Sociology: A Class You Don’t Want to Miss
Do you every find yourself wondering why people act the way they do? Was it a product of their environment? Was it because that’s the way they were taught to act?
Maybe you think about why society operates in this specific way, or why there are so many binary ideals imposed on humans. Who made these ideals? Where did they come from?
These are all questions that can be addressed through the study of Sociology. Specifically Sociology 100 A and B taught by Professor Bruce Ravelli.
I took both of these classes this year as two of my electives, and I have to say I do not regret it one bit. Bruce makes this class so engaging and enjoyable, and knowing that I will get to sit through a really intriguing lecture three days a week is enough to get me out the door in time for class!
These classes cover a range of interesting topics. The first half of the class, 100A, is the very beginning of your sociological journey. Bruce teaches the very basics, going back to the founding fathers of sociology.
He touches on so many topics, and really opened my eyes to how much of the world I never saw. This is called seeing the ‘shades of grey’ within our black and white world. I won’t say much more, so you’ll have to take the course to see what else you might learn!
The second half of the course goes deeper into how our world really operates. With topics of gender, race, class issues, family dynamics, education, religion and more. It’s almost like a deep dive into our society today, opening our eyes even wider to how and why our world really operates the way it does.
The exams and assignments in this class aren’t very heavy either. There are two midterms and one final exam, a video assignment, (more like a reflection), and there are online multiple choice textbook questions every week!
(The best part about this is that you only have to buy the textbook once if you take both courses!) Ultimately not a lot of exhausting work, although I think any exam would definitely be somewhat stressful for any of us! And the best part is listening to Bruce speak about sociology and all the analogies and stories he tells us in order to help us truly understand the sociological perspective.
Speaking of the professor, here is a word from Bruce himself:
I appreciate these kind words and highlighting the beauty in the shades of grey. As Vanessa notes, I tell a lot of stories but each one is intentional and my way of helping students look beyond what they have been taught to see. Sociology is certainly about studying the social world around us, but it is the most impactful when you realize how much it teaches you about you.
All in all, I definitely recommend taking this class as an elective for any first year student who doesn’t know what else to add to their schedule, or for any level of student who wants a really engaging and fun course to attend with a professor who is super passionate about what he does!
