Course Syllabus
INST 3000/ SOC 3000-40: Social Change
Spring 2020 course syllabus
Course overview
Ever wondered about “social change” — what it is; how it came about’; how to make sense of it; and how to make desired social change happen? This is a course in which we get to explore social change in a variety of small and large contexts locally, globally, and historically. We’ll look at social change as it has been personally experienced and from the point of view of social science, theory, and forces that drive social change: technology, science in general, innovation, social movements, war, corporations, and the state. All in all, this is a course in which we get to study causes, processes, and consequences of social change—and always with “agency” and “structure” in the back of our minds. It is a three-credit-hour course with no prerequisites for international studies students and Sociology 1000 as a prerequisite for sociology students.
Instructor: RUTH BJÖRKENWALL [“Byoerkenvall”]
Office hours: M: 11:00 A.M.—12:15 P.M. W: 1:00 P.M.—2:15 P.M. Or by appointment Location: A&S 143 Phone: 307.766.2992
Email: rbjorken@uwyo.edu Email responses will, as a rule, be sent within 48 hours
Graduate instructor: MATTHEW GILES Location: A&S 136
Office hours: TBA
Email: mgiles@uwyo.edu
Global awareness This course fulfills the “global awareness” (“G”) requirement of the 2003 University Studies Program. Global awareness courses broaden our perspectives through explorations of viewpoints from other societies, cultures, religions, or geopolitical regions. With an eye on both historical and contemporary experience, these courses are designed to challenge our assumptions about the ways of the world and to help us understand and embrace global cultural diversity.
Learning Outcomes By the end of the course, students will be able to make better sense of the changing world around them as they study important drivers of social change during the last few centuries: science and technology; social movements; war; large corporations; and the state. By using historical and comparative analyses that include the lived experiences of Iris Summer, they will get to understand how and why the world has changed and, at the same time, develop their own critical thinking abilities in the process. For the research paper in this course, students will focus on war as a driver of social change. Their research, analytical thinking, and writing will be centered around the contemporary Syrian war, conflicts, outcomes—on what Garth Massey calls “war’s destruction.”
Required textbook *Massey, Garth. Ways of Social Change: Making Sense of Modern Times. Los Angeles: Sage, 2016. **Additional course material (ACM). Attachments will be available on the Canvas course website, at http://www.uwyo.edu/wyocourses/), and in emails that you will receive separately. Please do check Canvas and your UW student email account regularly for the additional course materials.
Course requirement
On discussion expectations Discussion postings are worth 15 percent of the final grade. There will be 10 assigned weeks (see the syllabus for the dates) during which you are expected to participate in class discussions. Each assigned week, you should contribute with one initial posting to the discussion question for that week. (Most questions are focused on the Massey chapters.) You should also respond to another student’s posting once during that same week. The deadline for the initial posting is Thursday at 5 P.M. and Friday (that same week) at 8 P.M. for the secondary posting.
A one- or two-sentence entry is not enough to earn points. Support your analysis with facts and a rational discourse, not feelings and opinions. How well you comprehended the material and the quality of your writing will determine the number of points that you receive. You are expected to participate in class discussions in a civil manner. Rude or threatening behavior will not be tolerated and will be reported to the dean of students.
On other make-up work and exemptions No make-up or late-work permission will be given unless the Disability Support Services at the University of Wyoming (DSS) or the dean of students provides me with a letter of exemption to this rule. If you have a DSS or a dean-of-student letter for me, then your make-up assignment is to write a 1500-word essay, using three articles from the JSTOR database and in correct Chicago Manual of Style format on a topic that I pick. Make-up papers must be produced within one week of the topic being assigned. If, for instance, you do miss a quiz (and have no letter from the dean of students or DSS), then you will receive zero points for that quiz. The zero points will then be added to the total points for all quizzes in this course. The same rules apply to student athletes as well. Everyone has five days to take an online quiz during an assigned quiz period.
On extra-credit work Please note that there will be no extra-credit work offered in this course. Should there be a situation where extra credit is appropriate, then extra-credit work be offered on an equal-opportunity basis to all students. That, however, is exceptionally rare. Individual extra-credit opportunities distort the baseline of evaluating every student by the same standard. If you are having concerns about meeting course requirements, then please contact me immediately (before you miss an assignment or a due date) so that we can discuss student support services on campus such as those offered at the Writing Center, at student counseling, and at the University Disability Support Services (DSS).
