article on which the paper is based must be turned into me on the dates indicated in the syllabus. Papers submitted to me without the original article or a copy will not be read.

Hint: Be creative. Ground the papers in some theory or concept, but also use your imagination and uniqueness as a sociologist to make sense out of the topic!

Note: Students may elect to rewrite a paper for a higher grade. Usually, I make many comments on these papers as I grade, and these should guide your revisions. However, you should also talk to me before starting your rewrite so that you can maximize your opportunity to write a better paper. The revised paper will be due exactly one week after return of the first corrected paper to the student. Papers may only be revised once for grading purposes. Importantly, and to guarantee that this policy is not taken advantage of, rewrites for credit can only be done if the initial paper submitted generally meets the substantive purpose of the paper, and if the paper was at least two pages in length.

VIII. Policies on Late Papers and Missed Exams

Makeup exams will be given only under exceptional circumstances. Proof of hardship, illness, etc. is required. If a makeup exam is granted, you will need to give me several days to compose it.

All papers are due in class. Late papers will be accepted, but will be degraded at a rate of 20% per day, starting the second that class ends on the paper due date.