Course Syllabus

Summer 2023 | SOC-1010-VT01 - 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

Nina Kunimoto
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Philip Crossman

General Education Requirements

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 IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

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 is a no cost textbook or resource class ***

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations.

Summer 2023 textbook details will be available on 2022-11-28. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

SOC-1010-VT01 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Methods

This course will be in-person at the CCV Brattleboro campus (41 Harmony Place, Brattleboro, VT 05301). The assignments in this course are designed to facilitate class discussions. That means, you will learn about a topic by reading the textbook, completing an assignment, and/or watching a film, and your responses to the assignments will be used as a basis for class discussion. In class, there will be brief presentations, but the majority of class will be interactive and discussion based.

Evaluation Criteria

A+ through A-: For any work to receive an "A," it must clearly demonstrate keen insight and original thinking. It must not only demonstrate attention to detail and full understanding of the topic or issues addressed, but it must also provide a critical analysis of these. In addition, an "A" grade reflects a student's ability to clearly and thoughtfully articulate his or her learning.

B+ through B-: For any work to receive a "B," it must be good to excellent work. It must demonstrate strong originality, comprehension, critical thinking, and attention to detail. In addition, a "B" grade reflects a student's ability to clearly articulate his or her learning.

C+ through C-: For any work to receive a "C," it must demonstrate real growth in their comprehension, critical thinking, and attention to detail. In addition, a "C" grade reflects a student's ability to adequately articulate his or her learning.

D+ through D-: For any work to receive a "D," it must minimally meet the expectations of the assignment. It demonstrates problems in comprehension, critical thinking, and attention to detail. In addition, a "D" grade may reflect a student's difficulty in articulating his or her learning.

F: Work that receives an "F" grade does not meet the expectations or objectives of the assignment. It may demonstrate consistent problems with attendance, missing assignments, comprehension, organization, critical thinking, or supporting details. In addition, an "F" grade reflects a student's inability to articulate his or her learning. Students are strongly urged to discuss this grade with their instructor and advisor.

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

Participation is 20% of your grade. Participation means engaging in discussion thoughtfully, asking questions, and taking notes.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Missing and late work depends on the circumstance. If there is a legitimate reason why you missed your work and you communicated with me about it, no points will be taken off. It is best that students stay current with their work and then start completing past work. I will take some points off of late work; I encourage all students to submit work even if it is late.

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