Summary: Sociology Of American Culture
SYLLABUS
Course Number: SOCI 1025
Course Title: Sociology of American Culture
Fall 2014
Professor: Todd Motto
E-mail: tmotto1@fordham.edu
12:45
Meeting day and time:
Section L01 – Tue/Fri 11:30amSection R01 – Tue/Fri 2:30-3:45pm
Phone: 646 753 0394
Credits: 3
Office Hours: By appointment
Course Description
A course in the sociology of American culture for students enrolled in the “English as a second language” (ESL) program and taking College ESL Writing (I in Fall and II in Spring). This discussion-based course will focus on the study of American culture and identity using readings from the social sciences, literature and history.
Course Goals
Students will achieve an understanding of what culture is and discuss …show more content…
its operations. Students will learn where culture can be observed and described: its operations in language and speech, in the daily life of groups and communities, in art and popular culture, in its laws and practices concerning crime and deviance, in the treatment of strangers and outsiders, in a group’s or community’s expressed beliefs and its religious practices, and so forth. Is it and was it ever univocal, agreed upon by everyone? Is culture always and inevitably imposed on some groups and classes? Is culture a principal source of conflict and violence between and among groups? Is culture what binds and unites people and communities? Is unity always at a social and political cost to some groups and individuals? These are some of the questions that the study of culture raises. In this course, the emphasis will be on “American culture”: Is there an identifiable American culture? If so, what are its key concerns and values, its history? What are the things that some identify as typically “American”? The course will involve a comprehensive study of the
“American Dream” and how it has influenced thoughts, values, and cultural practices.
The goals of the course will be assessed principally by the course assignments, exams and class participation. Course Materials and Readings
The central idea and topic of the course is “culture” but with particular application to American culture. The course opens with a discussion of the meaning of culture and its study by sociologists and anthropologists and others.
The professor will draw from his own fields of study to introduce this idea to the students, addressing the various ways of defining and studying what culture is and how it operates. This opening section of the course covers 1-2 classes. The remainder of the class uses readings to understand culture and its operations.
Required Texts
Models for Writers by Alfred Rosa & Paul Eschholz, 11th edition, Boston and NY: Bedford/St.
Martins, 2012.
Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking & Writing by Gary Colombo, Robert
Cullen & Bonnie Lisle. 8th edition, Boston and NY: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010.
Course Requirements
Students will receive a course letter grade according to the following criteria:
1.
In-class participation, including active participation in all class activities and consistent attendance (please refer to the IALC attendance policy below) – 15%
2.
Consistent completion of all assignments, including vocabulary reviews, writing exercises, readings and presentations – 25%
3.
The successful completion of the first and revised drafts of two formal essays – 30%
4.
Midterm and final written examinations – …show more content…
30%
Final letter grades for students taking the course for credit will be calculated according to the percentages indicated above. Scores on examinations and class assignments are determined by the quality of the work and demonstrated mastery of concepts discussed in class. Please note that consistent attendance and active class participation are included in the final evaluation.
A Note on Participation
While it is not assumed that all students have yet to master English as a second language, participation is essential in a class such as this one, and it will comprise 15% of the student’s final grade. The following chart outlines how participation will be assessed:
A – The student makes a significant effort and regularly contributes to a lively and positive classroom environment, frequently asks engaging questions, and takes a leadership role in classroom discussions
B – The student is motivated and demonstrates an interest in the course, often asking questions and participating in discussion
C – the student demonstrates an interest in the course but rarely engages in classroom discussion D – The student demonstrates very little interest in the course and only engages when called on by the professor
F – The student gives the professor a blank stare when called upon, couldn’t care less about a “lively classroom environment,” and may have enrolled in the wrong course.
Course Materials
Students are reminded to bring a binder or folder in order to keep track of worksheets and handouts distributed in class.
Attendance Policy
For 3 credit class (Sociology)
1.
Students are expected to attend all of their classes. (According to U.S. Law, I-20/F-1 visa students are required to attend all classes.)
2.
Students may not miss more than two classes per course. Weekday students who have more than 2 unexcused absences per course will not pass the course.
3.
If a student is more than 15 minutes late to class, the lateness is recorded. Two count as one absence. If you are more than 15 minutes late without a valid excuse, you are asked not to enter class, as lateness can be disruptive to the teacher, students, and classroom
activities.
IALC’s Information Technology (IT) Policy for Fordham University’s ESL Program, the
Institute of American Language and Culture (IALC) is as follows:
The use of cell phones, smart phones or iPhones is prohibited in the classroom. This includes texting, making calls, and/or searching the internet. If students use these items in the classroom, the instructor reserves the right to confiscate and withhold the item until the end of class.
Laptop computers in the classroom are used solely for note taking or writing, with the permission of the instructor. If students engage in activities other than class-related work (including, but not limited to, internet surfing, social networking, tweeting, and Facebook) during class, the laptop will be confiscated and students will be barred in the future from bringing their laptop to class.
Policy on Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs when individuals attempt to present as their own what has come from another source. Plagiarism takes place whether such theft is accidental or deliberate. It is no defense to claim that one has “forgotten” to document ideas or material taken from another source.
Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:
1.
Using the ideas of another person, whether or not such ideas are paraphrased, from whatever source including oral, print, broadcast, or computer-mediated communication;
2.
Rewriting borrowed material by simply dropping a word here and there, substituting a few words for others, or moving around words or sentences;
3.
Presenting borrowed material, whether a phrase, sentence, or whole paragraphs without placing quotation marks around the borrowed material in the approved style;
4.
Presenting, as one’s own, an assignment, paper, or computer program partially or wholly prepared by another person, whether by another student, friend, or by a business or online service that sells or distributes such papers and programs;
5.
Failing to use proper citation for information obtained from print sources or the internet, according to citation criteria specified by the instructor or in cases where instructor guidance is not given, by standard manuals of style (e.g. the Chicago Manual of Style).
Course Calendar
Note: It is important that you have the readings and assignments done before you come to class so we can have a lively discussion. Additional activities and assignments may be given at the professor’s discretion.
Fri. 9/5
Class overview and discussion – What is “culture”? What is “America”?
Understanding “self versus other”
Intro to sociological thinking (the Big 3 “founding fathers” and beyond) and the
3 main sociological perspectives
Tue. 9/9
Modernity (vs. traditionalism) and urban sociology
Reading: “The Metropolis and Mental Life” by Georg Simmel http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/content/BPL_Images/Content_store/Sample _chapter/0631225137/Bridge.pdf
Fri. 9/12
The cultural production and expression of (self) identity
Social constructionism vs. technological determinism
Tue. 9/16
Domestic Life in America
Reading: “What We Really Miss About the 1950s” by Stephanie Coontz,
p. 32 in Rereading America (RRA)
Assignment due: Identity as cultural artifact – a brief personal account
Fri. 9/19
Reading: “Childhood” by Alice Walker, p.222 in Models for Writers (MFW)
Tue. 9/23
Reading: “The Barrio” by Robert Ramirez, p. 316
Fri. 9/26
Reading: “The Color of Family Ties: Race, Class, Gender, & Extended Family” by Naomi Gerstel & Natalia Sarkisian, p. 61 in RRA
Tue. 9/30
Class and the American Dream
First draft of formal essay I due
Fri. 10/3
Reading: “Living It” by Tim Blixseth, p. 279 in RRA
Tue. 10/7
Reading: “Social Class and Hidden Curriculum of Work” by Jean Anyon, p. 169 in RRA
Fri. 10/10
Education, Empowerment and (In)Equality in America
Reading: “Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education” by Horace Mann, p. 116 in RRA
Final draft of formal essay I due
Tue. 10/14
Midterm review
Fri. 10/17
Midterm Exam
Tue. 10/21
Reading: “In the Basement of the Ivory Tower” by Professor X, p. 238 in RRA
Fri. 10/24
Reading: “The Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson, p. 547 in
MFW
Tue. 10/28
Reading: “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr., p. 553 in WFW
Fri. 10/31
Reading: “The End of White America?” by Hua Hsu, p. 497 in RRA
Tue. 11/4
Reading: “How Americans Understand Equality of the Sexes” by Alexis de
Tocqueville, p. 520 in RRA
Fri. 11/7
Reading: “Who Says Women Can’t Be Einstein” by Amanda Ripley, p. 505 in
RRA
Tue. 11/11
Language Politics in America
Reading: “Doubts and Doublespeak” by William Lutz, p. 477 in MFW
Fri. 11/14
Reading: “The English Only Movement, Can America Proscribe Language with a
Clear Conscience” by Jack Jamieson, p. 261 in MFW
Tue. 11/18
Reading: “Why and When We Speak Spanish in Public” by Myriam Marquez, p.
