Individual and Society

Spring 2011
SOC 3314.0I1, Class # 24152
“Only when we know little do we know anything; doubt grows with knowledge.”
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Andrea Laurent-Simpson
Email: Use only eLEARNING EMAIL to communicate with me.
Office: GR 2.512
Office hours: By appointment only
Meeting Times: HYBRID ONLINE COURSE – 3 In-Class meetings
ALL STUDENTS MUST LOG IN TO CLASS ON eLEARNING ON JANUARY 14.

Description:
This course will be an introduction for undergraduates to the social psychological
approach with special emphasis on the symbolic interaction paradigm. Social
psychology can be pursued from either a sociological or psychological perspective. We
will be focusing on the sociological, especially individual social experience that is
derived from interaction with groups and others. We will also look at social structures
that emerge from these interactions. Methodologies, socialization, emergence of self,
attitudes, and group processes are some of the many topics that we will cover.
Additionally, we will explore gender and family as studied from these perspectives.

Required Texts: -Von Der Haar, Christine M. (2005). Social psychology:

A sociological perspective. Upper Saddle River, NJ,
Pearson Education, Inc.
ISBN: 0130809837

-Charon, Joel M. (2006). Symbolic interactionism: An

introduction, an interpretation, an integration. Upper
Saddle River, NJ, Pearson Education, Inc.
ISBN: 0132276917
**You may also buy the 8th edition (ISBN: 0131114794).
The pages are off by about 10 but other than that they
appear to be the same.

-Soc 3314 Course Packet – located at Off Campus Books

Supplements: - Sociosite - http://www2.fmg.uva.nl/sociosite/

- Dead Sociologists Index -
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/INDEX.HTML
#weber

Prerequisites: None, although Soc 1301 is recommended.

Web-Based Instruction: This course is a hybrid online course. As such, students will
obtain the large majority of their learning via the web. However, there will be three live
meetings on campus during which we will discuss pertinent material. Each meeting will
be followed by a required self analysis assignment (details can be found below).
Otherwise, exams, assignments, and outline lectures will all be administered online.
This means that you must have a basic fundamental understanding of both computer and
internet technology. If you do not have these skills, please do not take this course.

Additionally, you MUST have reliable computer access with a high speed connection like
a cable modem, DSL, or T-1 connection. Dial up access will not constitute reliable
access and students having only this type of connection will be required to find
alternative means for completeing this course. Information on minimum computer
requirements can be found at http://d2.parature.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=8057

PLEASE do not attempt to do any exams/assignments on unreliable connections and/or

equipment. Electronic technology is UNRELIABLE, so plan ahead. Once you start your
exam, you cannot reset the clock, so you must complete your test within that time
period. If you are booted off by your connection or experience a slow connection, you
will not be able to start over. Likewise, I will not accept this as an excuse for missing the
exam.

Please also be aware that I do track all log in activity and am able to verify time spent on
line as well as time and date of each log in. I assume that you are ethical enough not to
make obviously dishonest claims about system issues or time you have spent on line in
order to attempt to get a change made in submission guidelines.

Course Requirements

1. REQUIRED LOG IN FIRST DAY OF CLASS (JANUARY 14), between 6 am

and 10 pm.
The following is required of all students in this course:
A. Log into this eLearning course between 6 am and 10 pm on JANUARY 14,
B. Download and thoroughly read a copy of this syllabus,
C. Understand all pertinent deadlines associated with the course,
D. Post your first REQUIRED discussion on the Discussion Board
acknowledging and agreeing to the terms indicated for this course.
You will receive an email from me welcoming you to the course prior to the first day of
class. This email will inform you of the above requirement. This easy but required
assignment is worth 10 points of your grade and must be completed within the
allotted timeframe. Students failing to accomplish this will NOT receive these
points for any reason. LATE REGISTRATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED A
REASON FOR ALLOWING THESE POINTS BEYOND THE DATE REQUIRED.
Please note that if you are unclear on any of the syllabus details, it is your responsibility
to email me with questions. Grading and test deadlines will NOT be altered if you do not
follow the instructions provided in this syllabus.

