Sociology 101: How Social Forces Shape Our Lives

Podcast-style audio course - 21 Topics
Colgate University
(1 customer review)
Audio Download + Subscription
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Audio Download + Subscription
$0.00
Audio Download + Subscription
$0.00
Audio Sample:

Across the nation, Americans are undergoing an intense period of self-examination. How are our identities and behaviors shaped by the groups to which we belong? How can we reach past our own biases to better understand others? The study of sociology can help us answer these questions, making us better citizens in the process.

In this engrossing 21-lecture audio course, you’ll learn how the study of sociology—of people in groups—can teach you volumes about yourself and those around you.

Your expert guide, sociology professor Alicia Simmons (Ph.D., Stanford), will show you how to use scientific theories and methods to understand the social world. Later, you’ll learn how culture, socialization, social structures, patterns of interaction, and consequences of social deviance inform our decisions and actions.

You’ll also explore the structures of inequality that shape American society. How are categories such as class, gender, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity created and reproduced by society, and how do these designations correspond with people’s life chances? You’ll also look at social institutions, focusing on large-scale social systems that profoundly impact individuals’ lives. Last, a section on social chan

Across the nation, Americans are undergoing an intense period of self-examination. How are our identities and behaviors shaped by the groups to which we belong? How can we reach past our own biases to better understand others? The study of sociology can help us answer these questions, making us better citizens in the process.

In this engrossing 21-lecture audio course, you’ll learn how the study of sociology—of people in groups—can teach you volumes about yourself and those around you.

Your expert guide, sociology professor Alicia Simmons (Ph.D., Stanford), will show you how to use scientific theories and methods to understand the social world. Later, you’ll learn how culture, socialization, social structures, patterns of interaction, and consequences of social deviance inform our decisions and actions.

You’ll also explore the structures of inequality that shape American society. How are categories such as class, gender, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity created and reproduced by society, and how do these designations correspond with people’s life chances? You’ll also look at social institutions, focusing on large-scale social systems that profoundly impact individuals’ lives. Last, a section on social change describes how social landscapes shift, as well as how they stay the same.

Throughout, Professor Simmons encourages you to investigate your own social boundaries, discovering the degree to which social forces impact your own behavior.

Listen to Prof. Simmons discuss Sociology 101 in more depth on the podcast 13 here.

Learn about downloadable programs.

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Prof. Alicia D. Simmons is an expert on the intersections of media, race, and politics in the United States. An associate professor of sociology at Colgate University, she teaches Introduction to Sociology, Media Effects, Race and Crime, and Media and Politics. Her honors include Stanford’s Centennial Teaching Award and Colgate’s Torch Medal for Excellence in Teaching.

Previously, she was a lecturer and postdoctoral fellow in sociology at Harvard University. She earned her Ph.D. in sociology at Stanford University.

Her research is interdisciplinary, incorporating sociology, psychology, communications, political science, and racial/ethnic studies. It is also multi-method, using surveys, experiments, and content analyses. She has been published in journals such as Social Forces, Du Bois Review, and Sociological Methodology. She is currently writing a book about news coverage of police killings of unarmed Black men.

Praise for Alicia Simmons

“With over twenty-years of collegiate teaching experience, I have seen few professors demonstrate the brilliance in teaching that Alicia Simmons has as a member of my department at Colgate University. She excels in all modes of instruction with a phenomenal level of engagement with her students. Professor Simmons also is an excellent and methodical researcher in the area of race and media. She represents the best and brightest in the field of sociology.”
-Paul Lopes, Professor of Sociology, Colgate University

“Professor Alicia Simmons is a master teacher and an excellent scholar. She is dynamic, engaging, and always prioritizes student learning. You will not only learn a lot about sociology from Professor Simmons, but you will also thoroughly enjoy the experience. I definitely recommend taking a course with Professor Simmons!”
-Lynn Chin, Associate Professor of Sociology, Washington & Lee University

“Dr. Simmons is a dynamic, engaging, and insightful professor. I have seen her teach firsthand and remain inspired more than a decade later.”
-Krystale Littlejohn, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Oregon

  • Defining Sociology
  • The Sociological Perspective: Dorsey’s Department Store
  • Intellectual Orientations Across the Plaza
  • Research Fundamentals: Benjamin’s Burgers and Brews
  • Studying Social Life, Part 1: Ware’s Underwear
  • Studying Social Life, Part 2: Ware’s Underwear
  • Culture: Gaine’s International Gifts
  • Socialization: Coleman’s Children’s Clothing
  • Social Structure and Interaction: River’s Coffee House
  • Social Interaction and Emotions: Singleton’s Salon
  • Deviance, Part 1: Singleton’s Salon
  • Deviance, Part 2: Mack’s Discount Emporium
  • Social Stratification: Aaron’s Arcade
  • Social Class, Part 1: The Parking Lot
  • Social Class, Part 2: Branch Ave. Grocers
  • Sex and Gender: Mosely’s Women’s Clothing
  • Sexual Orientation: Mosely’s Menswear
  • Race and Ethnicity, Part 1: Roberson’s Design and Alterations
  • Race and Ethnicity, Part 2: Person’s Bank
  • Prejudice and Discrimination: Violet and Jade’s Steakhouse
  • Social Institutions and Social Change: Leaving Lemon Grove Plaza

1 review for Sociology 101: How Social Forces Shape Our Lives

  1. Russell Todd (verified owner)

    This course is superb. I wanted to learn about sociology, so I tried reading some books on the topic but found them too theoretical and philosophical. This course was perfect. The professor knows the subject, is an engaging speaker, and uses many practical examples that show how sociologists frame questions, find answers, and fit them into an overall framework of understanding. She introduces theoretical and philosophical principles as part of the examples, making it much easier to understand how those principles are used and why they’re essential.

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