Sociology 110 Introduction to Sociology Professor Katherine Stovel 11:30-12:20 MWF Miller Course Overview 2.Introductions 1.Course 2.People 3.First Question

“[Humans are] social being[s] obliged by nature to live with others as a member of society.” Gerhard Lenski. Power and Privilege, p. 25 (1966)

Developing your sociological imagination:  Key Course Question: How does the organization of society influence individual behavior?  Secondary Course Question: How do sociologists try to understand how society influences individual behavior? Introduction: The Course

A Metaphor: Pieces of a jigsaw puzzle Like an individual, a puzzle piece has characteristics, or a biography

But what the piece means may be affected by what the piece is surrounded by Social Context History Environment Social Structure

Sociology is: A discipline that studies the interplay between the individual and the social context

How we’ll proceed: By Considering Some Interesting Questions Identify and discuss our initial thoughts Consider some relevant sociological theories Evaluate some empirical information Develop revised answers

“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynihan Sociologist, US Senator

Quick Overview of Course Requirements Introduction: The Course 3 2 page Memos 30% 1 Midterm (Feb 15)25% Final Exam (March 19)25% SocLexicon Contributions10% Informal Writing/Section10%

Course Webpage It’s spare now, but it will get fleshed out soon…. Introduction: The Course

Class policies  Cell-phone free zone  For now, no laptops  Course Materials available on the web  Late work will be penalized.3/day  All graded written work should be typed, and double-spaced  Come to class prepared to discuss and ask questions! Introduction: The Course

Who We Are Professor Katherine Stovel Teaching Assistant: Amy Furhman Emily Knaphus Introduction: People (us)

Student Information Survey Name: Year in School/at the UW: Your Hometown: State in which you were born: Major or possible major: List any other Sociology classes you have taken Something interesting about yourself: General Information Survey 1.What is the population of the United States? 2.What is the population of the World? 3.Where will the 2008 Summer Olympics be held? 4.What is the median household income in the United States? 5.What is the approximate value of the Dow Jones Industrial Average? 6.How many ipods have been sold? 7.Who won the Iowa presidential caucuses? 8.How many members of the US armed forces have died in Iraq since the beginning of the current war there? 9.How many murders were committed in Seattle in 2006? Introduction: People (you)

First Question: Why go to college? Why are you here at the UW? How did you get to college?

To Do Read: Getting Started Twilight of the books School Enrollment Key Concepts Sociological Imagination Empirical Evidence To Do: