Course Syllabus

Course Information：

Year-Semester	Course Number	Course Name	Phase	Credits	Hours	Required/Elective	Instructor	Class	Student NO.	Withdraw	Note
Fall Semester Year 2026	367036	Introduction to sociology	1	2.0	2	△	Chia-Lin Li	Courses for International Students 4IDI2 ISMPE2	49	0	社會與法治向度

Course Plan：

Instructor	Chia-Lin Li
Email	lichialeen@gmail.com
Last Updated	2026-09-17 12:14:26
Course Objective	Course Description: To get a full description of the course syllabus, click the link:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HWX5TWWApg7681Wd9j866QLzX40noIKm?usp=drive_link This course is designed to introduce students to the sociological way of thinking by encouraging them to "make the familiar strange and the strange familiar." Through a sociological lens, students will learn to examine the connections between individual experiences and broader social structures. Sociology is a broad and diverse discipline encompassing a wide range of topics and research methods. The course is structured like a funnel: it begins with the most macro-level sociological theories, gradually moves toward the study of social institutions, and ultimately focuses on issues of identity, social roles, and gender inequality. Course Objectives: 1. Develop the Sociological Imagination: Learn to apply sociological concepts to construct well-reasoned arguments and critically analyze contemporary social issues. 2. Master Social Research Methods: Gain an understanding of the theoretical frameworks and research approaches that social scientists use to observe, describe, and explain human behavior. 3. Enhance Academic Reading, Critical Thinking, and Collaborative Discussion Skills: Through reading scholarly journal articles (rather than relying solely on textbooks), students will learn to identify key arguments in sociological literature, exchange perspectives with peers in group discussions, and collaboratively develop well-supported conclusions.
Course Schedule (Week 1-16)	Introduction to Sociology (2026 Fall) Instructor: Dr. Li, Chia Lin Contact via e-mailing: lichialeen@gmail.com Course Title: Introduction to Sociology Required Reading: Conerly, T. R., Holmes, K., & Tamang, A. L. (2021). Introduction to Sociology (3rd ed.). OpenStax. (Download this open-access Textbook via: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HWX5TWWApg7681Wd9j866QLzX40noIKm?usp=drive_link) 【Syllabus: 16-Week In-Class Lectures + 2-Week Flexible Learning】 Part I: Sociological Lens and Approaches (Sep. 10, 2026) Week 1 • Theme: • Defining Sociology: We will explore the systematic study of groups, societies, and social interactions at both the micro and macro levels. • The Sociological Imagination: Developing an awareness of the relationship between personal behavior and the wider culture. • Theoretical Paradigms: An introduction to structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. • Reading: • CHAPTER 1: An Introduction to Sociology ________________________________________ (Sep. 17, 2026) Week 2 • Theme: • Defining Culture: Differentiating between material culture (tangible objects) and nonmaterial culture (ideas and beliefs). • Norms and Values: Understanding formal and informal norms, folkways, and mores that structure society. • Cultural Diversity: Examining subcultures, countercultures, and the impact of globalization. • Reading: • CHAPTER 3: Culture ________________________________________ (Sep. 24, 2026) Week 3 • Theme: • Types of Societies: Tracking societal evolution from preindustrial to postindustrial (information) societies. • Social Construction of Reality: Using the Thomas theorem and habitualization to understand how society is created by humans. • Roles and Status: Distinguishing between ascribed and achieved statuses, and analyzing role conflict and role strain. • Reading: • CHAPTER 4: Society and Social Interaction ________________________________________ (Oct. 1, 2026) Week 4 • Theme: • The Development of Self: Reviewing Mead’s "generalized other" and Cooley’s looking-glass self. • Agents of Socialization: The influence of family, peer groups, school, and mass media. • Resocialization: Exploring total institutions and the process of stripping and rebuilding identities. • Reading: • CHAPTER 5: Socialization ________________________________________ Part II: The (Re-)Making of the Stratifications and Inequalities (Oct. 8, 2026) Week 5 • Theme: • Systems of Stratification: Comparing closed systems (caste) and open systems (class). • Social Mobility: Understanding upward, downward, and