Sociology 1201 Instructor: Bruce Mork

1. Sociology 1201Instructor: Bruce Mork • Pick up syllabus, class list with group assignment and worksheet on chairs just outside door to our classroom. • Find your group on the class lists. Then consult the maps that are posted around the classroom and sit in one of the four seats assigned to your group. Introduce yourself to your group members. We’ll have more time for introductions in groups later in the period. Sociology 1201

2. Social forces: definition • The pressures and expectations arising out of our relationships with other people Sociology 1201

3. Introductions: my mother’s parents’ families in southern Minnesota Sociology 1201

4. My father’s parents and his siblings Sociology 1201

5. My family of orientation plus my mother’s parents Sociology 1201

6. Introductions: my family and yours • My family • Where do you see the power of social forces most obviously in these photos? • I’ll save questions about your families until after group work Sociology 1201

7. Syllabus and Schedule • Teaching assistants: Mary Beckwell, Rebecca Ludqwig • Texts • My expectations (including new policy on cell phones and laptop computers) • Printing “handouts” (lecture notes) • http://www.d.umn.edu/egradebook • Schedule and reading assignments • Videos: What if you miss them? • Questions? Sociology 1201

8. My expectations • Arriving on time • Keeping up with the reading • Treating each other and me with respect • No cell phones or pagers • No laptop computers unless you assure me you are using your computer to take notes Sociology 1201

9. Course objectives (from syllabus) 1.To understand the ways in which social inequality affects families 2. To understand how American society's cultural norms about gender, sexuality, marriage, and parenting affect family life. 3. To understand how the family as an institution intersects with the other major institutions in American society, including politics, the economy, religion, and the education system. . 4. To identify the major trends and movements for change that may modify American families, as well as the impact of public policy. Sociology 1201

10. Groups • Facilitator, recorder, reporter • Project record sheet • Worksheet--Your family of orientation: 1. On your own (5 minutes); 2. In groups (10 minutes and then see if more is needed) Sociology 1201

11. Sociological approaches to family • The scientific method: theory and research • Objectivity and the community of scholars • Science: the process of creating (and modifying) theories that are tested through systematic research. E.g. what are the consequences of divorce for children? (not primarily a matter of opinion or political views) Sociology 1201

12. Research methods • Experiment: NOT FEASIBLE OR ETHICAL • Quantitative research methods: censuses, surveys and samples, government statistics • Qualitative research methods: field study, in-depth interviews • Cross cultural and longitudinal studies Sociology 1201

13. Thursday’s reading assignment • Edin and Kefalas, Promises I Can Keep (E&K),"Introduction" Sociology 1201

14. Video: “Legacy,” part I • Notice that video worksheets have two sides, the first an individual worksheet where you take notes during a movie, the second a group worksheet with questions for discussion afterwards. • When a video is spread over two class periods, you will only get full credit for attending both days. Sociology 1201