SOC 470 & 776 ­ Writing Sociology
Autumn 2009
Mgr. Benjamin Vail, M.Sc., Ph.D.
SOC470 Credits: 10
SOC776 Credits: 15
Seminar time: Thursdays 12.00-13.30
Classroom: 117
Office hours: Tuesdays 10.00-11.00 in room 3.59
E-mail: vail@fss.muni.cz
Course Description
This course is intended to help masters students improve their academic writing skills and practice
English. Sociology 470 is intended for Czech students, while international students should enroll in
SOC776. This is a writing-intensive course that provides training in the methods of researching and
writing Sociology essays in several different styles, such as writing book reviews, social issue reaction
papers, and reports on quantitative and qualitative research. This writing experience is intended to
enhance students' knowledge and understanding of sociological theory and methods and help them
develop critical writing and reading skills to assist them in their Masters studies. By the end of the
semester, they will gain experience writing in a variety of academic literary genres, learn about
different perspectives on proper professional writing, understand and be able to follow academic
honesty standards, and be able to cite information properly according to academic norms.
Assignments and Evaluation
Writing and Homework
* Homework: There will be several homework assignments so students can practice technical
aspects of writing and demonstrate their understanding of the course requirements.
* Weekly essays: Approximately every two weeks, students will write two drafts of an essay
based on the assigned reading. In each two-week cycle, students will write a draft of the essay
in the first week. This draft essay will receive written and verbal feedback in class from the
teacher and other students. You will use this peer review feedback to revise the essay and turn
in a final draft during the second week. This gives you an opportunity to improve your
writing and learn to give and receive constructive criticism. More details about these
assignments will be given in class. Each essay should be 1500-2000 words in length.
* Final essay: A research essay 2000-3000 words in length is due in January 2010. You are
invited to make your thesis topic the focus of this essay. More details will be provided in
class.
Class Participation
* Attendance: All students are required to attend every seminar meeting. Any absence must be
documented (for example, due to family or medical emergency). Your attendance is important
because the course is organized around classroom discussion and giving feedback to each
other.
* Discussion: Active participation in classroom discussion is an important part of your grade.
You are required to read the assigned literature before the seminar meeting to facilitate
discussion.
2
* Peer Review: Approximately every other week, we will engage in the written and oral inclass
critique of each student's first-draft essay. Each student will be assigned to read another
student's draft essay and give a presentation about suggested revisions.
Evaluation
The quality of your use of English is not part of the grade, but you must write the essays at an
adequate level of language use such that they are understandable. Your essays should express your
own ideas (see the section on Academic Honesty below). However, you are free to consult with
classmates or others to check the quality of your use of English.
Students will receive a final letter grade (A-F) for the semester based on the follow criteria:
Final grade components Final grade scale
10% - Homework
10% - Attendance and class participation
80% - Essay assignments
A = 90 ­ 100%
B = 80 ­ 90%
C = 70 ­ 80%
D = 60 ­ 70%
E = 50 ­ 60%
F = <50%
Penalties for Late Assignments
Assignments should be submitted into the Assignments folder in the course's IS page by 11.59 on the
due date, unless otherwise specified by the teacher. First drafts that are received late need not be read
or commented on by the teacher or the author's peer review partner. Final drafts that are late will
receive a grade of F and no feedback. Homework assignments received late will receive a grade of F.
E-mail Policy
Students may contact the instructor at any time by e-mail with questions about the course. I will strive
to reply to your questions within 48 hours of receipt of your e-mail. I usually do not read or respond
to e-mail on weekends or holidays.
Academic Honesty
The Faculty of Social Studies at MU expects students to know the study rules and maintain academic
honesty by refraining from plagiarism and from cheating during exams. Plagiarism means that one
presents other peoples' ideas as one's own and does not credit the author. Plagiarism is one of the
most serious breaches of ethical standards in the academic environment, for it denies the mission of
the university and the meaning of studying. From a legal perspective, plagiarism is the stealing of
intellectual property. The official FSS policy on academic honesty is available in the course's
interactive syllabus in IS in English and Czech. Academic dishonesty is not tolerated under any
circumstances at FSS. The minimum penalty for academic dishonesty is expulsion from the course, a
grade of F for the semester, and referral to the Faculty disciplinary committee.
