Syllabi for Courses Taught
- Spring 2020
- Introduction
to Sociology
- Course Description:
- As the course title states, this class is intended to
introduce you to central issues in society. The course will
acquaint you with a number of sociological perspectives and theoretical
orientations. By taking this course, you will develop a sense of
the range of issues covered by social scientists and the various
perspectives and tools used to understand these issues. We will
approach this course through the perspective of political economy,
which is, by its very nature, an orientation that dissects the world we
live in.
- Course Objectives:
- Students will be familiarized with the basic perspectives
in sociology.
- The course will facilitate mastery of basic sociological
concepts.
- Students will expand their knowledge of basic
sociological
issues, including issues of social class, race/ethnicity, gender, and
sexuality.
- The course is designed to enable the student to
understand
sociological issues both in United States’ society as well as in the
global context.
- This course also encourages students to develop a better
understanding of their culture and society and how they fit into it,
and to apply the sociological perspective to the analysis of social
situations.
- The student should gain a knowledge of cultural and
social
differences, be able to apply sociology to international issues, and to
understand the role of the world citizen.
- Sociological Theory
- Course Description:
- Sociological theory is the backbone of the study of
Sociology. It provides us with the lens through which we
understand the world. Theory is to the sociologist as the
microscope is to the biologist (they have theories too, but just play
along with the analogy!). Theories allow us to see the world at
different levels of abstraction and to connect the lived experiences of
people with the social world they inhabit. Theories frame our
understanding and allow us to make sense of a complex social
world. In this class, you will be exposed to three of the most
notable, if not controversial, social theorists: Marx, Weber and
Durkheim. Because they are central to the discipline, we spend
more time with these theorists. You will also hear from some
lesser-known figures in Sociology to give you perspective on the
“voices from below” that are often left out.
- Course Objectives
- You will be familiar with the main concepts of the
central
theorists in Sociology.
- You will gain insight from Sociologists who highlight
issues of gender and race/ethnicity.
- You will see the application of Sociology to an
increasing
international, globalized world.
- You will be able to apply Sociological concepts to the
contemporary world.
- You will gain an appreciation for understanding the world
through a theoretical lens, developing your own “Sociological
Imagination.”
- “No social study that does not come back to the problem of
biography,
of history and of their intersections within society has completed its
intellectual journey.” C. Wright Mills
- “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in
various
ways; the point is to change it.” Karl Marx
- Introduction to Sociology - Honors
- Course Description
- As the course title states, this class is intended to introduce you to central issues in society. The course will acquaint
you with a number of sociological perspectives and theoretical orientations. By taking this course, you will develop
a sense of the range of issues covered by social scientists and the various perspectives and tools used to understand
these issues. We will approach this course through the perspective of political economy, which is, by its very
nature, an orientation that dissects the world we live in.
- Course Objectives
- Students will be familiarized with the basic perspectives in sociology.
- The course will facilitate mastery of basic sociological concepts.
- Students will expand their knowledge of basic sociological issues, including issues of social class,
race/ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.
- The course is designed to enable the student to understand sociological issues both in United States’ society
as well as in the global context.
- This course also encourages students to develop a better understanding of their culture and society and how
they fit into it, and to apply the sociological perspective to the analysis of social situations.
- The student should gain a knowledge of cultural and social differences, be able to apply sociology to
international issues, and to understand the role of the world citizen.
- Fall 2019
- Seminar in Sociological
Theory
- Course Description:
- Theory is the foundation of research and the culmination of
years of research. Theory allows us to make sense of
the data that we collect as social scientists. This course will
introduce you to a range of authors and subjects to
introduce you to the art of theory. The course is intended to help you
build the skills necessary for effective
research through informed theory application. While the course will not
be a survey of the range of theoretical
ideas, it attempts to expose you to a diversity of authors, regions of
the world, and topics while still providing a
foundation in the pivotal figures in social theory.
- Introduction
to Sociology
- Indigeneity
and Environment
- Course Description:
- Since 1492, indigenous peoples have faced genocide
through
direct military conquest, biological warfare, and the intentional
destruction of their environment. The underlying cause of this genocide
has changed little since 1492. In order for the contemporary economic
system to operate, it requires vast amounts of resources and energy to
create the products it sells in the global marketplace. From the very
origins of the capitalist system in the 1400’s to the present day,
these resources have been found where people already live. In order to
access these resources, the people who already occupy the area are
displaced, poisoned, and/or murdered.
- In this class, you will learn about indigenous
relationships with the environment and how interactions with Europeans
and other invading groups have altered this interaction with nature. We
will begin with an understanding of how indigenous groups view nature
differently than Western societies and move to the general interaction
of societies with the environment. By looking at our general
interaction with the environment, we will be able to discuss the
similarities and differences between the indigenous and sociological
critiques of contemporary environmental interactions.
- We will look at the specific examples of natural resource
extraction in indigenous territory and the processes involved. We will
compare and contrast past struggles with contemporary conflicts. By
looking at historical examples, you will be able to place the
contemporary struggles in context to better understand why the
conflicts are occurring and what the future may hold for these
societies. We will also look at a variety of social movements within
indigenous societies to resist invasion and encroachment. Additionally,
we will contemplate the role of the social scientist in these struggles
and movements.
- Sociological Theory
- Spring 2019
- Introduction
to Sociology
- Sociology
of Globalization
- Course Description:
- Currently, political-economic institutions transcend
national boundaries and are increasing the influence they have
on the daily lives of people around the world. In the popular press and
media, the term “globalization” has been used
to characterize the changes taking place in our world today, but this
class will take a critical look at the term
globalization and the changes in global political and economic
structures. This course will focus on political bodies
and agreements, such as the World Trade Organization, to understand
their operation and the implications for people
around the world. In addition, the course will examine the role of
political-economic agendas and the creation of
such entities as the IMF and the World Bank. At the conclusion of the
course, the students will have a better
understanding of what has been called “globalization” and the political
and economic institutions that shape their
lives.
- Course Objectives:
- Students will be able to:
- Master an understanding of diversity as defined by
Minnesota State Mankato.
" According to MNSU-M, “diversity is defined in comprehensive terms as
the many faceted ways in which human beings differ
from one another. Often overlapping, these differences can include:
age, gender, national origin, sexual orientation,
mental/physical ability, race/ethnicity.”
- Acquire a substantive knowledge base to identify
the
impact of oppression for individuals from diverse populations,
specifically
how the global capitalist system has detrimentally affected diverse
cultures around the world..
- describe the history and operation of the
contemporary
global economy including the global institutions: The World Bank, The
International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization.
- communicate the negative consequences of the
pursuit of
a neoliberal strategy for economic growth.
- assess the limitations and potential for overcoming
the
devastating effects of the neoliberal model of growth.
- Sociological Theory
- Fall 2018
- Spring 2018
- Fall 2017
- Spring 2017
- Social
Change
- Course Description:
- Social Change describes the broad transitions in
society
resulting from a variety of mechanisms. Social Change includes social
movements such as the Civil Rights movement that changed legal
discrimination in the United States. Social Change also includes broad
historical changes such as the transition from feudalism to capitalism.
Social Change has also resulted from climatic or ecological influences.
While some social change may occur imperceptibly through slow change
over time, most social contemporary change results from the struggle of
the oppressed against the oppressors. This course will take a sober
look at social change in our contemporary global society. You will be
introduced to social change movements and the repression of those
movements. You will also study alternatives to contemporary social
arrangements.
- Course Objectives
- Students will be introduced to various theories of
social
change.
- Students will learn concrete examples of social
change in
a
variety of regions of the world.
- Students will learn how repression by groups in power
is
used to challenge social change for greater equality.
- Students will develop an understanding of the common
causes
of social problems driving social change.
- Fall 2016
- Spring 2016
- Sociology
of Globalization
- Sociology
of the Environment
- Course Objectives:
- The environment tends to be taken for granted, and it
is
often assumed to be separate from society. People are an inseparable
part of nature
and must interact with it if they are to survive. This course will look
at this relationship over time and cross-culturally. The course will
examine the various ways nature is perceived as well as different ideas
about how to understand our relationship with nature. The course
will address a number of contemporary concerns regarding the
environment, including food production, toxic chemicals, natural
resource
extraction, and climate change. We shall also contemplate solutions to
the current environmental issues facing society now and into the
future.
- Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to:
- Master an understanding of diversity as defined by
Minnesota State Mankato.
" According to MNSU-M, “diversity is defined in comprehensive terms as
the many faceted ways in which human beings differ
from one another. Often overlapping, these differences can include:
age, gender, national origin, sexual orientation,
mental/physical ability, race/ethnicity.”
- Acquire a substantive knowledge base to identify
the
impact of oppression for individuals from diverse populations.
- Obtain the analytical skills necessary to make
links
between historical practices and contemporary societies across the
world.
- Explain the basic structure and function of various
natural ecosystems and of human adaptive strategies within those
systems.
- Discern and analyze patterns and interrelationships
of
the biophysical and psycho-social cultural systems.
- Describe the basic institutional arrangements
(social,
political, economic) that are evolving to deal with environmental and
natural
resource challenges.
- Evaluate critically environmental and natural
resource
issues in light of understanding about interrelationships, ecosystems,
and
institutions.
- Fall 2015
- Indigeneity
and Environment
- First
Year
Experience
- Course Goals:
- To promote further development of student success
skills
such
as reading, writing, and speaking; help students gain intellectual
confidence; build expectation of academic success and provide
assistance in making transition to the university.
- Course Objectives
- You will:
- Experience higher personal expectations of his/her
ability to
meaningfully participate in academic life;
- Define and give examples of critical thinking;
- Interact with other students regarding academic
matters;
- Affirm that careful thinking is an important aspect
of
the
educational process;
- Make a comfortable transition to college life.
- Spring 2015
- Fall 2014
- Spring of 2014
- Fall of 2013
- Spring of 2013
- Fall 2012
- Spring 2012
- Fall 2011
- Spring 2011
- Fall 2010
- Spring 2010
- Introduction to Sociology
- Environmental Sociology
- The environment tends to be taken for granted, and it
is
often assumed to be separate from society. People are an
inseparable part of nature and must interact with it if they are to
survive. This course will look at this relationship over time and
cross-culturally. The course will examine the various ways nature
is perceived as well as different ideas about how to understand our
relationship with nature. The course will address a number of
contemporary concerns regarding the environment, including food
production, toxic chemicals, natural resource extraction, and climate
change. We shall also contemplate solutions to the current
environmental issues facing society now and into the future.
- Medical Sociology
- Course Description:
- As health care costs rise and medical bills
become
the primary cause of bankruptcies, concern for the health of the vast
majority of residents in the US becomes paramount. Understanding
the factors governing people’s health and well-being is crucial to
addressing health problems such as access to healthcare, level of care,
spread of infectious disease, and preventable disease and death.
This course focuses on the social factors driving health and illness in
the US and other regions of the world. Little known to the
general public, the number one predictor of a person’s health is social
and ecological factors. Social class and environmental factors,
such as pollution, are by far the greatest predictors of someone’s
health than any other single factor such as diet, medical care, high
risk behaviors, and heredity. This course will introduce students
to some of the social factors affecting people’s health outcomes.
Students are encouraged to view health as part of a complex web of
social, environmental, political, economic as well as biological
forces. Of particular focus in this course are issues of diet and
obesity, the social origins of the spread of disease, environmental
racism, socially created hunger, and “culturally aware” care.
- Fall 2009