Sociology of Deviant Behavior Class Schedule

Sociology of Deviant Behavior

Assignments, Readings, and Course Schedule

WS 2008-Robert Keel, Instructor

Please note:

All students are expected to attend the Monday class sessions. Students may attend class face-to-face (live in the classroom), live via the Wimba Live Classroom internet connection, or by reviewing the archived class sessions each week. See "Attendance" in the syllabus for more information.
All tests are available for scheduling appointments at the OTC: https://tomsawyer.umsl.edu/webapps/weboffice/OTC/user/login.cfm. Please see the listings below for the specific days and times when each test is available for taking.
Read the assigned text material as early as you can (certainly have it read prior to class on the day it is listed). Review the associated online lecture notes (prior to coming to class--section 001or attending/reviewing a Wimba session (sections 001 and 002). The notes (linked below) work best when viewed online. They are web documents with links you can explore for additional information, and to seek further clarification, on selected topics. Use these notes and your assigned readings to develop critical analyses and questions for discussion both in class and via the online discussion forums. There are a variety of resources in the class MyGateway site's "Course Documents" and "External Links" folders to assist you with your self-study.
Please be sure to use the "Practice Quizzes" found in the "Assignments" area. You will also find a variety of other study tools in the site. The "Course Documents" area contains study guides, test study tips, and other utilities to help you prepare for the quizzes and exams. Plus, in the "Assignments" area you will find folders containing the required quizzes and tests.

Readings, Discussions, and Assignments:

Course Schedule and Reading Assignments:

Class Sessions: Mondays 3:00-5:30 PM in 411 Clark (all Wimba Sessions)

Part 1: What is Deviance?

Week of January 14: Introduction and overview: What is Deviance? The Reflexivity of Deviance and Social Control. Essentialism and Constructionism: Defining Deviance.

Week of January 21: Martin Luther King Holiday, No class. Review MyGateway site, and get started on assignments--reading and group project.

Goode: Chapters 1-3. Pontell: 1-32 and 112-126.
Lecture notes: What is Deviance?, Defining Deviance.
Discuss (online) sociological concerns surrounding the definition of device. Distinguish deviance from crime, social problems, and other concepts.

Due Sunday, January 27, 2008

Syllabus quiz: due by Sunday, January 27, 2008 (end of day: Unless otherwise posted, assignments are due by the end of the day listed: 11:59 PM (23:59). Students who submit work past a due date are subject to penalties, point deductions, or not having their work accepted for grading. (25 points)
Introductory message due by Sunday, January 27, 2008 (end of day) (5 points)

Week of January 28: Explaining Deviance: Devils and Other Causes.

Goode: Chapters 1-3. Pontell: 1-32 and 112-126.
Lecture Notes: What is Deviance?, Defining Deviance, Theories of Deviance: Demonic and Classical.
Discuss (online/in class) early theories of deviant behavior with a special focus on classical theory. What is its relationship to modern Rational Choice and Deterrence theories? What issues and problems are involved in these depictions of rational human action? In what areas are these approaches most helpful?
Virtual handout: "Rational Choice/Deterrence Theory" available via the class home page or web site.
Quiz 1 to be completed prior to Test 1 (quiz one covers all assigned material and class discussions through 1/28).
Group Project topics due.

Week of February 4: Theories of Deviance: Positivism--Biology and Psychology

Goode: Chapters 1-3. Pontell: 1-32 and 112-126.
Lecture Notes: Theories of Deviance: Positivism, and Theories of Deviance: Biological and Psychological.
Discuss (online/in class) Early Theories and Modern Continuity: Positivism? Discuss the nature, problems, and issues that surround positivistic accounts of deviance, as well as biological and psychological approaches to understanding deviant behavior.

Week of February 11: Early Theories and Sociology.

