Course Syllabus

Syllabus

Nicole Vadino

Introduction to Sociology

Community College of Philadelphia

Professor: Nicole Vadino

Phone Number: 610-306-3143 (this is my personal cell phone so please only use in a case of an

emergency—Always email me in Canvas first!)

E-mail: nvadino@ccp.edu

Skype: nicole.vadino (I am usually on my computer a lot so feel free to contact me)

Textbook:  The Essentials: Andersen and Taylor 7th Edition (this is a custom book isbn-13:978-

1-133-83552-3 or isbn-10:1-133-83552-x)  Make sure you get this edition

 

              "Once knowledge is achieved, the sky is the limit."

(Greek Proverb)

This course will provide an opportunity for students to understand different sociological

approaches to various social issues and give students the foundation required for a more

comprehensive understanding of this social science.  A variety of topics will be discussed that

will allow the students to delve into important social issues and become familiar with techniques

and perspectives that are integral aspects of the field.  Since this course is an on-line course, you

will be required to participate in the forums as well as complete the assignments on time.  Where

Course information

Since this course is an introductory course in Sociology, there are no pre-requisites for the class.  Since the

class will be very interactive, it is important that the students feel that they have an open forum for their

thoughts, ideas and perspectives.  Consideration and respect is the key for this interaction to be successful.  

This class is a journey into understanding of the world around you and the trail will not always be an easy

hike.  As with every journey, preparation and forethought as well as open mindedness and hard work will

be expected throughout. I look forward to guiding you into some bright horizons.  Since much of your

interaction will be in the form of a forum, you are requested to be mindful of your statements.  The forum

is based on our group discussions and therefore students need to feel that it is a safe environment to discuss

openly and honestly.

Instructor Information

A bit of background material...  I graduated with my M.A. and B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in

1995 in Sociology with a concentration in deviance and social control.  My main research interests at Penn

were the death penalty, the Italian Mafia, crime control and due process as well as death and mourning.  

After graduation, I spent three years in Greece and I speak both Greek and Italian.  At the University of

Delaware, I did my PhD course work and my research interests were in Law & Society and Criminology.  

I taught a variety of Sociology and Criminology courses at University of Delaware, Penn State Delco and

CCP.  Currently, I am a full-time faculty member in Sociology at the Community College of Philadelphia.  

Since this course will be providing many areas of interest, I would like to hear from as many of you as

possible so I can focus the class discussions and readings to best suit the overall interest of the class.

you may send your assignments earlier, no late papers will be considered.

Course information:

During the semester, there will be three sections that will break topics into areas of interest. Each section

will involve class readings from the main text as well as supplementary readings and lecture materials.  

After each new section, there will be a comprehensive mid-term exam.  There will be a total of two exams

during the semester and a final during the exam week.  Each week there will be discussion questions for the

forum as well as mini-quizzes on the chapter readings.  All materials need to be completed when stated in

the reading list.

Course Description:

Understanding the social nature of humans and the social world in which they live. Analysis

of such topics as culture, socialization, social groups and social institutions, stratification, the

family, gender relations, race and ethnicity, minorities, social deviance, social change and

technology, the urban community, population and the environment. Both Western and non-
Western cross-cultural comparisons are provided throughout the course. Fulfills Interpretive

Studies, American/Global Diversity and Writing Intensive requirements.

Upon completion of this course students will be able to:

·       Describe how sociologists seek to understand the social world and human social

behavior as contrasted with other disciplinary attempts to understand it.

·       Describe the varieties of methodological approaches to sociological explanation.

·       Explain what variables account for the maintenance of and change within social

systems.

·       Discuss how the individual becomes a functioning member of society.

·       Discuss the explanatory models used by sociologists to understand and explain

the nature of social deviance.

·       Describe how sociologists understand and explain the nature and consequences

of stratification systems in human societies in the context of social class, race,

ethnicity, gender, age, and global inequality.

Course Objectives

The main course objective is to provide the students with the tools and information needed to

look at the world through a different set of eyes. As we journey through different sections, we

will debunk many of the myths that are prevalent in society and continue to misinform the general

population. The students will be provided the opportunity to use the techniques of social science

research and put theory into action. This will not be a course of passive learning or memorization

but rather an active learning environment that requires the students to gather the information

from the readings and apply this information to other aspects of social interactions. During some

weeks students may be required to read a newspaper (from the internet, or newsstand) and write

short reaction papers. The objective of the course is to provide the building blocks throughout the

course to make connections in each of the course sections.

Since the course is an introductory course, the main objective will be to introduce the class to

a variety of topics that are important in the field of study. You will be able to access standard

lectures that will be on power point, which will be available on line. Make sure you review the

lecture notes while you complete your readings. The lectures are a guide to your learning and

there will be many questions posed throughout. The forum will be a major portion of your grade.

Participation and discussion will account for a portion of the overall final grade.

Course Requirements

Sociology 101 is a writing intensive course and you will be required to complete many writing

assignments. You will be graded on content as well as your writing ability. I suggest that you review

prior to submission and even go to the college writing labs for help. Your content will be 75% of the

grade and your writing will be 25%.

As students in this Introduction to Sociology class, you will be required to interact with your fellow

students in groups to discuss a number of issues that will be debated in the forum.  These discussions will

require students to do some outside research at the library or on the web.  Some weeks students will be

required to post their reaction papers to the forum and comment on other postings.  Course Policies

Where this is an online class, it does not mean that you can skip a week or two.  If you will be unable

to access internet, this is not a class for you.  You will be responsible for doing a group project as well

as being involved in the weekly forums.  Where this class allows you the flexibility to access the class

materials and do work at all hours, there are strict deadlines for assignments.  The assignments will be

closed after the deadline so you will get NO credit and will not be able to post your work if it is after the

dedicated deadline.  Every class is different so make sure you are aware of the deadlines and requirements

of the class.  

You need to participate actively in the forum discussion and post your responses in a timely manner.  

Failure to do so will result in a lowering of your grade.  If you miss 2 weeks of forums (at any point in

the semester), you may be dropped from class for lack of participation.  The forums are the way I take

attendance and account for your participation.  Where you may be able to do some of your assignments

ahead of time, it is important that you follow the forum discussion on a weekly basis or you will not be able

to complete some of the required work.

Issues regarding Cheating and Plagiarism

Lately there has been an increase in plagiarism and I will not tolerate any forms of plagiarism.  You need to

cite all of your work and make sure that read the definitions below.  

Plagiarism is defined as the presentation of words or ideas from an existing source as if they were your own

work. In academic circumstances, plagiarism may be divided into three categories: (taken from: University

of Delaware Academic Integrity)

•       Copying directly from another source without using quotation marks or a footnote;

•       Changing a few words in a passage from another source without using quotation marks or a footnote;

•       Putting ideas (judgments, opinions, inferences experiments, etc.) from another source in your own

words without using a footnote.

If any student is caught cheating on an exam or in any act of plagiarism, the instructor has the right to fail

the student for the course and the assignment.  Please refer to the attached sheets from CCP's student code

of conduct on plagiarism and cheating.  If a student is caught cheating or plagiarizing one time during the

semester, it will result in the student failing the assignment as well as the class for the semester.

Missed Assignments and Late Work

As with the missed quizzes, missed assignments cannot be made up.  No late work will be accepted after

the due date unless there are extenuating circumstances.  There will be no make-up exams.

Grading, Evaluation Policies and Procedures

Every assignment and exam will have a certain amount of points allotted.

Exams and Quizzes are worth:     400 points

Weekly forums are worth:             150 points

Papers Throughout the semester  800 points

Group Assignment Grade              150 points

Total Amount of points 1500 points