California State University, Sacramento                                                                                                                                   Winter 2006

 

Sociology 150

Social Psychology

Section 1, TWR 8:30-1:10p

Amador 250

Professor Todd A. Migliaccio

Office: Amador Hall 451D

Hours: TW 1:30-2:30 or by appointment

Phone: 278-7573

tmigliac@csus.edu

Website: http://online.csus.edu/

Course Objectives:

 

This course examines the relationship between individuals and the groups of which they belong.  We will look closely at our social behavior in everyday life in order to uncover some of the taken for granted assumptions and knowledge we share (or don’t share) with other members of the larger US culture, as well as different subcultures.  Some questions we will address in this course include: How do individuals present themselves to other people?  How do gender, race, social class, and sexuality play a role in who we are as individuals and as group members?  How do individuals become competent group members?  How do individuals form and shape groups, and in turn, how do groups influence individuals?  In order to answer these questions, we will not only read about and discuss these issues but we will also make observations about social behavior in everyday life and reflect on our own participation in social interaction.

 

Required Text:

 

O’Brien, Jodi. 2006. The Production of Reality, 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge.

Policies:

 

The due dates for each of the papers are stated in the syllabus.  No late papers will be accepted.  The paper guidelines are on the web, as well as in a handout given at the beginning of class.  As well, a brief statement in class about what is expected will be given.  The due dates for each assignment are listed in the course calendar at the end of the syllabus.  While I will attempt to offer reminders to impending due dates, it is ultimately your responsibility to insure that all papers are ready to be turned in by the expected due date. 

 

Throughout the course, each student will be allotted four extensions for the papers/assignments.  Each extension is worth one class day (ex. If the paper is due on Tuesday, and you turn it in on Wednesday, that is one extension).  You do not need permission from the professor.  You may use these extensions whenever you want, subject to the rules given below:

 

1) You get three extensions.  Don’t ask me for more- you will not get them.  Hence, you should use extensions wisely when you really need them, such as sickness or an athletic event.

 

2) You may use a maximum of two extensions on any one paper; by using two on one paper, you can turn the paper in two classes late.

 

3) You can use one on any assignment (including reading assignments) given in the class, meaning the assignment can be turned in one class period later. Any assignment turned in later, or if you have used all of your extensions, will not be accepted.

 

4) Any paper that is submitted later than two classes after it is due (regardless of your extension situation), or is turned in late after you have used all of your extensions will be penalized two full grades.

 

5) Any assignments submitted after one class period (regardless of extension situation), or after you have used all of your extensions, the assignment will not be accepted.

 

All papers must be typed and stapled and not placed in any covers, folders or any other such contraption.  A title page is expected, which will contain the following information: Title of the paper, your name, and the name of the class (Sociology 150 for those of you not paying attention). Thank you.

 

Use of WebCT:  While there are times when the site will be down, this is not an excuse for a missed assignment or late paper.  The material will be up with sufficient time to copy it before it comes due.  Ultimately it is your responsibility to either obtain it, or let me know of any problems you are having with it.  Most problems are related to the computer department, so contact the help desk.  If they are unable/unwilling to help you let me know, and I will attempt to correct any problems, but on occasion they are not my fault (I know, that is hard to imagine, but it is true).

 

If you are a student who has a disability that may necessitate accommodations being made in the classroom, please contact SSD, (916) 278-6955.

 

Turn off all pagers and cell phones before entering class.  I accept the right to answer any that ring (and make up any wild stories about you to the person who has called).

 

Finally, cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated.  If you are caught engaging in either of these activities, you will receive an F.

 

All assignments will be discussed in class.

Online Component:

 

The class is located on the WebCT campus server.  Accessing this site requires a login and password, which are the following: Login: your saclink id; Password: Your saclink password (if you do not have one, you can obtain one online).  You will be able to access the outlines for the course, any overheads used in class, any material that was handed out, a glossary of terms (if there is one not listed that you can not locate elsewhere, please let me know so I can include it), all of the assignments, as well as the posting questions and syllabus.  You will also be able to locate your grade on-line if you desire.

Exams:

 

Three exams will be given over the course of the semester.  Each will consist of true/false and/or multiple-choice questions and will be worth 15% of your total grade (that is 45% total for those of you who have avoided any math classes up until this point).  Each test will only examine your knowledge from the previous test until the class period just prior to the exam.  The final will not be a comprehensive final.  You will need to bring scantrons for all of the exams.

Assignments:

Breaching Experiment:  This assignment requires you to conduct a breach in society, then discuss the reactions of those who encounter the breach and how it impacts them, society and the interaction, as well as how they attempt to correct or rationalize the breach.  Utilize concepts from class to help identify reactions and experiences during the breach within your discussion.  The paper will be worth 15% of your total grade, and will include not only the write up but the quality of your breach. 

 

Interaction Analysis: WAIT until I instruct you about the requirements of this assignment before attempting it.  I will do so on January 11: You will be required to observe, record and analyze 3 separate interactions.  You will explain all aspects of the interaction, including the rituals involved, what each means, the symbols used and their utility in the interaction, the identity of each player, and how you came about knowing their role, i.e. what symbols were used to display their roles.  What was the definition of the situation?  How was that conveyed?  How was power conveyed?  What were the rules of engagement? Were their subversive aspects of the interaction from either side?  Note if the ritual was changed in anyway.  What were the reactions to these changes?  Finally, you will need to explain how each interaction connects to the larger society.  This will be worth 10% of your total grade in the class.

 

Reading Questions: You are required to write 2-3 questions from two readings each week from two separate class.  The questions should be more than just information that can be gathered from the reading, and instead should be about major ideas from the reading and/or expand beyond the reading ideas.  Questions may be used to help facilitate class discussion.  This will be worth 10% of your total grade in the class.

 

Class Participation and Attendance: You will be required to attend classes. Missing any class, or any portion of a class will have an impact on the grade.  It will be worth 10% of your total grade.

 

Group and Class Assignments: Throughout the semester a series of short assignments will be given that incorporate the concepts of the class into your own lives.  They will be both given out during class and on the web, so you will need to periodically check the web for new assignments or postings.  Assignments will be due the class following when the assignment was given, as we will discuss them then.  No make-ups for these are possible, unless you choose to use one of your extensions, and that is only available to be used on assignments.  Assignments will be worth 10% of your total grade.

Calendar:

 

TOPIC:                                                                                                                   READING DUE ON FIRST DAY:

 

Day One: January 3                                                                                            O’Brien (pp 2-11); Schwandt (pp. 40-43)

Introduction to the class.                                                                                  

What is Reality?  How do we see and study social psychology?

 

 

Day Two: January 4                                                                                            Hughes (pp. 84); Bordo (pp. 115-119);

Symbol, Language and Meaning                                                                      Lakoff & Johnson (pp. 103-114);

Moore (119-126)


Day Three: January 5                                                                                        Mead (pp. 250-254); Cooley (pp 255-257);

Self & Identity                                                                                                      Cheung (pp. 310-320)

 

 

Day Four: January 10                                                                                        Becker (pp. 140-148); Pate (pp. 169-184);

Exam 1                                                                                                                   Garfinkel (pp. 370-381)

Social Interactions:

Defining the situation, rituals and breaching

 

 

Day Five: January 11

Analyzing Social Interaction

 

 

Day Six: January 12                                                                                           Simon, Eder & Evans (pp. 149-167);

Interactions (cont)                                                                                               Hochschild (pp. 194-198)

                                                                                                                                Emerson (pp. 201-214); Lerum (pp. 214-222)

Rituals of Interaction due

 

 

Day Seven: January 17                                                                                      Ridgeway (pp. 401-409); Du Bois (pp. 445-449);

Exam 2                                                                                                                   Snyder (pp. 395-399)

 

Stigmas and Labels

 

Day Eight: January 18                                                                                       Davis (pp. 89-95); Sacks (pp. 95-102)

Socialization

 

Breaching Paper due

 

 

Day Nine: January 19                                                                                        Shibutani (pp. 257-263); Harris (pp. 410-424)
Social Relationships and Groups

 

Exam 3 at end of the class