Self and Modern Society

SOCY 3151, HLMS 267

11—12:35

Summer A (June 5^th—July 7^th)

Bryce Merrill

John.Merrill@Colorado.Edu

303.429.6427

Office Location and Hours:

Ketchum 35, Tuesday and Wednesday 1:00 to 2:30 and by appointment if necessary.

You may contact me by phone or email. I will only check and answer emails and phone calls during my regularly scheduled office hours, unless otherwise mentioned.

I use a listserve for this course to communicate relevant information to all students in a timely fashion. You are required to sign up to this list. Follow these instructions for subscription:

send an email to: listproc@lists.colorado.edu

then write in the body of the email:

subscribe merrillsociology@lists.colorado.edu Jane Student

insert your name instead of “Jane Student”.

Course Overview:

This course begins with what appears to be a question with an obvious answer: do humans have selves? Of course, we do. Naturally. Right? Few ideas in Modern Western societies are as taken for granted as the idea that people possess selves.  In this course, we are going to move beyond taken for granted ideas and consider the existence of selfhood from sociological and historical perspectives. We will consider how the idea of a self came to be; we will note its historical and institutional origins. We will critique how modern people experience and talk about selfhood; we will also contemplate how scholars have contributed to notions of selfhood. It is unlikely that we will come up with an answer to the question that opens this paragraph. However, if all goes well, our knowledge of the self will be anything but common or natural.

Objectives:

1. To introduce you to sociological perspectives on the self, which often differ dramatically from perspectives commonly held.
2. To enable you to apply this perspective to personal experience.
3. To encourage critical thinking skills by engaging in constructive criticism of various views of self.
4. The literature on selves is vast and spans many disciplines. We will only be able to cover a small portion of it. That said, you will be expected to read a considerable amount for this course. One reason is because of the wealth of information available. The other is to prepare upper division sociology students for the amount of reading needed to succeed in post-baccalaureate pursuits, including graduate school.

Readings: Books are only available at the listed book stores.

At Word is Out

2015 10^th St, Boulder, CO. Phone: 303.449.1415.

1. Spencer Cahill. 2004. Inside Social Life: Readings in Sociological Psychology and Microsociology. 4^th ed. Los Angeles: Roxbury Press.
2. Kent L. Sandstrom, Daniel D. Martin, and Gary Alan Fine. 2006 Symbols, Selves, and Social Reality: An Interactionist Approach to Social Psychology and Sociology. 2^nd ed. Los Angeles: Roxbury Press
3. Gwendolyn A. Dordick . 1997.  Something Left to Lose: Personal Relations and Survival among New York's Homeless. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
4. Arlie Russell Hochschild. [1983] 2003.  The Managed Heart: The Commercialization of Human Feeling. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Evaluations:                                                               Points:

Attendance	4 pts per/5 checks = 20 pts
Participation	To be Announced
Reading Quizzes	20 pts per/5 quizzes = 100 pts
Self Portrait (Essay)	100 pts
Group Projects	100 pts

                                                                        Total: 320

All assignments are to be handed in during class time.  I DO NOT accept emailed assignments. There are NO make-up exams.

Behavioral Expectations:

All students are required to follow the University’s classroom behavior policy, which can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html. In addition, the University’s honor code applies to all assignments and exams:

On my honor as a University of Colorado at Boulder student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work.

The following behavioral expectations also apply:

• Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated and are grounds for failure in this course.
• Cellular phones must be turned off during class time, unless your profession requires you leave it on. In that case, please notify me before class.
• Students may not arrive late for class nor may they leave early, unless in case of emergency. In that case, I’ll need written verification of the emergency.
• Because sociologists often study “sensitive” subjects (such as racism, sexism, delinquency, and so on), it is extremely important to be respectful of each other when discussing these matters. Diverse opinions, even controversial ones, are welcome; incivility toward each other will not be tolerated.
• Side Conversations WILL NOT be tolerated. The first time a student is asked to discontinue a side conversation will result in a warning. The second time will result in the student being permanently moved. The third and any subsequent time throughout the semester will result in dismissal from class. DISMISSED STUDENTS ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR MISSED MATERIAL.
• Students MAY NOT pack up early. Class will be dismissed at the scheduled time, unless otherwise instructed.
• Any behavior that is determined by me to disturb the class will not be allowed.

Disabilities Accommodation Letter:

Students with documented disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or psychiatric disabilities should see me within the first two weeks of class to discuss possible reasonable accommodations. For more information, consult the Office of Disability Services (Willard 322, 303.492.8671).

Religious Observances:

Students who have conflicts between religious observance dates and tests or assignments should contact me at least two weeks before the relevant date to make appropriate arrangements.

Sexual Harassment:

The University of Colorado Policy on Sexual Harassment applies to all students, staff and faculty. Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual attention. It can involve intimidation, threats, coercion, or promises or create an environment that is hostile or offensive. Harassment may occur between members of the same or opposite gender and between any combination of members in the campus community: students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Harassment can occur anywhere on campus, including the classroom, the workplace, or a residence hall.  Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he
has been sexually harassed should contact the Office of Sexual Harassment (OSH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550.  Information about the OSH and the campus resources available to assist individuals who believe they have been sexually harassed can be obtained at: http://www.colorado.edu/sexualharassment/

Tentative Schedule

(subject to change)

Date                 Topic                                                                           Material

6.5	The Question of Selfhood	Syllabus/Lecture Notes
6.6	The Question of Selfhood	Sandstrom, pg. 91-103
6.7	The Question of Selfhood	Sandstrom, pg. 104-113
6.8	The Question of Society	Sandstrom, pg. 113-120
6.9	Self and Society	CAHILL ARTICLE DEMO GROUP PROJECT
6.12	Symbolic Interaction and Social Psychology	Sandstrom, Chapter 1
6.13	Symbols and Reality	Sandstrom, Chapter 2
6.14	Meaning and Identity	Sandstrom, pg. 57-66
6.15	Socialization	Sandstrom, pg. 67-84
6.16	Groups 1 and 2 Present	Cahill
6.19	Case Study: Self and Society	Hochschild Chp 3 & 4/Frank intro in Cahill
6.20	Case Study: Self and Society	Hochschild Chp 5
6.21	Case Study: Self and Society	Hochschild Chp 6 & 7
6.22	Case Study: Self and Society	Hochschild Chp 8/Foff Paules intro in Cahill
6.23	Groups 3 & 4 Present	Cahill
6.26	Society and Self	Sandstrom, pg. 125-136
6.27	Society and Self	Sandstrom, pg. 138-146
6.28	Politics of Selfhood	Sandstrom, pg. 151-173
6.29	Politics of Selfhood Case Study: Society and Self	Sandstrom, pg. 173-176 Cahill and Eggleston Dordick Chp. 1 (3-13)
6.30	Groups 5 & 6 Present
7.3	Case Study: Society and Self	Dordick Chp. 1 (13-50)
7.4	Case Study: Society and Self	Dordick Chp, 3 (103-121)
7.5	Case Study: Society and Self	Dordick Chp. 3 (122-150)
7.6	Case Study: Society and Self	Dordick Chp. 5
7.7	Groups 7 & 8 Present