Course Syllabus

Spring 2025 | SOC-1010-VR01 - Introduction to Sociology

In Person Class

Standard courses meet in person at CCV centers, typically once each week for the duration of the semester.

Faculty

Tabetha Parker
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Philip Crossman

General Education Requirements

VSCS Social Sciences

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course is a survey of the basic issues, concepts, theories, and methods of sociology. Students learn to think critically about the nature of society and social institutions, and the relationship among individuals and groups. Topics will include social organization, socialization and social change, social stratification, class and class conflict, biological sex, gender expression, sexuality, race, ethnicity, age, and ability.

Essential Objectives

1. Describe the origin and development of sociology as a social science and give examples of how sociological concepts, theories, and methods can be used to explain cultural and social phenomena around the world.
2. Discuss how the interrelationships of heredity, environment, and social agents contribute to the development and socialization of the self.
3. Discuss the influence of social, cultural, and institutional contexts on behavior norms in global societies.
4. Compare the structure and function of various social groups and identify the factors which affect group dynamics.
5. Differentiate between functionalist, conflict, and interactionist explanations of deviance and social control.
6. Compare theories of social stratification based on biological sex, gender expression, sexuality, class, race, ethnicity, age, and ability and discuss resulting inequalities including power differentials, prestige, and privilege.
7. Identify key social institutions such as the family, education, religion, politics, and economy and examine their composition and function in global societies.
8. Demonstrate and interpret how demographic and statistical research is used to understand and respond to social change and recognize critical questions and ethical issues related to quantitative claims.
9. Describe the applications of sociology locally and globally and the various roles that sociologists play in today's societies.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

Methods

“Sociology is more like a passion. The sociological perspective is more like a demon that possesses one, that drives one compellingly, again and again, to the questions that are its own. An introduction to sociology is, therefore, an invitation to a very special kind of passion.”

-Peter L. Berger,Invitation to Sociology

Course Format:There will be once weekly class meetings in-person however, all assignments, discussions, quizzes, and tests will occur over the Internet/Canvas. There will be weekly quizzes covering the readings for the week as well as weekly discussion topics and questions to answer. We will have ONE midterm exam and ONE final exam to take as well as FOUR writing assignments. I will share all PowerPoint slides in our Canvas learning modules as well as additional supplemental information whether it be various websites/links, videos/clips, recommended readings, etc.

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to sociology and in so doing, provide you with the basic knowledge and awareness of the many key concepts and theories as well as providing an overview of society and many of the factors that affect its development. Specifically, we will discuss fundamental concepts like culture, socialization, social inequality and institutions, deviance, social control, and social change. Through this course, you will learn how to develop your sociological imagination, the lens through which you view and critically examine society. The sociological knowledge that you will gain in this course will allow you to discuss and apply many of the ideas and topics learned within the discipline to your own life. I hope to lay a framework for students to continue their education in sociology and to help students develop and increase critical thinking skills through class lectures and discussions.

Evaluation Criteria

• There will be 8 quizzes @ 15 points each, 8 reflection-based discussions @ 25 points each, a midterm exam @ 100 points, a final exam @ 100 points, 4 critical thinking, chapter-based writing assignments @ 20 points each, making the total points possible 600.
• Grades will be calculated using the following points scale:
• A= 540-600 B= 480-539 C= 420-479 D= 360-419 F=< 360

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Critical-Thinking Writing Assignments:There will be four critical-thinking chapter-based writing assignments (1-2 pages) given throughout the semester worth20 pointseach. These papers will be chapter-based and may also build off of class lectures and discussions and any other media used or related to the given topic. These writing assignments will focus on different concepts and ideas from sociology and further guidelines will be given later in the semester.

Discussions:You will be utilizing the Discussions toolbar in Canvas often. There will be 8 discussion boards at25points each (including your first intro post). Each week you will need to submit your initial post byTHURSDAY nights at 11:59 p.m. AND also check back throughout the week and respond or comment on another student’s post by SUNDAY nights at 11:59 p.m. Therefore, if you are the first student to respond to my topic or question, you will have to come back later and comment on another student’s post, since there will be no other posts. ONE post and ONE reply PER discussion board.

Another point to make, please do not simply say“Good post. I like your post. I agree with your post.”In responding to another student’s post, you must make some kind of thoughtful contribution. You may agree or disagree but be sure to elaborate a little bit.

As with all of our online communication and classroom interactions, it is imperative that you make conscious efforts to be polite, courteous and respectful to other students and myself. In sociology, we will discuss a variety of topics that are often controversial and sensitive, so please feel free to share your opinions and thoughts, but respect differences and each other.

Quizzes/Tests:There will be8 quizzesyou must take worth15points each. Quizzes must be submitted by Sundays at 11:59 PM and will be pooled based on chapters—the really neat thing about having the pooled questions is that I have it set up for you to each have TWO attempts with each quiz! It will pull from the highest grade, but in taking them twice, you may see the same questions again, but you also might not! They will not have more than 25 questions, with a variety of types, ranging from multiple-choice to true/false and short answer. We will have two exams as well, one midterm and one final. The midterm will cover the chapters we have reviewed, and the final will primarily cover chapters from the midterm on, however, there will be some questions from the midterm exam. The midterm and final will each be worth100points. **There will only be one attempt for the midterm and final exams.**

Missing & Late Work Policy

Late Paper Policy: Late papers or work cannot be accepted and make-up exams will not be given unless written documentation of medical/health problem (physician’s note), family emergency, religious obligation or other excused reason.

Absences and Attendance:I understand that people get sick, accidents happen, and other unpredictable events may occur. Please feel free to send me an email or contact me to let me knowAS SOON AS POSSIBLEif you are unable to attend our once weekly course meeting or have any issues in regards to getting online (Canvas) to complete our coursework due to any illness, emergency, or problems. Therefore, it is strongly suggested that you make efforts to have Internet access and prepare ahead as much as possible.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

Apply Now for this semester.