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Although students rely on social solidarity in their everyday lives, they generally fail to acknowledge its existence. An active learning class exercise, conducted within approximately 35 minutes, introduces sociology students to Emile Durkheim's concept of solidarity and the distinction between its mechanical and organic forms. Some groups of students perform the task of creating and flying paper airplanes under the pretense of organic solidarity, and other groups perform the same task under the pretense of mechanical solidarity. Through reflection on their experiences and discussion with members of other groups, students begin to identify nuances of each type of solidarity. An evaluation of this exercise indicates that those who participate in it can describe the distinction between mechanical and organic solidarity and their respective associations with gemeinschaft and gesellschaft better than those exposed to a traditional lesson on the topic can.

With respect to the often-present covariance between error terms of correlated variables, D. W. Zimmerman and R. H. Williams's (1977) adjusted correction for attenuation estimates the strength of the pairwise correlation between true scores without assuming independence of error scores. This article focuses on the derivation and analysis of formulas that perform the same function for partial and part correlation coefficients. Values produced by these formulas lie closer to the actual true-score coefficient than do the observed-score coefficients or those obtained by using C. Spearman's (1904) correction for attenuation. The new versions of the formulas thus allow analysts to use hypothetical values for error-score correlations to estimate values for the partial and part correlations between true scores while disregarding the independence-of-errors assumption.

Describes an experiential learning activity using a kindergarten crayon inequality concept. Illustrates applying this concept to teaching about social inequality. Recommends a reading assignment be included with the crayon exercise. Concludes active learning motivates student learning and offers instructors another option beyond the formal lecture. (KDR)

Although students rely on social solidarity in their everyday lives, they generally fail to acknowledge its existence. An active learning class exercise, conducted within approximately 35 minutes, introduces sociology students to Emile Durkheim's concept of solidarity and the distinction between its mechanical and organic forms. Some groups of students perform the task of creating and flying paper airplanes under the pretense of organic solidarity, and other groups perform the same task under the pretense of mechanical solidarity. Through reflection on their experiences and discussion with members of other groups, students begin to identify nuances of each type of solidarity. An evaluation of this exercise indicates that those who participate in it can describe the distinction between mechanical and organic solidarity and their respective associations with gemeinschaft and gesellschaft better than those exposed to a traditional lesson on the topic can. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of social structure and interaction presents social science professors with a notable teaching opportunity. The active learning technique described in this article requires students to briefly analyze the statuses and roles of individuals with whom they are familiar. They then role play assigned characters as they would interact at a party. Through this activity, students learn to identify behaviors and characteristics that are appropriate for their relevant statuses. Statistical analyses, comparing students who took part in this activity to those exposed to a traditional lesson on the topic, indicated that the active learning exercise presented course information effectively and in an entertaining fashion. (Contains 1 note.)

Abstract The sensation of cognitive dissonance can produce much anxiety for college students. Interestingly, although most college-aged individuals have experienced cognitive dissonance, they often have difficulty recognizing and attending to [...]

This article explores the construction, implementation, and enforcement of behavioral codes in Major League Baseball's ballparks. A qualitative and quantitative examination of this issue suggests that such codes do not exist to maintain safety and legality, but to create an ideal type. We investigate the dichotomy between evidence suggesting that today's ballparks are safer and more fan- friendly now than ever before and the expectations of well-mannered spectators in this most popular arena. We contend that ballpark regulations are part of a broader effort on the part of elites to reign in a supposedly wayward populace, imposing high-culture rules of decorum and redefining the boundaries of personal autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]