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Sociology of Religion

Calendar Course Description Religion as a social phenomenon: theories of religious behaviour; religious authority and leadership; the individual's religion and the interplay with other spheres of social life; the role of religion in relation to social change and social integration.

Prerequisite SOC 100 or consent of instructor.

Course Objectives We will examine several cultural products and activities (e.g., film, TV, and video games) to analyze religion and spirituality in popular culture. This course is not a survey of world religions. Rather, we will focus on depictions of cults, sects, new religious movements, and non-religion in popular culture.

Format My teaching style is laid back and interactive. I don’t know everything, so I will likely get as much out of the course as you will, which is why I encourage lots of discussion-based, and in-class learning activities. Given the nature of the course’s focus, expect to watch a lot of videos.

M/W 1:30-4:20 in BUS 1 6

Instructor Jonathan SimmonsOffice: TBA on eClassOffice Hours are by appointment. If you need to contact me, I much prefer e-mail: jssimmon@ualberta.ca.

Course Texts and eClass Forbes, B. D., & Mahan, J. H. (2017). Religion and popular culture in America. Univ of California Press (latest edition).

Kabat-Zinn, J. (2009). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. Hachette UK (any edition).

*** I expect you to regularly check eClass for course content. I will post links to websites (that may include, for instance, videos, music, art, blogs), electronic readings, and other materials.

Email Policy I strive to respond to e-mails within 24 hours during the week. E-mails sent after 5 p.m. will be answered the following business day. When you e-mail me, please include “SOC 376” in the subject line.

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Final Paper (35%) Based on your paper topic, you will write an 8-page analysis of some aspect of religion and popular culture. You will submit the final assignment in class or as an e-mail attachment (put the class number in the subject line). If you email your assignment, and you do not get a response within 24 hours, you can assume that I did not receive your submission. Late submissions will have10% deducted per day beyond the due date and I will not accept assignments more than one week late. In such instances, I will give you a grade of zero.

Expectations for Written Assignments1. Format your assignments so that they are

double-spaced using a maximum font equivalent to 12 Times New Roman.

2. I prefer electronic submissions, e.g., through eClass (or e-mail).

3. Submit assignments by 11:55 p.m. the day they are due.

4. You are expected to proofread assignments for spelling and grammar carefully.

5. My biggest pet peeve: passive voice. To avoid passive voice, you must be direct and precise in your verb choices. Figure it out.

6. You must obtain permission to submit assignments after the due date BEFORE the assignment is due, not after the fact.

7. I will provide you with a style-and-grammar check-sheet for you to use while editing your final paper. I will not mark your paper unless you’ve completed the check-sheet.

Belief-O-Matic Quiz (15%) Go to www.beliefnet.com, move yourmouse to the tab marked “Faiths &Prayer,” and then choose “Belief-O-Matic” from the drop-down menu. Complete the quiz. Write no more than a 500-word personal reflection about your results.

Midterm Exam (25%) Bring a pencil, eraser, and your ONEcard to the exam. The exam will consist of any combination of multiple-choice, true/false, and short answers questions on any readings or lecture materials including videos. Each exam will feature one or more bonus ques-tions that may or may not relate to course content. I will post sample exam questions on eClass.

Religious Autobiography (15%) Please address some of the ways that religion and/or spirituality (or its ab-sence) have shaped your life and your understanding of the world.

Paper Topic and Bibliography (15%) You will propose a paper topic ad-dressing some aspect of religion and popular culture. You can choose to analyze a movie, TV show, magazine, website, youtube video(s) or other pop culture phenomenon. Provide a one-page description of your project, and generate a list of six bibliographic cita-tions representing your research area.

