Introductory sociology is a low-level social science course that is typically taught early in college as part of general education requirements or as a prerequisite for a sociology major. Depending on the nature of the school and the sociology program, the exact presentation of such instruction may vary dramatically. A single class or a series of classes in introductory sociology can be taken. Some introductory sociology programs are taught from a textbook and cover the fundamental techniques and topics studied sociologists. Others start with a look at some of the seminal works of great sociologists.
The fundamental issues covered in any introductory sociology course are generally representative of the broad issues that the field as a whole deals with. Culture and the growth of large-scale social structures like governments and civilizations are critical. Smaller-scale issues, such as social interactions between families or small groups of friends, are also popular research topics. In almost every introductory sociology course, the development, organization, and social role of religion are discussed. Other topics covered in an introductory psychology course include politics, social psychology, age and gender differences, and social disorders.
Many introductory sociology programs concentrate on examining the major topics of sociology as well as the methods used to study them. This type of sociology instruction entails a combination of conceptual and problem-solving learning. Important sociological concepts range from biological and evolutionary topics to large-scale behavioral studies of large groups of people. Because much of sociology’s quantitative work is based on the mathematical analysis of large groups of people, problem solving usually involves statistics. This type of sociology education allows students to determine whether they are interested in and capable of working in professional sociological research.
Another popular approach to introductory sociology is to study some of the great sociological works. Students learn analyzing the foundational works of great sociologists, rather than through a structured textbook study of the techniques and topics of sociology. Rather than providing a broad and comprehensive overview, this method typically requires students to delve deeply into a smaller subset of topics. It teaches students how to read and comprehend complex sociological research papers, which are often the foundation for further sociology study. Later courses will cover modern methods and problem-solving techniques.