Search

In the following paper we argue that the conventional "Introduction to Sociology" survey course should be restructured because such courses try to survey an unsurveyable body of knowledge and they do not teach the application of sociological research. The conventional intro course should be replaced with an intro course that surveys the types of social dynamics that sociologists typically research and the methods they use to do so. We propose a semester-long intro course with four case study learning-units that are chosen for their coverage of the underlying sociological dynamics, methods, and core concepts. We contend that case study learning-units which concentrate on topical issues and core sociological concepts are better suited for an introduction course.

The article discusses the social construction of sociology. Some examples are presented regarding what the author means when he says that sociology is socially constructed and also examples from case studies in the field of medical research and in evolutionary biology. The disciplinary paradigm in sociology is closer to an ideology than to a set of commonly held theories, methods, and exemplars. It is a type of victimology in which poor people are seen as the victims of capitalism and the capitalist class.

This article provides a case study of successful departmental revitalization at the University of San Francisco. We examine the current crisis in the field of sociology and others' recommendations for addressing it. Reforms are outlined that transformed USF Sociology from a nearly extinct program to a model department on campus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is prepared for the Columbia University Seminar on "Content and Method in The Social Sciences." The article provides various case studies where researchers has given their views during their works. The following case provides information on the observation by research team during the process of an interview. One of the questions on the interview schedule asked for five reasons why parents had put their child in an institution. Another tough one was the item about how the child's disability affected the family relationships. He probably thought of these instances as exceptions an unfortunate lapse in ethical behavior or a failure of research directors to maintain proper controls. When a researcher hires others to do the collecting and processing tasks of his research plan, it has been often assumed that these assistants fit the dedicated scientist ideal and will lend their efforts to the successful conduct of the over all study by carrying their assigned tasks to the best of their ability.