An examination of stratification and inequality in societies, with particular emphasis on American capitalist society.  The course explores sociological explanations of the development, existence and perpetuation of institutionalized inequality in society, and the impact of inequality on personal and family life, education and politics. 

Upon completion of the course, the student will understand and be able to:
1. explain the meaning and nature of many dimensions of stratification
2. explain and describe the describe the economic stratification of society in the United States historically.
3. explain & describe the history of stratification from early human society to the present.
4. explain and critique the early theories of stratification.
5. explain and critique the modern theories of stratification.
6. describe and explain the nature of the American upper class.
7. describe and explain the nature of the American corporate class.
8. describe and explain the nature of the American middle and working classes.
9. describe and explain the nature of the American poor, theories of poverty.
10. explain and critique the practice and theory of welfare.
11. describe and explain the persistence of gender, race and ethnic inequalities.
12. explain and describe the nature of social mobility especially in relation to class ascription and achievement.
13. explain and describe the process of legitimization in the formulation and maintenance of social classes.
14. explain and describe the characteristics of the world stratification system and the impact of that system on the developed and lesser developed nations. 
15. describe the nature of stratification in Japan
16. demonstrate the value of their own power of effective, reading.
17. demonstrate the value of their own power of effective, written communication
18. demonstrate the value of their own power of effective, oral communication.
19. demonstrate the value of their power of effective, creative thinking.
20. demonstrate the value of their own power of making ethical choices.
21. demonstrate the value of diversity in American and world culture.

If you need course adaptation or accommodation b/c of a disability or if you have emergency medical information to share w/ me, please make an appointment to talk w/ me as soon as possible. To make inquiries regarding disability services, please contact Whitney Wells, ADA Coordinator, at 276-328-0265 or wew3x@uvawise.edu, or visit Academic Support Services in Zehmer Hall.

If you need course adaptations or academic adjustments b/c of a documented disability, if you have emergency medical information to share w/ me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment to talk w/ me as soon as possible. My office location & hours are found at my Office Hours Link

Regarding disability services, students are expected to take an assertive role in communicating w/ faculty & staff about their need for reasonable accommodation.  If you need accommodations due to a disability or if you have emergency medical information to share w/ me, please make an appointment to talk w/ me as soon as possible. Students w/ disabilities must register w/ Disability Services to discuss accommodations: Whitney Wells, Zehmer 152, 276-328-0265 or wew3x@uvawise.edu

Students registered w/ Disability Services will present faculty w/ an accommodation notice which should be reviewed & signed. I, the prof, will work w/ those students on an individual basis to meet their needs. If an agreement is not reached on an appropriate accommodation, I will contact the office at 276-328-0265 for assistance.

If a student does not present a letter from the ADA Coordinator & does not have a visible disability, the faculty member should refer the student to Disability Support Services (Zehmer Hall, Room 152) prior to making any accommodation.

Any information about a student’s disability should be kept confidential.

Testing services are provided by Disability Services as assistance to faculty. Students may receive extended time (time plus half), audio testing, word processors, etc.  Students receiving this accommodation should sit w/ faculty to develop a plan (a form will be provided) for pre & post-delivery of the test, answering questions during the test, allowable materials, etc. I will deliver tests in person, via mail, via student or via email (ada-online@uvawise.edu). All tests are kept in a locked cabinet and destroyed after delivery. The office provides students w/ paper & all backpacks & mobile devices are outside of the testing room. Word processors do not have internet access, unless necessary for online courses or components.

Bobbi VanHuss is the administrator for the office, but she is the main contact for testing appointments. She can be reached at blv5j@vuawise.edu or 276-328-0186.

Additional information about making your course materials accessible is available in our office and online at http://www.uvawise.edu/ada/facstaff_info or http://www.uvawise.edu/ada/faq
 

	Office Hours:	Link
	The UVa - Wise Guide for Accommodating Students w/ Disabilities	Link
	Whitney Wells, ADA Coordinator	Link

To view the UVa-Wise’s Sexual Misconduct/Harassment policy, please visit: http://www.uvawise.edu/compliance/TitleIX

If you have questions or concerns, please immediately contact your Title IX Coordinator listed below.