531 in MFW
Fri. 11/21
Resistance and Deviance in America
First draft of formal essay II due
Tue. 11/25
Reading: “What is Crime?” by Lawrence Friedman, p. 447 in MFW
Fri. 11/28
Thanksgiving – University closed
Tue. 12/2
Ecology in America
Reading: “As the World Burns” by Derrick Jensen and Stephanie McMillan, p.
715 in RRA
Fri. 12/5
Reading: “Our Unhealthy Future Under Environmentalism” by John Berlau, p.
772 in RRA
Tue. 12/9
Progress and the Future of America
Sustainability and the Peak Oil debate
Reading: “James Howard Kunstler on Why Technology Won’t Save Us” by Jeff Goodell
(interview)
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/james-howard-kunstler-on-whytechnology-wont-save-us-20120712
Fri. 12/12
Reading: “Technology, Industrialization, and the Idea of Progress in America” by
Merrit Roe Smith (handout)
Final draft of formal essay II due
Tue. 12/15
Last class – review and concluding thoughts – American Dream Revisited
Tue. 12/19
Final Exam
Course Number: SOCI 1025
Course Title: Sociology of American Culture
Fall 2014
Professor: Todd Motto
E-mail: tmotto1@fordham.edu
12:45
Meeting day and time:
Section L01 – Tue/Fri 11:30amSection R01 – Tue/Fri 2:30-3:45pm
Phone: 646 753 0394
Credits: 3
Office Hours: By appointment
Course Description
A course in the sociology of American culture for students enrolled in the “English as a second language” (ESL) program and taking College ESL Writing (I in Fall and II in Spring). This discussion-based course will focus on the study of American culture and identity using readings from the social sciences, literature and history.
Course Goals
Students will achieve an understanding of what culture is and discuss …show more content…
its operations. Students will learn where culture can be observed and described: its operations in language and speech, in the daily life of groups and communities, in art and popular culture, in its laws and practices concerning crime and deviance, in the treatment of strangers and outsiders, in a group’s or community’s expressed beliefs and its religious practices, and so forth. Is it and was it ever univocal, agreed upon by everyone? Is culture always and inevitably imposed on some groups and classes? Is culture a principal source of conflict and violence between and among groups? Is culture what binds and unites people and communities? Is unity always at a social and political cost to some groups and individuals? These are some of the questions that the study of culture raises. In this course, the emphasis will be on “American culture”: Is there an identifiable American culture? If so, what are its key concerns and values, its history? What are the things that some identify as typically “American”? The course will involve a comprehensive study of the
“American Dream” and how it has influenced thoughts, values, and cultural practices.
The goals of the course will be assessed principally by the course assignments, exams and class participation. Course Materials and Readings
The central idea and topic of the course is “culture” but with particular application to American culture. The course opens with a discussion of the meaning of culture and its study by sociologists and anthropologists and others.
The professor will draw from his own fields of study to introduce this idea to the students, addressing the various ways of defining and studying what culture is and how it operates. This opening section of the course covers 1-2 classes. The remainder of the class uses readings to understand culture and its operations.
