The Curriculum : Where Does Your Course Fit In?

1. The Curriculum: Where Does Your Course Fit In? Kathryn Feltey University of Akron felteyk@uakron.edu

2. What is the Curriculum? “The curriculum… is not only a matter of the courses listed in the catalog; it is also, and perhaps more importantly, the structure within which those courses are arrayed.” -- Catherine White Berheide, (2005)

3. Most Sociology Programs For the major require: • introductory sociology • theory, statistics and methods (skills) • a capstone course or experience (integration, application) • Elective credits • Internships are increasingly important

4. The Intro Class General Education Course “I want to hook them... show them the discipline can be fun.... and get them to take another class!” Brian Pendleton (35 yrs) 75% of sociology majors chose Sociology because they enjoyed their first class (Spalter-Roth, et al 2010)

5. The Intro Class Prerequisite for upper-level courses in Sociology • a “ticket to ride” • what do you want covered in Intro for your upper-level classes?

6. Organizing the Curriculum According to the ASA to provide continuity for majors, course content (across classes) should include: • Research skills • Theoretical approaches • Key concepts

7. Across Classes • I always think of my classes as helping students develop their sociological imaginations, or in other words, learning to put the course contents/topics in a broader social and historical context. I honestly haven't thought too much about how my classes fit into the sociological major at UA, but maybe I should. --Janette Dill (1 yr)

8. Across Classes • I try to see each course as a way of expanding their knowledge of how (1) social inequalities and (2) socialization influence all aspects of social life. I also try to continually impress upon them that sociologists look at the social world and take what they think is "common sense" information, and transform that into meaningful and testable research questions. --Adrianne Frech (2 yrs)

9. ASA – Bachelor’s & Beyond Surveys What Leads to Student Satisfaction with Sociology Programs?

10. Knowledge Acquisition As part of your sociology major, to what extent did you learn to: • Present sociological explanations about current social issues such as crime, racism, poverty, family formation, or religion • Discuss what is meant by a social institution and give examples of their impact on individuals • Discuss basic sociological theories or theoretical orientations

11. Knowledge Acquisition • Explain basic concepts in sociology (including culture, socialization, institutions, or stratification) • Explain important differences in the life experiences of people as they vary by race, class, gender, age, disability, and other ascribed statuses • Identify the impact and consequences of social policy --Senter, et al 2012

12. Skills Acquisition As part of your major, to what extent did you learn to: • Use computers to find information to develop a bibliography or a list of references • Create a hypothesis with independent and dependent variables • Use standard Use standard software packages, such as SPSS, SAS, and STATA, to analyze data

13. Skills Acquisition • Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different research methods (e.g., surveys, in-depth interviews, participant observation) for answering specific research questions • Gather information to make an argument based on evidence • Describe percentages and statistics in a two-variable table

14. Skills Acquisition • Interpret the results of different types of data gathering such as surveys, experiments, case studies, or other qualitative studies • Identify ethical issues in sociological research • Write a report that can be understood by non-sociologists

15. Skills Acquisition • Graphically display data • Work with people who differ in race, ethnicity, gender, or class • Use qualitative data analysis packages, such as NVivo, Atlas.ti, or Ethnography • Write research or grant proposals • Write a résumé • Make presentations using software such as PowerPoint -- Senter, et al 2012

16. Specialty Areas Over one-third of sociology departments have concentrations or specialty areas. • 62% in crime, law, and society • 29% in social work or social services • 16% in gerontology • 15% in family and youth -- Spalter-Roth and Erskine 2003

17. Focus on Inequalities • The ASA recommends that all sociology majors be exposed to courses that place a major focus on gender, racial diversity, and class inequality, as well as multi-cultural, cross-cultural, and cross-national content -- McKinney, et al. 2004

18. References Berheide, Catherine White. 2005. Searching for Structure: Creating Coherence in the Sociology Curriculum. Teaching Sociology 33:1-15. Kain, Edward L. 2007. The Sociology Major at Institutions of Higher Education in the United States. Teaching Sociology 35:31-37. McKinney, Kathleen, et al. 2004. Liberal Learning and the Sociology Major Updated: Meeting the Challenge of Teaching Sociology in the Twenty-First Century. American Sociological Association, Washington DC. Senter, Mary, et al. 2012. What Leads to Student Satisfaction with Sociology Programs? American Sociological Association. http://www.asanet.org/documents/research/pdfs/Bachelors_and_Beyond_2012_Brief1_Satisfaction.pdf

19. References (continued) Spalter-Roth, Roberta, et al. 2010. ASA’s Bachelor’s and Beyond Survey: Findings and Their Implications for Students and Departments Teaching Sociology 38:314-329. Spalter-Roth, Roberta and William Erskine. 2003. How Does Your Department Compare? A Peer Analysis from the 2000-2001 Survey of Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in Sociology. Washington, DC: American Sociological Association. Sweet, Stephen and James Rothenberg. Navigating the Sociology Major. http://www.asanet.org/students/Navigating%20the%20Sociology%20Major.pdf