Tabitha Smith, Title IX Coordinator
Office of Compliance and Conduct
1 College Avenue
Wise, VA  24293
Office: 276-328-0131 | Cell: 276-870-5065 | Fax: 276-376-4876 | Email: tabitha.smith@uvawise.edu

The office is located on the first floor of Cantrell Hall.

Please note that I am a Title IX Responsible Employee, ie a Mandatory Reporter, which means that if you disclose any relevant experiences, eg, sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, & the like, that occurred to you or someone else, I am legally obligatedto report this information to our Title IX coordinator. 

All students graduating from UVa - Wise must be able to demonstrate computer proficiency.  Please refer to p.79-80 of the 2004-2005 College Catalog.  If
you do not believe that you can meet this requirement, additional instruction will be provided, see your advisor.

Given that this course has all of its written work, notes, projects & so on, on the web, & given that all assignments, other than quizzes, are submitted in digital format, it is required that the student be able to operate effectively in the computer / web environment.  The student should be proficient in emailing, word processing, web searching, & spreadsheets. 

I am here to help you succeed in the course.  Please come see me, or email me if you have any questions or concerns. 

There is also help available from the College: 
Student Support Services seeks to support students in the ultimate goal of graduating and the services provided through these offices allow students to attain both success and access. 
Disability Services ensures that anyone who has a disability will have everything they need to succeed. 
The Writing Center focuses on interdisciplinary writing supports at all levels.
The Tutoring Center offers free tutoring to all UVa-Wise students and additional academic supports for students. 

Some of the people available to help you are: 

Marcia Mitchell
Director
276.328.0177
m_mitchell@uvawise.edu

Whitney Wells
Counselor and Director of Disability Services
276.328.0265
wew3x@uvawise.edu
http://www.uvawise.edu/student-life/diversity/disability-support-services/
Maggie Robinson
Academic Coordinator
276.328.0283
mer8g@uvawise.edu

Linda Couch
Office Specialist
276.328.0177
los5s@uvawise.edu
 
 

Student Support Services

http://www.uvawise.edu/academics/academic-support/student-support-services/

Link

Student Support Services is designed to increase retention and graduation rates of eligible students and help foster a campus environment supportive of eligible students.

Eligible students are enrolled at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise and meet one or more of the following criteria:
    First generation college student
    (neither parent/guardian has a bachelor’s degree)
    Limited income
    Physical or learning disability

Students must also:
    Be U.S. citizens or meet residency requirements for Federal financial aid
    Demonstrate a need for academic support
 
 

Diability Services

http://www.uvawise.edu/student-life/diversity/disability-support-services/

Link

Disability Support Services works to assist all qualified students with disabilities in the pursuit of their educational objectives. We attempt to coordinate the students’ needs with services and resources available within our college system, and to ensure accessible educational opportunities for students according to their individual needs.

Our philosophy is that the individuals we serve are students first, and their disabilities are secondary. The office strives to coordinate services that will enable students with disabilities to act as independently as possible in a supportive atmosphere that promotes self-reliance. It is the students’ choice whether or not they utilize the available services.

The need for equal access to education in college campuses was mandated by the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 states that reasonable adjustments in post-secondary programs must be made in order for persons with disabilities to fulfill academic requirements. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed, extending equal protection to persons with disabilities in the private sector, public institutions, employment, communications and public accommodations. On September 25, 2008, the President signed the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (“ADA Amendments Act” or “Act”). The Act emphasizes that the definition of disability should be construed in favor of broad interpretation of the term “substantial limitation.”
 
 

The Writing Center

http://www.uvawise.edu/academics/academic-support/writing-center/

Link

The UVa-Wise Writing Center is dedicated to assistance in writing for all classes
and for anyone who enjoys writing.

