The City and the Census: Methodology as a Means of Challenging Assumptions

• In Event: 514 - Section on Teaching and Learning in Sociology Roundtables (one-hour). Table 01. Challenging Perceptions and Realities
  In Refereed Roundtable: Section on Teaching and Learning in Sociology Roundtables. Table 01. Challenging Perceptions and Realities

Abstract

Many students attending our university in an urban environment bring with them assumptions about the neighborhood in which our campus is located. These assumptions center on race, class, and crime. In the exercise I will share, students are required to venture off campus - often for the first time - and explore the city. Then, they describe their observations. The following week, they analyze US Census data and city crime reports, comparing their findings with their observations and conclusions from the previous week. In this discussion I share the results of their analyses, what they learned, and why I found it a remarkable exercise for introductory sociology students.

Author

• M Sheridan Embser-Herbert, Hamline University