Soc 1A: Introduction to Sociology

Spring 2010

Meeting time: Tu/Th 9:45 -11:05 AM

Location: SS210

Instructor: Dr. Robin Kreider                 

Email:   rkreider@gavilan.edu                                 

Phone:  848 - 4862

Website: http://hhh.gavilan.edu/rkreider/

Office Hours: M/W 11am - 12:30 & Tu 1-2 pm or by appointment

“[Humans] make their own history, but they do not make it just as they please; they do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under circumstances directly encountered, given and transmitted from the past.”  - Karl Marx

Course Description: This course is designed to provide a general introduction to the discipline of sociology and is intended for students that have not taken a college course in sociology. The purpose of this course is to introduce the basic problems, concepts, methods, and theories of sociology. Students will be introduced to the sociological perspective and will be presented with a set of core sociological concepts and tools to examine the social world and explore social issues. This course will demonstrate the inherent analytical and critical nature of sociological inquiry. It is my hope that this course will not only provide students with a sound and comprehensive introduction to the discipline of sociology, but it will make sociology relevant and useful in their own lives.

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course, however this course is a transfer-level course and I have the same expectations of students in this class that I would have of students at a CSU or UC. There is a respectable amount of reading and writing in this course as well as a high level of critical and analytical thinking and writing expected. This course will not require you to ‘memorize’ things, but to engage with the material, analysis it, and critically reflect on yourself, society, and others.

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes:

• To provide students with a survey of the major areas of interest within sociology and to enable them to define, apply, and use basic sociological theories, terms, and concepts
• To introduce students to analytical approaches that will provide them with a critical understanding of social phenomenon and social issues facing the world today
• Identify and explain the sociological "scientific method" and employ the sociological "scientific  method" in solving simple research problems
• Explain the process by which an individual becomes a functioning member of society and to identify and describe the basic social institutions in the United States
• To help students broaden their view of society beyond their own immediate experience and understand how and why their own experiences may be similar or different to the experiences of others
• To encourage students to employ a sociological imagination in analyzing everyday life

To access the course syllabus, click here.

Course Schedule