The WORLD is Our Lab: An Introduction to Sociology
Author(s): Jessica Potter
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2018
Pages: 104 - LSI page count is 106
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2018
Pages: 104
The World is Our Lab is a real world grounded introduction to the field of Sociology that is written to the interests and needs of today’s students. Beyond your basic textbook, Sociology, An Introduction includes a workbook within the text — encouraging students to be active participants in performing Sociology from their very first class.
The World is Our Lab:
- Promotes active learning. From the first chapter on, the book includes interactive activities that allow the theories and course framework to come alive in real, relatable ways.
- Is practical and grounded in the real world. This course often serves as a General Education requirement for schools, and this text applies to any student in any major, with any future career goal. Thoughtfully crafted, it ties the Sociological materials to many areas of society.
- Is written by an experienced Introduction to Sociology professor. Teaching this course in both in person and online versions, building the curriculum, and serving as a subject matter expert for this course have allowed the author to fine tune the required content. Creative exercises have been developed through years of teaching, and seeing which activities encourage student participation and engagement.
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: Introduction
1. What Is Sociology? A Social Science That Studies Groups of People
2. The WORLD Is Our Lab. We Can Look at All Topics Sociologically
3. Must Use Sociological Imagination—Get Past Own Biases. Do Not Be Ethnocentric. You Can Experience Culture Shock
4. Look at Sociological Issues from all Perspectives: Culture, Structure, and Power Analysis
5. Founders of Sociology: Durkheim, Weber, Marx, W.E.B Du Bois, Jane Addams Summary
Chapter 2: Conducting Sociology |
1. Selecting a Topic of Interest—Inductive versus Deductive Approach
2. Setting Up Your Research—Hypothesis, Dependent Variable, Independent Variable
3. What Type of Data Collected—Quantitative versus Qualitative
4. Do Not Infer Causation from Correlation. Ice-Cream Eating and Murder Example
5. Types of Theories: Functionalist, Conflict, Symbolic Interactionist
6. How Can Sociology Help the World? Real-World Jobs, How Sociology Can Take Place in All Careers
Chapter 3: Socialization
1. Learning to Be “Civilized”
2. Socialization versus Brainwashing
3. Agents of Socialization: Family, School, Friends
4. Reality versus “Reality” Examples of How We Can Have Different Versions of Reality
Chapter 4: Culture
1. Dominant American Culture. Describe and Give Examples
2. Subcultures and Countercultures, and the Difference between Them
3. Culture Varies Geographically and by Time
4. Ethnocentric
5. Culture Shock
6. Cultural Relativism
Chapter 5: Structure
1. Explaining Structures in Society: Social Institutions, Legal Structure, Health Care, and So On
2. Explain How We Have Various Roles and Norms in Different Structures: Legal Structures, Health Care System
3. Roles, Role Conflict, Role Strain
4. Values and Beliefs
Chapter 6: Power
1. Power versus Power Over
2. Different Kinds of Power—Not Just about Physical Force/Coercion, Also Ideology
3. Money and Power
Chapter 7: Norms and Laws
1. Norms versus Laws: Norms Are Social Codes of Conduct; Laws Are Legal Ones
Basic Breaking a Norm Example
Handshake versus Fist Bump Example
Breaking a Norm That Breaks a Law Example
Breaking a Law That Does Not Break a Norm Example
2. How They Regulate Behavior in Our World
3. There Are Punishments for Breaking Both
Chapter 8: Media and Social Media
1. Social Media versus Traditional Media
2. Types of Media: Memes, Facebook, Instagram, Televised News
Facebook is a Popular Social Media Platform
Instagram is a Popular Social Network Application That Features Photos
Televised News is a Traditional Form of Media
3. Different Versions of the Same “Truth”
4. The Looking-Glass Self
Chapter 9: Race and Ethnicity
1. What Is Race? What Is Ethnicity? Everyone Has an Ethnicity, and You Don’t Just Say American
2. Culture and Ethnicity
3. Racism, Stereotypes, and Why They Are Hard to Get Rid of
4. Religion
5. Societal Progress
Chapter 10: Capitalism and the Economy
1. Analyze US Government
2. Types of Government
3. Caste System
4. Social Mobility
Chapter 11: Social Movements and Change
1. Social Movement
2. How Social Movements Create Change
3. Hippies
4. Civil Rights and Civil Disobedience
5. Women’s Rights
6. MeToo and Social Media Movements
7. What Still Needs to Change?
Jessica Potter is a passionate Professor of Sociology and a committed teacher of life-altering, mind-opening truths. She has an MA in Sociology from Marshall University and a Juris Doctor from West Virginia College of Law, and teaches a wide variety of Sociology and Criminal Justice courses. The Introduction to Sociology course is her personal favorite, and she enjoys connecting with students and guiding them through the mind-opening journey of utilizing the Sociological imagination. A DC native, she enjoys teaching in person and online for a variety of universities and community colleges all over the country. When not teaching and mentoring students, Jessica enjoys exercising on nature trails, practicing yoga, eating vegan food, collecting vinyl, reading, running her spiritual life coaching business: Soul Coaching with Jessica, and spending time with her two rescue dogs.
