Series: Introduction to Sociology
Over the 2023-2024 academic year, we’ll be publishing a series on teaching Introduction to Sociology as a form of public sociology. Intro to Sociology is often the first contact students have with the discipline of sociology, but Intro students are also “first publics” for instructors who want to teach public sociology engagement and reflection.
In this series, we ask contributors to think of their own experiences in Intro to Sociology courses as teachers and students and invite them to reflect on how public sociology can be imagined and fostered in this early stage of sociological study. We invite Class Notes and Reflections on teaching Intro as public sociology, following our submissions guidelines here.
Intro textbooks typically devote little attention to environmental sociology. Check out this The Society Pages post from 2019 on helping students think sociologically about climate change. Link to a module you can use in your Intro class included!
Old School Intro in a 21st Century World
I have to be honest. When I first got the invitation to write an essay for First Publics, I wasn’t … Read More
Intro to Sociology Dialogues Series – A Review
During the Fall of 2023, First Publics published a series of interviews with four authors of Intro to Sociology textbooks: … Read More
Intro to Sociology courses often serve as the “public” face of the field, but how do they contribute to students’ “mental image” of sociology? Miskolczi (2023) conducted a qualitative longitudinal study of students’ mind mapping the central concept of sociology in Hungary discovering recurring vagueness in their conceptualization of the field.
From Incarceration to Hope: Teaching in Youth Jail Facilities
In my almost twenty years of working with system-impacted individuals my goals have always been two-fold: 1. Advocate for those … Read More
Pop Culture Fridays
My first semester of teaching Introductory Sociology was to a class of 120 students, and I had just completed my … Read More
Teaching in the Era of Social Media and Soundbite News
I started my teaching career as an Assistant Professor in August 2020. Three out of the five sociology courses I … Read More
Intro Textbooks as Public Sociology: A Conversation with Kathleen Korgen
Intro to Sociology classes are frequently the first and only contact many students will have with sociology, which also makes … Read More
If teaching an introductory sociology class feels a little big with many directions to go, take a second to review this thorough course guide from Gwen Sharp to help you get started!
The question “what’s weird about where you’re from?” can open students’ sociological imaginations and introduce them to “social facts” using public data. This exercise from Evan Stewart (2020) helps students connect their lives to social/historical context and think about research methods.
Over the 2023-2024 academic year, we’ll be publishing a series on teaching Introduction to Sociology as a form of public sociology. Intro to Sociology is often the first contact students have with the discipline of sociology, but Intro students are also “first publics” for instructors who want to teach public sociology engagement and reflection.
In this series, we ask contributors to think of their own experiences in Intro to Sociology courses as teachers and students and invite them to reflect on how public sociology can be imagined and fostered in this early stage of sociological study. We invite Class Notes and Reflections on teaching Intro as public sociology, following our submissions guidelines here.
Intro textbooks typically devote little attention to environmental sociology. Check out this The Society Pages post from 2019 on helping students think sociologically about climate change. Link to a module you can use in your Intro class included!
Old School Intro in a 21st Century World
I have to be honest. When I first got the invitation to write an essay for First Publics, I wasn’t … Read More
Intro to Sociology Dialogues Series – A Review
During the Fall of 2023, First Publics published a series of interviews with four authors of Intro to Sociology textbooks: … Read More
Intro to Sociology courses often serve as the “public” face of the field, but how do they contribute to students’ “mental image” of sociology? Miskolczi (2023) conducted a qualitative longitudinal study of students’ mind mapping the central concept of sociology in Hungary discovering recurring vagueness in their conceptualization of the field.
From Incarceration to Hope: Teaching in Youth Jail Facilities
In my almost twenty years of working with system-impacted individuals my goals have always been two-fold: 1. Advocate for those … Read More
Pop Culture Fridays
My first semester of teaching Introductory Sociology was to a class of 120 students, and I had just completed my … Read More
Teaching in the Era of Social Media and Soundbite News
I started my teaching career as an Assistant Professor in August 2020. Three out of the five sociology courses I … Read More
Intro Textbooks as Public Sociology: A Conversation with Kathleen Korgen
Intro to Sociology classes are frequently the first and only contact many students will have with sociology, which also makes … Read More
If teaching an introductory sociology class feels a little big with many directions to go, take a second to review this thorough course guide from Gwen Sharp to help you get started!
The question “what’s weird about where you’re from?” can open students’ sociological imaginations and introduce them to “social facts” using public data. This exercise from Evan Stewart (2020) helps students connect their lives to social/historical context and think about research methods.