SOC101: Introduction to Sociology

Welcome to SOC101: Introduction to Sociology

Specific information about this course and its requirements can be found below. For more general information about taking Saylor Academy courses, including information about Community and Academic Codes of Conduct, please read the Student Handbook.

Course Description

Learn basic sociological principles by studying major sociological theories, culture, socialization, groups and social institutions, social stratification based on income, gender, race, ethnicity, aging, and social change.

Course Introduction

Sociology is the systematic study of society. The sociological imagination is a central concept to sociology since it encourages sociologists to connect personal experiences with larger social issues. For example, did you know the United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world? To understand this trend, sociologists use scientific methods to study and connect various social issues, such as sex education in schools, access to birth control, sexualization in the media, socio-economic status, opportunities for women, and the personal issues of teenage sexual activity and pregnancy.

Next, we use sociological theory to help us understand the world around us. These theories are not constraining or "right" and "wrong" but frameworks we use to examine society. We explore three classic sociological paradigms: structural-functional, social conflict, and symbolic interaction. Each paradigm is a different lens we can use to study society. Sociology uses the scientific method to explore the world through observation rather than opinion, religion, or political affiliation.

In this course, we explore the origins of sociology, major sociological theories, research methods, and basic sociological principles. We also study how the institutions and groups we belong to impact us as individuals. We will examine categories of inequality, such as social class, sex and gender, sexual orientation, and race and ethnicity. We will explore the impact of various institutions, such as culture, family, media, religion, economics, and politics. You should try to develop your sociological imagination as you progress through the course by relating the topics and theories you read to your life experiences. How have your institutions and categorizations shaped your personal story?

This course includes the following units:

• Unit 1: What is Sociology?
• Unit 2: Sociological Research
• Unit 3: Culture
• Unit 4: Socialization, Groups, and Social Control
• Unit 5: Social Stratification
• Unit 6: Sociological Institutions
• Unit 7: Social Change and Social Issues

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• define sociology and its purpose;
• describe the sociological imagination or perspective;
• discuss major theoretical perspectives: functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism;
• explain how sociologists use qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods;
• apply sociological imagination to describe social institutions, such as culture, socialization, family, media, education, economics, and politics;
• analyze the power of groups over individual behavior;
• apply sociological imagination to describe social phenomena, such as stratification, racism, sexism, and deviance; and
• apply sociological concepts to observable events and social issues.

Throughout this course, you will also see learning outcomes in each unit. You can use those learning outcomes to help organize your studies and gauge your progress.

Course Materials

This course's primary learning materials are articles, lectures, and videos.

All course materials are free to access and can be found in each unit of the course. Pay close attention to the notes that accompany these course materials, as they will tell you what to focus on in each resource and will help you understand how the learning materials fit into the course as a whole. You can also see a list of all the learning materials in this course by clicking on Resources in the navigation bar.

Evaluation and Minimum Passing Score

Only the final exam is considered when awarding you a grade for this course. To pass this course, you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on the final exam. Your score on the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you may take it again as many times as you want, with a 7-day waiting period between each attempt. Once you have successfully passed the final exam, you will be awarded a free Course Completion Certificate.

There are also end-of-unit assessments in this course. These are designed to help you study and do not factor into your final course grade. You can take these as many times as you want until you understand the concepts and material covered. You can see all of these assessments by clicking on Quizzes in the course's navigation bar.

Tips for Success

SOC101: Introduction to Sociology is a self-paced course, which means that you can decide when you will start and when you will complete the course. There is no instructor or an assigned schedule to follow. We estimate that the "average" student will take 31 hours to complete this course. We recommend that you work through the course at a comfortable pace that allows you to make regular progress. It's also a good idea to schedule your study time in advance and try to stick to that schedule as best as you can.

Learning new material can be challenging, so we've compiled a few study strategies to help you succeed:

• Take notes on the various terms, practices, and theories that you come across. This can help you put each concept into context and will create a refresher that you can use as you study later on.
• As you work through the materials, take some time to test yourself on what you remember and how well you understand the concepts. Reflecting on what you've learned is important for your long-term memory and will make you more likely to retain information over time.

Technical Requirements

This course is delivered entirely online. You will be required to have access to a computer or web-capable mobile device and have consistent access to the internet to either view or download the necessary course resources and attempt any auto-graded course assessments and the final exam.

• To access the full course, including assessments and the final exam, you will need to log in to your Saylor Academy account and enroll in the course. If you do not already have an account, you may create one for free here. Although you can access the course materials without logging in to your account, you should log in to maximize your course experience. For example, you cannot take assessments or track your progress unless you are logged in.

For additional guidance, check out Saylor Academy's FAQ.

Fees

This course is entirely free to enroll in and access. Everything linked in the course, including textbooks, videos, webpages, and activities, is available for no charge. This course also contains a free final exam and course completion certificate.