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 examination is considered when awarding you a grade for this course. To pass this course, you will need to earn 70% or higher on the final exam.
Your score on the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. There is a 14-day waiting period between each attempt. You may only attempt the final exam a maximum of three times. Be sure to study in between each attempt! If you do not pass the exam after three attempts, you will not complete this course.
There is also a practice exam that you may take as many times as you want to help you prepare for the final exam. The course also contains end-of-unit assessments in this course. The end-of-unit assessments 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 to 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.
Continuing Education Credits
The certificate earned by passing this self-paced course displays not only the program hours you completed, but also continuing education credits (CEUs) for documenting successful completion of courses that are designed to improve the knowledge and skills of working adults. Many industries value CEUs, and now your certificate reflects them clearly, and they may be used to support career advancement or to meet professional licensing standards. This course contains 3.1 CEUs.
Tips for Success
SOC101: Introduction to Sociology is a self-paced course, meaning you can decide when to start and complete the course. We estimate the "average" student will take hours to complete. We recommend studying at a comfortable pace and scheduling your study time in advance.
Learning new material can be challenging, so here are a few study strategies to help you succeed:
- Take notes on terms, practices, and theories. This helps you understand each concept in context and provides a refresher for later study.
- Test yourself on what you remember and how well you understand the concepts. Reflecting on what you've learned improves long-term memory retention.
Technical Requirements
This course is delivered entirely online. You will need access to a computer or web-capable mobile device and consistent internet access to view or download resources and complete auto-graded assessments and the final exam.
To access the full course, including assessments and the final exam, log into your Saylor Academy account and enroll in the course. If you don’t have an account, you can create one for free here. Note that tracking progress and taking assessments require login.
For more details and guidance, please review our complete Technical Requirements and our student Help Center.
Optional Saylor Academy Mobile App
You can access all course features directly from your mobile browser, but if you have limited internet connectivity, the Saylor Academy mobile app provides an option to download course content for offline use. The app is available for iOS and Android devices.
Fees
This course is entirely free to enroll in and access. All course materials, including textbooks, videos, webpages, and activities, are available at no charge. This course also contains a free final exam and course completion certificate.