EMMANUEL S.

CALIWAN
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
09267144908
caliwane@yahoo.com
socioLegalmatters@gmail.com

Course description:

Positive human relationships are an essential part of a civilized society and how we interact with each other is
important so that we can find answers to questions and solve problems in our world. “Sociology teaches us to
look at life in a scientific, systematic way.” The way that we view the world comes from what we learn in our
everyday activities. “The values, beliefs, lifestyles of those around us, as well as historic events help to mold us
into unique individuals who have varied outlooks on social reality.”

This course provides a broad overview of understanding society using sociology and how it applies to everyday
life. Major theoretical perspectives and concepts are presented, including sociological imagination, culture,
deviance, inequality, social change, and social structure. Students also explore the influence of social class and
social institutions, such as churches, education, healthcare, government, economy, and environment. Again this
course will deal with the social atmosphere that helps to make us who we are and how we behave. Sociology
will cover topics such as culture, violence, deviance, social control, socialization and personality, group
behavior, social class, and social institutions. The key component of this course is to study ourselves and the
society that influences our behavior.

Course Breakdown:

Homework Assignments/ Short Papers 30%

Mid-Term Exam1 20%
Final Exam 20%
Project 30%

Assessment Methods:

There will be a wide variety of teaching techniques, strategies, and assessment methods used in Sociology.
Some of the assessment methods will include:

-Quizzes, journals (sociological imagination)

-Unit Tests that are composed of selected response and essay
-Oral presentations mini, informal, and formal
-Daily participation in class discussions
-Written papers, reports, projects, reflections
-Analyzing and interpreting and constructing case studies
-content analysis
-historical method

1
Can be either oral, written or both.
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Reading List/ Reference2:

Osborn, Richard et al. INTRODUCING SOCIOLOGY, 2004 Edition

Matillac, Rosalie S. SOSYO: ISANG SULYAP NG ISANG PINOY SA SOSYOLOHIYA, 1994 edition

May, Tim. SITUATING SOCIAL THEORY, 1996

Ritzer, George. CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY AND ITS CLASSICAL ROOTS

(THE BASICS)

Zeitlin, Irving. IDEOLOGY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY

Mills, Charles Wright. THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION

THE MARXIST, 1962

Massey, Garth (editor). READINGS FOR SOCIOLOGY 4TH ED, 2003

Farganis, James READINGS IN SOCIAL THEORY :the Classic Tradition to Postmodernism

Elliott, Anthony CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL THEORY: An Introduction

Kendall, Diana SOCIOLOGY: IN OUR TIMES Copyright 2003

Course Topics and Objectives:

