How Scholars Think about Class and Power in Modern Societies

In this course we will continue with our critical introduction to the discipline of sociology by shifting the focus to class, power and change.
This course is divided into two parts. The first half will provide students with a survey of the key theories, concepts and issues which have shaped the way scholars think about class and power in modern societies. Our study of social class will address the ongoing controversy over deepening inequality and ask whether Canada can still be, or should ever have been, considered a middle-class society. Our exploration of power will concentrate on the large corporations and state bureaucracies that are the key institutions through which some people exercise power over other people in our society.
In the second half of the course students will be introduced to the study of social movements. Sociology is the study of how social circumstances - relationships, classes, institutions, cultures, etc. - shape human behaviour. While individuals often have little control over the circumstances in which they find themselves, social movements are an important means for changing society through collective action. This means that the study of social movements is an exciting and interesting subfield of the discipline of sociology, which will allow us to examine a range of current events, global problems, controversial solutions and activism.
Objectives:
This course will prepare students for more advanced studies in the field by providing an overview of the theories, methods, and issues which animate the discipline of sociology. In the process students will further hone their critical thinking and written communication skills. Whether chosen as an elective or as part of a major in sociology, students will find this course useful for interpreting current events, public policy debates and activism, as well as for making sense of their experiences living in a modern, post-industrial society.

Required Texts:
Naiman, Joanne (2012) How Societies Work: Class, Power, and Change (Fifth Edition). Halifax: Fernwood ISBN 978-1-55266-465-0

Staggenborg, Suzanne (2012) Social Movements (Second Edition). Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press ISBN 978-0-19-544124-6

Purchasing the Textbooks:
Both textbooks are available at Octopus Books, 116 Third Avenue, near the corner of Bank Street and Third, in “The Glebe”. The store can be accessed easily from campus via the Number 7 bus. And please consult Haven Books at Sunnyside and Seneca for used copies of How Societies Work.
Technology: The basic rule of thumb is to treat myself, the teaching assistants, and your peers with courtesy and respect. This means using your laptop for the purposes of taking notes and viewing course material and not in a manner which is distracting or disruptive. Students using laptops for activities unrelated to the class (messaging, texting, games, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) will be asked to stop and may have to leave the lecture theatre. The use of cell phones, iPods, etc. is not permitted in the classroom.

Evaluation:
• Tutorials 15%
• Research Paper 30%
• Mid-Term 20%
• Final Exam 35%
Method of evaluation:
i) There will be discussion groups held between 10:35 and 11:25 pm, as well as between 11:35 and 12:25 pm. Students were required to register for a discussion group when selecting this course. Please consult your timetable for the location and time of your discussion group. There are eight discussion group sessions held throughout the term. Consult the "Class Schedule" below to find the weeks when no discussion groups will be held. Discussion groups are run by Teaching Assistants. Attendance and the completion of assignments is worth 8%; participation in group discussions is worth 2%; in preparation for the exams, two quizzes (2.5% each) will also be held during these discussion groups. ii) The research paper will require you to do original research on a social movement of your choice. You will be required to relate this social movement to issues and/or theories covered in the course. The research paper is due on Wednesday, April 2 at 8:35 am. iii) The mid-term and the final exam will consist of multiple-choice, short-answer and essay questions. The mid-term will take place in the lecture theatre on Wednesday, February 12 at 8:35 am. The final exam is cumulative, but the emphasis will be on the latter portion of the course. The date, time, and location of the final will be provided to you once it is scheduled by the university.
More details about each form of evaluation will be provided in class.

Class schedule (Tentative)

Wednesday, January 8 – Introduction: Class, Power, and Change
Reading: None ***No Discussion Groups Scheduled***

Wed., Jan. 15 – Class & Inequality I: Class, Sport, & the Myth of the Meritocracy
Readings: Joanne Naiman “Chapter 5: Analyzing Social Class,” pp. 95 - 116.

