Sociology of Religion (Soci 452), Fall 2015

Transcription

1 Sociology of Religion (Soci 452), Fall 2015 Instructor: Dr. Philip Schwadel Room: Henzlik Hall 201 Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:00-3:15 Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 to 11, and by appointment Office: 740 Oldfather Hall pschwadel2@unl.edu Course Objectives This course introduces students to the sociology of religion. By the end of the semester, students should be familiar with the major findings, debates, and theories in the sociology of religion. While there is some attention given to global religions, the class focuses on religion in the United States. We will examine the nature of American religion, changes in American religion, and the connection between religion and other spheres of life, such as race, gender, social class, and politics. A Note on the Sociological Study of Religion As participants in this class, we come from a variety of religious and secular backgrounds. We must respect these diverse backgrounds. At the same time, it is important to remember that as sociologists we must leave subjective perspectives outside of the classroom. We must endeavor to approach the subject in as objective a manner as possible. Class Participation Class participants will take an active part in class discussion each week. This requires attending class each week and completing the reading before class. Be prepared for unannounced quizzes. Please turn off cell phones and other electronic devices before class starts. Ringing phones and texting will not be tolerated. Grading Quizzes 20% Homework and Attendance/Participation 15% Midterm Exam 30% Paper Presentation 10% Final paper 25% Required Text Monahan, Susanne C., William A. Mirola, and Michael O. Emerson Sociology of Religion: A Reader, Second Edition. Additional readings will be posted on Blackboard 1

2 Quizzes Quizzes make up 20% of your grade. Be prepared for unannounced quizzes by doing the reading before class. Homework and Attendance/Participation Unless otherwise stated, hard copies of homework assignments must be turned in in class. Homework assignments are graded on a check/no check basis (i.e., either you did it [competently] or you did not do it). Completing the homework assignments is an easy way to boost your grade; not doing the homework will hurt your grade. Late homework assignments will NOT be accepted. Missing more than two classes will negatively affect your grade. You are expected to actively participate in class discussions and activities. Presentations Students will present their final papers during the last week of class. Each student will have five minutes to summarize his or her paper (instructor will cut you off if you go over five minutes). Make sure to practice your talk multiple times in advance. Midterm Exam The midterm exam will consist of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions. The exam covers reading and lecture materials. Papers You must turn in a hard copy of your paper (do not it or submit it through Blackboard). All papers should have the following format: 12-point Times New Roman font, one inch margins, double spaced, stapled, with page number printed on the bottom of each page. Failure to do so will results in a lower grade. Late papers will NOT be accepted. Final Paper. All final papers should be 8 to 12 pages of text (not including references; no cover page). The final paper is a field study of two or more religious congregations in Lincoln, NE. Students must attend the main services (e.g., Sunday morning in most Christian churches) at each congregation and interview at least one person from the congregation (lay or professional). Students should not choose congregations in the same denomination they are or were affiliated with. Papers should describe each congregation separately and then compare the congregations. Separate sections for each congregation should include the following subsections: Description of congregation (short history of congregation, location, denominational affiliation, relevant physical attributes, etc.). Congregation demographics (e.g., race/ethnic, class, gender, and age makeup, and any other relevant characteristics of attendees). Do these fit with expectations based on readings and lectures? The service (how was the service structured, what were the main theological or religious messages, what were the main social messages, were there any political messages, etc.). Did the service fit with expectations based on readings and lectures? 2

3 Papers should relate the religious, social, and political messages of congregations services to relevant readings and lectures. Suggested readings for paper: Ammerman, Nancy Studying Congregations: A New Handbook. Chaves, Mark Congregations in America. Woolever, Cynthia and Deborah Bruce A Field Guide to U.S. Congregations: Who's Going Where and Why. Research paper option: Students who want to do a paper researching a specific are within the sociology of religion may choose to write a research paper instead of a paper about visits to religious congregations. Students who choose this option must turn in both a paper proposal and an outline (see instructor for details). Student with Disabilities Students who require academic accommodations due to disabilities should contact the Service for Students Disabilities (SSD) office as soon as possible to have them advance the paperwork to the instructor in a timely manner. Academic Honesty There will be no leniency for any form of academic dishonesty. Cheating on exams and plagiarizing written assignments will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty will result in failing the course and referral the Office of Student Judicial Affairs. Course Outline Week 1: Introduction to the Sociology of Religion 8/25: Nothing due, no assigned reading. 8/27: Introduction to American Religion Homework due: Complete the following three Learning Modules on Blackboard (available as PDF or Word document). Note: you will need internet access to complete the modules. Week 2: Classical Theories 9/1 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 1-3, 5, and 28 9/3 Read: Toward a Theory of Public Ritual (on Blackboard) Read: Yoga and Rebirth in America: Asian Religions are Here to Stay (on Blackboard) 3

4 Week 3: Defining Religion and Religious Communities 9/8 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 4 and 6 Homework due: Find three newspaper articles (no magazines, blogs, etc.) about religion or a religious group. In a short one page paper, describe the focal religious community in each article. Did the newspaper article describe or define the community? If so, how? How was the religion/religious community portrayed (positively, negatively, neutral? Explain). Be sure to provide the full citation for each of the three articles (title of story, author, name of newspaper, date of article). 9/10 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapter 7 Week 4: Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration 9/15 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 8 and 9 9/17 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 10 and 11 Week 5: Gender 9/22 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 12 and 13 9/24 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 14 and 15 Week 6: Social Class 9/29 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 16 and 17 10/1 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 18 and 19 Week 7: Sexual Identity 10/6 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 20, 21, and 22 10/8 Midterm Exam 4

5 Week 8: Secularization 10/13 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 24 and 25 Homework due: In a one page paper, answer the following questions using Quick Stats at the Association of Religion Data Archives website ( (from main page, click on quick stats U.S. surveys ): What percent of Americans attend religious services once a week or more, and how has this changed since the 1970s; what percent of Americans definitely believe in God; and what percent of Americans have no religious preference, and how has this changed since the 1970s? 10/15 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 26 and 27 Week 9: Religion and Youth 10/20 FALL BREAK: NO CLASS 10/22 Read: Mapping American Adolescent Religious Participation (on Blackboard) Read: I Know this isn t PC, but... : Religious Exclusivism among U.S. Adolescents (on Blackboard) Week 10: Religious Institutions 10/27 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 29 and 30 10/29 Read: Toward a Theory of Religious Influence (on Blackboard) Read Churches as Political Communities (on Blackboard) Week 11: New Religious Movements 11/3 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 31 and 32 11/5 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 33 and 34 Week 12: Politics 11/10 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 35 and 36 5

6 11/12 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 37 and 38 Week 13: Violence and Terrorism 11/17 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 39 and 40 11/19 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 41 and 42 Week 14: Peace 11/24 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapter 43 11/26 THANKSGIVING: NO CLASS Week 15: Globalization of Religion and Paper Presentations 12/1 Read: Sociology of Religion: A Reader, chapters 44 and 46 12/3 Paper presentations, last name A to H Week 16: Paper presentations and Wrap Up 12/8 Paper presentations, last name J to Z FINAL PAPER DUE 12/10 No Reading 6