[SOC 101] Introduction to Sociology

Introduction

Welcome to Introduction to Sociology! You are invited to explore, through the prism of sociology, how our society works. More specifically, the following are a sample of questions that shall be addressed in this course:

• What is sociology? If it studies human social conditions, how is it different from philosophy, arts, and literature? How is it different from psychology, economics, and political science? Don't they all study human social conditions? Students will examine a classic study of suicide from Emile Durkheim, a founding father of sociology, to understand the "sociological perspective."
• What interests sociologists? Here, students will take a brief look at the traditions of sociological thoughts.
• How do sociologists go about doing their research? Students will take an over-the-shoulder look at how sociologists actually conduct their research and the logic behind it.
• A colt can stand up a few hours after birth. A human baby cannot survive the first few years without aid. What does this tell us about the nature of human development and about the nature of our human social organization? How do we acquire cognitive, emotional, moral, and social understandings? Here, students shall explore a core sociological concept called "socialization."
• Why do some people commit crimes while others don't? Why do some areas have higher crime rates than other places? Can we fight white-collar crime the same way we fight street crime? What do criminologists know about drug use/sales and crime? Does gun availability cause crime? And, just who is to say what is criminal or deviant behavior? Are there universal moral standards? Here, students will be introduced to the area of criminology within the discipline of sociology.
• America is such a rich country. Why are there still so many poor people? Conversely, given that there are so many poor people, why are some able to rise from poverty while others can't? Students shall explore the issue of social stratification and social mobility in the United States.
• Few would confuse a Chinese person with a Polish person. So what do we mean when we say race is an "illusion"? If it is an illusion, then why does the Census Bureau still collect that information? How do prejudice and discrimination work? What is a more effective route for the upward social mobility of ethnic minorities in the United States: forget their own culture or keep their culture? Why do different ethnic groups tend to live in different neighborhoods and what are the consequences?
• Are men from Mars and women from Venus? How do we account for the differences in gender behaviors? We are in the twenty-first century. Why for every dollar men earn, do women still earn about 77 cents (if for the same kind of work, it would be about 88 cents)? Why does it seem that in traditional societies, women have fewer political and economic rights and yet men seem more likely to sign life-long commitments and yet, in our own society, while women have more political and economic power, men seem to have a commitment problem?
• The latest news is that "being married means being outnumbered." Yet, most Americans still want to get married and most divorcees remarry. So, is the American family in trouble or doing just fine? How is family today different from the families of the "good old days"? What has contributed to the rise of the divorce rate in the United States? What is the impact of divorce on children? Does cohabitation increase or decrease the divorce rate? Are second marriages more successful than first marriages?
• What do all religions have in common? This is not an idle question because it implies the social functions that religion serves. Is religion a force to keep people in line or a source for social change? What does being religious mean to Americans? Why does America have so many denominations? Why does America have more people who claim to be religious than almost all other advanced industrial societies?
• What is the nature of bureaucracy? How did it develop and become the dominant form of organization in the west? Is being humane good for business? Are modern social organizations really "rational"? How do modern organizations adapt to today's constantly changing world?
• How does a social movement start? Do we really need to have some kind of collective suffering for a movement to start? How does a social movement recruit people and mobilize its resources? Students will use a case study of the Civil Rights movement to explore these issues.

Description

UW Colleges Catalog Course Description for SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology - 3 credits. Introduction to the basic concepts, theories and methods of sociology, emphasizing the significance of the self and culture, social process and organization, and forces of social stability and change. This course fulfills the UWC requirement for Social Sciences (SS).

This course will introduce students to what interests sociologists, to the methods sociologists use to find answers, and to the contributions sociologists make to what we know about ourselves and our lives together.

Topics covered include:

• What is sociology?
• Traditions of Sociological Thought
• Logic of Sociological Inquiry
• Socialization
• Deviance and Social Control
• Economic Stratification
• Racial and Ethnic Stratification
• Gender Stratification
• Marriage and Family Institution
• Religion
• Formal Organizations
• Social Change and Social Movement

Proficiencies

Institutional proficiencies assigned to this course

Successful completion of this course will enhance students' ability to

• interpret and synthesize information and ideas;
• analyze and evaluate arguments;
• select and apply scientific and other appropriate methodologies;
• integrate knowledge and experience to arrive at creative solutions;
• gather and assess information from printed sources, electronic sources, and observation;
• read, observe, and listen with comprehension and critical perception;
• communicate clearly, precisely, and in a well-organized manner.

Department-specific proficiencies assigned to this course

By completing this course, students will

• learn to recognize patterns of social inequality and stratification and their implications in their multiple forms;
• learn to recognize various patterns of social structure, such as norms, roles, relationships, and institutions;
• develop an awareness of the sociological perspective;
• become familiar with research methods;
• develop a basic understanding of sociological theory.

Requirements

Software

• Microsoft Word.

  The most current edition of MS Office (containing MS Word and other valuable programs) is available to University of Wisconsin students at discounted prices through the Wisconsin Integrated Software Catalog.

• Adobe Acrobat Reader.

  This is freely distributed software that lets you view and print Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, please download it by visiting http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html

About the Instructors

• Colin Wang
  Assistant Professor, Sociology
  BA, Hauzhong Normal University, People’s Republic of China
  MS, Texas A&M University
  PhD, Texas A&M University