Explore online education in Tennessee

SOCI 1010 Syllabus

Course Syllabus

SOCI 1010 - Introduction to Sociology

3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the concepts and theoretical approaches of sociology with an emphasis on culture, socialization, deviance and crime, stratification, race and ethnicity, sex and gender, families, education, politics, healthcare, population and urbanization, research process, collective behavior and social movements. 

Course Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

• Explain the concept of the sociological imagination and the difference between personal troubles and public issues.

• Explain the basic sociological paradigms: structural-functional, social-conflict, and Interactionists.

• Explain the scientific methods used by sociologists and how they gather information about the social world.

• Understand the components of culture and the role of language in the transmission of culture.

• Explain the meaning and implications of socialization as the process of creating social beings.

• Demonstrate an understanding of the various sociological explanations of deviance and distinguish between primary and secondary deviance.

• Explain the central concepts of social stratification such as class, caste, ascribed and achieved status, opens and closed societies, and social mobility.

• Explain the theories of race and ethnic inequality.

• Explain the difference between sex and gender and apply this distinction to debates about gender inequality. 

Prerequisites & Co-requisites:

Students must be able to read and write at the college level and express themselves in grammatically correct, concise, Standard English. Grades will be based on writing skills, presentation, thorough research effort, and timeliness.

Course Topics:

• An Introduction to Sociology

• Sociological Research

• Culture

• Society and Social Interaction.

• Socialization

• Deviance, Crime and Social Control 

• Social Stratification in the United States

• Race and Ethnicity

• Gender, Sex, and Sexuality

• Marriage and Families

• Religion

• Education

• Government and Politics

• Work and the Economy

• Population, Urbanization, and Environment

• Social Movements and Social Change

Specific Course Requirements:

This is a distance-learning course. To enroll in this course and be successful, students must have access to their own computer with an Internet web browser (such as Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox), and will have to contract with an Internet service provider. Students must know how to navigate D2L (Desire 2 Learn), address technical problems immediately, and check e-mail every day for general announcements. Students enrolled in this course must complete all requirements as outlined in the syllabus in order to receive a grade. 

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."

Supplementary Materials:

Microsoft Word is required.

Hardware and Software Requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.

Minimum software requirements can be found here.

Common applications you might need:

Web Resources:

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)

The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook

Student Resources:
  • Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
  • Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
  • Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.

Instructor Information

Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.

Participation, Assessments, & Grading

Testing Procedures:

• All exams will be completed online and are not proctored. Respondus LockDown browser will not be used for any assessment in this course. There is no midterm exam. The second exam can be used to gauge your performance during midterm.

• The exams consist of multiple choice questions.

• Exams must be submitted on time. Exams will be available until 11:55 p.m. Central Standard Time, on the last day of the testing period. Must log in before 11:00 p.m. if not, access will be denied.

• The master course Calendar details exams, assignments, and discussions availability dates.

• Examination grades will be posted immediately upon submission.

Grading Procedures:
Grading Scale:
Point rangeAssigned grade
720-800 Points          A
640-719 Points          B
560-639 Points          C
480-559 Points          D
under 475 Points          F
 
Assignments and Projects:

• There are three written assignments each 100 points (300 total points). Follow the guidelines provided with each assignment in the Dropbox.

• Assignment grades will be posted two weeks after the due date.

• Cheating in this class means giving or receiving help on assignments and plagiarizing papers.

• All assignments are considered received on the day the instructor is able to open it.

• Use Microsoft Word to submit your assignment in the Dropbox.

• I do not accept PDF, zip file, html, wps, and Microsoft Works type’s documents. If you use them to submit your work, I will give you a zero on the assignment. No exception please! 

Class Participation:

Interaction with other students is an important component of the course. Students must participate by posting discussions on the topics assigned in a timely manner. I will monitor discussions in order to ensure fair use of the interactive aspect of the course. Deadlines for discussion postings are included at the bottom of each discussion. Students are also expected to communicate with the instructor as a learning resource and to check the course bulletin board frequently for announcements. There are no make-up for discussion should you miss the deadline. 

Late Policy:

This is a self-paced course. A minimum number of modules must be committed within the time specified on the syllabus. Students must complete all course activity prior to end of course semester. 

Course Ground Rules

The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:

RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Read the document in its entirety here.

1. Standards of Conduct:

  • Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.

2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:

  • In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
  • to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
  • or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution.  Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.

In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.

Other Course Rules:

Students are expected to:

  • Participate in all aspects of the course
  • Communicate with other students
  • Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
  • Address technical problems immediately:
  • Observe course netiquette at all times.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussions:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.


Last Revised on April 28, 2017