ASOC 12A00 - Introduction to Sociology

Sociology is a discipline that uses a set of methods and theoretical perspectives to systematically study societies. The goals of this course are to provide an overview of the most important perspectives within the field and to ensure that you acquire a foundation of vocabulary and analytical tools needed to describe, reflect on, and potentially influence the social domains you inhabit. The course is organized into twelve weeks, divided into two main sections. The first five weeks introduce fundamental sociological concepts such as social construction, norms, identity, deviance, and stratification. In the second half of the course, we will apply these concepts to topical areas such as the economy, the family, religion, social movements, the state, and more. Each week, the coursework consists of three components: Lectures, Bonus Sessions, and Seminars. ● Lectures: These sessions introduce the main concepts, theories, and debates in sociology. They provide a broad survey of key ideas in the field and draw connections across various intellectual domains. ● Bonus Sessions: Held after the lecture each week, these sessions are designed to reinforce the ideas presented in the lecture in a more interactive context. ● Seminars: These are designed to help you engage more deeply with sociological ideas. Each week, seminar instructors will discuss the assigned readings, and student teams will present one of the readings to the class. VIDEO PROJECT Students will work in groups within their seminar sections to develop video presenting research on a sociological topic of their choice. The project will unfold in several stages: 1. Group Formation and Topic Selection: Each group will select a broad topic relevant to sociological inquiry, suitable for study through interviews and surveys conducted with other students in the course. 2. Exploratory Interviews: Groups will conduct exploratory interviews with a subset of their classmates to gather initial insights. Seminar leaders will guide the groups in selecting interviewees, designing interview questions, and analyzing the responses. 3. Literature Review: Concurrently with the interviews, groups will perform a literature review consisting of four academic articles and four popular articles related to their chosen topic. 4. Survey Design: Based on their interviews and literature review, each group will work with their seminar leaders to formulate three survey questions. These questions will be included in a comprehensive survey administered to the entire class, consolidated by the head instructor. 5. Data Analysis and Video Presentation: After receiving the survey data, groups will conduct a simple analysis and present their findings in a research poster. These posters will be discussed and critiqued on the last day of the course. Key Dates: ● Topic Selection: Week 2 ● Interviews and Literature Review: Week 5 ● Survey Question Submission: Week 9 ● Video Presentation: Week 12

Sean SAFFORD,Ozge DERMAN,Damien GARCIA,Hemal THAKKER

Cours magistral et conférences

English

Autumn 2025-2026

To validate the course, the student is expected to pass the following assignments: - Continuous Assessment: 2/3 of the final grade ○ Midterm Exam: 35% ○ Poster Presentation: 30% ○ Oral Presentation: 25% ○ Participation: 10% - Final Exam: 1/3 of the final grade

At the end of the course, the student is expected to have delopped tools to describe, reflect on and perhaps even influence the way that society shapes actions, beliefs, values and comprehension.