SOC 344 Syllabus PDF

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SOC 344 Syllabus...

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SOC 344-01: Environmental Sociology State University of New York at Stony Brook Course Syllabus Spring 2020 Professor Kristen Shorette, Ph.D. [email protected] Social and Behavioral Sciences S-457 Office Hours: Mondays, 2:30 – 4:00 pm & by appointment

Lecture Meetings Mondays & Fridays 1:00 – 2:20 pm Frey Hall 104

Graduate Student Teaching Assistant Samia Tasmim, M.A. Email: [email protected] Office: Social and Behavioral Sciences S-414 Office Hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 2:45 – 3:45

Undergraduate Teaching Assistants Iris Grimma Email: [email protected] Review Hour: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:00 AM

Diana Quinteros Email: [email protected] Review Hour: Fridays, 11:45am-12:45pm

Nina Gu Email: [email protected] Review Hour: Thursday 9-10am

Moesha Stewart Email: [email protected] Review Hour: Mondays, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

All Undergraduate TAs will hold their weekly review hours in the common area of the 4th floor of SBS

Course Description and Learning Objectives Analysis of how populations gain sustenance from their environments through organization, information, and technology. Evolution of technology and its ecological consequences for population growth, urbanization, social stratification, environmental destruction, and the quality of life. Problems in managing the human environment and communities. In this course, we will scrutinize the various aspects of the relationship between social systems and ecosystems. We will highlight the state, market, and civil society structures of society and how they shape inequalities in 1) humans’ impact on the natural environment and 2) the natural environment’s impact on humans. We will consider the human-nature relationship within countries and between countries. Major substantive topics include health, agriculture, energy, and climate change. By the successful conclusion of this course, students will: 1

1. Understand the major concepts and phenomena that form the basis of knowledge in the subdiscipline of environmental sociology. 2. Understand methods of inquiry into the social world and the methods social and behavioral scientists use to explore social phenomena including observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, and the evaluation and application of evidence. 3. Understand various types of theory (e.g., behavioral, political, economic, linguistic) that organize predictions and evidence in environmental sociology. 4. Skillfully interpret and form educated opinions on issues in environmental sociology. 5. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the interconnectedness of the world, past and present as it relates to the relationship between societies and the natural environment. 6. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a society or culture outside of the United States. 7. Demonstrate skills for effective peer collaboration including communication, delegation, coordination, time management, and conflict resolution.

Course Materials Required •

Gould, Kenneth A. and Tammy L. Lewis. eds. 2009. Twenty Lessons in Environmental Sociology, second edition. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.

•

Turning Technologies Audience Response Clicker

Supplementary

• Dunlap, Riley and Robert J. Brulle. 2015. Climate Change and Society: Sociological Perspectives. Oxford University Press. Required reading assignments from the Dunlap and Brulle text will be posted on the course web page. Two copies of each text will be available on reserve at the Melville Library. Clickers are required in all class meetings beginning the second week of the semester.

Course Evaluation Students will be evaluated based on their fulfillment of the course learning objectives and demonstrate competence in course material via three assignment categories summarized below. Students are responsible for regularly checking their grades in Blackboard and alerting Professor Shorette of any 2

potential problems. Students are encouraged to review their coursework for clarification and more detailed feedback throughout the semester. If a student wishes to dispute a grade, he or she must submit a written and detailed request within two weeks of receiving the grade. 25% 25% 50%

Participation Environmental Impact Project Exams 10% Midterm 1 10% Midterm 2 30% Final Exam or Midterm Average

Without exception, final grade calculations will be rounded to the nearest integer and assigned letters as follows: 93 – 100 90 – 92 87 – 89 83 – 86 80 – 82 77 – 79

A AB+ B BC+

73 – 76 70 – 72 65 – 69 60 – 64 0 – 59

C CD+ D F

Course Requirements Participation (25%) Students will contribute to their own and their peers’ learning through active participation in class meetings. In order to benefit the most from class meetings, students should complete all reading assignments prior to the meeting for which they are assigned and be prepared for related activities, quizzes, and discussions. Class meetings will include individual and/or group activities and quizzes. Activities serve as lowstakes opportunities for students to engage with the course material. They are graded on a completed/ not completed basis. Quizzes serve as reading/ viewing completion and comprehension checks. They address the main arguments and/or key points made in assigned material. They are graded on a correct/ incorrect basis. Participation will be conducted primarily via student response clickers. To receive credit for clickerbased participation, students must have a physical clicker (no response ware app) with a license that is registered to their course page in Blackboard. Extensive clicker-support documentation is available on the SBU Office of Information Technology’s webpage. Technical support is also available from Turning Technologies. In order to account for typical life events, 20% of available participation points are automatically excused for all students. Students can miss those points for any reason at all including, but not limited 3

