SOCI 3701
Syllabus
Course Handouts
Best way to contact me is via email: crambo@midsouth.rr.com
Phone, leave message only: 678-2611
Office hours: T12:50-1:50 or by appointment.
The title of this course, “Individual and Society” can be construed as a code
name for Sociological Social Psychology. The term is a construct used by
sociologists to frame social psychology from a sociological perspective. The
term is political and the territories are aggressively defended. Unlike the
psychological model of social psychology, sociological social psychology
emphasizes the social and cultural aspects of identity and social interaction.
This course is organized around a model of social psychology which takes into
consideration three spheres of everyday life: the body, identity, and society.
These are not the only three realms that exist, but your instructor considers
this conceptualization to be broadly inclusive for the purposes of providing the
class participant with an overview of social psychology from a sociological
perspective. The readings will serve as a spring board for discussion, and we
will be mindful at all times to consider how we might go about applying the
concepts in our readings to a data set or to everyday life.
DISCLAIMER- Due to the nature of the content of this course, (specifically I
cover topics like trauma, stigma, life course development, and emotions) I
advise you to be responsible for and to consider your own well being in regards
to these materials. Some people can be “triggered” or upset by these topics, the
readings, and the discussions we will have in class. It is my hope that we will
conduct the class in a manner which will construct a “container” safe enough to
explore the material so that we all walk away with an in depth understanding of
the general topics and concepts. This course is not, however, therapy. Your
professor is not a licensed psychologist.
If you have recently been involved in a major emotional upheaval in your life I
would ask you to strongly consider whether or not taking this course is right
for you this semester. Psychological services are available for you over at
Wilder Tower; it is something you pay for every semester. Therapy is wonderful,
with the right person, and I strongly encourage you to seek support when you
need it. It is also a great learning experience!
REQUIRED TEXTS: Inner Lives and Social Worlds: Readings in Social Psychology.
2002. Edited by James A. Holstein and Jaber F. Gubrium. Oxford University Press.
ISBN: 0195147278
Trauma and Recovery. 1997. Judith Herman. NY: BasicBooks. ISBN: 0-465-08730-2
Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self. 1997. Alice Miller
Basic Books. ISBN: 0-465-01690-1
Foucault for Beginners. 1993. Lydia Alex Fillingham. Writers and Readers.
ISBN 0-86316-160-x
ON LINE RESOURCES:
http://carolrambo.com/pdf/lyng2.pdf Steven Lyng. Edgework article.
http://spartan.ac.brocku.ca/~lward/ The Mead Project.
http://www.socialpsychology.org/
Social Psychology Network.
http://www.trauma-pages.com/ David
Baldwin’s Trauma Information Pages.
http://www.childtrauma.org/ctamaterials/vio_child.asp Violence and
Childhood: How Persisting Fear Can Alter the Developing Child’s Brain. Bruce
Perry, M.D. Ph.D. To be found on David Baldwin’s Trauma Information Pages, under
articles.
COURSE STRUCTURE: The readings will be our spring-board for class lectures and
discussion. You are required to keep up with the readings and will be
responsible for these as well as class lectures.
A liberal arts education means literally to "liberate" your mind. Discussion is
of the utmost importance. You have paid money to be sitting here. DO NOT ALLOW
ME TO LECTURE WITHOUT ASKING QUESTIONS IF YOU ARE CONFUSED OR UNCLEAR ON THE
MATERIALS. Unfortunately, this happens frequently in theory courses. Let me
emphasize, only VICTIMS allow this to happen to them. If you are having
problems, chances are someone else is too! It is through discussion that
understanding is achieved.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING: Primary Evaluations for grades are based on
three unit quizzes and a minimum of three modest writing assignments. Please
take note of the grading scale:
A = 100 - 90% B = 89 - 80% C = 79 - 65% D = 64 - 58% F = below 58%
QUIZZES (all 3 required): Each of the three quizzes is multiple-choice in
character, worth 32, 32, and 30 points, for a potential total of 94 points of
your grade. These quizzes will be based upon the unit material most recently
covered.
MODEST WRITING ASSIGNMENTS (3 of 5 required): During the course of the semester,
I will ask the class to participate in mini-experiments and write up their
reflections on these experiences. Each paper is worth two points for a potential
total of 6 points of your grade. I will offer at least five opportunities to do
papers. Students have the choice of which three of the five they would like to
participate in. All five may be done, and the last two would count as extra
credit towards the grade. If you do not attend the class that the assignment is
given in, you may not hand in a paper. There is no “making up” a paper (thus my
logic for 5 chances to write). If you fail to turn in three papers you will lose
one letter grade per missing paper. For instance, if you have a grade of B at
the end of the semester, but have handed in only two papers, you will earn a C.
If you have a grade of B at the end of the semester but you only handed in one
paper, in this situation you would earn a D.
EXTRA-CREDIT THEORY APPLICATIONS (OPTIONAL): You are allowed to submit up to
three 2-3 page papers, each using a different theorist we have discussed in
class. Each paper will be worth 2 points for a maximum value of 6 points for the
whole assignment. I will not be neurotic picky on this, quality counts more than
quantity. Using a one-inch margin, type written double spaced page consists of
about 250 words. You are invited to take things you encounter in your daily life
and analyze them in terms of the theories you will pick up in class. I will
elaborate more on this in class. You may use your experience, newspaper
articles, books, CNN, movies, MTV, songs, a story your friend told you happened
to her, ANY kind of experience. Have fun with this. Incorporate as many terms as
possible, using them correctly; do not just identify the idea, but demonstrate
how it is functioning in the example.
Do not repeat specific class examples, you will get no credit. If, however, you
notice one of the concepts we learn about at work in class, this is fair game.
Neatness will count one point per entry. If you are a slob genius, you could
still lose a total of 3 points on the assignment. If you want to run a sample
journal entry by me before the date of your first exam, I will be willing to
critique it (no hard and fast grade).
PARTICIPATION (OPTIONAL): Upon handing in your last quiz, I will look at your
face. If it is a face that constantly adds to class discussion, I will add two
points to your grade. If it is a face that occasionally contributes, I will add
one point.
ATTENDANCE (OPTIONAL, unless you receive federal funding to attend classes, we
will discuss in class what this means): You are an adult. You pay your money,
you decide if you want to attend. I will, however, take attendance for two
purposes. If you have perfect attendance after the first week of class, three
points will be assigned to your grade, equivalent to the weight of answering
three exam questions correctly. If you only miss one or two periods during this
time, I will assign two extra credit points. Miss three periods and I will
assign one point of extra credit. Students who miss more than this number of
classes (my second purpose) will have a great deal of trouble gaining sympathy
if they are not doing well in the class. We can talk about your absences if you
are in a dire situation. I must assume, however, if you choose not to attend and
you do poorly, that you are choosing to do poorly and I need not put forth any
effort on your behalf.
MAKEUP EXAMS: Make up exams are permitted with proper documentation and are to
be scheduled with the instructor. You must contact the instructor and her
assistant ONE WEEK after missing an exam or forfeit the opportunity to make it
up.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: University of Memphis has a comprehensive policy regarding
academic dishonesty such as plagiarism, cheating and impersonation. The policy
can be found on-line at:
http://www.people.memphis.edu/~jaffairs/acaddishonesty/acaddishonesty.htm.
Get clear on these definitions. I PROSECUTE ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AGGRESSIVELY.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE-can and probably will be changed at any time!
January 17. Getting Started.
19. What is an individual? A society? Experiment 1: “Watching our minds.” Please
read
Inner lives and Social Worlds, (ILSW) pages 1-25.
24. IDENTITY. Who are you? What is a self? Leon Festinger and Cognitive
Dissonance,
George Herbert Mead and Symbolic Interactionism. ILSW pages 50-77. Paper Due,
“Watching our minds.” Start Experiment 2: “Doing Nothing.”
26. More Interactionist theories. ILSW pages 107-175.
31. Paper due, “Doing nothing,” debrief.
February 2. Read The Drama of the Gifted Child, part 1, pages 1-68. Experiment
3: Who is that in
the Mirror? Extra experiment option, nude vs. naked.
7. Read The Drama of the Gifted Child, part 2, pages 69-126.
9. No class, Carol is attending a conference.
14. Review/Catch-up day
16. Quiz 1
21. SOCIETY. Deviance and rule breaking. Harold Garfinkel. Experiment 4:
Breaching Experiment. Paper Due from Experiment 3. Debrief.
23. Continued
28. Paper Due, Debrief. Emotions. Arlie Hochschild. ILSW pages 202-243.
March 2. Society and the Body. Read Foucault for Beginners. Be sure to
understand the ideas of
Surveillance and Knowledge as power.
7 and 9. Spring Break
14. Gender. Andrea Dworkin, Chinese foot binding. Read ILSW pages 384-426,
558-580.
Please look at also:
http://www.crowmagazine.com/footbind.htm and
http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/71/81415.htm.
16. Race. Read ILSW pages 341-382
21. Review/Catch-up day
23. Quiz 2
28. Aging. Read ILSW pages 428-450 and 458-485.
30. Aging dancers. Read ILSW pages 451-457.
April 4. THE BODY. Guest speaker: Dr. Cliff Heegel, Licensed Psychologist.
Topic: Attachment and Brain Development. Theory applications are due at the end
of the class period. No late turn-ins, no exceptions.
Please read
http://www.childtrauma.org/ctamaterials/vio_child.asp Violence and
Childhood: How Persisting Fear Can Alter the Developing Child’s Brain. Bruce
Perry, M.D. Ph.D. To be found on David Baldwin’s Trauma Information Pages, under
articles.
6. Read Trauma and Recovery, Part I, Traumatic disorders.
11. Trauma and Recovery, part II, Stages of Recovery. Experiment 5, “Death as
your advisor.” Paper options 1, 2, 3.
13. Extreme Living. Read Edgework: A Social Psychological Analysis of Voluntary
Risk Taking, by Steven Lyng. From Sociological Abstracts, JSTOR article,
American Journal of Sociology: Vol 95, No.4 P.581.
http://carolrambo.com/pdf/lyng2.pdf
18. Investigating Subjectivity -- articles to be assigned.
20. Review/Catch-up day
25. Quiz three. Last day of class.
REMINDER: Make up quizzes permitted only when:
1. You have an excuse I have approved.
2. You have documentation for that excuse.
3. You contact me before one week has passed after missing the quiz. NO
EXCEPTIONS!