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A Quarterly Publication of
The American Sociological Association

ABSTRACTS--Volume 31, Number 2, April 2003

ARTICLES

NOTES

THE RATIONALIZATION OF EVERYTHING? USING RITZER'S McDONALDIZATION THESIS TO TEACH WEBER
(Stephen Lippmann and Howard Aldrich)

Today's students have grown up in a world structured by the forces of rationalization, making it difficult for them to comprehend the scope and magnitude of the transformations Weber described. In this paper, we outline a plan for helping students appreciate Weber's theoretical achievements, as well as teaching them to think more critically about what constitutes "the good life" in rationalized societies. We use Ritzer's best-selling book The McDonaldization of Society as a vehicle for encouraging students' interest in Weber's work. We describe a set of field exercises that bring Weber to life and provide rich material for active learning.

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FACULTY ASSESSMENT AND THE SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING: KNOWLEDGE AVAILABLE/KNOWLEDGE NEEDED
(Betsy Lucal and Cheryl Albers with Jeanne Ballantine, Jodi-Burmeister-May, Jeffrey Chin, Sharon Dettmer, and Sharon Larson)

This article addresses the relationship between the scholarship of teaching and learning (STL) and faculty assessment. We examine issues related to the way STL is handled within faculty assessment as well as aspects of faculty assessment that could be topics for STL. Topics suggested for STL on assessment (student evaluations, teaching and learning styles, distance education, and faculty sociodemographics) would contribute to our understanding the evaluation of teaching. Consideration of the knowledge currently available and the knowledge needed in these areas leads us to two conclusions. First, there is considerable opportunity for sociologists to contribute to STL within faculty assessment. Contributions can be made in understanding what constitutes STL and methods for assessing contributions in this area of research. Second, both conceptual and empirical STL can be conducted within a sociological framework to improve methods of assessing teaching during faculty assessment.

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SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISH IN INTRODUCTION TEXTBOOKS: COVERAGE AND PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS
(Robert M. Carrothers and Denzel E. Benson)

Forty textbooks developed for the introductory sociology market are examined for the quantity and quality of material pertaining to ideas in the symbolic interaction tradition. All texts discuss at least some of the ideas from this tradition. Most of the texts, however, only include material from the Chicago school of this tradition with only a few including information from the Iowa school. Thus, the ideas about symbolic interaction that students receive from these texts are both incomplete and outdated. Additionally, the inclusion of material from only one of these schools greatly diminishes opportunities to use information from the other school to help students gain a sociological perspective on some of the most important topics in the introductory course. We discuss the empirical findings from the study together with many illustrations of how material from both symbolic interaction traditions can be used to enhance student learning about topics central to the introductory course.

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RECLAIMING DEVIANCE AS A UNIQUE COURSE FROM CRIMINOLOGY RE-REVISITED: ENTERING DELINQUENCY INTO THE EQUATION
(Nathan W. Pino)

Some sociologists have wrestled with the problem of teaching distinct criminology and deviance courses in the same academic department (see, e.g., Bader, Becker, and Desmond 1996; Kunkel 1999). Serious issues arise in course development, including course content similarity, theoretical overlap, and reading and writing assignment redundancy. What if we must teach delinquency in addition to criminology and deviance? Sociology majors interested in crime and deviance are likely to take more than one of these sociology courses, and non-majors often take these courses as electives. In this paper, I offer ideas for developing distinct deviance, delinquency, and criminology courses, and discuss how to reduce theoretical and other content overlap, paper assignments, course readings, and departmental issues.

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SYLLABUS UNDER CONSTRUCTION: INVOLVING STUDENTS IN THE CREATION OF CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
(Suzanne S. Hudd)

Collaborative teaching techniques are designed to alter the relationship between the professor and the students in order to share the process of learning class materials. In a collaborative classroom, students are encouraged to participate in the design and implementation of class materials. This paper presents an exercise in which the students are required to develop the assessment criteria for a class in introductory sociology. In the first class session, students are given a syllabus including only topical headings and are charged with constructing the list of graded assignments. It is noted that, by and large, students respond positively to being included in the design of the class syllabus, and some of the logistical concerns and pedagogical constraints of implementing this exercise are described.

