Course Syllabus

Welcome to SOC 455: Work and Occupations

Here are a few pointers for navigating this page:

• See the Assignments Summary (Schedule) below. This table lists assignments by due date.
  Note: This table is similar to the Agenda view on the Calendar.
• Click the Jump to Today link at the top of the page to jump directly to today's date on the Assignments Summary.

Overview

CATEGORY	INFORMATION
Credits	3
Prerequisites	3 Credits in Sociology
Delivery	Web (Canvas, https://psu.instructure.com)
Dates	See the Calendar.
Instructor	See the Orientation module under the Modules tab.

Description

Most of us will spend a significant portion of our waking lives at work for most of our adult years. Whether that thought is cause for optimism or anguish, we would all like to better understand the world of work. The world of work is changing all the time. New technology, increased workplace diversity, globalization, and shifts to nonstandard employment are just a few of the social forces influencing work and occupations today.

This course provides an overview of the subfield of work and occupations in the discipline of sociology. Specifically, we will explore the many varieties of work and employment as well as some of the major challenges to workers. At each stage of the course, we will touch on issues of inequality and how they affect the topic at hand. The course also will make reference to the increasingly international context of work. You will come to understand the influences of organizations, social institutions, and social policies on experiences of work for individuals and groups in contemporary society.

Objectives

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the historical context of contemporary work and occupations.
• Articulate a working vocabulary of the sociology of work and occupations.
• Describe the methods used to study work and occupations.
• Understand the basic kinds of work in contemporary U.S. society.
• Understand work in the United States in an international context.
• Learn how the rewards and trials of work are unequally distributed throughout society.
• Analyze some of the major trends in work today.

Organization

This course contains 14 content lessons and 2 examinations. Each lesson is designed to provide a solid understanding of the readings for that lesson. In many cases, you will have a choice of activities designed to give you the opportunity to work with the concepts or materials in a different way. For example, rather than just read about work and family conflict, I will provide you with the opportunity to analyze your own experiences or those of someone you know (please do not use real names). Individual lessons are divided into the following components:

• Reading Assignments: These direct you to the appropriate textbook or other reading. Do the readings at the time indicated in the Commentary. All of the reading assignments are listed on the course schedule.
• Learning Objectives: This is a checklist of the aims of each lesson. Included are specific questions you should be able to answer after completing the lesson. Keep these in mind as you read and use them to test yourself at the end of each lesson. Go back and use the learning objectives as a means to organize your studying for the exam.
• Key Terms: These highlight concepts and terms you should pay particular attention to.
• Commentary: The commentary is what I would normally cover in my classroom lecture. This material is meant to strengthen and supplement the readings and place the current topic into the context of the course. The commentary includes mini assignments or quizzes (not to be handed in to your instructor). Don't skip over these assignments, they are designed to help you reach a full understanding of the course material.
• Lesson Assignment: This is a written assignment that requires you to apply the concepts you're learning in each lesson. There are two parts to each lesson assignment. The reading comprehension questions are designed to help you focus on the important aspects of course readings and to help you prepare for exams. These questions will be graded out of 15 points for each lesson; in total, your answers to these questions will be worth 30 percent of your final grade. Second, you submit analytical papers or complete on-line exercises that may ask you to reflect and analyze an activity, evaluate a case study, or answer an analytical question that spans several readings. You are required to answer them (sometimes you will have a choice of questions/activities), and they will be graded out of 40 points for each lesson; they are worth 40 percent of your final grade (15% on-line discussion 25% analytical paper.)
• Exams: Along with the Lesson Assignments, your assessment for this course includes two exams. The exams are each worth a maximum of 100 points and contain multiple-choice and essay questions. Each exam is worth 15 percent of your final grade in this course.

