Faculty

SOCI-1301 Introduction to Sociology

Francine Swift

Credit Spring 2026

Section(s)

SOCI-1301-012 (18566)
LEC TuTh 9:05am - 10:25am SAC SAC1 1312

SOCI-1301-013 (28884)
LEC MW 2:05pm - 3:35pm DVE DE1 A218

SOCI-1301-025 (28887)
LEC MW 9:00am - 10:30am CCH CCH1 J103

SOCI-1301-026 (28888)
LEC MW 11:00am - 12:30pm CCH CCH1 J103

Course Requirements

Course Requirements

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS:

[The course is intended to help introduce sociology to you in an engaging, fun and useful manner! I will provide lots of help and encouragement!]

Classroom Discussion (20%)

Students will be require to participate in classroom discussion to articulate their thoughts and insight on various topics covered throughout the semester.

Quizzes Online (10%)

Exercises and Homework (20%)

There will be a variety of exercises and homework assigned throughout the semester. Assignments should be submitted via Blackboard and in Microsoft Word (doc.docx), Open Office (odt) or Adobe (pdf) formats.

Mandatory Exams (60%)

There will be 3 mandatory multiple-choice exams for this course. Exams will cover the material from the lectures, and assigned chapters from the Opens tax Sociology textbook, PowerPoints. Each exam will be worth 20% of your final grade. Exams will be administered in class. Students that miss an exam should not assume they can make that exam up. Retakes for missed exams are at the discretion of the instructor.

GRADING:

This is what you are graded on:

Grade Component

Component Possible Points/Percentage

11 Writing Assignments	5 points	= 55 points total
1 Quiz	5 points	= 5 points total
1 Essay Quiz	5 points	= 5 points total
3 EXAMS	100 points	= 300 points total
TOTAL POINTS		365 POINTS

This is how your course grade will be determined:

Course Grade Calculation

Grade	A	B	C	D	F
Points	365 – 315	314 – 265	264 – 215	214 - 175	Below 174

Extra credit will be granted contingent upon completion of all assignments, exams and participation in class discussion. You must email the instructor if interested.

Readings

REQUIRED MATERIALS: Your textbook for this class is available for free online in web view or PDF here: www.openstax.org/details/introduction-sociology

Our book is called:

Introduction to Sociology 3e, from OpenStax, ISBN 1938168410

Course Subjects

1: The Sociological View
2: Culture and Socialization
3: Social Interaction, Groups, and Social Structure
4: Deviance and Social Control
5: Stratification in the United States and Global Inequality
6: Inequality by Race and Ethnicity
7: Inequality by Gender
8: Social Institutions: Family and Religion
9: Social Institutions: Education, Government, and the Economy
10: Population, Community, Health, and the Environment
11: Social Movements, Social Change, and Technology

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

You will be given the opportunity to meet and achieve these benefits from your participation in this course, and I will be looking for how well you demonstrate your abilities with respect to these objectives in my final evaluation of your performance in this course.

If we both are successful in this course you will:

Develop the ability to see individual (including your own) choices and situations in a larger social context of trends, history, culture, and structure-appreciating the influence of social forces on individual circumstances (this is the definition of a sociological imagination); Explain the complex links between indivdiauls experiences and broader institutional forces.
Gain an understanding of the different theoretical perspectives and important concepts utilized within sociology and compare and contrast the basic theoritical perspectives of sociology.
Practice the application of your sociological imagination and the various theoretical perspectives for a richer understanding of your self (your values, choices, beliefs), people, relationships, inequality, societies, and see possibilities for social transformation;
Identify the various methodological approaches to the collection and analysis of data in sociology.
Describe key concepts in sociology.
Describe empiriccal findings in various subfields of sociology.
Have the opportunity to improve your test taking, study, and writing skills through practice on the evaluation components and individual coaching from your instructor.
Demonstrate your understanding of couse material and your ability to meet acadmic standards of excellence on exams and in discussion.

This College-Level Sociology course is designed to introduce students to the sociological study of society. Sociology focuses on the systematic understanding of social interaction, social organization, social institutions, and social change. Major themes in sociological thinking include the interplay between the individual and society, how society is both stable and changing, the causes and consequences of social inequality, and the social construction of human life. Understanding sociology helps discover and explain social patterns and see how such patterns change over time and in different settings. By making vivid the social basis of everyday life, sociology also develops critical thinking by revealing the social structures and processes that shape diverse forms of human life.

GENERAL POLICIES

Arriving to class late, leaving early, sleeping, talking, reading, or otherwise being distracted and distracting, are not acceptable classroom activities.
Cell phones are distracting and should not be used in class. Talking and texting in class will not be allowed. I understand that in some situations, for emergencies, we need to have our cell phones at our disposal, even if we’re in class. Please be respectful of me and of your class and use your phone in these situations in a manner that causes the least disruption.
You may not photograph, or use audio or video recording devices of any kind, including cellular phones, during class, without my express prior written permission.
Please let me know immediately if you have a health problem or disability that necessitates leaving the room during class time, consistently arriving late, or needing to leave early. Arriving late and leaving early is distracting to me and other students. If an occasion arises where you need to leave early or arrive late please sit in a seat as near to the door as possible and take special care to enter/leave quietly.
You may not make up in-class work. If you miss a class, please get notes from a classmate rather than asking me, the instructor, for notes. You are responsible for all information communicated in class, whether or not you are in attendance.
I will not give incompletes in this course except under extremely unusual, well-documented circumstances.
Cheating, plagiarism and dishonesty are taken very seriously and will result in a failing grade for the course.