On instructor lecture slides Lecture slides will not be available on Canvas. Here are my reasons.
1) Technical issues: the huge file size precludes uploading; 2) Legal issues: effectively “publishing” lectures online violates the “fair use” doctrine of intellectual property rights protection, for instance in the form of copyright-protected images and other lecture materials; 3) Negative effects on attendance and grades: Pedagogical studies have shown that online materials, notes, and review sheets lead not only to dramatic drops in attendance but also in grades. The studies demonstrate that students become passive observers rather than active participants in learning when they rely on online materials, notes, and review sheets. 4) Finally, there is the more existential aspect: The traditional dynamic of classroom lectures, discussions, and the exchange between instructors and students is the hallmark of the university learning experience. That learning experience prepares you for a life outside of academia, where little is scripted in advance and available on-demand. A dynamic, inspiring, and enriching university learning experience also provides you with opportunities and training to become a well-rounded and competent individual.
On assigned grade Effort is not necessarily the same as quality of work. I assess objectively the quality of students’ assignments in this class against a uniform standard. It is my responsibility to teach; it is your responsibility to learn. I will do my best to help you in that endeavor, but you also have an important role to play. Take responsibility for your own education. Study. Ask questions. Be an active learner.
On the syllabus, the research paper, the self-evaluation, and their deadlines Please note that the course syllabus is a guide to due dates, assignments, and other activities. If circumstances change and I deem an adjustment is needed, then you will be informed of changes via Canvas. Please do check your student accounts regularly. There is no final exam for this class. Instead, you will be asked to write a self-evaluation of your own research paper. You may also be asked, by me and/or fellow student in their feedback, to research further or to clarify an aspect of your research papers. The self-evaluation is due during the final-exam week. (The Office of the Registrar has not assigned a final-exam date for our online course. When I have that information, I will inform you.) Please note that after the research-paper and the self-evaluation deadlines have passed, I will deduct five points for every four hours that the assignment is late.
Grading standards/ grade weights
1) Class-discussion participation 0% of the final grade
2) Open-book, online quizzes 25% of the final grade
3) Thesis and annotated bibliography assignments 10% of the final grade
4) Research paper 25% of the final grade
5) Power point presentation and feedback to classmates 20% of the final grade
6) Self-evaluation 10% of the final grade
Final course grades will be assigned according to the following:
A 90-100% B 80-89.4% C 70-79.4% D 60-69.4% F 0-59.4%
Five online quizzes
The online quizzes are worth 25 percent of the final grade. There are five online quizzes in this course. All are "open book," "open notes." Each quiz consists of 20 multiple-choice questions mainly on the Massey chapters but may include a few questions on the additional course material (ACM). You have 60 minutes and one chance to complete the quiz. Once the quiz has closed, I am—literally—unable to open it again, so do not ask me to do so. If you miss a quiz, then it will be averaged in as zero with the other quizzes. All quizzes open on Mondays at 8 A.M. and will remain open until 8 P.M. on Fridays the same week. The correct quiz answers will be posted one minute after quizzes close. See the course outline for the quiz dates.
The thesis and annotated bibliography assignments Each assignment is worth 5 percent of your total grade. You will be asked to write and submit a research-paper thesis and an annotated bibliography. These assignments are guides to help you generate a well-written research analysis and paper.
On the thesis development 1) Do you have a research problem? What is the research problem?
2) Is the research problem stated as a thesis? (Or have you offered an opinion?)
3) Is your thesis clear?
4) Have you broken down the research problem into component parts that you will elaborate on in the body of the text? Do you have a component 1, a component 2, and a component 3 in the thesis that together support and answer your research question? (The 3 components also become the structure for the remaining research paper.)
5) Is the thesis concise?
6) Is the thesis compelling?
7) Does the thesis statement also answer the question of why we care about your research problem, the analysis of, and the conclusion for your research problem?
On the annotated bibliography Michael Engle of the Cornell University Library describes an annotated bibliography as “a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief[,]” “descriptive and evaluative paragraph
the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and the quality of the sources” that you will cite in your research paper. For more information of how to write an annotated bibliography, please see https://guides.library.cornell.edu/annotatedbibliography. Your final paper must contain 10 sources, all part of the annotated bibliography on the Syria and “war’s destruction.”