to: not having a functioning clicker (not arrived in the mail, lost, stolen, forgotten, tuned to the incorrect channel, without charged batteries or active subscription etc.); answering quiz questions incorrectly; arriving late, leaving early or missing class due to non-severe illnesses, the illness of a family member, neighbor, pet or friend; doctor’s appointments, seasonal allergies, non-emergent medical procedures, weddings, funerals, recreation and travel, auditions, interviews, transportation mishaps, conflicts with work schedules, catching up on sleep or joining the class after our start date. Notification of absences due to any of the above circumstances is not required. Additional excused absences are granted only for extreme and unavoidable circumstances (ex. emergency medical attention, jury duty) confirmed by the Office of the Dean of Students or University-sponsored events confirmed in advance by the relevant University sponsor. For ODS confirmation, students much contact Catherine Duffy and follow her instructions. Students will not be permitted to make-up any form of missed participation. In the event that a student’s absence is excused, the participation requirements for the relevant day(s) are excluded from the calculation of participation grades. Regardless of the reason for absence, students are responsible for the content presented in all classes. Students are required to abide by course and University policy on clicker use. They may only use clickers registered to their Blackboard accounts and may not allow anyone else to use their clicker. Students are required to provide audience response clicker to any of the instructors upon request. Misuse of student response clickers constitutes academic dishonesty. Any students suspected of clicker misuse will be referred directly to the Office of Academic Integrity via official report. Environmental Impact Project (25%) Throughout the semester, students will work in small groups to investigate the environmental impact of production and consumption of goods or services. This group project is an opportunity for students to expand their understanding of the human-nature relationship beyond the scope of the general course material and to develop academic and practical skills. The skills we will focus on include independent collaborative research, the critical consumption of news media, data collection and presentation, written communication, time management, and following directions. Students will form groups in the third week of the semester. Students are responsible for being formally assigned to a group and must contact Professor Shorette if they are not connected to a group via Blackboard by the beginning of week 4. Groups will have several occasions to meet during regularly scheduled class time but will need to schedule additional collaborative meetings. Group meetings should be held in person and on campus unless all group members agree otherwise. Groups will complete the project in several stages and revise their work as they progress toward a final report and poster. The key project stages are 1) group formation, 2) proposal, 3) outline, 4) write-up, and 5) poster. Several activities will involve group projects, but be recorded as participation. These include peer-evaluations and a poster contest. Poster printing services are available in the Melville library and off-campus. Each group member should plan to contribute $5 – 10 to poster printing. To receive credit, assignments must be submitted on time. Detailed instructions for each assignment will be posted on Blackboard as the semester progresses. Students are responsible for accessing the directions and asking for clarification if needed. The teaching staff will be available in office hours, via email, and in our regular classroom during classes designated as “Class Time Project Preparation.” 4

All group members are expected to contribute equally to the project and to regularly communicate with their collaborators. Following the conclusion of the project, each student will formally evaluate their own contribution to the project as a whole as well as the contributions of each of their group members. In the event that a student does not contribute as expected, their grade will be weighted accordingly. Students must comply with all standards of attributing others’ work. Misrepresentation of one’s own or a group member’s contribution to the project constitutes academic dishonesty. All students involved in suspected plagiarism or dishonest evaluation will be referred directly to the Office of Academic Integrity via official report.

Exams (50%) Two Required Midterm Exams (10% each) Average of Two Midterm Exams or Final Exam (30%) Exams serve as an opportunity for students to demonstrate their individual competence in the course material. They will be administered as two midterms and an optional final. Each midterm will contribute 10% to the final grade. The remaining 30% of the exam component of final grades will be either the average of the two midterm exam scores or the final exam score, whichever score is higher. There is no grade penalty for electing to take the final exam. Students need not inform Professor Shorette or Ms. Tasmim of their intention to take the final or not. However, they are welcomed to seek advice on their options. The second midterm exam will emphasize the material presented after the first midterm exam. It will include key concepts from the first portion of the course as they relate to the material from the latter portion of the course. The final exam is cumulative. It will cover material introduced throughout the course with equal emphasis. Students may bring reference notes to exams. Students who opt to use notes, must submit them with their exam materials with their name and identification numbers clearly marked. Reference notes may contain any information, images or fonts. They may be printed or handwritten. Students may use the same or similar reference notes as other students. However, each student must have their own paper. Reference notes are limited to: •

both sides of one sheet of 8 ½ by 11-inch sheet of paper or one side of two sheets of 8 ½ by 11-inch paper for midterms

•

both sides of two sheets of 8 ½ by 11-inch sheet of paper or one side of four sheets of 8 ½ by 11-inch paper for the final

Midterm exams are administered during our regular class meeting time and place. The final exam will be administered according to the official University exam schedule during finals week. Students are only permitted to take exams during their scheduled times baring official confirmation of exceptional circumstances by the Student Accessibility Support Center or Office of the Dean of Students. Students with exam-related accommodations formally granted by the Student Accessibility Support Center are responsible for making appropriate arrangements. 5

