Description:  

This course introduces the science of Sociology by focusing on five broad topics: (1) What is Sociology? (2) The Individual and Society, (3) Social Institutions, (4) Social Inequality, and (5) Globalization and Social Change.  In the process, we’ll examine important concepts, theories, and methodologies used by sociologists working on both the micro and macro levels.  We’ll look at interconnections between social institutions (i.e., the family, education, the economy), as well as the way in which institutional change has caused widening income inequality in the U.S. and around the world.  Widening inequality has had particularly negative consequences for men of color and women of all races and ethnicities.  Finally, we’ll examine the process of globalization and some of its economic, political, and cultural consequences.  Much of the data that we look at will focus on the U.S., but given our increasingly interconnected world, other societies will be considered as well.  Class format will be primarily lecture, due to class size.  We’ll try to demonstrate Sociology’s relevance to everyday life, as well as public policy making.

 Required Readings: 

Introduction to Sociology (2018, 11th ed., Seagull) by Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, and Carr. W.W. Norton.

Any additional readings will be made available in a packet and/or on Blackboard

Attendance Policy:

Good academic performance requires regular attendance and punctuality.  Students are allowed three (3) non-penalized absences during the semester (excluding our introductory class meeting), regardless of whether these absences are from lecture or lab.  These non-penalized absences are intended to cover such circumstances as illness, family emergencies, university scheduled events, etc.  Students who miss more than three classes, regardless of the reason, will have their semester grades reduced by one full percentage points for each absence beyond the three allowed.  The one exception to this policy concerns absences for religious reasons, assuming advance, written notification is given. 

Grading Policy:

Exams (3-4)           70%               

Pop Quizzes:          15%               

Paper (2-3 pages)  15%                                                       

Course Description

This course will closely examine how social forces in society shape our behavior and penetrate our being. After all, we are all the product of our society and vice versa. Our identities, hopes, fears, grievances and satisfactions derive from the patterns of socialization orchestrated within human groups. In this class, students will be introduced to the basic concept of sociological imagination and principles of sociological reasoning. Many societal issues will be examined through the practice of classical theories and sociological perspectives. As we journey through the course, students will become more familiar with the nature of sociology, social construction of reality, micro and macro sociological analysis, and concepts such as culture, socialization, social structures, self and society, stratification, gender inequality, love, marriage, and divorce. Finally, the course will explore the sociology of health, medicine, and the mind-body connection.

Grading Policy

Research paper 24% Three exams 60%Cass project and participation 8%Quiz 8 %

Texts

James M. Henslin, Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach (eighth or ninth edition), 2008Reading packet available at Paradigm (407 W. 24th St.)

Description:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Sociology is the scientific study of human societies, human behavior, and social life. This course will introduce you to the major topics that sociologists study, including culture, socialization, social interaction, stratification, gender, family, medical sociology, crime, deviance, and social institutions. An introduction to the theoretical perspectives and research methods of sociology will enhance your critical reasoning about these social issues. Most importantly, this course intends to develop your sociological imagination, which is the ability to understand how private lives are linked to and influenced by larger social processes.

READINGS

Required textbook:

Giddens, Anthony, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Appelbaum and Deborah Carr. 2014.

Introduction to Sociology, 9th ed. New York: Norton.

REQUIREMENTS

Students are expected to keep up with the required readings, attend lectures and discussion

sections, take notes in class, and participate in group discussions and exercises. You will have three closed-book exams that together will constitute 85% of your final grade (Exam 1 = 30%, Exam 2 = 35%, Exam 3 = 20%). Attendance and active participation in your discussion section is required and will account for 15% of your final grade.

GRADING POLICY

Exam 1 30%

Exam 2 35%

Exam 3 20%

Attendance and participation 15%

Extra credit up to 2%

Description:

Description:

The term “Chicana” has its roots in the 1960’s-70’s Civil Rights Era and the Chicano Movement. Beginning with this rich activist heritage and ending at our current political moment, in this class we will deconstruct the term “Chicana,” discovering and celebrating the plurality of meanings and identities that make up the word. We will do this work through a survey of multiple genres—poetry, film, testimonio, and more—and we will have the opportunity to see how Chicanas have interrogated and manipulated different forms in order to best express their hybridized selves.

Readings:

Readings will come from authors such as Sandra Cisneros, Gloria Anzaldua, Ana Castillo, and Norma Cantu. 

“All the particles of the world are in love and looking for lovers.” --Rumi

 OBJECTIVES

Course Description

Sociology 308L examines the spiritual, social, cultural, and psychological perspectives regarding the ideas of love and intimacy. The first part of the course will examine unconditional love and its characteristics, the presence of love, and the nature of being. The second portion will emphasize the historical, social, and psychological dimensions of love. The course will offer insights to understand how love and intimacy interact with rapid social, economic, and cultural change, and how the subsequent change transformed the social world and the meaning of love both in the West and in the Middle East. As we journey through this course, you will become familiar with: the aspects of self and identity; differentiation in the context of love in the modern age; the family and the individual; the impact of industrialization on private lives and the public order; race and gender communication. We will also explore the intercultural aspect of love and intimacy in the United States, personal choice and arranged marriages in Asia and the Middle East. During the course, students are required to engage in paired-learning exercises or group workshops to assess and interpret the information on patterns of relationships. These workshops are also designed to further display a clear and critical understanding of the theories, ideas, and concepts through written, oral, and visual communication. These activities are similarly aimed to cultivate teamwork and collaborative decision-making in the learning process. This course brings some of the current research and thinking, not only from the social perspective, but also from a wide variety of intellectual disciplines.

Readings: Course Packet

Ekhart Tolle. 2004. Power of Now.         

Course Evaluation

1)    A Research Paper and presentation  26%

2)    Two exams 50% (each exam counts 25%).

3)    Quizzes 8%.

4)    Class participation/group workshops 16%. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The principle objective of H S 301/SOC 308S is to offer students a broad overview of health and society from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. We will examine how social forces influence health and disease in U.S. society, including cultural, economic, and demographic considerations. We will explore why rates of disease vary among different populations and how cultural and structural inequalities shape access to healthcare and affect morbidity and mortality. How do economic factors, politics, public perceptions of morality, and historical biases against specific populations shape our modern-day understandings and experiences of health and illness? We will also examine how social forces shape the very definitions of health, illness, and disease categories, and thereby medical diagnoses and treatments. We will consider the social consequences of the commodification of healthcare and how new technologies are transforming our current healthcare system and the nature of the patient/physicianrelationship. Our course readings and discussions will help us address current bioethical controversies that continue to influence our beliefs about health and illness and shape our very understandings about human rights and personhood. This course is built around lectures (including guest lectures), class discussion, and film screenings and discussion.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Analyze contemporary health issues from a variety of disciplinary and professional perspectives.

• Explain how social location, the media, and economic forces shape health behaviors and outcomes.

• Explain how social and cultural factors shape contemporary understandings and experiences of health and illness and death and dying in the U.S.

• Critically evaluate the assumptions, motives, and evidence that individuals and groups use to make specific claims about health and illness.

COURSE MATERIALS

Gawande, Atul. 2014. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. New York:Metropolitan.

