SO238 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Syllabus for Fall 2004

Dr. Leslie Dobbertin

OVERVIEW

In this course, you will learn to view human behavior through the theory of symbolic interactionism, the social psychology of sociology.   Using this theory, you will learn how society “gets into” people and how people reproduce and change society in their day-to-day actions.  In learning about symbolic interactionism, you will explore the linguistic roots of human nature and will learn how mind, self, society, deviance, and truth are created through interaction.

 

You will also be given the opportunity to apply the theory, symbolic interactionism, to a social setting through doing ethnographic research as part of the lab.

 

An active approach to learning is taken in this course.  You are expected to apply and critique the ideas presented in the lecture and the readings.  

 

READINGS

You will read the following two books.

   Charon, Joel M.  2003.  Symbolic Interactionism, 8th ed.  Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

   Articles to be handed out in class from Cahill, Spencer E., Ed.  2004.  Inside Social Life: Readings n

Sociological Psychology and Microsociology, 4th ed.  Los Angeles, California: Roxbury Pub. Co.

.

EARNING THE GRADE

The credit available through completing various tasks and the grading scale for the course are given below. Participation credit requires your presence and involvement in class.  No credit will be lost for the first two classes missed. For each subsequent class missed, 5 points will be lost. Credit for the report requires a presentation.  It is your responsibility to keep a record of points earned in the work you have done.

 

Tasks totaling 400 points

Charon & Cahill                                 Papers                                     Lab     

Test 1 (50)            _______                 Paper 1 (10)     ______            Lab Quiz 1 (10)    ______       

Test 2 (50)           _______                  Paper 2 (10)     ______            Lab Quiz 2 (10)    ______       

Test 3 (50)           _______                  Paper 3 (10)     ______            Lab Projects  (10)   ______    

Test 4 (50)           _______                  Paper 4 (10)     ______            Ethnographic Study (70)____     

 Final   (30)           _______                              Participation  (lab and lecture)  (30)   ______             

           

 

 

           

               The grading scale:

Grade   Points               Percentage                               Grade   Points         Percentage

A     360 - 400             90 - 100%                               D     240 – 279            60 - 69

B     320 - 359              80 – 89                                   F      below 240            below 60

C     280 - 319              70 – 79

 

CAVEATS

Grades will be reported based on work completed during the semester.  An “I” or incomplete grade is possible only for unusual circumstances such as serious illness or death of member of the immediate family  (LSSU Catalogue,  p 13).  Students who cannot keep up with the work should drop the course. The deadline for dropping is the end of the 8th week (3rd week summer).

 

Cheating, including plagiarism, will result in a failing grade for the entire course.  Note that “…a student who cheats is subject to dismissal from the University” (LSSU Catalogue, p 15).

 

 

 

 

Schedule SO238 Fall 2004

WEEK

Tuesday: lecture

Wednesday: lab

Thursday: lecture

1

8/31

9/1 Lab meets

9/2

2

9/7  HOLIDAY

9/8 Lab meets

9/9

3

9/14

 

9/15 Lab meets

Lab Quiz 1

9/16

4

9/21 Test 1: Charon, Ch.1-3 & articles in Cahill*

9/22  NO LAB, field work

9/23 

5

9/28

9/29  NO LAB, field work

9/30 Paper 1 due

6

10/5

10/6  Lab meets

10/7

7

10/12

10/13  Lab meets

  Lab Quiz 2

10/14

 

8

10/19 Test 2: Charon, Ch. 4–6 & articles in Cahill *

10/20   NO LAB, field

10/21  Paper 2 due

 

9

10/26

10/17   NO LAB, field

10/28

10

11/2

11/3     NO LAB , field

11/4 Paper 3 due

11

11/9 Quiz 3: Charon, Ch. 7–9 & articles in Cahill*

11/10   NO LAB, field

11/11

 

12

11/16

11/17 yes, class meets

Bring 3 copies of report

Collaborative reading

11/18

 

 

13

 

11/23

11/24

HOLIDAY

11/25

HOLIDAY

14

11/30

12/1 yes, class meets

presentations

All written reports due

12/2 Paper 4 due

15

12/7  Quiz 4: Charon Ch. 10 -13 & articles in Cahill*

12/8 yes, class meets

presentations continue

12/9

Review for final

Exam

week

Exam for lecture: Tuesday, December 14, 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

 No exam for lab

*Articles assigned from the Cahill reader

Test 1:  #2 “Culture and Psychology” by Jerome Bruner

#25 “The Contrasting Agendas of Black and White Sororities” by Alexandra Berkowitz

         and  Irene Padavic

Test 2: “#6 “Young Children’s Use of Racial and Ethnic Identities” by Debra Van Ausdale and

       Joe R. Feagin

#24 “Preadolescent Cliques, Friendships, and Identity” by Patricia and Peter Adler

Test 3: #26 “Working and Resisting at Route Restaurant” by Greta Foff Paules

            #18 “Wheelchair Users’ Interpersonal Management of Emotions” by Spencer E. Cahill

        and Robin Eggleston

Test 4: #32 “The Moral Career of the Mental Patient” by Erving Goffman

            #____Second article to be selected by the student.