Syllabus
SOC 3200-01
Sociology of Religion
History, 60
M, W, F: 10:00 - 10:50
Last Updated 04 May 2007
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If you have a physical, learning, or psychological disability that requires accommodations, please let me know as soon as possible. You will need to register with, and provide documentation of your disability to, University Disability Support Services (UDSS) in SEO, Room 330 Knight Hall, 766-6189, TTY: 766-3073 |
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Required Texts Inger Furseth and Pal Repstad, An Introduction to the Sociology of Religion: Classical and Contemporary Perspectives. Ashgate Publishing, 2006. ISBN: 0-7546-5658-6.
Ninian Smart, The World's Religions, Second Edition. Cambridge University Press, 1998. ISBN: 0-521-63748-1. Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion, Bantam Press, 2006. ISBN: 10-0593055489.
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Note: Additional readings will be assigned from the Internet. So, it is mandatory that every student check the Web Page for this class every week. Remember: Refresh or reload your browser to make sure that you are getting the latest edition. |
About This Course
This is a class in the sociology of religion. As such, it examines religion comparatively, historically and critically. Religion as an institution is taken seriously, but this course neither endorses nor rejects religious belief or practice. Hence, if you are looking for a class that affirms, promotes or unthinkingly defends religion, SOC 3200 is not right for you. Also, if you have strong religious beliefs and don't wish them to be questioned or challenged you might be happier somewhere else.
Academics are not automatically deferential towards political ideologies or the claims of particular social movements, but, inconsistently, they often react differently towards religion, believing (from a conservative perspective) it should not be challenged, or assuming (from a more liberal perspective) there is something good, wholesome, necessary or life-affirming about it. While we will look at claims that religion is socially "functional" in some sense, we shall also examine arguments made by intellectuals such as the biologist Richard Dawkins that religion is an "evil virus" responsible for much human suffering.
This class will not just narrowly focus on Judeo-Christianity, but will examine a variety of religious beliefs and practices. The main text will be Furseth and Repstad.
Among other questions, this course will ask:
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What can sociology tell us about religion?
| Why do religious practices vary so much?
| How can religion survive in a modern, scientific, rationalized social context?
| What are the various types of religious movements and organizations?
| How is religion affected by globalization?
| What is the influence of race, ethnicity and gender on religion?
| How does religion operate in, and act on, the "public sphere?"
| To what extent is religion a "private matter," and under what circumstances?
| What promotes secularization, and why are some societies more secular than others?
| Why the high incidence (or resurgence) of religious fundamentalism in the world today?
| What role does religion play in social manipulation and thought control?
| To what extent does religion promote social division and irrationality? |
Expectations
Please stop by during my office hours if you are having problems, or experiencing difficulties and anxieties. Also, feel free to use E-mail to make appointments or ask questions. E-mail is my preferred method of communication. I check my E-mail several times a day.
You do not need to make an appointment to visit me during office hours.
At a pinch, you can E-mail me reaction papers. (My Word Program is Word for WIndows.) However, I prefer you hand me a hard copy in class. If you E-mail me your written work and do not get a receipt from me I have not received the assignment.
The general rules applicable to this class are laid out in the "Students and Teachers Working Together" document (at the end of this syllabus). Read this carefully. I enforce appropriate comportment in class.
Attendance in this class is REQUIRED. You will be downgraded by at least one letter (e.g., C => D) if you have more than six unauthorized absences. You will be sent a warning when you have five unauthorized absences. If you don't like attending class regularly, this one's probably not right for you.
Make sure you keep up with the readings and do not miss the deadlines for the response papers. Reading is mandatory. The midterm and final quizzes are designed to test whether or not you have completed reading assignments. My lectures are NOT a substitute for reading. Note the importance of participation and discussion in this class. Discussion and argumentation helps people work through their ideas. They are not a waste of time. The best way to learn is not just to listen and repeat what I say but to engage in an active process of argumentation that enables you to test your ideas and preconceptions by forcing you to justify them. Most people find it difficult to do this because it's not generally encouraged or appreciated. However, it is expected in this class. If you don't participate you will be downgraded. Minimally, "participation" means asking a few questions over a fourteen-week period. A lot of students think this is burdensome and an unreasonable expectation, but I do not agree with them.
