Search

Analyzes problems encountered when integrating gender materials and sex role perspectives into sociology courses. Argues for the value of mainstreaming gender material if it is done to strengthen sociology courses rather than to give token attention to feminist concerns. (Author/BSR)

This essay explores how the sociology curriculum might be altered if women of color were at the center of sociological teaching. Includes practical suggestions for achieving this goal and a list of questions faculty members can ask about their existing courses. (BSR)

Discusses the value of a capstone course in applied sociology as the culmination of the undergraduate sociology curriculum. Points out advantages of joint faculty-student projects for the course and presents the relative merits of two different formats: solo versus team projects. (Author/GEA)

Examines several issues that arise in designing and teaching courses on the sociology of complex organizations. Describes strategies which may be used to overcome typical course design constraints and poses several key questions for individuals involved in teaching such courses. (Author/GEA)

Briefly reviews six textbooks for teaching about complex organizations: ORGANIZATIONS: STRUCTURES, PROCESSES, AND OUTCOMES (Hall, 1987); ORGANIZATIONS: RATIONAL, NATURAL, AND OPEN SYSTEMS (Scott, 1987); ORGANIZATIONS IN SOCIETY (Etzioni, 1985); ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR (Hellriegel et al, 1986); ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR: EXPERIENCES AND CASES (Hai, 1986); and ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY AND DESIGN (Daft, 1986). (GEA)

Discusses the author's experiences in designing and implementing a self-paced introductory sociology course. Describes development of an interactive testing program and details of course design. Concludes, that in this instance, self-pacing proved to be undesirable because of students' inability to monitor themselves and a continuing decline in sociology enrollment. (GEA)

Discusses the Internship in New York City Government program initiated by City University of New York (Lehman College) to provide sociology majors with insight into the workings of a profession. Emphasizes that such programs are necessary because a large number of sociology majors choose business and professional careers over academic ones. (GEA)

Stresses the importance of courses dealing with complex organizations and highlights the need to balance academic knowledge with actual student experience in organizations. Reviews teaching strategies and presents factors that make it possible to offer complex organizations courses that include significant organizational experience. (GEA)

Describes a case-study technique for teaching industrial sociology that stresses the evolution of the division of labor, or how people have come to perform different jobs. Discusses methods of examination and testing and reviews the implications and limitations of the course. (GEA)

Discusses the need to market applied sociology to overcome three problems which impede wider acceptance: the image of sociology, its professional socialization, and its theoretical and methodological breadth. Finds that more effective marketing might occur if applied sociologists considered others' views by taking the role of the other. (GEA)

A long-term experience with the complex organizations sociology course is recounted. Problems, challenges, and rewards are discussed. The course's organization and approach are described, including emphases, topics, reading materials, examinations, term projects, "capstone" articles, analysis of cases, and special topics. (Author/GEA)

Describes a seminar for sociologists designed to improve their writing skills. Explains that peer critiquing by seminar members led to healthy constructive criticism and provided a forum where writing was no longer an isolated experience. (BSR)

Lists five components essential to quality teaching: (1) fairness, (2) application, (3) challenge, (4) entertainment, and (5) service. States that these components should be incorporated into such phases of teaching as class preparation, office hours, informal involvement, advising, writing tests, and curricular planning. (BSR)

Argues that the development of a successful program in a small sociology department reflects a joint accommodation of the institution's mission, the student constituency, resources, and the program philosophy of its faculty. (BSR)

Describes a method for teaching introductory sociology adapted from Goldsmid and Wilson. The method is based on the student's mastery of the subject matter through increased participation. Also discusses variations of the method and results. (BSR)

Discusses problems inherent in teaching sensitive subjects such as rape, disasters, and nuclear war; and presents ideas about preparing classes on these subjects. Comments and data are drawn from experience in teaching family violence classes, students comments, journals, and conversations with colleagues. (BSR)

Argues that most sociology doctoral programs lack a formal course about the profession. Although most graduates are well schooled in sociological theory, many are relatively unprepared for survival in their chosen profession. Suggests that a course on the sociology profession should be included, and discusses topics, resources, and projects to help meet the student's practical needs. (BSR)

