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Introduction to Sociology SOC001 - Lehigh University

What is a “sociological imagination”? How are our everyday decisions, beliefs, and experiences both made possible and constrained by broader social forces? To answer these questions, this course introduces the basic concepts in the field of sociology, the variety of topics sociologists study, the research methods they use, and the kind of knowledge they produce.

Course Content

This course provides a basic conceptual toolkit that students can use for understanding and analyzing the social world. The toolkit includes concepts like social structure, culture, norms and roles, power, and social categories, and social networks. In learning these concepts, discussions will focus on a wide range of practical applications, from fashion to politics, from sexual identity to economic markets, from racial discrimination to globalization.

By the end of the semester, students will have gained a facility to think sociologically, an appreciation for how social forces shape both our individual and collective lives, and the ability to recognize and evaluate the methods sociologists use to collect and analyze data.

Course Format

Introduction to Sociology is a hybrid course that combines lectures and seminar discussions. Students attend two lectures per week and participate in small-group discussion in one recitation per week. In both lecture and recitation, the emphasis is on student participation, in-class exercises, demonstrations, and dialogue. As a result, regular attendance is particularly important in this class.

Course Homework

There is no textbook for the course! Required readings consist of short, timely articles alongside relevant blog posts, short films, podcasts and other engaging material. Students are given the opportunity to work with course concepts and demonstrate their grasp of material through three short papers (2-5 pages each). Some sample materials from the course:

Course Syllabus

The course is updated every semester to incorporate the best available material and feedback from students.

Course Teaching Staff

Introduction to Sociology is taught by Professor Ziad Munson along with four graduate teaching assistants, who lead the weekly recitation sessions. The average student rating of Dr. Munson's effectiveness in the course was 4.7 (Spring 2018) and 4.8 (Fall 2017) out of 5.

Interested in taking the course over six weeks during the summer? There's more information on that at bit.ly/soc1summer.

Created By
Ziad Munson
Appreciate

Credits:

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