NOTE: The only excuse I will accept for missing the Midterm and Final Quizzes is an official excuse from the Office of Student Life. If you do not have such an excuse and are absent, you will be graded "F." All make-up exams will be essay style.
Reaction papers provide you with an opportunity to write reactions to assigned readings. There is no one correct response. I expect you to be thoughtful and show that you have thought critically about the assignment and the question.
A= thoughtful, critical
and careful response. You read the assignment carefully
B= something between "A" and "C."
C= you read the assignment but had little to say about it. Maybe you
misunderstood the assignment. Maybe you wrote just a few lines.
Maybe some of what you wrote did not make a great deal of sense.
D= you handed something in. Maybe it was just one line.
F= you did not hand anything in.
DO NOT MISS THE DEADLINES FOR THE REACTION PAPERS. There is no second chance. If you did not hand something in by the deadline you received an "F" for that part of the class. (The exception to this rule would be an official university excuse (illness, death in the family, etc.)
Grading on the midterm and final quizzes will be curved.
There is no final examination for this course.
Grading and Assignments
| Four response papers (critiquing assigned readings).
Thirty percent of the grade. |
| A midterm quiz (see schedule). Thirty
percent of the grade. Multiple-choice |
| A final quiz (see schedule). Thirty percent of the grade.
Multiple-choice. |
| Participation and attendance (Ten
percent of the grade). |
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Resources Used in Class |
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Resurrection
Fellowship, Fort Collins |
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Notes |
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Texas |
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Notes |
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Notes |
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Religious Hatred Bill, UK |
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December 01 |
The Virus of Faith (video) |
FINAL QUIZ on |
Students and Teachers Working Together
The following
document, which describes both your and my duties and responsibilities in this
class, is required reading. Before you ask me a question,
please check to see if the answer is below.
“Civility
is not a sign of weakness.” John F. Kennedy
At
a good university, good student/teacher relationships
come from mutual respect, trust, and honesty. Learning takes place when teachers
and students treat each other with politeness and civility, rather than with
anger, ridicule, or confrontation. Indeed, a classroom conducive to teaching and
learning is the right of all University of Wyoming students and faculty, and it
is the responsibility of both parties to achieve and maintain it even though
specifics will vary from course to course. This document, Students and Teachers
Working Together, provides some guidelines for carrying out that responsibility.
A
teacher (that is, anyone who teaches) should do his or her best to provide a
disciplined yet comfortable and supportive classroom environment. Teachers’
materials should be well organized, their procedures clear and fair. They should
encourage questions and questioning, although students should remember that
insight often comes from struggling with a problem rather than being given the
answer.
The
ultimate responsibility for learning lies with the individual student.
Although faculty members will teach and guide and university staff will
assist and encourage, learning is the responsibility of the student.
Learning is hard work, and full-time students should consider
“studenting” to be a full-time job.
Course
Syllabus
University
Regulations (Unireg 29, http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/legal/Uniregs/ur029.htm)
require that a teacher provides a syllabus for each class taught.
A syllabus is a contract between the student and the teacher that makes
clear the expectations and requirements the parties are expected to fulfill.
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Students |
Teachers |
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1.
It is the students’ responsibility to understand the
syllabus. 2.
Students should keep their course syllabus handy so that they
can refer to it on matters of course policy. 3.
Students are responsible to find out any changes made to the
syllabus during the semester. IN THIS CLASS, THE SYLLABUS POSTED ON THE WEB IS DEFINITIVE. ALTHOUGH I ANNOUNCE CHANGES IN CLASS, CHECK THE SYLLABUS ON THE WEB WEEKLY. THIS IS A REQUIREMENT.
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1.
At the beginning of the semester the teacher should provide
students a syllabus. 2.
A syllabus is a written record of the course’s requirements
and should include the teacher’s office hours, contact information,
grading, attendance, and academic dishonesty policies as well as the
course’s purpose, scope, content, expectations, schedule,
assignments, readings, and other policies outlined in this document. 3.
Teachers have the right to modify the syllabus, but all
revisions should be clearly announced in class. |
Attendance
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Students |
Teachers |
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1.
Students
should attend all required meetings of their courses. 2.
UW-authorized
absences for UW-sponsored
activities are accepted, and the teacher will re-schedule the
missed homework and exams without penalty. Refer
to the
University regulation at
http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/legal/Uniregs/ur713.htm 3.
