Sociology 498: Senior Seminar

Sociology 498: Senior Seminar

Winthrop University, Spring 2009

Class Location: Kinard 016

Class Time: Monday 12:00-12:50

Professor: Dr. Jeannie Haubert Weil

Office: 336 Kinard

Office Hours: Mon 2:30-5:00 or by appointment

Office Phone: ext. 4293

Email: [e-mail]

Preferred Contact Method: While I have to use email from time to time to communicate with the whole class, I find it impersonal as a method of individual communication. In contrast, face-to face communication provides the opportunity for more detailed answers to your questions and allows me to get to know you better. Please come to my office hours with your questions. If my office hours conflict with other obligations you have, you may email me for an appointment.

             

Course Objectives

 

The senior seminar is a course that assembles a cohort of sociology majors in their final semester before graduation.  

 

1)      It provides an institutionalize setting where all graduates are exposed to some important works in sociology as identified by the sociology faculty.

2)      It requires students to direct a class utilizing a set of readings.  The seniors are expected to display the skills acquired in the sociology major and general education program, such as communication and critical thinking.  Such capabilities are essential for success in a variety of work settings and acquiring advanced degrees.

      3)    It reinforces the professional attitudes that we demand of all our graduates, such as respect, responsibility and common courtesy.

4)      The seminar is also used to expose the students to career and graduate opportunities.  
 For example we have had FBI representatives, graduate school directors, and  
  alumni inform the students about opportunities after graduation.

5)      Lastly, the seminar provides an institutionalized setting for the administration of

       program evaluation instruments. Such feedback is used to strengthen our program.

  

Athletes and Persons with Disabilities

Winthrop University is dedicated to providing access to education. If you need accommodations due to either a university athletic obligation or to a particular disability, please notify me within the first two weeks of the semester.  If you have a disability and require specific accommodations to complete this course, contact Gena Smith, Program Director, Services for Students with Disabilities, at 323-3290 to obtain an official notice for accommodations. 
Classroom Standards

1. 
   Be respectful of all individuals in the classroom whether or not you agree with them. This is essential for creating an environment in which all students feel comfortable expressing themselves.
   
2. 
   Cite ideas that are not your own. Please come to me with any questions on how to cite.
   
3. 
   Type all assignments unless otherwise specified.
   
4. 
   Be on time. Consistent lateness will significantly reduce your participation grade.
   
5. 
   Do the readings and be prepared to discuss them. Evidence to the contrary will adversely affect your participation/preparedness grade.
   
6. 
   Do not be rude. Ringing cell phones, private conversations, sleeping, studying for another course, and text messaging are inappropriate in class. Such actions will adversely affect your participation/preparedness grade.
   
7. 
   Be professional. Failure to give a presentation on your assigned day will result in a zero unless you have a documented emergency. You will still have to complete the presentation however to receive credit for the course.
   

Classroom Policies

• 
  Exam Make-up Policy—A student who misses an exam may receive a make-up exam if they are absent due to extreme circumstances (e.g. death in the family, car accident, etc.). Such extreme circumstances must be documented and are subject to the discretion of the professor.
  

• 
  Borrowed Material—All students are expected to follow the student conduct standards set forth by the university. The university states that all academic works submitted by a student should be the result of his or her own efforts. Suspected violations such as cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, and unauthorized collaboration will result in a lowering of your grade the extent to which will depends on the nature of the violation.
  

• 
  Your Ideas and Comments--Your ideas, comments, suggestions and questions are welcome. You are encouraged to take advantage of my office hours for help with course content, paper, or anything else related to the course and your progress.
  

Course Requirements

 

Class Leadership (25%):

You will direct a discussion of a set of readings for approximately 30 minutes. You should have a lesson plan prepared in advance so you do not substantially go under or exceed the time limit and so your delivery flows smoothly. A grading matrix will be available on my website.  Your classmates will grade your project.  I will average their scores with my own to determine grades.

 

   What do I want in the presentations?

1. 
   I want to see that you have read and understand the readings.
   
2. 
   I want to see that you can summarize the readings for the class
    and structure an interesting class discussion. Wow me with your creativity and insight!
   

 

An interesting class discussion critiques the articles (theoretically and methodologically), discusses implications of the articles for current events, and compares and contrasts the pieces.  This is your opportunity to teach, to create an informed and dynamic presentation, and to really get the class involved.  Powerpoint is not always the best medium for leading a discussion, but if you must, limit yourself to no more than 5 slides.

Informational Interview Project (25%)

For this assignment, you will identify and research a job that you might be interested in pursuing, identify and interview a contact in that field, assess what you have learned about that field and its fit with your goals, and present your findings to your classmates. This project is designed to help you: explore career interests and clarify your career goals, build self-confidence in a low stress interviewing situation, gain insight into potential employers/organizations, expand your network and establish professional contacts, learn what skills and educational levels may be needed to acquire a position and share that with the class, get advice on how to enter a particular field, affirm or reject your career choice.  By completing an informational interview you can see what a career is like from someone actually doing the job. This is social networking at its best!

Presentation may include:

• 
  Individual’s name, position and description of the job (what it involves).
  
• 
  Background about the person, why you selected them, how and why they became involved in this career; did they major in this area or just “fall into it”;
  
• 
  Skills, personal qualities or experiences employers look for when hiring in this field; working conditions; hours worked per week, etc.
  

• 
  Describe the organizational culture (dress code, how people treat each other, the office environment—physically as well as the “look and feel”). What are satisfying and stressful aspects of this type of work?
  
