Sociology+Spring+2010+Announcements

Tuesday May 25
A. All students need to bring their textbooks to class on Thursday! SENIORS--You do not have class on Thursday, so here are your options:
 * // 1. TEXTBOOKS!!! //**
 * Bring it to me anytime before Thursday. I must personally receive it from you (in other words, don't leave it unattended or send it with a friend).
 * Bring it at the beginning of "G" class on Thursday (you have to be in school for the "F" block before "G")

A. The final part (10 pts) of the Seoulciology project is filling out [|THIS SURVEY]. Even though I will not read anyone's feedback until after I have graded the rest of the project, it will be quite useful for me in understanding the value of the project as well as making important improvements for future years. This is due for all seniors by Thursday 8:00 a.m. and for all underclassmen by Friday at 8:00a.m.
 * // 2. Seoulciology Individual Wrap Up //**

A. Several of you are having trouble uploading videos to YouTube. Thanks to Annie's detective work and Mr. Longbotham's expertise, here is the 3 part solution to the problem:
 * // 3. Uploading videos to YouTube //**
 * 1. Scroll down to the bottom of Youtube's home page
 * 2. Go to Location: South Korea and change that to Worldwide
 * 3. Uploading should work!!

A. Thank you for making this such an enjoyable class to teach. You are a great mix of personality, scholarship, and inquisitiveness. Those characteristics make my job fun on a daily basis.
 * // 4. Thank You //**

Monday May 24
A. ***Important announcement***---all videos should be posted HERE! on your personal link by class time tomorrow (Tuesday). All presentations will be shown from the wiki in order to maximize our time in class. Students will not have to turn in the video report on a flash drive/USB. B. Also, students should post their research reports on the wiki __**AND**__ bring a printed copy to class.
 * // 1. Video Presentations //**

Friday May 7
A. Check out THIS LINK for the main list of words that will be used in Wednesday's Spelling Bee. B. Use THIS LINK to find out how to cite using Chicago Style. C. For those not in class today, you need to talk with Mr. Duncan during class on Monday about your paper research question and to go over the Seoulciology experiment research question. D. For those that took the optional sex/gender experiment, we will discuss the results on Monday. E. For PTV and more, check out the Phoenix Plume!
 * // 1. Odds and Ends //**

Tuesday April 27
A. The Marriage Family debate topics and groups are:
 * // 1. Wednesday's Debate //**
 * Debate #1: Is not getting divorced for the sake of children a good idea?
 * Yes: Sooyoung, Sam, Jennifer Y
 * No: Annie, Priscilla
 * Debate #2: Should homosexual marriages be legalized?
 * Yes: Ha Jung, Jennifer P, Soyeon
 * No: Corie, Jenny, Erica
 * Debate #3: Which one affects children more: death or divorce?
 * Death: Yura, Sungwoo
 * Divorce: Anna, Jessica, Jae

B. Each group should be prepared and use as much information as they can. This is worth 1 100 pt homework grade and 1 50 pt participation grade. The homework grade will be based on public speaking and preparation. The participation grade will be based on...participation in the debate and as an audience member. C. The format of the 20 min. debate is as follows:
 * 2 min. opening statements
 * 1.5-2.5 min. rebuttals (direct responses to other team's opening statements)
 * 5-7 min.--Q/A from the audience
 * 1.5 min. closing statements

Friday April 23
A. The SEOULCIOLOGY experiment proposal is due on Tuesday. It involves parts 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the project description posted here. B. Each student needs to vote on their favorite topics from the Marriage and Family Keynote Challenge as the votes will help determine which questions will be debated in class on Wed April 28. Please cast your votes HERE.
 * // 1. Assignment for Tuesday //**

Wednesday April 21
A. Each student should come to class with 3 questions written out on a piece of paper (torn-off paper is fine). The explanation from the "remaining schedule" is as follows: "Come up with any 3 questions about marriage/family issues that can you would like answered. They do not have to be based on the book, but they need to be questions where people can come down on both sides of the same issue." Some clarifications--there can be more than 2 sides to the issue/question. It could have multiple answers. Also, they can be on any scale as long as they relate to marriage and/or the family. For instance, they could be located in just one country or in an entire region, they could deal with a small segment of a population or the population as a whole, they could be a current event or an "age-old" issue, etc. One suggestion for places to search is the [|Opposing Viewpoints] database. Either way, please remember--these are **//your//** questions! Make them interesting to you!!!
 * // 1. Questions Assignment for Friday //**

A. Interesting charts and explanations related to men/women in college and the "gender gap" in pay is found here. Also, some articles on the correlation of divorce rates with other factors (Asian-Americans, having males v. females as children, smoking, economic recession, etc.) are on the same page. None of this you need to know now, but if you are curious, please check it out!
 * // 2. Good Info //**

A. The Ch. 16 Quiz grades are updated on Powerschool. We will need to go over some of the most missed answers in class next time.
 * // 3. Quiz //**

Monday April 19
A. The basic class content and homework assignments for the rest of the semester can be found on the Remaining Schedule page. All the dates/assignments are subject to change. Any changes to this page will be made in red. B. The theme for the rest of the semester is "asking great questions.' The quality of questions asked will greatly determine the success of the final days of class.
 * // 1. Spring 2010 Remaining Schedule //**

Friday April 16
Pt. I: Post all of your presentations (Keynotes, videos, etc) to the wiki HERE. Pt. II: At the top of the same page, thoughtfully fill out the survey as it will count toward yous and your partner(s)' grades and will help the teachers make the project better in the future.
 * // 1. Assignments due by Monday's class //**
 * On a side note, be brainstorming for some experiments you would like to conduct in Gangnam when we go there in May.

Saturday March 20
A. The project description has been posted here. Please download and consider this as you are working with your group. B. Some notes about the project:
 * // 1. Korea/USA Project //**
 * The Illinois school will have almost the exact same requirements. The only major difference is the "Review the Literature" part. They will work separately on that, so the final report should have a longer review from the Illinois student and the short one (as outlined in the description) from a KIS student.
 * Be sure to consider many factors if possible/appropriate. For example, if studying gender differences, do not forget other factors that may play a role such as age differences, individuals v. groups, etc.
 * While the experiments should be similar, be aware of the differences in settings of the two experiments in your analysis.

Wednesday March 17
A. Students should be logged on to their Skype accounts by 9pm tonight (7am Illinois time). Around 9:15, you should be contacted via Skype from your group partner(s). If you have not heard from your student by 9:30pm, then please email Mr. Duncan immediately and wait for a response. B. The goal for tonight is as follows: C. Each group should post their research question HERE by Friday March 19. In addition to the question, groups should use their links to post (a) their research plan and (b) tentative hypothesis. Both students will have access to the wiki so either side can post the information as long as it is posted by Friday's class. D. General suggestion--You may try etherpad.com to do live word processing editing. It requires no signup and it has the possibility for students from both schools to edit a document simultaneously.
 * // 1. Wed 3/17 - Skype Plans //**
 * Meet each other
 * Finalize research question (a.k.a. topic)
 * Plan research method
 * The same research method (use Ch. 5 for ideas if necessary) should be utilized by both schools.
 * Form tentative hypothesis
 * Figure out how you will stay in touch throughout the duration of the project

Wednesday March 3
A. Based on the NYC Collaboration, draw 3 images: one of you, one of your NYC connection, and one that is both you and the NYC student. The images should be a detailed drawing (or collage, etc.--I am open to ideas!) that answers the following questions: B. This should be turned in at the beginning of class on Friday.
 * // 1. Assignment for Fri 3/5 //**
 * Which aspects of your lives are the most similar?
 * Which are the most different?
 * **How can you attribute socialization to those similarities/differences? (The drawing should focus on this question. Draw the ways you and the NYC student have been socialized.)**

Friday February 26
A. For those of you in class, get into pairs and define the following terms (you just need to make sure that you both know them...they do not have to be turned in): blue blood, WASP, Protestant Establishment, chasm, meritocracy, party hacks B. Read The Power Elite from this past week's //New York Times// and then briefly discuss the article with your partner, making sure you understand it and then seeing (a) if you both agree with it and (b) figuring out what his best point is. C. Mr. Hopkin will give you the next instructions. D. After "C" is finished, then you have the rest of class to read Chapter 5 and prepare for Wednesday's quiz.
 * // 1. Fri 2/26 Activity //**

Thursday February 25
A. If you have received questions via email from your student partner, be sure to answer those questions **by tomorrow (Friday) 8:00a.m.** Priscilla, Jessica, and Ha Jung--could you please email your questions today ASAP? Thanks. A. For the seniors that will be here, the sub will have a brief activity for you, but most of the class time is dedicated to completing the reading assignment that is due on Wednesday (our next class). B. Assignment for Wed 3/3: Read Chapter 5 and be ready for a quiz. Each student may use, though it is not required, his/her own handwritten notes to help on the quiz. C. Soon, our sociology class will combine to do research with another sociology class from Illinois in the US. Research on the same topic will be conducted in two different countries/schools. As you read Chapter 5, be thinking of possible research topics that would be of great interest.
 * // 1. NYC Collaboration //**
 * // 2. Class on Friday 2/26 //**