The Writing Center is located in Zehmer Hall 144b, at the hearth next to Student Support Services. The center offers services with the following:

    face-to-face consultations
    assistance with Powerpoint presentations
    assistance with any form of written presentation

Always bring the assignment.
Each computer in the center has access to the internet.
 
 

The Tutoring Connection

http://www.uvawise.edu/academics/academic-support/tutor-connection/

Link

The program seeks to promote independent learning that students may use throughout their academic careers. Tutors are qualified individuals who possess proven academic backgrounds, foster strong study habits, and are endorsed by faculty. All tutoring services are provided free of cost to students enrolled in courses offered by the College.

The Tutor Connection is located on the first floor of Zehmer Hall beside the Writing Center. UVa-Wise students in need of tutoring can drop by the office and fill out a tutor request form or click on the forms link to the left to print out the form.

Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. weekdays with additional evening hours arranged as needed. Except for designated holidays, the Tutor Connection is open year round. Summer hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

COURSE OVERVIEW: 
All assignments are due on Thursdays at 2 PM of the week they are assigned on the course homepage. 

The requirements for this course are discussion forums, objective quizzes, an essay quiz, a research paper, & a final exam 

In order to do well on the tests, consider the following methodology:   Read the Course Reading & the Course Notes. Take notes from them.  For each chapter there are Objective Quizzes w/ 40 mult choice & true false questions.  These are found in Moodle.  There is a 40 minute time limit for each quiz.  A good method is to use the search function.  There is also a Final Quiz which is comprehensive, which has 100 objective questions.  The time limit on this Quiz is 2 hours.  There are Discussion Forums for each chapter.  You are required to make 2 postings for each. 

There are is an essay quiz where essays should strongly reflect info from the course notes & from the readings provided.  General use of the internet is allowed to supplement this material, but usually it is found that an essay response which relies on the internet is incomplete since the Course Material is more comprehensive.

Most assignments are due at 2 PM on Thursday for the week in which they are posted.  No late assignments are accepted. See the syllabus for more info on this policy.  It is suggested that you work ahead to foil any snafus life inevitably supplies. 

4.1.  DISCUSSION FORUMS:  PLEASE DISGUISE SITUATIONS, PLACES, ETC, & DO NOT USE REAL NAMES

Online forums allow students to participate in course discussions w/ fellow class members.  For each forum you are to:  1.  make at least two separate entries in the forum, 2. on different days, 3.  of 60 words each, 4.  where your 1st post is a comment on the question/issue of the week & your 2nd post is a response to another student, 5. by the due date & time.   Please use the Subject Line & indicate whether your post is: MY COMMENT, or RESPONSE TO... Students are always concerned w/ 'how much... how long should my answer be?' About 60 words should be good for each of your two entries (posted on two separate days) should be enough. Or you may post 3 or more entries of 35 words each on separate days.

Note, I, Patrick Withen, may appear as "Sample Student" in the course, esp the discussion boards. I do this so I can check to see what the course looks like from a student perspective.

In this & all of the forum questions that follow, please use the following ethical guidelines. Do not use actual names of anyone you know. Maintain anonymity in relation to all persons, places, things, & time. Use your experience, knowledge, understanding, what you have seen in the media, etc. If you feel you have no experience, etc. for the question, use your scholarly creativity to answer the question.  Though not required or expected, if you use outside sources, cite & reference & follow all referencing guidelines.  If I determine these guidelines were not followed, I will remove the post & it will have to be re-done to earn credit.Note, I, Patrick Withen, may appear as "Sample Student" in the course, esp the discussion boards.  I do this so I can check to see what the course looks like from a student perspective.  It is expected that all work done in the course, especially in forums & projects, be conducted in a professional, scholarly, & respectful manner.  Please note that I am a Title IX Responsible Employee, ie a Mandatory Reporter, which means that if you disclose any relevant experiences, eg, sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, & the like, that occurred to you or someone else, I am legally obligatedto report this information to our Title IX coordinator. 

4.2.  OBJECTIVE QUIZZES:  The quizzes are open book, & open notes, & it is expected that students do their own, original work. 

