SOCIOLOGY 301
FOUNDATIONS of SOCIOLOGY I

PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY - WINTER TERM, 2015

INSTRUCTOR: Michael A. Toth, Ph.D.
Office: CH 271U  Phone: 725
-3926 or email: tothm@pdx.edu
Office Hours: by appointment

                                                                           Required Reading:

                                Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory, 2nd Edition, by
                                Scott A. Appelrouth & Laura Desfor Edles (ISBN 978-1-4129-9233-6)
                                available from the PSU Bookstore. (
If not available at the PSU Bookstore,
                                you may chose to purchase or rent a copy from Amazon.)

DOWNLOAD SYLLABUS HERE


~ Working Schedule ~
There may be slight variations in the schedule as the term unfolds...

SUPPLEMENTAL REPOSITORY of COURSE GRAPHICS
 

Dates
&
ALLAN CHAPTERS
Topic
& Resources
ADDITIONAL
Supporting Readings
Quizzes
& Essays
Jan 6, 8, 13 1 Insights Into Sociology
What Sociology has to Offer
A Systematic Introduction to Sociology
Sociology: The Early Years
Personal Reflections of a Sociologist
What's Special About Our Brain?
Discussion Reading:
The Sacred Canopy, Chap 1
(Sacred Canopy Lexicon)
August Comte
Herbert Spencer

Behind the Barricades
UNIT 1
In-class Quiz - Jan 13
Essay Questions &
Core Ideas due Jan 20
Jan 15, 20, 22, 27 2 KARL MARX
Building a Toaster from scratch
Why are glasses so expensive?
Labor Practices & the iPhone
Uber' Business Model-NYT
Marx
Patent used as a sword
Discussion Reading:
See syllabus
Intro, Quotes,
Alienation, Materialism,
Labor Theory of Value,
Social Class
Declining Midddle Class- NYT
UNIT 2
In-class Quiz  - Jan 27
Essay Questions &

Core Ideas due Feb 3
Jan 27, 29,
Feb 3, 5
3 EMILE DURKHEIM
Are People Inherently Good?
[play] VooDoo [play]
Effervescence: 1  2 (144)
Durkheim
Discussion Readings:
See syllabus
Durkheim PowerPoint
Commentary on Elementary Forms of Religious Life
Marx & Durkheim
on Religion
UNIT 3
In-class Quiz - Feb 5
Essay Questions &

Core Ideas due Feb 12
Feb 10, 12,  17, 19 4 MAX WEBER
Social Action

The Decline of Necessity,
The Incline of Illusion
Weber
Discussion Reading:
See syllabus
Discussion Prompts
Satan: a parable
on the origin of religion

 Going to College
November 11
UNIT 4
In-class Quiz - Feb 19
Essay Questions &
Core Ideas due Feb 24
Feb 19, 24, 26, Mar 3 6,
8
GEORG SIMMEL
THE SHIFT TO AMERICA
THE CHICAGO SCHOOL

SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
The Blue Dress
Simmel
The Chicago School
Park, Thomas, Cooley

Mead
Discussion Reading:
Why Sociology is Difficult
Microsociology
and Simmel

The Stranger,
George Herbert Mead
Mind, Self, & Society|
UNIT 5
Combined and Essay Questions & Core Ideas
due Mar 10
Mar 5, 10, 12 9 TALCOTT PARSONS
Parsons PowerPoint
ROBERT MERTON
Merton PowerPoint
The Social System
Manifest & Latent Functions
INTERFACE ANALYSIS

Discussion Reading:
Parsons & the University
Functionalism,
Structuralism
Merton's Legacy

Merton: Role Set
UNIT 6
 Essay Questions &

Final Part 1 & Part 2
Extra Credit Option
Thurs, Mar 19 4:30 pm ALL FINAL MATERIALS DUE IN DEPARTMENT OFFICE: CRAMER HALL 217

ADDITIONAL SITES OF SIGNIFICANT INTEREST:

SocioWeb The SocioLog
Dead Sociologist's Index The Sociology Ring
Sociological Timeline (from 1600) Sociological Subject Areas
Sociologists - Both Dead and Alive

Ritzer's Classical Sociological Theory Website