Goode: Chapters 1-3. Pontell: 1-32 and 112-126.
Lecture notes: Social Theories: Structure and Process. Durkheim and Anomie (and this).
Discuss (online and in-class): Review the nature, problems, and issues that surround biological and psychological approaches to understanding deviant behavior. What are the central sociological concerns with these individualistic approaches? How do sociological approaches differ?
Quiz 2 (covers material and class discussion after quiz 1 and chapters 1 and 2 in Goode's text)) to be completed prior to Test 1.
Group Project Part 1 Due end of day (11:59 PM)

Test 1: Test 1 will be available for taking beginning 2/11/08. It is due by Sunday, February 17, 2008 by 11:59 PM.

Part 2: Sociological Theories of Deviance.

Week of February 18: The Functionalist Perspective: Deviance and Normal, yet Sometimes Dysfunctional.

Goode: Chapter 4. Pontell: 33-70, 145-179.
Lecture notes: Social Theories: Structure and Process, Theories of Deviance and The Social Context: Functionalism, Theories of Deviance: Social Disorganization and Social Control, and Theories of Deviance: Structural Strain.
Discuss (online and in-class): Discuss problems, limitations, and applications of Functionalist theories of deviance. Focus on Cohen’s concept of “status frustration” and Cloward and Ohlin’s concern with “differential opportunity structures.” What is Messner and Rosenfeld’s “radical critique” of Merton’s approach? In what areas are “strain” approaches particularly useful? Watch the movie "The Godfather" and see if you can apply the elements of structural strain.

Week of February 25: Subcultural Theories and Learning to be deviant: How vs. Why.

Goode: Chapter 4. Pontell: 71-106, 127-144, 273-310, 360-378, and 447-472.
Lecture notes: Subcultural Theories of Deviance and Theories of Deviance: Social Learning.
Discuss (online and in-class): How applicable is the idea of "subcultures of deviance?" Watch the movie "Goodfellas" and see if you can apply elements of learning theory

Week of March 3: Group Day--no regular class. Continue to read and review, participate in your groups in in the class blog and wiki.

Read Chapter 5 (Goode): Studying Deviance: Methods in Social Research

Week of March 10: Interactionism and Labeling: Deviance as as social process.

Goode: Chapter 4. Pontell: 71-106, 127-144, 273-310, 360-378, and 447-472.
Lecture notes: Theories of Deviance and The Social Context: Labeling and Ethnomethodology
Discuss (online and in-class): Develop a focus on Labeling Theory—what are its key components? What are the historical foundations for this approach? Discuss the shift away from causation that is inherent in interactionist approaches to deviance.
Virtual Handout: "Ethnomethodology and Deviance."
Quiz 3 (covers material and class discussion after quiz 2) to be completed prior to Test 2 (covers functionalist theories, subcultural approaches, and learning theories).
Group Project Part 2 Due end of day (11:59 PM)

Week of March 17: Deviance and Social Conflict: Radical Criminology and Cultural Conflict.

Goode: Chapter 4. Pontell: 107-126 and 180-226.
Researching Deviance: Goode Chapter 5.
Lecture notes: Theories of Deviance: Conflict Theories, Theories of Deviance and The Social Context: Feminism, and The Sociology of Social Control-Structuralism.
Discuss (online and in-class): Discuss Deviance, Gender and Social Control. What sense do you make of Hagan’s approach? What do you think about Chesney-Lind’s critique of “power-control theory?” Are women held to a different standard as compared to men? What do you think about the “sociology of social control’s” concern with our “totally administered society?” How tight is the “net?” What significance to you see in this perspective for analyzing life in our emerging “information society?”
Virtual Handouts: "Culture Conflict Theory" and “Power-Control Theory”.
Quiz 4 (covers material and class discussion after quiz 3) to be completed prior to Test 2 (covers Labeling and Conflict theories).

Test 2 : Test 2 will be available for taking beginning 3/17/08. It is due by Sunday, March 23, 2008 by 11:59 PM.

Week of March 24: No Class Spring Break

Part 3: Forms and Types of Deviance.

Week of March 31: Why is getting high so bad? Drug and alcohol use in the USA.

Goode: Chapters 8. Pontell: 227-254..
Lecture notes: Drug and Alcohol Use, those from Sociology 2180: (http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/180/ads.html).
Discuss (online and in-class): What is a drug and what is deviant about drug use? Discuss drug use and abuse. Focus on what you find to be key issues surrounding the emergence of the deviant status of specific types of drug use.
Quiz 5 (covers material and class discussion after quiz 4) to be completed prior to taking Test 3

Week of April 7: Crime and Violence in the USA.

