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Sociology is the field of study that takes up to explain social, political, cultural and economic phenomena in terms of social structures, social forces and group relations. The course introduces students to several sociological topics, including socialization, culture, the social construction of knowledge, inequality, social stratification, social institutions such as religion, government, family, race and ethnic relations, poverty and deviance, among others. Sociology is the art of asking questions; big questions such as “What is race?” or “How class structure and social stratification impacts people’s lives?”, “How culture matters?”, “Why states go to war?”, or more detailed and focused questions, like: “Why working class children get working class jobs?”, “How fast food chains impact American family relations?”, “How the social media impact communication?”, “How college education has changed over the past decades?” Acquiring the conceptual and methodological tools to address more broad but also narrower sociological questions of that kind is one of the main objectives of this course. While sociology assumes that human actions are patterned, it also suggests that individuals have ample of room to change their conditions and direct social change. In that sense the quest to understand society is important and always urgent, for if we cannot understand the social world that we live in, we are more likely to be overwhelmed and ultimately incapacitated by it. As a specialist, the sociologist systematically gathers, processes and analyzes information with the objective to provide insights into what is going on in a situation, present alternatives and often assist policy-makers in making informed decisions and formulating policies. Sociology however, and the sociological imagination is not the prerogative solely of specialists. Sociology, further than being a discipline, a field in social sciences, it constitutes a mode of thinking. Thinking sociologically is also directly related to acting socially. An important objective of this course is to learn how to think alongside others, connect our condition to those of others and understand the importance of not only thinking but also acting collectively. The course, in addition to the theoretical texts assigned for reading and analysis, incorporates journalistic accounts of social issues, autobiographies, memoirs, oral histories and materials like photographs and film, in order to encourage students to experiment with original sociological research. Learning, also, to apply sociological language and concepts to events and situations we encounter daily, like ‘sociological location’ (identities like race, gender and class) and ‘social institutions’ (organized entities that structure society, like education and religion) is of key importance. By the end of the course, students should be well on their way to developing their own ‘sociological imagination.’

Sociology is the field of study that takes up to explain social, political, cultural and economic phenomena in terms of social structures, social forces and group relations. The course introduces students to several sociological topics, including socialization, culture, the social construction of knowledge, inequality, social stratification, social institutions such as religion, government, family, race and ethnic relations, poverty and deviance, among others. Sociology is the art of asking questions; big questions such as “What is race?” or “How class structure and social stratification impacts people’s lives?”, “How culture matters?”, “Why states go to war?”, or more detailed and focused questions, like: “Why working class children get working class jobs?”, “How fast food chains impact American family relations?”, “How the social media impact communication?”, “How college education has changed over the past decades?” Acquiring the conceptual and methodological tools to address more broad but also narrower sociological questions of that kind is one of the main objectives of this course. While sociology assumes that human actions are patterned, it also suggests that individuals have ample of room to change their conditions and direct social change. In that sense the quest to understand society is important and always urgent, for if we cannot understand the social world that we live in, we are more likely to be overwhelmed and ultimately incapacitated by it. As a specialist, the sociologist systematically gathers, processes and analyzes information with the objective to provide insights into what is going on in a situation, present alternatives and often assist policy-makers in making informed decisions and formulating policies. Sociology however, and the sociological imagination is not the prerogative solely of specialists. Sociology, further than being a discipline, a field in social sciences, it constitutes a mode of thinking. Thinking sociologically is also directly related to acting socially. An important objective of this course is to learn how to think alongside others, connect our condition to those of others and understand the importance of not only thinking but also acting collectively. The course, in addition to the theoretical texts assigned for reading and analysis, incorporates journalistic accounts of social issues, autobiographies, memoirs, oral histories and materials like photographs and film, in order to encourage students to experiment with original sociological research. Learning, also, to apply sociological language and concepts to events and situations we encounter daily, like ‘sociological location’ (identities like race, gender and class) and ‘social institutions’ (organized entities that structure society, like education and religion) is of key importance. By the end of the course, students should be well on their way to developing their own ‘sociological imagination.’

English Composition II is an advanced, discipline-specific composition course in which you will build on the practices, processes, research, and genres you explored in ENG 1101. With an emphasis on analytical approaches to argumentation and a research project, you will refine academic, critical, and informational literacy skills. This class will focus on themes of social inequality and identity in 21st century America and emphasize the development of critical literacy and consciousness through reading, analyzing, discussing, and writing about contemporary literary works that explore the intersections or race, class, gender and sexuality. Writing assignments will build on these themes while exploring a variety of genres as you will be encouraged to develop your own unique voice while developing rhetorical awareness, critical thinking and reading, writing and research skills.

English Composition II is an advanced, discipline-specific composition course in which you will build on the practices, processes, research, and genres you explored in ENG 1101. With an emphasis on analytical approaches to argumentation and a research project, you will refine academic, critical, and informational literacy skills. This class will focus on themes of social inequality and identity in 21st century America and emphasize the development of critical literacy and consciousness through reading, analyzing, discussing, and writing about contemporary literary works that explore the intersections or race, class, gender and sexuality. Writing assignments will build on these themes while exploring a variety of genres as you will be encouraged to develop your own unique voice while developing rhetorical awareness, critical thinking and reading, writing and research skills.

English Composition I is a writing intensive course designed to introduce you to college writing and critical thinking about the purpose of education, the role of the university and the relationship between language, thinking and identity. Drawing on readings from a variety of genres—as well as your own experience and knowledge—we will reflect and write about issues related to learning, literacy, identity and engage in critical thinking about issues in higher education. Writing assignments will build on these themes while exploring a variety of genres as you will be encouraged to develop your own unique voice and imagination while developing rhetorical awareness, critical thinking and reading, writing and research skills. This course encourages you to understand that writing is a process. To be a writer means engaging in a constant process of rewriting—in addition to reading and thinking about the writing of others. Thus, you will be encouraged to develop strategies for all stages of the writing process: free writing, brainstorming, drafting, collaborating, peer review, revising and presenting. Furthermore, the mission of this course is to carry forward and transmit to you a liberating tradition of reading and writing in the hopes that you will develop a lifelong interest in research as well as local, national and global issues. You may then use theses skills in your and the world’s best interest

English Composition I is a writing intensive course designed to introduce you to college writing and critical thinking about the purpose of education, the role of the university and the relationship between language, thinking and identity. Drawing on readings from a variety of genres—as well as your own experience and knowledge—we will reflect and write about issues related to learning, literacy, identity and engage in critical thinking about issues in higher education. Writing assignments will build on these themes while exploring a variety of genres as you will be encouraged to develop your own unique voice and imagination while developing rhetorical awareness, critical thinking and reading, writing and research skills. This course encourages you to understand that writing is a process. To be a writer means engaging in a constant process of rewriting—in addition to reading and thinking about the writing of others. Thus, you will be encouraged to develop strategies for all stages of the writing process: free writing, brainstorming, drafting, collaborating, peer review, revising and presenting. Furthermore, the mission of this course is to carry forward and transmit to you a liberating tradition of reading and writing in the hopes that you will develop a lifelong interest in research as well as local, national and global issues. You may then use theses skills in your and the world’s best interest