The Evolution of INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY:
1898: Sociology Proper. Professor Wells. An analysis of the facts of social life, historical and statistical. Social uniformities and tendencies.
1911: Introduction to Sociology. Professor Woods. This course treats the nature of social progression and its relation to the following factors: the natural environment, the accumulation of wealth and of knowledge, the biology of population with some consideration of Eugenics, the growth of cooperation by means of human institutions, and the conservation of human resources.
1927: The Social Group: An Introduction to the Study of Sociology. Professor Woods. These courses are prerequisite to all other courses in the department. They aim to acquaint the student with the nature of social relationships, the significance of our institutions and the directions in which solutions to social problems must be sought.
1943: The Culture of Mankind: An Introduction to the Study of Sociology. Professor Woods, Assistant Professor Theriault and Others. The course is intended to serve as an introduction to sociology and as an aid to the student in understanding the significance of the processes whereby society has been built up and maintained. The course opens up with a study of the relationship of man to the society in which he lives. The various component parts of society are next considered and the influence of such factors as geography, race, and biology is analyzed. The problem of personality is next considered in its social setting. The collective behavior of man in crowds, publics, and classes is briefly surveyed, with particular reference to the social myths which have grown out of this collective life. The community is next considered as a concrete manifestation of social activity. The population making up the community is then discussed, both as its quantity and quality. The great social institutions of the family, the church, the state, and the business are then analyzed in their contemporary setting. Social change is then considered, with particular emphasis upon the rapid rate of contemporary change and the problems arising from the different rates of change and the problems arising from the different rates of change among the several aspects of society. The course concludes with a discussion of the possibility of directing and controlling social change in the interest of the general welfare.
1955: Introductory Sociology. Assistant Professor Harp. This course deals primarily with the basic elements of sociology and is designed to aid the student in understanding the influence of social and cultural factors upon human behavior. It seeks to develop an operational framework of fundamental principles which may be used in the analysis of small- and large-scale social systems, and it proceeds thence to a study of man’s various social institutions, such as the family, religion and social stratification. Anthropological data from primitive societies are used, but major emphasis is placed on the nature of contemporary society and its problems, and also on the implications of social change and the extent to which it may be controlled. Currently, the course is being presented by two different methods. Several sections, consisting of twenty to twenty-five men, are conducted entirely on a class-discussion basis, while the second method utilizes a system of two lectures each week followed by a third session of discussion in small groups. Insofar as possible, student may elect whichever of these two systems they prefer.
1970: Human Society. Associate Professor Underhill. A systematic analysis of social structures and processes in setting ranging from small informal groups through formal organizations and communities to stratification and kinship systems in total societies. Emphasis is given to the application of selected principles and concepts in a variety of settings and to critical reading of sociological research.
2018: Introductory Sociology. Professor Rogers. What is Society? How have societies developed historically? How do they distribute wealth, income and other resources? How do they organize political authority and economic power? How do they coordinate work? How do they socialize people to “fit in” with those around them? How do they produce popular culture? This course provides answers to these questions in ways that provide an introduction to the field of sociology. It focuses on a broad range of theory and research showing how sociologists think about and study these questions. In many cases, the topics covered in the course reflect the research interests and course offerings of faculty in the sociology department at Dartmouth. As a result, the course also provides an introduction to some of the curriculum offered in the department.