HUMAN SEXUALITY
PSYCHOLOGY/SOCIOLOGY 125, M 2:00 - 4:50
Fall 2005
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Fred Rose
Office: W-15
Office Hours: M 1-2pm
Tu 830-930am
W 830-930am, 2-4pm
E-Mail: frose@palomar.edu
Phone: 760-744-1150 x2344
Required Text: Human Sexuality: Meeting Your Basic Needs
This course is fun and interesting (hey, it's about sex!) but more demanding than many students expect. Please read this syllabus carefully to be sure you know what youÕre in for!
Course Objectives: This course provides an overview of human sexuality across biological, psychological, and sociocultural processes. We will review recent scientific advances in genetics, endocrinology, linguistics, information processing, and social psychology as they relate to our understanding of human sexual behavior. In doing so, this course will focus on empirical research in the field so that data and facts can be critically analyzed. In this context, Òhow to?Ó questions are less important than Òhow come?Ó, Òwhat function?Ó, and Òwhy?Ó. It is my hope that the course will challenge your system of personal beliefs about sexuality, not to change them necessarily, but at the very least to broaden them and to assist you in examining how those beliefs came to be.
At the conclusion of this course, you will:
1. have a greater understanding of the role sexuality plays in your own life.
2. have a greater appreciation of the psychology and sociology of human sexuality.
3. have a greater understanding of the different manifestations of sexuality
Sex can be a sensitive topic and it is my expectation that beliefs and opinions that are expressed will be presented in a respectful and mature manner. I encourage you to remember that behaviors and beliefs are relative, and that what is acceptable to one may be an anathema to another. Please approach all discussions with this in mind. Furthermore, this course is designed to objectively cover a wide variety of topics independent of political or cultural mores. While I believe everyone could benefit from this course and a variety of different points of view make for interesting discussions, if you are extremely offended by frank discussions of sexuality and sexual behavior, perhaps you should consider a different course.
IMPORTANT: Completing each type of assignment: Exams, Quizzes, and Homework is essential to your learning the material. Thus, opting out of any one (for example, deciding not to do any homework assignments) will result in failure even if your performance on exams and quizzes might otherwise be in the passing grade range. Participation is mandatory!
As a reward, if you do not miss any homework assignments you will receive 10 extra credit points.
Exams (450 points): There will be 3 exams consisting of 75 questions each (worth 150 points). The questions will be taken from the text, lectures, class activities, and videos.
Exams will take place on the days listed in this syllabus. If you cannot be in class on the exam dates, you should take this course another semester. Make up exams will be given ONLY under extreme circumstances; I reserve the right to decide what counts as extreme. Written verification of these circumstances is required and is your responsibility.
12 quizzes (120 points): Each quiz is worth 10 points and will consist of 10 multiple choice questions from the chapter(s), my lectures, and any handouts/videos. Each quiz will be given during the first 15 minutes of and will cover material covered to that date. There will be no opportunity for makeup quizzes. Note: In order for you to take the quiz, you MUST present to me an outline of the chapters to be covered (typically 1-2 chapters per quiz). If you do not have an outline, you cannot take the quiz and you cannot make it up. NO EXCEPTIONS.
13 weekly assignments (130 points): Each week we will be studying one or two chapters and I have developed activities (worth up to 10 points each) designed to help you learn either something about yourself or others in relationship to the material. Your name must be typed on each assignment and must be double spaced in 12-point font (Times New Roman or other PLAIN font) and have 1-inch margins. Most of the work requires 1-2 pages of writing and may require some effort—please plan accordingly. You may be asked to rent and watch a video, read a particular magazine or go to a store! Plan ahead. This work is due at the beginning of the class following the date assigned. Late work will NOT be accepted. If you know you will be missing a class, you must make other arrangements to get the material in to me at the appropriate time.
So, there are a total of 700 points available, not including extra credit, and your course grade will be assigned according to the following criteria:
90% = 630-700 points = A
80% = 560-629 points = B
70% = 490-559 points = C
60% = 420-489 points = D
Below 420 points = F
Finally, please do not request special favors regarding your grades. It embarrasses me to have to refuse, and it wouldnÕt be fair to the other students. I realize that being only a few points away from a letter grade change seems arbitrary, and perhaps unnecessarily harsh. However, I donÕt make special, private deals with individual students. If I give even one point to one student to improve his or her grade, I must (logically and morally) give the same one point to all students. If I added a point, then the next group of students who are "one point away" would have a similar complaint and would need to be moved up in their grades. Thanks for your understanding.
Attendance: You are expected to be in class on time for each scheduled session. It is my experience that people tend to show up to class regularly in the beginning of the semester, taper off and show up again around exam times, and then again during finals. This style of attendance is not conducive to learning – you will miss out on the classÕs experiences and they miss out on yours. You can be sure that there will be questions on the exam that come only from lectures, so it is in your best interest to come to class. Besides, it makes discussions more interesting when there are a lot of people.
Disruptive Behavior: If you engage in behavior that disrupts the class or the other students you will be given one warning. The next time such behavior is repeated, you will be excused from the class.
Important Dates
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Last day to add without permission:
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08/28/2005
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Last day to add with permission:
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09/05/2005
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Last day to drop without grade:
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09/20/2005
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Last day to audit /CR/NC:
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09/21/2005
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Last day to drop with W:
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10/15/2005
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Course Topics: Topics will be covered approximately in the order listed below. I will make every attempt to cover them on the days listed, though it is my experience that some topics stimulate a great deal of discussion and others only stimulate a lot (get it? They all should stimulate some discussion). Therefore, I thank you for some flexibility so that we may accommodate class interest and improve the experience all around.
DATE TOPIC PREPARATION
M 8/22 Why study sex? Ch. 1
M 8/29 Sexual Responsibility and Ethics Ch. 20
Quiz 1 – Ch 1
M 9/12 Anatomy Ch. 2
Quiz 2 - Ch 20
M 9/19 Sexual Arousal and Response Ch. 3
Quiz 3 - Ch 2
M 9/26 Sexual Dysfunctions Ch. 4
Quiz 4 - Ch 3
M 10/3 Exam 1: Ch 1-4, 20
Sex/Gender Ch 10
M 10/10 Sexual Orientation Ch. 11
Quiz 5 – Ch. 10
M 10/17 Consensual Sexual Behavior Ch. 12
Quiz 6 - Ch 11
M 10/24 Contraception Ch. 6
Quiz 7 – Ch 12
M 10/31 Sexual Transmitted Infections Ch. 7
Quiz 8 – Ch 6
M 11/7 Exam 2: Ch. 10, 11, 12; 6, 7
Social Control of Sex Ch. 8
M 11/14 Video: Social Control of Sex
Quiz 9 - Ch 8
M 11/21 Spirituality & Politics Chs. 17, 18
Quiz 10 – Ch 8
M 11/28 Sexual Coercion Ch. 13
Quiz 11 – Ch 17, 18
M 12/5 Business of Sex Ch. 14
Quiz 12 – Ch 13
M 12/12 Exam 3: Chs. 17, 18, 8, 13, 14
2:00-3:50pm