Welcome to the world of the Social Sciences!



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PRINCIPLES OF SOCIOLOGY
Phua Kai Lit, PhD (Johns Hopkins) FLMI Sunway University 2018 Spring Semester e-mail: phuakl@hotmail.com COURSE OUTLINE
SOCY1013 Course Outline

1. DISCUSSION PRESENTATION (10% of your final grade)
Choose one of the topics from the list below, do library research, and give a detailed class presentation (working as a group).
Use the IMRAD format for your presentation. Presenters should present it followed by a planned activity, which involves class participation.
The planned activity consists of a list of 10 questions (and answers) related to the topic of your group presentation.
You will ask the class the 10 questions and they will be expected to answer the questions orally.
The slides must be printed out and handed to the instructor before the presentation begins.
IMRAD = Introduction, Methodology, Results, And Discussion Research topics: Sociology of sport Sociology of the military Sociology of science fiction Sociology of cyber-bullying Sociology of videogame addiction Sociology of online business Sociology of women in business Sociology of food Sociology of body image and eating disorders Sociology of teen suicide Sociology of teen substance abuse (alcohol, smoking, drugs) 2. ASSIGNMENT: MEDIA PAPER (10% of your final grade)
Background Reading for this assignment:
Mass Media, Sociology of
YouTube Video for this assignment:
Propaganda and Manipulation video
Questions to be answered - you must submit this in written form:
(i) What is the main argument in this video?
(ii) Do you agree with this argument? Why? Or why not?
(iii) What are your criticisms of this video? What are its limitations? Think sociologically i.e. ethnicity, class, gender, age, location, educational level, marital status, religiosity, sexual orientation (some of these variables may not apply).
(iv) How can you as an individual avoid being manipulated by the mass media?
(v) How can society be protected against manipulation by vested interests using the mass media?
3. TEST (10% of your final grade)
4. ASSIGNMENT: CHALLENGE PAPER (15% of your final grade)
Choose one of the following scholarly journal articles for your Challenge Paper assignment. Read it carefully and then write a 2-page critical analysis of it.

(i) K.L. Phua and S. Barraclough "Towards a Green Public Health" Environmental Health, Vol. 9(1&2):80-85 2009 (ii) K.L. Phua and S. Saraswati "Lynas Corporation's Rare Earth Extraction Plant in Gebeng, Malaysia:
A Case Report on the Ongoing Saga of People Power versus State-Backed Corporate Power"
Journal of Environmental Engineering and Ecological Science, Vol. 1:1-5 2012 (iii) K.L. Phua and S. Barraclough "Countering Opposition, Generating Doubt and Mobilizing Support in Rare Earth Metals-Related Environmental Conflict in Malaysia" J of Political Ecology, Vol. 23:296-307 2016 (iv) K.L. Phua "Rare Earth Plant in Malaysia: Governance, Green Politics and Geopolitics" Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 5(3):443-462 2016 (v) K.L. Phua, J.C. Chong, R. Elangovan, Y.X. Liew, H.M. Ng, Y.W. Seow "Public and Private Hospitals in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia: How Do They Fare in Terms of Accessibility for the Physically Disabled?" Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, Vol. 19(1): 43-50 2014 (vi) K.L. Phua The Health of Malaysia's "Orang Asli" Peoples: A Review of the Scientific Evidence on Nutritional Outcome, Parasite Infestations, and Discussion on Implications for Clinical Practice" Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, Vol. 15(1): 83-90 2015 5. RESEARCH PRESENTATION (15% of your final grade) This is a group assignment. Your group will carry out a small research project (after careful discussion with Dr Phua) and present the results in class using IMRAD format. 6. FINAL EXAMINATION (40% of your final grade)

7. ADDITIONAL EDUCATION MATERIAL Video on the experience of Baotou, China with the environmental devastation and harm to public health caused by rare earth metals production Lecture 1 Sociology Lecture 2 Sociology Lecture 3 Sociology Lecture 4 Sociology Lecture 5 Sociology Lecture 6 Sociology Lecture 7 Sociology Lecture 8 Sociology Lecture 9 Sociology Lecture 10 Sociology Lecture 11 Sociology Lecture 12 Sociology Lecture 13 Sociology Lecture 14 Sociology Lecture 15 Sociology Lecture 16 Sociology Lecture 17 Sociology Lecture 18 Sociology Lecture 19 Sociology Lecture 20 Sociology Lecture on Aging, Sociology Lecture on Economy and Work, Sociology How to Evaluate a Paper (use this to do your Challenge Paper) Lecture on Family, Sociology How to Do Survey Research Lecture on Politics and Government, Sociology Lecture on Religion, Sociology Lecture on Education, Sociology Lecture on Medicine (Medical Sociology), Sociology Lecture on Population, Sociology Lecture on Collective Movements, Sociology Lecture on Social Change, Sociology Final Exam Revision 1, Sociology Final Exam Revision 2, Sociology Final Exam Revision 3, Sociology Summary of the documentary Freedom Riders

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