SOC 101 MCC/LHS Early College

Introduction to Sociology

Spring 2024

Class Meeting Times: Monday-Friday / Periods 1, 4B, 5B, 6B - Room 030

Instructor: James J. Callahan, Jr.
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
Course: SOC 101

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

An introduction to the sociological perspective which emphasizes the effect of society on human behavior. Major concepts covered
include race, culture, wealth, poverty, and social class, education, the family and social change.

Prerequisite(s): Placement above or successful completion of ENG 060 and eligible for ENG 101.
Recommendation(s): Concurrent enrollment in ENG 075 or ENG 085 if CPT reading placement test is
between 68 and 75. LHS teacher recommendation.
General Education Elective(s): Behavioral Science
Intensive Value(s): Multicultural/Global Awareness

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES:

We will be addressing sociology from many different perspectives, and in many different ways, throughout this course. Aside from
lectures, you can expect to participate in class activities and demonstrations, watch videos, and group work. By the end of the
course you will be able to:
1. List, describe and define major sociological theories, theorists, principles, and concepts
2. List and describe sociology from different schools of thought
3. Describe and compare research methods commonly used in sociology
4. Integrate the use and representations of statistical information in graphs and charts
5. Apply topics learned in class to case studies, in addition to better understand yourself, others, and situations and events
in your own life
6. Explore social and cultural diversity, individual differences and similarities using case studies, journal articles, and class
discussions.

TEXT BOOK

OpenStax- Introduction to Sociology 2e.

This textbook will be provided to you in PDF format and will be posted on Google Classroom (viewable or download). There is also
a hard copy available in the LHS library, in my classroom (030), and in the Teacher’s Center.

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 HOW TO REACH ME

LHS room 030, where the course is being held. I am in school usually around 7:00 am to offer help. I will be teaching
in room 030 during periods 1, 2, and 3.

By Phone: Using a classroom phone, you can call 7300 to reach me on my classroom phone.

By Email: [email protected] This is the best way to reach me. I typically check my email multiple times a
day! If you email me, you can generally expect to get a response within 24-hours.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS

During our scheduled class meetings you can expect to listen to lectures, work in small-groups, engage in class
discussions, and view relevant audio-visual materials. I know that you are a current LHS student, but you are enrolled
in a college course. College courses are different from secondary education courses in that they require more
independent student learning. Class lectures and activities highlight, supplement, reinforce and clarify knowledge you
have acquired from a thorough and careful reading of the textbook. Lectures are not a substitute for reading and
studying the course material on your own.

It is imperative that you familiarize yourself with the course schedule in this syllabus, as it contains the
information you need to be successful in my course. You will notice that the material is broken up into
different units, and it is very important for you to stay on pace with my schedule. This is not a self-paced
class, and I absolutely will not accept late work.

Note- there are several ways to submit work to me if you are going to be absent. You have the following
options:
1- Have a classmate bring it in for you
2- Share a document with me on Google Drive
3- Email your work to me at [email protected]

In the professional world, employers do not, as a rule, accept late work assignments. As students, you must
be held to those same standards, and as such academic deadlines must be honored.

Technological/network excuses for late work will also not be accepted. Please do not tell me that your
“internet was down” or that your “printer has no ink.” Those are not acceptable excuses for missing or late
work.

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 IN THE CLASSROOM What is expected of me as a student in the class?
ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION

As a student enrolled in the LHS/MCC Early College course, it is expected that you attend each class period on time.
Students are expected to attend all classes, except in cases of illness or other reasonable excuses. Absences from
class due to guidance appointments, peer mediation, TRIO appointments, field trips, etc. are all considered absences
towards your total number. Therefore, I would try to make appointments at times other than during this class. You
will be held accountable for your attendance in this MCC course. You should contact me via email in case of
emergency or illness resulting in extended absence or irregular attendance. Time on learning is a must in this course;
therefore you will not be allowed to be absent more than eight times in the semester otherwise you may be in
jeopardy of not receiving credit for this course. MCC does not recognize the LHS Buy Back Program as a way to make
up missed class time.

There are a few differences between the MCC credit and the LHS credit. As an Early College student, you are
expected to meet the requirements of both MCC and LHS. In the end, you may meet the LHS requirements and
receive the 2.5 credits for your LHS transcript, but you may not meet the MCC requirements and will not receive the
3 credits from MCC.

Below is a table on what the differences are between the two requirements…you are expected to adhere to the
syllabus requirements in terms of grading, but in the end you must meet the standards set forth by each institution
in order to receive the final credit.

MCC LHS
Minimum Grade for credit 73% 65%
Attendance No more than 8 No more than 8 unexcused
excused/unexcused absences absences
(this includes FT, Guidance
appointments, mediation,
etc.)
Buy Back None Per approval from House AP
Credits earned if course is 3 2.5/3AP
completed successfully

Understandably, there may be times in which you will have to come into class late; if you do come in to class late, please try to limit
the disruptiveness. If you are late, please be sure to see me after class so I can mark you as “tardy” instead of “absent.”

Credit Hour Policy

Middlesex Community College follows the Carnegie Unit for credit. Students are expected to spend a minimum of 45 hours of work
for each credit. The most common breakdown for one credit is one hour of class instruction and two hours of homework for 15
weeks each semester. A three credit course demands nine hours each week.

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 STUDENT BEHAVIOR

Your behavior must be respectful of others and allow for an atmosphere conducive to learning. Disrespectful or
disruptive behavior or engaging in non-course related activities during class will not be tolerated. This includes
cheating on written assignments (plagiarism) or during quizzes and tests. Electronic devices may only be used with
explicit permission and under the instruction of Mr. Callahan. If we are not using cell phones or tablets in class, they
must be switched to silent and kept in your school bag.