Online Learning and Attendance

This course has been developed to promote asynchronous learning. The instructor and students do NOT meet on a designated day and time each week. For each lesson, there is a timeframe to complete all activities and assignments, and you may work at your own pace within that timeframe. However, you must adhere to the due dates outlined on the Calendar. (Due dates can also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) You should log into the course daily to check for updates, review lessons, and participate in activities.

Materials

Texts and Other Materials

The following texts are required:

• Hodson, Randy, and Teresa A. Sullivan. 2011. The Social Organization of Work (5th edition). Wadsworth Publishing. (ISBN: 9781111300951)

Course Reserves (e-Reserves):

There are electronic resources on reserve for this course that can be accessed through the Penn State Libraries. To access your e-Reserves, select Library Resources in the course menu.

For any questions you may have about searching, viewing, or printing your e-Reserves, refer to the Viewing/Printing Electronic Reserves page (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. at https://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/reserves/usingreserves.html.

Other required article readings and videos will be posted in Canvas, located in the Lesson Overview section.

 

Library Services

Penn State Libraries provides a wide variety of services and resources. To learn how to take advantage, refer to the Online Student Library Guide (Links to an external site.) at http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/onlinestudentlibraryguide. This guide serves as your starting point for access to all that Penn State Libraries can offer you as an online student. Use this guide if you have questions on library services offered to you, how the library can help you, how to use the library, or what resources you can access via the library! The guide will connect you to important pages and resources within Penn State Libraries and save time from you searching for the information you need.

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Grading

Final letter grades will be assigned based on the scale below.

Scale

LETTER GRADE	MINIMUM PERCENT
A	95
A-	90
B+	88
B	82
B-	80
C+	78
C	70
D	60
F	0

Due Dates

All assignments are due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the date indicated on the Calendar. (Due dates can be also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) As a general rule, you will NOT be able to go back and make up missed assignments. It is your responsibility to keep up with your assignments. Students with an excused absence (e.g. hospitalization, jury duty, family emergency, or military service) may be asked to produce proper documentation in order to make up graded work. All make-up work is at the discretion of the instructor.

Please be aware that Canvas follows the Eastern Time (ET) time zone. Assignment due dates adhere to this time zone, and it is your responsibility to submit assignments accordingly. If you are outside of the ET time zone, you can set your Canvas account to sync to it. Refer to the Set a Time Zone article in the Canvas Guide (Links to an external site.) at https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-2891.

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g. upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.

Notes

• To Do List: Some assignments may not appear in the To Do list under the Home tab. Use the Calendar or Syllabus to ensure that you are fully aware of assignment due dates.
• Late Assignments: Late assignments will  not be accepted 

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Assignments

Basic information about each assignment group is provided below. For detailed directions about an individual assignment, see the assignment information under the Modules tab.

You can expect meaningful feedback on assignments within two weeks of the assignment due date.

ASSIGNMENT GROUP	PERCENT
Exams	30
Reading Comprehension Questions	30
Essays and Discussions	40
Total	100

Exams

Value: 2 x 15% for 30% Total

Along with the Lesson Assignments, your assessment for this course includes two exams. The exams contain multiple-choice and essay questions. Each exam is worth 15 percent of your final grade in this course.

Reading Comprehension Questions

Value: 30% total

The reading comprehension questions are designed to help you focus on the important aspects of course readings and to help you prepare for exams. These questions will be worth 30 percent of your final grade.

NOTE: It is important to know that students can open a quiz and then return to the quiz later to complete it as long as you don't go past any due/until date restriction. This can be confusing because there is no actual "save" button. Since you are allowed to submit the quiz ONLY once, you need to make sure you do NOT submit your quiz by clicking the "Submit Quiz" button. You can exit the quiz and when you come back everything will still be there. In general Canvas will save the quiz every time you answer a question or types in a response. But it is recommended that you keep a backup copy of your work. 

