Humboldt State UniversitySOC 590 :: Practicing SociologyWednesdays 3:00 – 4:50 PM :: BSS 306 :: Spring 2015
Professor: / Dr. Meredith Williams / Office: / BSS 536Phone: / (707) 826-4326 (email better!) / Grad Office Hours: / W 1-3p in Office
Email: / / Reg Office Hours: / T 3-4p (Depot), W 11-12p
Course Description
This class is for your emphasis in the Practicing Sociology track of the HSU Public Sociology program. This class will focus on the skills and knowledge one needs to put their sociological imagination into practice, with the goal of preparing you to be a practitioner of sociology, inside or outside of academia. Over the two semesters, this course will give you opportunities to work on several aspects of your career in the graduate program, and your professional development for life beyond the program.
The goals of this course this Spring semester will be to (1) get you ready for the job market, and (2) give you “hands on” experience (and/or a quick refresher) on some of the research methods that may be most valuable to you in your future careers. The goal is to strengthen your resume and/or CV will skills that are in high demand for a variety of groups and agencies To work on these goals, you will be completing weekly Challenges that help you get your job materials together, and you will be doing a small Program Evaluation on a program you all know well—the HSU Public Sociology Master’s Program. For more information on the challenges, and program evaluation assignments, see the Assignment Description, later in the syllabus.
The class will meet every other week, for a total of EIGHT meetings. Each meeting will be 1 hour and 50 minutes. See the Course Schedule at the end of this syllabus for specific dates. The room will be available on the weeks we do not meet; you are welcome to use that room to work on projects related to this course, and/or meet with other graduate students for motivation to progress on your theses/projects.
Estimated Outside Class Time
While this is only a 1-unit course, it is also the primary course for getting information about your career in HSU Public Sociology, and life beyond your graduate career. Students hoping to earn an “A” in this class can anticipate spending an average of 4 to 6 hours each week on outside class activities, including reading, writing/editing, conducting research, and thinking about material in preparation for discussions. I encourage you to schedule and use this preparation time starting in the first week, so that you can make the most of this semester. You must earn at least a “B” in this course to continue in the program, but aiming for an A is the best preparation for your future career.
Required Texts/Readings
Required Book: Korgen, White and White. 2014. Sociologists in Action: Sociology, Social Change, and Social Justice. ISBN: 9781452203119
Public Sociology Toolkit: This is the online blog we have been building, and will reference, for this course. (https://hsupublicsoc.wordpress.com/). Find and bookmark for quick reference.
Professional Development Guide: Because your professional development is as important as the content you are learning in your courses, be sure to get to know the Development Guide as well as any textbook (http://libguides.humboldt.edu/socprofdev). Find and bookmark for quick reference.
Course Goals and Student Learning Objectives
At the end of this course you will have a sociological understanding of several of the major theories that explain criminal behavior, and the weaknesses and strengths of those paradigms. You should be able to demonstrate the following course learning outcomes, as well as progress toward final department and university-related learning outcomes:
Course Learning Outcomes
1. Explore the methodological skills employed by working practitioners of sociology.
2. Make goals and decisions related to one’s career at HSU Public Sociology. This includes developing a Plan of Study, and securing and completing a Field Placement.
3. Work on several aspects of professional development, including the creation of a resume and/or CV, as well as learning about presentations, publications and networking.
Department Learning Outcomes
1. A solid foundation in sociological methods.
2. Professional socialization, including an understanding of ethical issues.
3. Hands-on experience in Practicing Sociology
University Learning Outcomes
HSU graduates will have demonstrated:
1. Effective communication through written and oral modes.
2. Critical and creative thinking skills in acquiring a broad base of knowledge and applying it to complex issues.
3. Competence in a major area of study.
4. Appreciation for and understanding of an expanded world perspective by engaging respectfully with a diverse range of individuals, communities and viewpoints.
HSU graduates will be prepared to:
1. Succeed in their chosen careers.
2. Take responsibility for identifying personal goals and practicing lifelong learning.
3. Pursue social justice, promote environmental responsibility, and improve economic conditions in their workplaces and communities.
Learn more about University Learning Outcomes at: humboldt.edu/assessment/hsu_learning_outcomesCourse Policies and Procedures
1. Read this syllabus! Make sure you understand course requirements, policies, assignments, and your responsibilities as a student. These are not up for re-negotiation at the end of the semester. Ask questions if you are confused about anything on the syllabus.
2. Attendance: Much will be covered each week, and each topic is one I have chosen because of its importance to your graduate career. Attendance for this course is MANDATORY and will affect your grade. If you are going to miss class, you MUST notify me in advance by email (). The only valid reasons to miss class are an emergency and a university-sponsored activity, with advance notification. Absences due to illness are NOT excused, even with a note. You must be present for the duration of the class to receive credit for attending. This means you must be ON TIME and STAY for the entire class period.
3. Be Fully Present: I expect you to be mentally as well as physically present for each class. Do not come to class if you are under the influence of any drug ingested for nonmedical purposes (with the exception of caffeine and nicotine).
4. Help: If you have questions or need help, please come to see me! Do not wait until the last week of the semester if you are having trouble. There is little either of us can do at that point.
5. Make-Ups and Extensions: No make-up assignments or extensions will be given unless there is a certified emergency (e.g., death in the family, serious illness, etc.) or the student is participating in an off-campus, university-sponsored activity. Please do not ask for exceptions.