Each quiz has 40 multiple choice & true false questions w/ a time limit of 40 minutes.  It is only possible to go forward; It is not possible to go back to questions. 

Your grade will appear after the quiz closes for everyone.  You may then click on the grade to review the quiz & see the correct answers & any feedback provided. 

Note that each question usually begins w/ a phrase such as "In relation to..." This indicates the section of the course review notes from which the question is based.  If the question does not begin w/ "In relation to...", it begins w/ just the name of the section of the Course Review Notes where the answer is found.  For example, "In relation to Durkheim, ..." indicates the question is drawn from the section on Durkheim.  Try the following methodology:  The challenge is to find the answer in the Lecture Notes.  Print off the first page of the Lecture Notes from each lecture that the test is over.  Then, when you read a question & it says, for example, "In relation to the Scientific Method...," then you need to look at the chapter summaries to see which chapter the question is from.  Then copy a unique word or phrase from the question, & use the 'Find Function' in your browser to locate the text in the Lecture Notes.  This should help you find the answer.  If this method fails, you still know the section from which the question was taken & you can read this to find the answer.

As the syllabus indicates, there are no make-ups allowed.  So since all assignments are available, it is suggested that you work ahead to avoid any of life's inevitable snafus.  If you have technical, or other difficulties before the assignment closes, inform me via email:  include your name, the name of the course, the assignment name, & that you wish to have it reset.  I am almost always able to reset any assignment when I am given 24 hrs notice.  However, if you notify me w/in the last 24 hrs before the assignment is due, I may or may not be able to reset the assignment (I cannot be online all the time).  In which case, you must take the zero.  For most assignments, this is not many pts since there are so many assignments in the course. 

4.3.  ESSAY QUIZ:  An essay should be about 200 to 300 words in the body (excluding question, honor code, refs, etc).  It is expected that essay answers discuss the material found in the appropriate course review notes section.  Once this is accomplished, feel free to add outside sources & your own ideas.  The goal here is to establish a base of knowledge on which to develop intelligent opinions/discussion.  Include the Honor Code in full & essay question at the top of the essay.  There is no time limit on essays.  And you may open & close it as much as you like as long as you do not click the submit button.  But do not forget to submit the essay when you are done.  You will only receive a 1 or a 0 for a grade until I grade the essay at which times comments will appear in your grade book, along w/ your final grade. 

Essay answers receiving full credit will be drawn from the text readings, the course review notes, & other course materials.  The use of sources other than the course readings, course review notes, & other course materials is not required, but if you choose to do so, you should use primary sources such as peer reviewed journals, books, or reputable website.  No "open" internet sources such as Wikipedia, Answer.com, etc. are allowed.  If you use such sources APA formatted in text citations &  a reference list will be included, eg (Author, date) & a Bibliography.  To maintain academic integrity, and to promote authentic student engagement, I recommend that students answer subjective questions by using their own words. I will assign a zero (0) grade to responses to subjective questions that include (but are not limited to) any of the following: (a) text that is substantially similar to that found in other students’ subjective responses, &  (b) quoting or paraphrasing w/o attribution from work or ideas that appear in internet or print sources, including course notes & textbooks.  Cite appropriately.  Include the Honor Code in full & essay question at the top of the essay.

Spelling & grammar will impact your grade. 

1. You may open this essay multiple times, but you may only submit it once.
2. You may print the essay & prepare your answer offline.  Alternatively, you may enter & save your answers for a portion of the assessment & continue at a later time. 
3. Your textbook & other reference materials, esp the course notes, may be used to complete this assessment.  No citation is necessary for using the course notes. 
4. Your answer to each written response question should contain a minimum 200-300 word response. 
5. Make certain to proofread each written response carefully before clicking on the submit button.
6. General encyclopedias are not acceptable sources.  Examples include, but are not limited to, Wikipedia, Encarta, & World Book. 
7. Make certain that all of your sources (including your textbook) (but not the course notes) are referenced at the end of the written response & that directly quoted info w/in your written response is cited to show the difference btwn your ideas & the exact words of your sources. 
8. It is required that these references & citations from the texts or outside refs be put in APA Style because you will be using this style in other papers, projects, case studies, & article reviews. 
9. Once the question has been answered, click the "Submit" button located at the bottom of the assessment.
10. If you have questions regarding your sources or general questions regarding the assessment, please contact me. 

