The
Capstone Experience in Sociology
Charles
F. Emmons
Department
of Sociology and Anthropology;
SOC
400 is the capstone experience required of all majors in sociology. As stated in the course description,
this course’s primary goal is integration of the major. Although there is no standard formula
for achieving this goal, faculty teaching this course use a variety of activities and assignments all directed
toward this end. At the core of the
discipline are theory and methods.
All faculty require a major paper involving the
application of sociological theory and methods, usually allowing students broad
choice of substantive topic. Based on previous outside reviews of the department, the faculty
agreed to include a final exam within this course in lieu of a comprehensive
exam in the major. This is
typically a long essay test for which the capstone course itself is
preparation.
The
catalog description for SOC 400 (Sociology Seminar) is as
follows:
Intensive culminating experience for sociology
majors. Under the direction
of a faculty member, students work to integrate their major and their
understanding of the sociological perspective. Prerequisites: Sociology 302 and either
Sociology 306 or Anthropology 308.
The second 300-level course in theory and methods is strongly
recommended.
Some
specific activities designed to accomplish the disciplinary synthesis in SOC 400
are as follows.
There are comprehensive reviews of theory and methods, reading selected
by both faculty and students, homework assignments, and
class discussion. Sometimes
students must engage in original data-gathering for the term paper, e.g. doing
ethnographic interviews, content analysis, or participant observation. They may be required to devise an
applied sociology program related to their topic. Students regularly present their
research design and preliminary findings to the group prior to the completion of
the paper. Sometimes they do a
short presentation applying concepts and theories in the discipline to their own
lives (a “sociological autobiography”), and present applications of the
“sociological imagination” to events they have experienced in the previous
week. Papers written by students in
previous semesters are available as models for good work. Students are also encouraged to write
early drafts and to work with the professor on research in progress. Sometimes a representative from the
Center for Career Development meets with the class to discuss their plans to use
their major in careers or in further education.
Not
all of these pedagogical devices are used by all faculty teaching SOC 400. However, there are always activities in
the course designed to draw together the theory, methods, and issues of the
discipline at a high level. Students taking SOC 460 do an even more
demanding exercise in applying the theory and methods of the discipline to their
chosen topic.
In
addition, some students working for honors in sociology must also take SOC 460
(Research Course), for which the catalog description is as
follows:
Individual investigation of a research topic in
sociology in the student’s special area of interest under the guidance of a
faculty member. Topic must
be approved by department. Project
culminates in written and oral presentations of a formal paper to the
departmental faculty. Required for departmental honors. Students must submit a proposal to the
department a minimum of two weeks before the end of the semester preceding the
proposed study. Prerequisite: Consent of
department. Open to juniors and
seniors only.
In
recent years most students taking SOC 460 prepare for it by doing an extensive
review of the literature and research design in an independent study course (SOC
450) taken the semester prior to SOC 460.
Others develop a project from work done in a 300-level methods
course. The department is
considering reviewing the requirement that students taking SOC 460 must still
take SOC 400. The prospect of
taking three courses at the 400 level (400, 450, and 460) seems to be a
disincentive for many of the potential candidates for
honors.