In this course, students will become thoroughly acquainted with the problem of plagiarism and how to
avoid it. If you have questions about plagiarism, contact the instructor. In the first weeks of class,
students are required to read about ASA citation guidelines and write a short essay entitled "What is
plagiarism and how can I avoid it?" Students are also required to read and sign a Statement on
Academic Honesty and give it to the instructor within the first two weeks of class. These materials
can all be found in the "Writing Resources" section of the interactive syllabus in IS.
3
Weekly Schedule
(See online Interactive Syllabus for specific reading assignments)
Week
Date Seminar topic Required reading
(* = reading for SOC776 students only)
1 Sept 24
Course orientation;
Proper citation and writing
guidelines
- Syllabus
- Quick guide to essay-writing and citation style
- Stern: Avoiding plagiarism
- Johnson, et al. pp. 14-98, 108-110
2 Oct 1
Writing an expository essay
(5-paragraph essay)
- ASA style guide
- Trim: Traditional peer review
- Guide to writing well (online)
- Sociology Writing Group: Working With Sources; Outlining
3 Oct 8 Discuss expository essay 1st
draft
- Sociology Writing Group: Finishing Up
- 26 Golden rules
- Handout on writing expository essays
- Internet resources on 5- essays
- Orwell: Politics and the English language*
4 Oct 15 Writing a book review
- Johnson, et al. pp. 181-203
- Sociology Writing Group: The Textual Analysis Paper
- Belcher: Book Review Guidelines
- Examples of book reviews
5 Oct 22 Discuss book review 1st
draft
- Procter: Book review guidelines
- Dartmouth Writing Center: Why and How to Revise
6 Oct 29 Writing a social issue paper
- Johnson, et al. pp. 156-180
- Examples of social issue papers
7 Nov 5 No class ­ Reading week
- Little, Brown Handbook
- Zinsser: Simplicity*
- Mahrer: Proofreading Your Own Writing
8 Nov 12
No class ­ Research and
writing
- Strunk: The Elements of Style pp. 1-89 (online)*
- Orwell: Politics and the English Language*
- Giddens: What is Sociology?*
- Mills: The Promise*
- Charon and Vigilant: The Discipline of Sociology & The
Meaning and Uses of Sociology*
9 Nov 19
Discuss social issue paper 1st
draft
- Little, Brown Handbook
10 Nov 26 Writing a quantitative report
- Johnson et al. pp. 100-138, 147-154, 204-218
- Sociology Writing Group: The Quantitative Research Paper
- Van Poppel and Day
- Arber
- Marsh
- Mack and Lansley
4
11 Dec 3 Writing a qualitative report
- Johnson, et al. pp. 219-234
- Sociology Writing Group: The Ethnographic Research Paper
- Kerlin
- Holdaway
- Polsky
- Duneier
12 Dec 10
No class ­ Research and
writing
- Little, Brown Handbook
13 Dec 17
Discuss quantitative/qualitative
report 1st
draft
- Homan
- Georges and Jones
- Mills: On Intellectual Craftsmanship*
Summary of Assignments
(All assignments should be submitted to the Assignments folder by 23.59 on the due date; those
marked * should be uploaded to the Assignments folder before class and submitted in class on the due
date.)
Due date Assignment
October 1
* Short essay on plagiarism*
* Sign and return statement on
academic honesty (due in class)
* Choose book to review
October 3 Expository essay topic and outline
October 6 Expository essay 1st
draft
October 8 Citation homework*
October 14 Expository essay
October 20 Book review 1st
draft
October 28 Book review
October 29 Paraphrasing homework
November 5 Submit social issue paper topic
November 17 Social issue paper 1st
draft
November 25 Social issue paper
December 10
* Abstract writing homework
* Statement with information about
your research paper
December 15 Quant/qual report 1st
draft
December 22 Quant/qual report
January 25 Final essay
5
Literature
No. of
pages
Arber, S. 1998. "The Research Process: Planning Social Surverys," Pp. 312-317 in
Marsh, I., Cambell, R. and Keating, M. Classic and contemporary readings in
sociology. Harlow, UK: Prentice Hall.
