COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is an amalgam of the major ideas in what are presently seen as two separate but highly interrelated areas of sociology:  the sociology of risk and the sociology of disaster.  The demands of syllabus writing force me to act like there is more coherence to these fields than there actually is.  There is a heck of a lot written on disasters, hazards, crises, catastrophes, etc. that do not include risk and there is a heck of a lot of material on risk that doesn't focus on disasters.  Yet, I do not feel that one can adequately think about risk without thinking about types of risks that are perceived as meaningful.  Disasters are certainly meaningful causes for concern.  Moreover, I don't think that you can talk about disasters, especially the ideas of disaster mitigation and preparedness, without weighing the costs, the benefits, AND the risks.

The materials in these fields are quite broad and drawn from several disciplines and subdisciplines within sociology, psychology, geography, public administration, and public health.  This is one of the things that makes risk and disaster literature fun to read, but it can also make you crazy.  That is, reading lots of things from lots of different perspectives is intellectually broadening in a way that becomes increasingly more difficult to sustain as your career proceeds.  At the same time, if your goal is to deepen sociological knowledge then works outside the discipline can be maddening.  The distance between dilettante and polymath, often hidden behind claims to inter-disciplinary commitment, is largely one of will and application.  I'm sure that we will make every effort to keep the sociology in the foreground.

This is a talk class.  I do not plan to lecture...doing so would limit discussion and the opportunity for students to make their discussion points.  To facilitate discussion, it would probably be useful to write a page of questions that you think should be covered to adequately treat that days topic and have them with you to work from.  However, I am not making such a sheet a course requirement.

TEXTS:

Currently, there will be no texts for this course.  Instead a reading packet will be provided on CD.  

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Attendance. I expect you to be in class.  To encourage class attendance I will distribute sign-in sheets on randomly selected days.  I will also pass out a sign-in sheet if it is requested by class members.  Attendance points will be levied based on your attendance on the days the sign in sheets are passed out.  10% of grade.

Discussion.  Again, this is a talk class.  I do not want to lecture.  So you have to participate in class discussion.  This makes preparation key, since it is not possible to participate intelligently if you don't know what you are talking about.  

All evaluation of your discussion is subjective. I lay out the point structure that I am going to use to evaluate discussion not so you can "figure out" your discussion grade. You can't.  Only I can.  Still I do provide this as a template which you can use to try to aim for a particular grade. I hope that you can use this rubric as a way to improve the quality of your discussion, not only in this course but in others as well.

This is not a checklist.  Learning is not a guaranteed process and it doesn't happen the same way for every person.  

Note that in the descriptions I am indicating tendencies rather than absolute rules. For example, it's perfectly all right to say "Gee, I didn't know that." or "I agree." or "Here's something that just struck me as interesting". Those are normal parts of conversation.  But when the majority of a student's comments are these sort of comments, that's not engaging in discussion. That's just talking about the past. There's a difference, and that difference will be reflected in the grade. 

Currently I plan to evaluate discussion weekly for each person in the class.  You can be "on" on Monday and not on Wednesday and still get a 3.  There are 14 weeks in the semester which means that your discussion grade could range between 0 and 42 points.  This points will be translated into 10% of your final grade.

Exams.  There will be a midterm and a final.  The midterm will be worth 20% of your final grade and the final will account for 25% your grade.

Term Paper.  Your grade on the term paper will be based upon the definition of a topic, the scope and thoroughness of your research, and the quality of your writing.  All students will be expected to go beyond a simple narrative of events to explore critically and analytically the meaning and larger significance of their topic.  That is, you must put forward and support an argument and draw clear conclusions.  

The topic is yours to choose, but is subject to my approval.  Given the scope of this course, you have flexibility to pursue your own interests.  You may want to examine a particular disaster and its effects or you may want to focus on disaster mitigation or response or you may want to look at some aspect of risk.  (For other topic ideas, please take a look at the Box on the Annual Hazards and Disasters Student Paper Competition.)  I would suggest avoiding comparative papers that treat two big subjects superficially; it would be better to explore just one subject in detail.  I encourage you to discuss topics with me (and with your other professors, students, family, and friends), but you need to be the one deciding on the topic that you like. Do not expect me to choose one for you.

By February 22, 2006 you will need to submit a topic proposal.  The topic proposal will be worth 10% of your grade.  This topic proposal It should be typed, up to two pages in length, and consist of three element:  1) a general, single-paragraph statement of the topic; 2) a preliminary thesis statement; 3) preliminary bibliography.  The thesis statement should be a succinct statement of your basic conclusion--the point you plan to argue.  This is only a preliminary thesis; you are not locked in and are free to change it.  My main concern is that you demonstrate your understanding of an argument.  