Due Dates Belief-O-Matic (10%): July 12

Autobiography (15%): July 19

Midterm Exam (25%): July 24

Paper Topic (15%): August 2

Final Paper (35%): August 14

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Lecture Schedule & Assigned Readings Class lectures do not follow the text exactly and may change in response to the needs and pace of the course. Changes will be announced in class and on eClass throughout the term. It is the student’s responsibility to make themselves aware of these changes

Topic Date What to Read What’s Due

Week 1 Introduction to the course

Jul 10/12 Forbes: Introduction Forbes: (1) The Origin(s) of Superman Kabat-Zinn: Introduction

Belief-O-Matic (Jul 12)

Week 2 Religion in Popular Culture

Jul 17/19 Forbes: (2) The Oriental Monk in American Popular Culture Forbes: (3) Adventure Time and Sacred History Kabat-Zinn: (1) What is Mindfulness?

Autobiography (Jul 19)

Week 3 Popular Culture in Religion

Jul 24/26 Forbes: (10) Meditation on the Go Kabat-Zinn: (2) Simple but Not Easy Kabat-Zinn: (3) Stopping

Midterm (Jul 24)

Week 4 Popular Culture as Religion

Jul 31/Aug 2 Forbes: (11) Star Trek Fandom Forbes: (15) Celebrity Worship Kabat-Zinn: (4) This is It

Paper Topic (Aug 2)

Week 5 Religion and Popular Culture in Dialogue

Aug 9 Forbes: (16) Yoga in Popular Culture Forbes: (18) Can Watching a Movie Be a Spiritual Experience? Kabat-Zinn: (5) Capturing Your Moments

Week 6 In Dialogue Part 2

Aug 14/16 Forbes: (19) Rap Music and its Message Forbes: (20) Broadswords and Face Paint Kabat-Zinn: (6) Keeping the Breath in Mind

Final Paper (Aug 14)

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Is attendance mandatory? Attendance is mandatory. Although I don't take attendance, your attendance will directly affect your grade.

Can I get extra credit? I do not give extra credit because it’s unfair to students who were able to perform well consistently throughout the term. Some students do better than other students on exams and assignments for a reason. To respect all of my students, I honor those reasons. Anything else is unfair to those who did their best at the start.

Can I change my grade? I do not normally change grades unless I made an addition error. Before approaching me about changing your grade, drop me an e-mail with answers to the following questions: How many absences and tardies do you have? What does the syllabus state about attendance and how may that affect your grade? Have you turned in all of your assignments? What grades did you receive on your midterm(s)/assignments? In what ways does your performance not align with my expectations?

Can I speak to you about my exam(s)? I do not meet with students about their mark until 48 hours have passed since the exam. If, after that period, you still wish to meet with me, come prepared with reasons for why you think the exam is worth discussing.

How should I behave in class? Don't sleep in class, talk while I am lecturing, or work on other assignments during class.

How can improve my writing? I encourage you to use Grammarly for all class assignments. Grammarly is, however, not a grammar repair program. Rather, it’s a service where you can upload your document and have the service scan it for potential problems. Use it wisely.

Course Policies

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Policy about course outlines can be found in Course Requirements, Evaluation Procedures and Grading of the University Calendar

Academic integrityThe University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behavior (online at www.governance.ualberta.ca) and avoid any behavior which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offense. Academic dishonesty is a serious offense and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.

For further information about Academic Integrity and to access the Academic Integrity Handbook for students, visit the Student Conduct and Accountability website at http://www.osja.ualberta.ca/en/Students.aspx

Recording of lecturesAudio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).

Exam AttendanceNeither absence from class nor travel plans will be accepted as legitimate reasons for failure to attend an exam. An unexcused absence will result in a grade of zero for that exam. Should a student miss an exam, he or she must contact the instructor via email within two working days of the originally scheduled exam or term work (or as soon as the student is able to concerning the circumstance) to apply for an excused absence. Students with an excused absence from a term exam must write the exam rather than shift the weight of that exam to other course requirements.

Absence from Term WorkStudents are required to contact the instructor within two working days following the missed exam or term work (or as soon as the student is able, with regard to the circumstances) to apply for an excused absence.Excused absences are not automatic and are at the discretion of the instructor.