- Read – As much of this course will involve in and out of class discussions, it will be imperative that you keep up with the reading. Our only required text is James Henslin's Down to Earth Sociology which you can find at the campus bookstore.
- Forum Posts – This will be an integral part of how you express your ideas about what you learn. I expect everyone to write one forum entry each week (12 total). These entries should somehow incorporate the ideas from the readings and class discussions, and they should reflect your ability to examine the social world utilizing what we've learned. I expect you to write approximately 500 words per week for a total of 6,000 words for the semester. Attempt to use as many concepts as you can in your writing.
- Concept Exploration – As with any discipline, sociology has its own language. Part of our project this semester is to find and write definitions for a long list of sociological concepts. Our list is here. All red terms have no definition, yellow terms need additional work, and green terms you should try to remember. If you go to the course wiki, you will find definitions from prior students. You are welcome to use these definitions to populate the concepts, but try to improve upon them as you go.
- Social Experiments – Throughout the semester, we will be participating in various social experiments. At least one of these will be a formal experiment fulfilling one of your individual paper requirements. You will be required to write up your findings and submit them as necessary.
- Individual Papers – You are expected to write two 3-5 page papers. These papers should reflect your ability to think sociologically and analyze a social issue, problem, and/or situation.
- Group Project – Everyone will be involved in a group research project for the duration of the semester. At semester's end, you will submit your finished research, approx. 10,000 words. This will include a presentation of your group work to the class during our final examination period.
