2011 Hans O. Mauksch Address

Abstract

In this article, I ask for whom is our teaching developed? Although we typically think that it is developed for our students, there appears to be a considerable gap between how our curriculum, especially Introductory Sociology is organized, and what we know about current college students. Drawing on data on enrollment in sociology and overall in colleges and universities along with recent scholarly portraits of college students by Nathan (2005), Clydesdale (2007), and Arum and Roska (2011), I offer the following argument: (1) Our “students” are primarily those who take Introductory Sociology, and this class, indeed, is our public face for most nonacademics; (2) given where U.S. college students matriculate, all too often, Introductory Sociology is likely being taught by someone not as well connected as we might like to our main professional organization; (3) comprehensive textbooks dominate the Introductory Sociology market and contain more information that can reasonably be covered in one semester; (4) college students are “practical credentialists” who spend relatively little time outside of the classroom on their studies; and (5) whether or not we as sociologists agree on what needs to be covered in Introductory Sociology and other courses, we have derived these understandings among ourselves, paying little attention to what skills and knowledge our students want and/or need. If Introductory Sociology really is our public face, we clearly need to spend a considerable amount of time in making sure that this is how we want to be seen.