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Unit 1: Foundations Unit 2: Sociocultural Systems Unit 3: Infrastructure Unit 4: Ecology Unit 5: Governments Unit 6: Corporations Unit 7: Primary Groups Unit 8: Work & Education Unit 9: Health & Welfare Unit 10: Crime & Inequality Unit 11: War & Terrorism Unit 12: Conclusions |
This course is now on Rogers State University e-campus. The syllabus is presented here for potential students to get a feel for what the course entails.
Contact Information:
Required Texts:
Elwell, Frank. 1999. Industrializing America. Connecticut:
Praeger Press.
Bulletin Description: An
inquiry into the origin and development of current social problems with
specific reference to social action taken to address these
problems. Students will investigate one major problem using the
resources from more than one social science discipline.
Course Prerequisites: Junior
Standing.
Purpose: The
goal of this course is to expose the student to a systematic-critical
view of hyper-industrial societies. It is intended that this exposure
will stimulate the student in developing and refining her own unique
(but empirically based) world view.
RSU Writing Center is
in Baird Hall 206. There, you may access free writing help with any
paper at any point of time while you are a student at RSU. Call
918.343.7838 to set up an appointment. The Writing Consultants are
friendly and professional and can help you with any writing issue.
The SLA Tutoring Center is
in Prep Hall 105. There you may arrange for free tutoring help with any
class offered by the School of Liberal Arts (other schools have their
own centers). Call 918.343.7572 to set up an appointment.
Americans with Disabilities Act: Rogers
State University is committed to providing students with disabilities
equal access to educational programs and services. Any student who has a
disability that he or she believes will require some form of academic
accommodation must inform the professor of such need during or
immediately following the first class attended. Before any
educational accommodation can be provided, it is the responsibility of
each student to prove eligibility for assistance by registering for
services through Student Affairs. Students needing more information
about Student Disability Services should contact Kendra Cagle,
Coordinator of Student Disability Services at Rogers State University,
1701 W. Will Rogers Blvd., Claremore, OK 74017 or 918-343-6828.
Work Required & Grading
Students should have the indicated units completed by the examination
dates. Completion of the unit means all required reading and fully
answering the essay questions. When completed fully, these study
questions will provide you with excellent mastery of the material in
this course.
Weekly Quizzes: Consistent
with the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, I believe that in order to truly master
a discipline you must first master its vocabulary. Accordingly, you will
learn the vocabulary of the social sciences in this class. Each week you
will have a vocabulary quiz consisting of 10 fill-in-the-blanks giving
you a definition as it appears in the Glossary of the unit we are
covering. You are to supply the term. I expect to have 12 such quizzes
over the course of the semester, I will drop the two lowest grades.
These quizzes will be equal to one exam grade! Do well and it will go
a long way toward passing this class.
Elwell, Frank W., 1996/2011, Glossary
of Social
Sciences,
Web Version.
This course is quite demanding and requires higher order skills of
synthesis, critical thinking, and integration. The vocabulary words are
measuring the far more basic skill of memorization. While most
undergraduates are good at it (and thus it boosts many grades), there
are a few in every class who struggle with it (I was never very good at
it either). For students like us it takes discipline, repetition, and
actual use to finally sink in. I suggest handwritten flash cards to
people who are in our predicament. I should add that in addition to
boosting grades mastering the vocabulary is really the first step in
mastering a subject area—it can only help you in the rest of the course
(and in life itself).
Study Guides: You
are to keep up on the required reading and take-home exams before they
are discussed in class. All writing assignments are to be submitted by
Tuesday morning through turnitin.com.
The Study Guides also contain links to required readings, vocabulary to
master for the week, links to websites, and other material useful in
mastering the course.
You are responsible for learning how to submit your essay questions in
to me through turnitin.com. It is only through turnitin that you
can get credit for your work. Here is a link to training videos for
students: Turnitin.com
Student Training Videos
You will
lose points for incomplete essays, shoddy thinking and writing, and
failure to adequately address the issues. It is very important that you
use your own words and voice in answering these questions. It is through
thoughtfully addressing these questions that higher order thinking
skills--integration, synthesis, and evaluation--are learned and
integrated. Writing is not simply telling me what you know, it is a
reflection of the process of learning itself; through your interaction
with the written word you sharpen and refine your thinking, you discover
truths that were obscure through mere reading. Here is a link to how to
format your study guides: Example
Student Study Guide.
The essay questions in the Study Guides are questions
that are designed to do the following:
1.
Solicit the main points of the readings and presentations, thereby
helping you master the course material;
2.
