CUNY Online B.A. in Sociology

Syllabus and Course Schedule

Course Name: Sociology of the Body

Course Number: SOC 320

Type of Course:  Elective

Credits: 3 hours undergraduate credit

Prerequisites: Introduction to Sociology

Instructor: Dr. Lacey Sischo

Course ePortfolio Template:

Online Office Hours: By appointment

“…the body is a sign, a text to be read and interpreted.” –Rebecca Walker

Course Description

This course examines the body as a social construction that is situated within a particular social and historical context.  Students will understand how bodies become gendered, raced, classed, and sexualized in ways that create and reinforce social institutions and relations of power.  They will analyze the reciprocal processes of structuration: how the body is shaped by social expectations and symbolic exchange, how meanings are attached to bodies and different body parts, and how these interpretations in turn shape social relations.  Students will critically evaluate the experience of embodiment and the contribution of sociological theories and data to our understanding of the process.  They will write two course papers on the sociology of the body.

Course Overview by Instructor

The body is contested terrain in our society today.  In fact, bodies are often used as vehicles of power, repression, and social control.  Opportunities and lived experiences are shaped by our bodies which are, in turn, shaped by social forces.  This course will take a critical look at how bodies are socially constructed in ways that privilege some bodies over others.  Specifically, we will examine how bodies are gendered, raced, classed, and sexualized in ways affect embodied experience and life chances.  We will also examine how meanings are attached to bodies that make some bodies more economically and culturally valuable than others.  Through this class, students will learn how situating bodies into social hierarchies affects the construction of the self and contributes to larger systems of inequality.

Course Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

Upon completion of the course, students will:

• Understand sociological theories that explain how bodies become gendered and “racialized” to align with culturally defined standards or expectations.
• Apply, compare and evaluate body theory(ies) as these are used to identify and analyze a social problem related to the body.
• Interpret the body and representation of the body as symbols in a contested terrain (i.e., a political battleground or a literal and metaphorical space where social forces, ideologies, and social practices intrude).
• Integrate and apply theories of the body to develop a research hypothesis and strategy for gathering, interpreting and analyzing data relevant to gendering and/or racializing the body in the workplace
• Gather, interpret, and assess information related to the body from a variety of sources and points of view.
• Evaluate evidence and arguments related to theories of the body critically or analytically.
• Produce well-reasoned written or oral arguments using evidence to support conclusions.

Grading Policy: Overview

This is an elective course in sociology.  The expectation is that you will take an active role to communicate and share what you are learning through individual writing and class discussion.  Please note that this course is reading and writing intensive.

You should organize your time and plan on spending about 9 hours per week on this course.  Expect to devote more time to the course when you are working on a Reading Summary/Critical Review and/or when a paper is due.  You must log on a minimum of three times per week.  A good strategy is to spend some time reading through the syllabus and organizing your work to maximize efficiency.

Weighting of Assignments

*Not all weeks will be graded

The above serves as a guide for allocating time and energy.  Final grades include discretionary judgments by the instructor, which may cause shifts in actual grades within a five point range.  Please contact your instructor immediately on any questions about individual grades.

Grading Scale

A             93+                       C+           78-79                     D-           60-62

A-           90-92                     C             73-77                     F              59 and below

B+           88-89                    C-            70-72

B             83-87                    D+          68-69

B-            80-82                    D             63-67

Course Materials and Resources

There are no books required for this course.  All the readings are posted under the “Content” tab in the course website.

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

Everything you submit for this course must be your own work. Copying material exactly or very closely from any source without using quotation marks and citing your source is plagiarism and will result in an automatic zero for that assignment. There are a number of sources about plagiarism in Websites on the course panel. Please check these when you are uncertain. Below is CUNY’s description of prohibited behavior:

"Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writings as your own. The following are some examples of plagiarism, but by no means is it an exhaustive list: copying another person’s actual words without the use of quotation marks and citations, presenting another’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging the source, using information that is not common knowledge without acknowledging the source, failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework assignments. Internet plagiarism includes purchasing or downloading term papers online, paraphrasing or copying information from the Internet without citing the source, and “cutting and pasting” from various sources without proper attribution.”

Assignments

Readings and assignments are organized into weekly modules.  Each week begins and ends on Sunday.  This means that all assignments for a given week must be completed by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on Sunday.  Detailed instructions for assignments will be posted at the beginning of each week in folders that can be accessed through Assignments on the Course Navigation panel.  Each assignment folder is clearly labeled, e.g., “Instructions for Paper 1.”  Assignments will require various types of work/participation as described below.

Weekly Participation

Discussion Forums:

The Discussion Board is a critical venue for developing intellectual relationships with your instructor and with your classmates. Each week you will be expected to participate in the Discussion Forum and address the topic of the forum. Each week’s discussion board is due at 11:59 p.m. (EST) on Sunday night.  Participation means posting an initial focused response to the topic in at least 200 words and responding to at least two of your classmates (responses must be at least 50 words).  You must complete the required readings prior to posting.  In order to receive credit for participating, you must post your initial response no later than Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. (EST) in order to allow time for real discussion.  Please read the Discussion Forum rubric carefully.  Discussions will be evaluated based on contribution to the discussion topic and engagement with other students.  In other words, discussion posts should add an appropriate, unique contribution that references the reading and should also respond to fellow classmates’ posts.  In order to receive full credit, discussion posts must reference the reading, including the required and recommended reading.  The purpose of the discussion board is to allow students to engage in a scholarly discussion and debate about class topics and assignments.

Critical Review:

Each student will be responsible for writing a critical review of one week’s recommended reading.  Students will summarize the main points from the recommended reading (one paragraph or about a ½ page), offer a critique of the article or chapter’s strengths and weaknesses, and relate (i.e., compare and contrast) it to the required readings from that week.  The critical review should be approximately two pages (double-spaced).  Critical reviews should also incorporate relevant additional information or media examples such as You Tube clips, newspaper articles or editorials, advertisements, or song lyrics that pertain to the recommended reading and the week’s topic.  Critical Reviews should be posted at the beginning of the week (by Tuesday night at 11:59 p.m. EST) to the class discussion board.

Paper 1:

Critical Analysis of “Good Hair”

Watch the Chris Rock documentary, “Good Hair,” and analyze it using two of the three sociology of the body theories we read in week 1 (Bordo, Schippers, and/or Frost).  Which part(s) of the theories address issues identified in the documentary?  What are some issues that the theories identify relative to African American hair, the construction of femininity, and the commodification of beauty (among others) that the documentary does not address?  In other words, what does Chris Rock miss from the perspective of sociology of the body and body theory?  Papers should be between 2-3 pages (double-spaced).

Paper 2:

Content Analysis: Self-Presentation of Bodies in the Workplace (Adapted from Dr. Giovanna Follo)

Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to explore, through content analysis, the presentation of bodies in the workplace, as evidenced in popular culture. This critical analysis aims at the student discovering the various messages about femininity, masculinity, the body, and beauty, and how they differ by race/ethnicity, class, and sexuality.  In particular, this analysis will examine how bodies are used, dressed, adorned, maneuvered, positioned, etc. in ways that affect power relationships and dynamics within the workplace. 

This assignment will use a “strategic interaction” framework as proposed by Goffman1.  Strategic interaction involves making moves or engaging in behaviors that carry “fateful implications for all parties” (Goffman 1972: 127).  During strategic interaction, individuals carefully consider the consequences of their actions and choose the best strategy in order to obtain a desired outcome.  In the workplace, strategic interaction operates in many different situations and between various actors (e.g., supervisor/employee, employee/customer, employee/employee).  Actors present a particular self through the use of the body (e.g., clothing choice, appearance, demeanor, etc.) in order to achieve a goal or outcome (e.g., a sale, promotion, etc.) through interaction.

Students will be required to conduct a content analysis of a film about work (e.g., “Office Space,” “9-5,” “Working Girl,” “North Country,” “Clerks,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “Norma Rae,” etc.). Students will first look at the female body and then the male body and finally compare how the bodies are represented in the workplace, particularly in relation to race/ethnicity.  More details can be found under the “Paper Instructions” tab in the course website.

