Abstract
Imagine a book that provides understandable tools to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of sociology curricula and then improve them. This book also helps instructors create and recreate courses that promote greater engagement and learning in their classes. Wouldn't you want to read it immediately and encourage your sociology colleagues to do the same? Well, luckily for all of us, this book is now available! The Handbook of Teaching and Learning in Sociology, edited by Sergio A. Cabrera with Stephen Sweet, disseminates best practices in sociology curriculum design and teaching in one well-written and very useful text.
Cabrera and Sweet divide the book into three sections:
Part I, The Core: The Structure and Purpose of the Sociology Major;
Part II, Elective Courses and the Advancement of Sociological Literacy; and
Part III, High-Impact Teaching Practices in the Sociology Curriculum.
Through these divisions, they move from explaining the point of the sociology major (historically and today) to sharing guidelines for successful sociology curriculum design and how we might most effectively help our students develop a sociological perspective.
Readers will quickly understand that Cabrera and Sweet know how to follow best practices in handbook design, as well as teaching and learning. In addition to recruiting a wide range of expert contributors, they gave these authors clear guidance on content, applying a firm editorial hand. The result is a text full of concise, reader-friendly chapters saturated with helpful resources.
For example, in Chapters One and Eight, Susan J. Ferguson and Sweet provide succinctly written and easy to comprehend descriptions of the Sociological Literacy Framework and curriculum mapping. Diane Pike's chapter, “Sociology within the Liberal Arts,” supplements these chapters to provide faculty a common base of knowledge essential for productive discussions about curriculum development and review today. These three chapters should be required reading for faculty preparing for a program review.
The other chapters in Part I and those in Part II will help all those interested in teaching or designing core and electives courses in the sociology major. Even those not planning on teaching such courses will benefit from reading these chapters, as they help us think about what we want sociology majors to gain as they complete their studies. Many of these chapters also provide examples of how we can incorporate important material from specialized electives in the major into other broader courses (e.g., how to teach embodiment in sociology of work courses and disability issues in courses on the environment).
Chapters in Part III of the text describe findings on best practices in teaching (e.g., connecting sociological knowledge to career skills and specific jobs, thereby helping students better prepare for the job market and expand their understanding of sociology's applications). Andrea Hunt begins this section of the book by making a strong case for using findings in the science of learning and the sociology of the college classroom as we design and teach our classes. As she notes, those interested in improving their teaching can benefit greatly from making use of these oft-neglected resources. The other chapters in this section provide a plethora of examples and tips on how to apply them in our classrooms.
Standout chapters in Part III include Melissa Holtzman and Cabrera's “Cornerstone Courses and the Sociology Curriculum” and Katherine R. Rowell and Michelle A. Smith's “High-Impact Practices in Community Colleges.” Holtzman and Cabrera convincingly argue that cornerstone courses bridging introductory and upper-level content that connect course content to careers greatly strengthen sociology programs. Already common to psychology, communication studies, and other majors, such courses help students link sociological knowledge to career skills, enter theory and methods courses better prepared, and create a stronger sense of community among potential or already declared sociology majors.
Rowell and Smith wrote the one chapter that focuses on teaching in community colleges. Considering that 4 out of 10 college students study in community college settings, it would have been helpful to have more chapters written by community college instructors. Rowell and Smith pack much useful information into theirs. They focus on incorporating service learning and undergraduate research—two proven high-impact practices—in the uniquely challenging teaching environment of community colleges. Faced with higher teaching loads than professors in 4-year schools, CC instructors can especially benefit from tips on how to teach more effectively under very demanding conditions. Rowell and Smith's suggestions, based on their teaching experience and published research, should help many more instructors incorporate these important strategies into their classrooms.
While it may seem unrealistic to recommend that all sociology instructors read a 459-page handbook from cover to cover, I do. This book is so well edited, I was able to read it in a weekend. If you don't have the time to read it in just one or two sittings, start by reading the Introduction and Chapters One, Two, and Eight. Once you have done so, I am sure you will be eager to peruse other chapters that focus on your teaching interests. I promise that everything you need to do as a sociology instructor, department member, or chair will be easier once you—and your colleagues—read Cabrera and Sweet's Handbook of Teaching and Learning in Sociology.