Required Texts
Models for Writers by Alfred Rosa & Paul Eschholz, 11th edition, Boston and NY: Bedford/St.
Martins, 2012.
Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking & Writing by Gary Colombo, Robert
Cullen & Bonnie Lisle. 8th edition, Boston and NY: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010.
Course Requirements
Students will receive a course letter grade according to the following criteria:
1.
In-class participation, including active participation in all class activities and consistent attendance (please refer to the IALC attendance policy below) – 15%
2.
Consistent completion of all assignments, including vocabulary reviews, writing exercises, readings and presentations – 25%
3.
The successful completion of the first and revised drafts of two formal essays – 30%
4.
Midterm and final written examinations – …show more content…
30%
Final letter grades for students taking the course for credit will be calculated according to the percentages indicated above. Scores on examinations and class assignments are determined by the quality of the work and demonstrated mastery of concepts discussed in class. Please note that consistent attendance and active class participation are included in the final evaluation.
A Note on Participation
While it is not assumed that all students have yet to master English as a second language, participation is essential in a class such as this one, and it will comprise 15% of the student’s final grade. The following chart outlines how participation will be assessed:
A – The student makes a significant effort and regularly contributes to a lively and positive classroom environment, frequently asks engaging questions, and takes a leadership role in classroom discussions
B – The student is motivated and demonstrates an interest in the course, often asking questions and participating in discussion
C – the student demonstrates an interest in the course but rarely engages in classroom discussion D – The student demonstrates very little interest in the course and only engages when called on by the professor
F – The student gives the professor a blank stare when called upon, couldn’t care less about a “lively classroom environment,” and may have enrolled in the wrong course.
Course Materials
Students are reminded to bring a binder or folder in order to keep track of worksheets and handouts distributed in class.
Attendance Policy
For 3 credit class (Sociology)
1.
Students are expected to attend all of their classes. (According to U.S. Law, I-20/F-1 visa students are required to attend all classes.)
2.
Students may not miss more than two classes per course. Weekday students who have more than 2 unexcused absences per course will not pass the course.
3.
If a student is more than 15 minutes late to class, the lateness is recorded. Two count as one absence. If you are more than 15 minutes late without a valid excuse, you are asked not to enter class, as lateness can be disruptive to the teacher, students, and classroom
activities.
IALC’s Information Technology (IT) Policy for Fordham University’s ESL Program, the
Institute of American Language and Culture (IALC) is as follows:
The use of cell phones, smart phones or iPhones is prohibited in the classroom. This includes texting, making calls, and/or searching the internet. If students use these items in the classroom, the instructor reserves the right to confiscate and withhold the item until the end of class.
Laptop computers in the classroom are used solely for note taking or writing, with the permission of the instructor. If students engage in activities other than class-related work (including, but not limited to, internet surfing, social networking, tweeting, and Facebook) during class, the laptop will be confiscated and students will be barred in the future from bringing their laptop to class.
Policy on Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs when individuals attempt to present as their own what has come from another source. Plagiarism takes place whether such theft is accidental or deliberate. It is no defense to claim that one has “forgotten” to document ideas or material taken from another source.
Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:
1.
Using the ideas of another person, whether or not such ideas are paraphrased, from whatever source including oral, print, broadcast, or computer-mediated communication;
2.
Rewriting borrowed material by simply dropping a word here and there, substituting a few words for others, or moving around words or sentences;
3.
Presenting borrowed material, whether a phrase, sentence, or whole paragraphs without placing quotation marks around the borrowed material in the approved style;
4.
Presenting, as one’s own, an assignment, paper, or computer program partially or wholly prepared by another person, whether by another student, friend, or by a business or online service that sells or distributes such papers and programs;
5.
Failing to use proper citation for information obtained from print sources or the internet, according to citation criteria specified by the instructor or in cases where instructor guidance is not given, by standard manuals of style (e.g. the Chicago Manual of Style).
