Department SOCI

SOCI 211 PRINCIPLES OF SOCIOLOGY

3 credit hours, 3 lecture hours per week

I. Description

This course is an orientation to the field of sociology dealing generally with our social institutions and their functions.

II. Text

Macionis, John J. Society: The Basics. 13th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2015. Print.

III. Objectives

The student will be able to:

A. Identify the various social institutions and processes operating in American society.

B. Define basic sociological concepts such as society, culture, groups, personality, social structure, and social change.

C. List the major socio-economic problems confronting Americans today and explore possible solutions.

D. Utilize the sociological method of investigation to study important sociological phenomena in our nation.

IV. Content

A. Comprehension of the basic concept, "Society," is necessary for effective communication and intelligent investigation of significant socio-economic issues and problems.

1. Course topics: There is an examination of the concepts of culture, personality, social process, social institution, and social change. The unifying theme is social interaction. Some of the related topics studied are: inconsistencies in social status; comparative culture and human nature; racial prejudice; social structure; public opinion in a democracy; and mass culture in a mass society. Further discussion will occur in these areas: population; religion; education; political interaction; and technological change.

V. Evaluation

Student evaluation will be determined by results of quizzes, two major tests, oral and written reports, and a final examination.

SOCI 211 PRINCIPLES OF SOCIOLOGY

VI. Selected Bibliography

Birnbaum, Norman. Searching for the Light: Essays on Thought and Culture. New York: Oxford U P, 1993.

Eisenberger, Robert. Blue Monday: The Loss of the Work Ethic in America. New York: Paragon House, 1989.

Gibbons, Donald C. Society, Crime, and Criminal Behavior. 5^th ed.Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1987.

Gilbert, D. The American Class Structure: A New Synthesis. 5^th ed.Belmont: Wadsworth, 1998.

Glazer, Nathan. We are all Multiculturalists Now. Cambridge: Harvard U, 1997.

Horowitz, Donald L. Ethnic Groups in Conflict.Berkeley: U ofCalifornia P, 1985.

Kimmel, M. Manhood in America: A Cultural History. New York: Free Press, 1996.

Leslie, Gerald R. The Family in Social Context. 7^th ed. New York: Oxford U P, 1989.

MacDonald, Kevin B. Social and Personality Development: An Evolutionary Synthesis. New York: Plenum P, 1988.

Macionis, John J. Sociology. 3^rd ed.Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1991.

Roof, W. C. A Generation of Seekers: The Spiritual Journals of the Baby Boom Generation. New York: Harper, 1993.

Rustenberg, Richard S. The Social Impact of Computers.Boston: Academic P, 1992.

Rymer, R. Genie: An Abused Child’s Flight from Silence. New York: Harper, 1993.

Shepard, Jon M. Sociology.Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1987.

Stacker, Steven. Evil Influences: Crusades Against the Mass Media.New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 1984.

Sullivan, Thomas J. and Koenrick S. Thompson. Sociology: Concepts, Issues, and Applications. 2^nd ed.New York: Macmillan, 1990.

Whyte, WilliamH.City: Rediscovering the Center. New York: Doubleday, 1988.

VII. Other References

VIII. Original Approval

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Vice President of Academic Affairs

Revised Fall, 2005