MONOPOLY and Critical Theory

Abstract

In this article, the authors demonstrate how they modified a well-known game to use it as an educational simulation to help students understand difficult material, specifically critical theory. The goals for the simulation focus on improving the comprehension levels of critical theory for students in a course on the Sociology of Deviance, although lessons about inequality are inescapable. This article uses a modified version of the board game MONOPOLY, in an undergraduate deviance class (N = 39). The results are based on responses to an assessment and performance in the class through participation in a written work. The results show that students appear to have an improved grasp of critical theory and display higher levels of confidence when discussing critical theory in class after completing the simulation.