Course Calendar
Note: It is important that you have the readings and assignments done before you come to class so we can have a lively discussion. Additional activities and assignments may be given at the professor’s discretion.
Fri. 9/5
Class overview and discussion – What is “culture”? What is “America”?
Understanding “self versus other”
Intro to sociological thinking (the Big 3 “founding fathers” and beyond) and the
3 main sociological perspectives
Tue. 9/9
Modernity (vs. traditionalism) and urban sociology
Reading: “The Metropolis and Mental Life” by Georg Simmel http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/content/BPL_Images/Content_store/Sample _chapter/0631225137/Bridge.pdf
Fri. 9/12
The cultural production and expression of (self) identity
Social constructionism vs. technological determinism
Tue. 9/16
Domestic Life in America
Reading: “What We Really Miss About the 1950s” by Stephanie Coontz,
p. 32 in Rereading America (RRA)
Assignment due: Identity as cultural artifact – a brief personal account
Fri. 9/19
Reading: “Childhood” by Alice Walker, p.222 in Models for Writers (MFW)
Tue. 9/23
Reading: “The Barrio” by Robert Ramirez, p. 316
Fri. 9/26
Reading: “The Color of Family Ties: Race, Class, Gender, & Extended Family” by Naomi Gerstel & Natalia Sarkisian, p. 61 in RRA
Tue. 9/30
Class and the American Dream
First draft of formal essay I due
Fri. 10/3
Reading: “Living It” by Tim Blixseth, p. 279 in RRA
Tue. 10/7
Reading: “Social Class and Hidden Curriculum of Work” by Jean Anyon, p. 169 in RRA
Fri. 10/10
Education, Empowerment and (In)Equality in America
Reading: “Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education” by Horace Mann, p. 116 in RRA
Final draft of formal essay I due
Tue. 10/14
Midterm review
Fri. 10/17
Midterm Exam
Tue. 10/21
Reading: “In the Basement of the Ivory Tower” by Professor X, p. 238 in RRA
Fri. 10/24
Reading: “The Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson, p. 547 in
MFW
Tue. 10/28
Reading: “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr., p. 553 in WFW
Fri. 10/31
Reading: “The End of White America?” by Hua Hsu, p. 497 in RRA
Tue. 11/4
Reading: “How Americans Understand Equality of the Sexes” by Alexis de
Tocqueville, p. 520 in RRA
Fri. 11/7
Reading: “Who Says Women Can’t Be Einstein” by Amanda Ripley, p. 505 in
RRA
Tue. 11/11
Language Politics in America
Reading: “Doubts and Doublespeak” by William Lutz, p. 477 in MFW
Fri. 11/14
Reading: “The English Only Movement, Can America Proscribe Language with a
Clear Conscience” by Jack Jamieson, p. 261 in MFW
Tue. 11/18
Reading: “Why and When We Speak Spanish in Public” by Myriam Marquez, p.
531 in MFW
Fri. 11/21
Resistance and Deviance in America
First draft of formal essay II due
Tue. 11/25
Reading: “What is Crime?” by Lawrence Friedman, p. 447 in MFW
Fri. 11/28
Thanksgiving – University closed
Tue. 12/2
Ecology in America
Reading: “As the World Burns” by Derrick Jensen and Stephanie McMillan, p.
715 in RRA
Fri. 12/5
Reading: “Our Unhealthy Future Under Environmentalism” by John Berlau, p.
772 in RRA
Tue. 12/9
Progress and the Future of America
Sustainability and the Peak Oil debate
Reading: “James Howard Kunstler on Why Technology Won’t Save Us” by Jeff Goodell
(interview)
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/james-howard-kunstler-on-whytechnology-wont-save-us-20120712
Fri. 12/12
Reading: “Technology, Industrialization, and the Idea of Progress in America” by
Merrit Roe Smith (handout)
Final draft of formal essay II due
Tue. 12/15
Last class – review and concluding thoughts – American Dream Revisited
Tue. 12/19
Final Exam