Sociology 200 - Introduction to Sociology - Introduction to Sociology Course Introduction ...
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Sociology 200 - Introduction to Sociology
Spring 2021- Remote/Asynchronous - D2L
Instructor: Wynn Strange
Pronouns: they/them/theirs
Salutations: Instructor, Professor, Comrade, Wynn
Email: wstrange@pdx.edu
Office Hours
Thursday’s from 4-5 (https://pdx.zoom.us/j/81074800734)
By arrangement – email to schedule – evening and weekend time is available
Course Introduction
This course is to introduce you to the basics of sociology and will focus on how sociologists
interpret and understand the relationship between individuals and society. We will examine
social institutions and social theories used to show the importance of sociological concepts in
understanding everyday inequalities.
Pedagogy Statement
You each come to this class with varied experiences and at different times in your lives. Our
education and growth is not all at the same rate and it does not follow the same path. Who is in
our lives, where we come from, what is happening around us, where we live, and how we live –
all the things that make up our histories and biographies are varied. But we all have immense
potential, if given the support and opportunities to continue to grow. I have set up this course
purposefully, to be flexible and participatory and to encourage engagement that recognizes
your existing knowledge with hope that you will have an opportunity to grow that knowledge.
Given we are in unique times and this is an online course that is not meeting regularly, we have
to rely on multiple forms of communication. Learning is best through discussion and dialogue,
and we will be having this dialogue online. Everyone has ways they learn best, that might be
talking, listening, reading, watching, writing, and alone, one-on-one, in small groups, or in a
class. It can take us some time before we know what works best for us, I encourage you to
reflect on what has worked best for you in the past, and engage with this class in a way that
works for you. And if you’re not sure, try multiple ways of engaging until you find what works
well for you!
I am here for each of you, you are not bothering me if you have a question or if you’re
struggling and need to communicate more frequently.
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The combinations of the theories, beliefs, assumptions, and approaches I take are my
pedagogy. My pedagogy statement is meant to communicate to you the way I approach
teaching this class. This I believe is important because we don’t hear much about what goes
into class prep, and I feel it’s an important part of creating a space for dialogue. I approach
teaching as facilitating education, learning, and growth; I am not transmitting knowledge to you
as if you are passive absorbers of facts. Knowledge is not something that a teacher owns that is
gifted to students. Education and the growth of knowledge is a process, and knowledge is
created and re-created by us all. I ask that you bring to this class curiosity and empathy. My
hope for each of us is that we will be challenged, that we will wrestle with ideas, and that we
will ask more sophisticated questions by the end of the class.
“Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the
restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world,
with the world, and with each other.”
Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed
“I don’t need you to have answers at the end of this class, I want you to have
more sophisticated questions, and a desire to learn even more about what you
don’t know.”
Chris Andersen
Course Description
This class is completely online, and asynchronous, meaning we will not have
regular scheduled meeting times. You will have readings assigned every week, a
video or lecture most weeks, and an assignment due every week. All assignments
are due Sunday night (the end of the week they are assigned).
I will hold live virtual “office hours” towards the end of each week. These will be spaces where I
will be available to discuss the readings and answer questions, while it’s not required, I
encourage everyone to attend at least periodically through the term. You will get the most out
of office hours having completed the weekly readings.
As knowledge is a process, you have the option to work together! Peer study groups can be
incredibly useful. If you want to have discussions about the readings, I encourage setting up
small group meetings, you can coordinate via the discussion board or email.
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“Lectures”
Most, if not all, weeks I will post a lecture video and lecture notes on D2L on Mondays. These
videos will closely follow the notes and will provide an overview and walk through of the
majority of the weekly readings. I may provide additional examples or explanation in these
videos and notes. These pre-recorded videos are intended to enhance your learning experience,
not to replace reading the assignments.
Additionally, pre-recorded videos will be available to walk you through D2L, to explain
assignments, and to introduce you to the course. I encourage you to watch these videos if you
have questions, but of course please feel free to ask questions at office hours or via email.