Resources Syllabus Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the content of this course syllabus and referring to it as needed throughout the semester. Students should request clarification if needed. After consulting the syllabus and course webpage, students should direct any logistic questions to a teaching assistant. Substantive questions are typically best addressed in office hours. Course Webpage on Blackboard The course webpage, hosted on Blackboard, will serve as the primary platform for sharing course information. Lecture slides, the course syllabus, and any course announcements will all be posted the course webpage. Grades will also be posted regularly (but not immediately). Students are responsible for checking their grades throughout the semester and alerting Professor Shorette or Ms. Tasmim of any potential problems. Students will also upload assignments via Blackboard as instructed. Echo 360 All class meetings will be available to view during and after class meetings on the Echo 360 platform on Blackboard. Students are encouraged to view any lectures they are unable to attend and review any lecture material they find unclear initially. Please note that the failure of audio/video technology is possible. Students are responsible for all lecture material regardless of technology functionality. Email When addressing faculty members, teaching assistants, and student colleagues, emails are considered professional correspondence. With that in mind, email inquiries should 1) come from and be addressed to university-assigned addresses, 2) with a descriptive title including the course number (SOC 344) clearly state their purpose, 4) be free of grammatical errors and emojis, and 5) request information that is not included in the syllabus or other official course material. It is standard to allow at least 48 business hours for a response before following up with a polite reminder. Office Hours Students are welcome and encouraged to attend office hours. Students who are unable to visit office hours at a regularly scheduled time, should request an appointment with the understanding that it may not be possible to hold a meeting at their preferred time. Please keep in mind that it is best to give several days advanced notice for appointments outside of office hours and that making an appointment obligates you to attend. Student Accessibility Support Center If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact Disability Support Services, ECC (Educational Communications Center) Building, room 128, (631) 632-6748. They will determine with you what accommodations, if any, are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation are confidential. Academic Success & Tutoring Center Free academic support services including one-on-one tutoring, small group tutoring, academic success coaching, public speaking programs, and academic success workshops are available to all undergraduate students. Learn more about these services and additional campus resources by visiting www.stonybrook.edu/tutoring. 6

Course Reserves Two copies each text will be available at the Reserve Desk on the third floor of the Melville Library. Students may access the texts for periods of two hours throughout the semester. Readings from the Dunlap and Brulle text will also be posted on the course web page. Office of the Dean of Students The Offices and Departments that comprise the Division of the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students advocate for student needs and provide services, support and coordination for co-curricular programs to help cultivate and develop community, individual growth, wellness, inclusion and leadership. Students are encouraged to contact the ODS if they need support outside of the classroom. Students who request additional excused absences from class participation must have ODS verification of extreme and unavoidable circumstances. Additional information is available at https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/studentaffairs/dos/ . Library Study Rooms Students may reserve a room for small group collaboration. Rooms must be reserved at least two weeks in advance and can accommodate 2 – 6 people. Additional information, including an online reservation option is available at https://library.stonybrook.edu/research/places-to-study/study-rooms/.

Course Policies As members of the Stony Brook University community, all students are subject to all university policies. By enrolling in this course, students agree to abide by the following course policies. Failure to do so may result in referral to the appropriate university office (Office of Community Standards, Office of Academic Integrity, etc.). Only students who are enrolled in the course or intending to enroll in the course may attend class without an exception granted by Professor Shorette. Classroom Conduct It is essential that our classroom is a place of mutual respect. To this end, students should arrive on time and remain in class through its duration. If you must arrive late or leave early, please do so with minimal disruption. While in class, please power off all electronics with the exception of note-taking devices such as laptops or tablets, and, of course, your clickers. Disruptive behavior will result in dismissal from class, restrictions on electronic devices, grade reduction and/or referral to the Office of Community Standards. Group-Work Conduct Students will work in a group project that requires regular communication and meetings outside of the classroom. Students will occasionally work in informal groups during in-class activities. For both types of group work, students are expected to contribute equally and positively to the overall group effort. Students should refer to the Guidelines for Group Work document posted on the course web page for detailed expectations and guidelines. Academic Integrity Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Faculty are required to report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. 7

Any incidence of suspected academic dishonesty will be reported to the Office of Academic Integrity. This includes but is not limited to: • • • • • • • • •

using a clicker assigned to someone else in the class allowing someone else in the class to use your clicker failing to cite others’ work (plagiarism) falsifying the self-evaluation of your contribution to group projects falsely evaluating someone else’s contribution to your group project looking at someone else’s exam allowing someone else to look at your exam impersonating someone else during an exam or class meeting allowing someone else to impersonate you during an exam or class meeting

For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcm...