Professor: Jim Unnever (James D. Unnever, Ph.D., Duke 1980)
Fall, 2003 Course #: SOCY 340
Office: Young Hall 220
Office Phone: 831-5130
Office Hours: M 4:30-6:30, TTH 6:15-7:15, or by appointment
Email address: junnever@runet.edu Home Page: http://www.runet.edu/~junnever
Course Home Page: http://www.runet.edu/~junnever/theory/theory.htm

Classical Sociological Theory George Ritzer
The Manifesto of the Communist Party Karl Marx and F. Engels

These required readings were chosen to provide you with a basic description, analysis, and critique of the classical theories that are the foundation of sociology. By the end of the semester, you will have read original works by Durkheim, Marx and Weber. The ultimate goal of this course is to expose you to a variety of theoretical perspectives that will allow you to understand why and how societies function and how the social organization of societies influence your individual choices. In short, this course is about developing theoretical insights.

There will be three essay exams. Each will account for 26 percent of your final grade. Each exam will consist of essay questions that primarily cover material from the class lectures, textbook, and assigned readings. I will hand out a set of essay questions at least one class period before the test. From this list, I will select one or two essay question that you must answer in class without any notes or reference materials.
You must take the final on the hour and day it is scheduled. I give the final exam during finals week.

There also are quizzes. These are take home quizzes based on the articles on reserve or on the World Wide Web. Due dates for the quizzes are given, in class, at least one class period before you must turn them in. You cannot make up these quizzes unless given permission to do so from me before its due date. You cannot make-up quizzes unless you have official documentation stating why you could not attend class. Turn your quiz in a day early if you know that you will miss a class when it is due. The maximum length of the answers to the quiz questions is one typed page. I will not accept handwritten quizzes. I will return any handwritten quiz that is turned in with a 0 for a grade. All quizzes must be hand-delivered to me at the beginning of the class period the day they are due. I will not accept quizzes I find on my desk, in my mailbox, etc. Hand deliver the quiz to me during my office hours if you are not going to be in class the day the quiz is due.

Quiz grades consist of a 0 (you did not turn it in or you turned in something but it did not have anything to do with the right answer to the quiz): a 65 (this means that you barely, if at all, correctly answered the quiz question and more than likely you, at best, just read the abstract to the article); a 75 (this means you basically just answered the question with little to no elaboration--more than likely you read the article just once; an 85 (this means you answered the question with some degree of confidence and gave examples to back up your argument--more than likely you read the article more than once); and a 95 (this means you fully answered the question correctly and provided examples from the article to support your argument--this requires that you, at least, read all of the material at least twice. Your overall quiz grade average accounts for 17 percent of your final grade. Your quizzes are take-home assignments that you must complete by yourself. You will have cheated on this assignment if you work on the answer to your quizzes with another student. Remember these quizzes are meant to test you on how well you understand the assigned reading. They are not opinion papers.

Due to the number of students that I have in this course, I will not place individual comments, beyond checks and X's, on your tests or quizzes. After we go over the tests or quizzes in class, if you have any further questions about your specific grade please see me during my office hours or make an appointment.

My teaching philosophy is that our learning is not limited to the physical confines of the classroom. I also believe that we can learn from one another by engaging in academic conversations. The use of digital technology now allows us to accomplish these aims. Throughout the semester, you are required to engage in online discussions with your peers by posting your thoughts on an electronic bulletin board. The bulletin board is located on the web page after you log in for the online components of your course. I will monitor the forums to assure that the use of the bulletin board is to further our understanding of sociology, class discussions and the assigned readings. Five percent of your grade is based on your quantitative and qualitative contributions to the online discussions. You will not earn any points unless you contribute to the class discussions. The number of points you earn will be based on the total number of postings. The more you contribute to the online class discussions the more points you will earn (0-5). You can earn up to five points and potentially lose 5. Students who post sociologically informed thought-provoking questions would earn the most number of points. You must make ninety-five percent of your postings before the last two weeks of class in order to earn a grade.

Throughout the semester there will be opportunities to do extra credit. Posted on the web is a list of videos that you can watch at any time to receive extra credit (http://www.runet.edu/~junnever/theory/extra_credit.html). To earn your extra credit points, you must turn in a one page, typed, theoretical analysis of what you witnessed. Begin the analysis with a short factual summary and then make sense of what you witnessed from a theoretical perspective. That is, interpret the content of what you witnessed from, for example, a functional analysis or from a conflict theory perspective. You should complete these analyses toward the end of the semester after you have become familiar with the classical theoretical perspectives that underlie much of sociology.

You must include the receipt of when you checked the video out of the library or from the video store. If you view the video in the library, have the media service receptionist sign a slip of paper that states which video you watched and the time and date of when you watched it. You will not get credit for your work unless you include this information on your extra credit.

At your leisure, you can earn extra credit points by taking Bonus Quizzes. There are 120 extra credit points associated with the Bonus Quizzes that you can potentially earn. I have placed the Bonus Quizzes on your web page titled "Extra Credit." To earn these extra credit points, print and turn in your Bonus Quiz pages with the correct answer circled. Do not forget that you can earn 10 extra credit points by visiting each of the sites included in the Bonus Quizzes. To earn these extra credit points, make copies of the web pages you visited and turn in a summary and theoretical analysis of the web site you visited. To earn your extra credit points complete the assignments and make copies of the web pages you visited. See me if you have any questions.

I add your extra credit points on to your quiz grade scores. For example, if you have done three extra credit assignments, each for ten points, I will add 30 points to your overall quiz score total. If you have a quiz score total of 960 points (12x80), your overall quiz score will be 990 960+30=990. You can accumulate up to 100 extra credit points. Your extra credit must be handed in the last class period of the second to last week of classes. Most of your extra credit assignments are in the library. See the media services desk. Please note that I have caught numerous students cheating on their extra credit. Be assured that I will catch you if you cheat. All extra credit assignments must be done individually. 

You need to complete an entry into the course guestbook by the end of the third week of the semester. To complete this assignment you must include your personality type and a short description of your personality type. The guestbook and personality test are on the web. Click on online technologies from either my home page or from your course home page and you will eventually find the link to the guestbook. I will deduct 100 points from your quiz average if you do not complete this assignment by the end of the third week of the semester. We will use our guestbook to get to know one another.

I curve grades in two ways. First, I curve each exam. The curve equals the number of points that the average exam grade falls below a 78. For example, if the average exam grade is a 72 everyone in the class will have 6 points added to their exam score (i.e., an 86 becomes a 92). Secondly, at the end of the semester, if no one has earned an A (a ninety or above) I will curve your grades so that the highest score in the class is a ninety-two. For example, if the highest cumulative grade is an 89 everyone in the class will have 3 points added on to their final cumulative score. 

You can also earn bonus points that I will add to your final cumulative score. You will earn 2 bonus points if your quiz average is above an 85. You will earn 1 bonus point if your quiz average is above a 75. The grade sheet I post on the web will keep a running total of the number of bonus points you have accumulated throughout the semester. Check your grades after we have each quiz to keep track of your quiz average and the number of bonus points that you have accumulated. Your quiz average does not include your extra credit.

3 exams x 26 percent = 78 percent
the average of your quizzes = 17 percent
online class discussions = 5 percent
100 percent of your final grade.
Plus your bonus points

Some of the required and assigned readings are not specifically gone over in class. I considered them to be in addition to the class lectures and discussions. I do not create my class lectures directly from the textbook. You are required to understand the textbook on your own. Therefore, you must bring up specific questions on the required and assigned readings in class. This also means that to do well in the class you must regularly attend. Roughly 60 percent of the material on your exams is from class lectures and the other 40 percent is from your required and assigned readings.  

Attendance is required. You can miss one exam. If you miss a test, for whatever reason, you can make up that particular test on Tuesday of the last week of class during an assigned time. I do not curve your makeup exam. This is the only time you can make up an exam. You must take the final exam during the hour and day it is scheduled. It is not cumulative. Occasionally, an exam or quiz will be scheduled the class period before a scheduled break or holiday. You are required to attend class on these days. In addition, I occasionally will assign new material by sending you an email. You are responsible for these assignments. This means that you need to check your email throughout the week and over breaks.

Required Readings/Tentative Requirements for the Tests (What is on the test?)

