SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN BEHAVIOR
SYLLABUS
SBS 3033-002 &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; David
A. Tait, Ph.D.
Zap 2570 &nb=
sp; =
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; Spring
2007
Office:
Auditorium Room 112
(“=
The
Bunker”)
Claremore
Campus
Website:
http://www.rsu.edu/faculty/dtait/
E-Mail: dtait@rsu.edu &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nb=
sp; =
&nb=
sp; Phone:
(918) 343-7746
E-mail
is often the most efficient way to communicate. Use it! You may get a quicker reply to your
question or concern than with any other method.
Office
hours: please refer to the professor’s website for information about
office hours and appointments.
Website
Up-to-date
information about this course can be found on the professor’s website.
Visit the website regularly to look for new information. If there are changes in the =
curse
calendar and/or course requirements, you will find them there.
CLASS
CALENDAR
Week 1=
(January 8 & 10)
Read:
Dye 1
Due:
8:00 A.M. Wednesday Wrap-up, Dye 1
Week 2 (January 15 & 17)
Read:
Dye 2
Guest
Lecturers on Social Science Disciplines
Due:
8:00 A.M. Monday Wrap-up, Dye 2
Week 3 (=
January
22 & 24)
Read:
Dye 3
Guest
Lecturers on Social Science Disciplines
Due:
8:00 A.M. Monday Wrap-up, Dye 3
Week 4 (January 29 & 31)
Read:
Dye 4 & 5
Due:
8:00 A.M. Monday Wrap-up, Dye 4
Due: 8:00 A.M. Wednesday Wrap-up, = Dye 5
Week 5 (February 5 & 7)
Read:
Dye 6 & 7
Due: 8:00 A.M. Monday Wrap-up, Dye 6
Due: 8:00 A.M. Wednesday Wrap-up, = Dye 7
Week 6=
(February 12 & 14)
Read:
Dye 8
Exam
1, Dye 1-7 and Weeks 1-5 on Monday
Due: 8:00 A.M. Wednesday Wrap-up, Dye 8
Group
Project Organizational Meetings on Wednesday
Week 7=
(February 19 & 21)
Read:
Dye 9 and 10
Due:
8:00 A.M. Monday Wrap-up, Dye 9
Due: 12:00 Noon Monday, in class, Group Project Plan with Timeline
Due:
8:00 A.M. Wednesday Wrap-up, =
Dye 10
Week 8 (February 26 & 28)
Read:
Dye 11 & 12
Due: 8:00 A.M Monday. Wrap-up, Dye 11
Due: 8:00 A.M. Wednesday Wrap-up, Dye 12
Week 9=
(March 5 & 7)
Read:
Dye 13 & 14
Due: 8:00 A.M Monday Wrap-up, Dye 13
Due: 8:00 A.M. Wednesday Wrap-up, = Dye 14
Week 10 (=
March 12
& 14)
Exam
2, Dye 8-14 and Weeks 7-9 on Monday
Database
Exercise Introduction on Wednesday
Spring Break March 19-23
Week 11 =
(March
26 & 28)
Read:
Maril Foreword, Preface and Introduction
Due: 8:00 A.M. Monday Wrap-up, Maril Foreword, Preface, Introduction
Group
Project Organizational Meetings on Wednesday
Due:
Database Exercise 1, Wednesday at 8:00 A.M
Week 12 =
(April 2
& 4)
Read:
Maril 1 and 2 (Review Dye 2)
Due: 8:00 A.M. Monday Wrap-up, Maril 1
Due
: 12:00 Noon Monday, in class, Group Project Progress Report
Due: 8:00 A.M. Wednesday Wrap-up, Maril 2
Week 13 (April 9 & 11)
Read:
Maril 3 & 4 (Review Dye 5 & 11)
Due: 8:00 A.M Monday. Wrap-up, Maril 3
Due:
8:00 A.M. Wednesday Wrap-up, Maril 4
Due 5:00 P.M. Thursday April 12, Writing Assignm= ent (see syllabus)
Week 14 (April 16 & 18)
Read:
Maril 5 & 6
Due: 8:00 A.M. Monday Wrap-up, Maril 5
Due: 8:00 A.M. Wednesday Wrap-up, Maril 6
Week 15 (April 23 & 25)
Group
Project Presentations
Due: Due: 8:00 A.M. Monday, all group research papers
Week 16 Exam: Monday April 30 (12:45-2:45)
Due:
Maril Appraisal, 12:45 P.M.
Due:
Database Exercise #2, 12:45 P.M.
