sociology assignment

Terminal Course Objectives

DeVry University course content is constructed from curriculum guides developed for each course that are in alignment with specific Terminal Course Objectives. The Terminal Course Objectives (TCOs) define the learning objectives that the student will be required to comprehend and demonstrate by course completion. The TCOs that will be covered in detail each week can be found in the Objectives section for that particular week. Whenever possible, a reference will be made from a particular assignment or discussion back to the TCO that it emphasizes.

1

Given a social problem such as homelessness, use sociological imagination to interpret the problem, assess possible solutions, and illustrate how a social scientist may view this issue in a cultural context.

2

Given a hypothesis such as, "Using a cell phone while driving is as dangerous as driving under the influence," apply the scientific method and use appropriate scientific techniques in refining the hypothesis, applying operational definitions, and selecting the appropriate research method for validating the hypothesis.

3

Given a social issue or case study involving an applied sociological situation, such as the current state of the educational, prison, health care or public assistance system in a state or province, analyze the situation from the major sociological, theoretical perspectives, determine if one theory seems more applicable to this issue than another, and provide basic guidelines for improving the system.

4

Given a sample reading, such as Lois Lowry's The Giver (1993), or a film such as Avatar, analyze the meaning of culture within society and demonstrate how the concepts of culture and society are inseparable.

5

Given a case study dealing with issues of the interactions of ethnic or racial groups within social organizations, identify areas of social stratification, discrimination, differentiate between racial and ethnic groups, illustrate stereotypes and analyze these interactions based on the cultural characteristics of the groups within the case study.

6

Given the changing demographics of the United States and the globalization of markets, compare and contrast cultural differences and illustrate their impact on providing services to members of different cultures, especially non-dominant populations in the United States.

7

Given a case study on a multicultural issue other than race and ethnicity, such as the aging North American population, changing family forms, marriage equality, undocumented workers, the location of religious houses of worship, etc., analyze this issue in the context of a subgroup within a larger "normative" population and evaluate the extent to which the subgroup fits in with society's overall norms.

8

Given a film involving a multicultural issue or issues, such as Higher Learning, A Class Divided, or Do the Right Thing, extrapolate at least three major and two minor sociological concepts and demonstrate in a well written essay how these concepts are sociologically related through the film's storyline.

Course Schedule

Week, TCOs, and Topics	Readings and Class Preparation	Activities and Assignments
Week 1 TCOs 1, 2, and 3 Introduction to Sociology	Chapter 1: Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method	Sociological Imagination Assignment Graded Discussion Topics
Week 2 TCOs 3 and 4 Socialization, Culture Social Interaction	Chapter 2: Culture Chapter 3: Socialization: From Infancy to Old Age Chapter 4: Social Interaction in Everyday Life	Graded Discussion Topics Quiz
Week 3 TCOs 4 and 6 Social Groups, Organizations, and Sexuality	Chapter 5: Groups and Organizations Chapter 6: Sexuality and Society	You Decide Activity Graded Discussion Topics
Week 4 TCOs 3, 5 and 6 Deviance, Stratification, and Global Inequality	Chapter 7: Deviance Chapter 8: Social Stratification Chapter 9: Global Stratification	Graded Discussion Topics Quiz
Week 5 TCOs 5, 7, and 8 Gender Stratification, Race and Ethnicity	Chapter 10: Gender Stratification Chapter 11: Race and Ethnicity	Socioautobiography Assignment Graded Discussion Topics
Week 6 TCOs 3, 5, and 7 Economics and Politics, Family and Religion, Education and Medicine	Chapter 12: Economics and Politics Chapter 13: Family and Religion Chapter 14: Education, Health, and Medicine	Graded Discussion Topics Quiz
Week 7 TCOs 1 and 3 Population, the Environment, and Social Change	Chapter 15: Population, Urbanization, and Environment Chapter 16: Social Change: Modern and Postmodern Societies	Graded Discussion Topics
Week 8  All TCOs	Final Exam