Discusses the development of a computer laboratory for sociology courses, as well as some advantages and disadvantages of incorporating computer technology into the classroom. Examines the proposal and proposal-review process. Provides tips for writing a successful proposal. (MJP)

Reviews the history, goals, achievements, and future of a graduate internship program sponsored by the Medical Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association. Students are placed in internships in a variety of clinical and research areas concerned with the development of health policy and careers in applied medical sociology. (NL)

Addresses nontraditional health care issues by placing internship students in different health care agencies such as (1) workplace wellness programs; (2) centers for independent living for the physically handicapped; and (3) an Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) intervention program. Examines new problems in health care and the importance…

Focuses on gender stereotypes in popular childrens' books. Proposes a student exercise for identifying gender stereotypes, using Dr. Seuss as an example. Asks students to articulate how their gender identities have been shaped by media. Provides actual student comments to highlight major discussion points. (Author/KDR)

Presents reasons for introducing Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) into a medical sociology course. States course objectives are to demonstrate relationship between the biological and the social in health and disease; describe crisis for the health system; discuss AIDS in a developing nations context; and demythologize AIDS and increase…

This paper explores efforts by Denison University to shift its service-learning efforts from service based on a charity model toward service based on collaboration and community-based social change. The author describes the institution's process of adaptation and a series of service-learning courses that draw upon participatory action research,…

Describes an interdisciplinary course team taught by instructors from the sociology and drama departments. The course used dramatic literature to complement and illustrate sociological works examining such basic concepts as economic dislocation, racism, and deviance. Includes a table of the sociological works and their dramatic counterparts. (MJP)

Focuses on the uses of science fiction to teach sociology and develop critical and creative thinking. Maintains that in the last 20 years science fiction has become concerned increasingly with social themes. Concludes with a detailed description of the use of "The Handmaid's Tale" in an introductory sociology course. (MJP)

Asserts that western civilization's belief in the differentiation between object and subject impedes a true multicultural discourse. Praises the postmodernist approach, that self-evident reality is actually a politically constructed text, as being useful in identifying subjectivity. Argues for acknowledgment, rather than displacement of,…

Describes the use of rock music lyrics to illustrate and personify key concepts in a Sociology of Deviant Behavior, course. Includes examples of the lyrics, related sociological issues, and ways that the combination facilitated class discussion. Student response was consistently favorable. (MJP)

Theory is a vitally important component of every undergraduate sociology program. Social theory classes are the heart of the undergraduate major in sociology: in these courses, students take on the professional and disciplinary roles of sociologists. This paper reports on two strategies that enlivened their social theory class, generating both…

Provides a series of guidelines for overcoming resistance and problems with cooperative projects in an introductory sociology course. These include coordinating common interests and common free time between team members, requiring allocation of various roles (presider, scribe, coordinator), and ongoing monitoring of the research teams. (MJP)

Reports on a teaching method that combined assigned daily newspaper readings with weekly informal journal writing to teach basic sociological concepts. Assigned journal topics acted as a link between class material, the newspaper stories, and other texts. Student response was overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Provides several examples of the journal…

Articulates an approach to teaching sociology that creates connections between the personal and political lives of the students and the sociological concepts studied. Includes descriptions of class assignments designed to induce alienation and empowerment. Considers pedagogical alternatives to traditional instruction. (MJP)

Describes a classroom-based research project that focused on issues of cultural pluralism. Students interviewed foreign students living with U.S. host families as well as the families. They also examined student handbooks and orientation materials. Discusses the implementation and outcome of the project. (MJP)