1. What is sociology? Why study sociology?

2. What is sociology? How would you define sociology….what is it?
2-3 minutes to reflect and write
Sociology Defined: systematic study of human society and social interaction
Apply theories and research
Society: large social grouping that
shares the same geographical territory
subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations
Social interaction-complex connections between individuals and groups within the recurring patterns of society
“group/individual dynamic”

3. Why Study Sociology? Sociological Thinking
Sociology & Everyday life quiz (page 5)
Complete quiz-write answers in notebook
Answers on page 6
Reflection: How would a sociologist look at an issue like credit card debt?
Discuss with partner
Write down 2 points
The Overspent American

4. Why Study Sociology? Sociological Thinking
Moving beyond intuition and common sense to scientific understandings
Commonsense and myths
C. Wright Mills-”Sociological Imagination”
Phone Conversation
The ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and the larger society Personal troubles (credit card debt) vs public issues (national debt, unemployment)
Placing the personal in the larger social context-seeing the connection
E.g. “Overspending” on pages 7-11
Global connections

5. Why Study Sociology? “Identity”
Culture Shock & Diversity Training
Race-term used to differentiate groups based upon physical characteristics (e.g. skin color)
Ethnicity-term used to differentiate groups based upon cultural heritage or identity (e.g. language)
Class-term used to differentiate groups based upon a relative societal position of wealth/ power/prestige/or other valuable resources
Gender- term used to subscribe meanings, beliefs, and practices to sex differences (e.g. masculinity vs femininty)

6. Units/Topics in Sociology
Culture, Socialization & Social Groups
What is Diversity?
Cheerios
Lose the Bike Shorts
Dove: Beauty Pressure
Children See Commercial
Social Stratification-Class & Wealth
People Like Us
Social Stratification-Ethnicity, Race, Gender
What would you do?-Racism & What would you do?-Racism part 2
Deviance, Social Control and Criminality
Social Control
Breaking the Cycle
Family, Education & Religion
Out of the car

7. The Course mcox.wikispaces.com Projects
Thursday Topics & Friday Articles
5-6 person rotation
Classroom Activities & Classroom Participation