The World is Our Lab is a real world grounded introduction to the field of Sociology that is written to the interests and needs of today’s students. Beyond your basic textbook, Sociology, An Introduction includes a workbook within the text — encouraging students to be active participants in performing Sociology from their very first class.
The World is Our Lab:
- Promotes active learning. From the first chapter on, the book includes interactive activities that allow the theories and course framework to come alive in real, relatable ways.
- Is practical and grounded in the real world. This course often serves as a General Education requirement for schools, and this text applies to any student in any major, with any future career goal. Thoughtfully crafted, it ties the Sociological materials to many areas of society.
- Is written by an experienced Introduction to Sociology professor. Teaching this course in both in person and online versions, building the curriculum, and serving as a subject matter expert for this course have allowed the author to fine tune the required content. Creative exercises have been developed through years of teaching, and seeing which activities encourage student participation and engagement.
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: Introduction
1. What Is Sociology? A Social Science That Studies Groups of People
2. The WORLD Is Our Lab. We Can Look at All Topics Sociologically
3. Must Use Sociological Imagination—Get Past Own Biases. Do Not Be Ethnocentric. You Can Experience Culture Shock
4. Look at Sociological Issues from all Perspectives: Culture, Structure, and Power Analysis
5. Founders of Sociology: Durkheim, Weber, Marx, W.E.B Du Bois, Jane Addams Summary
Chapter 2: Conducting Sociology |
1. Selecting a Topic of Interest—Inductive versus Deductive Approach
2. Setting Up Your Research—Hypothesis, Dependent Variable, Independent Variable
3. What Type of Data Collected—Quantitative versus Qualitative
4. Do Not Infer Causation from Correlation. Ice-Cream Eating and Murder Example
5. Types of Theories: Functionalist, Conflict, Symbolic Interactionist
6. How Can Sociology Help the World? Real-World Jobs, How Sociology Can Take Place in All Careers
Chapter 3: Socialization
1. Learning to Be “Civilized”
2. Socialization versus Brainwashing
3. Agents of Socialization: Family, School, Friends
4. Reality versus “Reality” Examples of How We Can Have Different Versions of Reality
Chapter 4: Culture
1. Dominant American Culture. Describe and Give Examples
2. Subcultures and Countercultures, and the Difference between Them
3. Culture Varies Geographically and by Time
4. Ethnocentric
5. Culture Shock
6. Cultural Relativism
Chapter 5: Structure
1. Explaining Structures in Society: Social Institutions, Legal Structure, Health Care, and So On
2. Explain How We Have Various Roles and Norms in Different Structures: Legal Structures, Health Care System
3. Roles, Role Conflict, Role Strain
4. Values and Beliefs
Chapter 6: Power
1. Power versus Power Over
2. Different Kinds of Power—Not Just about Physical Force/Coercion, Also Ideology
3. Money and Power
Chapter 7: Norms and Laws
1. Norms versus Laws: Norms Are Social Codes of Conduct; Laws Are Legal Ones
Basic Breaking a Norm Example
Handshake versus Fist Bump Example
Breaking a Norm That Breaks a Law Example
Breaking a Law That Does Not Break a Norm Example
2. How They Regulate Behavior in Our World
3. There Are Punishments for Breaking Both
Chapter 8: Media and Social Media
1. Social Media versus Traditional Media
2. Types of Media: Memes, Facebook, Instagram, Televised News
Facebook is a Popular Social Media Platform
Instagram is a Popular Social Network Application That Features Photos
Televised News is a Traditional Form of Media
3. Different Versions of the Same “Truth”
4. The Looking-Glass Self
Chapter 9: Race and Ethnicity
1. What Is Race? What Is Ethnicity? Everyone Has an Ethnicity, and You Don’t Just Say American
2. Culture and Ethnicity
3. Racism, Stereotypes, and Why They Are Hard to Get Rid of
4. Religion
5. Societal Progress
Chapter 10: Capitalism and the Economy
1. Analyze US Government
2. Types of Government
3. Caste System
4. Social Mobility
Chapter 11: Social Movements and Change
1. Social Movement
2. How Social Movements Create Change
3. Hippies
4. Civil Rights and Civil Disobedience
5. Women’s Rights
6. MeToo and Social Media Movements
7. What Still Needs to Change?
Jessica Potter is a passionate Professor of Sociology and a committed teacher of life-altering, mind-opening truths. She has an MA in Sociology from Marshall University and a Juris Doctor from West Virginia College of Law, and teaches a wide variety of Sociology and Criminal Justice courses. The Introduction to Sociology course is her personal favorite, and she enjoys connecting with students and guiding them through the mind-opening journey of utilizing the Sociological imagination. A DC native, she enjoys teaching in person and online for a variety of universities and community colleges all over the country. When not teaching and mentoring students, Jessica enjoys exercising on nature trails, practicing yoga, eating vegan food, collecting vinyl, reading, running her spiritual life coaching business: Soul Coaching with Jessica, and spending time with her two rescue dogs.