The preliminary bibliography can be in any format (ASA, APA, MLA, etc.) just as long as you remain consistent.  Secondary works must include books and periodicals of reputable scholarly value.  Encyclopedias, Time-Life books, and various illustrated magazines are not acceptable secondary sources.  For the purposes of the proposal and the final paper, web pages are also not acceptable.  You are free to use encyclopedias, Time-Life books, various illustrated magazines, and web pages as sources, exercising due caution regarding their reliability.  However, the five sources required for the preliminary bibliography and the seven required for the final paper must come from library holdings (TOPCAT, EBSCOHOST, J-STOR, etc.) or other sources cleared with me first. 

I will grade your term paper according to the following guidelines:  read and follow them carefully.  

1)  Excluding title page and bibliography, the paper must be not less than 12 nor more than 25 pages long.  The paper must be neatly typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides (You should have a two inch margin at the top of the first page.)  Be sure to include page numbers.  Do not use unusual type faces and do not use any font smaller than 10pt or larger than 12pt.

2) I prefer parenthetical references.  You must make full and complete citations of all ideas borrowed, whether directly or paraphrased; failure to do so constitutes plagarism.  You must demonstrate that you have explored the existing literature carefully.  This means that you must cite the relevant materials in the body of the text; simply padding the bibliography with references that you do not cite is not acceptable.

3) Your paper must include a title page and bibliography. 

4) You must present a clear thesis, an argument about an issue over which there can be substantive disagreement.  Do not simply recite what happened, but give an explanation for why events unfolded in a particular way and with what repercussions.  This is the heart of the assignment, and you should devote the greatest attention to it.  Finally, you should present some form of conclusion or summary as an epilogue.  

5)  This a formal writing assignment.  Grammatical and stylistic errors will lower your grade, so proofread your work carefully:  you will not lose any points for errors that you correct with a pen.  Do not submit your work in any kind of folder:  your work should be neatly stapled--not paper clipped--in the upper left corner (only).

Final Papers must be turned in at the start of class on April 5, 2006.  For every 24-period or portion thereof after that time, 10 points will be deducted from your grade.  Note that this penalty is draconian, and even the best paper will quickly fall to an F.  In the event you must turn in a paper late, do not slide it under my door:   turn it in to one of the Department office staff who will mark the time and date.  This is for your own protection.  The Final Draft of the Term Paper is worth 25% of your grade.

Keep checking these four areas of emphasis as you work on your paper:

• Clarity of thesis:  the basic conclusion should be clearly stated in the opening paragraph, preferably in a concise thesis sentence at the very beginning.  Avoid vague generalizations, like saying a person or an event was important; any such statements should always have some sort of specific clarifying clause ("because...").  Is it a meaningful conclusion?  Does it really represent taking a stand where there might be strong differences of opinion?
• Persuasiveness of argumentation:  everything that follows the thesis should be directed toward establishing a contextual framework to back it up.  At the end, after reading all the arguments and looking at the evidence provided, will other readers likely agree with your conclusions?  How might you strengthen them?
• Supporting materials:  to back up your thesis you must assemble appropriate sources.  Are your sources adequate in number and quality for what you are trying to do?  Do they reflect different opinions to provide balance?  You must also cite all materials used.  Are the citations adequate?
• Style and mechanics:  no matter how good your ideas, they will never benefit others if they are not expressed in clear and correct form.  Have you proofread to catch careless mistakes in spelling and grammar?  Even spell checkers will not help distinguish the correct usage of "their" and "there" or "effect" and "affect."  Did you properly format all references and bibliography entries? 

Academic Honesty

All students are urged to review the material about these issues in both the Western catalog and Student Handbook.  Your work in this course is to be an original effort.  I expect that all work you turn in is your own and that you give credit for any material that you use from other sources.  If I discover work has been plagiarized from another source or if you hand in a project that is identical to another student’s, you will receive a zero for that assignment.  

Resource Information

Writing Center -- The Writing Center offers individual conferences to assist writers with their assignments.  Drop by 124 Cherry Hall or call the Writing Center at 745-5719 with any questions or to make an appointment

Student Disability Services  -- Please do not request accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) directly from the professor without a letter of accommodation from the Office of Student Disabilities Services (OSDS).  Students with disabilities who require accommodations for this course must contact the OSDS.  The OSDS office is in DUC A201 in the Student Success Center.  The OSDS contact numbers are:  Phone (270) 745-5004; TDD: (270) 745-5121; FAX: (270) 745-3199. 

Tentative Schedule

Let me end with my standard disclaimer: