Sociology

Enrollment Message

Array

Course Description

Sociology allows students to study human social behavior and relationships from a group perspective. The influence of culture on group and individual behavior is addressed through institutions such as the family, religion, education, economics, community organizations, government, and political and social groups. The impact of social groups and institutions on group and individual behavior and the changing nature of society will be examined in this course.

• Counts as an elective for all diplomas
• Fulfills course requirement for General Diploma

Course Goals

Upon completion of the course, students will…

• describe the development of sociology as a social science, by identifying methods and strategies of research and by examining the contributions of sociology to the understanding of social issues.
• examine the influence of culture on the individual and the way cultural transmission is accomplished. Students study the way culture defines how people in a society behave in relation to groups and to physical objects. They also learn that human behavior is learned within the society. Through the culture, individuals learn the relationships, structures, patterns and processes to be members of the society.
• examine the process by which people develop their human potential and learn culture. Socialization will be considered as a lifelong process of human social experience.
• identify how social status influences individual and group behaviors and how that status relates to the position a person occupies within a social group.
• learn to differentiate between the biological differences that divide the human population into male and female, and gender which is the personal traits and social positions that members of a society attach to being male or female. The development and changes in gender roles over time will be examined.
• explore the impacts of social groups on individual and group behavior. They understand that social groups are comprised of people who share some common characteristics, such as common interests, beliefs, behavior, feelings, thoughts and contact with each other.
• identify the effects of social institutions on individual and group behavior. They understand that social institutions are the social groups in which an individual participates, and that these institutions influence the development of the individual through the socialization process.
• examine the changing nature of society. They explain that social change addresses the disruption of social functions caused by numerous factors and that some changes are minor and others are major. 
• analyze a range of social problems in today’s world. Social problems result from imbalances within the social system and affect a large number of people in an adverse way. 
• examine the role of the individual as a member of the community. They also explore both individual and collective behavior.
• examine all types of deviant behavior from all three sociological perspectives as well as the means and methods of social control.

Indiana Academic Standards

• Sociology

Units of Instruction

• Unit 1 Culture and Social Structure
• Unit 2 The Individual in Society
• Unit 3 Social Inequality
• Unit 4 Social Institutions
• Unit 5 The Changing Social World

Grading/Evaluation

Indiana Online does not assign letter grades, grant credit for courses, nor issue transcripts or diplomas. A final score reported as a percentage of total points earned will be sent to students upon completion of a course. Your school of record can also access this score within the Student Information System, Genius. The final score will be shown as a percentage in Canvas and Genius. The student’s school of record will determine the letter grade based on their specific grading scale.

Students must complete at least 70% of the course and take all parts of the final exam(s) to have a score reported to their school of record. Failure to meet these requirements will result in a score of 0 reported to the school of record.

Assessments

Online assessments consist of formative and summative assessments represented by computer-graded multiple choice, teacher-graded writing assignments including hands-on projects, model building and other forms of authentic assessments. The course includes the minimum number of assessments

• 8 Discussions
• 29 Assignments
• 8 Quizzes

The assessments for this asynchronous course are weighted as follows

Teacher Contact Response Time

Students can use email or the private message system within Genius or Canvas to access highly qualified teachers when they need teacher assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside Canvas. The Teacher Information page of their course may describe additional communication options.

The teacher will respond to student inquiries (email, text, call) within one business day. Assignments will be graded and posted within two business days.

Expectations for Academic Conduct 

Student Handbook 

It is your responsibility to read the student handbook to understand all aspects of taking an online course including expectations for academic conduct. Contact your teacher if you have any questions. 

Assistance for Students with Accommodations

Indiana Online supports an inclusive learning environment for all students. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that hinder your full participation, such as inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos and podcasts, reasonable accommodations can be arranged.

Technology

Technology Requirements 

Students will require a computer device with headphones, a microphone, webcam, up-to-date Chrome Web Browser, and access to YouTube. Please review the Indiana Online’s Technology Requirements.

Technical Skills Needed 

Basic technology skills necessary to locate and share information and files as well as interact with others in a Learning Management System (LMS), include the ability to

• download, edit, save, convert, and upload files
• download and install software
• use a messaging service similar to email
• communicate with others in online discussion or message boards, following basic rules of netiquette
• open attachments shared in messages
• create, save, and submit files in commonly used word processing program formats and as a PDF
• save a file as a .pdf
• copy and paste and format text using your mouse, keyboard, or an html editor’s toolbar menu
• insert images or links into a file
• search for information within a document using Ctrl+F or Command+F keyboard shortcuts
• work in multiple browser windows and tabs simultaneously
• activate a microphone or webcam on your device, and record and upload or link audio and/or video files
• use presentation and graphics programs
• follow an online pacing guide or calendar of due dates
• use spell-check, citation editors, and tools commonly provided in word processing tool menus
• create and maintain usernames and passwords

Technical Questions?  Please contact the Indiana Online Helpdesk.