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Thomas Barry
Introduction to Sociology
The discipline of sociology grew out of the Western transition to an industrial economy where rational and science-based approaches to understanding the self and world replaced the sacred order. Coinciding with this shift were a growing populist influence in the politics and practices of everyday life, the development of capitalism, and a focus on individual rights and responsibilities. Along with such changes came various pressing social issues, some of which were an affect of this sudden shift in the operations of society, and some of which existed before but were now viewed as areas to understand, regulate, and change. To address these problems, such as poverty and crime, sociologists worked to understand social life and engineer a more stable and productive society. Almost four hundred years have passed since that time and sociology continues in its aim to understand and alter society.
This is an introductory course. As such, we will develop a working understanding of sociology and its common theories, cover research methods and the research process, and apply sociological theories and concepts to a variety of topics, including gender, social class, and the mass media.
I have taught four to six sections of this course each year for the past five years. After teaching this class 20-30 times I have made the following observations:
(1) Understanding sociology, and demonstrating this on exams and assignments, takes devotion.
Because some of the sociological concepts and theories may make some intuitive sense, some students develop a false security that the subject matter is "easy" and do not invest in focused studies. Read and takes notes on the chapter, bring questions to class, and seek to understand versus regurgitate the material.
(2) Some content in the course will make some students uncomfortable, agitated, or relieved.
Sociologist take the world we have "taken-for-granted" and put that world under the microscope. Therefore, sociologists do not accept that the way we have structured society today is either "natural" or "inevitable." The functioning of a society, and its impact on its people, is a reflection of complex interaction between local, national, and global history, technology, and culture-specific values and beliefs. For these reasons, to understand, for example, poverty and wealth one must also understand history and cultural values and beliefs. In doing so, it becomes clearer that poverty is not the result of individual degeneracy or moral failing but rather structural conditions in society that privilege some and negatively sanction others. Because the sociological perspective will challenge commonly held notions of poverty, such as that people are poor because they are lazy and that people are rich because they are hard working, some students will respond with curiosity and others with utter disregard.
(3) Whether based on life experiences, such as being a member of the dominant class or the working class or a racial majority or minority member, some students more readily appreciate the sociological perspective while others are, at least initially, are more uncertain.
In my experience, sociology is easy to "get" the more a person has experienced struggle in life or is willing and able to separate from his or her own viewpoint and examine society from a variety of other perspectives.
This companion website has been developed for foster student success in the class. The website is a complement to, and not a replacement of, the textbook and lectures and discussions. My intent for the website is to give students access to more information, direct students to additional resources, and provide visual representations of course materials in order to foster successful completion of the course objectives.
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