A research paper Your research paper is worth 25 percent of your total grade. Students will be asked to write a research paper that is 1500 to 2000 words long (title page and bibliography not counted) on the contemporary Syrian conflicts, war, outcomes—on what Massey calls “wars’ destruction”. Your beginning point is a New York Times news article (no opinion pieces or editorials). Please include the total word count at the end of your paper. Your paper should be properly formatted—“Chicago style”— and according to the instructions given. The pages must be numbered and the written text double spaced. There should be no, or very few, mechanical errors (typos, misspellings, and incorrect margins and font size). The paper should contain no or only occasional grammar errors. The language that you use should be clear, concise, and appropriate to the topic. Failure to meet these guidelines will result in a lowered grade for the assignment.
When you write your research paper, please keep in mind the University of Wyoming regulations on academic dishonesty: [S]ubmitting, wholly or in part, the same academic endeavor to earn credit in two or more courses without explicit approval by all concerned instructors” counts as cheating. “[P]resenting the work (i.e., ideas, data, creations) of another, wholly or in part, as one’s own work without customary and proper acknowledgement of sources and extent of use” is plagiarism. In other words, do not copy, change a few words here and there in the copied text, and then paste that text into your own writing. Cite your source. If you do not, then that counts as plagiarism.
For some useful background information, please read and watch the following.
1) Fisher’s “Syria’s Paradox: Why the War only Ever Seems to Get Worse“ at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/27/world/middleeast/syria-civil-war-why-get-worse.html?_r=0 ; 2) Syria: The Story of the Conflict” at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26116868 ; 3) Frontline’s “The Rise of ISIS” at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/rise-of-isis/ ; 4) Frontline’s “Escaping ISIS” at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/escaping-isis/ ; 5) Frontline’s “Children of Syria” at http://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-children-syria/ ; 6) Frontline’s “Exodus” https://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-exodus/; 7) “Google and UNHCR create 360-degree tour of Syria's destruction” at https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/06/google-united-nations-create-tour-of-syria ; 8) “Searching for Syria” at https://searchingforsyria.org/en/ ; 9) “Frustrations over a War and Its Crimes at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/09/opinion/syria-war-crimes-security-council.html ; 10) Mazzetti, Goldman, and Schmidt’s “Behind the Sudden Death of a $1 Billion Secret C.I.A. War in Syria at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/02/world/middleeast/cia-syria-rebel-arm-train-trump.html ; 11) “U.S. Equipment, but Not Troops, Begins Exiting Syria in Chaotic Withdrawal” at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/world/middleeast/us-syria-troop-withdrawal.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage; and 12) “In Turkey, Senator Calls for Slower, Smarter U.S. Withdrawal From Syria” at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/19/world/middleeast/turkey-lindsey-graham.html; 13) “Syrian Forces Move Into Strategic Town, Tightening Grip on Rebels” at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/world/middleeast/syria-idlib-sheikhoun.html; 14) ISIS Is Regaining Strength in Iraq and Syria” https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/us/politics/isis-iraq-syria.html; 15) “Inside Syria’s Secret Torture Prisons: How Bashar al-Assad Crushed Dissent” at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/11/world/middleeast/syria-torture-prisons.html; 16) “dlib civilians bombed as
President Assad pushes for total victory in Syria” at https://www.nbcnews.com/video/idlib-civilians-bombed-as-president-assad-pushes-for-total-victory-in-syria-60520517569; 17) “'Idlib is a bargaining chip': civilians brace as Assad air assault escalates” at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/23/idlib-bargaining-chip-civilians-brace-assad-air-assault-escalates?CMP=share_btn_link; 18) ” IS 'caliphate' defeated but jihadist group remains a threat” at https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-45547595; 19) “How Strong Is The Islamic State In Syria?” at https://www.npr.org/2019/01/17/686207495/how-strong-is-the-islamic-state-in-syria; 20) “ISIS grow in numbers from 'holding territory to an insurgency' in Syria just as US troops withdraw” at https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7330269/ISIS-grow-numbers-holding-territory-insurgency-Syria-just-troops-withdraw.html; and 21) “What ‘Victory’ Looks Like: A Journey Through Shattered Syria” at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/world/middleeast/syria-recovery-aleppo-douma.html.
Grading rubric for the research paper
The research paper is worth 25 percent of your final grade. You will be assessed according to the following.
