Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Upon successful completion students should be able to:
1. Apply sociological perspectives and use their sociological imagination in their reflections on the causes of social change and the impact of change on people and social institutions.
2. Locate themselves (connect their personal biography and social status with societal history) in the process of social change and social movements.
3. Participate as active citizens in their societies and communities, demonstrating respect for diversity, critical thinking, and collaboration.

The SACC assumes that instructors will assess student learning through the term by using various formative assessment tools, like worksheets, quizzes, and exams. In addition, the SACC encourages instructors to integrate the following kinds of tasks into the course to assess student achievement of course outcomes in a more comprehensive and holistic manner:

1. Short analytical or application papers on specific concepts, themes, and issues.
2. Term or research papers, using a variety of research strategies.
3. Oral presentations
4. Group research, analysis, and presentation projects
5. Class participation in full-class discussions and small groups or teams.
6. Response papers or journals reflecting on life experiences, events, and social phenomena.
7. Service-learning tasks, involving service to community, reflection, and application of sociological perspective.
8. Student-instructor conferences
9. Portfolios
10. Video projects
11. Oral histories and interviews

1. Social Institutions, including family, education, religion, economy, politics, and health, and the interactions across and between institutions.
2. Social theories and perspectives applied to the study of social institutions, including structural-functionalist, conflict, symbolic interaction, and feminist.
3. Social change theory
4. Collective behavior, including rhetoric and propaganda, and social movements
5. Global content areas related to social change, including globalization, stratification, population, urbanization, environment, technology, and mass media
6. Interactions and relationships between culture and structure and how culture shapes social institutions
7. Impact of race/ethnicity, gender, age, social class, and other diversity on experience in social institutions and social change.

Competencies and Skills

1. Apply sociological approach and perspectives to a variety of social patterns and processes, specifically related to social institutions and social change
2. Continue to hone critical thinking skills regarding the reciprocal relationship between individuals and institutions
3. Observe and identify social change and consequences
4. Write and communicate orally in a clear, organized, and effective manner
5. Use varied and effective research resources, techniques, and strategies
6. Develop and refine group process skills, which may include listening, brainstorming, communicating, negotiating, or cooperating on shared tasks
7. Integrate course work with current events and trends through examination of popular and news media
8. Develop ability to listen to and empathize with diverse perspectives and experiences.
9. Develop and practice active citizenship skills in accordance with principles of democratic and inclusive process, social justice, and ecological sustainability

Approved Texts

The SAC approves all required texts for Soc204 and Soc205. The same text is used for the two courses.
Currently (Fall 2012) approved texts are:
1. Croteau and Hoynes. Experience Sociology. 2013, 1st Edition.
2. Giddens et al, Introduction to Sociology. 2012, 8th Edition, Seagull version.
Supplemental Texts and Materials: Instructor discretion.
Instructional Delivery Mode: This course is approved for classroom, hybrid, and distance modalities.