Due Dates
All assignments are due by the end of the academic week they were assigned. The Week 1
assignment(s) are due by the end of Sunday 4/4, the Week 2 assignment(s) are due by the end
of Sunday the 4/11, and so on.
Writing Assignment Guidelines – For all writing assignments (weeks 2 & 4-10)
1. All writing assignments should be saved in a document (Word .docx or a pdf). Do not
submit your assignment as a link to Google docs (links to cloud docs introduce technical
challenges with permissions). Save your assignment as a file, and submit the file. Always
check to make sure you’ve submitted the correct doc!
2. Name the assignment file beginning with your last name followed by the assignment
title. For example, Strange_Writing reflection_week2.docx
3. Use a common font (Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri)
4. Use 11 or 12 point font size
5. Double space lines
6. Use default margins (typically 1 inch)
7. Do not submit your final work with the assignment guidelines included
8. Make sure to spell check your work
9. Use in-text citations and include a bibliography page. Use APA or ASA citation style.
Week 1: The Basics (3/29-4/4)
Overview
So what is sociology? What is a sociological imagination? What does it mean that the
personal is political? What are the elements of sociology?
Also, let’s get to know each other!
Readings
1. Syllabus & Introduction
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2. Dalton Conley, Chapter 1 from You May Ask Yourself (35 pages)
3. C. Wright Mills, The Promise, from The Sociological Imagination (22 pages)
4. Patricia Hill Collins, Changing Times: Sociological Complexities. (8 pages)
Assignment
1. Complete the syllabus quiz!
2. Introduce yourself on the discussion board. This is a two-part assignment, to
complete the assignment, next week you will need to reply to two classmates.
You can write a paragraph or record a short video introducing yourself to the class.
Let us know: Your name, your pronouns, your major, why are you taking this class at
this time, and one or two fun facts about yourself (what are your hobbies, passions,
or interesting experiences?)
Week 2: Power and Knowledge (4/5-4/11)
Overview
Who has a say in how we know what we know? How is knowledge and power created
and reproduced?
Readings
1. Patricia Hill Collins, 2001. Chapter 11. Black Feminist Epistemology, from Black
Feminist Thought (20 pages)
2. Audre Lorde, 1979. The Masters Tools Will Never Dismantle the Masters House (4
pages)
3. George J Sefa Dei & Alireza Asgharzadeh, 2001. The Power of Social Theory: The
Anti-Colonial Discursive Framework. The Journal of Educational Thought. (22 pages)
Videos
1. Black Feminism, Intersectionality and Democratic Possibilities - Professor Patricia Hill
Collins (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qU10tQ_rHo) (1:29:27)
Assignment
1. This is part two of the Introductions assignment. Write a comment to at least 2-3
other introductions on the Discussion Board (these should be 1-2 sentences long, be
thoughtful in your response).
2. Writing reflection Week 2 (4 writing reflection assignments will be graded, you have
6 weeks with a writing reflection assignment. You can choose which one reflection
to skip, or if you complete them all, one will count as extra credit.)
Write a 1-2-page reflection on the materials for the week.
You do not need to answer every question below, these questions are simply here to
focus or guide your reflections of the materials.
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How is knowledge validated? What are positivist approaches to knowledge? What
alternatives exist, and what are their features?
What are the qualities of colonial power? What is unique about anti-colonial
discourse?
How has power shaped your life? What questions do you have?
Week 3: Methodologies (4/12-4/18)
Overview
Sociology is based in research, but what kinds of research methods are commonly used?
How is research collected and analyzed?
Readings
1. Dalton Conley, Chapter 2: Methods from You May Ask Yourself (~30 pages)
2. Rachelle Winkle-Wagner, Ashley N. Gaskew, & Jamila Lee-Johnson. The Missing Link
in Data Analysis: An Introduction to the Use of Critical Theory to Guide Data Analysis
(13 pages)
Assignment
Data Abstraction Assignment – Let’s learn to identify methodologies!