Students with verified disabilities, university functions on test days, or religious holiday
conflicts must contact me via eLearning email within the first week of the semester in
order to arrange alternative means for meeting deadlines. You will need to provide me
with both the date and issue surrounding the conflict. If you do not contact me within
that first week, test deadlines will remain the same, regardless.

2. It is imperative that you check both eLearning email and the Announcements page
several times each week to ensure that you are up-to-date with any changes in the
schedule and/or materials covered.

3. Reading of all assigned material. You are responsible for all of the material in your
book, assigned readings, learning modules and any other links provided on the
course webpage. I may also assign required readings and/or videos throughout the
semester that I will post under Announcements on the Course Homepage.

4. Satisfactory completion of exams, self analyses, and quizzes.

5. Online submissions made on time. No late work shall be allowed. No exceptions.

6. Attendance at 3 live meetings.

7. Scholastic integrity is key to a successful education. Please keep in mind that all work
is to be done independently, unless otherwise stated by the instructor. If you are unsure
of a situation, you must ask the instructor for clarification. Cheating in any way on any
work in this class will not be tolerated and the student may be turned into the college for
disciplinary hearings. Clarification on this topic can be found at the end of the syllabus.
The minimum punishment for cheating in this class will be a 0 on the relevant
assignment and/or exam.

8. Students that intend to withdraw from the course must do so by January 26 to avoid
receiving a W. You must withdraw between February 7 and March 14 in order to receive
a WP/WF.

9. If you stop monitoring class, but do not officially withdraw from the course, you will
receive an F. It is your responsibility to withdraw by using the forms found in the
Admission’s Office. I cannot, nor do I have the authority to, withdraw you from a
course.

CONTACTING INSTRUCTOR
Because we will only meet face-to-face 3 times, communication via email is vital to
having a successful online learning experience. You must contact me with any questions
via the eLearning email function. Do not email from outside accounts to my university
account, as I will not be able to respond due to privacy issues outlined by the university.
As such, I will ONLY check for correspondence from this class via eLearning.

Additionally, it is important that you do not wait until the last minute to ask questions.
You should expect to hear from me in a reasonable period of time rather than a few hours
before the exam begins or when the assignment is due. Planning ahead with your own
work will allow you to email me in plenty of time. While every effort will be made to
respond immediately to your queries, please expect a 48 hour lead time on my responses.

Live Class Meetings: There will be a total of three live meetings held on campus across
the semester. The first of these will be held on January 24 from 12pm to 1:30 pm in
Founder’s North 2.102. Subsequent meetings will be planned at that point. While I will
not be taking attendance, there will be a self reflection essay linked to each meeting. It
will be painfully obvious to me who has attended and who has not just based on those
submissions.

METHOD OF EVALUATION**
Introduction 10
Exams 200 (100 X 2)
Self Reflection discussions 75 (25 X 3)
Quizzes 100 (10 X 10)
Syllabus acknowledgement 10
395 points

At any point in the semester, you may divide your earned points by the total number of
points available TO THAT POINT, to determine where you stand. The number that you
get will be a percentage that will fall on the grading scale as shown below:

A+ = 98 – 100, A = 94 – 97, A- = 90 – 93, B+ = 87 – 89, B = 84 – 86, B- = 80 – 83, C+ =

77 – 79, C = 74 – 76, C- = 70 – 73, D+ = 67 – 69, D = 64 – 66, D- = 60 – 63, F = 59 and
below
**There will be no curve in this course!

INTRODUCTION: Students will be required to post a brief introduction about

themselves by 6 am on January 17. Please try to include some sort of cultural synopsis
about yourself that will allow others to understand your point of view when you answer.
This not only allows us to see the broad differences and similarities that might occur
across cultures but will also serve to further integrate our class, a function that online
courses can sometimes have trouble achieving. You may include as much or as little as
you would like, but all students MUST INCLUDE their majors, where they are in the
program, and what their career aspirations are.

Exams: Two exams, a midterm and a final, will consist of multiple choice, true/false,
fill-in-the-blank and possible short answer/essay questions that cover material taken
outlines, readings, live meetings, learning modules (LM’S) and any other material
introduced in the course. The final will not be cumulative.

Exams will be taken online and are timed and closed book.

Self Analyses: We will explore a different topic at each live meeting that will require the
submission of a self evaluative posting under our discussion link. Submissions must be 2
pages in length and will discuss the given question pertaining to our meeting. Times New
Roman in 12 pitch is required. Please utilize appropriate professional decorum when
writing these and be aware that other students will be able to see your submissions.

Please be aware that all students enrolled in this course will be able to see what you
submit. Your discussion will require that you analyze your own feelings and/or
responses to what we have done in class. Do not share anything that would make you
uncomfortable otherwise.

Quizzes: There will be a total of 10 online assessments from those chapters that we have
not done a self analysis submission on. Please be sure that you read thoroughly all of
the information on how to take assessments on eLearning before you attempt even the
first quiz. Make ups will not be permitted because of not understanding how to take an
assessment correctly.

MAKE-UPS

Exams: Exams will only be made up in the event of a DOCUMENTED EMERGENCY

(hospitalization, death in the family or military orders). Make-ups may be short answer
and essay format and will be held in my office at a time of my choosing. You must
contact me BEFORE THE EXAM GOES LIVE ON eLearning AT 6 AM ON EXAM
DAY in order to request a make up. Failure to do this will result in a grade of F for the
exam. Make ups will be granted at my discretion only.

Please note that a slow or unreliable connection will not constitute a valid reason for a
make-up. You must ensure that you have adequate equipment capability at the start of
the semester.

Self Analyses/quizzes:

There will be no make-ups for any assignment. This coursework is made available well
in advance of any due date, so working ahead will ensure that a last minute emergency
will not affect your grade.

EXTRA CREDIT

NO EXTRA CREDIT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THIS COURSE, FOR ANY

REASON.
STUDY TIPS
1. Read all assigned reading BEFORE you submit work.

2. While it is important to understand definitions of key concepts, it is even more

important that you understand the material conceptually. Ask any student that has had
me and they will tell you that I love to ask application questions on my exams. This
means you not only have to know meaning, you have to understand how it works in the
social world.

3. Cramming is what the unprepared do the night before they barely pull a C on an exam.
Do yourself a favor… study as you go. Reading will help with this, but thinking
critically outside of class and looking to apply what we have learned to your own
experiences (on a date, at the movie, arguing with a sibling, etc) will cut down on what
you have to do the night before. If you do this, you may find time on exam eve to do a
quick scan of the material and then go out for an early dinner!

4. Ask questions via email. If you do not understand something, this is the time to raise
your voice. Students rarely seem to use me personally as a resource! Take advantage of
the fact that you have the instructor, exam writer, and grader right at your finger tips!

HOW TO TAKE EXAMS VIA THE ASSESSMENT LINK IN eLearning

The Assessments tool allows you to access any exams or quizzes your professor has
added to the course. Your professor determines the availability of each exam or quiz as
well as how long you have to complete it. Exam days in this class will be February 17,
March 31, and May 5.

IMPORTANT TEST INFORMATION: PLEASE NOTE THAT ONCE YOU HAVE

CLICKED ―BEGIN ASSESSMENT,‖ YOUR TIME WILL BEGIN ON THE EXAM. IF
YOU ARE DISCONNECTED FOR ANY REASON OR FORGET TO CLICK ―SAVE‖
OR ―FINISH‖ AND LOG OUT OF THE EXAM, YOU WILL RECEIVE A ZERO ON
THE TEST. Make sure you have saved AND clicked finish on your test BEFORE you
log out!!!!
1. Click on Assessments on the far left menu bar.
2. Click on the assessment you want to take.
3. Click the Begin Assessment button.
4. Enter your answer for each question.
5. Once you click on your answer, hit the Save Answer button.
6. If you want to return to a question, use the Question Status box to choose the
question you want to go back to. Remember to click Save Answer button each time you
choose or re-choose an answer. You must click Save Answer each time to record your
answer!
7. Repeat for each question.
8. On the right side of your screen you will see a Question Status box with all exam
questions listed. Those questions that you have answered will have a checkmark next to
the number. Those questions that have not been answered will have a blank circle next to
them—simply click on the number in this section to return to it. Please make sure that
you have answered ALL the questions before finalizing your exam!!
WARNING: DO NOT use the back button on your browser. You may lose all of
your answers and prematurely submit the quiz.
9. IMPORTANT!!! When you have answered all questions and saved your answers,
click the Finish button. If you do not click the Finish button, your test will not be
submitted for grading.
10 . Click OK to officially confirm the submission of your quiz. Your exam will be
submitted to me by eLearning for grading at this point.

