Sociology 3040, Call #40404 Nonwestern World Fall 2009
Monday and Wednesday 12:00-1:50, Sangren 2304
Instructor: Professor Paul S. Ciccantell
Office: Sangren 2528
Office Phone: 387-3594
Office Hours: Monday 2:00-3:00 and by appointment
Email: paul.ciccantell@wmich.edu
Teaching Assistant: Valerie Nebbeling
Office: Sangren
Phone: 387-
Email: valerie.d.nebbeling@wmich.edu
Office Hours:
Required Texts:
Edge, Wayne. 2006. Global Studies: Africa (12th Edition).
Spencer, William. 2007. Global Studies: The Middle East (12th Edition).
Zhu, Zhiqun. Global Studies: China (13th edition).
COURSE PACK for Sociology 3040 available at the WMU Bookstore in the Bernhard Center.
Course Goals: This course in sociology is designed:
1. To introduce you to the basic tools and techniques of sociology, including the theories, concepts and methods used to analyze the social world.
2. To provide insight into social life, social institutions, and social change in the regions and nations of the Nonwestern World.
3. To examine the connections and relationships between the Nonwestern World and the United States and other Western nations.
4. To help prepare students for life in globalizing economies, societies and cultures.
Course Description: This course is a comparative and historical introduction to social life, social institutions and social change in the “Nonwestern World”, a very broad category of regions and nations made up of the vast majority of the nations and people of the world. For the purposes of this course, the Nonwestern World is defined as Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Other labels for this large group of nations include the Third World, the Periphery and Semiperiphery, and the South. In contrast, the “Western World” (also called the First World, the Core, the North, and the Industrialized Nations) includes the nations of North America, Western Europe, and Japan.
This course uses an interdisciplinary approach to studying the Nonwestern World and the relationships between the Nonwestern and Western Worlds. This approach makes links across what often seem like impenetrable disciplinary boundaries in order to understand the relationships between diverse human societies and between human societies and the ecosystems on which we depend.
The course (due to size) will be primarily lecture format. However, a significant share of class time will involve discussion and debate about concepts, examples and experiences. Questions and discussion are very important and are welcome in class, in office hours, in writing, and via e-mail. One of the best ways of understanding the material (and of preparing for exams) is to discuss the readings, lectures, films, etc. with other students outside class in small study groups.
Course Requirements: I strongly encourage each student to attend class. Material will be presented in class that is not covered in the readings and there will be questions on this material on the exams. Careful reading of the books and articles is also strongly encouraged, since there will be exam questions based on the readings as well. Each student is also responsible for all films, videos, handouts, guest speakers, etc. presented during the course; there will be exam questions covering these materials. There may also be additional news articles available on the web that will be assigned as readings on current events and that will be covered on the exams. Please make sure to bring your WMU I.D. to class every day, since you will be asked to present it in order to turn in exams and other assignments.
Even though this is an extremely large class, I encourage discussion and questions. My T.A. and I are available during our respective office hours and by appointment at other times. Our role in this class is to help you learn; that's why we're here.
In addition, there is a WorldWide Web page for this class with class information, lecture note “fill-in-the-blank” outlines to facilitate note-taking in class, assignments, old exams, and links to interesting Web sites related to the material in this class. The web address is: http://homepages.wmich.edu/~pciccant/304index.html
You will need to visit the website at some point before the next class to download the lecture note outlines for the first section of the course under the heading of “Basic Concepts for the Course.” I have also included some “Suggestions for Surviving Soc 3040" on the website as well with suggestions for doing well in this course.
Email is also an extremely useful way to get in touch with me and with your T.A. with questions and comments about the course. There will also be a course listserv that will be used for announcements and discussion during the semester that will be generated by the WMU Student Information System using the firstname.middleinitial.lastname@wmich.edu address system.
GRADING:
Exams: There will be three (3) multiple choice exams on the following tentative dates. If an examination date changes, you will be informed one week in advance. Exams 1 and 2 will each have 50 questions worth 2 points per question. The final exam will have 75 questions (50 from the last section of the course and 25 cumulative final exam questions covering the whole semester) and will be worth a total of 150 points. The three exams will total 350 points. All examinations will be held in this room, Sangren 2304.
Exam 1:Monday, October 12: Basic Concepts, The Amazon
Exam 2: Wednesday, November 11: Latin America, Brazil, Africa
Exam 3:Thursday, Dec. 17, 12:30-2:30 p.m. (university exam schedule), First Section: The Middle East, Asia, China, Conclusions; Second Section: Cumulative Final
Examinations will be graded as follows:
Exams 1 and 2:
93+ points A
88-92 BA
83-87 B
78-82 CB
70-77 C
68-69 DC
60-67 D
59 & below E
Final Exam:
140+ A
132-139 BA
125-131 B
117-126 CB
105-116 C
102-104 DC
90-101 D
89 & below E
Writing Assignments: In addition to the three exams, there will be two required writing assignments. Each writing assignment will be worth 40 points. The two writing assignments are worth a total of 80 points.