REQUI=
RED
WORK AND GRADING
Wrap-ups (150 points)
Use
the form provided on the professor’s website. A wrap-up includes three lessons
(reports on things you learned from the reading) and two puzzles (two things
you did not understand or want to learn more about). Lessons and puzzles must include
specific information from and/or or references to the reading. These are to be submitted electron=
ically
by the deadlines on the calendar.
Late wrap-ups are not accepted for credit; they get zeroes. Fifteen wrap-ups are required. Each one is worth up to 10 points.=
There are 21 opportunities to subm=
it
wrap-ups. If you do more than=
15,
you may earn some extra credit.
Discussion Leader=
ship (50 points)
Students
will take turns initiating class discussions on the assigned reading in Dye=
and
Maril. The professor will pos=
t a
schedule, and it will be your responsibility to present on the date assigne=
d to
you. By 8 AM on the day for w=
hich
you are scheduled, e-mail to the professor a document that includes a summa=
ry
no longer than one page of the key material in the reading and three questi=
ons
for class discussion. The pro=
fessor
will photocopy your material and distribute it to the class. You will present an oral summary in
class (no more than ten minutes) and initiate class discussion of at least =
one
of your questions (10 minutes).
Missed assignments on this item cannot be made up or rescheduled, and
will result in a grade of zero.
Database Exercise=
s (75 points)
In
these exercises students will search for academic articles via electronic
databases provided by the RSU Library.&nbs=
p;
Instructions and forms for these exercises will be posted on the
professor’s website. The first exercise is worth 25 points, and is due
Wednesday March 28 (please refer to class calendar). The second exercise is worth 50 po=
ints
and is considered part of the final exam.
Exams<=
span
style=3D'font-family:Arial'> (200 points)
The
class has three exams, including the final. The first two exams will be based =
on the
reading in the textbook Power and S=
ociety
and on other material presented in class.&=
nbsp;
These exams will consist of some or all of the following:
multiple-choice questions; true-false questions; matching of items;
fill-in-the-blanks questions; and identifications. These exams will be given in class=
on
the dates provided in the course calendar. The first two exams will be worth 1=
00
points each.
The
final exam consists of two take-home items described elsewhere in this sect=
ion
of the syllabus: the appraisal of Maril’s book Waltzing with the Ghost of Tom Joad and the second database
exercise. These are due at the
beginning of the exam period listed on the course calendar (12:45 P.M. on
Monday April 30).
Critical Appraisa=
l of
Maril’s Waltzing with the Gho=
st of
Tom Joad (100 points)
A carefully
written paper of 5 to 10 pages (12 point font, double-spaced) in which you =
do
the following.
When I read your pap=
er I
will ask myself:
This paper is due on=
the day
of the final exam (please refer to the course calendar for more precise inf=
ormation).
Writing
Assignments (75 point)
&=
nbsp; Students
are required to one brief writing assignment (5-10 typewritten pages) due on
Thursday April 12; please see details in class calendar under Week 13. The
assignment will require that students expand on themes introduced in the Dye
text by using scholarly articles and texts. Your paper may not cover the same subject-area as your=
group
project or poverty, which is the focus of a major portion of the class. Chose one of the following):
Masters of Social Thought. Select one of the "Masters" from the=
Dye
text, and supplement what you learned from the text with scholarly articles
either by the master themselves, or those written about them or their
works. What were the most rel=
evant
contributions made by these individuals?&n=
bsp;
What about their work or the individual makes them a "Master&qu=
ot;
in their field? Utilize not l=
ess
than two and not more than five scholarly articles.
Issues in Focus. Select one of the Focus issues, and search for
scholarly articles related to that topic. Do disciplines other than the one=
Dye
indicates address the issue? How do disciplines apply the insights of other
disciplines (for example, do political scientists apply sociological insigh=
ts
into sex to explain scandals?)? Summarize and synthesize not less than two =
and
not more than five scholarly articles.
Controversies in Social Science. Select one of the Controversies issues, and se=
arch
for scholarly articles related to that topic. Important for successfully co=
mpleting
this assignment is the identification of what makes the particular issue ap=
pear
so irresolvable. Why is the topic selected such a polarizing issue? Does the
scholarly literature on the subject suggest a resolution? Importantly, stud=
ents
should indicate their views throughout OR at the end of their essay. How did
what you learn from the Dye text and your additional researches affect the
attitudes and beliefs that you brought to the assignment? Utilize not less =
than
two and not more than five scholarly articles.
Case Studies. Select one of the case studies from the Dye text, and supplement wh=
at
you learned from the text with scholarly articles. How does scientific rese=
arch
contribute to public policy? How important is science in particular and exp=
erience
in general in the particular case study you selected? Utilize not less than=
two
and not more than five scholarly articles.