There are many things you can do that will help you succeed in this class. Here are my top recommendations:

Always come to class.

Always come to class prepared by reading the assigned material.

Write down course due dates from your syllabus into your agenda book and check it out frequently.

Set up a schedule for yourself where you regularly devote at least 4 hours a week to working on class assignments and
studying (understand that some weeks will require more than four hours).

Email me when you have problems or questions about the class.

Find a classmate who you can contact for your help if you need to miss a class and who you can study with before
exams.

Get all assignments done and done well before the due date.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

All work in this course must be your own. This includes all homework assignments. Any homework assignments that
are identical copies of each other will not be given credit.

Academic integrity is central to the mission of higher education. If you cheat your way through high school and
college, the degree at the end has no meaning. If you assist others in cheating, or don’t report students who you know
are cheating, it minimizes the value of the degree that you worked for. If you engage in academic dishonesty, you will
receive, at a minimum, a grade of zero for that assignment. All incidents of academic dishonesty will be reported to
your Head of School at LHS and the Social Studies Department Chair, which will determine if further action need to
take place at MCC.

Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating (e.g., looking at another person’s exam or allowing them to
look at yours). Plagiarism, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to
another person (i.e., copying someone else’s work, allowing someone to do your papers), taking an examination for
another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts. Additional
information will be provided on Academic Integrity during the semester.

EXTRA CREDIT
I do not offer extra credit.

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Can’t get enough of school policies? Check out the LHS Student and Parent Handbook online at lhs.lowell.k12.ma.us

GRADING

Category Category Examples

Weight**
Formative Class Work 25% Do-Now/exit slips*
Discussions
Small group work
Journal/written responses in class
Formative Homework 20% Journal/written responses as homework
Worksheet and text response questions
Take-home quizzes
Scaffolded work from CEPAs
Socratic seminar questions
Formative Assessments 20% Content checks
Vocabulary checks
AP Practice Tests
Scaffolded work from CEPAs
All other non-summative assessments.
Summative Assessments 20% All unit-end CEPAs and Common Assessments:
● Common Assessments
● Formal writing
● Projects (independent or small-group)
● Presentations
● Debates
● Audio or video with narration.
Summative Assessments 15% Term paper/essay/research paper/capstone project
(2)

* a note about Do-Now assignments, such as exit slips, turn/talks, etc: You will only receive credit for these
assignments if you complete them in class. These cannot be made up if you are absent from class. The
weight of these assignments is minimal, but if you are frequently absent from class your overall grade may
be negatively affected.

Students must complete all summative assessments to ensure that they will receive credit
for the course.

Please refer to the LHS website and/or Student Handbook for more information regarding the school wide
grading policy.

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 TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

I am providing you with a tentative schedule of what we will be exploring this semester. This schedule may be modified for the
course, due to canceled class time, school-wide testing, snow days, etc. It will be your responsibility to refer to the syllabi on a
daily basis or to check in with me or other classmates on what is due or on the horizon.

Unit Topic Textbook Chapter

1 Sociology and Social 1, 6
Structure
2 Culture 3
3 Social Stratification 9
4 Social Theory: Thomas
Hobbes, Herbert Spencer, None
and John Locke
5 Social Theory: Karl Marx 2
6 Social Theory: Max Weber 2
7 Socialization 5
8 Social Control 7
9 Inequalities of Race and 11
Racism
10 Inequalities of Gender and 12
Sexism

Term Paper Distributed on January 25, 2024 Due Date February 16, 2024

All dates are tentative and subject to change. Other assignments and forms of assessment may be added
to this syllabus at my discretion.

Due dates for homework and worksheets will be designated at the start of each unit.

An addendum to this syllabus will be provided at the start of the second quarter
should the schedule need to be modified.

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 MCC’s Recommended Strategies for Success

MCC received a Title III grant, Strategies for Success: Increasing Achievement, Persistence, Retention, and Engagement. You will
have an opportunity to apply and improve your critical thinking, communication, collaboration, organization, and self-reflection
skills throughout the semester using a variety of activities that focus on Strategies for Success.

Title III Operational Definitions

Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking involves a variety of means for integrating knowledge, using reasoning and solving problems. At its Developing
level (Application) it requires that students identify and use relevant information and to reach conclusions consistent with evidence
presented. At more Proficient and Advanced levels, it requires that students compare and contrast differing views, analyze and
evaluate information logically, and make inferences based on testable hypotheses.

Communication
Communication entails the ability of students to explain ideas related to what they are learning in clear oral and written forms.
Such information may be presented individually or in groups. Skills may include the ability to break content down into smaller
pieces, organizing and summarizing information, and demonstrating informational, technological, and quantitative literacy.

Collaboration
Collaboration rests on the skills necessary for students to work together in group activities and projects. This includes direct skills
such as dividing tasks into parts, collecting and sharing information, and making group decisions. It also includes skills related to
the process for learning in a community with others such as learning to appreciate differences, negotiating, compromising, and
reaching consensus.

Organization
Organization involves a variety of related abilities. These include the ability to systematically relate areas of content to each other,
the ability to take an overarching piece of information and to present concepts in a logical manner, and the ability to come up with
an outline to how concepts relate to one another. It also includes the ability to read and follow the course syllabus, the chapter
syllabi, time management, and the use of effective study skills.

Self-Assessment
Self-assessment encompasses several student abilities. First, it is the ability to apply psychological course concepts experientially
to better understand themselves and others. Second, it is the ability to examine how relevant theories apply to real life. Finally, it
involves the ability to assess oneself to gain insight into how one learns, plans, makes decisions, studies, etc.