Karen Baum  Sociology 101

Title of Course: Sociology 101

Service Learning Assignment:
Students are required to serve a community organization for 15-20 hours.  This is an optional assignment.

Students must keep field notes; turn in the notes on a regular basis for instructor feedback; meet in class with fellow service learners to share and discuss experiences and help link experiences to course content; write a rough draft and then a final service learning paper at the end of the term.  Students who choose service learning are replacing some of the required homework activities and writing requirements with their service hours and field notes.

Learning Objectives for Service Assignment:
Students are expected to interpret their service experience from a sociological perspective. Using their field notes for support, they are expected to apply sociological concepts and theories to their experiences and observations. By the end of the semester, they are expected to choose a sociological focus for their service learning essay that includes emphasis on specific sociological principles or perspectives. They are encouraged to write their paper with a general audience in mind, but it should be clear that they are thinking and reflecting sociologically.

Approved Service Learning Sites:

Students are free to choose from among the college approved community partner organizations. However, it's vital that students are interacting with people and/or have regular and meaningful opportunities to observe interactions with the populations served by the organizations. Students are encouraged to think critically and reflect about what it would be like if they had a full-time job at their service site. Therefore, they need to be involved with the service population.  Approved Sites