First Day Sociology: Using Student Introductions to Illustrate the Concept of Norms

The first day of an introductory sociology course provides a crucial first impression to both students and instructor. The information instructors present on the organization, content, and expectations of the course reduces student anxiety and uncertainty. Instructors use self-introductions to address first day concerns and to provide information about the students, the teacher, and the learning environment (i.e., collegial, participatory) of the class. As they are normally conducted, however, self-introductions do not tackle the important question of sociological content. After handling administrative matters, reviewing the syllabus, and completing introductions, little time usually remains on the first day for examining social life. The exercise discussed in this paper effectively capitalizes on a valuable element of the first class with a quick illustration that allows students to immediately explore the sociological imagination and learn a key concept: social norms. (Contains 2 footnotes.)