Use the library website to find 3 articles on a sociological concept you are interested in
(education equity, women in the workplace, health equity, etc.). Skim* the articles and
fill in the table to the best of your ability. You can find the table on D2L in Week 3:
Methodologies > Data Abstraction Assignment > Article search assignment.docx
(immediately following the Instructions).
This is a process of identifying and extracting key information about research. In
multiple fields like public health, sociology, policy development, etc. where you may
need to make informed decisions, reviewing existing literature can be helpful in making
those decisions or in identifying gaps in knowledge. The systematic process of searching
for existing research and pulling key information is known as data abstraction or data
extraction.
*Learning how to skim articles for important information is an artform. You may need to
read the entire article to identify key information. But generally to skim an article you
can begin with reading the introduction and discussion and conclusion, and headers in
the results section. For this assignment, the population and methods will be in the
methods section; the theory will likely be discussed in the introduction and discussion;
and the key points will be in the discussion and conclusion.
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Week 4: The Classics Pt 1 (4/19-4/25)
Overview
Marx’s work has had a huge influence on sociology. How are social conditions influences
by class struggles? What has class, race, and gender consciousness looked like in
history?
Readings
1. Howard Zinn, 1999, Marx in Soho: A Play on History. (32 pages)
2. Anna Julia Cooper, 1892, Has America a Race Problem, If So, How Can It Best Be
Solved? from A voice from the South: By a black woman of the South (11 pages)
3. Emile Durkheim, 1893, The Division of Labor in Society (20 pages)
4. Chief Red Cloud’s Speech, 1890 (1 page)
5. Sojourner Truth, Ain’t I A Woman (1 page)
Assignment
Writing reflection Week 4 (4 writing reflection assignments will be graded, you have 6
weeks with a writing reflection assignment. You can choose which one reflection to skip,
or if you complete them all, one will count as extra credit.)
Write a 1-2-page reflection on the materials for the week. What thoughts came up for
you with the readings? What are 3-5 key concepts discussed (give the concept and its
definition)? How do the readings relate?
Week 5: The Classics Pt 2 (4/26-5/2)
Overview
du Bois and Weber (along with Marx, Durkheim, and others) are additional key historical
figures in sociology. What do these key theorists say about race and class in social life?
Historically, disability has been left out of conversation in sociology, Shakespeare offers
a background and discussion theorizing about disability.
Readings
1. W.E.B. du Bois, 1903, Of the Meaning of Progress from The Souls of Black Folks (14
pages)
2. W.E.B. du Bois, 1903, Of Our Spiritual Strivings from The Souls of Black Folks (12
pages)
3. Max Weber, 1922, Class, Status, Party (12 pages)
4. Thomas Shakespeare, 2006, The Family of Social Approaches from Disability Rights
and Wrongs (20 pages)
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Videos
1. Exploring society. [Lesson 1], Why sociology?. Part 8
Assignment
1. Writing reflection Week 5 (4 writing reflection assignments will be graded, you have
6 weeks with a writing reflection assignment. You can choose which one reflection
to skip, or if you complete them all, one will count as extra credit.)
Write a 1-2 page reflection on the materials for the week. What thoughts came up
for you with the readings? What are 3-5 key concepts discussed (give the concept
and its definition)? How do the readings relate?
Week 6: Race (5/3-5/9)
Overview
What are some of the ways race is understood as social? What are some race
inequalities, and what is the impact?
Readings
1. Michael Omi & Howard Winant, 1986, Chapter 4: The Theory of Racial Formation
from Racial Formation in the United States (28 pages)
2. Jean Yonemura Wing, 2007, Beyond Black and White: The Model Minority Myth and
the Invisibility of Asian American Students (28 pages)
3. Anthony C. Ocampo, 2012, Making Masculinity: Negotiations of Gender Presentation
Among Latino Gay Men (22 pages)
Videos
1. Crips and Bloods: Made in America (1:23:49)
Assignment
1. Writing reflection Week 6 (4 writing reflection assignments will be graded, you have
6 weeks with a writing reflection assignment. You can choose which one reflection
to skip, or if you complete them all, one will count as extra credit.)