4.4.  RESEARCH  PAPER:  1300 words in the body excluding title page, table of contents, & biblio on the topic of your choice related to any of the topics in this course.  If you are unsure of your topic, please email me, w/ sufficient time to review it before the paper is due, the topic & a sentence or two about it.  Topics can be anything related to the course.  Look at chapter titles, any of the subtitles in the chapters, or subjects from the index or glossary of the readings or topics from the Review Notes. The subject of the paper should be primarily sociological, not psychological, political science, etc.  Do not use the readings or the course notes as a reference.  The paper should use 4 scholastic references from the social sciences, to be included in a Bibliography.  These references should be cited in-text.  Papers should go beyond the analysis presented in the course, & not repeat it.  Include the Honor Code in full on the Title Page. 

4.4.  FINAL EXAM: 
The final consists of two quizzes of 50 multiple choice & true - false questions each. 

4.6.  LATE POLICY: 
No late assignments are accepted. 

All assignments are due on 2 PM on Thursday of the week indicated on the Moodle course homepage. 

Each assignment in this course is available to work on at least three weeks in advance.  None of the assignments are that lengthy, but there are many of them.  Thus each of the assignments may range in worth from 2%  to 10% of the course value. 

Given the number of assignments, & the lengthy availability of time for the student to work on each assignments, there are no excuses accepted, nor are any make-up assignments.  Because the student has three weeks to work on all assignments, if the student waits until the last moment & has problems & cannot turn it in, that student must suffer the penalty. 

Thus to avoid any late penalties, I suggest students adopt a professional outlook & attempt to turn in all assignments early.  This allows the student to avoid any of life's many travails that may affect your timely completion of these assignments such as crashed computers, lost books, illness, & the other very real things that inevitably come down. 

My email address is pww8y@uvawise.edu 

4.7.  HONOR CODE POLICY.
Violation of the Honor Code may result in penalties as serious as failure of the course. 

Please include the Honor Code on all of your assignments. 

Readings are provided in the course, on line. 

The length of the research paper is to be 1300 words in the body, & not over 15% over that length, excluding title page & biblio on the topic chosen.  Please use APA or MLA style. 
The paper should use 4 scholastic references from the social sciences.  Do not use the text or the notes as a reference.  Papers should go beyond the analysis presented in the course, & not repeat it. 
Social science references include sociology, economics, psychology, political science, criminology, anthropology, & cultural geography.  If you want to use sources from the sciences, humanities, or other fields have these reviewed by the professor. 

Submit the research paper through the appropriate assignment tab in Moodle.
Be sure & have all parts of the research paper in one document; i.e. title page, body, biblio, etc. 

The topic should be one that relates to the course.  If you are looking for ideas, I suggest you consider anything from the Table of Contents or Index from the course's text.  Or any topic from the Review Notes.  If you have doubts about your topic, email me w/ sufficient time to review it before the paper is due. 

This is a research paper, thus it should go beyond reporting or describing the topic & apply sociological concepts from the course to create an anaylsis of the topic.  Other sociological concepts not found in the course may also be used. 

The preferred word process program is Microsoft Word for PCs (No Mac's), but Note Pad or a simple text editor may be used.  You may not use Word Perfect, or any Mac word processors. 

The Research Paper may either utilize the outline below or your typical narrative research paper model of intro, body, conclusion. 

If you choose the outline below, see the Research Paper Webpage for more details & the following info: 
This Research Paper must utilize a socio historical analysis but additional types of analyses may be used. 
As outlined on the Research Paper Webpage,  the following components are required for this Research Paper ( all other components are optional )