Course

Introduction to
Course No. Lecture No. Title Credit 3
Sociology
(Subtitle)
Name C.N. Le (post : ) Homepage CNLe.net
Representative
E-mail cnle@umass.edu Phone No. 1-413-210-8150
Instructor
Office Hour/Place :

Prerequisite Course

Sociology is the scientific study of the social behaviors of and interconnections

between individuals, groups, communities, institutions, and societies. This
course has two basic goals: (1) to introduce you to the Sociological Imagination
as a “tool” that you can use to understand the basic components and dynamics of
sociology, and (2) to use these tools to critically examine contemporary social
*1. Purpose of Course issues that are present around the world (with a particular emphasis on South
Korea and East Asia) and how these issues affect your lives. As a Sociology
course, the emphasis is on relating individual-level experiences and
characteristics to historical patterns and institutional-level social processes, along
with supporting analyses through the use of established theories and concepts,
valid and reliable data and statistics, and real-world examples.

O’Brien, Timothy, and Garth Massey (eds.). 2023. Readings for Sociology. 10th edition.
*2. Materials and New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-1324044086. There may be
Reference
additional readings and PDF copies of them will be provided.

Additional
Attendance Assignment Midterm Final Attitude Other Total
Evaluation
15 35 25 25 100

*3. Evaluation (%) Students who are absent for over 1/3 of the class will receive a
grade of 'F' or U' for the course. (Exceptions can be made when
Attendance Policy :
the cause of absence is deemed unavoidable by the course
instructor.)
Other Remarks :
 Week 1

▪ Class 1 (Mon. July 1): Basic Concepts, Theories, and Methods

Textbook articles: 1, 6, 19
In-class discussion: What does it mean to “do sociology?”

▪ Class 2 Tues. July 2): Socialization, Culture, and Structure

Textbook articles: 2, 4, 8
In-class discussion: Understanding the 3 levels of sociological analysis

▪ Class 3 (Wed. July 3): Race, Ethnicity, and Religion

Textbook articles: 3, 7, 23, 26, 40
In-class discussion: How racial, ethnic, and religious differences may be the
most significant forms of differentiation

▪ Class 4 (Thu. July 4): Social Class and Stratification

Textbook articles: 17, 24, 29
In-class discussion: How financial insecurity forms the basis for hostility
against others

Week 2

▪ Class 5 (Mon. July 8): Gender, Family, and Sexuality

Textbook articles: 16, 28, 36, 37
In-class discussion: What does it mean to be “feminist” and “anti-feminist?”

*4. Lecture Plan ▪ Class 6 (Tues. July 9): Politics and International Relations
Textbook articles: 21, 25, 31, 45
In-class discussion: How much can individuals change political systems”

▪ Class 7 (Wed. July 10): Education

Textbook articles: 12, 18
In-class discussion: The modern value of a college education

▪ Class 8 (Thu. July 11): Midterm Exam

In-class discussion: How sociology can be applied in a variety of careers

Week 3

▪ Class 9 (Mon. July 15): Law, Policing, and Incarceration

Textbook articles: 5, 11, 33, 34
In-class discussion: What does it mean to “defund the police?”

▪ Class 10 (Tues. July 16): Media and Technology

Textbook articles: 10, 13, 32
In-class discussion: Weighing the benefits and drawbacks of media
technology

▪ Class 11 (Wed. July 17): Entertainment and Popular Culture

Textbook articles: 9, 14, 15
In-class discussion: Why do particular examples of entertainment become
popular?
▪ Class 12 (Thu. July 18): Work, Public Health, and Medical Care
Textbook articles: 30, 35, 39
In-class discussion: Understanding the relationship between healthcare
spending and outcomes

Week 4

▪ Class 13 (Mon. July 22): Immigration, Communities, and the Environment

Textbook articles: 20, 22, 27, 38
In-class discussion: Understanding the surge in nativism and xenophobia

▪ Class 14 (Tues. July 23): Globalization and Social Change

Textbook articles: 41, 42, 43, 44
In-class discussion: Understanding global connectivity and how it affects
activism

▪ Class 15 (Wed. July 24): Final exam

5. Additional Notes for Additional assignment:
Students
o Students will pick 7 (seven) topics during the course and submit an Online
Reflection in which they share their reactions to at least two of the assigned
textbook articles, and to the in-class material. Each Online Reflection is
worth 5 points.

o Visual Impairment: Make textbooks(digital textbook, braille textbook,

enlarged textbook etc.), Allow note takers
o Physical Disability: Make textbooks (digital textbook), Allow note takers and
assistants
o Hearing Impairment: Allow note takers and translators, Allow lecture
Class recording
o Health Impairment: Excuse absence due to health problems, Allow note
takers
o Learning Disability: Allow note takers
o Intellectual Disability / Autism Spectrum Disorder: Allow note takers and
6.
mentors
Assistance
for o Visual Impairment / Physical Disability / Hearing Impairment / Health
Students Impairment / Learning Disability: Extend assignment deadlines, Offer
with Assignment alternate assignment submission and response method, Extend testing
Disabilities & period, Offer alternate testing method, Offer different testing room ○
Evaluation Intellectual Disability / Autism Spectrum Disorder: Offer individualized
assignments and alternative evaluations

o Students who take this course can get appropriate level of support service
including the support listed above depending on the students’ individual
characteristics and needs through consultation with professors and the
Support Center for Students with Disabilities. If you have any questions
Others
concerning support service for students with disabilities you can contact
Professor ***(Contact Information) or Support Center for Students with
Disabilities (02-880-8787).