Write a 1-2 page reflection on the materials for the week. 12pt font, double spaced.
What thoughts came up for you with the readings? What are 3-5 key concepts
discussed (give the concept and its definition)? How do the readings relate?
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Week 7: Gender (5/10-5/16)
Overview
What are some of the ways gender is understood as social? What are some gender
inequalities, and what is the impact?
Readings
1. Hortense Spillers, 1987. Mama’s Baby, Papa’s Maybe: An American Grammar Book
(16 pages)
2. Catherine Connell, 2010, Doing, Undoing, or Redoing Gender? Learning from the
Workplace Experiences of Transpeople (19 pages)
3. Spencer Garrison, 2018, On the Limits of “Trans Enough”: Authenticating Trans
Identity Narratives (20 pages)
4. Karen D. Pyke and Denise L. Johnson, 2003, Asian American Women and Racialized
Femininities: “Doing” Gender Across Cultural Worlds (20 pages)
Videos
1. Sexuality and Disability: Forging Identity in a World that Leaves You Out | Gaelynn
Lea | TEDxYale (21:27)
Assignment
Writing Assignment - Applying Sociological Concepts: A Media Analysis
Write a 3-5-page paper analyzing a song.
Select and analyze a protest song or other song with an overt social or political purpose.
Find and give a brief background of the historical context of the song you chose. Be sure
to cite any sources you use.
Apply concepts from the readings and/or lectures to discuss the issue addressed in the
song. What is the cause for the issue? How could the issue raised by the song be
addressed? What are the implications of the song? Use at least two resources from the
course materials in your analysis.
See D2L for full instructions.
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Week 8: Intersectionality (5/17-5/23)
Overview
How are aspects of our biographies connected?
Readings
1. Driskill, Qwo-Li, 2016, Unweaving the Basket from Asegi Stories: Cherokee Queer
and Two-Spirit Memory (36 pages)
2. Joan Acker, 2006, Inequality Regimes: Gender, Class, and Race in Organizations (20
pages)
3. Adia Harvey Wingfield, 2009, Racializing the Glass Escalator: Reconsidering Men’s
Experiences with Women’s Work (20 pages)
Videos
1. Is the US unfairly spying on Muslim Americans? | The Stream (24:55)
2. Stop Asian Hate: Connie Wun on Atlanta Spa Killings, Gender Violence & Spike in
Anti-Asian Attacks | Democracy Now! (~20 minutes)
Assignment
Writing reflection Week 8 (4 writing reflection assignments will be graded, you have 6
weeks with a writing reflection assignment. You can choose which one reflection to skip,
or if you complete them all, one will count as extra credit.)
Write a 1-2-page reflection on the materials for the week. What thoughts came up for
you with the readings? What are 3-5 key concepts discussed (give the concept and its
definition)? How do the readings relate?
Week 9: Transnational/International (5/24-5/30)
Overview
How is race, gender, and class organized in some places around the world?
Readings
1. Minjeong Kim - 2014 - South Korean Rural Husbands, Compensatory Masculinity,
and International Marriage (27 pages)
2. Maxine Baca Zinn, & Ruth Enid Zambrana. (2019). Chicanas/Latinas Advance
Intersectional Thought and Practice. (19 pages)
3. Gili Hammer, 2012, Blind Women’s Appearance Management: Negotiating Normalcy
between Discipline and Pleasure (21 pages)
4. World Health Organization, 2003, Climate Change and Infectious Diseases (2 pages)
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Videos
1. nîpawistamâsowin: We will stand up (1:38:48)
Week 10: Environment, Place, and Religion (5/31-6/6)
Overview
How does our environment affect our lives? How do some convert to belief movements
that end in violence?
Readings
1. Joseph Gibbons and Tse-Chuan Yang, 2014, Self-rated Health and Residential
Segregation: How does Race/Ethnicity Matter? (11 pages)
2. Patricia Mooney Nickel & Angela M. Eickenberry, 2007, Responding to “Natural”
Disasters: The Ethical Implications of the Voluntary State (8 pages)
3. Janja Lalich, 2004, Introduction: Cults and True Believers from Bounded Choice: True
Believers and Charismatic Cults (22 pages)
4. bell hooks, 1992, The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators from Black Looks:
Race and Representation (14 pages)
Videos
1. Come hell or high water: the battle for Turkey Creek (56:07)
2. Houston's Cancer Cluster | Fault Lines (25:07)
Assignment
1. Final: Writing Assignment - Apply your sociological imagination (Due 6/11)
Write a 5-7-page paper. Use your sociological imagination. Share a story (your own
or someone close to you), and use at least 5 of the readings to discuss the ways the
personal story is connected to a social problem.
See D2L for full instructions.
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Participation
To encourage and reward engagement with the materials you will be graded on participation
activities throughout the term.
• You will need to engage in a participation activity 7 times throughout the term. These
activities are not tied to specific weeks, but to make sure participation is meaningful you
can only do 2 activities in any given week.
• Each participation activity has the potential of 5 points.
• You will need to document these activities on D2L.
• Each activity should be submitted as its own submission. If you do 2 activities in one
week, make sure to submit each one on its own.
• You can do the same activity 7 times or mix activities.
• Course content or assignments that are accounted for in other places do not count for
participation.
Participation Activities:
A. Engage in a study session with one or more other students. Sessions should be at a
minimum 30 minutes. What you turn in: document who attends and provide brief notes
on what is studied/discussed. Every student who attends study sessions should
document their attendance on D2L.
B. Attend and participate in office hours. Bring questions or what you liked about the
course content for the week. Be ready to talk about the readings and engage. What you
turn in: Write a few brief notes on what is discussed.
C. Attend a virtual event about a social issue (email me first with a description of the event
for verification it will fit for the class). I will share events throughout the term that
would qualify as well. What you turn in: Write up a 2-4 sentence summary how the
event relates to the class after you attend.
D. Attend a talk or one-on-one coaching session with the campus Learning Center. What
you turn in: Write up a 2-4 sentence about what you got out of attending.
E. Post a news article from a reputable news source to the discussion board. Include in
your post a paragraph connecting the news article to the course readings. What you
turn in: Copy and paste your discussion board post into the text submission area for
participation. (Reputable news sources include but are not limited to: BBC News, Al
Jazeera English, Sky News, CNN, The Atlantic, NPR, MSNBC, etc.)
F. Review a classmate’s news article and thoughtfully respond to their post. What you turn
in: Copy and paste your discussion board post into the text submission area for
participation.
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G. Watch one of the following documentaries. What you turn in: Submit a paragraph
reflection about the most interesting or memorable thing you learned.
A. Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (2020) (Netflix)
B. 16 Bars (2018) (Amazon Prime)
C. 9to5: The Story of a Movement (2019) (PBS)
D. The First Rainbow Coalition (2020) (PBS)
E. The Butch Factor (2009) (Amazon Prime)
F. POV Shorts: Post-Colonial Queer (2020) (PBS)
G. There’s Something in the Water (2019) (Netflix)
H. Out of Many, One (2018) (Netflix)
I. I Am Not Your Negro (2016) (Netflix)
You must document that you have completed your Participation Activities in D2L. In the course,
go to Content, then on the left in the Table of Contents go to Participation. When you
document your activity in D2L please include which participation item you completed (A, B, C,
D, E or F) along with your response.
Grading
I will update grades throughout the term on D2L.
Assignment Points
Introduction & Responses 5
Syllabus quiz 5
Article search & data abstraction 10
(4) 1-2-page assignments 10 each/40 total
(1) 3-5-page assignment 20
Final 5-7-page assignment 30
(7) Participation activities 5 each/35 total
Total 145
4 writing reflection assignments will be graded, you have 6 weeks with a writing reflection
assignment assigned. You can choose which two weeks a reflection is due to skip.
Communications
Every Monday I will send the class an email and I will post an announcement when the lecture
video is posted and in those communications I will remind you what the readings will be for
that week. Any significant changes to the class will also be emailed to the class and posted in
the D2L course Announcements.
I will try my very best to respond to emails within 24 hours. Occasionally emails can be missed,
buried, etc. because I’m only human. If you don’t hear back from me in 48 hours, send your
email again to bump it to the top of my inbox.
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If you send me an email please address me by my first name, Instructor, Professor, or other
non-gendered salutations.
Deadlines & Late work
We are in tough times, and we’re faced with additional stressors at the moment that affect our
work. We are also resilient and continuing our education is important for us as individuals and
for society. I will accept late work. Though I do urge you to adhere to the deadlines when
possible. I do ask that if you are going to turn in something late, that you turn it in within 3
weeks of its deadline. If you need to turn in something late, here is what that would look like:
up to 3 weeks late, no penalty. 3+ weeks late, half a grade off.
One of the reasons following the deadlines is helpful is so that your work, and my work in
reading and responding to your assignments, is more evenly spread out and thus more
manageable. Sticking to the schedule also helps ensure you get the most out of this class.
If you struggle to stick to the schedule, let me know as early in the term as possible. I do
understand that right now motivation can be difficult to muster, so I’m here to help figure out
ways to make the class work for you.
Conduct expectations
We will be engaging with topics and subjects that are difficult. You might be uncomfortable at
times, but being uncomfortable can be important and a meaningful opportunity for growth.
With that in mind, in the spirit of creating a climate that is encouraging, while remaining safe
and respectful, there are a few requests related to conduct in emails, assignments, and
interactions:
1. Don’t make things personal. For example, if we’re talking about whiteness, know that
we are not talking about every white person. We cannot talk about equity and social
issues within sociology without talking about groups of people, there is nuance and
exceptions, but it is important to talk about shared experiences and trends.
2. If you’re ever unsure, ask clarifying questions.
3. Assume that we want the best for each other, and that we are all here to learn.
Accommodations
Students with disabilities who may require accommodations are encouraged to contact the PSU
Disabilities Resource Center (DRC) and the instructor at the beginning of the term to arrange
accommodations. The DRC is performing all essential work remotely at this time. They can work
with you via phone, Zoom, Google Meet, or email. Please call their office at 503-725-4150,
email them at drc@pdx.edu, or visit their virtual front desk between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday
- Friday (9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Wednesdays) at https://pdx.zoom.us/j/379914326 (or join with
Zoom ID 379-914-326). You can visit their website at http://www.pdx.edu/drc.
Disabilities that may require accommodations include: ADD or ADHD; Allergies; Autism
Spectrum; Cerebral Palsy; Chronic Medical; Cognitive Disorder; Diabetes; Head Injury; Hearing
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Impairment; Learning Disability; Orthopedic/Physical; Psychological; Seizures; Speech;
Temporary Medical; Visual Impairment; and Other Disabilities.
I encourage students with any of the above disabilities or other disabilities who are not already
registered to explore the DRC website, as you may find that your education experience can be
made more enriching through available accommodations: https://www.pdx.edu/disability-
resource-center/accommodations
Academic honesty
I expect that you are here to learn, and that you want to learn. I understand that there are
times that it seems like shortcuts are worth taking, but you will shortchange yourself if you
cheat or plagiarize. If you are struggling, please speak with me so that we can make a plan. You
are expected to be academically honest. Your assignments in this class must be your original
work. You can refer to the Student Conduct Code for more information on PSU policies.
Plagiarized work will result in failing the assignment, and may be reported to the university.
What is plagiarism?
If you use a direct quote (i.e. someone else’s words), you must include it in quotation marks
and cite the source, including author(s) name(s), the date of publication, and the page number.
If you summarize or paraphrase an idea from another person, you must cite the source,
including author(s) name(s) and the date of publication. Failure to cite your sources, whether
intentional or not, is plagiarism.
We need to give credit where credit is due! Being able to synthesize your words with the words
of others to make an argument, and being able to point to the original author are key skills to
develop.
This syllabus is a living document, that means that it may change! If there are
changes, I will alert you all via email and D2L.
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