First Test-Classical Sociological Theory (CST), Chapters 1 (pages 3-14 and 36-38), 3, and 4 assigned readings.

Second Test-CST, Chapter 6

Third Test-CST, Chapters 5 and 7 and assigned readings including The Communist Manifesto

Weeks 1-4: Class discussions center on the emergence of sociology as a paradigm. Test #1

Weeks 4-8: Class discussion center on the development of the structural-functional paradigm. The strength of Durkheim's work will be illustrated by in-depth analysis of why rates of suicide vary across different social groups. Test #2

Weeks 8-12: This section will cover Weber's critique of Marx and his analysis of formal legal rationality. This section covers the intricate workings of a Marxian analysis. Special attention will be paid to the concepts of base/superstructure and alienation. Some of Marx's other main themes will be examined by reading The Communist Manifesto. Test #3 Final Exam

I have posted on the web a 24-hour completely anonymous suggestion box. It is located on the same page as your grades, reserve room, etc.--the page that follows your use of the password protection program. Please use the suggestion box to offer constructive comments as to how I can enhance the quality of your learning experience. I will take them very seriously. This suggestion box is completely anonymous so feel free to be honest and direct with your comments. However, please note that I will completely ignore suggestions that are not constructive. I thank you for taking the time to make your suggestions. I also welcome you to visit me during my office hours.

By accepting admission to Radford University, each student makes a commitment to understand, support, and abide by the University Honor Code without compromise or exception. I will not tolerate violations of academic integrity. I will conduct this class in strict observance of the Honor Code. Refer to your Student Handbook for details. If you are found cheating, I will immediately dismiss you from the class and you will receive an F for your final grade (see your Student Handbook for Radford University's definitions of what constitutes cheating).

You must complete all take home assignment on your own. You cannot share your answers to take home assignments. This includes tests, quizzes, extra credit, etc. The above means that you cannot discuss the answers to the tests--you can only discuss the material covered by the tests. In short, you must complete all take home assignments by yourself. If you have any questions concerning these restrictions, come see me before, not after, you engage in what Radford University defines as cheating. I have caught six people who cheated. I have taken students to the Judicial Board; do not become one of them!

I reserve the right to dismiss any student from this class with a grade of an F who violates the Honor Code and/or systematically engages in conduct that disrupts my ability to teach this course effectively. I will only give one warning to the student before I dismiss him or her.

My function as a professor is to create a healthy classroom atmosphere that enhances your critical ability to think about contemporary issues such as racism, sexism, and classism. My intent is to make everyone aware of the effects that these social forces have on the group being discriminated for and against. I discuss these issues in terms of group membership not in relation to you as an individual. If these discussions offend you they more than likely have been personalized. That is not my intent. Remember that when I use the word "you" I am using it in its plural form not its singular form. If I am referring to you as an individual, I will call on you by your specific name. If you feel uncomfortable with our class discussions, please make an appointment to see me.

Note that my function as a professor is to present a diversity of analyses and to challenge you to think. Consequently, some of the theoretical analyses I present may challenge your value system. Please remain open-minded during these discussions. Remember that not everyone in the world shares the same opinions and analyses that we have as individuals. Also, remember that no one's opinions, including mine, are "right" or "wrong." It is OK to disagree. If you feel uncomfortable with our class discussions, please make an appointment to see me.

I do not allow tape recorders unless you are handicapped and have a note from a proper campus department.

If, for whatever reason, you need to leave a class early you must see me before the class begins. If I give you permission to leave before the class is over, then you must sit in the chair that is closest to the door. My general policy is that if you cannot attend the entire class, then do not come at all.

If you have questions concerning any of my policies, you must see me at the beginning of the course. If you do not see me at the beginning of the semester then I assume that you are clear about my policies and have agreed to abide by them. 

I will not respond to emails with spelling errors or with egregious grammatical errors. Please only send text-formatted emails.

I do hereby resolve to uphold the Honor Code of Radford University by refraining from lying, from the stealing or unauthorized possession of property and from violating the Standards of Student Academic Integrity.

I have read and agreed to abide by the syllabus for Classical Theory, SOCY 340. To remain enrolled in this class, you must sign and return this agreement to me by the end of the second week of the semester.

Signed,