Writing Assignment #1: Handed out on Monday, Oct. 19
Due in class on Wednesday, Nov. 4
Writing Assignment #2: Handed out on Monday, Nov. 9
Due in class on Wednesday, Dec. 9
In-Class Assignments and Homework: There will also be 70 points worth of in-class and homework assignments that will be assigned during the semester. Some of these will be short quizzes and written work that will be done in class, and others will be homework due at the beginning of the next class. Because many of these points will be earned in class, attendance is strongly recommended. There will not be an in-class assignment or homework assignment during every class period, but they will be fairly frequent. There may be a few extra assignments and extra credit opportunities, so if you miss one day of class, you may be able to make up the points later. If you choose to do more than the required 70 points, the extra points will be added as extra credit to your final point total for the semester.
FINAL COURSE GRADE:
The total points for the semester are 500. Final grades for the course will be determined as follows:
465+ points =93% & above A
440-464 =88-92% BA
415-439 =83-87% B
390-414 =78-82% CB
350-389 =70-77% C
340-349 =68-69% DC
300-339 =60-67% D
299 & below =59% and belowE
Make-Up Policy: As a general rule there will be absolutely NO make-up exams or other assignments. In extraordinary circumstances a make-up exam or delayed assignment due date may be possible if arrangements have been made with the instructor at least one week before the scheduled exam or due date, or you are hospitalized or seriously ill and consult with the instructor about making up the exam or written work as soon as possible, or whatever other reason you have for missing the exam or written work is clearly extraordinary and beyond the student's control in the instructor's view.
NOTE: The instructor reserves the right to refuse permission for a make-up exam if he feels it is not warranted. Leaving early for vacation is not a valid reason for a make-up exam or turning in written work late.
Any writing assignment or homework turned in late will be docked 5 points for each class period that it is late.
Extra Credit: Optional extra credit assignments worth 5 points will be presented at various times during the semester. There may also be other opportunities to earn two extra credit points by attending university-wide lectures, presentations, etc. and writing short (1-2 page) papers about what you learned at these events. These additional extra credit opportunities will be announced in class.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: If you have any condition, such as a physical or learning disability, which will make it difficult for you to carry out the work as I have outlined it or which will require academic accommodations, please notify me in the first two weeks of the course.
Academic Honesty Statement: You are responsible for making yourself aware of and understanding the policies and procedures in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs that pertain to Academic Honesty. These policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism, complicity and computer misuse. [The policies can be found at http://catalog.wmich.edu under Academic Policies, Student Rights and Responsibilities.] If there is reason to believe you have been involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. You will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s). If you believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a hearing. You should consult with your instructor if you are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an assignment or test.
Copyright Statement: All class notes, lecture outlines, class assignments, examinations, and any other course information are copyrighted material and may not be copied or distributed in any format or for any purpose.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
Date Topic Readings
September 9, Wed. Introduction
14, Mon.Basic Concepts for the Course
16, Wed.Basic Concepts for the Course
21, Mon.Basic Concepts for the Course
23, Wed.Basic Concepts for the Course
28, Mon.The Amazon COURSE PACK: Moran, 1981, pp. 23-67
30, Wed.The Amazon
October 5, Mon.The Amazon COURSE PACK: Roberts and Thanos, 2003, pp. 129-163
7, Wed. The Amazon COURSE PACK: Fearnside, 2001, pp. 377-396; Brown and Rosendo, 2000, pp. 35-48
12, Mon.EXAM #1
14, Wed.NO CLASS
19, Mon.Latin America; Brazil COURSE PACK: Frank, 1969, pp. 3-17; Modern Brazil Ch. 3
ALSO: Writing Assignment #1 Handed Out
21, Wed.Brazil COURSE PACK: Modern Brazil Ch. 5, 8
26, Mon.Brazil
28, Wed.Africa COURSE PACK: Rodney, 1982, pp. 223-238; Williams, 1944, pp. 3-29
November 2, Mon.Africa Global Studies: Africa “Africa: Looking for a Renaissance”; “Central Africa: Possibilities for Cooperation”; “Democratic Republic of the Congo”; “East Africa: A Mixed Inheritance”; “Rwanda”; “Somalia”; “Sudan”
4, Wed. Africa Global Studies: Africa “North Africa: Crossroads of the Continent”; “Southern Africa: The Continuing Struggle for Self-Determination”; “South Africa”; “West Africa: Seeking Unity in Diversity”; “Guinea”; “Liberia”; “Nigeria”
ALSO: Writing Assignment #1 Due in Class
9, Mon. Africa Global Studies: Africa Articles 2,4,5,6,9; COURSE PACK: Harden, 2001; Polgreen and French, 2007.
ALSO: Writing Assignment #2 Handed Out in Class
November 11, Wed. EXAM #2
16, Mon. NO CLASS
18, Wed.NO CLASS
23, Mon.The Middle East Global Studies: The Middle East Pp. 4-27, 55-100
25, Wed. NO CLASS; THANKSGIVING BREAK
30, Mon.The Middle East Global Studies: The Middle East Pp. 152-160, Articles 2,3,7,8,10-13
December 2, Wed.The Middle East COURSE PACK: The 9/11 Commission Report, pp. 1-107, 361-398
7, Mon.China Global Studies: China
Pp. 4-70
9, Wed.China and Comparisons, Conclusions and the Future
Global Studies: China
Articles 1-3, 7-11, 17,18,21,28,31; COURSE PACK: Barboza, 2007; Kahn and Yardley, 2007
ALSO: Writing Assignment #2 Due in Class