INTRODUCTION TO
SOCIOLOGY
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
General objective - offer a brief but concise
introduction to the discipline of sociology.
Introduce fundamental sociological
concepts, principles, theoretical
perspectives, and research methodologies .
These form the bedrock/ foundation of
sociology as a distinctive discipline.
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Learn to apply the concepts, principles,
theoretical perspectives, and research
methodologies to everyday life .
Learn to better understand the influence of
society and groups on such individual
behaviors as conformity, obedience to authority,
normative and deviant behaviors.
Acquire the "sociological imagination" , your new
(different) tool for looking at the world around you.
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Why Sociology?
Develop cognitive understanding of
foundational sociological concepts.
Develop into mature individuals in their
community with a sense of vocation in their
work, an ethic of service and a lifestyle that
reflects personal integrity and social
responsibility.
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It is important for every educated person to have a
basic understanding of sociology.
To change the world, make improvements in the
lives of others, you must first understand what the
structure of the system is, how social order is
maintained, and how social change can be effected.
Some of you may wonder whether you should pursue
further studies in sociology. Take a couple of courses
in sociology, see if they stimulate your interest.
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Such courses offer in-depth study in areas such as
deviance, family, work and occupations, and
research methodology.
Sociology also offers a basic understanding of
culture and social structures crucial to success in
numerous fields and day-to-day social interactions.
Many degree programs offer specific training for only
one or two potential jobs. If in the end you do not like
those jobs, or if they are not available in your area?
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Sociology offers an education that is diverse and, in job
terms, flexible.
Employers are increasingly looking for people who are
broadly educated and who bring numerous
competencies to their work environment. They tend to
offer training specific to their industry or firm on the job.
The skills you acquire by getting a sociology degree will
not box you into only one potential career, but enable
you to pursue all kinds of opportunities.
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Some of the competencies include:
• an understanding of social systems and large
bureaucracies
• the ability to devise and carry out research projects
to assess whether a program or policy is working
• the ability to collect, read, and analyze statistical
information that come from polls or surveys
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• the ability to recognize the important differences
in the social, cultural, and economic
backgrounds of people
• skills and competency at preparing reports and
communicating complex abstract ideas
• the capacity for critical thinking about social
issues and problems that confront our society
today.
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Here is a list of some of the potential fields a
trained sociologist might work in:
• social work and social service
• law
• criminal justice and corrections
• urban and regional planning
• youth services/senior services
• broadcasting and journalism
• government - all levels
• church administration and ministry
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Continuation of list
• education
• entrepreneurship
• personnel services
• crisis prevention
• safety and disaster management
• foreign services and international negotiation
• family counseling
• market research and advertising
• medical and health services and assessment
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Some of these fields require further education Many
of the careers listed above, however, simply require a
Bachelor’s degree.
Some students in sociology may wish to obtain an
advanced degree in sociology at the graduate level
and pursue research or teaching.
The broad and flexible education that sociology
provides makes it an ideal minor for those who are
pursuing degrees that lead to specific jobs (e.g.
accounting, engineering, finance, nursing, education,
etc.).
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The sociologist . . . is someone concerned with
understanding society in a disciplined way.
The fascination of sociology lies in the fact that its
perspective makes us see in a new light the very world in
which we have lived all our lives.
It can be said that the first wisdom of sociology is this--
things are not what they seem.
Social reality has many layers of meaning.
The discovery of each new layer changes the perception
of the whole
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"neither the life of an individual nor the history of a
society can be understood without understanding both"
(Mills 1959:1).
The premise that human experiences, and the
information and knowledge that inform human action,
are socially and historically contextualized.
Therefore sociologists seek to Understand the
connections between not only individual experiences
and actions, but also social, structural and historical
forces that have and continue to shape them.
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This is why the “sociological imagination” provides an
excellent vehicle for introducing the disciplines four
dominant theoretical paradigms: structural
functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic
interactionism and feminism.
Furthermore, analytical thinking is a defining feature of
the sociological imagination.
Consequently, introduction to sociology is a course that
introduces both the disciplinary perspective and
analytical thinking of a social scientific nature (Cameron
et al. 2002).
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So, put on your thinking cap, and let the
learning begin!!.
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