Marmot, Michael. 2005. The Status Syndrome: How Social Standing Affects Our Health and Longevity. New York: Holt.

Course readings also include scholarly articles, book chapters, and other required readings available on Canvas.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION

This course is organized in a lecture format, but it is greatly enhanced by your participation. For variety’s sake, I will often incorporate short video-clips, group activities, and/or writing exercises in our class session. We will also spend considerable time each week discussing the readings and our own experiences, interests, and knowledge in this area. Please remember that discussions will only be as rich as you all make them, so it is essential that everyone come prepared to speak about the readings thoughtfully and critically. Your final evaluation for the course will be broken down as follows:

Attendance and Preparedness (10%)

Students are expected to attend class, read assignments before each class, and actively participate in classroom discussions during the week. Eight times during the semester the instructor will have students sign in on a class roster or complete a group assignment in the first few minutes of class. Students will be granted one unexcused absence with no penalty. If you have a university-related conflict or medical or family emergency that prevents you from attending class, alert your TA (providing relevant documentation) and you will not be penalized for a particular absence, but you must contact your TA in advance of missing class. NOTE: Tardiness will adversely affect your grade; students who arrive late risk missing this activity or sign-in sheet and will not be allowed to receive credit for the day.

Reading responses (10%)

Students are expected to keep up with the reading for the class. Six times during the course of the semester, I will pose a reading question on the course Canvas page relevant to recent reading. The questions will be posted on Sunday evening and students are expected to write a reading response of one page, double-spaced (between 250 and 350 words) and upload a copy to the Canvas page by 5pm on the Thursday that they are due. Responses will be graded as meets/exceeds expectations (100), meets minimum expectations (70), no credit (0). See course schedule for Reading Responses (marked RR).

Exams (60%)

Two exams (worth 30% each) will be given to assess your level of mastery of the course material, including assigned readings, lectures (including guest lectures), and in-class films and other media presentations. . Both exams will be a combination of multiple choice, true-false, fill-in-theblank, short answer, or short essay items.

Essay (20%)

Students are required to write one of two essay assignments offered during the term. The paper will be approximately 5 pages in length (not to exceed 6 double-spaced pages), and will answer a specific prompt related to course topics. Specific assignments will be posted to Canvas on the dates indicated below. Papers are due in class; electronic submissions of papers will NOT be  accepted. Due dates are firm. Five points will be deducted each day the paper is late, but papers will not be accepted if they are more than five days late. Late papers cannot be emailed or posted to Canvas, so it a student’s responsibility to submit a hard copy of his/her paper to the appropriate TA.

Description:

The course will offer students an overview of sustainability as something human beings must strive to create in an era of global warming and ever greater social inequalities; both between countries and within countries.   The focus of the course will revolve around the core issues of sustainability: what does sustainability mean?  Why do we need to remake human societies in more sustainable ways?  And what does social equity have to do with sustainability?  One of the problems we have in teaching about sustainability today is our focus on two of the "E's" without much attention to the third. We talk mostly about Environment, secondly about Economy, and then tend to pay short shrift to Equity.  This course will address all three, but put a greater focus on Equity than is usual.  The course will be taught from a social sciences perspective, which approaches human relationships with the natural world (Environment) in the context of their relationships with each other (Environment and Equity).  Global warming (environment) is main reason we are talking about Sustainability today, but global warming is both cause and effect of our economies and inequalities.

 Required Texts

 Carolan, Micheal,  Society and the Environment; Pragmatic Solutions to Ecological Issues. Westview Press, 2013.

 Grading Policy

There will be three essay assignments and one group project.  Each will count 25% of the grade

Description:

The news is full of statistical claims: in one October morning, I read that the brains of people with opioid addictions are less likely to respond to pictures of cute babies than the brains of people who are not addicted to opioids; that 50% more people in India become infected with tuberculosis each year than the World Health Organization previously thought; and that Hillary Clinton had an 89% chance of winning the November 2016 election. 

Where do the numbers come from?  What can they really tell us about the world?  These are the sorts of questions we ask in Introduction to Social Statistics.  Answering them is going to involve doing some math.  And while understanding the math behind the statistical concepts we will study is very important, it is even more important that you leave the course with a conceptual understanding of the most commonly used statistical tools. 

Here are three reasons why statistics is one of the most important courses you’ll take in college:

1. The increasing availability of all kinds of data gives us an unprecedented ability to understand how humans behave.  Using numbers to describe the world can help us figure out what is true and important.
2. Statistics are often used to make false or misleading claims: it is important to be able to identify false claims and explain what the numbers can and can’t tell us.
3. Statistical and analytic skills are marketable: across the government, non-profit, and private sectors, a solid foundation in quantitative reasoning and computing skills are assets in employment settings.

Texts and required materials:

Main textbook: Please note we will use the 5^th edition which is from 2006.

McCabe & Moore.  Introduction to the Practice of Statistics, McCabe & Moore, 5^th Edition.  We will cover (approximately) Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Supplementary problems: Please note we will use the 1^st edition which is from 2011.

Frankfort-Nachmias, C., & Leon-Guerrero, A. (2011). Social statistics for a diverse society. Sage Publications.  1^st edition.

I will use Canvas to post homework, data, and additional readings.

Grading and Requirements:

Although grading policies and course requirements are subject to change from year to year, prior students have completed 14 assignments for 30% of the grade, done 5 in-class exercises for 5% of the grade, and taken 3 exams for 35% of the grade.  Attendance and class participation were worth 30% of the grade.

Description:

The news is full of statistical claims: in one October morning, I read that the brains of people with opioid addictions are less likely to respond to pictures of cute babies than the brains of people who are not addicted to opioids; that 50% more people in India become infected with tuberculosis each year than the World Health Organization previously thought; and that Hillary Clinton had an 89% chance of winning the November 2016 election. 

Where do the numbers come from?  What can they really tell us about the world?  These are the sorts of questions we ask in Introduction to Social Statistics.  Answering them is going to involve doing some math.  And while understanding the math behind the statistical concepts we will study is very important, it is even more important that you leave the course with a conceptual understanding of the most commonly used statistical tools. 

Here are three reasons why statistics is one of the most important courses you’ll take in college:

1. The increasing availability of all kinds of data gives us an unprecedented ability to understand how humans behave.  Using numbers to describe the world can help us figure out what is true and important.
2. Statistics are often used to make false or misleading claims: it is important to be able to identify false claims and explain what the numbers can and can’t tell us.
3. Statistical and analytic skills are marketable: across the government, non-profit, and private sectors, a solid foundation in quantitative reasoning and computing skills are assets in employment settings.

Texts and required materials:

Main textbook: Please note we will use the 5^th edition which is from 2006.

McCabe & Moore.  Introduction to the Practice of Statistics, McCabe & Moore, 5^th Edition.  We will cover (approximately) Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Supplementary problems: Please note we will use the 1^st edition which is from 2011.

Frankfort-Nachmias, C., & Leon-Guerrero, A. (2011). Social statistics for a diverse society. Sage Publications.  1^st edition.

I will use Canvas to post homework, data, and additional readings.