6. Class Etiquette: Please respect other students and the facilitator by arriving on time and staying until the class is over. If circumstances require that you need to arrive late or leave early, please inform me beforehand and make your entrance or exit as unobtrusively as possible.
Cell phones: Be sure to turn your cell phone off or on silent before entering this class. Do NOT text or use gadgets while in class; this is disrespectful to the instructor, and the people around you.
Computers: The use of a computer/tablet to take notes is a privilege that will be revoked the first time it is observed that you are using the device for anything other than note taking.
Email: Email is a very useful method of communicating and I try to respond to crucial emails in a timely manner. However, I ask that you respect my time and position as a facilitator by doing the following:
· Before sending an email, proofread carefully to fix grammar and tone issues. Emails should be respectful of me, and of all others in our community. Emails should reflect well on your own professionalism;
· Allow sufficient time for a response. Do not email the night before a deadline expecting an immediate answer; it is your responsibility to budget your time wisely. Though I may reply at a variety of hours, it is best not to anticipate a response outside of 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday.
7. Office Hours: I have weekly office hours, as listed above. I also have graduate student office hours, as listed at the top of this page. Please email with sufficient notice to make arrangements to meet outside of scheduled office hours. FERPA regulations forbid me from emailing your grades to you, so if you want to talk about grades, please come see me.
8. Email Availability: You MUST check your Humboldt email regularly; I will use it to contact you for news related to the course, and your progress in the program.
University Policies
Students with Disabilities:
Persons who wish to request disability-related accommodations should contact the Student Disability Resource Center in House 71, 826-4678 (voice) or 826-5392 (TDD). Some accommodations may take up to several weeks to arrange. Student Disability Resource Center Website[1]. If you are a student with a disability, please consider discussing your needs and possible accommodations with me as soon as possible.
Add/Drop policy:
Students are responsible for knowing the University policy, procedures, and schedule for dropping or adding classes. Add/Drop Policy[2]
Emergency evacuation:
Please review the evacuation plan for the classroom (posted on the orange signs), and review Emergency Operations Website[3] for information on campus Emergency Procedures. During an emergency, information can be found campus conditions at: 826-INFO or at the Humboldt State Emergency Website[4].
Academic integrity:
If you plagiarize, or otherwise cheat, on any exam or assignment, you will fail this course and your name and the nature of your infraction will be forwarded to the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities. Plagiarism involves intentionally representing someone else’s words or ideas as your own. If you use outside sources—either in the form of quotes or ideas—you must cite them to indicate where they come from. Please see or email me, or visit the Writing Center, if you need help with citations. Students are responsible for knowing the policy regarding academic honesty. Academic Honesty Policy[5].
Attendance and disruptive behavior:
Students are responsible for knowing policy regarding attendance and disruptive behavior.
Attendance and Disruptive Behavior Policy[6]
Assignments and Grading Policy
Assignments and Point Values
Challenges 10 points x7 = 70 points (53.33%)
Program Evaluation 30 points x2 = 60 points (26.67%)
Annotated Bibliography 10 points x2 = 20 points (20.00%)
TOTAL = 150 points (100%)
Grading Scale
A / 94 – 100% / 141 + / B- / 80 – 83% / 120-125 / D+ / 67 – 69% / 100-104A- / 90 – 93% / 135-140 / C+ / 77 – 79% / 115-119 / D / 64 – 66% / 96-99
B+ / 87 – 89% / 130-134 / C / 74 – 76% / 111-114 / D- / 60 – 63% / 90-95
B / 84 – 86% / 126-129 / C- / 70 – 73% / 105-110 / F / Below 60% / 0-89
Challenges (7 x 10 points): Each week, you will need to complete a “Challenge” that relates to the Topics we are discussing in class (see the Course Schedule). These will require some amount of time outside of class to do research and/or make note of some thoughts. You may only submit them in person, so plan to attend every week. Bring your Challenges to class each week (see the Course Schedule).
HSU Public Sociology Program Evaluation (2 x 30): One of the tasks we will work on this semester is doing a Program Evaluation of the MA in Public Sociology. This will give you hands-on experience with a skill that is in high demand in a wide variety of jobs. This will also give you the opportunity to give your input, and collect the thoughts of others, on how we can improve the program for future graduate students.
You can cater your experience to which skills you want to learn or practice. We will work on a few short projects to evaluate the outcomes of the program, and teach you the skills. Choose at least TWO of the following skills, and you will participate in those projects.
· Survey (due 4/17): Develop and (hopefully) launch a survey for alumni and/or current students of HSU Public Sociology to ask about their experiences in the program, their career trajectories, and their suggestions for improving the MA program.
· Focus Group (due 4/17): Develop questions and perform focus groups of alumni and/or current students of HSU Public Sociology to ask about their experiences in the program, their career trajectories, and suggestions for improving the program.
· Content Analysis (due 5/1): Develop a code sheet, and code book, and go through past theses and projects to glean information, including: service locations, topics, methods used, etc. You will learn how to do intercoder reliability, as well as the actual content analysis (you will code 20 each).
· Community Mapping (due 5/1): Make a map of locations where HSU Public Sociology students have done research. This will include deciding on a software program, and teaching yourself.
· Quantitative Data Analysis (due 5/1): Perform descriptive statistics in SPSS using the data collected from the surveys, and creating tables and/or charts to display interesting findings.