POLICIES

Incompletes: Incompletes will not be given.

Posting Grades: Grades will not be posted in any form, other than the gradebook
function on eLearning. Also, grades will not be released to ANYONE but the actual
student. It is my absolute goal to ensure utter privacy for all students, thus my grade
release policy.

Accessibility: If you have a condition that requires accommodation in this class, please
speak with me after class or in office hours during the first week of class. I will be happy
to make appropriate accommodations provided timely notice is received and the
arrangement is consistent with any recommendations from Disability Services, when
applicable. Disability Services can be reached at (972) 883-2098. The syllabus and other
course materials can be made available in alternative formats.

Academic Ethics/Scholastic Dishonesty: The College may initiate disciplinary

proceedings against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts, or omissions related
to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree and/or the submission as one's
own work material that is not one's own. Scholastic dishonesty may involve, but is not
limited to, one or more of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion, use of
annotated texts or teacher’s editions, and/or falsifying academic records.

Plagiarism is the use of an author's words or ideas as if they were one's own without
giving credit to the source, including, but not limited to, failure to acknowledge a direct
quotation. If you have any question about what might be considered plagiarism, ask me
for guidance. A good rule of thumb, however, is, if you have to question if something is
plagiarism, then it probably is.

Cheating is the willful giving or receiving of information in an unauthorized manner

during an examination, illicitly obtaining examination questions in advance, copying
computer or Internet files, using someone else's work for assignments as if it were one's
own, or any other dishonest means of attempting to fulfill the requirements of a course.
Collusion is intentionally aiding or attempting to aid another in an act of scholastic
dishonesty, including but not limited to providing a paper or project to another student,
providing an inappropriate level of assistance; communicating answers to a classmate
during an examination; removing tests or answer sheets from a test site, and allowing a
classmate to copy answers.

TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE

† Additional, announced readings may be distributed beyond this schedule.
KEY: P – Course Packet, C - Charon

Syllabus and Introductions

JAN 14 Syllabus acknowledgement due between 6 am and 10
pm.
JAN 17 Introduction due by 6 am.

Section 1
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Foundation of Social Psychology
JAN 24 – Mandatory Meeting, 12pm – 1:30pm – FN 2.102
Chapter 2 - Primary Socialization
JAN 31 – First Self analysis due by 6 am
JAN 31 – Chapter 2 quiz due by 6 am
Chapter 3 –Socialization and The Life Course
Charon Chapter 3 – Symbolic Interactionism as a Perspective
FEB 14 – Chapter 3 and C (Charon) 3 quiz due by 6 am
C – Chapter 4 – The Meaning of the Symbol
C- Chapter 6 – The Nature of the Symbol
Chapter 4 – The Self
FEB 28 – C- Chapter 4, C- Chapter 6, and 4 quizzes due by 6 am
MAR 1 – MIDTERM available between 6 am today and 6 am
tomorrow

Section 2
C- Chapter 12 – Erving Goffman
Chapter 6 – Attitudes and Attitude Change
 MAR 21 – C- Chapter 12 quiz due by 6 am
MAR 21 or 22 – Mandatory Meeting , exact date/location TBD
MAR 28 – Second Self Analysis (Attitudes) due by 6 am
Chapter 7 – The ABC’s of Interpersonal Relationships
Chapter 8 – Dimensions of Love and Marital Relationships
APR 4 – Chapter 7 and 8 quizzes due by 6 am
Gender Readings (Course Copy Packet)
Chapter 11 – Prejudice, ―Doing Difference‖ reading (Course Copy Packet)
APR 18 - Chapter 11 quiz due by 6 am
APR 18 or 19 – Mandatory Meeting, exact date/location TBD
APR 25 – Third Self Analysis (Gender) due by 6 am
Chapter 13 – Groups and Organizations
Chapter 14 – Collective Behavior and Social Movements
MAY 2 – Chapter 13 and 14 due by 6 am
MAY 5 – Final Exam