Describes a set of exercises for students of college courses on courtship, marriage, and the family. The exercises simulate the life of a relationship from dating to marriage and family life. Presents issues related to application of the simulation in the classroom and analyzes student response to its use. (Author/AEM)

Describes a student project that requires students to administer a questionnaire on sexual attitudes to family members and age-peers. Since students predict responses before administering the questionnaires, the results can illustrate the differences between actual and perceived generation gaps and other aspects of sexual socialization and value transmission. (Author/AEM)

Shows how an introductory social science statistics course can improve the treatment of regression assumptions, the problem of outliers, and the important idea that some outliers have greater influence than others through the use of Anscombe's now classic 1973 example and Cook's (1977; 1979) extension of the idea of influence. (JDH)

States that the teaching of logit regression analysis is much neglected in statistics courses within sociology. Claims that logit regression allows the researcher to evaluate the impact of a set of predictor variables on a dichotomous dependent variable without the problems associated with discriminant analysis, weighted least squares regression, or ordinary least squares regression. (JDH)

Defines a nonsimulation game as a game dealing with a mathematical or scientific topic which is superior to the typical simulation in that it provides an optimal mix of competition and cooperation. Describes two variations of Allen's 1969 Equations nonsimulation game, which may be used to teach various statistical concepts. (JDH)

Notes the drawbacks of the artificial separation of content and method in most undergraduate, sociology department, course offerings. Reports on the development and operation of a local research center as a means of melding content and method. (JDH)

States that regardless of the content or level of a statistics course, five goals to reach are: (1) overcoming fears, resistances, and tendencies to memorize; (2) the importance of intellectual honesty and integrity; (3) understanding relationship between deductive and inductive inferences; (4) learning to play role of reasonable critic; and (5) learning to handle complexities in a systematic fashion. (JDH)

The importance of and ways in which the perspective of women of color can be integrated into the teaching of gender-related topics in sociology are discussed. The three major teaching methods identified are a comparison approach, a special treatment approach, and a mainstreaming approach. Institutional settings are also discussed. (RM)

The resistance of recent high school graduates enrolled in residential colleges to feminist analysis in terms of the students' life experiences is explained. Rather than dismissing students' perceptions as naive, it is important to apply a feminist methodology to their experiences. Some suggestions are made. (Author/RM)

Teaching men about gender in general and masculinity in particular is most effective when a feminist perspective is used to develop tactics of engagement. An argument is made for requiring students to understand the role homophobia plays in maintaining masculine stereotypes and the interdependency of female and male roles. (Author/RM)

The impact of sex and gender in the teaching of sociology is discussed, and four stages in the development of sex and gender courses within the sociology curriculum are delineated. Currently sex and gender sociology courses emphasize the diversity of human experience. Pedagogical challenges are examined. (Author/RM)

Describes how a survey of the history of sex, love, and marriage in Western cultures is used in an undergraduate course on the sociology of emotions. Identifies several periods of history particularly suited to this use and describes assignments and course requirements. (AEM)

Describes a teaching technique which provides variety for Human Sexuality classes by incorporating in class discussion community experts and guests who deal with various social and psychological aspects of human sexuality on a daily basis. Contains discussions presented by these experts and indicates that this technique provides students with information about views, policies, and procedures used in the community. (Author/AEM)

Reviews eight current human sexuality textbooks for both their general organization and substantive content. Addresses specifically the content areas of sexual response cycle; sexual disfunction; acquaintance rape; AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases; extramarital sex; abortion; homosexuality; and pornography. Identifies as a recurring fault the lack of necessary historical and cross-cultural material. (Author/AEM)

Advocates the study of the emergence and growth of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) as a social problem in a course on human sexuality. Stresses the importance of AIDS education, telling why sociology courses are particularly suited to instruction concerning AIDS and discussing the incomplete student knowledge of AIDS. (Author/AEM)

Briefly clarifies two important issues in the teaching of sociology of human sexuality: what a sociological approach to human sexuality entails, and how to help students link course material with the world around them. (Author/AEM)