TOPIC SUBTOPIC OBJECTIVES

The Sociological • What is Sociology? • Describe the sociological
Perspective • Theoretical Frameworks of perspective and relate it to
Sociology everyday life experiences
• The Sociological Imagination and to contemporary social
issues.
• Explain the three major
theoretical perspectives in
sociology.
• Define sociological
imagination and apply it to
social problems.
Development of • Describe the historical
Sociology development of the three
major sociological
perspectives and list the
sociologists who
2
NOTA BENE: The class will be using other reference but what is indicated is the primary reading material that students should be
properly acquitted with. Students are advised to read other materials for as long as it can help them in understanding the discipline of
sociology, sociologically.
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 contributed to each.
• Demonstrate your
understanding of the history
of sociology by naming at
least six early sociological
thinkers and listing their
contributions to the field.
Sociological • The Scientific • Define and identify the basic
Research Method steps of the scientific method.
• Applying a • Differentiate between
Code of Ethics validity and reliability and
differentiate between
quantitative and qualitative
research.
• Explain objectivity and
evaluate the objectivity of a
researcher in an article from
a peer-reviewed journal.
• Discuss the major research
designs used by sociologists.
• Discuss the role of
technology in sociological
research.
• Explain the importance of
ethics in sociological
research, and give an
example.
Culture and Society • Defining • Compare and contrast
Culture society versus culture.
• Cultural Value • Differentiate between the
• Culture in Flux following elements of a
• Cultural culture: language, norms,
Values sanctions, and values.
• Give examples of cultural
universals.
• Explain how sociologists
use the terms diffusion and
innovation.
• Examine and analyze
questions of stereotypes,
prejudice, and multicultural
controversies.
• Differentiate between
subcultures and
countercultures.
• Describe what it means to
be ethnocentric and give
examples.
Socialization • What Is • Explain what is meant by
Socialization? the socialization process.
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 • Agents of • Summarize the impact of
Socialization isolation on both children
• Sociological and primates.
Theory on Socialization • Name the agents of
socialization and rank their
importance.
• Discuss what research tells
us about the influence of
heredity on social
development (nature vs.
nurture).
• Compare and contrast the
development of self-identify
as described by Charles
Horton Cooley, by George
Herbert Mead, and by Jean
Piaget.
• Explain the significance of
gender roles and how those
roles relate to rites of
passage.
• Differentiate between
anticipatory socialization
and resocialization.
Social Structure • Social Structure • Understand how we define
• Social Roles and reconstruct our social
• Groups in Societies reality.
• Parts of Complex Societies • Give your own examples of
ascribed, achieved, and
master statuses.
• Discuss the social roles we
acquire throughout our
lives.
• Differentiate between role
conflict, role strain, and role
exit.
• List the four stages of role
exit.
• Explain what is meant by
the term social network.
• Define groups.
• Contrast the functionalist,
conflict, and interactionist
views of social institutions.
• Describe the characteristics
of the hunting-and gathering
society, the
horticultural society, the
industrial society, and the
postindustrial and
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Social Institutions: • Defining Family
The Family • Family Structure
• Challenges to Families
postmodern society.
• Explain the functions of the
family as a social
institution.
• Explain the challenges to
family life in America
today.
• Compare and contrast
traditional, blended, and
extended families.
• List at least four factors that
contribute to divorce.
• Explain how family
violence violates the
protection function of a
family.

MIDTERMS

Deviance • Deviance • Explain the concept of social

• Facets of deviance control.
• Deviance and Sociological • Provide examples of formal and
Theory informal social control.
• Deviance and Crime • Explain how sociologists use the
term deviance.
• List and describe Merton’s
five adaptations people
make according to the anomie
theory of deviance.
• Summarize the various
theories of deviant behavior.
• Describe what sociologists
mean when they talk about
cultural transmission.
• Give examples of types of crime.
• Discover and analyze
patterns found in crime statistics.
Social • Defining • Identify characteristics of
Stratification Social the following systems of
Stratification stratification: slavery,
• Social castes, estates, and social
Stratification classes.
• Stratification • Examine stratification from
Theory the functionalist and
• Aspects of conflict perspectives.
Stratification • Differentiate between open
and closed stratification
systems.
• Define the problems
associated with the culture
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 of poverty.
• Define the threshold of
poverty.
• Discuss social mobility in
the United States.
Social Inequality • Defining • Identify the five basic
Social properties of a minority
Inequality group.
• Terms • Differentiate between the
Associated biological significance of
with Inequality race and the social
• Responses to construction of race.
Inequality • Distinguish between
• Social prejudice and
Inequality discrimination.
Theory • Explain what the term
institutional discrimination
means.
• Differentiate between
sexism, sex discrimination and
sexual harassment.
• Describe the effects of
ageism.
Social Institutions: • Defining • Identify basic social
Government, Government institutions and how they
Economy, and the and Economy contribute to the
Environment • Economic transmission of society’s
Systems values
• Political • Compare and contrast
Systems democracy, socialism, and
• The communism.
Environment • Explain the relationship
between the global
economy and multinational
corporations.
• Explain the concept of
deindustrialization and its
impact on the American
economy.
• Identify the three basic
sources of power within any
political system.
• Discuss models of power
structure in the United
States.
• Discuss sociological
approaches to war.
• Compare and contrast the
conflict and functionalist
views of environmental
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 issues.
• Explain the connection
between population growth
and the environment.
Special Topic:
Society and Law
Special Topic:
Sociology of Religion

FINALS ------ RESEARCH/ THESIS PRESENTATION AND DEFENCE.