Course activities are broadly defined below. Detailed instructions and grading rubrics will be uploaded to the course website and introduced in class.

Review Videos – 20% of Overall Grade

During Module 1, Analyzing Social Theories, students will form teams of 2-3 students to analyze research articles and produce two review videos. By the end of the second week, teams will search for relevant articles and submit a list of 4-5 articles to the instructor. The instructor will choose 2 of these for your team to review.  The instructor will provide detailed instructions and a grading rubric in a separate document, but the basic steps for making a review video include:

1. Individually, read and outline the article. Critically evaluate the article’s research question, arguments, research design, data, methods, analysis and conclusions.


2. As a team, compare notes and produce a 10-15 minute Review Video reviewing the article.


3. Individually, watch all the Review Videos outside of class.


4. The class will critique and discuss Review Videos in-class.

Literature Review & Research Proposal – 80% of Overall Grade

Throughout the semester, each student will undertake several milestones leading up to an original Literature Review and Research Proposal. The instructor will provide detailed instructions and a grading rubric in a separate document, but the basic milestones for the literature review are:

1. Milestone #1: Article List and Outline


2. Milestone #2: Key Article Summaries


3. Milestone #3: Literature Review


4. Milestone #4: Draft Proposal


5. Milestone #5: Final Proposal

Consultations – Non-Graded Requirements

Students will schedule a consultation with the instructor following the submission of each Milestone #1-4. Consultations will be held out of class at a time convenient for the student and instructor. During consultations, students will communicate their progress and concerns, and the instructor will provide detailed feedback. Consultations are not graded but are required in order to receive each a grade for Milestones #1-4.

Peer Reviews – Non-Graded Requirement

Students will review their classmates’ Milestone 4 - Draft Proposals in the form of a peer review. a consultation with the instructor following the submission of each Milestone #1-4. The instructor will provide detailed instructions in class and in a separate document. Peer Reviews are not graded but are required in order to receive a grade for Milestone 5.

Activity-ILO Matrix

Course activities support Intended Learning Outcomes in the following way.

4. Policies

Grading Rubric

Attendance Policy

Class attendance is essential to students’ achieving the Intended Learning Outcomes; however, students must also balance learning with other life priorities. As a result, this course allows students to have TWO FREE ABSENCES during the semester. After two free absences, each unexcused absence will subtract 5% from the student’s overall grade. Arriving to class late, or leaving class early, by more than 10 minutes will be counted as half an absence.

Excused absences will not affect students’ grades and do not count as the student’s two free absences. Excused absences require:

• a note from a doctor, in the case of a medical emergency


• a note from an administrator, if absent due to an official university event


• the instructor’s discretion, in the case of a family emergency (e.g., funeral)

Absences due to the following reasons will not be excused:

• trouble with a vehicle, parking and traffic

• vacations


• jobs and internships


• absence due to working on homework or a class project

University Policy on Academic Integrity – TBD

University Policy for Students with Disabilities – TBD

Required Texts

1. Stinchcombe, A. L. (1987). Constructing social theories. University of Chicago Press.

2. Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. B. (1994). Academic writing for graduate students (pp. 155-6). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Weekly Articles – To Be Determined