Krugman, Paul (2002) “For Richer,” The New York Times, October 20. [cuLearn]

***No Discussion Groups Scheduled***

Wed., Jan. 22 – Class & Inequality II: Occupy, Debt, & the Inequality Crisis
Reading: Naiman “Chapter 10: Inequality of Wealth and Income,” pp. 212 - 237. Required Viewing: The Inequality Crisis, 2013
Stewart Lansley, Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce
[Available Online] http://www.thersa.org/events/video/vision-videos/the-inequality-crisis

Wed., Jan. 29 – Power & Institutions I: Would You Electrocute a Stranger?
Readings: Naiman “Chapter 8: The Role of the State,” pp. 165 - 190.

Meyer, Philip (1970) "If Hitler Asked You to Electrocute a Stranger, Would You? Probably," Esquire. [cuLearn]

Wed., February 5 – Power & Institutions II: The Very Large Corporation & Work
Reading: Naiman “Chapter 6: Living in Capitalist Societies,” pp. 117-140.

*** Quiz 1 in Discussion Group ***

Wed., Feb. 12 - Midterm Exam

***No Discussion Groups Scheduled ***

Wed., Feb. 19 – Winter Break – NO CLASS SCHEDULED

***No Discussion Groups Scheduled ***

Class Schedule (cont.)

Wed., Feb. 26 – Theory & Method: Issues in the Study of Collective Action
Readings: Suzanne Staggenborg “Chapter 1: Introduction," pp. 1 - 12.

Staggenborg "Chapter 2: Theories of Social Movements and Collective Action," pp. 13 - 29.

Suzanne Staggenborg “Chapter 3: Issues in the Study of Social Movements and Collective Action," pp. 30 - 56.

Wed., March 5 - Idle No More: Civil Rights & Contemporary Aboriginal Resistance
Staggenborg "Chapter 4: The Protest Cycle of the 1960s," pp. 57 - 70.

Howard Ramos in Staggenborg (Ed.) "Chapter 5: Aboriginal Protest," pp. 71 - 93.

Naiman "Chapter 11: Race and Ethnicity," pp. 240 - 263.

Wed., Mar. 12 – Feminism and the Gay and Lesbian Movement
Readings: Staggenborg "Chapter 6: The Women's Movement," pp. 94 - 115.

Staggenborg “Chapter 7: The Gay and Lesbian Movement," pp. 116 - 136.

Naiman "Chapter 12: Gender Issues," pp. 264 - 287.

Wed., Mar. 19 – Globalization I: Food, Hunger, and the Global Justice Movement
Reading: Staggenborg "Chapter 9: The Global Justice Movement," pp. 162 - 180.

Wed., Mar. 26 – Globalization II: Neoliberalism and the Environmental Movement
Readings: Naiman "Chapter 9: Neoliberalism and Globalization," pp. 191 - 211.

Staggenborg "Chapter 8: The Environmental Movement," pp. 137 - 161.

*** Quiz #2 in Discussion Group ***

Wed., April 2 – Future Directions, Grievances, & Opportunities for Change
Readings: Staggenborg "Chapter 10: Conclusion: Social Movements and Social Change," pp. 126 - 180.

Naiman "Chapter 13: Looking Toward the Future," pp. 288 - 312.

***No Discussion Groups Scheduled***

*** Research Paper is Due at the Start of Class (8:35 am) on Wed., April 2 ***

Final Exam – Date, Time & Location to be announced (April 11-17 & 21-26)
The following announcements are obligatory on all Carleton University course outlines:

In accordance with the Carleton University Undergraduate Calendar, the letter grades assigned in this course will have the following percentage equivalents:
A+ = 90-100 B+ = 77-79 C+ = 67-69 D+ = 57-59
A = 85-89 B = 73-76 C = 63-66 D = 53-56
A - = 80-84 B - = 70-72 C - = 60-62 D - = 50-52
F = Below 50 WDN = Withdrawn from the course
ABS = Student absent from final exam
DEF = Deferred (See above)
FND = (Failed, no Deferred) = Student could not pass the course even with 100% on final exam
Academic Regulations, Accommodations, Plagiarism, Etc.
University rules regarding registration, withdrawal, appealing marks, and most anything else you might need to know can be found on the university’s website, here: http://www.carleton.ca/calendars/ugrad/current/regulations/acadregsuniv.html Requests for Academic Accommodations
For Students with Disabilities:
The Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) provides services to students with Learning Disabilities (LD), psychiatric/mental health disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), chronic medical conditions, and impairments in mobility, hearing, and vision. If you have a disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact PMC at 613-520-6608 or [e-mail] for a formal evaluation. If you are already registered with the PMC, contact your PMC coordinator to send me your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term, and no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with me to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. Please consult the PMC website for the deadline to request accommodations for the formally-scheduled exam (if applicable).
• The deadline for contacting the Paul Menton Centre regarding accommodation for final exams for the April 2014 exam period is March 7, 2014.
For Religious Obligations:
Students requesting academic accommodation on the basis of religious obligation should make a formal, written request to their instructors for alternate dates and/or means of satisfying academic requirements. Such requests should be made during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist, but no later than two weeks before the compulsory event.
Accommodation is to be worked out directly and on an individual basis between the student and the instructor(s) involved. Instructors will make accommodations in a way that avoids academic disadvantage to the student.
Students or instructors who have questions or want to confirm accommodation eligibility of a religious event or practice may refer to the Equity Services website for a list of holy days and Carleton's Academic Accommodation policies, or may contact an Equity Services Advisor in the Equity Services Department for assistance.
For Pregnancy:
Pregnant students requiring academic accommodations are encouraged to contact an Equity Advisor in Equity Services to complete a letter of accommodation. The student must then make an appointment to discuss her needs with the instructor at least two weeks prior to the first academic event in which it is anticipated the accommodation will be required.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the passing off of someone else's work as your own and is a serious academic offence. For the details of what constitutes plagiarism, the potential penalties and the procedures refer to the section on Instructional Offences in the Undergraduate Calendar.
What are the Penalties for Plagiarism?
A student found to have plagiarized an assignment may be subject to one of several penalties including: expulsion; suspension from all studies at Carleton; suspension from full-time studies; and/or a reprimand; a refusal of permission to continue or to register in a specific degree program; academic probation; award of an FNS, Fail, or an ABS.
What are the Procedures?
All allegations of plagiarism are reported to the faculty of Dean of FASS and Management. Documentation is prepared by instructors and/or departmental chairs.
The Dean writes to the student and the University Ombudsperson about the alleged plagiarism.
The Dean reviews the allegation. If it is not resolved at this level then it is referred to a tribunal appointed by the Senate.
Plagiarism and cheating at the graduate level are viewed as being particularly serious and the sanctions imposed are accordingly severe. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with and follow the Carleton University Student Academic Integrity Policy (See http://www2.carleton.ca/sasc/advisingcentre/academic-integrity/). The Policy is strictly enforced and is binding on all students. Plagiarism and cheating – presenting another’s ideas, arguments, words or images as your own, using unauthorized material, misrepresentation, fabricating or misrepresenting research data, unauthorized co-operation or collaboration or completing work for another student – weaken the quality of the graduate degree.
Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Students who infringe the Policy may be subject to one of several penalties including: expulsion; suspension from all studies at Carleton; suspension from full-time studies; a refusal of permission to continue or to register in a specific degree program; academic probation; or a grade of Failure in the course.

Assistance for Students:
Student Academic Success Centre (SASC): www.carleton.ca/sasc
Writing Tutorial Services: www.carleton.ca/wts
Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS): www.carleton.ca/sasc/peer-assisted-study-sessions
Important Information:
Students must always retain a hard copy of all work that is submitted.
All final grades are subject to the Dean’s approval.
Please note that you will be able to link your CONNECT (MyCarleton) account to other non-CONNECT accounts and receive emails from us. However, for us to respond to your emails, we need to see your full name, CU ID, and the email must be written from your valid CONNECT address. Therefore, it would be easier to respond to your inquiries if you would send all email from your connect account. If you do not have or have yet to activate this account, you may wish to do so by visiting https://portal.carleton.ca/