Describes a technique for the first class session of a course in Race and Nationality that uses a staged confrontation between a White professor and a Black student over a racial joke. Shows how the technique, in combination with student field research projects, provides an important link between common student experiences and abstract issues in race relations. (Author/AEM)

In "Textbook Publishers and Academics" and "Some Observations on Sociology", Sheryl Fullerton and Franklin C. Graham discuss the history of sociology textbooks; the viewpoints of professors and publishers; and the goals of textbook publication. States that with changes in the sociology curriculum, textbook change will follow. (GEA)

The articles on textbook publication written by Sheryl Fullerton and Franklin C. Graham were responded to by: John Hewitt, Henry Tischler, George Ritzer, Paul Baker, Erich Goode, D. Stanley Eitzen, Jon Shepard, Richard Schaefer, Caroline Persell, Beth Hess, Paul Zopf, Jr., Jeanne Ballantine, Duane Monette, Mary Ann Lamanna, John Macionis, and Kenneth Kammeyer. (GEA)

Reports results of a national survey on undergraduate intern programs in sociology, discusses criteria used for and problems found with internships, and recommends strengthening the programs by formally integrating them into the curriculum. (Author/CK)

Suggests that selective recruitment for sociology courses is a necessity if educational objectives are to be met. Just as in organizations, effective recruitment of students for courses requires clear, advance communication of a course's goals and procedures and appropriate mechanisms for withdrawal and reallocation. (Author/KC)

Reviews work of philosophers, educators and sociologists who have examined critical thinking as central to the learning process. Suggests three strategies to improve the sociology teacher's capacity to assess critical thinking: a survey of existing instruments, development of analytic tools to assess existing test items, and teacher-developed evaluation materials. (Author/KC)

Suggests priorities for research involved in student interactive modes of learning such as computer explorations, games and simulations, and practicum experiences. Priorities are evaluation, costs, and the degree to which students are able to transcend the immediate experience. (KC)

Presents an interview with Dr. Richard A. Schermerhorn in which he discusses his teaching experiences from 1932-72 and his views on teaching college sociology. Schermerhorn also describes the interrelated changes in society, academia, and sociology and his innovative teaching methods. (AM)

Argues that current public disinterest in sociology is due to the unscientific way the subject is presented in introductory college courses. After comparing course content in introductory science and sociology courses, the authors conclude that only introductory demography courses would meet the criteria for a scientific approach to sociological concepts. (AM)

To provoke thought among those teaching sociology, an undergraduate class is portrayed as a drama consisting of three parts: the classroom lecture, the discussion session led by a teaching fellow, and the office encounter between professor and student. Both the words and thoughts of the protagonists are presented. (Author/AM)

The communications media are an indispensable part of the teaching of sociology. They create an opportunity for triangulation because they represent a third data set in the classroom to accompany the scholarly literature and the students' personal experiences. Media reports can also encourage students to become active participants. (Author/RM)

Traditional and experiential learning are fundamentally different, and this difference has important consequences for the discipline of sociology as it is taught and practiced. Two models for curriculum integration are presented, and the consequences of each are discussed. (Author/RM)

Mauksch has been a central figure during the past decade in the social movement to improve the teaching of sociology. This interview explores the details of his interest and activities in the teaching movement and examines the intellectual commitments and organizational experiences that have led to his promotion of teaching sociology. (Author)

Conflict theory as it appears in college-level sociology texts represents bad sociology and bad pedagogy. A direct confrontation with Marx and Marxism that would allow students to confront issues that are excluded from debate by the conflict theory concept would constitute better sociology and better pedagogy. (Author/RM)

Maximum security prisons typify an extreme example of an unconventional setting that subverts yet stimulates creative teaching strategies. By conceiving of teaching as a form of social praxis, it becomes possible to transform ostensible problems and conflict into pedagogical and practical advantages. Examples are provided. (Author/RM)

Outlined is a body of knowledge, the core of sociology, that belongs in the introductory sociology course. How the course is taught is also important. Class sections should be small; students should be required to write a great deal; and an informal, but structured setting should stimulate student- teacher interaction. (Author/RM)