What is this class about?

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the field of sociology, including basic sociological concepts, theories, and methods.  Sociology is the study of human organization in such diverse forms as friendships, communities, institutions, and societies.  Sociologists study specialized forms of social organization such as family, race, labor, immigration, sport, gender, and political participation.  This course will expose students to a range of topics that inform the sociological perspective. Students will emerge with a deeper understanding of the relationship between their private experiences and the social world around them, from small group interaction to global issues of inequality and power.

After successfully completing this course you will be able to:

1.     Articulate ways that social institutions, such as work, family, education, and the economy shape your behavior and the behavior of people around you.   

2.     Use sociological concepts and terms to describe everyday life.

3.     Interpret social events and everyday life from three different theoretical traditions.

4.     Differentiate scientific research methods used by sociologists from non-scientific reports of findings. 

5.     Evaluate, interpret and graphically present sociological data.