International Perspective. Select one of the international perspectives f=
rom
the Dye text, and supplement what you learned from the text with scholarly
articles (be aware that you may have to search outside of the traditional
“American” literature for some of these). How are these global
issues addressed? Do you see =
an
ethnocentric viewpoint emerging in the literature? How does the
Group
Projects (150 points)
Early in the semester students will be formed i=
nto
4-6 person groups. Each group choose a research topic from a list of propos=
ed
issues (see last page of syllabus). Over the course of the semester, each g=
roup
will research these problem areas, write a paper summarizing existing schol=
arly
research on the subject and suggesting possibilities for further research, =
and present
their findings to the entire class. The assignment is divided into three pa=
rts
(projects are due at the time of the presentation):
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial'>1) &n=
bsp; Rese=
arch
Paper. (50 Points) The paper should be between 12-20 typewritten page=
s in
length, APA format, and should include a list of references with no less th=
an
seven scholarly sources.
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial'>2) &n=
bsp; Pres=
entation. (50 =
Points)
Each group will present their findings to the class. Presentations should be
15-20 minutes in length, and may include posters, PowerPoint presentations,=
or
any other presentation medium. 50%
of the presentation grade will come from instructor evaluation. The remaining 50% will come from s=
tudent
participation in the evaluation process.&n=
bsp;
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial'>3) &n=
bsp; Peer
Evaluation. (50 Points) The class will evaluate the quality of their prese=
ntations,
filling out forms for each group. Class evaluations will be worth 50% of the
peer evaluation grade. The other 50% will come from group members, who will
anonymously indicate how much each member contributed to the project. Stude=
nts
who attempt social loafing may be identified to the instructor by group
members, and the instructor may choose to assign a failing grade for the en=
tire
project to such student.
Please
note:
Semester Grade
Your
semester grade will be determined by the number of points you earn for the
various assignments and exams in the clas, providing you have met all course
expectations. Students who choose =
not to
meet the “Expectations of Students” stated in the syllabus may
receive a failing grade regardless of the number of points earned.
90‑100%
(720-800) ‑ A =
Excellent
80‑89% (640-719) ‑ B Very
Good
70‑79% (560-639) ‑ C Competent
60‑69% (480-559) ‑ D Deficient
<
60% (0-479)=
‑ F =
Inadequate
It is important to keep in mind that there is n=
o curving
of grades, and also that there is no automatic rounding up of grades (e.g.,=
a
semester total of 559 points can mean a course grade of D rather than C).&nb=
sp;
The professor may choose to add extra-credit
opportunities, but any such opportunities will be available to the whole cl=
ass,
not just to individuals. Keep
on top of your grades: make sure you know what you need to do to get the gr=
ade
you are aiming for.
Key
Information About This Class
I. BULLETIN DESCRIPTION: =
SBS 3033
A study of differing conceptions of human behavior prevalent in the
contemporary social sciences.
Course Description: The degree program for the Department of Soci=
al and
Behavioral Sciences is multidisciplinary and designed to expose students to
different modes of inquiry. SBS 3033 is a core course within this program, =
and
helps students to understand the interrelated nature of inquiry into human
behavior. Perspectives on Human Beh=
avior
is a ‘unifying precursor’ to later courses (e.g. capstone semin=
ar)
where students will be required to take a multidisciplinary approach to the
study of human problems. This
course demands college-level reading comprehension and writing skills, as w=
ell
as a foundation of knowledge gained from having taken the University’s
general education requirements.
II. COURSE OBJECTIVES<=
span
style=3D'font-family:Arial'>
Among
the specific skills students are expected to develop are:
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial'>1) &n=
bsp; An improved appreciation of the differing appro=
aches
to understanding human behavior as practiced by historians, political scien=
tists,
psychologists, and sociologists.
This supports the SBS program goal to develop a level of competence =
in
the core discipline(s) of the social sciences to allow for further inquiry =
and
study, and will be assessed primarily through classroom discussion, written
assignments and group projects.
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial'>2) &n=
bsp; A heightened awareness of the different insights
produced from the disciplines of the social sciences, and how those insights
can be used synthetically to produce a more robust and comprehensive
understanding of human behavior.
This supports the SBS program goals to a) demonstrate knowledge of t=
he
relationship among people and their physical and social environments, and t=
o b)
demonstrate knowledge of diverse human values, beliefs and behaviors. This will be assessed primarily th=
rough
classroom discussions, database assignments, examinations, written assignme=
nts,
and group projects.
