Building Upper-Level Experiences into Introductory Sociology through Reading Evicted

• In Event: 3423 - Teaching and Learning Symposium Roundtable
  In Informal Discussion Roundtable: Table 8: Teaching Introduction to Sociology and Social Problems

Abstract

I incorporate Evicted into introductory sociology because of the accessibility of the book, the ability to teach introductory content through the book (e.g., inequality, sociological imagination, theory, research methods), and it enables me to give students a taste of what an upper-level sociology course is like (i.e., site visits, guest speakers) at my institution. I describe how I balance devoting nearly one-third of my course to Evicted while maintaining the overall goals of the course. I do not lecture on Evicted, but instead, I place students in small discussion groups. Students discuss the book in their reading group for 15-25 minutes, and then we discuss the book as a class for an additional 15-25 minutes. I assign students several Evicted Activities: Pre-Reading Questions essay, Reading Quizzes, Online Discussion Questions, Reading Groups, and an Essay. I also invite guest speakers from local housing programs, take my students to tour a homeless shelter, and I have taken students to hear a lecture by the author. Further, I evaluate the learning experiences students participate in with this book (e.g., reading discussion groups, touring a homeless shelter). Adopting the book is not without challenges, including getting students to read, ensuring adequate coverage of standard introductory sociology content, and keeping the material fresh and not too depressing for students. Overall, adding the book enables the instructor to do a deep dive into a topical area without sacrificing too much breadth in the course.

Author

• Stephanie Medley-Rath, Indiana University-Kokomo