Introduction to Sociology

Providing more than 22 hours of coverage, this authoritative 26-part series is a visual encyclopedia of society's evolution. All-encompassing in its reach, the series applies the principles of sociology to the many facets of life as it has evolved over the seven millennia of recorded history. 26-part series, 52 minutes each.

Sociology, in a nutshell, is about why people behave in the ways that they do, and the key premise is that behavior is shaped by the contexts in which people live. This multi-segment program introduces the sociological concepts of personal, social, and role identity; of primary and secondary socialization; and of culture, with its associated concepts of learned norms and values, ethnocentrism, cultural diversity, and cultural change. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. A part of the series Understanding Sociology. (37 minutes)

This multi-segment program focuses on the world of education as it addresses aspects of how to conduct sociological research. After defining what exactly constitutes research, the video defines the concepts of reliability, validity, and representativeness through a study of social interaction in schools; sheds light on essential ideas in survey research via a study of educational inequalities; considers decision-making and social capital in education while presenting the use of interviews in sociological research; and illustrates ethnography in action as it tracks a study of surveillance in schools using observational methods. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. A part of the series Understanding Sociology. (37 minutes)

Sociologically speaking, how does postmodernity differ from modernity? This multi-section program seeks to answer that question as it evaluates sociology's relationship to an evolving societal framework. Topics such as greater personal choice, increasingly fragmented identities, multiplying uncertainties, and media saturation are considered, along with some of the contradictions inherent in the postmodern position. In addition, a case study comparing modernist views of gender and gender differences with the postmodernist view that fragments and blurs the boundaries of gender identities is included. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. A part of the series Understanding Sociology. (46 minutes)

This multi-section program explains the role of sociological theory, distinguishes between structure and action, and sheds light on three major perspectives in sociology-societies as organic structures, societies as economic structures, and societies as social action-by looking at their origins and key ideas and then showing how they can be applied. The video concludes by using a case study on the medicalization of life problems in contemporary societies as an opportunity to consider how Durkheimian, Marxist, and interactionist theories might explain that phenomenon. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. A part of the series Understanding Sociology. (57 minutes)

This multi-section program addresses classical social theory, examining the origins of sociology through the efforts of Marx and Comte to build a holistic science of society; positivism, through a case study of students using surveys to do research on education; interpretivism, through a parallel case study in which students use interviews to carry out their research; and realism, comparing it to classical, positivist, and interpretivist approaches. The video also draws upon a case study of suicide to illustrate how positivist and interpretivist approaches lead researchers to ask very different questions about this key sociological topic. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. A part of the series Understanding Sociology. (41 minutes)

This seven-part series discusses origins, core concepts, and applications of sociological theory, sociology's relationship to evolving societal frameworks, the conducting of sociological research, and much more. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. 7-part series, 37-57 minutes each.