Sociology (SOC*1100)
Code and section: SOC*1100*DE01
Term: Summer 2025
Instructor: Jasmin Hristov
Details
Learning Outcomes
Welcome to Introduction to Sociology! This course is a survey course, that is, you will have an opportunity to survey the discipline of sociology. You cannot be introduced to the total richness of the sociological enterprise within the constraints of one semester, however you will be provided with the fundamental sociological perspective and some of the critical areas of broad research carved out by sociologists.
This course will provide the grounding that you will need for other, more specialized sociology courses (and your text will be a valuable resource throughout your university career). The concepts, perspectives and principles discussed in this course will provide you with an understanding of how society affects us humans – and how humans affect and create the society in which we negotiate our lives. Once we realize how society is inescapably in us, how our actions are essentially the residue of our culture (how we think and survive) and society (how we act and are organized), then we are empowered to not only react to social forces but to act upon those forces.
Each discipline has its own jargon that allows members of that discipline to communicate their ideas with precision. Sociological terms will be identified throughout the course, sometimes with the definition attached. Terms are also contained in your text Glossary and Key Concepts at the end of each chapter.
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
1. define and describe perspectives, theories, methods and core concepts from a sociological perspective
2. apply key sociological theories to current news events and everyday life
3. explain the development of the discipline and its place in contemporary society
4. analyze perspectives of the social world according to one of the main sociological theorists
5. describe how perspectives around sexuality, social and gender stratification, education, race and ethnicity and religion are intertwined with current perspectives of everyday life
6. identify and think critically about social issues
Teaching and Learning Activities
Method of Learning
The first two weeks of the course provide a foundation to sociology as a discipline and then the remaining weeks explore various sociological topics. Learning occurs through reading, discussion with peers, videos and other web links and materials.
Trigger Warning:
The content and discussion in this course will necessarily deal with discrimination and inequality in each Unit. Much of it can cause discomfort and be intellectually challenging. In the course discussion boards, I urge you to carefully consider the language and topics that you use so that our dialogues can be appropriate, critical, stimulating, and reflective.
Course Structure
This course is organized into 12 units.
• Unit 01: Sociological Perspective
• Unit 02: Sociological Investigation
• Unit 03: Society
• Unit 04: Socialization
• Unit 05: Social Interaction
• Unit 06: Gender Stratification
• Unit 07: Social Stratification
• Unit 08: Social Class
• Unit 09: Sexuality
• Unit 10: Race and Ethnicity
• Unit 11: Education
• Unit 12: Religion
What to Expect for Each Unit
Each unit is made up of three or four major content sections and uses a variety of tools to help you learn the material in the course. These include the assigned textbook readings, the unit material (which highlights important aspects of particular note from the text and also provides additional information), web links to be explored, and videos. The typical structure of each unit will be comprised of several parts, including:
Unit Introduction and Learning Outcomes
You should begin every unit by reading this section. The introduction sets the stage for the unit and the outcomes will help guide your efforts as you work your way through the unit. Also included in this introductory section is a poll that asks for your opinion on various topics related to the unit. In addition to providing your opinions, the polls also allow you to see the aggregated responses of your classmates, to see how your responses align with those of your peers. You will revisit the poll questions again at the end of the unit to allow you to consider whether you would change any of your responses after you completed the unit.
Unit Content
Before you continue into the unit content sections, read the assigned chapter of your text. Next, review the online materials and watch the video(s).
Unit Summary
This section reviews the main ideas and points of the unit and gives a brief introduction to the next unit. It also provides reminders of upcoming assessments.
Syllabus
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 Outline_SOC1100_DE01_S25 (1) May 1 2025.pdf | 315.57 KB |