Course Objectives
• To develop sociologically informed knowledge of life in modern society being transformed by globalization and inequality.
• To gain deeper understanding of the research process and its role in public knowledge and policy
• To learn how to craft a scientifically based argument and communicate it effectively.

Course Description
This course offers an introduction to the theories, methodologies, vocabulary, and themes of the discipline of sociology. During the semester, we will explore the linkages between individuals and the larger cultures, contexts, and groups in which they live their lives in order to better understand the structure and function of social interaction, human behavior, and the institutional frameworks of society. The over-arching purpose of the course is to instill in you the “sociological imagination”, which can then be used to decipher current social issues and patterns of everyday life.

Description:

This course is designed to introduce students to the sociological study of society. Sociology is the systematic study of social interaction, social organizations, and social institutions. The course will introduce basic sociological concepts such as the relationship between the individual and society, the social construction of reality, and the causes and consequences of social inequality. We will examine major topics in sociological research, including but not limited to inequality, mobility, race and ethnicity, gender, family, punishment and social control, sexuality, and education. We will cover different methods sociologists use to understand the relationship between individuals and society. The course is focused on the U.S. context, but global forces will be considered as well. Class format is primarily lecture-based, but students will participate in weekly discussion groups as well. The overall goal of this class is to equip students with the analytic tools to understand structural factors that shape social life. 

Required Readings:

All readings will be made available in a packet and/or on Blackboard.

Attendance Policy:

Students are allowed three (3) absences during the semester. These absences are intended to cover unexpected events such as illnesses or family emergencies. If students miss more than three classes, their semester grades will be reduced by one percentage point for each absence beyond the three allowed. The two exceptions to this policy are religious holy days and military service, both of which require advance written notice. For details, please refer to UT-Austin Academic Policies and Procedures: http://catalog.utexas.edu/general-information/academic-policies-and-procedures/attendance/

Grading Policy:

Midterm Exam: 20%

Final Exam: 30%

Research Essay: 30%

Pop Quizzes: 10%

Class Participation/Discussion Groups: 10%

Course Description and Objectives: This sociology class is designed to understand how social forces shape our behavior and what our role is in influencing the society’s structure. In the process, we will cover the science of sociology and its relevance to everyday life. During the course, the students will be introduced to the basic concept of sociological imagination, mindfulness, 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, the 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, sociology of health and medicine, love, marriage, and divorce. In this course, we will: a) create an environment that encourages active participation and group interaction in the learning process; b) actively encourage critical thinking through mindfulness and sociological imagination; c) use interactive techniques in the teaching and learning process to develop a deeper understanding of social-psychological reasoning, and d) we will assess and evaluate your work and give timely feedback.

This course may be used to fulfill the SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES (Core Component 080)
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, teamwork,
and social responsibility.

Course Reader: Your sociology reader includes both book chapters and selections of articles on certain
topics for in-depth analysis and discussion. These required readings are an important part of the
course and supplemental to the lecture. You will be tested on them. If we don’t concentrate on these
readings during the lectures and the labs, you are responsible to read them by the due dates and for
the exams.

Groups: Students will be assigned to a group at the beginning of the semester that will form the basis for discussions and group workshops throughout the course.

Evaluation: Evaluation will be based on (a) three one-hour examinations (each exam counts 22%); (b) quizzes (10%); class participation / group workshops (24%). Taken together, the exams will amount 66% of the course grade. They will include multiple choice, and short answer questions. The tests are reviews of material covered in the class, group discussions, films, and readings. Exams will be taken in class (except the last one). No make-up quizzes.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The principal objective of Physical Activity in Society is to understand the way in which people are physically active in a social context. We will examine how social forces influence physical activity including cultural, economic, historical, and demographic considerations. The course examines physical activity on both the individual and population levels to better understand the benefits and barriers to activity in society.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

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

• Analyze contemporary issues in physical activity from a variety of disciplinary and professional perspectives. ●
• Understand physical activity on both the personal/individual level as well as the population level. ●
• Critically evaluate (and convey through writing) the assumptions, motives, and evidence that individuals and groups use in discussing physical activity.

REQUIRED READING

Readings are available on Canvas. There is no required textbook for the course.

COURSE FORMAT

This course is organized in a lecture format with discussions throughout. Though a larger class, these discussions are an important place to connect lecture content and class readings to your related experiences, interests, and knowledge. 1

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN SOCIETY COURSE ASSIGNMENTS AND EVALUATION

Specific details on assignments (including rubrics) are available on Canvas. Due dates are included on the course calendar (p. 3). Unless otherwise noted, all assignments are due at 11:59PM on Thursdays via Canvas. Late assignments will lose 5 points per 24 hours. Please contact me as soon as possible if there are conflicts with assignments or if you need help.

• Activity Selection (5%) Choose a physical activity of any kind to participate in this semester. Explain why you chose your activity through the assignment in Canvas. Meet with me and discuss your activity.
• Field Observation (30%) An integral part of this class is field observations of physical activity (at least twice weekly) as a way to connect content in lecture and readings to the real world. You will collect data as a participant observer (using autoethnography) in a physical activity of your choice - sports, dance, exercise, walking, gardening, cycling, etc. These observations are the basis for your final paper.
• Exams (30%) There will be two non-cumulative in-class exams covering material from lecture and the readings.
• Annotated Bibliography (5%) An annotated bibliography is due prior to your final paper.
• Final Project (30%) The semester’s work will culminate in a project wherein you combine your field observations with scholarly sources you find to create a larger narrative about how your physical activity functions in society. Due Tuesday, May 12th.

Grade Disputes: Any dispute of any grade from assignments, exams, or papers must be made within one week of the grade being posted or it will not be considered. Please reach out to us early if there are any problems with completing assignments

Description:

This course examines contemporary social problems confronting the United States, using sociological concepts and perspectives to analyze the nation’s most pressing issues, including racial injustice, immigration enforcement, gender inequality, economic stratification, encoded bias in technology, and environmental degradation. Drawing from a variety of sources, we will discuss how these social issues manifest and are recreated in American society, as well as their consequences on people living in the United States.

Required Texts:

All assigned readings will be posted to Canvas.

Grading Policy:

A          93-100             C+       77-79.99          D-        60-62.99
A-        90-92.99          C         73-76.99          F          59.99 or below
B+       87-89.99          C-        70-72.99
B          83-86.99          D+       67-69.99
B-        80-82.99          D         63-66.99

Exam 1 (25% of overall grade)

Exam 2 (25% of overall grade)

Exam 3 (25% of overall grade)

Contemporary U.S. Social Problem Writing Assignment (20% of overall grade)
Pop quizzes (5% of overall grade)

Description:

Why do birth rates rise and fall?  How can the U.S. have both record rates of childlessness as well as the highest rates of teen childbearing and unwanted pregnancy in the industrialized world?  Why does educating women lower birth rates faster than any population control program in the Third World?  This course will explore when, why, how, and with whom Americans bear children, and how we compare to other developed and developing countries in the world.  We will explore infertility and its treatments, the ethics of surrogacy, voluntary childlessness, the rapid rise of nonmarital childbearing in the U.S. and other countries, the politics of childbirth and risks of maternal mortality in developed and developing countries, and the declining populations and rapid aging  of  rich countries including Japan, Italy, and Spain where women have basically stopped having children. 

Texts:  Available at Coop

Liza Mundy, Everything Conceivable, NY: Anchor Books, 2007

Michelle Goldberg, Means of Reproduction , NY: Penguin Bookds, 2010

Grading and Rrequirements:

Two opinion essays: 30%

Midterm exam:       40%

Final exam:             20%

Class participation: 10%

This course focuses on learning about the ways in which gender, race, class, and sexuality intersect to shape the lived experience in U.S. society. It will primarily focus on the ways in which our identities are socially constructed, how they have changed over time, and on major related social movements (e.g. feminist, civil rights, LGBTQ, etc.). We will discuss the empirical evidence related to power (i.e., domination and subordination) and its relation to the intersections of gender, race, class, and sexuality.

Description

This course examines the social construction of crime and society’s responses to it, with a focus on punishment as a method of social control. The course begins by historicizing settler-colonial origins of the U.S. criminal punishment system. Sociological approaches to power, deviance, and social control are introduced to contextualize this history. These frameworks are then applied to various components of the modern U.S. criminal punishment system, including criminalization, policing, courts, and incarceration (including immigrant detention). Resistance, reforms, abolition, and other alternatives to these systems are explored. Special attention is paid to how power operates through punishment and (re)produces inequalities at the intersections of race/ethnicity, citizen status, gender, sexuality, and social class.

Required Texts

N/A (all texts will be provided by the instructor)

Grading Policy

Weekly Quizzes                   10 pts (10%)

In-Class Activities                30 pts (30%)

Midterm Exam                      30 pts (30%)

Final Exam                            30 pts (30%)

Scores will not be rounded up or down

(e.g., an A- includes all scores 90.000 through 92.999)

The purpose of this course is to examine the various experiences, perspectives, and expressions of Chicanas in the United States. This involves examining the meaning and history of the term “Chicana” as it was applied to and incorporated by Mexican American women during the Chicano Movement in areas of the Southwest U.S., such as Texas and California. We will also explore what it means to be Chicana in the United States today. The course will begin with a historical overview of Mexican American women's experiences in the U.S., including the emergence of Chicana feminism. We will discuss central concepts of Chicana feminism and attempt to understand how those concepts link to everyday lived experiences. Specifically, the relationship between gender, race/ethnicity, and class will be key as we discuss issues that have been significant in the experiences and self-identification of Chicanas, such as: family, gender, sexuality, religion/spirituality, education, language, labor, and political engagement. We will engage in interdisciplinary analysis not only concerning cultural traditions, values, belief systems, and symbols but also concerning the expressive culture of Chicanas, including folk and religious practices, literature and poetry, the visual arts, and music. Finally, we will examine media representations of Chicanas through critical analyses of film and television portrayals.

“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

In this course, we will examine the interplay between society, health, and happiness, drawing upon findings from a variety of fields, including psychology, sociology, neuroscience, and economics. Topics include the nature and measurement of happiness, the relationship between health and happiness, the social or collective dimensions of health and happiness, and the relationship between money and individual well-being. Students will also engage with practical lessons from the scientific study of happiness and human flourishing by applying insights from research to their own lives.

Required Texts

The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner

The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner

The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky

A Wonderful Life by Frank Martela

Grading Policy

Reading questions (30%)

Quiz (30%)

Happiness project (20%)

Class participation (20%)

Description:

This is an introductory course in statistics for undergraduate majors in sociology. Topics dealing with descriptive and inferential statistics and quantitative reasoning will be covered. Descriptive statistics involves organizing and summarizing important characteristics of the data.  Statistical inference involves making informed guesses about the unknown characteristics of a population based on the known characteristics of a sample. Students are expected to know how to carry out elementary mathematical operations.

Required Text:

 Stinerock (2018) Statistics with R: A Beginner’s Guide. Sage Publications ISBN-978-1-4739-2490-1

 Course Requirement:

Exams: There will be three in-class examinations graded on a 100-point scale.  Roughly 70% to 80% of the points on the examinations are accounted for by problems requiring the student to work toward a solution, with the remainder accounted for by true/false and short answer questions.  Examinations will be based entirely on topics covered in lectures. In-class examinations are non-cumulative; they cover only the material since the previous exam. Students must take all exams to pass the course. Make up exams will be given only in the case of documented emergencies or illness.

Homework: There will be four homework assignments worth a total of 200 points. Homework problems are designed to enhance learning of key concepts and applied statistical methods. Homework must be received in class no later than the dates indicated. Students can receive extra credit by completing optional computer exercises.

In-Class Assessments: There will be approximately 20 in-class exercises carried out at various points during the course to assess understanding of current topics. These will count 100 points towards the total 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:

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.

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

Consumption is at the same time an economic, political and cultural phenomenon. During the twentieth-century and the beginning of the twenty first, in many parts of the world the promise of extending mass-consumption became a central part of political discourses about the rights and benefits of citizens. In Latin America, the goal of achieving a vibrant internal consumer market was conflated by many with the idea of development, progress, and modernity. Conceptually, consumers have been seen alternatively as the sovereigns of markets, as victims of manipulation, or as a locus of resistance and expression. In this course, we will study the place of consumption in social, economic, and political relations in Latin America. We will read recent literature from various disciplines (sociology, history, anthropology, etc.) on consumer culture in the region, with a special focus on Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Brazil. We will deal with a variety of topics and consumption goods, including consumer policies, popular consumption, advertising, neoliberal consumption, middle class consumer culture, home appliances, jeans and tupperware.

Grading 

Students are expected to attend all classes and complete all assigned work, are responsible for ensuring they are properly registered in all their courses, and that they have officially dropped any courses which they do not plan to include in their program. All written work will be graded on the quality of content as well as writing skills. 

Your grade will be calculated as follows: 

First Exam: 25% 

Paper: 25% 

Second Exam: 30% 

Class participation and forum responses: 20% 

Description

This upper-division class is designed to offer a complement to positivist quantitative methods and basic statistics classes to which most UT students are exposed in their undergraduate careers. It therefore forms an opportunity for students to extend their understanding and expertise in research design and experience in a wider set of method that form part of everyday social science research.  Qualitative Methods can either standalone (ethnography for example), or form part of mixed-methods research design (as in this class), and seeks to provide insight and nuanced understandings of social processes that go beyond data findings borne of quantitative analyses and statistical modelling.  Qualitative analysis, therefore, does not rely upon measures of statistical significance, but takes a hermeneutics (interpretive) approach, and requires the triangulation of various research methods and approaches in order to substantiate (or challenge) the research propositions/questions posed in the design. Information and data gathering invariably require direct engagement with human populations, and are therefore subject to close scrutiny by Human Subjects Research Boards such as the University’s IRB.

This course will provide you with a “hands-on” training of many of the qualitative methods used in “mixed methods” research in contemporary social science including: application and use of case studies; archival analysis; content analysis; participant observation & ethnography; key informant (“elite”) interviewing; focus groups; social psychological testing; and how to design and run surveys.  Working in small groups (3-4), students will apply these methods to a “dummy” research project design, developing and applying each method in turn, as well as exploring how the data and information gathered may be mobilized to address, and to provide, insights around the research questions that form part of their design.  All students will be expected to undertake IRB (Human Subjects) ethics training, and then relate it to their “dummy” research projects throughout the semester.   Classes will combine formal lectures and in- (and outside) class group work. 