Grading and Requirements:

Although grading policies and course requirements are subject to change from year to year, prior students have completed 14 assignments for 30% of the grade, done 5 in-class exercises for 5% of the grade, and taken 3 exams for 35% of the grade.  Attendance and class participation were worth 30% of the grade.

Description:

This course presents a general overview of the statistical methods used in the social sciences. While it’s important that you gain an understanding of the mathematical concepts behind the statistical analyses, it is of even greater importance that you leave this course with a conceptual and rational understanding of today’s most commonly used (and useful) statistical methods.

Truth claims made with statistics are abundant and often have the quality of facts in U.S. social and political life. Unfortunately, because many people do not understand the statistics undergirding these claims, they receive less scrutiny than they deserve. It is my primary goal to ensure that students learn the basic statistical literacy they need to be smart consumers of information. Our increasing reliance on statistics to understand the social world means that statistical and analytic skills are marketable skills. In fact statistics is one of very few classes that sociology majors take that provides them with concretely marketable skills. I believe that giving undergraduates a solid understanding of statistics is a way of democratizing knowledge and its production. In teaching statistics my goals are:

•   To demystify statistics so that every student can be a smart consumer of quantitative information.

•  To teach students to think sociologically with and about quantitative information.

• To provide students with a solid foundation of quantitative and computing skills that could serve

  as assets in subsequent employment and academic settings.

•   To demonstrate to students that learning statistics has practical applications outside of the       classroom in everyday life.

Texts:

Salkind, Neil J.. 2012. Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics: Excel 2010 Edition. 3rd Edition. SAGE Publications. 

Grading and Reqirement:

I will use a non-competitive grading scale. In other words, the grade you receive will not depend on how well others have performed in class. You can earn a maximum of 115 points in this class. Your grade will be based on your mastery of each of the required tasks in the class. The grading scale for the final course grade is as follows: 115-94=A; 90-93=A-; 87-89=B+; 83-86=B; 80-82-B-; 77-79=C+; 73-76=C; 70-72=C-; 67- 69=D+; 63-66=D; 60-62=D-; 59 & below=F.

I do not give incomplete and will not change the final grade for whatever reason. You have plenty of opportunities to do well in this class. Use them.

If you receive a final grade of B+ or higher, I will write a personal recommendation for you in the future, stating that you have significant quantitative and computing skills.CLASS & LAB ATTENDANCE 10 PTS

As will be addressed later in detail, you have two free absences you can choose. However, I’d recommend you to use them only for emergencies. More than two absences will affect your class attendance grades negatively.

Description:

This course presents a general overview of the statistical methods used in the social sciences. While it’s important that you gain an understanding of the mathematical concepts behind the statistical analyses, it is of even greater importance that you leave this course with a conceptual and rational understanding of today’s most commonly used (and useful) statistical methods.

Truth claims made with statistics are abundant and often have the quality of facts in U.S. social and political life. Unfortunately, because many people do not understand the statistics undergirding these claims, they receive less scrutiny than they deserve. It is my primary goal to ensure that students learn the basic statistical literacy they need to be smart consumers of information. Our increasing reliance on statistics to understand the social world means that statistical and analytic skills are marketable skills. In fact statistics is one of very few classes that sociology majors take that provides them with concretely marketable skills. I believe that giving undergraduates a solid understanding of statistics is a way of democratizing knowledge and its production. In teaching statistics my goals are:

•   To demystify statistics so that every student can be a smart consumer of quantitative information.

•  To teach students to think sociologically with and about quantitative information.

•  To provide students with a solid foundation of quantitative and computing skills that could serve

   as assets in subsequent employment and academic settings.

• To demonstrate to students that learning statistics has practical applications outside of the classroom in everyday life.

Texts:

TBD

Grading and Reqirement:

I will use a non-competitive grading scale. In other words, the grade you receive will not depend on how well others have performed in class. You can earn a maximum of 115 points in this class. Your grade will be based on your mastery of each of the required tasks in the class. The grading scale for the final course grade is as follows: 115-94=A; 90-93=A-; 87-89=B+; 83-86=B; 80-82-B-; 77-79=C+; 73-76=C; 70-72=C-; 67- 69=D+; 63-66=D; 60-62=D-; 59 & below=F.

I do not give incomplete and will not change the final grade for whatever reason. You have plenty of opportunities to do well in this class. Use them.

If you receive a final grade of A- or higher, I will write a personal recommendation for you in the future, stating that you have significant quantitative and computing skills.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is intended to provide graduate students in sociology with (a) a level of literacy in statistical methods that will permit a basic understanding of most publications in the field's major journals, (b) the basic tools needed for a master's thesis that uses quantitative methods, (c) preparation for more advanced courses in this department and for independent study, and (d) a sensitivity for the limitations, as well as the strengths, of quantitative methods.

READINGS

Required textbooks – both available at UT library through electronic resources

Basic Statistics for Social Research by Hanneman, Robert A., Chichester: Wiley, 2012.

Stata Survival Manual by David Pevalin and Karen Robson McGraw-Hill Education, 2009

REQUIREMENTS

There will be three homework assignments and a final term paper. Attendance at the lectures and labs is required. The course grade will be based 60% on the homework, 30% on the final

term paper, and 10% on attendance.

GRADING POLICY

Homework 1 20%

Homework 2 20%

Homework 3 20%

Term paper 30%

Attendance 10%

Course Description

This course will center on the topic of research methods and data analysis associated with gender and human sexual behavior for the purposes of prediction, explanation and decision-making. Students will be exposed to the process of quantitative and qualitative research including development of research questions, variables for investigation, conducting a content analysis, development of a database, and using basic statistics to answer hypotheses. 

Grading and Requirements:

How to Earn Points:

1. Quizzes – 50 (5 points each)

Quizzes over the readings/assignments will be administered during the first 5 minutes of each class meeting that a chapter begins (as designated by an * on the schedule). There will be 11 quizzes, 10 count for credit so no late or early quizzes are offered for any reason. If you miss class or arrive late on a quiz day, please to use that as your dropped score. No early or late quizzes will be offered for any reason.

2. Homework/Activities – 100 (weighted)

Homework assignments and/or in-class activities are geared to help students master concepts. HW must be turned in at the beginning of class to earn credit. Arriving to class after HW collection or not uploading HW to Canvas (when appropriate) will result in a zero for the assignment. Note that late assignments are not accepted for credit, but all assignments in this course are required. Assignments are not accepted via email. Attendance and participation in the in-class activities is required to earn credit. If you miss a HW or in-class activity, take the first one as your drop option; any others missed will result in a reduced course score.

3. Exams - 150 (50 points each)

Each exam is worth 10% of the total points for the course. Exams will take place during the normally scheduled class time. Late exams will be scheduled ONLY in the case of an emergency and under the following circumstances: 1) you email must me at least 24 hours prior to the exam AND 2) valid documentation must be provided to support your emergency request. Note that weddings, family vacations, work, and the like are not valid excuses for missing an exam.

4. Methods Section - 100 (50 points each)

We will be engaging in a research methods project gathering data from Craigslist personals ads. All major components of a Methods section will be due as you final paper for this class. The specific instructions for the semester-long project will be provided and discussed in class. 

Course Description:

In this course we will investigate the methods used in social scientific research.  We will examine such issues as how one establishes causality and just what “proof” consists of in social scientific inquiry.  We will investigate the nature of data and examine the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative data.  We will also deal with issues related to ethics and the uses to which social scientific research can legitimately be put.

The final project consists of a research proposal for a theoretical project on a topic you will choose in consultation with the Professor or the Teaching Assistant.  In it you will outline all relevant aspects of the project, including sampling and questionnaire construction, but you will not actually carry out the research itself.  In preparation for the final research proposal two preliminary papers are required.  In these you will (1) define the research question and (2) outline the research methods to be used to address it.   The course includes a lab in which material presented in class will be elaborated and in which computer applications will be discussed.  All course materials will be available on Blackboard.  Assignments, schedule changes, and announcements related to the course will appear on Blackboard and students are responsible for keeping informed.

The course includes three Internet assignments that involve answering a particular question using information you locate online.  These assignments will be related to the development of the final research proposal.

Course Requirements:

In the course we will do a good bit of data analysis with an eye toward understanding what numbers and graphs can tell us and what they cannot.  The required text is Earl Babbie, The Practice of Social Research, tenth edition or later, Thompson publishers.  Other readings are provided in the Readings file on Blackboard and will be assigned in class.  We will use the computer lab in CLA.  All of the software and manuals are available on line.  The Teaching Assistant is available to provide whatever help you need.

Grading Requirements:

The final grade will be based on three equally weighted hourly exams (together 40% of the final grade), graded lab work (10% of the final grade) and two graded writing assignments, the first of which is a draft of the problem statement of the final research proposal (15% and 35% of the final grade).  To determine the final grade these weighted scores will be summed and the weighted total curved so that approximately 15% of the class receives an A, 15% A-, 15% B+, 15% B, 30% C, etc.  This is a required course and a C or higher is required for it to count toward the Sociology major.  Attendance at class and lab are mandatory and will be factored into the final grade.  Three unexcused absences will result in an automatic full letter grade drop in the final grade.  More than six unexcused absences will result in a failing grade.  All assignments must be turned in on the date they are due.  Late work will be accepted only with prior approval.  The lab sessions will be critical in developing the proposal.

Description:

Spanning what are known as “qualitative” and “quantitative” approaches, the course covers basic principles in a few main areas: the meaning of variables, understanding causation, study design, basic sampling, and modes and methods in data collection. Throughout, we draw on examples from published studies in sociology and other social sciences, looking at how other researchers have navigated commonplace methodological pitfalls.

By the end of the course, students should be able to both critically evaluate the methodological underpinnings of much social research. They should also be able to construct their own study, on paper at least, without falling into the most common and destructive traps. We also hope that this course will make students more skilled consumers of information in the real world. People are enveloped in data and arguments based in data. It is important to know how to evaluate the quality of those data. Engaged citizenship demands it.

Grading and Requirements:

2 exams, 2 assignments, 1 research proposal, 1 final research paper

 Grades are A, B, C, D, F (no plus/minus)

Description:

Spanning what are known as “qualitative” and “quantitative” approaches, the course covers basic principles in a few main areas: the meaning of variables, understanding causation, study design, basic sampling, and modes and methods in data collection. Throughout, we draw on examples from published studies in sociology and other social sciences, looking at how other researchers have navigated commonplace methodological pitfalls.

By the end of the course, students should be able to both critically evaluate the methodological underpinnings of much social research. They should also be able to construct their own study, on paper at least, without falling into the most common and destructive traps. We also hope that this course will make students more skilled consumers of information in the real world. People are enveloped in data and arguments based in data. It is important to know how to evaluate the quality of those data. Engaged citizenship demands it.

Grading and Requirements:

2 exams, 2 assignments, 1 research proposal, 1 final research paper

 Grades are A, B, C, D, F (no plus/minus)

Description:

The overarching goal of this course is to understand the demographic perspective and how it relates to history, medicine, economics, geography, geopolitics, politics and social sciences. To accomplish this objective, we will analyze how population processes have interacted and led to other social processes (such as pandemics, urbanization, demographic dividends, international migration, and development). By the end of the course the students should have a better understanding of the basic components of population size and growth, and understand how they change and the foundational importance of demography.

Course Description 

This course will allow students to explore the social and cultural terrain of cancer research, treatment, and public policy in the United States.  We will begin the course by asking, “what is cancer,” and what shapes our collective understandings of it as a disease in American society?  As we begin our exploration, we will read historical accounts of cancer, review epidemiologic and demographic data, and consult biomedical and oncological frameworks to set the stage for our social scientific investigation.   

 We will then consider how social, cultural, economic, and political forces shape the incidence and prevalence of cancer, as well as how these social forces shape research, diagnosis, and treatment of various manifestations of this disease.  To this end, we will spend several weeks exploring how the social determinants of health influence cancer in society.  How do race/ethnicity, social class, gender, and sexuality shape our collective conversations about cancer, individual and group cancer risk, cancer research agendas, and individual experiences of cancer diagnosis and treatment?  We will also consider how the broader forces of environmental deregulation and economic inequality exacerbate cancer risk for different individuals and groups.

At the same time, research continues to show that lifestyle factors and behavioral choices shape cancer risk across socio-demographic groups in the United States. How does stress increase one’s risk for cancer, and what dietary and exercise choices help reduce one’s risk of cancer?  We will explore these questions from a sociological perspective, ever mindful of the structural constraints that make healthy choices easier for certain demographic groups.  

 Next, we will investigate how cultural ideas and social norms shape our understanding of different cancer diagnoses, treatment options, and the experience of cancer.  We will examine how the politicization of health care in contemporary society shapes our understandings of cancer and cancer treatment. Specifically we will consider how cervical cancer prevention efforts have been politicized in the HPV vaccine debates and how defunding Planned Parenthood would have effect of decreasing access to routine cancer screenings for many poor and minority women.  

 We will conclude the class by exploring how a cancer diagnosis shapes one’s identity or sense of self by considering how the newly diagnosed experience the “sick role” both in biomedical arenas and in their social circles.   By the end of the course, students will not only be well versed in recent cancer scholarship from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, but they will also be well prepared to ask and answer their own social research questions about cancer and other medical conditions as they pursue their scholarly interests in the health sciences. 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION

Attendance (5%)

Attendance is mandatory in a discussion-based, writing intensive class. You can miss two classes without penalty during the term. Absences #3, #4 will result in a 10-point deduction from this portion of your grade and a loss of participation points for the day. For absences #5 and beyond, I will deduct 10 points from your final course grade for each additional absence.

Participation in Class (20%)

Students are expected to have read all assigned readings before each class period and participate actively and respectfully in class. Students are also required to post two discussion questions to Canvas each week on weeks when readings are assigned. 

Leading Discussion (10%)

Students will be asked to co-facilitate a discussion once during the semester.

Short Writing Assignment (5%)

Students will write a 2-3 page (double spaced) short paper as a response to a cancer-related news article, drawing on specific sources assigned for the course. 

Paper #1 First draft (15%)

Students will write a 5-6 page paper (double-spaced) that applies course concepts and theories to

an analysis of a specific social or cultural issue relating to cancer research or treatment.

Peer Review Reports (5%)

Paper #1 Revised Draft (20%)

Paper # 2 (20%)

Students will write a 5-6 page paper (double-spaced) that applies course concepts and theories to a social or cultural issue relating to the experience of cancer. 

Course Description

This course provides an overview of global health challenges in the world today. It is essential to understand the links between health and education, poverty, and development with an appreciation of the values, beliefs, and cultures of diverse groups. The first half of the course will review critical global health issues from biosocial, cultural and environmental perspectives. A biosocial approach to global health inequity is the underlying theme. The second half of the course will review various health systems in the World Health Organization geographic regions and will compare and contrast the various regions, as well as countries within regions, with regard to the specific health challenges they face.

This course carries both the Writing flag and Global Cultures flag. We will use writing to improve on critical thinking skills and understanding of global health issues as well as to improve on ability to formulate ideas with an emphasis on the ASA writing style.  In this class, you can expect to write regularly during the semester, complete substantial writing projects, and receive feedback from your instructor to help you improve your writing. You will also have the opportunity to revise one or more assignments, and you may be asked to read and discuss your peers’ work. Global Cultures courses are designed to increase your familiarity with cultural groups outside the United States. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from writing assignments covering the practices, beliefs, and histories of at least one non-U.S. cultural group. This course may be used to fulfill the social and behavioral sciences component of the university core curriculum and addresses the following four core objectives established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: communication skills, critical thinking skills, empirical and quantitative skills, and social responsibility.  ?

Course Objectives

1. Describe global health issues, trends, and policies
2. Understand how population growth, disease, environmental changes, and economic and political activities impact global health
3. Assess and analyze global health program interventions and their impacts
4. Compare and contrast health issues and policies between economically developed countries and developing countries
5. Synthesize findings to highlight common patterns and unique differences in health challenges between and within major world regions

Required Text and Readings

Farmer, Paul, J.Y. Kim, A. Kleinman and M. Basilico. 2013. Reimagining Global Health: An Introduction, University of California Press

Journal Articles: In addition to above textbook, other course materials including additional readings will be posted on Canvas each week.  Readings should be completed for the week they are assigned.

Course requirements

There are three paper assignments and two quizzes. The assignments are due at the beginning of class and must be turned in as hard copies. E-mail attachments will not be accepted. Late papers will not be accepted without prior approval.

Assignment 1: Short papers (10%)

These writing assignments are intended to encourage understanding of the assigned readings, develop critical analytic skills for understanding 21st century global health issues, enhance in class discussions and refine writing skills.  Instruction and criteria for evaluation will be posted on Canvas.

 Assignment 2: Individual paper (30%)

Each student is required to write a research paper (5-6 pages) about a global health issue. This assignment should allow the student to critically examine a global health issue in depth.  There will be peer reviews as well as instructor comments on this assignment.  You will submit a memo detailing your revisions with the final draft.  Detailed instructions and criteria for evaluation will be posted on Canvas.

Assignment 3: Group project paper & presentation (25%)

Students are required to form a group to prepare a short presentation at the end of the semester and to write a research paper (not more than 10 pages). Students should work together as a team to analyze the political, social and economic determinants of health and analyze how delivery systems for preventive and curative health services might be strengthened in developing countries. Group members will conduct an evaluation of their fellow group members for the final project and presentation. Detailed instructions and criteria for the group project and criteria for evaluation will be posted on Canvas.

 Two quizzes (20%)

 Class participation (15%)

There will be weekly small group discussions. Each group member will be required to participate and contribute substantially to small group discussions. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in in-class discussions as well.

Course policies

 Attendance:  

You are allowed three non-penalized absences during the semester.  Students who miss more than three classes, regardless of the reason, will have their semester grades reduced by one grade.

Make-up quizzes:

I will allow make-up quizzes for pre-approved reasons (e.g., observing religious holidays) or in the case of documented medical or other emergencies (death of significant others, job interviews, etc.). If you anticipate missing a quiz, please make an arrangement with me at least two weeks in advance. Students who miss quizzes without prior approval or without a documented emergency will receive zero points on that exam.

Student conduct:

Every student will be actively involved in classroom discussions. In order for everyone to feel comfortable voicing opinions or asking questions, a climate of tolerance and respect is essential.

Use of laptops in class for taking notes:  Use of laptops and cell phone in class is not permitted.

 Grading Scale

A         93-100  %        B+        87-89.9 %        C+        77-79.9 %        D+       67-69.9%

A-        90-92.9 %        B          83-86.9 %        C          73-76.9 %        D         63-66.9%

                                  B-        80-82.9 %         C-        70-72.9 %        D-        60-62.9%

From the time of slavery when their marriages and families were not recognized to the present where many are considered pathological, African American families have been under almost constant attack in the United States. Yet, a close examination of the changing African American family in the United States does not demonstrate its pathology but rather its resilience and adaptability to societal constraints. In this class, we will examine how African Americans managed to maintain a sense of family from the time of slavery to the present trend of mass incarceration. We will analyze how different perspectives on gender, race/ethnicity, social class and the family have been applied to African American families. In addition, we will discuss the importance of single parent and multigenerational households, extended family, fictive kin and the entire community in raising African American children. Finally, we will critique and evaluate the impact of the portrayal of African American families in academic research, politics, and the media.

Description
This advanced seminar critically examines the complexity of Latino migration from different perspectives in human trafficking at the global, regional, and local level. Through in-class lectures, presentations, film, interdisciplinary readings (news accounts, journal articles, book chapters), and experiential learning activities, students will learn and discuss varied forms and representations of Latinos and human trafficking. Existing resources, laws, and preventative strategies employed by governmental and non-governmental institutions will be also explored. In addition, students will have the opportunity to engage in a community service learning project in collaboration with local non-profit organizations in Central Texas whose missions are to counter human trafficking.

Grading

• Attendance + Participation 10%
• Discussion 20%
• Critical Essays 20%
• Class Project 50%

Possible Select Readings

• Sanchez, Gabriella E. Human Smuggling and Border Crossings. New York: Routledge, 2015.
• Shelley, Louise. Human Trafficking: A Global Perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Decription

This course examines education in the United States from a sociological perspective. We will use various sociological concepts, methods and theories to explore the institution of education. Specific topics include public education; education and the current legislative session; standardized testing; charter schools; and stratification within and between schools with a focus on race, class and gender. 

Required Texts

 ▪ Arum, Richard, Irenee Beattie and Karly Ford (editors), 2015. The Structure of Schooling:Readings in the Sociology of Education, 3rd Edition.  SAGE Publications.

▪ Lareau, Annette.  2011. Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race and Family Life, 2nd Updated Edition.  Berkeley: University of California Press.

▪ A collection of readings available on Canvas.

 Evaluation

There will be in-class tests, short papers, and a group project. 

Class participation is a component of the final grade.