Tuesday February 23
A. Be sure to email your NYC student partner **by the end of school today**! Remember to ask open ended questions that lend themselves to thought (e.g. the "why" factor). B. When you receive the email back from the NYC student, you need to respond with your answers no later than 8pm on Thursday. If you want to write all the answers, that is great. If you want to write all but 1-2 of the answers and send a .mov file of you answering those 1-2, that is fine too. Either way, but at least 3 of the answers need to be written. C. To see a picture of the class, see the attachment to the announcement email sent today! (Note: A few students are not pictured.) My friend and their teacher is "el mae" in the photo.
 * // 1. NYC Collaboration //**

A. There is MUCH to study for Thursday's test. Plan on studying tonight and tomorrow instead of trying to learn so much just on Wednesday night. B. The Keynote from today on dramaturgy is on the "class documents for downloading" part of this wiki, but there is not much information on the Keynote (you need your personal notes to supplement it).
 * // 2. Test //**

Wednesday February 3
A. The 3 Theoretical Perspectives applied to different situations, worked on in groups during Tuesday's class, will be discussed sometime in a future class. There will be 2 parts to Wednesday's class.
 * // 1. Wednesday 3 Feb Class //**

B. **PART ONE: CULTURE** 1. Define culture, material culture, nonmaterial culture, culture shock, ethnocentrism, symbolic culture 2. How did the book’s author experience differences in material and nonmaterial cultures in the opening vignette? 3. How does the quote “the last thing a fish would ever notice would be water” apply to this section? 4. In 1-2 sentences each, evaluate the author’s conclusions about the positive and negative aspects of ethnocentrism. 5. Is your revulsion to some of the eating practices described on p. 39 a sign of ethnocentrism? Why/why not?**
 * Each student should read p. 35-39 (including green box on p. 39) in the textbook and answer the following questions in your personal notes: (The whole process should take about 15-20 minutes)
 * 6. (No need to write anything down, but rereading the top of p. 38 can help summarize some main arguments)

C. **PART TWO: SUBCULTURES** Go to the subcultures wiki page for all the important links while following these instructions: 1. Find out what subcultures are by reading the text on p. 48-49 and checking out the photos/examples on p. 50-51. 2. DO NOT PLAY the YouTube videos (unless you are making up this class b/c of basketball)! To cut down on noise pollution and to maximize enjoyment, Mr. Feller will play them for the entire class at the same time. While watching, consider how these examples fit into the definition of "subcultures." 3. Read the two wikipedia examples of subcultures. Be interested. (Hopefully) 4. Assignment for Friday: Use your provided link on the subcultures wiki page to post at least one visual and a brief description (1-2 paragraphs) of TWO different subcultures. YOU must be a part of at least one of the subcultures. Find subcultures that are as interesting as possible. Unlike Mr. Duncan's examples, subcultures do not require competition (consider ideas from the textbook). This should be posted BEFORE Friday's class.

Thursday January 28
A. For class on Tue 2 February, each group will research its "major theoretical perspective in sociology" and teach the rest of the class that perspective in 12-16 minutes. Each lesson should have the following components: B. Each person in the group should know the material well as he/she will be that perspective's "expert" in class when we do some problem solving activities. C. The groups for Tuesday's lesson are as follows:
 * // 1. 3 Major Theoretical Perspectives Assignment //**
 * 1) Shows analysis, characteristics, viewpoints, and concerns associated with the theoretical perspective
 * 2) Includes at least one example NOT mentioned in the textbook
 * 3) Has an interactive (group work, pair work, movement, etc) component
 * 4) Involves at least 4 of the group's members (5 if only 1 person is on the wiki)
 * 5) Is creative
 * 6) Is taught in a way where all students have a good understanding of the perspective after the lesson
 * 7) (In addition to the above, 1-2 students should help edit this page in the wiki so students may go back and better understand the theoretical perspective after Tuesday's lesson. The wiki does NOT have to be used in the lesson.)
 * Symbolic Interactionism: Jessica, Jennifer Y, Erica, Brian, Jae, Jennifer P
 * Functional Analysis: Annie, Sungwoo, Stacy, Sam, Jenny, Priscilla
 * Conflict Theory: Ha Jung, Anna, Yura, So Yeon, Soo Young, Corie