Required Texts (the Dean’s Office will not accept “Course Packet” or “TBA”)

Carol Bailey, 2018. A Guide to Qualitative Field Research. Sage.  3^rd edition

Grading Policy

• 30% or so for in-class participation and good attendance.
• A further 20% will be awarded for two small assignments:
• Final Group project report will receive: 20% (everyone in the group gets the same grade).
• 30% will for two essay papers (15% for a personal reflexivity essay/paper; and 15% for an essay on one of the techniques).

Description:
This course is designed to explore the broad history of how race has shaped the development
of science in the United States from the 1800s to the present, including medical treatments,
diagnostic criteria, technological developments, and business ventures. We will examine how
people of color suffered experimental practices that furthered medical science in particular (such
as birth control experiments in Puerto Rico), and through a reading of defunct theories of
inherent racial difference, we will examine how an obsessive focus on biological ideas of race
stunted scientific progress. Moreover, we will examine how ideas built on racial difference
shaped how Americans viewed their bodies and science (such as how the early weight loss
industry targeted white Americans). Finally, we will discuss the reemergence of old ideas about
racial difference through industries such as genetic ancestry testing and pharmaceutical use of
racialized medicine.

Required Texts
Fatal Invention by Dorothy Roberts
The Social Life of DNA by Alondra Nelson
Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings
Medical Apartheid by Harriet Washington
Medical Bondage by Deirdre Cooper Owens

Grading Policy
Students will be graded based on short weekly response papers that evaluate their critical
understanding of that week’s texts, a mid-term research paper on a relevant topic of their choice
where they will be given in-depth feedback on their writing and analysis in preparation for a final
term paper and an accompanying in-class presentation.

DESCRIPTION:

We all have many years of experience in schools and we know what happens in schools. Do schools provide opportunities for people to have a better life? Are schools an equalizer? Are they failing? This course is designed to challenge and think critically about what we think we know about schools and education. We will study sociological research on what schools do, for people, for communities, and for our society. We will consider how people of different social class, race and ethnicity, gender, and disability statuses interact with schools and how inequality in achievement comes about. And we will question what policies might improve schools. The course objective is to better understand the role of education as a social institution and how it contributes to and reduces social inequality.

The course objectives are to use sociological principles and empirical research to:

• Understand schooling and education. What do schools do and how do they do it?
• Analyze how education both contributes to and reduces social inequality.
• Understand the roles that education plays in society. We will consider these roles of education in a historical context and how they have and haven’t changed over time.
• Critically evaluate which school practices and policies contribute to (1) learning among students from different socio-demographic subgroups and (2) exacerbating and reducing inequality.
• Develop a deeper appreciation of our own experiences in education as a child and student (and, if applicable, a parent or a teacher), and the potential experiences that you will have in the future.

Learning goals:

• Use empirical evidence reported in sociological research to discuss how schools work and, how people from different socio-demographic subgroups interact with educational institutions, and the ways that schools may exacerbate or reduce social inequality.
• Discuss and critically evaluate how the institution of education shapes individuals’ behaviors, attitudes, opportunities, and life course outcomes.
• Read and critically analyze empirical evidence reported in research in the sociology of education.
• Apply the knowledge produced by empirical research to analyze practices

GRADING:

Your final grade will be calculated using this distribution:
• Exam 1 (February 6) 15%
• Exam 2 (March 6) 20%
• Exam 3 (April 5) 20%
• Project 25% total (Part 1 [due April 12] 5%; Part 2 [due May 3] 20%
• Homework Assignments 20%

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

In this course we will analyze the family as a social institution, using sociological perspectives.
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 provide a starting point for an exploration of the history of “the family”. Specific topics include
parental and child roles; gender, race and social class as stratification systems which influence families;
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; and cohabitation, divorce and step families as three important changes in the US family over the last several decades.

Questions we will address include:
• What is the definition of family? (Why is this a complicated question?)
• What social-structural forces shape family processes?
• How is the family a gendered institution?
• How does government attempt to shape families? Support families?

Required Texts
▪ Cohen, Philip N. 2018. The Family; Diversity, Inequality, and Social Change, 2nd edition.
New York: W.W. Norton and Company. You also need access to InQuisitive, which comes with
the textbook. If you purchase a hard copy, there will be an access code inside.
▪ Coontz, Stephanie. 2006. Marriage, A History: How Love Conquered Marriage.
New York: Penguin.
▪ Edin, Kathryn J. and H. Luke Shaefer. 2016. $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in
America. New York: Mariner Books.
▪ Lareau, Annette. 2011. Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race and Family Life.
Berkeley: University of California Press.
SOC 323 syllabus page 2 of 7
▪ Additional readings posted to our Canvas course site.

In this course we will analyze the family as a social institution, using sociological perspectives.
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 provide a starting point for an exploration of the history of “the family”. Specific topics include
parental and child roles; gender, race and social class as stratification systems which influence families;
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; and cohabitation, divorce and step families as three important changes in the US family over the last several decades.

Questions we will address include:
• What is the definition of family? (Why is this a complicated question?)
• What social-structural forces shape family processes?
• How is the family a gendered institution?
• How does government attempt to shape families? Support families?