Description

This course will introduce the students to different aspects of creative insights, human consciousness, social processes, and the ‘invention of reality’.  The class will bring the intellectual abilities and intuitive inclinations together as a complementary process. We’ll pursue and encourage elements of mindfulness, intuition, and creativity at the individual, organizational, societal, and environmental levels.  The course will draw upon a wide range of sources- lectures, group discussions, books, articles, artistic films, documentaries–in order to better understand and appreciate the interconnectedness and interrelationship between ‘inner’ (personal) and the other (‘social’) reality. The media will be presented as technical methods of representation of "social reality" and socio-cultural phenomena. No technical aspects will be emphasized.

Required Texts

A selection of articles will be, prepared in a packet.

Michael Schwalbe. 2007. The Sociologically Examined Life: Pieces of the Conversation.

Otis Carney. 2002. Wars R’ Us: Taking Action for Peace.

Paulo Coelho. 1995. The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream   

Joseph Campbell. 2004. Pathways to Bliss: Mythological and Personal  Transformation                                   

Mitch Albon. Tuesday with Morrie.

 Grading Policy             

20%  Short essays / Journal entries

20% Group Workshops and class participation

10%  Written Critiques of student paper

10% Oral Presentation

10% Final assessment

30% Final course project

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will focus on the social antecedents and consequences of mental health and illness with respect to key variables reflecting individuals’ social experiences: gender, race/ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation, marital status, and age. We will combine sociological, psychological, epidemiological, and biological approaches to understand how the social aspects of mental health and illness interact with individual processes. At the end of this course you will be able (1) to apply a sociological perspective to mental illness as a social phenomenon, and (2) to understand the social etiology of and social inequality in mental health.

READINGS

Required textbook: William C. Cockerham. (2010). Sociology of Mental Disorder, 9/E. Pearson.

REQUIREMENTS

You will have three exams that will contribute a combined 60% to your final grade. You will also complete a course project that will contribute 30% to your final grade. The project is based on applying theories of mental illness to the movie “The Silver Linings Playbook.”

Attendance is required and will contribute 10% towards your final grade.

GRADING POLICY

Exam 1 25%

Exam 2 20%

Exam 3 15%

Course project 30%

Attendance 10%

Description

This course analyzes the family as a social institution, using the sociological perspective. 

Studying the family can be tricky in that we all have our own experiences being part of families.  It is important, then, to go beyond our own experiences to explore both the private aspects of the family as well as public aspects of the family using various kinds of empirical data.  Shifting definitions of the family are the context for a brief history of the family.  Throughout the course we will explore family change. Specific topics will include dating, “hooking up” and marriage; parents and children; cohabitation, divorce and stepfamilies; and how the family intersects with, is shaped by, and shapes other social institutions, with particular attention to the economy and the world of work as well as state and social policies.

 Grading Policy

Students will be evaluated via short papers, in-class short answer and essay examinations, a group project, and class participation. 

 Texts: (subject to change)

Bogle, Kathleen.  2008.  Hooking Up: Sex, Dating and Relationships on Campus.  NYU Press.       

Coontz, Stephanie.  2006.  Marriage, A History: How Love Conquered Marriage. New York: Penguin.                

Ferguson, Susan J. (ed.).  2010.  Shifting the Center: Understanding Contemporary Families, Fourth Edition.  Boston: McGraw-Hill. 

Lareau, Annette.   2011. Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life, Second Edition with an Update a Decade Later.  Berkeley: University of California Press.

Stone, Pamela.  2007. Opting Out? Why Women Really Quit Careers and Head Home. Berkeley: University of California Press.

I. Course Rationale

Since the 1940s, US control of the Southwest border has remained a major challenge in immigration policy. Border control has become one of the most debated topics in the country, including in federal and state legislative bodies. Annually thousands of unauthorized migrants cross the US-Mexico border into the United States to participate in US labor markets and in other social institutions. A consequence of unauthorized immigration and of the implementation of border control measures for deterrence has been the deaths of hundreds of migrants annually. Over the years, the deaths have added up into the thousands. The social effects of border control and the occurrence of migrant deaths have become sociological topics investigated by sociologists and other researchers to increase our knowledge and understanding of international migration and the effects of border policies.

 II.  Course Aims and Objectives

Aims

 This course is designed to provide a sociological understanding of border control and migrant deaths at the US-Mexico border. Of particular importance for the course is research knowledge concerning border control policies and patterns of migrant deaths.

 Specific Learning Objectives

• Gain information and understanding of the development and effects of US border control policies concerning the following: border control campaigns, social and public perceptions of the border, migrant death patterns in border areas, government plans to redirect migration, ethics of border control, human rights and critical perspectives related to migrant deaths, bureaucratic ideology in border control, migrant death forensics, smuggling, community responses to migrant deaths, recent research on border control and migrant deaths.
• Review and discuss different approaches and measures for border control. 

• Review and analyze government statistical reports concerning annual migrant apprehensions at the border and annual counts of migrant deaths in border sectors. 

• Develop an awareness of the significance of border control for the development of US immigration policy. 

• Review major impacts of US border control measures for local communities. 

Cultural Diversity Objective: 

“This course carries the flag for Cultural Diversity in the United States. Cultural Diversity courses are designed to increase your familiarity with the variety and richness of the American cultural experience. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments covering the practices, beliefs, and histories of at least one U.S. cultural group that has experienced persistent marginalization.” . .

 “Ideally, the Cultural Diversity Flag will challenge students to explore the beliefs and practices of an underrepresented group in relation to their own cultural experiences so that they engage in an active process of self-reflection.” 

III. Format and Procedures

The course is designed with the expectation that it will follow an intertwined format of lectures and class discussions.  A key expectation is that students will come to class prepared to discuss thematic issues covered in the class, or at least come to class with a curious and critical predisposition to become intellectually engaged in the class. All students are expect to contribute to class discussion, with a high regard for an open academic dialogue, which values respect for the ideas, opinions, and views of others. Class attendance is assumed and expected, and highly encouraged.

Students will have an opportunity to evaluate qualities of the course, including the instructor.  The purpose of the student evaluations is to provide feedback to help improve the teaching experience.

IV.  Assumptions

My assumptions about the nature of immigration in U.S. society is that it a) follows an historical course, b) flows from the interaction between human agency and social structures, c) takes normal paths of social division and degrees of accommodation and social incorporation, d) is partly affected by social constructions regarding different national-origin groups, and e) has its most profound significance within the dynamics of social reproduction (constant remaking of societies). 

V. Course Requirements

1. Class attendance and participation policy

Class attendance is required but not graded. I will assume that all students enrolled in the course attend all class meetings, and thus are informed of all class matters stated in class. Please try to arrive in class on time.  Also, you should review previous lecture notes and bring questions to class about points you did not clearly understand—including points from the assigned readings.  Please be attentive in class (turn off phones or set to vibration). You are greatly encouraged to participate in class discussion, and to do so in a manner that respects the rights of others to also participate.  If you have a problem hearing the lectures and discussion, or viewing class presentations, please let the instructor know immediately. 

Religious Holidays

UT Austin policy requires that you notify course instructors at least 14 days in advance if you plan to be absent due to a religious holiday. You will be given an opportunity to make up activities (exams, assignments, etc.) that you miss because of your absence due to a religious holiday.  You will be given a reasonable time to make up an exam or assignment after your absence. 

2. Course Readings/Materials 

a) Required books

Dunn, Timothy J. (D)  2009.  Blockading the Border and Human Rights: The El Paso Operation that Remade Immigration Enforcement. Austin: University of Texas Press.

De Leon, Jason. (DL) 2015.  The Land of Open Graves:  Living and Dying in the Migrant Trail.  Oakland: University of California Press.

b) Websites to review:

Migration Policy Institute: http://www.migrationpolicy.org/

Pew Hispanic Center: http://pewhispanic.org/

UC-Davis Migration News: http://migration.ucdavis.edu/mn/

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Immigration Statistics): http://www.dhs.gov/immigration-statistics/

Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/

Population Reference Bureau: http://www.prb.org/

 3. Assignments, Assessments, Evaluation, Dates

a) The course contains three exams and a paper requirement. The exams will consist of multiple-choice items. All exams have to be taken on the dates specified; the only exceptions to this rule are cases involving an emergency and authorization by UT Austin.  In such exceptional cases, essay makeup exams for the first two regular exams have to be taken within a week after the originally designated dates in the specified sociology room for makeups. In the rare possibility that a student needs to take a makeup for the third exam, arrangements with have to be made with the instructor. Makeup exams will consist of essay questions only. Students who miss a scheduled exam must alert the instructor beforehand and consult with the instructor regarding the makeup.  There is no procedure for making up the Final Exam outside of cases that are of a true exceptional and unusual personal pressing situation. Students have to take all exams on the dates and times specified.  Exams cannot be taken earlier or later than the dates and times specified.

 The paper requirement is a research brief of 1,350 words (5 pages) on a class-related border/migration topic for which at least three (3) research journal publications are consulted and cited in the text, and listed in the Reference section of the paper.  The motive for the paper is to give the student an opportunity to read research journal publications. Grading of the paper will include checking for a) the required number of words (1,450), b) the three required journal sources, and c) the adequacy and strength of the presentation in the paper.

 4. Use of Canvas:  Canvas will be used to help manage the course and to pursue interaction with students.  Canvas will be used to make announcements, distribute information, communicate with students, and post grades.  Students are encouraged to use Canvas to communicate and share relevant comments and information.  Please check your Canvas site regularly to look for communications from the instructor or from other students in the class.  Support for using Canvas can be obtained from the following websites:  https://utexas.instructure.com/courses/633028/pages/welcome-to-canvas; http://guides.instructure.com/m/4212

 VI.  Grading

 a) Three exams of 50 multiple-choice items (worth 100 points each).

• 100 points per exam x 3 exams = 300 points

 b) Paper requirement worth 50 points

Total possible points = 350

 c) Letter grades based on 350 possible cumulative points:

 A = 325-350     A- = 315-324

B+= 304-323    B  = 290-303    B-= 280-289

C+= 269-279    C  = 255-268    C-= 245-254

D+= 234-244    D  = 220-233    D-= 210-219

F  = 209 or fewer points

Descriptons 

In this course we will explore the social context of food. Topics will include food and identity, social class and culture.  We will also investigate who plans, purchases, and prepares food for our families, including discussion of the recent debates about the value of a home-cooked meal.  We will take a tour through the alphabet soup of government assistance for the hungry, including SNAP, WIC and NSLP.  Finally, we examine food production and policies in the US. 

 This course carries the Writing Flag. Writing Flag courses are designed to give students experience with writing in an academic discipline. In this class, you can expect to write regularly during the semester, complete substantial writing projects, and receive feedback from your instructor to help you improve your writing. You will also have the opportunity to revise one or more assignments, and you may be asked to read and discuss your peers’ work. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from your written work. Writing Flag classes meet the Core Communications objectives of Critical Thinking, Communication, Teamwork, and Personal Responsibility, established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Readings will include:

Nestle, Marion. 201313.  Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health

Pilcher, Jeffrey.  2012.  Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food

 Pollan,  Michael.  2006.  The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals.

Grading:

Portfolio 25%

     A series of short assignments including research article analyses, video analyses, discussion synthesis

Papers 30%

     Food diary analysis

    Literature review

Peer review 10%

Group Presentation  15%

   Groups will research, present findings and lead discussion

Participation 10%

Class synthesis assignment 10%

     Drawing on the themes from the class and current research, explore possibilities for improving food policy

Description:

Building the Sustainable City is an interdisciplinary course that examines why we have to create  more sustainable living environments, what we are presently doing to rebuild American cities in more sustainable ways, and where we need to go in the future.  The course adopts the strong definition of sustainability to include the connections between economy, equity, and environment.   80% of the population lives in urban areas today, the vast majority of economic activity occurs in them, and most environmental problems are related to urbanization and industrialization.  Understanding how to build a sustainable city, then, is the key to building a sustainable society.  This course will focus on energy use, transportation policy, housing, and food production/distribution in the city.  Social equity issues will be integrated into all four themes, as all four are both cause and effect of social inequalities. 

The course links our academic understanding of sustainability with “real world”, on-the-ground people doing sustainability today by letting you work with some of the organizations in Austin in a Service Learning project. The last two weeks of April we will have no class, and instead you will use that time to work with a community organization of your choice, on a project related to sustainability. Your final paper is a write-up of that project  

Text:

Girardet, Herbert; Cities People Planet. Wiley and Sons, 2008.

Grading System

Your grade is computed based on 3 essays of 3-4 pages, typed, double spaced, each worth 25% of grade. The final 25% will come from your project write-up.

Description

This course is in two parts.  The first will provide an introduction to the American criminal justice system, its policies and procedures.  The primary focus will be on how criminal justice operates.  This will include some discussion of crime and its correlates, crime prevention, law enforcement, courts and corrections.  The second part traces where criminal justice policy has been, what it has accomplished, and where it should go in order to effectively reduce crime, recidivism, victimization and cost.  The primary focus of where do we go from here is on prosecution, sentencing and corrections.

The class periods will be devoted to lectures and discussion. We may have guest speakers and probably a video or two.  The lecture material will sometimes correspond very closely with the material in the texts and sometimes it will not.  I encourage class discussions and questions and hope that the material will be sufficiently interesting and controversial to motivate discussion.

Texts

Experiencing Criminal Justice by Nicole Hendrix

Criminal Justice at the Crossroads; Transforming Crime and Punishment by William Kelly

Grading and Requirements

There will be four exams.  The first two are multiple choice/true false.  The second two are multiple choice and short answer.  Each exam constitutes 25% of the course grade.  The exams will cover all of the material - assigned readings, lectures, guest speakers and videos.

Description

This course is in two parts.  The first will provide an introduction to the American criminal justice system, its policies and procedures.  The primary focus will be on how criminal justice operates.  This will include some discussion of crime and its correlates, crime prevention, law enforcement, courts and corrections.  The second part traces where criminal justice policy has been, what it has accomplished, and where it should go in order to effectively reduce crime, recidivism, victimization and cost.  The primary focus of where do we go from here is on prosecution, sentencing and corrections.

The class periods will be devoted to lectures and discussion. We may have guest speakers and probably a video or two.  The lecture material will sometimes correspond very closely with the material in the texts and sometimes it will not.  I encourage class discussions and questions and hope that the material will be sufficiently interesting and controversial to motivate discussion.

Texts

Experiencing Criminal Justice by Nicole Hendrix

Criminal Justice at the Crossroads; Transforming Crime and Punishment by William Kelly

Grading and Requirements

There will be four exams.  The first two are multiple choice/true false.  The second two are multiple choice and short answer.  Each exam constitutes 25% of the course grade.  The exams will cover all of the material - assigned readings, lectures, guest speakers and videos.

Description:

Crimes, trials, evidence, juries, sentences, lawsuits – you hear a lot about issues with which the legal system concerns itself. But people in the legal system are not the only ones who consider these issues. This course will look at courts, legal actors, and legal policies through the lens of social science, especially social psychology.  The goal of the course will be to learn about existing research on law-related topics.  A sample of areas to be covered include: predicting dangerousness, eyewitness testimony, mental health issues in the law (such as competence to stand trial and the insanity defense), children in the law, and jury decision-making on verdicts in criminal and civil cases.  Students enrolling must have taken at least one introductory sociology or psychology course.

Texts:

This course has one required textbook (Greene & Heilbrun, “Wrightsman’s Psychology and the Legal System”); attendance is not mandatory but is gauged through for-credit activities that occur during some class sessions. This course has an “Ethics and Leadership” Flag. 

Grading and Requirements:

Three exams:  100 points each

Short Paper:  40 points

Class Participation:  10 points

Course Description

Description

Population studies or demography is an interdisciplinary field, encompassing the study of the size, distribution, and composition of human populations, and the processes of fertility, mortality, and migration through which populations’ change. These processes are closely connected to many of the pressing problems facing contemporary societies. For instance, the funding of health care in developed countries is a major issue because of declining fertility and population aging. Civil unrest in parts of Africa and the Middle East are, in part, a function of persistently high fertility rates. These processes are also important drivers of many contemporary environmental problems. Finally, a grasp of population processes is important for a deeper understanding of the population explosion in urban areas and the higher transmission and impact of AIDS in the developing world. 

This course provides an overview of the field of population studies. A sociological approach is emphasized, but economic, geographic, anthropological, and biological perspectives will also be used. Attention will be given to a) the demographic concepts needed to objectively evaluate population issues and b) the substantive content of the population issues. Emphasis will be given to evaluating the evidence regarding debates on population topics. 

Reading Materials 

Required text: Population: An Introduction to Concepts and Issues, 10th edition, John R. Weeks. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co. ISBN-10: 0495096377 

On-line Readings: There are a number of short reading assignments, marked with an [EL]. These readings can be found in External Links section of the class Blackboard site and should be read prior to class period. 

Grading and Requirement:

You are expected to complete all readings for the day's class before coming to class. Read as actively as possible. Class time will be an opportunity to discuss and further explore the readings, so it is essential that everyone comes prepared to participate. Our class periods will be more productive and enjoyable when we all begin with the same materials. 

There will be TWO examinations during the semester, each worth 20% of your final grade. The exams will draw from both readings and class discussions. The exams are not cumulative. Each will include multiple choice and short answer questions. Make-up examinations will not be administered except in extreme circumstances and only if I am notified beforehand. All make-up examinations are 100% essay. 

You must also complete TWO assignments and ONE short paper during the semester. The assignments—on mortality and fertility—are designed to familiarize you with demographic data on the web, give you an overview of your country of choice, and help you identify your country’s population angle that most interests you and that you will explore in more detail in the short paper. Each assignment is worth 15% of your final grade. The short paper is worth 25% of your grade. 

The final 5% of your grade is based on attendance/class participation. I expect you to show up and engage (i.e., not text, sleep, or read the newspaper) with classmates, the TA, and me in the class.

Description

The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to some of the more important theoretical foundations of the discipline of sociology and to current debates in modern social theory. The first part of the course covers select classical theorists. The second part provides an introduction to twentieth-century social theory and critical perspectives on the classical foundations of sociology. The third and final part presents a highly influential response to these challenges by a leading sociological theorist of our day. Throughout the course, the main topics of interest are the rise and transformation of modern society, the changing relationship between the individual and social institutions, the role of social structures and agency in social theory, the role of moral and instrumental action in agency theory, the challenge of critical theory to the social sciences, and contemporary attempts at a critical and multidimensional theory of society.

This course challenges students to think theoretically and critically about society and its material and cultural construction. The readings for the course are difficult but not inaccessible. This course will be fruitful if, and only if, students make a serious commitment to do the reading and to attend class. If this commitment is made, the social world might never look and feel quite the same. At least this is my goal and I aim to deliver.

Grading Policy

Three short papers 75%?Three one to two page memos on reading 15%?Class participation 10%

Short papers: Students must write three papers, each approximately five pages in length. One paper is due for each of the three parts of the course.

Memos: For the first part of the course, I will ask you to write three memos, each approximately one page in length. One memo will be on Karl Marx. The second memo will be on Emile Durkeim. And the final memo is on Max Weber.

Texts

All texts have been ordered through MonkeyWrench Books (110 E. North Loop, Austin, TX 78751; tel. (512) 407-6925)

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, The Marx-Engels Reader, ed. Robert Tucker, Norton?Emile Durkheim, On Morality and Society, ed. Robert N. Bellah, Chicago?Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Roxbury?Georg Simmel, On Individuality and Social Forms, ed. Donald Levine, Chicago?Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents, Norton?Michel Foucault, The Foucault Reader, ed. Paul Rabinow, Pantheon?Jurgen Habermas, Jurgen Habermas on Society and Politics: A Reader, ed. Seidman, Beacon

Description:

The course introduces students to some of the main sociological theories and theorists since the late 19th century. The main focus of the class (about two thirds of the semester) will be on three classic authors: Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber. In the last part of the semester, we will cover selected sociological theorists from the second half of the twentieth century, including Alfred Schutz, Erving Goffman, Pierre Bourdieu, Bruno Latour and Dorothy Smith. My goal is to introduce you to interesting and imaginative authors that took great pains to answer tough questions about society. Some readings will be more difficult than others, some will be more fun than others, and you will be more interested in some readings over others. But all of them will be worth your effort, as they will provide you with a solid grounding in the core theories that have informed sociological thinking since its beginnings. However, of course not everything about theory is reading; a great deal of your work will be thinking “theoretically”. I think that theories are a bit like play dough. They have a defined shape, but they can also be stretched, reshaped, and combined with other pieces. The final shape will not always satisfy you, but you can always start over. So, our goal will be to understand the theories by “playing” with them and relating them to what we usually call the “real world” (although ‘one’s world’ is not the same as the ‘real world’). Eventually, I hope you will discover how powerful and useful sociological theories can be to help you answer some of the toughest questions about societies.

Readings:

 Most readings will be in a course packet, in addition to two or three books TBA.

Grading (tentative)

Exams (60%)

Paper (25%)

Class participation and forum posts (15%)