Introduction to Sociology Syllabus for 2026-2027
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Course Information

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As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

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Tutoring for Success applies to any student whose overall performance in the course falls below 75%. The instructor will create the task in the Student Engagement Portal (Watermark) to direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty- or SI-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. The tutoring service assigned, the due date for when the tutoring must be completed, and the amount of tutoring required are at the discretion of the instructor. Additionally, the task will alert the student’s success team. Students who do not fulfill the assigned tutoring task may be subject to program- and course-specific penalties that could result in a grade reduction and/or in not being allowed to progress in the course until the tutoring requirement has been satisfied.

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Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

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For-credit academic and workforce education courses offered at Amarillo College are limited to the course options available in the statewide inventory for two-year public institutions. Courses in the state-authorized lower-division Academic Course Guide Manual and Workforce Education Course Manual have specific descriptions that prescribe course content and may include specific student learning outcomes. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) maintains and regularly updates these manuals. Amarillo College faculty and leaders ensure that these courses are aligned with THECB guidelines and evaluated based on student performance outcomes. Students enrolled in these courses are expected to engage with and learn course content. According to the AC Board of Regents Policy Manual, "faculty members are entitled to academic freedom in the conduct of research and teaching and are tasked with the associated responsibilities" (DGC). Students are entitled to academic freedom in the classroom, as well, and faculty "must not attempt to force on students a personal viewpoint and must at all times allow diversity of opinion" (Amarillo College Academic Affairs Manual).

Course

SOCI-1301-004 Introduction to Sociology

Prerequisites

Course Description

The scientific study of human society, including ways in which groups, social institutions and individuals affect each other. Causes of social stability and social change are explored through the application of various theoretical perspectives, key concepts and related research methods of sociology. Analysis of social issues in their institutional context may include topics such as social stratification, gender, race/ethnicity and deviance.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(3 sem hrs 3 lec )

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Students are required to read two popular non-fiction, research-based texts:

            Kristof, Nicholas D. and Sheryl Wudunn. 2020. Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope. NY: Penguin

                        Random House LLC.

            Carney, Timothy P. 2020. Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse. NY:

                        HarperCollins Publishers.

Both books examine social decay and economic dislocation in America’s working-class towns and cities, but from sharply different perspectives and political leanings. Together, they will help illustrate a diversity of sociological viewpoints and give students the chance to apply their sociological imaginations to a relevant and important social topic. Please note that the assigned readings do not always align with the lecture content. The readings often provide supplemental material, allowing students to explore a topic in greater detail and exposing them to different analytical styles and voices.

Supplies

The only supplies necessary are access to the Blackboard course site, assigned readings, and a Zoom account for optional virtual meetings.

Student Performance

Course Objectives

• Survey the field of sociology, including its sub-fields focused on the family, deviance, stratification, religion, and more.
• Expose students to a variety of competing sociological perspectives, improving their critical thinking skills and developing their sociological imaginations
• Demonstrate how sociologists use theory to generate testable hypotheses
• Demonstrate how sociologists use data to develop and improve theory
• Familiarize students with basic social scientific research methods and the peer review process
• Provide students with rudimentary social scientific research skills
• Improve (or reinforce) students’ academic reading skills
• Provide an environment conducive to class participation and pro-social interaction

Weekly Course Rhythm

This course is designed with a consistent weekly structure to help students stay on track while maintaining flexibility. Each week, students should plan to engage with course materials Monday through Thursday, though you are welcome to complete work at times that fit your schedule. Lecture content will be uploaded Monday-Thursday as video segments (approximately 25-30 minutes each). Students may watch these videos at any time during the week but are encouraged to view them earlier rather than later so that they have time to reflect on the material. The instructor regularly updates lectures and the course, so prerecorded videos are not available in advance. In addition to lecture videos, students will read two assigned chapters per week and take a reading quiz that is due on Sunday. Reading quizzes and short written responses are designed to reinforce key ideas from both the readings and lectures. All weekly assignments – including quizzes and written responses – are due by Sunday at 11:59 pm. Students should also regularly consult the course schedule (below) for exam and other important dates