Goode: Chapters 6, 7, and 9. Pontell: 336-446.
Lecture notes: Violence. Economic Crimes and White Collar Crime.
Discuss (online and in-class): What constitutes violence? Are we a violent society? Do Subcultural or learning theories shed any light on violence in American society? What's the difference between a deviant organization and organizational deviance?
Quiz 6 (covers material and class discussion after quiz 5) to be completed prior to taking Test 3

Group Presentations: All Group projects are Due by April 14, 2008 at 3:00 PM

Week of April 14: Sexual Deviance- Who is doing what to whom?

Goode: Chapter 10. Pontell: 255-335.
Lecture notes: Heterosexual Deviance, Homosexuality as Deviance
Discuss (online and in-class): What constitutes sexual deviance, and why? Do conflict/feminist theories shed any light on sexual deviance?

Week of April 21: Mental Disorder and Cognitive Deviance: Can you be sane in an insane world?

Goode: Chapters 11 and 12. Pontell: 447-482.
Lecture notes: Mental Disorder and Cognitive Deviance
Discuss (online and in-class): How are designations of mental disorder made? Develop an focus on the labeling approach to understanding mental disorder. What constitutes a deviant belief?.
Quiz 7 (cognitive deviance and sexual deviance) to be completed prior to taking Test 3 .

Week of April 28: Physical Characteristics- Looking right, or don't look at all.

Goode: Chapter 13.
Lecture notes: Physical Characteristics as Deviance.
Discuss (online and in-class): What is the "ideal" body? What makes physical differences so important?
Quiz 8 (mental disorder and physical characteristics as deviance) to be completed prior to taking Test 3

Discussion Forums (for credit) close on Friday, May 2, 2008 at 5:00 PM (if you haven't completed your participation requirement by now, it is way too late!)

Test 3 : Test 3 will be available for taking beginning April 29. It is due by Thursday, May 8, 2007 by 11:59 PM.

NOTE: 11:59 PM on Thursday, May 8, 2008 is the deadline for having all work completed.

Tests: You may take each test two (2) times and I will use your high score as your final test score. Tests can be taken from any location with internet access. They are carefully timed. Tests 1 and 2 have 50 questions and you will have 75 minutes to complete each attempt. If you go over time, your score on that attempt will not be counted. Test 3 has 75 questions and you will have 90 minutes to complete each attempt. If you go over time your score on that attempt will not count. You can review your work and receive feedback on tests and quizzes by clicking on your score in the grade book in MyGateway. Please be sure to use the "Practice Quizzes" found in the "Assignments" area to help you prepare for the test. The "Course Documents" area contains study guides, test study tips, and other utilities to help you prepare for the quizzes and exams.

Wimba: Wimba Live Classroom is an online, synchronous learning tool we will be using this semester. Wimba allows students to "attend" a live class via the Internet, and it also allows me to record class sessions so that students can access and review the recordings (archives). A brief explanation for using Wimba is included in the course syllabus and at http://www.horizonwimba.com/technicalsupport. You can contact Horizon Wimba Technical Support by phone (toll-free): 866.350.4978 or email: technicalsupport@horizonwimba.com. You'll find a link to Wimba on the navigation menu of our course MyGateway site. To attend a live course session, you will need a computer with Internet access, as well as speakers and a microphone (a headset works best). Be sure to run the "Set Up Wizard" to insure your computer is properly configured for the Wimba Live Classroom interface. To review archived class sessions, you'll just need speakers. Any student is invited to participate via the live interface (Wimba session classes are noted on the "Assignments, Readings, and Course Schedule" found in the Assignments area). All students (especially those in the Internet-only section) are encouraged to use the archived sessions in their studies for the course. Learn more about how Wimba is used in this class.

URL: http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/200/200assign.html
Owner: Robert O. Keel: rok@umsl.edu
Last Updated: Sunday, February 10, 2008 11:54 AM