SC 1311 - Introductory Sociology: Home

Introductory Sociology is designed to introduce students to the sociological study of society.  Sociology focuses on the systematic understanding of social interaction, social organization, social institutions, and social change.  Major themes in sociological thinking include the interplay between the individual and society, how society is both stable and changing, the causes and consequences of social inequality, and the social construction of human life.  Understanding sociology helps us discover and explain social patterns and see how such patterns change over time and in different settings.  By making vivid the social basis of everyday life, sociology also develops critical thinking by revealing the social structures and processes that shape diverse forms of human life.  This course will provide you with the opportunity to analyze a variety of sociological themes such as culture, socialization, gender, sexuality, social control, poverty, family life and racial/ethnic discrimination.

1. Open an email message. What is your proposed topic?
2. Search for an article about your topic by searching in the Meta-Search Box to the left, while the "Articles" tab is highlighted in gold. 
3. Limit your search to "Full Text"  and "Peer Reviewed" articles.  Search for your keywords while separating terms with the word AND or putting the words of phrases on separate lines.
4. What did you type for your search?
5. Select a research article related to your topic. Get an idea of what the article is about by skimming through the article.
6. Copy or type the APA citation information into the email message. You may need to edit this information. 
7. In a sentence or two, what did you learn from this article that you didn't previously know? Try to write this in your own words.
8. Consider this article's quality, including criteria listed on the Articles page and Evaluate page. Write one or two sentences about why you would or would not use this article in your annotated bibliography, considering the following:
• Currency: What year was the article published?
• Reliability: What is the scope of the journal?
• Authority: What are the author(s)' credentials, especially related to this topic?
9. Considering the article's relevance to your topic, how will this article further your research?
10. Type SC 1311, your section and your name in the subject line of the email message.
11. Email this information to jcrane3@stmarytx.edu