Required Texts
▪ Cohen, Philip N. 2018. The Family; Diversity, Inequality, and Social Change, 2nd edition.
New York: W.W. Norton and Company. You also need access to InQuisitive, which comes with
the textbook. If you purchase a hard copy, there will be an access code inside.
▪ Coontz, Stephanie. 2006. Marriage, A History: How Love Conquered Marriage.
New York: Penguin.
▪ Edin, Kathryn J. and H. Luke Shaefer. 2016. $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in
America. New York: Mariner Books.
▪ Lareau, Annette. 2011. Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race and Family Life.
Berkeley: University of California Press.
SOC 323 syllabus page 2 of 7
▪ Additional readings posted to our Canvas course site.

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

Description:

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.

This course is designed as an introduction to the sociology of crime. Drawing on a variety of theories and methodologies, the goal of the course is to learn how to think and write critically about crime, criminal justice, and social inequality. We will explore theories of crime and ask: What is crime? Who defines crime? How is it defined? Who benefits from these definitions? Our core work will focus on how society defines and responds to crime in varied social contexts and across individuals’ identities. First, we will focus on crime, policing, and security apparatuses in neighborhoods and schools, exploring policies and theories such as Stop, Question, and Frisk; the school-to-prison pipeline; and the carceral continuum in schools. The second portion of the course focuses on the intersection of crime and race, ethnicity, immigration, and gender by exploring mass-incarceration, criminalization of immigrants, and sexual violence. The course is empirically grounded in American history and politics and incorporates works from theoretical, quantitative, and ethnographic sociology; news media; documentaries; and blogs.

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.

Welcome to Sociology 317M. In this course, we will investigate questions central to the study of social life. Using a hands-on approach, we will explore how to examine and communicate core sociological concepts, methods, and explanations.

Like ethnographers, we will observe – and record – contemporary social life. Like survey methodologists, we will design and implement a survey. Like historians, we will examine archival materials.

As in other sociology classes, you will be asked to analyze and interpret the evidence you collect. This class requires you to make a commitment to using – and thinking about – the methods of social science research.

Course Objectives

When you have completed this course, you will be able to:

• Articulate a theoretically-oriented research question
• Identify ethical and unethical methodologies
• Observe and record contemporary social life
• Design and implement a survey
• Examine archival materials
• Analyze and interpret evidence
• Evaluate the validity, reliability, and generalizability of different types of data and methods
• Communicate core sociological concepts, methods, and explanations

Course Organization

This course is designed to promote an experiential and interactive learning environment. The course will involve a combination of lectures, lab/discussion sections, guided field study (i.e., field trips), and opportunities to apply and communicate learned concepts (i.e., assignments/field projects). A significant amount of classroom time is reserved to introduce students to the methods of inquiry used by social scientists. Students are required to practice sociological methods as part of the course. No prior experience is necessary.

Completion Requirements

To successfully complete this course, you must do the following:

• Read assigned texts
• Complete and submit assignments/field projects, each worth 8%.
  • Assignment 1: Constructing a bibliography
  • Assignment 2: Field notes
  • Assignment 3: Analysis of qualitative data
  • Assignment 4: In-class experiment
  • Assignment 5: Analysis of quantitative data
  • Assignment 6: Survey design
  • Assignment 7: In-class survey
  • Assignment 8: Statistical analysis
  • Assignment 9: Exploring secondary data sources
  • Assignment 10: Content analysis
• Take in-class quizzes and actively contribute to lab/discussion sections worth 20%. Your participation grade will be based on your contributions to the classroom environment.

Grading Scheme

Individual assignments, quizzes, and exams will be graded as appropriate. For example, the bus ethnography will be evaluated as adequate (check), exceeds expectations (check plus), or insufficient (check minus). Those grades will be translated into point totals. Adequate = 85/100; Exceeds Expectations = 100/100; Insufficient = 70/100.

Final grades will be assigned based on the percentage of total points awarded. Each assignment, quiz, or exam will be weighted in proportion to its percentage of the total grade (as outlined above). That is, the bus ethnography will be worth a total of 8% of the final grade. Final grades will be assigned based on the following scoring scheme:

• 93 – 100% of total points awarded A 4.0
• 90 – 92% A- 3.7
• 88 – 89% B+ 3.3
• 83 – 87% B 3.0
• 80 – 82% B- 2.7
• 78 – 79% C+ 2.3
• 73 – 77% C 2.0
• 70 – 72% C- 1.7
• 68 – 69% D+ 1.3
• 63 – 67% D 1.0
• 62 or less F 0.0

This course may be used to fulfill three hours of the communication 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, teamwork, and personal responsibility.

Course Materials

• Kahn, Shamus and Dana R. Fisher. 2014. The Practice of Research: How Social Scientists Answer Their Questions. New York: Oxford University Press.
• I-Clicker
• Additional readings will be available as links through the course webpage: https://utexas.instructure.com/courses/1136152.