1Goffman, Erving.  1972.  Strategic Interaction.  New York: Ballantine.

ePortfolios:

This course requires students to create and use an ePortfolio using the Digication Platform. Students will be using ePortfolios to present their work, communicate with their class and instructor (in addition to BB) and will be creating a personal academic portfolio they will be using throughout their academic career. Training is hands on and will be integrated into the coursework (see schedule). Students are required to read the SPS ePortfolio Student Handbook and keep handy the ePortfolio Resources Website. For additional technical help, please contact the ePortfolio Team at eportfolios@spsmail.cuny.edu. An advisor is available every day and most evenings.

Additional Resources:

All resources for this course are available online through Blackboard. Please refer to the Blackboard Announcements section for suggested handbooks, links, and online resources.

Accessibility and Accommodations

The CUNY School of Professional Studies is firmly committed to making higher education accessible to students with disabilities by removing architectural barriers and providing programs and support services necessary for them to benefit from the instruction and resources of the University. Early planning is essential for many of the resources and accommodations provided. Please see:

http://www.sps.cuny.edu/student_services/disabilityservices.html

All documentation should be sent to:

StudentServicesCoordinatorCUNYSchoolof Professional Studies 101 West 31st Street, 7th Floor, Room 720New York, N.Y, 10001

Students considering or already registered in the CUNY School of Professional Studies should feel free to contact the Student Services Coordinator, Cristina Finan at cristina.finan@mail.cuny.edu or 212-652-2014 about arrangements and accommodations.  Students may choose to discuss their disabilities with their faculty members to work out ways of meeting the specific requirements of the course. Nevertheless, official documentation is essential for accommodations to be established.

Online Etiquette and Anti-Harassment Policy

The University strictly prohibits the use of University online resources or facilities, including Blackboard, for the purpose of harassment of any individual or for the posting of any material that is scandalous, libelous, offensive or otherwise against the University’s policies. Please see:

http://www.sps.cuny.edu/student_services/pdf/Netiquette.pdf

Academic Integrity

TheSchoolofProfessional Studieshas adopted the view that academic integrity is a critical characteristic of all of our academic programs and that maintenance of academic integrity requires the that all members of the SPS community play an active and positive role. Academic dishonesty is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Cheating, forgery, plagiarism and collusion in dishonest acts undermine the educational mission of the City University of New York and the students' personal and intellectual growth. Please see: http://www.sps.cuny.edu/acad_policies/index.html

Student Support Services

TheSchoolofProfessional Studiesoffers a wide variety of academic support students for students, including online tutorial services in most courses, career guidance, and a robust array of online and in-person library services.  For more information about these services, please visit Student Support Services: http://www.sps.cuny.edu/student_resources/index.html.

• Virtual bookstore: http://sps.cuny.edu/student_resources/v_bookstore.html
• Online tutoring: http://sps.cuny.edu/student_resources/tutoring_services.html
• Library services: http://sps.cuny.edu/student_resources/library_services.html
• Disability services: http://sps.cuny.edu/student_services/disabilityservices.html
• Disability disclosure form: http://media.sps.cuny.edu/filestore/7/7/9_9e8443955145d1e/779_1d88be061f1aa2b.pdf
• Technical support: http://sps.cuny.edu/student_services/help_desk.html
• Student handbook: http://media.sps.cuny.edu/filestore/8/4/7_52cc3e04e02064b/847_5cc6667415c5d81.pdf
• Academic policies handbook: http://media.sps.cuny.edu/filestore/8/3/9_dea303d5822ab91/839_1753cee9c9d90e9.pdf
• Academic calendar: http://sps.cuny.edu/academic_calendar.html
• Financial aid: http://sps.cuny.edu/financialaid/
• Netiquette guide:  http://media.sps.cuny.edu/filestore/8/4/9_d018dae29d76f89/849_3c7d075b32c268e.pdf

 Syllabus Changes

This syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.  In the unlikely event that we need to change the dates listed for activities or assignments as the semester progresses, you will be notified by email and through the course Announcements.  

Acknowledgements: Susan J. Ferguson, N. L. Klein, Nathaniel C. Pyle, Bronwen Lichtenstein, Laura Mamo, and Barbara Walters

soc of the body syllabus 12-27-12.doc