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ARE REQUESTS FOR TEACHING CREDENTIALS CUSTOMARY? A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF THE 1999 EMPLOYMENT BULLETIN
(Kimberly A. Mahaffy and Elizabeth M. Caffrey)

Efforts to prepare graduate students for the multiple responsibilities they will face as faculty members have led to an emphasis on the development of teaching credentials as evidence of teaching effectiveness. Teaching credentials refer to teaching experience, syllabi, teaching evaluations, a teaching philosophy, and a teaching portfolio. Although these indicators have gained popularity among some graduate education programs in sociology, to what extent are they requested of job applicants? Our content analysis of the academic positions advertised in the 1999 Employment Bulletin suggests that the majority of departments prefer applicants with teaching experience, but few request specific evidence of teaching effectiveness in their job advertisements. Moreover, we find that research-oriented institutions are less likely to request teaching credentials. Recommendations for future research are proposed.

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SEX, CULTURE, AND LINGUISTIC RELATIVITY: MAKING ABSTRACT CONCEPTS CONCRETE
(Tracey Steele)

This paper details an exercise that accomplishes three important tasks: 1) it teaches a specific comples abstract concept (the linguistic relativity hypothesis); 2) it helps students use "the sociological imagination" and critical thinking to understand a topic of concern; and most central, 3) it demonstrates the use of a combination of teaching techniques that enhance learning and retention of abstract concepts from basic to advanced cognitive skill level. These specific techniques include the use of subject matter that is stimulating, evocative, and relevant to the audience, as well as the use of small groups and other forms of collaboration that aid students in the educational process.

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WHAT IF MILGRAM CONTROLLED STUDENT GRADES? A SIMPLE GAME FOR TEACHING THE CONCEPT OF AUTHORITY
(Fletcher Winston)

This paper introduces a classroom simulation game for use in introductory and upper division sociology courses to help students understand the concept of authority. Unlike most simulations, this game is short, involves minimal preparation and resources, and adapts to any class size. Students demonstrate that experiential learning of the concept facilitates their comprehension of authority, referring to the lessons of the game in later discussions and incorporating the ideas into other topics.

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    VIRTUAL TRANSFORMATION: WEB-BASED TECHNOLOGY AND PEDAGOGICAL CHANGE
    (David Jaffee)

Web-based instructional technologies are transforming teaching and learning in higher education. This important development requires sociological analysis for the purpose of understanding the significance of this change and for developing effective policies to enhance the transition to effective virtual learning environments. In the context of a model of organizational change, this paper examines how the application of web-based instructional technologies is unleashing forces that are disrupting established and institutionalized pedagogical practices, and reconfiguring faculty and student roles and relations. A critical aspect of this transition is the shift in the pedagogical ecology from the physical to the virtual classroom. This paper examines the potential impact of these changes on pedagogical quality and student learning.

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    ROCKIN' SOC: USING POPULAR MUSIC TO INTRODUCE SOCIOLOGICAL CONCEPTS
    (Benjamin D. Albers and Rebecca Bach)

This paper describes a teaching technique developed for a large section of introductory sociology. Popular music related to the topic of the day was played prior to the beginning of each class period. To encourage their active participation, students were asked to interpret the relevance of the songs for the day's topic. The links forged between the topics and their associated musical selections provided a common reference point for students and instructors. Moreover, playing popular music in class helped to create the impression of a backstage environment in which free expression and interaction were more likely. Playing music that the instructors obviously enjoyed served to humanize them, making the instructors more accessible to students. The technique appeared to enhance teaching and learning of basic sociological concepts, and was well received by both students and instructors.

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