In other words, in most cases you will be going into more detail on your specific group than the text authors do. Again, this oral participation is very informal and very short. You may do this from your seat as well. As for general class discussion, as I said above, students are often eager to discuss the topics we cover. So please feel free to contribute.
Sociologists often debate the place of personal experiences in the classroom.
As you will see when you begin to understand the Family Background Research Project, your personal experiences will play an important part in this class. I believe they can be useful in the classroom too. However, we must not lose sight of the discipline of sociology in our discussions. I invite and welcome questions and comments based on the lecture, readings or experience as it relates to the topic under discussion. Class participation can help your grade.