• 
  What is a typical day like? 
  
• 
  What is the entry-level salary range in this field?  (O*NET or the on-line Occupational Outlook Handbook will provide this information)
  
• 
  What advice did you receive about going into this profession or line of work?  What is the employment outlook in this field?
  
• 
  Can you picture yourself in this type of job?  Why?  Why not?
  
• 
  What did you learn from this interview?
  

 

Please note:

This report should be prepared and presented on PowerPoint (no more than 5 slides). Presentation should be 5-10 minutes in length. As this is a professionalization exercise, you should pay careful attention to your appearance/body language, word choice, visual aids, etc as if you were doing a presentation for your new boss. Practice in front of roommates or friends in advance so you do not substantially go under or exceed the time limit and so your delivery flows smoothly. You should wear presentation/interview attire.

Participation and Preparedness (25%):

If you miss more than four classes, you will fail the course. Less will significantly impact your grade. All assignments, participation expectations and evaluation instruments must be completed for a passing grade. I expect students to read the selections and participate in all presentations.   If you do not provide concrete evidence through informed class involvement in the group presentations, you will not receive a passing grade for the course. The seriousness that you show in evaluating your classmates' presentation will also be considered here.  I or the presenter reserves the right to give pop quizzes to access if readings are being read.  Performance on these tests will enter into my evaluation of "informed" class involvement.  If you have to miss a speaker, I need to know why. If you are late, if you leave early, if your cell phone rings, or you display other rude behaviors such as talking when others are talking, then you may have points subtracted from your total points. I also expect that a formal apology will be made before I or fellow presenters return to the instruction. Chronic or severe acute violation may result (at my discretion) in the allocation of an "N" or "F" for the course.

Final Exam (25%):

The final exam will be a general essay question(s) that asks you to apply your knowledge from the assigned readings to the film.

Mock Interview (Extra Credit):

You can receive up to five points extra credit on your final exam by participating in a mock interview with Career Services. Unlike the informational interviewer, where you do the interviewing, this time, you will be on the end of interviewee. In this interview, you will be evaluated on a scale of 1-5 across various indicators. Your scores on these indicators will be averaged and this point value will be added to your final exam grade.

5 – Excellent Would excel in a job interview 4 – Good Just a few minor corrections 3 – Average Nothing outstanding, but not bad

2 – Below Average Needs improvement 1 – Poor Needs considerable attention 0 – Not Acceptable Poses a serious problem if not addressed

 Course Grading: A =  94-100

                       A-=  90-93             
                       B+=  87-89
                       B =   84-86
                       B- = 80-83
                       C+= 77-79  
                       C =  74-76
                       C-=  70-73
                       D+= 67-69
                       D  = 64-66
                       D-= 60-63
                       F=   59 and under
Course Schedule
 Week 1-Jan 12^th : Syllabus & Expectations

Prep for class leadership and informational interviews

(What makes a good presentation? What makes a good interview?)

   
(Jan 19^th MLK Day, no class)

Week 2-Jan 26^th : Career Speaker- Amy Sullivan

(Job or Grad School? Deciding what path to take and how to get started)

Week 3-Feb 2^nd : Sociological Imagination

 C. Wright Mills. “The Promise of Sociology” (packet-1)

 Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels.  “Manifesto of the Communist Party” (packet-7)

Class Leadership # 1/ Informational Interviews


Week 4-Feb 9^th : Social Construction of Reality and of Identity

Jeffery Victor.  “The Social Dynamics of a Rumor-Panic”   (packet-15)

D.L. Rosenhan. “On Being Sane in Insane Places” (packet-45)
Class Leadership # 2/ Informational Interviews
 

Week 5-Feb 16^th :  The Construction of Social Structures
George Herbert Mead. "The Self" (packet-54)

Arluke, Arnold.  “Managing Emotions in a Animal Shelter” (packet-59)

Class Leadership # 3/ Informational Interviews

 

Week 6-Feb 23^rd : Sexuality

Alfred C. Kinsey, Wardell Pomeroy and

Clyde Marting. "Understanding Sexual Orientation"

Robert Michael, et al. "Sex in America"
J.M. Carrier "Homosexual Behavior in Cross Cultural Perspective"
Class Leadership # 4/ Informational Interviews  

Week 7-Mar 2^nd : Gender

 TBA

  

Week 8-Mar 9^th : Stigma

Martin, Daniel. “Collective Stigma Management, and Contestation”

Meyers, David. “Ingroup and Outgroup”

Class Leadership # 5/ Informational Interviews 
 (Spring Break Mar16-22^nd)
 Week 9-Mar 23^rd : Career Speaker: Beth Rubin

(The grad school track- Selecting the right place, applying, and getting in)




Week 10-Mar 30^th : Race and Ethnicity

Cooper, Marc. "The Heartlands Raw Deal"

Thomas, Cooper. "White men and Denial of Racism"

Class Leadership # 6/ Informational Interviews
Week 11 April 6^th : Criminology & Symbolic Interaction
Phelen, Michael, "Prison Gang Members' Tattoos as Identity Work
Terry, Charles, "Beyond Punishment"

Class Leadership # 7/ Informational Interviews


Week 12/13 April 13^th/20^th : Film

(Applying Sociological Concepts and Theories)
Week 14- April 27^th : Career Speakers- John Solomon and Anita Case

(The job track- Tips from employers to help you, do well in the interview, get the job you want, and excel)

Department Evaluations Due
Week 15: Final Exam 11:30am 5/4