METHOD OF EVALUATION                                                                                                                          

Your final grade will be determined as follows:

Attendance and Informed Participation                                                                                                

Attendance and Pop Quizzes                                                                                     5% of final grade  Blog Responses                                                                                                           5% of final grade

Attendance will be taken for each class and is mandatory.   Students who are unable to attend class must notify me in advance and in writing.  More than two absences will negatively impact your grade in the course.  The only exceptions to the two-absence limit are religious holidays, serious family emergencies, and documented illnesses.

Students are required to complete all assigned readings and come to class actively prepared to critically and analytically engage the material.  Informed participation includes making connections between our readings, discussions, and relevant current events; taking an active part in in-class exercises (when applicable), and asking thoughtful questions about readings and lectures.  Successful participation in this course depends on both the frequency and quality of a student’s contribution to in-class discussions.  This does not necessarily mean always providing the right answers, but rather demonstrating an active engagement with the course material and the in-class discussion.

Pop Quizzes:  I reserve the right to administer random “pop quizzes” throughout the semester to ensure that you are keeping up with the reading.  Pop quizzes are contingent on overall performance in class discussions.  These “pop quizzes” will figure into your participation grade.

Blog Responses:  Throughout the semester, you are responsible for responding to at least three of the blogs posted by your colleagues on the course’s Blackboard site.  A minimum of one response should be completed by the end of the first half of the semester.

“The Expert”                                                                                             (25% of final grade total)

Discussion Question (due by noon the day before class)                           5% of final grade       2 Critical Response Blogs                          10% of final grade each; 20% of final grade total

To facilitate our discussions, each student will sign up for two classes during the semester in which s/he/they will be “the expert.”  For the classes you select as “the expert,” you are responsible for the following:

You will draft one discussion question based on the readings for that particular class. Questions should extend beyond basic “comprehension questions,” tying specific aspects of the reading to dominant themes for that particular class.  You can also draft questions that compare readings to previous discussions in class.  The readings should be emailed to Professor Greene ([email protected]) by noon the day before your assigned class in order that your questions can be added to the lecture slides.  Additionally, you may also be called upon during our discussion to offer commentary about the readings for that particular day.

Within a week of your assigned “Expert” Day, you are to post a blog (between 500 – 750 words) on the course’s website (https://courses.bowdoin.edu/sociology-2202-fall-2017/) that connects the course readings with key themes introduced in lecture or during class discussion. The goal of these blogs is not to summarize the readings (although a brief summary might be necessary), but rather to think about any lingering questions that the material raises for you, or to consider ideas presented in class or in the readings that merit further consideration.  You are also welcome to situate the readings for your day in conversation with other theories or empirical studies we have explored in the class.

 Midterm Essays                                                                                                30% of your final grade

Midterm Essay 1 (due by 5 pm on Friday, October 20)                                15% of your final grade Midterm Essay 2 (due by 5 pm on Friday, November 17)                            15% of your final grade

You will write one 4 to 6-page midterm paper, answering a question provided one week in advance of your paper’s due date (no later than Friday, October 13 and Friday, November 11).  Papers are designed to demonstrate your comprehension of the course material and will likely require you to engage multiple theories simultaneously.

FINAL PROJECT:  Urban Portfolio                                                                  30% of your final grade

Profile and Prospectus (due by 5 pm on Friday, September 29)               10% of your final grade Urban Issue or Cultural Analysis (due by 5 pm on Friday, December 15) 25% of your final grade

(See Urban Portfolio tab for revised instructions).