Assignments and Exams

Reading Quizzes. Once per week, I will assign a short reading quiz based on the week’s assigned materials. All quizzes are due by Sunday at 11:59pm. These quizzes are designed to (1) help students stay on pace with the course, (2) provide practice with exam-style questions, and (3) encourage engagement with key ideas from the readings. Quizzes are timed (15 minutes) and intended to be completed in one sitting. They are low-stakes and will focus on central themes, key examples, and occasional applications of course concepts rather than highly specific details (e.g., dates or names). Each quiz will consist of five multiple choice questions and at least one short answer question. Each reading quiz is worth 10 points, and the lowest quiz score (including a missed quiz) will be dropped. Note that students may be asked to reference pertinent reading material in their short responses. This material will tend to include broad themes and heavily emphasized anecdotes (i.e. stories about individual and their families) or research studies.

Midterm and Final Exams. Students will complete both a midterm and a final exam during the 8-week term. Please check the course schedule (below) to ensure that you are available during the exam windows. If you anticipate a scheduling conflict, notify the instructor in advance to arrange an alternative time. In cases of illness or emergency, contact the instructor as soon as reasonable to request a reschedule. The instructor reserves the right to deny a makeup exam if a student has made little or no effort to engage in the course; in practice, students who keep up with reading quizzes and complete weekly assignments are more likely to be granted an exception.

Exams will be completed online within a specified time window ( ~ one week) and will consist of approximately two-thirds multiple-choice and one-third short-answer questions. The multiple choice and short-answer sections will cover the assigned readings and lecture materials. Exams are designed to give practice with test formats common at colleges and universities and to encourage steady engagement with course material throughout the term. Like the reading quizzes, exams will be timed (~75 minutes).

Short Written Responses. Each week, students will complete one or more short written assignment based on the week’s lecture videos and course materials. These are due by Sunday at 11:59pm. These assignments are designed to reinforce key concepts from the lectures and provide opportunities to reflect and expand on core ideas. They also provide an opportunity for the instructor to respond with feedback. Prompts will be announced and explained during the lecture videos. Responses that do not follow the instructions outlined in the video may not receive credit. Responses are intended to be concise but thoughtful, demonstrating clear understanding of the material. The instructor is not looking for polished writing or full understanding of the material; rather, authentic (i.e., human written) responses that show engagement (rather than total understanding) will receive credit.

Paper: Explaining Alienation in American Communities. In this course, students will complete a short analytical paper (approximately 700 words or more) examining why some American communities thrive while others experience social and economic decline. Drawing on course readings, students will develop a clear argument explaining patterns of alienation, cohesion, and opportunity across cities, towns, or regions in the United States.

Students must ground their analysis primarily in either Alienated America or Tightrope. While both books address similar social problems, they offer different diagnoses and emphasize different causal mechanisms. In their thesis statement, students should take a position by arguing that one of these books provides a more compelling explanation for why some places succeed while others struggle. Note that students do not have to agree with all aspects of the authors’ arguments. They just have to make an argument about which set of explanations is more convincing. (Students are invited to argue that neither book provides a compelling argument. In this case, I ask students to explain why the books are unconvincing, using evidence from the texts as well as empirical evidence that students believe contradicts or undermines the authors’ arguments.)

To support their argument, students must reference at least three specific examples, cases, or pieces of evidence from the book they choose. These may include descriptions of particular communities, institutions, social patterns, or mechanisms discussed by the author(s). Students may use any standard citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, ASA), provided it is applied consistently.

Finally, students should extend their argument beyond the specific cases discussed in the book by briefly explaining how their explanation helps make sense of other regions of the United States or comparable communities elsewhere in the world. The goal is not to provide exhaustive comparisons, but to demonstrate sociological reasoning by showing how general arguments about social organization, institutions, and inequality travel across contexts. A more detailed assignment prompt, grading criteria, and examples will be provided early in the semester.

Use of AI Tools (for the paper only). Students are permitted to use AI-based tools (such as ChatGPT or similar platforms) to support their research and writing process, but not to replace it. Acceptable uses include helping identify relevant themes or questions, brainstorming, organizing ideas, refining arguments, improving clarity and style, strengthening transitions, and locating or thinking through how to use evidence from assigned course readings. AI tools may not be used to generate original arguments, select or invent evidence, summarize readings in place of completing them, or write substantive portions of the paper from scratch.