3) &n=
bsp; An enhanced ability to think critically, work w=
ithin
a group context, and to articulate ideas in written and verbal form in a
‘scientific environment.’
This supports the SBS program goal to equip students with the academ=
ic
skills necessary to successfully address increasingly complex,
multidisciplinary problems in the social sciences, and will be assessed
primarily through examinations, written assignments and group projects.
III. MATERIALS
Required Texts:
The profess=
or may
add additional reading assignments to the class, but you will not have to
purchase additional materials.
These will be available in one or more of the following ways: websit=
es,
PDF files on the professor’s website, reserve readings in the RSU
Library.
IV. COURSE POLICIES
Expectations of
Students
&=
nbsp; The
path to success in the class begins with the attitudes and actions of stude=
nts
and the professor. This is wh=
at I
expect of students:
1. complete all required work on or before the due
date, and keep up to date on the assigned reading;
2. conduct yourself in class so that lectures and
other scheduled activities can proceed without distraction or interruption =
(no
talking, whispering, or other actions that can interfere with orderly
learning). No communications devices (telephones, beepers, pagers, etc.); if
you have such devices, they must be turned off for the entire class
period. Treat other students =
with
respect at all times. Student=
s who
disrupt the class in any way may be dismissed from the classroom;
3. comply with all relevant
4. attend all
classes, arrive on time, and stay to the end. If you miss a class for any reason=
, it
is your responsibility to obtai=
n the
notes and other necessary information from other members of the class who a=
re
willing to help you. Please n=
ote:
class attendance is very important, because exams are based in large part on
what happens in class and because each student’s input is needed in d=
iscussions.
The professor has certain responsibilities, too.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> You can expect that I will:
1. focus on topics mentioned in the c=
ourse
calendar, or related to them;
2. provide reasonable advance notice =
of
changes in the course calendar and/or required work;
3. maintain regular office hours for
students; and
4.
grade and return your work in a timely manner.
Attendance
Attendance i=
s the
responsibility of the student and is required. Attendance will be taken at the be=
ginning
of each class period. To be c=
ounted
present you must arrive on time and remain for the entire class period. Aft=
er
two absences all subsequent absences will reduce your course point-total by=
10
points each. A student who mi=
sses
more than two consecutive classes may, at the discretion of the instructor,
receive a failing grade for the entire course.
Submitting
Your Work
&=
nbsp; All
work in this class must be submitted electronically unless the professor
explicitly advises otherwise. All
documents must be submitted as Microsoft Word (.doc) or text files (.rtf or
.txt). Documents submitted in=
other
formats may not be readable and therefore may not receive any credit. All documents must be double-space=
d and
produced in a 12-point font.
&=
nbsp; If
a Web-CT drop box is provided for an assignment, students are required to u=
se
it. Otherwise assignments mus=
t be
submitted as attachments to e-mails.
The e-mail subject line must give the course title, your full name, =
and
the assignment name. For exam=
ple:
Perspectives, Justin Timberlake, Wrap-up.
Deadlines
&=
nbsp; This
class has very strict deadlines. Normally missed deadlines for assignments =
or
exams mean no credit. If you =
miss a
deadline, you may make a written request for an extension. In exceptionally compelling circum=
stances,
the professor may make exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
=
Academic Misconduct
List of Potential Issues for Exploration
Once
groups are formed, each group will select one of the problems from below, a=
nd
begin the research process. Some of the problems will have a large preexist=
ing
literature, while others have a less-well developed literature. The instruc=
tor
will meet periodically with each group during class, or by appointment outs=
ide
of class, to address any problems that may have arisen.
|
Problem |
Group |
|
1. What impact=
would
legalizing (legitimizing?) gay and lesbian marriage have on our society (=
and
what has happened to date)? |
N=
ame: |
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2. Does capital
punishment work (e.g. does it deter violent crime)? Are there any other viable
alternatives? |
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3. Would the
decriminalization or legalization of marijuana be helpful or harmful to
society? |
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4. How far sho=
uld we
tread on personal and civil liberties to assure personal and national
security? |
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5. Should fath=
ers be
given the same level of consideration as mothers for childbirth (e.g.
allowances to be at the hospital for birth, 6 weeks "paternity"
leave/“parental leave”, etc.)? |
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6. Should the =
sales and
distribution of firearms/weapons be regulated more or less stringently (e=
ven
to the point of not regulating them at all)? |
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7. Is the reli=
gious
right a threat to American liberties? |
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8. per capita
incarceration of women and fourth in per =
capita
incarceration of men. Is social
problems? |
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9. Does the di=
vision
of the states and blue stat=
es
mean that a culturally-based civ=
il war
may be Imminent? |
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