Teachers identify what constitutes an excused
absence beyond the UW-authorized absences. Leaving early for
vacations or breaks does not constitute a valid reason for absence.
4.
If a student must be absent from a class or cannot complete
assigned work on time, the student should consult beforehand with the
teacher if at all possible. 5.
The student should not
expect the teacher to re-teach the class because of the student’s
absence. It is the student's responsibility to obtain notes from a
fellow classmate. 6.
Students should come to the
class prepared. 7.
Students should be familiar
with the dates of scheduled exams and other assignment deadlines. |
1.
Teachers should set an attendance policy for their classes that
should be announced to students and included in the course syllabi. 2.
UW-authorized absences for UW-sponsored
activities are accepted, and the teacher will re-schedule the
missed homework and exams without
penalty. Refer
to the University regulation at
http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/legal/Uniregs/ur713.htm 3.
Teachers should identify what constitutes an
excused absence beyond the UW-authorized absence. [I
will accept no other type of "excuse." You must
provide me with a written excuse from the Office of Student Life]
Leaving
early for vacations or breaks does not constitute a valid reason for
absence. Refer to the University regulation at http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/legal/Uniregs/ur713.htm 4.
If canceling a class, the teacher should inform students well
beforehand or, if unforeseen, a message should be posted in the
classroom. |
Classroom
Deportment
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Students |
Teachers |
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1.
Students should bring to
the classroom thoughtful and relevant comments for discussion in
appropriate classes. 2.
Students should come to
the class prepared having completed the reading or other assignments. 3.
Students should keep the
content of their discussions relevant and be tolerant of and open to
exploring differing points of view. 4.
Unsanctioned talking, use of cell phones, eating, sleeping, and
reading unrelated materials during classes are rude and disruptive
behaviors. 5.
Abusive language and
behavior are unacceptable and do not encourage a useful learning
environment. |
1.
Teachers set the tone in the classroom to encourage discussion
and questions where appropriate. 2.
Teachers should answer questions in a respectful and courteous
manner. 3.
Teachers should encourage an inclusive environment where all
people can engage in the discussion process. 4.
Abusive language and behavior are unacceptable and do not
encourage a useful learning environment. |
Phone
and E-Mail
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Students |
Teachers |
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1.
Students can expect from the teachers clear phone and e-mail
protocol to be followed, including: ·
whether
or not the teachers accept calls at home. ·
weekend
or evening phone policies. ·
whether
they return calls to students. ·
whether
or not e-mail is the preferred method of communication. ·
time
frame students can expect an email or phone response. ·
policies
regarding leaving messages in the
departmental office. 2.
Students should use their UW email accounts or forward their
private accounts to the UW system. 3.
Students should not use e-mail or phones to request grade
information from their teachers. |
1.
Teachers should be clear about phone and e-mail protocol and
indicate the preferred method. [I prefer you use E-mail] 2.
Teachers should respect the students' need for a variety of
methods of contact (other than stopping by during office hours or
before/after class) that will get a response in a timely manner, for
example: ·
message
boards outside office. ·
leaving
messages in the departmental office ·
notes in
faculty mailboxes. 3.
Teachers are not required to solicit non-UW email accounts. 4.
E-mail and phone may not be used to transmit grades to students
(there are a few exceptions to this; contact the FERPA officer in the
Office of the Registrar for details). |
Office
Hours
Teachers
are required to hold three office hours per week. These should be on two
different days.
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Students |
Teachers |
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Grading
and Assessment
It
is the teacher’s prerogative to set policies regarding grading and assessment.
Each teacher may have different policies. It is important to be clear and
consistent in grading policies and standards.
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Students |
Teachers |
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Academic
Honesty
Academic
honesty is expected, and dishonesty will not be tolerated and can lead to
expulsion from the College and the University.
The University Regulation, 802 rev 2, at http://www.uwyo.edu/legal/Uniregs/ur802.htm
discusses academic dishonesty in detail. The College of Arts and Sciences
procedure guidelines are at http://www.uwyo.edu/a&s/Appeals_Dishonesty/Guidelines_Dishonesty.
Students and teachers are strongly advised to read these regulations.
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Students |
Teachers |
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· documentation. ·
cooperative
work with other students. [Study groups are permitted.] ·
educational
aids such as calculators and note sheets.
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