Draw comparisons to other readings;
3.
Elicit your evaluations of the material;
4.
Give you opportunity to improve your course grade.
You will do well to answer the questions fully and completely. To do
well students must prepare their answers to all the essay questions and
be prepared to discuss their reading in class. The better grades will go
to those who fully prepare.
Exams: Take
home essays will be due each week. For the essays, you must do more
than simply answer the questions, you must demonstrate to me that you
have actively read and mastered the material. It is expected that you
will answer these questions in considerably more detail. You are to
turn in your completed essays before class each Tuesday; at 50 points
each week these essays are worth a total of 700 point. In addition, you
will have 10 vocabulary quizzes worth a total of 100 total points:
The essay questions in each unit are questions that are designed to do
the following: 1) Solicit the main points of the readings and
presentations, thereby helping you master the course material; 2) Focus
your attention on what is valuable and relevant in each of the units;
3) Draw comparisons to other readings; 4) Elicit your evaluations of the
material; and 5) Give you opportunity to improve your course grade.
All exams and written assignments are graded in accordance with the
standards explained on the attached Grading
Rubric.
Here is the point spread on how they will be graded:
·
Quality
(10 points) Is the answer accurate and evidenced based?
·
Development
(10 points) Is the answer fully developed, with all implications fully
drawn?
·
Complete
(10 points) Are all questions answered fully and completely?
·
Originality
(10 points) Are the answers in your own words and voice?
·
On Time
(10 points) Is the test turned in by 9:30 on Tuesday morning?
Your score on each weekly take-home exam will be the total number of
points from above divided by 90.
Final grades will be based on the percentage of points earned:
o
90 - 100% =A
o
80 - 89% = B
o
70 - 79% = C
o
60 - 69% = D
o
below 60% = F
Other Useful Information
Attendance: Both
physical and mental attendance should be regular. Traditional lecture
material is presented off of this web site. Class time will be spent in
discussion, occasional presentations, and perhaps the viewing of
films. To take full advantage of this class (and to get a passing grade)
you should attend all scheduled class meetings. Inappropriate classroom
behavior (sleeping, talking, and other disruptive behavior) will be
cause for dismissal from the classroom. This is a blended course. It is
important that you attend both physically and mentally. Studying the
texts and the lecture/ presentations are key. Inappropriate classroom
behavior will cause you to be dismissed from the class.
Academic Integrity: By
signing your name to a test or paper you are indicating that the work is
yours and yours alone. Any academic cheating will result in failure of
the course. "Plagiarism is the representation of the words or ideas of
another as one’s own, including: direct quotation without both
attribution and indication that the material is being directly quoted,
e.g. quotation marks; paraphrase without attribution; paraphrase with or
without attribution where the wording of the original remains
substantially intact and is represented as the author’s own; expression
in one’s own words, but without attribution, of ideas, arguments, lines
of reasoning, facts, processes, or other products of the intellect where
such material is learned from the work of another and is not part of the
general fund of common knowledge" (Office of Academic Affairs, Rogers
State University). One of the social problems that appears to be on the
rise in American society is academic dishonesty. Don't do it!
Classroom Organization: Much
of the class will be given over to informed discussion. You should begin
your reading immediately, in the order stated below. In addition, you
should go through the "Introduction" and the "World Problems" class
presentations by the second meeting. I will keep you informed in class
(or more likely through e-mail) of the specific due dates of your
reading assignments. While the occasional articles I will send through
e-mail are usually optional, reading them will help you master class
material. Class discussion will often center on the required readings
and the instructor presentations. It is therefore imperative that all
assigned reading be done in a timely fashion.
ADA Statement: If
you have specific physical, psychiatric, or learning disabilities please
let me know immediately so that your learning needs may be appropriately
met. You will need to provide documentation of your disability to the
Office of Student Affairs, Meyer Hall.
A Final Point: You
are encouraged to ask questions on the readings either in class or
through e-mail. It is not expected that you will always agree with the
perspectives of the instructor or the authors of other texts. As have
all human beings we have been influenced by the values of our society as
well as our roles in various social structures. However, it is the duty
of the social scientist to acknowledge these influences and attempt to
minimize their effects upon social analysis. Should the resulting
analyses be counter to your perceptions, challenge them on the basis of
empirical fact, logic, and reason--not ideology, prejudice, wishful
thinking, or "politically correct" assertions. The goal of this course
is for you to develop your own critical thought processes and world
view, not for you to blindly accept any one perspective.
Updated Continuously |