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SYLLABUS FOR SOC101: PRINCIPLES OF SOCIOLOGY
Course: SOC*K101 Principles of Sociology
Course Schedule: TR 11:00 a.m.– 12:15 p.m.
Location: D105
Instructor: Steven Neufeld
Office: C142
Phone: 860-215-9457
Email: SNeufeld@trcc.commnet.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 12:30 – 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 – 4:30 p.m., or by appointment
(please always confirm with me first!)
I. Course Description
Sociology is the study of groups, organizations, institutions, and societies, and their
influence on human behavior. Sociology goes beyond individual and psychological explanations
of human behavior to look at social factors and trends that shape individual behavior and the
behavior of groups and societies. These social trends and factors include cultural aspects of
societies, such as beliefs, values, and social norms. They also include structural aspects of
societies, which refers to the positions and roles people occupy in groups, institutions, and
societies as a whole. In particular, sociology focuses on patterns of social inequality, especially
class, racial and ethnic, and gender inequalities in society—how they are created and maintained
and how they affect our opportunities, beliefs and attitudes, and behavior in society. Overall,
sociology allows us to analyze societies and social behavior from a critical perspective, thereby
providing us with a better understanding of social problems and issues.
The course is divided into three parts, with an exam after each part. The first part of the
course will examine how sociologists study the social world. This will discuss the idea of
sociology as a science, the research methods used by sociologists to study the social world, and
theoretical perspectives on society and social behavior. The second part of the course will
explore the sociological concepts of culture and social structure. In terms of culture, we will
look at issues such as culture and socialization, deviance, crime, and social control. In terms of
social structure, we will examine concepts such as statuses and roles, groups and organizations,
total institutions, and community. The final part of the course will study social inequality,
including class inequality, racial and ethnic inequality, and gender inequality. Along the way,
students will be introduced to a number of prominent classical theorists in the history of
sociology, such as Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Parsons, Goffman, Merton, and Becker, as well as a
variety of prominent theorists and researchers today.
II. Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes refer to knowledge, skills, and abilities you are expected to develop
and demonstrate in this course. In this course, you will:
• Demonstrate knowledge of research methods used in sociology
• Understand and apply major theoretical perspectives in sociology
• Demonstrate knowledge of major figures, concepts, and theories in the field of
sociology
• Demonstrate an understanding of how social factors as a whole influence individual
and group values, attitudes, and beliefs
• Develop an awareness of cultural differences within American society and around the
globe
• Understand trends in social inequality in American society
• Understand causes and consequences of social inequality in American society
• Understand causes and consequences of racial/ethnic inequalities in American society
• Understand causes and consequences of gender inequalities in American society
• Learn about real world settings and situations that reflect and illustrate sociological
concepts and perspectives
III. Course Readings
The required book for the class is:
• Susan J. Ferguson, Mapping the Social Landscape: Reading in Sociology, 7th
Edition. McGraw Hill, 2013.
This book is an edited volume of readings, rather than a traditional textbook. While there
is no required traditional text book, you may find it useful to consult a textbook as an additional
source of information. One textbook that I have used in the past and found useful is Lisa J.
