Smith College's Moodle

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the discipline of sociology—the study of human society. Sociologists use theories and evidence in order to describe, predict, and explain how society works. In effect, sociologists seek the answer to the question, “Why?”
Why do some people go hungry and cold at night while others have four homes? Why does Facebook have targeted ads? Why do men make more money than women? Why are some drugs legal and others not? Why do women’s jeans have small pockets?

Sociologists concern themselves with these questions and many more by systematically investigating the causes and implications of certain social phenomena -- especially as they relate to systems of inequality and stratification, societal trends, group behavior, identity formation, and social context. Sociology can teach us to question taken for granted assumptions about the ways organizations, cultures, institutions, and even entire societies function -- or fail to function. As such, the study of sociology provides tools to help make sense of the social worlds around us by applying our sociological lens.

This course is designed to strengthen your ability to critically ask discuss, as well as engage with, these questions. By grappling with the core concerns of sociology as a discipline, you will learn how to ask sociological questions and apply theoretical frameworks to provide possible explanations of social issues. Viewing the the world sociologically allows us to place ourselves, as individuals, in relation to the complex structures that make up our social reality