Message from the Instructor

Welcome to Sociology 122S.  This course is designed to introduce students to the “sociological perspective” and the way sociologists approach and study the social world. It also introduces students to a number of substantive areas of study undertaken by sociologists.

In the second half of the course, students will focus upon a number of substantive areas of sociological analysis – the sociology of work, social inequality, deviant behaviour, war and genocide, and two particular social movements (the Student Movement and the Women’s Movement).

SOCY 122S is designed for students who intend to take further sociology courses and for those in other concentrations who wish to acquaint themselves with the essentials of the discipline. 

This course is based on the introductory course that I teach in the classroom.  Taking the course by correspondence will not place you at any disadvantage although you will not receive an oral presentation of the course material.  For those who are comfortable with the internet, I have adapted the lecture notes and the PowerPoint presentations that I use in my regular intramural course and put them on the 122S Moodle site.  You may find the visual aids included in the power point presentations helpful in consolidating some of the material in your mind.

What you might miss by not attending lectures, you gain in the flexibility a correspondence course provides.  You will have greater flexibility with respect to how you integrate this course into the many activities you undertake and the various demands on your time.  While a strength, it is important to recognize that doing a bit of work each day – or at least keeping up with the weekly schedule – is the best way to learn the material presented in this course.  Trying to read all the material towards the end of the course and doing the assignments in rapid succession will not yield the best results educationally or in terms of grades.  Be sure that you do not short-change yourself by leaving too much to the end.  A steady pace is the ideal.

Whether a student takes this course in a lecture format or by correspondence, he or she must engage with the course material in a very private and personal manner – he or she must carefully read and try to understand the course readings.  Reading, reflecting, understanding, and critically reformulating the ideas presented in the course are central to learning; they become your personal undertaking.  I have inserted italics not to admonish you that it is “your responsibility” to learn the material, but to emphasize that learning is a very personal, private activity; it takes time, a commitment to learning and a commitment to yourself.  It is a privileged opportunity and I strongly encourage you to take full advantage of all that this course and other courses offer to you in terms of personal, self-development.

More information:

• Computer Requirements and Internet Access
• Moodle, Our Online Learning Environment 
• Academic Integrity
• Evaluation
• Suggested Time Commitment
• Required Material