One is to introduce you to the basic concerns, concepts, perspectives, and theories of the study of society, and the other is to guide you in the application of those elements to everyday aspects of your own life. In other classes I have taught, class discussion has been a critical element in how I have achieved these goals. Unfortunately, given the size of this class, it will not be feasible to rely heavily on class discussion. So although I am interested in your thoughts and I encourage all of you to speak up in class if you are so inclined, we will have to find another way for you to enter into a dialogue with me and with your classmates. I hope you can experience at least a facsimile of this dialogue by keeping a journal of reflections, insights, comments, and questions on course material, in particular, and, more generally, issues in the world and in your everyday life that could benefit from sociological scrutiny.
Sociology is the study of society.
I will want to speak with anyone who habitually leaves class early or arrives late. If you must have a pager on, set it to vibrate. Do not make it a habit of expecting pages or phone calls during class time. The Texts and Other Readings 1. Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life, second edition .