intergenerational mobility. • The American Class Structure: Analyzing the upper, middle, and lower classes and the phenomenon of the feminization of poverty. • Reading: • CHAPTER 9: Social Stratification in the United States ________________________________________ (Oct. 15, 2026) Week 6 • Theme: • Global Classification: Moving beyond "Third World" labels to World Bank classifications based on Gross National Income (GNI). • Global Wealth and Poverty: Differentiating between relative, extreme, and subjective poverty. • Global Perspectives: Comparing Modernization theory with Dependency theory. • Readings: • CHAPTER 10: Global Inequality ________________________________________ (Oct. 22, 2026) Week 7 • Theme: • Social Construction of Race: Understanding race as a grouping based on physical qualities that society deems significant. • Prejudice and Discrimination: Defining racism, colorism, and systemic racism within social institutions. • Intergroup Relations: Ranging from pluralism and assimilation to the extremes of expulsion and genocide. • Reading: • CHAPTER
Flexible Learning (Week 17-18)	Category ● 學生分組實作及討論(Student group practice and discussion) ● 遠距教學(Distance learning) Content (Dec. 31, 2026) Week 17 Flexible Learning Theme: Three Takeaways of Sociology: Summary, Application, and Development Category: Distant Learning via Google Meet (or other online meeting platform) ________________________________________ ★★★(Jan. 7, 2027 ) Week 18 Final Assessment : (Online) Group Oral Presentation II Flexible Learning Category: "Student group practice and discussion" and "Distant Learning" Hours 4 Learning Outcomes (1) Students must attend the live online classes on Google Meet for the entire duration during the original class hours and answer questions through real-time interaction. (2) Each group of students must log in to Google Meet during Week 18 class and conduct Group Oral Presentation II. Assessment Percentage 1.Class Attendance & Participation (30%): Punctual attendance and full participation in class. 2.Reading Reflection Reports (30%): Choose three weeks' worth of reading materials and write a short paper for each. Summary + Critical Response. Each paper approximately 250 words in English. Three short papers are required in total, with each paper accounting for 10% of the final grade. 3.Group Project Oral Presentation I (20%). 4.Group Project Oral Presentation II (20%).
Evaluation and grading policy	Grading Criteria: 1. Class Attendance & Participation (30%): Includes punctual attendance, asking questions in class, and the level of active engagement in relevant discussions. 2. Reading Reflection Reports (30%): Choose any three weeks of reading texts to write summaries and critical responses. 3. Group Project Oral Presentation I (20%): Students (roughly 5or 6 people will be assigned to each group) will apply one of the three major sociological paradigms—functionalism, conflict theory, or symbolic interactionism—to a chosen contemporary social issue (covered in the first-half of this semester). 4. Group Project Oral Presentation II (20%): Students (roughly 5or 6 people will be assigned to each group) will: 1.apply one or two sociological concept(s) to analyzing one specific social issue (covered in the second-half of this semester) via such sociological perspective(s); 2. Elaborate on the arguments/perspectives of each group member; 3.Draw a well-constructed conclusion based on these arguments. Course Requirements: 1. Writing Weekly Response: Submit a short memo elaborating on a notion/concept or a text quotation of the textbook. 2. Attendance & Participation: Active engagement in discussions is mandatory. 3. Academic Honesty: All work must be original and cited properly.
Materials	All right reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Foreign-language textbooks:Yes Required Reading: Conerly, T. R., Holmes, K., & Tamang, A. L. (2021). Introduction to Sociology (3rd ed.). OpenStax. (Please download the open-access Textbook pdf via:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HWX5TWWApg7681Wd9j866QLzX40noIKm?usp=drive_link)
The access to curricular consultation	Instructor's E-mail: lichialeen@gmail.com --------- Important Notice: Please indicate clearly your "name" and "student ID number" in the e-mails.
Expanding teaching and resources	● 無 (None)
The course corresponds to the SDGs	SDG5：性別平等（Gender Equality）
Does the course incorporate AI	● 使用生成式AI作為教學過程的輔助工具（Use generative AI tools as an aid to the teaching process）
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