Welcome to Sociology 317M. In this course, we will investigate questions central to the study of social life. Using a hands-on approach, we will explore how to examine and communicate core sociological concepts, methods, and explanations.

Like ethnographers, we will observe – and record – contemporary social life. Like survey methodologists, we will design and implement a survey. Like historians, we will examine archival materials.

As in other sociology classes, you will be asked to analyze and interpret the evidence you collect. This class requires you to make a commitment to using – and thinking about – the methods of social science research.

Course Objectives

When you have completed this course, you will be able to:

• Articulate a theoretically-oriented research question
• Identify ethical and unethical methodologies
• Observe and record contemporary social life
• Design and implement a survey
• Examine archival materials
• Analyze and interpret evidence
• Evaluate the validity, reliability, and generalizability of different types of data and methods
• Communicate core sociological concepts, methods, and explanations

Course Organization

This course is designed to promote an experiential and interactive learning environment. The course will involve a combination of lectures, lab/discussion sections, guided field study (i.e., field trips), and opportunities to apply and communicate learned concepts (i.e., assignments/field projects). A significant amount of classroom time is reserved to introduce students to the methods of inquiry used by social scientists. Students are required to practice sociological methods as part of the course. No prior experience is necessary.

Completion Requirements

To successfully complete this course, you must do the following:

• Read assigned texts
• Complete and submit assignments/field projects, each worth 8%.
  • Assignment 1: Constructing a bibliography
  • Assignment 2: Field notes
  • Assignment 3: Analysis of qualitative data
  • Assignment 4: In-class experiment
  • Assignment 5: Analysis of quantitative data
  • Assignment 6: Survey design
  • Assignment 7: In-class survey
  • Assignment 8: Statistical analysis
  • Assignment 9: Exploring secondary data sources
  • Assignment 10: Content analysis
• Take in-class quizzes and actively contribute to lab/discussion sections worth 20%. Your participation grade will be based on your contributions to the classroom environment.

Grading Scheme

Individual assignments, quizzes, and exams will be graded as appropriate. For example, the bus ethnography will be evaluated as adequate (check), exceeds expectations (check plus), or insufficient (check minus). Those grades will be translated into point totals. Adequate = 85/100; Exceeds Expectations = 100/100; Insufficient = 70/100.

Final grades will be assigned based on the percentage of total points awarded. Each assignment, quiz, or exam will be weighted in proportion to its percentage of the total grade (as outlined above). That is, the bus ethnography will be worth a total of 8% of the final grade. Final grades will be assigned based on the following scoring scheme:

• 93 – 100% of total points awarded A 4.0
• 90 – 92% A- 3.7
• 88 – 89% B+ 3.3
• 83 – 87% B 3.0
• 80 – 82% B- 2.7
• 78 – 79% C+ 2.3
• 73 – 77% C 2.0
• 70 – 72% C- 1.7
• 68 – 69% D+ 1.3
• 63 – 67% D 1.0
• 62 or less F 0.0

This course may be used to fulfill three hours of the communication 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, teamwork, and personal responsibility.

Course Materials

• Kahn, Shamus and Dana R. Fisher. 2014. The Practice of Research: How Social Scientists Answer Their Questions. New York: Oxford University Press.
• I-Clicker
• Additional readings will be available as links through the course webpage: https://utexas.instructure.com/courses/1136152.

The purpose of this course is to teach the conceptual foundations for social science research and provide opportunities to apply knowledge to discover something about the social world. After completion of this course, students will be equipped to apply these skills in a wide variety of settings (not just the ivory towers of academia). Specifically, students will learn 1) various research approaches, 2) how to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches and 3) how to apply social science methods to answer a research question.

To achieve these goals this course takes a "hands on" approach. This means that often class time will involve your active participation. It is essential that you read assigned readings prior to class time.

Course Requirements and Grades are calculated as a weighted average of grades on assignments, papers, and exams.

Exams -- September 16 - 9% of your grade (90 points)
               November 4 - 15% (150 points)
               December 2 - 15% (150 points)
Analysis paper (20%, 200 points) –Due October 19, at start of class
Review Paper (20%, 200 points) – Due November 23, at start of class but I will accept this paper without penalty up to November 30.
Assignments (20%, 30 points per assignment)-- There will be ~7 assignments.  All assignments should be word processed unless instructed otherwise.

A=930-1000; A-900-929; B+=870-899; B=830-869; B-=800-829; C+=770-799; C=730-769; C-700-729; D+=670-699; D=630-669; D-=600-629; F < 60.