- A) Clarity of the thesis and argument: I will assess “clarity” by the ease with which the reader can understand the key points that the author would like to make in his/her paper.
- B) Effective use of combined course and research materials: By “effective use,” I mean that it should be obvious to the reader that author has read, watched, understood, and critically analyzed the course and research materials and uses their combination in a well-structured manner.
- C) Polish, style, and creativity: It should be evident to the reader that the paper author has spent time crafting his/her argument.
- D) Syntax and mechanics: The piece should be written according to accepted standards of format, use, spelling, and capitalization. Full points in this category means that a paper may have some minor errors, but points will be deducted if the paper has quite a few errors or errors that make it difficult for the reader to understand sentence meanings.
Power-point presentation and feedback to other power-point presentations The power-point presentation and your feedback is worth 20 percent of the final grade (15 percent for the presentation itself and 5 percent for the feedback that you provide to other power-point presentations. You will be asked to pick a date for the submission of your power-point presentation and the news article that you have used as your starting point. These will be available to all for their viewing and feedback. Please see the course outline for the presentation dates. If too many want a certain date, then I shall determine via lottery who gets to submit his/her power-point and news article on that date. Two to three students will submit their work for each lecture. Here is what I would like you to do for your power-point presentation.
1) Pick one NYT news article—no editorials or opinion pieces, please—from your research-paper focus. That article is the starting point for your power-point presentation on war as a driver of social change.
2) Also apply relevant course materials and any other information of your choice (Youtube clips, for instance) to analyze, evaluate, and to present your NYT news piece.
3) Create a power-point presentation of minimum of ten and a maximum of 15 slides—title page and bibliography not counted. Include six images. Write no more than eight lines on each slide. Remember to use Chicago-format in-text citations (see How to do in-text citations (Chicago Author-Date Style)). Add a bibliography at the end of your power-point presentation.
A self-evaluation The self-evaluation is worth 10 percent of the final grade. You will be asked to write a self-evaluation of your research paper at the end of the course. You may be asked by fellow student in their feedback or by me to research further or to clarify some aspect of your research papers. Include your response in the self-evaluation. Further details for the assignments will be covered later in class.
Disability statement http://www.uwyo.edu/udss/ Disability Support Services (DSS) was established to provide leadership and assistance to the University of Wyoming in its efforts to comply with the intent and specific regulations of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Physical and program accessibility at the University of Wyoming is a joint responsibility and can be achieved only through cooperative efforts of University faculty, DSS strives to ensure successful access and services for students with disabilities. DSS provides disability-related accommodations for UW students and visitors with disabilities as well as technical assistance, consultation and resource information for students, faculty, staff, campus visitors, and for university departments seeking to improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities. All disabilities requests accommodation must come through the campus DSS office. DSS is a program within the Dean of Students office and the Division of Student Affairs at University of Wyoming.
Classroom statement on diversity “The University of Wyoming values an educational environment that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. The diversity that students and faculty bring to class, including age, country of origin, culture, disability, economic class, ethnicity, gender identity, immigration status, linguistic, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, worldview, and other social and cultural diversity is valued, respected, and considered a resource for learning.“
Academic dishonesty Academic dishonesty will be prosecuted to the full extent and may include an expulsion from the university. The following is a selection. Go to this link for the rest of the information: http://www.uwyo.edu/regs-policies/_files/docs/section-2-regulations-july-2018/uw_reg_2-114_format_effective_7-1-18.pdf
- DEFINITIONS A. Academic Dishonesty. An action attempted or performed that misrepresents one’s involvement in an academic endeavor in any way or assists another student in misrepresenting his or her involvement in an academic endeavor. Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to:
- 1. Plagiarism: presenting the work (i.e., ideas, data, creations) of another, wholly or in part, as one’s own work without customary and proper acknowledgement of sources and extent of use, unless authorized by the instructor. Cheating: using information, study aids, notes, materials, devices, or collaboration not explicitly approved by the instructor. For example: doing a class assignment for someone else or allowing someone to copy one’s assignment; copying from, or assisting, another student during an examination; or stealing, or otherwise improperly obtaining, copies of an examination before or after its administration. 3. Fraud: altering or inventing data, research, or citations for an academic endeavor; fabricating, forging or otherwise misrepresenting to an instructor or an institution one’s past or current academic or professional activities; impersonating someone or allowing oneself to be impersonated for an examination or other academic endeavor; using a ghost writer, commercial or otherwise, for any type of assignment. 4. Violation of Standards: violations against ethical and professional standards required by individual University programs, academic courses, and clinical programs that may result in qualification for entry into a profession that maintains standards of conduct. 5. Multiple Submissions: submitting, wholly or in part, the same academic endeavor to earn credit in two or more courses without explicit approval by all concerned instructors. 6. Interference or Obstruction: interfering with academic efforts of other students to gain unfair advantage for personal academic advancement. Interference may include but is not limited to, sabotage, harassment, tampering, bribery, or intimidation of another student. 7. Complicity: assisting another person in any act of academic dishonesty as defined above. B. Academic Endeavor. Any student activity undertaken to earn University credit or meet some other University program requirement.
Student code of conduct The following is a selection. Go to this link for the rest of the information: http://www.uwyo.edu/dos/_files/docs/2015-2016%20student%20code%20of%20conduct.pdf
PROHIBITED CONDUCT. The University has the right to take necessary and appropriate action to protect the safety and well-being of the University community. Any student or student organization found to have committed the following misconduct is subject to the judicial sanctions outlined herein: A. Offenses Against the University Community. 1. Acts of dishonesty, including but not limited to furnishing false information to any University official, faculty member or office; and forgery, alteration, or misuse of any University document, record or instrument of identification. Acts of academic dishonesty, as outlined in UW Regulation 6-802, shall be adjudicated separately pursuant to the provisions of that UW Regulation. 2. Substantial disruption of or material interference in teaching, research, administration, judicial proceedings, or other University activities, including its educational or service functions on- or off-campus. 3. Disorderly conduct that disrupts the operations of the University or leading or inciting others in such activities that disrupt the operations of theUniversity or infringe upon the rights of members or others. 4. Intentionally interfering with freedom of movement and the free flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic on University premises or at University sponsored or supervised functions. 5. Illegal or unauthorized possession of firearms, explosives, other weapons, or dangerous chemical/biological agents on University premises, including residential facilities and premises located on Fraternity or Sorority Row. 6. Violation of federal, state, or local law on University premises or at University functions. 7. Illegal gambling. 8. Failure to comply with directions of University officials or law enforcement officers acting in performance of their duties. 9. Violation of University policies, rules, regulations or other guidelines of the University. 10. Conduct that has a substantial adverse impact on the University community, its members, and/or the pursuit of its objectives, regardless of where such conduct may occur. 11. Failure to immediately disclose to the Dean of Students in writing any felony charge or conviction occurring after admission to the University.
Pending course outline on dates and assignments Please note that I divide the course content according to a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday schedule to help you structure your studies. Note, furthermore, that the deadline for each initial discussion posting (most are focused on the Massey chapters) is Thursday at 5 P.M. The deadline for your secondary posting is Friday at 8 P.M. that same week.
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COUNSELING CENTE: uccstaff@uwyo.edu, 766-2187, 766-8989 (After hours), 341 Knight Hall, www.uwyo.edu/ucc
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS: 766-4286, 312 Old Main, www.uwyo.edu/acadaffairs
DEAN OF STUDENTS OFFICE: dos@uwyo.edu, 766-3296, 128 Knight Hall, www.uwyo.edu/dos
UW POLICE DEPARTMENT: uwpd@uwyo.edu, 766-5179, 1426 E Flint St, www.uwyo.edu/uwpd
STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT WEBSITE: www.uwyo.edu/dos/conduct
FROM the MANDATORY TEMPLATE FOR ALL UW FACULTY: Duty to Report: Statement referring to the duty to report status as instructional personnel under Title IX.
SHORT VERSION
UW faculty are committed to supporting students and upholding the University’s non-discrimination policy. Under Title IX, discrimination based upon sex and gender is prohibited. If you experience an incident of sex- or gender-based discrimination, we encourage you to report it. While you may talk to a faculty member, understand that as a "Responsible Employee" of the University, the faculty member MUST report information you share about the incident to the university’s Title IX Coordinator (you may choose whether you or anyone involved is identified by name). If you would like to speak with someone who may be able to afford you privacy or confidentiality, there are people who can meet with you. Faculty can help direct you or you may find info about UW policy and resources at http://www.uwyo.edu/reportit You do not have to go through the experience alone. Assistance and resources are available, and you are not required to make a formal complaint or participate in an investigation to access them
Course Summary:
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