Teaching Sociology

This article describes and assesses two learning modules designed to make students aware of gender and racial inequalities present in their own intended careers. Students identify their intended occupation in respect to the Standard Occupational Classification system and then use that code to determine the composition and earnings in that occupation with data provided. Analysis of student papers shows that this assignment contributes not only to the awareness of inequalities, but also to the development of quantitative literacy skills. Panel survey methods reveal substantial changes in students’ beliefs about the extent of gender and racial inequality. Conclusions consider directions for the development of additional strategies to advance students’ understandings of inequalities in adulthood and later life.

Sociologists have developed a wide range of pedagogical strategies to facilitate student learning about racial/ethnic, class, and gender inequalities. Despite the growing subdiscipline of the sociology of the body and evidence pointing to the prevalence of inequalities based on physical attractiveness, the pedagogical literature has yet to develop strategies for teaching students about biases based on physical attractiveness. In this article, the authors report on a pedagogical module that involves student evaluations of photographs (depicting individuals ranging in levels of physical attractiveness) using semantic differential scales, and discuss the results of this evaluation. The authors test for student learning outcomes through (1) a one-group pretest-posttest design and (2) an assessment survey with both qualitative and quantitative components. Because this photograph evaluation typically illustrates students’ beauty biases, a discussion of these results, paired with relevant readings, provides a powerful tool for the exchange of ideas about physical attractiveness biases.

An informal research project with high local relevance was developed for a first-year sociology course at an Australian rural university campus. The project developed students’ sociological insight by challenging them to investigate “truths” about their own region, rather than immediately pushing them to comprehend new and different societyscapes. Classroom sessions elicited debate over the adequacy of social theories about rural and urban life, centering on the question, “How do you know?” This morphed into debate about “How can you find out, sociologically?” With interest piqued, many students volunteered to participate in investigating the proportion of empty shops in their own or nearby towns, as one measure of rural well-being. Classroom analysis and reflection on the results—what they meant and limits in how well this measured rural districts and rural town existence—greatly enhanced the introductory sociology learning experience for the core group and, to a lesser extent, the “audience” members of class.

This article introduces a sociology role-playing game (RPG) used to demonstrate the broad range of social forces, institutions, and structures in a semester-long series of in-class and homework assignments. RPGs and other simulation games have been frequently suggested as a useful teaching methodology because of their unique ability to allow students to observe and analyze society from a new perspective; however, most games are limited in scope. We present a game that is based on a clearly articulated theoretical foundation, reflects contemporary American demographics, and recreates the full breadth of social structures and relationships. The result is a robust teaching tool that develops critical thinking skills, encourages the sociological imagination, and is applicable to a wide range of classes and topics. Informal student feedback and student evaluations indicate that students enjoy the game, that it aids students in understanding sociological concepts, and that it encourages social critique beyond the classroom.

The benefits of community-based research (CBR) in the sociology classroom go beyond those associated with traditional service learning. Here, students use their sociological skills to examine and propose solutions to local social problems addressed by community organizations. Through analyzing students’ course reflection journals and the results of pre- and posttests, the authors demonstrate how CBR can help students gain a better command of the research process and enhance student attitudes toward community service. After participating in CBR, the authors find that students indicate greater proficiency in undertaking the entire research process, from creating and implementing a research plan to making data-derived client recommendations. In addition, by showing how CBR can be incorporated into a less obviously applicable course, such as Sociology of Sexualities, the authors hope to encourage its further expansion in sociology.

This article examines the opportunities and limitations presented by organizing an undergraduate field research methods class as a policy think tank working for a government client. Organized as such, the course had both the learning objectives of a traditional undergraduate methods class and the corporate objectives of a policy think tank (i.e., to produce a high-quality presentation and report for its client). This article finds that the learning and corporate objectives were largely aligned rather than conflicting, leading to anticipated and some unanticipated pedagogical benefits for learning sociological research methods, substantive sociological and policy areas, how to work effectively in goal-directed group work, and public policy generally. Finally, this article considers the pedagogical and ethical concerns with the course-based production of “policy-relevant” knowledge in the context of stark social divisions between student and research subject.

This article provides a model for incorporating a student-run campus awareness week into the course objectives of a sociology class. It reflects on four semesters in which students in a sociology course on eating disorders create social change by developing and implementing a campus-based awareness week. Although the article focuses specifically on a course about eating disorders, the method may be generalized to any course in which students have the potential to educate the college community with the knowledge they have learned over the course of a semester. This article describes the course and addresses the design of the project, including student responsibilities and expectations, the specific contributions of students, and previous week themes, and it offers an evaluation of the effectiveness of this assignment.

In this article, the authors argue that one approach to teaching Introduction to Social Problems is to structure the course content around taken-for-granted beliefs that many students have about the social world. In doing so, the authors discuss the social construction of social problems, how sociology differs from common sense, and the importance of critical sociological thinking. By way of example, the authors focus on the social problem of divorce.