Text -- The Art and Science of Social Research. Published by W.W. Norton.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course offers an introductory and intensive overview of research methods in the social
sciences.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

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

● Describe common methods of social science inquiry
● Understand the linkage between research question and research design
● Explore major debates about research methods, social science, and ethics in research
● Evaluate social scientific evidence and research
● Critically consume news reports, political rhetoric, and public discussion about the social world and social scientific research

TEXTBOOK

This class is designed so that students who view/attend lecture, review lecture notes, complete
online quizzes, and utilize provided study guides can succeed. All relevant material will be
covered in lecture and assigned readings; there is no required textbook . For those that would
like to have an additional resource that has extra examples and more detailed explanation of
concepts covered in class, I recommend the following text:

Dixon, Jeffrey C., Royce Singleton, and Bruce C. Straits. 2019. The Process of Social Research.
Second edition. New York: Oxford University Press. (ISBN: 9780190876654)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

50% Research Proposal: The research proposal is a semester-long, independent assignment aimed at having you combine your personal interests, quantitative reasoning skills, and writing. The research proposal is broken into 7 graded components which, combined, make up your grade for the Research Proposal assignment.

25% Perusall Contributions: Perusall is an online platform that 1) requires students to complete assigned readings/watched videos 2) allows students to ask questions and teach one another through responses and annotations, and 3) eliminates the need for multiple-choice tests on course material. You will have 5 Perusal responses over the course of the semester that will contribute to 25% of your overall course grade. Perusal assignments will be posted as the semester progresses and will remain open until the end of semester. See here for more info on Perusall and Perusall assignments .

15% Evaluating Research Assignment: This assignment requires you to combine skills and concepts covered this semester to:

1. summarize and describe two research articles,
2. critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each study, and
3. think through your own research interest(s) and how you might go about answering a research question of your choice both quantitatively and qualitatively.

10% Research Ethics Assignment: In this assignment, you will learn about and be quizzed on research ethics through an online Human Subjects Research (HSR) training portal. This is a pass/fail assignment. Your course grade will be determined roughly according to the percentages detailed above, though I reserve the right to reward students for improvement throughout the course. This course is not graded on a curve. Grades posted to Canvas during the semester are raw scores and do not take into account the appropriate weights based on each assignment’s percentage contribution to your final grade.

Description

Access to reproductive care is the most significant indicator of social inequality. The rights to have
children, or not, and parent are deeply stratified across societies. And childhood inequalities have
persistent, life-long health effects. In this course we will examine reproductive outcomes for women in
order to study social justice.

Reproductive justice is defined “as the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.” Our working definition of reproduction justice for this course encompasses the processes of becoming pregnant and giving birth, the right to give birth to a child with disabilities, the right to prenatal care, neonatal care, and child care. Taking our cue from reproductive justice activists and scholars, our class readings and discussions will consider the complete physical and mental well-being of women, children, and their families which can potentially be achieved when they have the economic, social and political power, and resources to make healthy decisions about their sexuality, and reproduction.

Reproductive justice is not always achieved because resources are unevenly distributed, based on race, gender, sexuality, abilities/ disabilities, citizenship, and social class. As a result, developing and developed nations are racked with social inequality when it comes to reproductive matters.

From slavery, access to birth control, stratified reproduction, sex selective abortions, and new reproductive technologies, this course will focus on difficult topics; but, no answers will be provided. The expectation is that you will learn, and answer for yourself what you mean by reproductive justice, and how you think it can be achieved. My aim is that we will emerge at the end of the semester with an open mind regarding women’s and children’s health, and a more complicated understanding of what reproductive justice means. You will, hopefully, take the term reproductive justice into your own linguistic repertoire, and from there, attempt to make it a part of your worldview, and everyday life.

Readings

- Readings are on Canvas (marked with asterix), or online and accessible through our library
resources (links provided).
- Please purchase from Amazon.com Ritu Menon and Kamala Bashin’s Borders and Boundaries:
Women in India’s Partition. 1998 or 2000 version.

Course expectations and grading

Attendance Policy
Attendance will be taken every time we meet; you may miss up with 2 classes without affecting your
grade. After that, every class you miss drops your grade by ½ a grade, until you earn an F.

Participation: 5%
I encourage active participation in class. By participation I do not want you to monopolize discussion,
but make remarks that draw people into talking about the issues you want to discuss. Respectful
disagreement is an excellent way to learn.

Current events discussion: 5%
My hope is that you are up on current events, and read newspapers/ listen to the radio and otherwise
keep up with happenings around the world. Current news is filled with reproductive politics. As part of
your course grade please bring in news items (a photcopy/ print-out, or direct our attention to the suitable website) that are relevant to the course. We will start each day with a 5-10 minute discussion on current developments in reproductive justice matters not just in the U.S., but also in other parts of the world (in previous classes we talked about the Zika virus, the criminalization of miscarriage in Guatemala, etc).

Take home exams (two): 30% each
I encourage group work on exams. Please share notes, develop outlines together, and learn from each
other. However, each of you will write up your answers individually and turn in individuals exams.
Please indicate on your exams who you’ve worked with.

Life History: 30%
Please conduct one life history with an older person or a friend. Summarize the person’s thoughts, and
experiences. In the second section of your paper provide an introspection on your own reproductive
ideals for yourself. In the third section compare and contrast your thoughts to the person you’ve spoken with, and think through what might influence these differences. Up to 8 double spaced pages.

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 should 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:

Exams, a short paper, and small in-class activities.

This course examines deviant behavior in the US.  The course begins by defining different types of deviance (negative and positive).  Discussions of types of deviance, how/why we define certain activities as deviant, how deviance changes over time, and how we understand deviant behavior through theories will be the main focus of the course. Empirical, peer reviewed journal articles will be used to learn about current deviance research findings.  Theory articles will be used to demonstrate core theories and how they can be used to understand and predict behavior.

Learning Objectives

By the end of a successfully completed term, students will be able to:

• define deviance and understand the difference between positive and negative deviance;
• explain how ideas about what counts as deviance changes over time and how these changes are reflected in society;
• discuss current research on deviance in the US; 
• explain and apply various theoretical approaches to deviant behavior.

Additional Objectives

This course is also designed to teach and/or improve the following skills:

• critical thinking
• professional/academic writing
• comprehension of challenging material

Required Materials:                 

Articles:  required articles will be posted on Bb as .pdf or .doc attachments.

Films:  viewing several films is also required.  Titles are on the schedule.  You may find them online or order them from a source like Netflix or iTunes.

Grading:

In class participation  75 point

Reading Briefs           50 points

Journal Analysis         25 points

Three exams             50 points each

Project                     100 points

Grading scale

100-90 = A, 89-88 = B+, 87-80 = B, 79-78 = C+, 77-70 = C, 69-68 = D+, 67-60 = D, below 59 = F

As a general rule, I do not assign minuses (-).  If you earn an 80%, you get the B.  However, in circumstances when the grade is earned by rounding up, a minus will be assigned (e.g.:  79.9=B-).

Course Objectives

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 population aging and declining fertility. 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 and Society: An Introduction to Demography, 2nd edition Dudley Poston and Leon Bouvier. Cambridge University Press: New York.
• On-line Readings: There are a number of short reading assignments, marked with an [Readings]. These readings can be found in Readings folder in the Course Document section of the class Canvas site and should be read prior to class period. http://canvas.utexas.edu

To access the class home page, go to this link and log into the Canvas system with your UT EID. You will find a link to this course under the heading “My Courses”. All course material will be posted on this web page, including announcements and grades. In addition, readings can be accessed through this web page.

Course Requirements

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 25% 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 THREE written assignments. The assignments—on mortality , fertility, and migration—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. Each assignment is worth 15% of your final 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.

• Exam 1 - 25%
• Exam 2 - 25%
• Fertility Analysis Assignment - 15%
• Mortality Analysis Assignment - 15%
• Migration Analysis Assignment – 15%
• Attendance - 5%

Regarding all class assignments and examinations, students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. Since such dishonesty harms the individual, other students, and the integrity of the University, all policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. For more information on University policies, see www.utexas.edu/depts/dps/sjs.

The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. To determine if you qualify, please contact the Dean of Students at 471-6259. If they certify your needs, I will work with you to make appropriate arrangements.

Grading

Grading will reflect each individual's mastery of the material, without comparison to other students on a "curve". It is my hope that you will work with others to optimize your learning experience.

• A (94-100): Excellent grasp of subject matter; provides relevant details and examples; draws clear and interesting connections, exceptionally original, coherent and well‐organized; explains concepts clearly; ideas clearly written/stated, outstanding classroom participation.
• A- (90-93): Very good grasp of subject matter; provides relevant details and examples; draws clear connections; explains concepts clearly; ideas clearly written/stated.
• B+ (87-89): Good grasp of some elements above, others need work. B (83-86) Satisfactory grasp of some elements above.
• B- (80-82): Uneven, spotty grasp of the elements above.
• C+ (77-79): Limited grasp of the above.
• C (73-76): Poor grasp of the above.
• C- (70-72): Very poor grasp of the above.
• D (60-69): Limited evidence of grasp of material, having done readings, attended class, or completed assignments.
• F (0 – 59): Insignificant evidence of having done readings, attended class, or completing assignments

Course 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 a glimpse at important works in social theory on the periphery of the discipline. The third and final part presents central works from two leading social theorists of the late twentieth century. 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 production. 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.

Requirements: Course evaluations will be based on three exams. The first exam is worth 40% of your grade. The second exam is worth 30% of your grade. The third exam is worth 30% of your grade.

Required readings: All of the readings and lecture power points can be found on CANVAS. You may want to purchase your own copy of Max Weber’s Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (any edition will do) and Sigmund Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents (any edition will do). We will read these two books in their entirety.

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%)

This is the second half of the graduate statistics sequence in the Department of Sociology. The course is designed to accomplish two goals. First, the course aims to broaden students’ knowledge of statistical reasoning, statistical methods, and computer programming using the statistical software Stata. Second, the course will to teach students how to make sociological sense of quantitative data. The course is not introductory. It assumes introductory knowledge of techniques such as tabular analysis, linear regression, and multiple regression. I will however review multiple regression models in the first few weeks of class. By the end of the course, you should have a clear idea of how to make sociological sense out of a body of quantitative data through an understanding of multivariate regression, missing data, categorical dependent variables, and the logic of causal inference.

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