They will be designed to test your grasp of important sociological concepts, not your photographic memory. Exam material will be reviewed in class on the week preceding the exam. It will most likely be a seven page to ten page paper involving some degree of research on a subject of sociological interest. You should start thinking about possible topics early in the semester. Class readings can provide useful examples to guide your own ideas, and your weekly writings offer you an opportunity to explore possible topics.
Participation is crucial.
New topics may be explored on a whim. Come to class. The assignments are designed to coincide with topics discussed in the weekly readings and lectures. They are intended as exercises in sociological thinking. These will not be graded but are mandatory.