Analytic Essays and Discussions

Value: 40% total

You will submit analytical papers or complete on-line exercises that may ask you to reflect and analyze an activity, evaluate a case study, or answer an analytical question that spans several readings. You are required to answer them (sometimes you will have a choice of questions/activities), and they are worth 40 percent of your final grade (15% on-line discussion 25% analytical paper.)  *In discussion activities you are to submit an initial post by Thursday, then respond to at least two classmates by Sunday.

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University Policies

Academic Integrity

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity, an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.   

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic sanctions, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes (see G-9: Academic Integrity).

Unless your instructor tells you otherwise:

• Always include an in-text citation that includes the author(s) last name(s) and the year the source was published at the end of any sentence or below any image that includes words, images, or ideas you found in a source, always included quoted text within quotation marks, and always include a reference for any source at the end of your paper (ask your instructor about the format you should use).
• All of your graded coursework must be created by you without help from anyone in the course or otherwise. If you have questions about this, you should ask your instructor before submitting work for evaluation.
• All course materials you receive or access are protected by copyright laws. You may use course materials and make copies for your own use, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor’s express permission is strictly prohibited. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University’s Code of Conduct and/or liable under Federal and State laws.

Disability Access

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources website provides contact information for every Penn State campus at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/disability-coordinator. For further information, please visit the Student Disability Resources website at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources.

In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation described at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/applying-for-services. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

Counseling and Psychological Services

Penn State's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) office offers residential and distance-based Penn State students non-emergency mental health services in the form of case management, community resource referrals, supportive listening, care giver support, and much more.

Students may request assistance from CAPS regarding a variety of common mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, and stress. CAPS services are designed to enhance students' ability to fully benefit from the University environment and academic experience. Call CAPS at 814-863-0395 (8 am-5 pm, Monday-Friday EST) or submit an inquiry online at https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/form/caps-contact-form to schedule an appointment with a mental health advocate, who can help you address mental health concerns that may interfere with your academic progress or social development. This appointment will include a one-on-one session that can be conducted via telephone, teleconference (Skype, FaceTime, etc.), or locally at Penn State University Park. For more information on services provided through CAPS, please visit the Penn State CAPS website at http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/counseling/. Students enrolled at the World Campus are also encouraged to visit its Mental Health Services page at http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/student-services/mental-health-services.

Reminder: These services are for non-emergencies only. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis situation, please call your local crisis center or 911.

Nondiscrimination

Penn State is committed to equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment for all persons. It is the policy of the University to maintain an environment free of harassment and free of discrimination against any person because of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, marital or family status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, physical or mental disability, gender, perceived gender, gender identity, genetic information or political ideas. Discriminatory conduct and harassment, as well as sexual misconduct and relationship violence, violates the dignity of individuals, impedes the realization of the University's educational mission, and will not be tolerated. For further information, please visit the Affirmative Action Office website at https://affirmativeaction.psu.edu/.

Reporting a Bias Incident

Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage at http://equity.psu.edu/reportbias/.

TEACH Act

The materials on the course website are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated.

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University Emergency Procedure

In the event of a University-wide emergency, the course may be subject to changes. Exigent circumstances may require alternative delivery methods, class materials, and interactions with the instructor and/or classmates. In addition, there may be revisions to grading policies and the Calendar, including assignments and their due dates.

In the event of a University-wide emergency, please refer to the Canvas website at https://psu.instructure.com for specific information related to the course. For more general information about the emergency situation, please refer to the Penn State website at https://www.psu.edu or Penn State News website at https://news.psu.edu.

To register with PSUAlert, a service designed to alert the Penn State community when situations arise that affect the ability of a campus to function normally, please go to the PSU Alert website at https://psualert.psu.edu/. Subscribers can receive alerts by text message to cell phones, and also can elect to have alerts sent to an email address.

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Syllabus Subject to Change

The class will likely adhere to the information outlined in this Syllabus and the Calendar, but adjustments may be made based on what actually transpires during the semester. Remaining in the course after reading this Syllabus will signal that you accept the possibility of changes and responsibility for being aware of them.