6
American Sociological Association. 2007. American Sociological Association Style
Guide. Washington, DC: American Sociological Association.
46
Belcher, Wendy. "Book review guidelines."
http://www.chicano.ucla.edu/press/siteart/jli_bookreviewguidelines.pdf
4
Charon, Joel M. and Lee Garth Vigilant. 2002. The Meaning of Sociology, 8th
edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
22
Duneier, Mitchell. 1999. "A Statement on Method," pp. 333-357 in Sidewalk. New
York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux.
25
Fowler, H. Ramsey and Jane E. Aaron. 1989. The Little, Brown Handbook, 4th ed.
Glenview, IL:Scott, Foresman and Co.
~76
Georges, R.A. and Jones, M.O. 2001. "The Human Element in Fieldwork." Pp.
384-385 in Giddens, A., ed. Sociology: Introductory readings, revised edition.
Cambridge: Polity press.
2
Giddens, Anthony. 2006. "What is Sociology?" in Sociology. Cambridge: Polity
Press.
28
Holdway, S. 1998. "Participant Observation (1): Inside the British Police," Pp. 318-
323 in Marsh, I., Cambell, R. and Keating, M. Classic and contemporary readings
in sociology. Harlow, UK: Prentice Hall.
6
Homan, R. 1998. "The Effects of Social Research," Pp. 350-355 in Marsh, I.,
Cambell, R. and Keating, M. Classic and contemporary readings in sociology.
Harlow, UK: Prentice Hall.
6
Internet resources on writing expository essays 5
Johnson, W., et al. 2006. The sociology student writer's manual (5th edition).
Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
264
Kerlin, B. 2000. "Qualitative Research in the United States," Forum: Qualitative
Social Reesarch 1(1).
10
Mack, J. and Lansley, S. 2001. "Absolute and Relative Poverty in Britain: An
Illustration of Survey Work," pp. 386-388 in Giddens, A., ed. Sociology:
Introductory readings, revised edition. Cambridge: Polity press.
3
Mahrer, Kenneth D. 2004. "Proofreading your own writing? Forget it!" The 2
6
Leading Edge, November.
Marsh, C. 2001. "The Value of the Survey Method," Pp. 382-383 in Giddens, A.,
ed. Sociology: Introductory readings, revised edition. Cambridge: Polity press.
2
Mills, C. Wright. 1959. The Sociological Imagination. Oxford University Press. 52
Orwell, G. 1946. "Politics and the English language." ~20
Polsky, N. 1998. "Participant Observation (2): Deviant Lives and Careers," Pp.
324-331 in Marsh, I., Cambell, R. and Keating, M. Classic and contemporary
readings in sociology. Harlow, UK: Prentice Hall.
8
Procter, Margaret. 1999. "The book review general guidelines."
http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/
1
Stern, Linda. 2007. What Every Student Should Know About Avoiding Plagiarism.
New York: Pearson Longman.
21
Strunk, William. 1918 [1999]. Elements of Style. Ithaca, N.Y.: Priv. print. [Geneva,
N.Y.: Press of W.P. Humphrey].
90
Trim, Michelle. 2007. What Every Student Should Know About Practicing Peer
Review. New York: Pearson Longman.
20
Sociology Writing Group. 2008. A Guide to Writing Sociology Papers. 6th ed. New
York: Worth Publishers.
~115
Van Poppel, F. and Day, L.H. 1996. "A Test of Durkheim's Theory of Suicide Without
Committing the `Ecological Fallacy,'" American Sociological Review
61(3):500-507.
8