To ensure transparency and accountability, students are required to maintain a logbook documenting their use of AI tools throughout the research and writing process. This logbook must be included as an appendix to the paper and should list all prompts used, along with brief notes describing how the output was used (e.g., refining a thesis, revising a paragraph, clarifying an argument, identifying relevant sections of a reading). The logbook will not be graded for writing quality, but failure to include it, or evidence of unapproved AI use, may result in a grade penalty.

The goal of this policy is not to prohibit new tools, but to emphasize that students remain responsible for their ideas, arguments, and evidence, and that learning to research, write, and revise is a central part of thinking sociologically.

Optional Ungraded “Assignments”. Each lecture video will be accompanied by a short, untimed “Test Your Knowledge” quiz. These are optional and ungraded and are designed to help students determine if they understand the most important themes. Also, each week, students can submit clarifying questions and comments related to the course material through an online submission on Blackboard. This is the instructor’s attempt to encourage more engagement with the concepts and themes, for motivated students.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools (Quizzes, Exams, and Short Written Responses). This course is designed to assess your understanding of the material. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, submitted work should reflect your own thinking and engagement with the readings and lectures. The instructor uses multiple methods to identify irregularities in student work, including patterns in Blackboard activity, exam/quiz behavior, and written responses. When patterns raise concern, the instructor may request a brief meeting with the student to discuss their work. During this meeting, the student may be asked to explain their responses, reasoning, familiarity with the material and process by which they submitted their work. These meetings may be recorded. If a student’s explanation is inconsistent with the instructor’s evidence, the instructor may assign a zero on the assignment or assessment and/or pursue further action through the college’s academic misconduct process. Students are encouraged to approach course work as an opportunity to develop their own understanding. If you are ever unsure about what is permitted, please ask in advance. Note: Students may use AI on the paper assignment (see above).

Grading Criteria

Grade breakdown

Reading Quizzes                                                                                                                          25%

Short Written Responses.                                                                                                            10%

Paper: Explaining Alienation in American Communities                                                               15%

Midterm Exam                                                                                                                              25%

Final Exam                                                                                                                                   25%

Attendance

Students are expected to keep up with weekly lecture videos, readings, and other assignments. 

Calendar

Additional Information

Here's my lengthier description of Sociology 1301, for students who want more info: 

Course Description

The American Sociological Association’s (ASA) webpage defines describe as “The study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies and how people interact within these contexts. Since all human behavior is social, the subject matter of sociology ranges from the intimate family to global communities; from deviance to organized crime; from religious traditions to state institutions; and from the divisions of race, gender and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture.”

Sociology is therefore a very substantively broad academic discipline, covering any topic that is related to the social. This is both a virtue (there is no end to what sociologists can examine) and a limitation (sociologists often disagree on how to analyze and explain social life).

Most importantly, sociology is a social science. Sociologists aspire to use rigorous scientific methods – many shared with the natural sciences – to answer research questions about social life. Sociology is therefore an empirical or data-driven discipline. Sociological data can be numerical (quantitative) or text-based (qualitative).

Theory is also central to sociology. It guides deductive research, where scholars test hypotheses about causal relationships, and inductive research, where theory emerges from data. Competing theories lead to different approaches and ways of answering big questions like: Does teen pregnancy cause poverty, or does poverty raise the likelihood of teen pregnancy? Are wage gaps explained by worker skill differences or by discrimination? Do healthier, happier societies result from generous social programs or from strong cultural solidarity? Why does someone become a career criminal – because legitimate opportunities are blocked, or because crime is normalized in their peer groups?

Sociology continues to be popular because it encourages critical thinking and informed analysis. It can be valuable to anyone with intellectual curiosity, regardless of personal background or politics. But sociologists are not purely disinterested, neutral observers – their backgrounds and perspectives motivate the questions they ask and the methods they use. In this class, students will engage with competing perspectives. Considering and critiquing different theoretical traditions and standpoints will help students sharpen their critical thinking and develop their sociological imaginations.